Sri Manavala Mamunigal’s contribution: Regarding the article, ‘Bonds of bhakti’ published in this column (May 13), Dr. M.A. Venkatakrishnan observes: “When listing out the commentaries that were written for Naalaayira Divya Prabandham from the period of Sri Ramanuja, the author says, ‘The last movement is marked in the golden sunset of Vedanta Desika's commentaries.’ This seems to exclude Sri Manavalamamunigal's Manipravala commentaries for various Divya Prabhandam hymns.
Vedanta Desikar's period was 1269-1369 AD and that of Manavala Mamunigal 1370-1443 AD and hence obviously Manavalamamunigal was the last of the acharyas to write manipravala commentary on Divya Prabhandams. He has written elaborate commentaries for Periyazhwar Thirumozhi (approx 400 songs), Ramanusa Nootrandhadi (108 songs), etc.”