Once Saint Madura Kavigal was on a pilgrimage to Ayodhya. While carrying out his daily chores on one evening, he was amazed to find a dazzling light from the southern side of the sky. Guided by the light he travelled and reached Tirukurugur, where the light settled down. And on the sideways of the Polindhu Nindraan Sannidhi, underneath a tamarind tree, he saw a charming youth absorbed in meditation, seated in Padmasana with closed eyes and fingers in Gnana mudra. To check if the youth was alive the saint threw a pebble. The youngster opened his eyes and cast a benign look on Madura Kavi. Now, the saint posed a question.
“Settattin Vayitril Siriyadu Pirandaal, Ettaitinru Enge Kidakkum?”
Pat came the reply, “Attaitinru Ange Kidakkum.” (Readers may get the meaning and implications from scholars)
Transported with rapturous devotion, Madura Kavi prostrated before the young saint and with reverential humility rendered the verse ‘Kanninun Siru Thambinaal.’ The young saint was Nammazhwar and Madura Kavigal was his first and foremost disciple.
After the exaltation of Nammazhwar to heaven, Madura Kavi prays for an image of the Saint for his daily worship. Nammazhwar directs him to go to River Tamiraparani and boil the water in a copper bowl. On boiling Madura Kavigal finds a new image with beard, sacred thread, Kashayam and Tridhandam. Nammazhwar tells him that the image is that of a Mahapurusha to be born after some centuries and that he should be worshipped as Bhavishyacharya. And upon his arrival, Kaliyuga will lose its venom and Krita Yuga may blossom. Madura Kavigal again boils the water and out comes the beautiful image of Nammazhwar. He installs both the images and offers his prayers. One may worship the same even today at the Ramanuja Chaturvedi Mangalam behind the Tirukurugur temple.
The specific forecast is enshrined forever in the Thiruvoimozhi:
“Poliga Poliga Poliga Poyitru Valluyir Chaabam;
Naliyum Naragamum Naindha; Namanukku Ingu Yadhonrumillai;
Kaliyum Kedum; Kandu Kolmin; Kadalvannan Boodhangal Manmel
Maliyap Pugundhu, Isaipaadi Aadi, Uzhitharak Kandom” (5-2-1 TVM)
Ramanuja was guided by the hymns of Nammazhwar in finding answers to the Vedic and Upanishadic puzzles. “Binna Pravruthi, Nimithanam, Sabdanam Ekasmin Arthe Vriddhi Samanadikaranyam.” Interpreting a word from the srutis requires samanadhikaranya nyaya — an attempt to blend the opposites. Ramanuja found, in the Thiruvaimozhi verses, the answers to the Bedha Abedha Srutis. portrayed in the Thiruvaimozhi as one between the lover and his beloved.
(To be concluded)
This is the 39th in the series of articles by various authors on Sri Ramanuja up to his millennium in May 2017
