Varththai 71
==========
71. sULuRavu koNdEnO kOttiyUrAraip pOlE
Periya Nambigal, the acharya of Swami Ramanuja, told Ramanuja that Alavandar had left the task of teaching him the rahasyartthas to Thirukkotiyur Nambi. He instructed
Ramanuja to go to Thirukkottiyur Nambi and learn these esoteric meanings at his divine feet. Ramanuja walked to Thirukkottiyur from Srirangam and sought Nambi and asked him to teach the meanings. However, Nambi erfused to do so right away. He wanted to test Ramanuja and confirm that he was indeed worthy of receiving these great meanings.
Ramanuja made this trip from Srirangam to Thirukkottiyur eighteen times before Nambi was convinced that he could be given the meanings. Nambi told him to return with his tridandam and pavitram alone the next time and that
Nambi would teach him the meanings then. Ramanuja arrived with Mudhaliyandan and Kooraththazhvan and declared them to be equivalent to his tridandam and pavitram. Nambi took a vow from Ramanuja ("sULuRavu") that he would not reveal the meanings to anyone other than these two disciples (without testing) and revealed the meanings of Thirumanthram. Later he made Ramanuja come back even without Mudhaliyandan and Kooraththazhvan and taught him the meanings of Charama shloka - once again after taking a vow from him not to teach these meanings to anyone without testing.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I demonstrate the strength of mind that Thirukkottiyur Nambi did (in making even a great soul like Ramanuja take a vow before revealing the grand meanings of the sampradhayam)?"
Varththai 72
==========
72. uyirAya peRREnO Umaiyaip pOlE
In Ramanuja's mutt lived a Srivaishnava who was a mute person. He spent his time in doing whatever services he could provide to Ramanuja. One time, Ramanuja's grace flowed toward him and he took the mute Srivaishnava to a private room. There he closed the door, blessed the Srivaishnava and placed his padhukas on his head. He then signed to the Srivaishnava to take his refuge in those padhukas. At that time, Kooraththazhvan watched what was happening through a window. He exclaimed to himself "I am ruined because of my knowledge. If I had been a naive person like this Srivaishnava, I would have become the target of Ramanuja's grace easily".
The mute Srivaishnava took his refuge at Ramanuja's divine feet from that day forward and considered that as the sole means of survival ("uyirAya").
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking Ramanuja "Did I become the target of your divine grace and receive that which is dearer than life like the mute Srivaishnava did?"
Varththai 73
=========
73. udambai veRuththEnO naRaiyUrAraip pOlE
Pillai Thirunaraiyur Araiyar was a noble Srivaishnava acharya. One time he and his family went to a place called Thottiyam to worship at the Vedanarayana Perumal temple there. At that time, some antagonists set fire to the temple. Seing that everyone ran away from the temple. Araiyar saw that the divine archa rupam of the Lord was about to catch fire. Unable to tolerate that, he embraced the Lord's form and protected Him. Seeing that, his family including his children too offered their bodies to protect the Lord. In the fire, they all lost their lives. His devotion and love for the Lord is celebrated by Pillai Lokachariar in his Sri Vachana Bhushanam - "upEyaththukku iLaiya perumALaiyum periya udaiyAraiyum piLLai
thirunaRaiyUr araiyaraiyum chinthayanthiyaiyum pOlE irukka vENdum" and "periya
udaiyAraiyum piLLai thirunaRaiyUr araiyaraiyum udambai upEkshiththArgaL,
chinthayanthikku udambu thannadaiyE pOyththadhu".
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I let go of my body for the sake of the Lord like Pillai Thirunaraiyur Araiyar did?"
Varththai 74
=========
74. ennaip pOl enREnO uparisaranaip pOlE
Uparicharavasu was a king who ruled his kingdom as per dharma. He was famed for his knowledge of dharma and following it sincerely. Due to that he was blessed by the dharma devata so that he could move about without touching the ground. One time, during his rule, an argument broke out between rishis and the devas about the sacrificial offering during a yaga. There is a rule in the Vedas about not killing any animal. But,
there is also a special rule about being allowed to sacrifice an animal during a yaga. It is said that a goat can be sacrificed after the reciting of specific mantras during a yaga.
Due to the rule that animals should not be killed in general, the rishis created the form of a goat using grains, made it sacred with the mantras and sacrificed it in the yaga. The devas did not accept this sacrifice. They wanted a real animal sacrificed in the yaga.
Therefore, the devas and the rishis took their case in front of the king Uparicharavasu and asked him to give a dharmic solution. Uparicharavasu respected all souls equivalent to his own. His belief was that the animal
had as much right to live as he himself did. So, he accepted the argument of the rishis.Angered by this, the devas cursed him that he would touch the ground as he moved about from that time onward. Another version of the story says that he spoke on the side of the devas. The rishis were angered with him and tried to convince him to speak against dharma. It is said that he corrected the rishis and made them all understand that everyone should live like him following dharma.
In either case, Uparicharavasu comes across as a selfless person.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I follow dharma completely and show that all beings are the same as one's self like Uparicharavasu did?"
Varththai 75
=========
75. yAn siRiyEn enREnO thirumalai nambiyaip pOlE
One of Ramanuja's five acharyas was Thirumalai Nambi. He was Ramanuja's maternal uncle as well. When Ramanuja came to Thirumalai for the first time, his disciples wished him to climb the hills and perform mangalashasanam to the Lord there as well as see the
garden that his disciple Anandazhvan had built there. Ramanuja was hesitant to place his feet on the hills as it is Adisesha himself who was present in the form of the hills. However, due to the insistence of the disciples he agreed to climb the hills.
As he went up the hills, Thirumalai Nambi came down with the divine water from the Lord and other prasadams and met him on the way. Ramanuja asked Thirumalai Nambi "O! Swami. For the sake of this small person, did you have to come personally this far?Could you have not send a lesser person?"
Thirumalai Nambi replied "I searched the entire Thirumalai hills and I did not see anyone lower than me".
This is known as 'paraspara nIcha bhAvai:' - every Srivaishnava considers himself as the lowest person when meeting another Srivaishnava. Azhvar too calls himself "sIlamillA siRiyan".
Thirukkolur Ammal is saying "Did I show the Srivaishnava quality that Thirumalai Nambi exhibited?"
Varththai 76
========
76. nIril kudhiththEnO kaNapuraththALaip pOlE
One time Sri Nampillai was crossing the Kaveri river in a small round boat. It was late in the night and was very dark. The river was also showing sings of flood. While in the middle of the river, the boatman told the people in the boat "It appears that we are overloaded and are now at risk of submerging. If one or two people who can swim well jump into the water, then the boat can be saved. Otherwise we will all drown".
As the water rapids were strong, no one stepped forward. At that time, a lady called Kanapuraththal told the boatman "May you live a hundred years. Please save our acharya
Nampillai who is in this boat and take him safely to the other side". Saying so, she jumped into the water.
Eventually the boat reached the other side. However, Nampillai was very sad and said many times "We lost a lady unnecessarily in the water". Hearing that, Kanapuraththal cried from the river "Swami! I am safe here. I managed to reach a small island. Please do
not worry".
Nampillai became very happy and with the help of the boatman rescued the lady and brought her to the shore. She fell at the acharya's feet and said "Swami! It was you who came in the form of an island with grass to save me". Nampillai was pleased and told her "If that is your faith, then let it be so".
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I consider my acharya as everything and was willing to sacrifice myself for the acharya's sake like Kanapuraththal?"
Varththai 77
=========
77. nIrOrugam koNdEnO kAsi singanaip pOlE
nIrOrugam refers to the lotus flower. In the city of Kasi lived a person called Singan. He was an ardent devotee of Sriman Narayana and each day he would go to the ponds in the city and collect lotus flowers and pray to the Lord with them. He was a very adept swimmer.
He developed arrogance about his swimming ability and one time he claimed that he could swim across the flooded ganges back and forth several times. He started doing that when suddenly a quick flood came across and carried him away. He got caught in a whirlpool in the river and he was unable to escape from it. He realized that his arrogance was his undoing and he started praying to the Lord.
He remembered at that time the event of the Lord saving the elephant Gajendra. He prayed "O! Lord. You came to the side of the pond where the elephant sought refuge in
You and saved it. In the same, please save this poor soul as well. I surrender to You completely". At that time, a sudden gust of wind occured which caused a huge wave in the river. That wave picked up Singan and pulled him out of the whirlpool. It left him safely in the banks of the river.
Realizing the work of the Lord that saved him, Singan prayed to Him with a melted heart. He then continued to worship Him with the lotus flowers without any ego.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I pray to Him with lotus flowers every day like Kasi Singan did?"
Varththai 78
=========
78. vAkkinAl venREnO battaraip pOlE
Parasara Bhattar was the son of Kooraththazhvan. When he was a young child, one time. as he was playing in the banks of Kaveri, he saw a procession in which a vidwan called Sarvagna Bhattar was being carried in a palanquin by his disciples. They were crying out his praises and using trumpets as they went along. Parasara Bhattar was upset that in a town where notable scholars such as Ramanuja, Kooraththazhvan, Mudhaliyandan and Embar were residing, such a procession was taking place. So he decided to test this vidwan.
He went to the procession and stopped it. He then held some sand from the river in his hand and challenged Sarvagna Bhattar to give him a count of the sand. Sarvagna Bhattar was stumped and could not reply. Parasara Bhattar then told him "This is a fistful of sand. You cannot even say this much and yet you go around with people crying out your praises".
Sarvagna Bhattar was amazed by this child's prowess. He then enquired about him and found out that he was the son of Kooraththazhvan. He exclaimed "Will the off-spring of that which flies just crawl?" and taking Parasara Bhattar on to his palanquin, dropped him off at his home.
At the doorstep, Ponnachchiyar, the wife of Pillai Urangavill Dasar, received the child and heard about the incident. Reciting Dvayam as protection for Parasara Bhattar she took him to his mother Andal and told her "Please do not let this precious child in the streets where evil eyes can fall on him".
Later, after Ramanuja's time, per the instruction of Ramanuja, Parasara Bhattar went to Thirunarayanapuram, where he debated the famed scholar Vedanti and won him over into the Srivaishnava sampradhayam. Vedanti later renounced this world and came to Srirangam to be with his acharya Parasara Bhattar. Named Nanjeeyar by Bhattar, he would later don the acharya peetam of the sampradhayam.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I win over opponents with my oratory skills like Parasara Bhattar did?"
==========
71. sULuRavu koNdEnO kOttiyUrAraip pOlE
Periya Nambigal, the acharya of Swami Ramanuja, told Ramanuja that Alavandar had left the task of teaching him the rahasyartthas to Thirukkotiyur Nambi. He instructed
Ramanuja to go to Thirukkottiyur Nambi and learn these esoteric meanings at his divine feet. Ramanuja walked to Thirukkottiyur from Srirangam and sought Nambi and asked him to teach the meanings. However, Nambi erfused to do so right away. He wanted to test Ramanuja and confirm that he was indeed worthy of receiving these great meanings.
Ramanuja made this trip from Srirangam to Thirukkottiyur eighteen times before Nambi was convinced that he could be given the meanings. Nambi told him to return with his tridandam and pavitram alone the next time and that
Nambi would teach him the meanings then. Ramanuja arrived with Mudhaliyandan and Kooraththazhvan and declared them to be equivalent to his tridandam and pavitram. Nambi took a vow from Ramanuja ("sULuRavu") that he would not reveal the meanings to anyone other than these two disciples (without testing) and revealed the meanings of Thirumanthram. Later he made Ramanuja come back even without Mudhaliyandan and Kooraththazhvan and taught him the meanings of Charama shloka - once again after taking a vow from him not to teach these meanings to anyone without testing.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I demonstrate the strength of mind that Thirukkottiyur Nambi did (in making even a great soul like Ramanuja take a vow before revealing the grand meanings of the sampradhayam)?"
Varththai 72
==========
72. uyirAya peRREnO Umaiyaip pOlE
In Ramanuja's mutt lived a Srivaishnava who was a mute person. He spent his time in doing whatever services he could provide to Ramanuja. One time, Ramanuja's grace flowed toward him and he took the mute Srivaishnava to a private room. There he closed the door, blessed the Srivaishnava and placed his padhukas on his head. He then signed to the Srivaishnava to take his refuge in those padhukas. At that time, Kooraththazhvan watched what was happening through a window. He exclaimed to himself "I am ruined because of my knowledge. If I had been a naive person like this Srivaishnava, I would have become the target of Ramanuja's grace easily".
The mute Srivaishnava took his refuge at Ramanuja's divine feet from that day forward and considered that as the sole means of survival ("uyirAya").
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking Ramanuja "Did I become the target of your divine grace and receive that which is dearer than life like the mute Srivaishnava did?"
Varththai 73
=========
73. udambai veRuththEnO naRaiyUrAraip pOlE
Pillai Thirunaraiyur Araiyar was a noble Srivaishnava acharya. One time he and his family went to a place called Thottiyam to worship at the Vedanarayana Perumal temple there. At that time, some antagonists set fire to the temple. Seing that everyone ran away from the temple. Araiyar saw that the divine archa rupam of the Lord was about to catch fire. Unable to tolerate that, he embraced the Lord's form and protected Him. Seeing that, his family including his children too offered their bodies to protect the Lord. In the fire, they all lost their lives. His devotion and love for the Lord is celebrated by Pillai Lokachariar in his Sri Vachana Bhushanam - "upEyaththukku iLaiya perumALaiyum periya udaiyAraiyum piLLai
thirunaRaiyUr araiyaraiyum chinthayanthiyaiyum pOlE irukka vENdum" and "periya
udaiyAraiyum piLLai thirunaRaiyUr araiyaraiyum udambai upEkshiththArgaL,
chinthayanthikku udambu thannadaiyE pOyththadhu".
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I let go of my body for the sake of the Lord like Pillai Thirunaraiyur Araiyar did?"
Varththai 74
=========
74. ennaip pOl enREnO uparisaranaip pOlE
Uparicharavasu was a king who ruled his kingdom as per dharma. He was famed for his knowledge of dharma and following it sincerely. Due to that he was blessed by the dharma devata so that he could move about without touching the ground. One time, during his rule, an argument broke out between rishis and the devas about the sacrificial offering during a yaga. There is a rule in the Vedas about not killing any animal. But,
there is also a special rule about being allowed to sacrifice an animal during a yaga. It is said that a goat can be sacrificed after the reciting of specific mantras during a yaga.
Due to the rule that animals should not be killed in general, the rishis created the form of a goat using grains, made it sacred with the mantras and sacrificed it in the yaga. The devas did not accept this sacrifice. They wanted a real animal sacrificed in the yaga.
Therefore, the devas and the rishis took their case in front of the king Uparicharavasu and asked him to give a dharmic solution. Uparicharavasu respected all souls equivalent to his own. His belief was that the animal
had as much right to live as he himself did. So, he accepted the argument of the rishis.Angered by this, the devas cursed him that he would touch the ground as he moved about from that time onward. Another version of the story says that he spoke on the side of the devas. The rishis were angered with him and tried to convince him to speak against dharma. It is said that he corrected the rishis and made them all understand that everyone should live like him following dharma.
In either case, Uparicharavasu comes across as a selfless person.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I follow dharma completely and show that all beings are the same as one's self like Uparicharavasu did?"
Varththai 75
=========
75. yAn siRiyEn enREnO thirumalai nambiyaip pOlE
One of Ramanuja's five acharyas was Thirumalai Nambi. He was Ramanuja's maternal uncle as well. When Ramanuja came to Thirumalai for the first time, his disciples wished him to climb the hills and perform mangalashasanam to the Lord there as well as see the
garden that his disciple Anandazhvan had built there. Ramanuja was hesitant to place his feet on the hills as it is Adisesha himself who was present in the form of the hills. However, due to the insistence of the disciples he agreed to climb the hills.
As he went up the hills, Thirumalai Nambi came down with the divine water from the Lord and other prasadams and met him on the way. Ramanuja asked Thirumalai Nambi "O! Swami. For the sake of this small person, did you have to come personally this far?Could you have not send a lesser person?"
Thirumalai Nambi replied "I searched the entire Thirumalai hills and I did not see anyone lower than me".
This is known as 'paraspara nIcha bhAvai:' - every Srivaishnava considers himself as the lowest person when meeting another Srivaishnava. Azhvar too calls himself "sIlamillA siRiyan".
Thirukkolur Ammal is saying "Did I show the Srivaishnava quality that Thirumalai Nambi exhibited?"
Varththai 76
========
76. nIril kudhiththEnO kaNapuraththALaip pOlE
One time Sri Nampillai was crossing the Kaveri river in a small round boat. It was late in the night and was very dark. The river was also showing sings of flood. While in the middle of the river, the boatman told the people in the boat "It appears that we are overloaded and are now at risk of submerging. If one or two people who can swim well jump into the water, then the boat can be saved. Otherwise we will all drown".
As the water rapids were strong, no one stepped forward. At that time, a lady called Kanapuraththal told the boatman "May you live a hundred years. Please save our acharya
Nampillai who is in this boat and take him safely to the other side". Saying so, she jumped into the water.
Eventually the boat reached the other side. However, Nampillai was very sad and said many times "We lost a lady unnecessarily in the water". Hearing that, Kanapuraththal cried from the river "Swami! I am safe here. I managed to reach a small island. Please do
not worry".
Nampillai became very happy and with the help of the boatman rescued the lady and brought her to the shore. She fell at the acharya's feet and said "Swami! It was you who came in the form of an island with grass to save me". Nampillai was pleased and told her "If that is your faith, then let it be so".
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I consider my acharya as everything and was willing to sacrifice myself for the acharya's sake like Kanapuraththal?"
Varththai 77
=========
77. nIrOrugam koNdEnO kAsi singanaip pOlE
nIrOrugam refers to the lotus flower. In the city of Kasi lived a person called Singan. He was an ardent devotee of Sriman Narayana and each day he would go to the ponds in the city and collect lotus flowers and pray to the Lord with them. He was a very adept swimmer.
He developed arrogance about his swimming ability and one time he claimed that he could swim across the flooded ganges back and forth several times. He started doing that when suddenly a quick flood came across and carried him away. He got caught in a whirlpool in the river and he was unable to escape from it. He realized that his arrogance was his undoing and he started praying to the Lord.
He remembered at that time the event of the Lord saving the elephant Gajendra. He prayed "O! Lord. You came to the side of the pond where the elephant sought refuge in
You and saved it. In the same, please save this poor soul as well. I surrender to You completely". At that time, a sudden gust of wind occured which caused a huge wave in the river. That wave picked up Singan and pulled him out of the whirlpool. It left him safely in the banks of the river.
Realizing the work of the Lord that saved him, Singan prayed to Him with a melted heart. He then continued to worship Him with the lotus flowers without any ego.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I pray to Him with lotus flowers every day like Kasi Singan did?"
Varththai 78
=========
78. vAkkinAl venREnO battaraip pOlE
Parasara Bhattar was the son of Kooraththazhvan. When he was a young child, one time. as he was playing in the banks of Kaveri, he saw a procession in which a vidwan called Sarvagna Bhattar was being carried in a palanquin by his disciples. They were crying out his praises and using trumpets as they went along. Parasara Bhattar was upset that in a town where notable scholars such as Ramanuja, Kooraththazhvan, Mudhaliyandan and Embar were residing, such a procession was taking place. So he decided to test this vidwan.
He went to the procession and stopped it. He then held some sand from the river in his hand and challenged Sarvagna Bhattar to give him a count of the sand. Sarvagna Bhattar was stumped and could not reply. Parasara Bhattar then told him "This is a fistful of sand. You cannot even say this much and yet you go around with people crying out your praises".
Sarvagna Bhattar was amazed by this child's prowess. He then enquired about him and found out that he was the son of Kooraththazhvan. He exclaimed "Will the off-spring of that which flies just crawl?" and taking Parasara Bhattar on to his palanquin, dropped him off at his home.
At the doorstep, Ponnachchiyar, the wife of Pillai Urangavill Dasar, received the child and heard about the incident. Reciting Dvayam as protection for Parasara Bhattar she took him to his mother Andal and told her "Please do not let this precious child in the streets where evil eyes can fall on him".
Later, after Ramanuja's time, per the instruction of Ramanuja, Parasara Bhattar went to Thirunarayanapuram, where he debated the famed scholar Vedanti and won him over into the Srivaishnava sampradhayam. Vedanti later renounced this world and came to Srirangam to be with his acharya Parasara Bhattar. Named Nanjeeyar by Bhattar, he would later don the acharya peetam of the sampradhayam.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I win over opponents with my oratory skills like Parasara Bhattar did?"
Varththai 79
==========
79. vAyil kaiyittEnO embAraip pOlE
The acharya Embar was known as Govinda Bhattar prior to getting the name Embar. He was a maternal cousin to Ramanuja. In the early part of his life, he had gone on a yatra to Kasi. There, as he was bathing in the river Ganges, a Shiva lingam came into his hand. As such he became a devotee of Shiva, He seettled in the town of Kalahasti and began
maintaining the Shiva temple there.
At that time, due to the request of Ramanuja, Periya Thirumalai Nambi engaged Embar, corrected him and returned him to the Srivaishnava fold. Embar then moved to Thirumalai and lived with his acharya Periya Thirumalai Nambi and performed services to him. At that time, Ramanuja was also at Thirumalai learning the inner meanings of Sri Ramayanam from Periya Thirumalai Nambi. Therefore, he got opportunities to observe
Embar's characteristics.
One of the qualities of a Srivaishnava is feeling empathy for others. This quality was complete in Embar. One time, Ramanuja noticed that Embar put his hand inside a snake's mouth, then take a bath and continue his services to his acharya. He asked "O Govinda! What did you do with the snake?" Embar replied "I noticed that the snake was keeping its
tongue out and suffering. When I went near it, I saw that a thorn was stuck in its tongue.
So, I pulled the thorn out. The snake then ran away". Ramanuja was amazed about his sense of mercy and blessed him. Normally a snake instills fear in most people and they tend to keep away from it. Yet, in this instance Embar did not fear it and was more worried about its suffering.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Am I capable of showing the level of mercy that Embar did by sticking his hand in a snake's mouth?"
==========
79. vAyil kaiyittEnO embAraip pOlE
The acharya Embar was known as Govinda Bhattar prior to getting the name Embar. He was a maternal cousin to Ramanuja. In the early part of his life, he had gone on a yatra to Kasi. There, as he was bathing in the river Ganges, a Shiva lingam came into his hand. As such he became a devotee of Shiva, He seettled in the town of Kalahasti and began
maintaining the Shiva temple there.
At that time, due to the request of Ramanuja, Periya Thirumalai Nambi engaged Embar, corrected him and returned him to the Srivaishnava fold. Embar then moved to Thirumalai and lived with his acharya Periya Thirumalai Nambi and performed services to him. At that time, Ramanuja was also at Thirumalai learning the inner meanings of Sri Ramayanam from Periya Thirumalai Nambi. Therefore, he got opportunities to observe
Embar's characteristics.
One of the qualities of a Srivaishnava is feeling empathy for others. This quality was complete in Embar. One time, Ramanuja noticed that Embar put his hand inside a snake's mouth, then take a bath and continue his services to his acharya. He asked "O Govinda! What did you do with the snake?" Embar replied "I noticed that the snake was keeping its
tongue out and suffering. When I went near it, I saw that a thorn was stuck in its tongue.
So, I pulled the thorn out. The snake then ran away". Ramanuja was amazed about his sense of mercy and blessed him. Normally a snake instills fear in most people and they tend to keep away from it. Yet, in this instance Embar did not fear it and was more worried about its suffering.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Am I capable of showing the level of mercy that Embar did by sticking his hand in a snake's mouth?"
Varththai 80
========
80. thOL kAtti vandhEnO battaraip pOlE
It is not clear what event is the basis for this vArththai from Thirukkolur Ammal. One possibility is as follows. When Namperumal goes out in a procession in the streets of Srirangam, due to the large crowds, there will be some people in front that will hit the ground with long belts to clear
the crowd. In some instances the belt would accidentally hit a devotee. It is said that one time the belt hit Parasara Bhattar on his shoulder. Bhattar'd disciples got angry and used harsh words against the person using the belt. Hearing that, Bhattar told his disciples "They were only doing their duty. There is no mistake in that. Besides, what's wrong in being hit by those in the service of the Lord". He then told the person who hit him "What
you did was correct. When I got hit on one shoulder, I should have offered my other shoulder also to you. That was my mistake and I feel bad about it. Now I am showing you my other shoulder". The person who had used the leather belt became ashamed and apologized to Bhattar.
It is the quality of a Srivaishnava to show patience and mercy to anyone who errs against them. Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I show these qualities any time like Bhattar did when he offered his other shoulder?"
========
80. thOL kAtti vandhEnO battaraip pOlE
It is not clear what event is the basis for this vArththai from Thirukkolur Ammal. One possibility is as follows. When Namperumal goes out in a procession in the streets of Srirangam, due to the large crowds, there will be some people in front that will hit the ground with long belts to clear
the crowd. In some instances the belt would accidentally hit a devotee. It is said that one time the belt hit Parasara Bhattar on his shoulder. Bhattar'd disciples got angry and used harsh words against the person using the belt. Hearing that, Bhattar told his disciples "They were only doing their duty. There is no mistake in that. Besides, what's wrong in being hit by those in the service of the Lord". He then told the person who hit him "What
you did was correct. When I got hit on one shoulder, I should have offered my other shoulder also to you. That was my mistake and I feel bad about it. Now I am showing you my other shoulder". The person who had used the leather belt became ashamed and apologized to Bhattar.
It is the quality of a Srivaishnava to show patience and mercy to anyone who errs against them. Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I show these qualities any time like Bhattar did when he offered his other shoulder?"
Varththai 81
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81. thuRai vERu seydhEnO pagavaraip pOlE
In Thiruvayindrapuram lived a Srivaishnava called Villipuththur Bagavar. When he went to the river to perform his daily anushatanams, he would always go to a different part of the river and not to the place where most others would go. One time the Brahmins who were in their area of the river asked Bagavar "O! Swami. Why do you not perform your
anushatanams in our place?" Bagavar replied "We are Srivaishnavas that follow Swami Ramanuja. We perform these nityanushatanams only as a service to Sriman Narayana. You are brahmins that follow varNashrama dharma. You perform the nityanushtanams as part of your varNa. Therefore, the two of us cannot mix". Bagavar was either a brahmin
who had understood the true nature of the soul or was a sanyasi.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I understand the greatness of service and separate from those who follow only the dharma anushatana?"
Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam
thirukolur ammal vaarththaiga mutritru....
All of the above is from another's blog whats more surprising is the way in which the knowledge was revealed. it seems coded for unless the listener was aware of all that was said in the pithy sentences the treasures hidden within; and right behold revealed to the world.
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81. thuRai vERu seydhEnO pagavaraip pOlE
In Thiruvayindrapuram lived a Srivaishnava called Villipuththur Bagavar. When he went to the river to perform his daily anushatanams, he would always go to a different part of the river and not to the place where most others would go. One time the Brahmins who were in their area of the river asked Bagavar "O! Swami. Why do you not perform your
anushatanams in our place?" Bagavar replied "We are Srivaishnavas that follow Swami Ramanuja. We perform these nityanushatanams only as a service to Sriman Narayana. You are brahmins that follow varNashrama dharma. You perform the nityanushtanams as part of your varNa. Therefore, the two of us cannot mix". Bagavar was either a brahmin
who had understood the true nature of the soul or was a sanyasi.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I understand the greatness of service and separate from those who follow only the dharma anushatana?"
Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam
thirukolur ammal vaarththaiga mutritru....
All of the above is from another's blog whats more surprising is the way in which the knowledge was revealed. it seems coded for unless the listener was aware of all that was said in the pithy sentences the treasures hidden within; and right behold revealed to the world.
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