In all this Cuban business there is one man stands out on the horizon of my memory like Mars
at perihelion.
When war broke out between Spain and the United States, it was very necessary to communicate quickly with the leader of the Insurgents. Garcia was somewhere in the mountain
fastnesses of Cuba - no one knew where. No mail or telegraph could reach him. The President
must secure his co-operation, and quickly.
What to do!
Someone said to the President, “There’s a fellow by the name of Rowan will find Garcia
for you, if anybody can.”
Rowan was sent for and given a letter to be delivered to Garcia. How “the fellow by
name of Rowan” took the letter, sealed it up in an oil-skin pouch, strapped it over his heart,
in four days landed by night off the coast of Cuba from an open boat, disappeared into the
jungle, and in three weeks came out on the other side of the island, having traversed a hostile
country on foot, and having delivered his letter to Garcia, are things I have no special desire
now to tell in detail. The point I wish to make is this: McKinley gave Rowan a letter to be
delivered to Garcia; Rowan took the letter and did not ask, “Where is he at?”
By the Eternal! There is a man whose form should be cast in deathless bronze and
the statue placed in every college in the land. It is not book-learning young men need, nor
instruction about this or that, but a stiffening of the vertebrae which will cause them to be
loyal to a trust, to act promptly, concentrate their energies; do the thing - “carry a message
to Garcia!”
General Garcia is dead now, but there are other Garcias. No man, who has endeavored
to carry out an enterprise where many hands were needed, but has been well-nigh appalled
at times by the imbecility of the average man - the inability or unwillingness to concentrate
on a thing and do it.
Slipshod assistance, foolish inattention, dowdy indifference, and half-hearted work seem
the rule; and no man succeeds, unless by hook or crook, or threat, he forces or bribes other
men to assist him; or mayhap, God in His goodness performs a miracle, and sends him an
Angel of Light for an assistant.
You, reader, put this matter to a test: You are sitting now in your office—six clerks are
within your call. Summon any one and make this request: “Please look in the encyclopedia
and make a brief memorandum for me concerning the life of Corregio.”
Will the clerk quietly say, “Yes, sir,” and go do the task?
On your life, he will not. He will look at you out of a fishy eye, and ask one or more of
the following questions:
Who was he?
Which encyclopedia?
Where is the encyclopedia?
Was I hired for that?
Don’t you mean Bismarck?
What’s the matter with Charlie doing it?
Is he dead?
Is there any hurry?
Shan’t I bring you the book and let you look it up yourself?
What do you want to know for?
And I will lay you ten to one that after you have answered the questions, and explained
how to find the information, and why you want it, the clerk will go off and get one of the
2
other clerks to help him find Garcia - and then come back and tell you there is no such man.
Of course I may lose my bet, but according to the Law of Average, I will not.
Now if you are wise you will not bother to explain to your “assistant” that Corregio is
indexed under the C’s, not in the K’s, but you will smile sweetly and say, “Never mind,” and
go look it up yourself. And this incapacity for independent action, this moral stupidity, this
infirmity of the will, this unwillingness to cheerfully catch hold and lift, are the things that
put pure socialism so far into the future. If men will not act for themselves, what will they do
when the benefit of their effort is for all?
A first mate with knotted club seems necessary; and the dread of getting “the bounce”
Saturday night holds many a worker in his place.
Advertise for a stenographer, and nine times out of ten who apply can neither spell nor
punctuate - and do not think it necessary to.
Can such a one write a letter to Garcia?
“You see that bookkeeper,” said the foreman to me in a large factory.
“Yes, what about him?”
“Well, he’s a fine accountant, but if I’d send him to town on an errand, he might accomplish the errand all right, and, on the other hand, might stop at four saloons on the way, and
when he got to Main Street, would forget what he had been sent for.”
Can such a man be entrusted to carry a message to Garcia?
We have recently been hearing much maudlin sympathy expressed for the “down-trodden
denizen of the sweat shop” and the “homeless wanderer searching for honest employment,”
and with it all often go many hard words for the men in power.
Nothing is said about the employer who grows old before his time in a vain attempt to
get frowsy ne’er-do-wells to do intelligent work; and his long patient striving with “help” that
does nothing but loaf when his back is turned. In every store and factory there is a constant
weeding-out process going on. The employer is constantly sending away “help” that have
shown their incapacity to further the interests of the business, and others are being taken on.
No matter how good times are, this sorting continues, only if times are hard and work is
scarce, this sorting is done finer - but out and forever out, the incompetent and unworthy go.
It is the survival of the fittest. self-interest prompts every employer to keep the best-those who
can carry a message to Garcia.
I know one man of really brilliant parts who has not the ability to manage a business
of his own, and yet who is absolutely worthless to anyone else, because he carries with him
constantly the insane suspicion that his employer is oppressing, or intending to oppress, him.
He can not give orders, and he will not receive them. Should a message be given him to take
to Garcia, his answer would probably be, “Take it yourself.”
Tonight this man walks the streets looking for work, the wind whistling through his
threadbare coat. No one who knows him dare employ him, for he is a regular firebrand of
discontent. He is impervious to reason, and the only thing that can impress him is the toe of
a thick-soled No. 9 boot.
Of course I know that one so morally deformed is no less to be pitied than a physical
cripple; but in your pitying, let us drop a tear, too, for the men who are striving to carry
on a great enterprise, whose working hours are not limited by the whistle, and whose hair
is fast turning white through the struggle to hold the line in dowdy indifference, slipshod
imbecility, and the heartless ingratitude which, but for their enterprise, would be both hungry
and homeless.
Have I put the matter too strongly? Possibly I have; but when all the world has gone
a-slumming I wish to speak a word of sympathy for the man who succeeds - the man who,
against great odds, has directed the efforts of others, and, having succeeded, finds there’s
nothing in it: nothing but bare board and clothes. I have carried a dinner-pail and worked for
a day’s wages, and I have also been an employer of labor, and I know there is something to be
said on both sides. There is no excellence, per se, in poverty; rags are no recommendation; and
all employers are not rapacious and high-handed, any more than all poor men are virtuous.
My heart goes out to the man who does his work when the “boss” is away, as well as when he
is home. And the man who, when given a letter for Garcia, quietly takes the missive, without
asking any idiotic questions, and with no lurking intention of chucking it into the nearest
sewer, or of doing aught else but deliver it, never gets “laid off,” nor has to go on strike for
higher wages. Civilization is one long anxious search for just such individuals. Anything such
a man asks will be granted; his kind is so rare that no employer can afford to let him go. He
is wanted in every city, town, and village - in every office, shop, store and factory. The world
cries out for such; he is needed, and needed badly—the man who can
Carry a message to Garcia.
Saturday, April 4, 2020
The Gettysburg Address
The Gettysburg AddressGettysburg, PennsylvaniaNovember 19, 1863On June 1, 1865, Senator Charles Sumner referred to the most famous speech ever given by President Abraham Lincoln. In his eulogy on the slain president, he called the Gettysburg Address a "monumental act." He said Lincoln was mistaken that "the world will little note, nor long remember what we say here." Rather, the Bostonian remarked, "The world noted at once what he said, and will never cease to remember it. The battle itself was less important than the speech." There are five known copies of the speech in Lincoln's handwriting, each with a slightly different text, and named for the people who first received them: Nicolay, Hay, Everett, Bancroft and Bliss. Two copies apparently were written before delivering the speech, one of which probably was the reading copy. The remaining ones were produced months later for soldier benefit events. Despite widely-circulated stories to the contrary, the president did not dash off a copy aboard a train to Gettysburg. Lincoln carefully prepared his major speeches in advance; his steady, even script in every manuscript is consistent with a firm writing surface, not the notoriously bumpy Civil War-era trains. Additional versions of the speech appeared in newspapers of the era, feeding modern-day confusion about the authoritative text. |
Bliss Copy
Ever since Lincoln wrote it in 1864, this version has been the most often reproduced, notably on the walls of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. It is named after Colonel Alexander Bliss, stepson of historian George Bancroft. Bancroft asked President Lincoln for a copy to use as a fundraiser for soldiers (see "Bancroft Copy" below). However, because Lincoln wrote on both sides of the paper, the speech could not be reprinted, so Lincoln made another copy at Bliss's request. It is the last known copy written by Lincoln and the only one signed and dated by him. Today it is on display at the Lincoln Room of the White House.
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.
But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.
Abraham Lincoln
November 19, 1863
November 19, 1863
uncle podger hangs a picture.
Uncle Podger hangs a picture
"Oh, you leave that to me. Don't you, any of you, worry yourselves about that. I'll do all that."
And then he would take off his coat, and begin. He would send the girl out for sixpenny worth of nails, and then one of the boys after her to tell her what size to get; and, from that, he would gradually work down, and start the whole house.
"Now you go and get me my hammer, Will," he would shout; "and you bring me the rule, Tom; and I shall want the step-ladder, and I had better have a kitchen-chair, too; and, Jim! You run round to Mr. Goggles, and tell him, 'Pa's kind regards, and hopes his leg's better; and will he lend him his spirit-level?' And don't you go, Maria, because I shall want somebody to hold me the light; and when the girl comes back, she must go out again for a bit of picture-cord; and Tom!—where's Tom?—Tom, you come here; I shall want you to hand me up the picture."
And then he would lift up the picture, and drop it, and it would come out of the frame, and he would try to save the glass, and cut himself; and then he would spring round the room, looking for his handkerchief. He could not find his handkerchief, because it was in the pocket of the coat he had taken off, and he did not know where he had put the coat, and all the house had to leave off looking for his tools, and start looking for his coat; while he would dance round and hinder them.
"Doesn't anybody in the whole house know where my coat is? I never came across such a set in all my life—upon my word I didn't. Six of you!—and you can't find a coat that I put down not five minutes ago! Well, of all the—"
Then he'd get up, and find that he had been sitting on it, and would call out:
"Oh, you can give it up! I've found it myself now. Might just as well ask the cat to find anything as expect you people to find it."
And, when half an hour had been spent in tying up his finger, and a new glass had been got, and the tools, and the ladder, and the chair, and the candle had been brought, he would have another go, the whole family, including the girl and the charwoman, standing round in a semi-circle, ready to help. Two people would have to hold the chair, and a third would help him up on it, and hold him there, and a fourth would hand him a nail, and a fifth would pass him up the hammer, and he would take hold of the nail, and drop it.
"There!" he would say, in an injured tone, "now the nail's gone."
And we would all have to go down on our knees and grovel for it, while he would stand on the chair, and grunt, and want to know if he was to be kept there all the evening.
The nail would be found at last, but by that time he would have lost the hammer.
"Where's the hammer? What did I do with the hammer? Great heavens! Seven of you, gaping round there, and you don't know what I did with the hammer!"
We would find the hammer for him, and then he would have lost sight of the mark he had made on the wall, where the nail was to go in, and each of us had to get up on the chair, beside him, and see if we could find it; and we would each discover it in a different place, and he would call us all fools, one after another, and tell us to get down. And he would take the rule, and re-measure, and find that he wanted half thirty-one and three-eighths inches from the corner, and would try to do it in his head, and go mad.
And we would all try to do it in our heads, and all arrive at different results, and sneer at one another. And in the general row, the original number would be forgotten, and Uncle Podger would have to measure it again.
He would use a bit of string this time, and at the critical moment, when the old fool was leaning over the chair at an angle of forty-five, and trying to reach a point three inches beyond what was possible for him to reach, the string would slip, and down he would slide on to the piano, a really fine musical effect being produced by the suddenness with which his head and body struck all the notes at the same time.
And Aunt Maria would say that she would not allow the children to stand round and hear such language.
At last, Uncle Podger would get the spot fixed again, and put the point of the nail on it with his left hand, and take the hammer in his right hand. And, with the first blow, he would smash his thumb, and drop the hammer, with a yell, on somebody's toes.
Aunt Maria would mildly observe that, next time Uncle Podger was going to hammer a nail into the wall, she hoped he'd let her know in time, so that she could make arrangements to go and spend a week with her mother while it was being done.
"Oh! You women, you make such a fuss over everything," Uncle Podger would reply, picking himself up. "Why, I like doing a little job of this sort."
And then he would have another try, and, at the second blow, the nail would go clean through the plaster, and half the hammer after it, and Uncle Podger be precipitated against the wall with force nearly sufficient to flatten his nose.
Then we had to find the rule and the string again, and a new hole was made; and, about midnight, the picture would be up—very crooked and insecure, the wall for yards round looking as if it had been smoothed down with a rake and everybody dead beat and wretched—except Uncle Podger.
"There you are," he would say, stepping heavily off the chair on to the charwoman's corns, and surveying the mess he had made with evident pride. "Why, some people would have had a man in to do a little thing like that!"
rahasyam8/8
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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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?"
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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
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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?"
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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.
rahasyam 7/8
Varththai 61
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61. avan vENdAm enREnO AzhvAnaip pOlE
Due to the trouble caused by the Chola king, Ramanuja had left Srirangam for Thirunarayanapuram. Periya Nambigal had given up his life and Kooraththazhvan lost his eyesight. After performing the final rites for Periya Nambigal, Azhvan returned to Srirangam.
One time, unable to bear the separation from Ramanuja, Azhvan was in deep despair. To console himself, he went to the Srirangam temple to have the darshan of Sri Ranganatha. However, due to his anger against Ramanuja, the Chola king had decreed that no one
who was associated with Ramanuja should be allowed inside the temple. Therefore, a gatekeeper at the temple stopped Azhvan from entering. Another gatekeeper said "Even though Azhvan is associated with Ramanuja, he is full of good qualities. Therefore, he can be allowed inside", and told Azhvan that he could go in.
Azhvan replied "I should be allowed to see the Lord because of my relationship with my acharya and not because I have good qualities. Seeing the Lord while breaking one's connection with one's acharya is not required". Saying so, he refused to go inside the
temple and went back.
Thirukkolur Ammal is saying "Did I show interest in the relationship to my acharya to the extent of saying no to even Sriman Narayana, like Kooraththazhvan did?"
Varththai 62
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62. adhvaidham venREnO emperumAnAraip pOlE
In explaining the meanings of the Vedas and Vedantas, three major sampradhayams came into being - Advaitam, Visishtadvaitam and Dvaitam. In these, Advaitam says that the Supreme Lord alone is the truth and that everything else is false. Even though the jIva may appear to be different based on our experiences, it is not different from the supreme.
This is the interpretation of Adi Shankara of the famous Upanishad statement "tat tvam asi". Dvaitam says that the Supreme and the jIva are always different and separate.
In the Vedantas, one can see statements that support the former (abheda sruti) and the latter (bheda sruti). Swami Ramanuja followed the teachings of Alavandar and
purvacharyas and the words of Azhvars and established Visishtadvaitam based on both bheda and abheda srutis. The cornerstone of this sampradhayam is the sharIrAtma bhAva between the Supreme and the jIva – that is, the Supreme acts as the antaryami of all souls ("yasya AtmA sharIram"). Azhvar establishes this as "udal misai uyir enak karandhu engum parandhu uLan". Vedas too say the same as "antarbahischa tat sarvam vyApya nArAyaNa sthita:".
In his work Sri Bhashya, that is a commentary to the Brahma Sutra, Ramanuja condemns the mAyA vAda of the advaita sampradhayam. This is celebrated in Dhati Panchakam as "mAyAvAdi bhujanga bhanga garuDa" and by Amudhanar in Ramanuja Nutrandhadhi as "uyirgaL meyvittu AdhipparanOdu onRAm enRu sollum avvallal ellAm vAdhil venRAn".
Even when he was a student and learning from advaita teacher Yadavaprakasha, he had the courage to correct the statements made by him. Later, he debated the great advaita vidwan Yajnamurthi, defeated him and took him as his disciple (he would be renamed as Arulala Perumal Emberumanar).
Thirukkolur Ammal is saying "Did I challenge and win the well established siddhantam of Advaitam like Ramanuja did?"
In this word by Thirukkolur Ammal, an interesting feature that is seen is that it is addressed to Ramanuja and it is about Ramanuja - that is, she speaks to Ramanuja about him in the third person.
Varththai 63
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63. aruLAzhi kaNdEnO nallAnaip pOlE
In the banks of Kaveri river in a town lived a brahmin devotee of Sriman Narayana. One time in the floods of the river, a dead body was washed ashore in that town. The brahmin saw that in the shoulders of that body the marks of Shanka and Chakra and realized that it was a Srivaishnava. Therefore, without examining further to determine who it might have been, what caste he might have belonged to, he performed the final rites for that person.
The people in the town were not pleased with what happened. They said that the body was that of a low caste person and that this brahmin should not have performed final rites for him. Therefore, they made him an outcast. The brahmin prayed to the Lord to correct the townsfolk.
The next day at the temple in the town where the town people were gathered, the Lord spoke through the priest and told them "You may not find the brahmin devotee alright; but to Me, he is a good person ('nallAn'). Therefore, you too accept him as such". From
that day forward,he and his descendants came to be known as "Nallan Chakravarthy". The Lord's Chakra (discus) is also known as "aruL Azhi". Nallan saw only the mark of the "aruLAzhi" and nothing else. In the process, he also saw the depth of the Lord's grace ("aruL Azham").
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I see only the mark of the Lord's discus and nothing else like Nallan did?"
Varththai 64
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64. ananthapuram pukkEnO ALavandhAraip pOlE
Alavandar, the grandson of Nathamunigal, was the leader of Srivaishnavas at Srirangam and having taken sanyashrama dharma lived in his mutt there. While doing service to the Lord as the darshana pravarthaka, one day while he was at the temple, Thiruvaranga Perumal Araiyar was reciting Nammazhvar's Thiruvaymozhi with both music and abhinaya (dramatic action). As he sang "kedum idarAyavellAm" (Thiruvaymozhi 10-2), the phrase "kaduvinai kaLaiyalAgum ... ezhil aNi ananthapuram ... nadaminO namaragaL uLLIr" occured. Araiyar Swami looked at Alavandar's face and repeated "nadaminO"
three times.
Understanding the Lord's command through Araiyar, thet he should go to Thiruvananthapuram and serve the Lord there, as per Azhvar's words, Alavandar took the permission of Namperumal. He then asked one of his disciples, Dheyvariyandan, to take care of his mutt and headed immediately to Thiruvananthapuram. There he performed service to the Lord and stayed for a while before his return to Srirangam. It was during this stay that he missed meeting Kurugai Kavalappan, the disciple of
Nathamunigal, to whom he had taught yoga rahasya and told him to pass it on to Alavandar.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I understand the Lord's wish and go to Thiruvananthapuram like Alavandar did?"
Varththai 65
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65. Ariyanaip pirindhEnO dheyvAriyANdAn pOlE
When Alavandar left for Thiruvananthapuram (see previous vArththai), he left his mutt at Srirangam under the care of his disciple, Dheyvariyandan. Dheyvariyandan did not want to be separated from his acharya. However, as it was the word of his acharya, he stayed back and started taking care of the mutt. The separation was too much to bear for him though and his health started deteriorating. The other disciples at the mutt began to worry about him and had a physician take a look at his health. The physician told them that it was his mental state that was affected due to the separation from his acharya which in turn was affecting his health.
The disciples decided that he would not survive away from Alavandar and decided to take him to Thiruvananthapuram. As he was too weak to walk, they placed him in a chair and began carrying him. As they got closer and closer to Thiruvananthapuram, Andan became happier and happier that he was going to be re-united with Alavandar and as such his health began to pick up. Soon he became healthy enough to walk and started doing so.
At the same time, Alavandar too began his return journey to Srirangam. The two met on the way and Andan fell at the feet of his acharya. Alavandar remarked "Sri Rama told Bharata to stay back at Ayodhya for 14 years. He being supremely independent and powerful, Bharata followed His word and stayed there. Since I am neither, Andan has come here now". Andan felt very bad and stayed on the ground. Alavandar then said "Are you going to stay down till I too become independent?" Fearing even more, Andan came up and stood quietly.
The other disciples then told Alavandar what had happened. Hearing that Alavandar became happy and told Andan "You have lost so much weight. Go and pray to the Lord at Thiruvananthapuram and come back". Andan replied "When my Thiruvananthapuram is standing in front of me (meaning Alavandar), why do I need to go to another Thiruvananthapuram?" and fell at his acharya's feet again. Alavandar appreciated his acharya bhakti and returned to Srirangam with him and the other disciples.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I separate from my acharya and almost lose my life like Dheyvariyandan did?"
Varththai 66
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66. andhAdhi sonnEnO amudhanAraip pOlE
During Ramanuja's time at Srirangam, there was a great scholar there called Periya Koyil Nambi who held a high office at the temple. Initially he was antagonistic to Ramanuja. Ramanuja corrected him through Kooraththazhvan and he became the disciple of
Azhvan. He then developed great devotion toward Ramanuja. Since he was capable of writing wonderful and sweet poems, he was also called as "Amudhanar" (and also Thiruvarangaththamudhanar).
One time he wrote a few verses praising Ramanuja to a great extent and submitted them to Ramanuja. Ramanuja rejected them and threw them away saying that those verses were not appropriate. He then suggested to Amudhanar "If you still wish to write verses srI: about us, write about our great affinity to the divyadesams, Azhvars, our acharyas such as Nathamunigal and Alavandar and your acharya Kooraththazhvan". Amudhanar therefore
wrote the famous Ramanuja Nutrandhadhi pasurams - 108 pasuram in andhadhi style, in which each pasuram uses the word Ramanuja while showing Ramanuja's affinity to divyadesams, Azhvars and Acharyas. In one verse, Amudhanar also included the greatness of his acharya Kooraththazhvan ("mozhiyaik kadakkum perum pugazhAn").
When Ramanuja heard this work, he approved it and it was determined that this work would become part of the daily recitation (nityAnusandAnam) for all Srivaishnavas. This work is included at the end of the Azhvar's divya prabandham and is now part of the 4000 verses.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I write nectar like verses on my acharya like Amudhanar did?"
Varththai 67
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67. anukUlam sonnEnO mAlyavAnaip pOlE
There were many people who gave good advice to Ravana, though he did not listen to them - such as Maricha, Sita Piratti, Vibeeshana, Kumbakarna and Malyavan. Malyavan was Ravana's grandfather. Due to his age, relationship, knowledge and worldly experience, he was in the right position to offer his advice to Ravana.
He told Ravana "O King! You should not go to war with Rama without knowing His strength. Amongst the boons you received, you never got one that protects you against men or monkeys. Now, both are standing together against you. In addition, this Rama does not appear to be an ordinary human being. It is Lord Vishnu Himself who has incarnated as Rama. Our entire clan will be destroyed in this war. So, return Sita to Rama and make peace with Him". Ravana however, rejected this good advice.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I give words of good advice (that show the right path) like Malyavan did?"
Varththai 68
68. kaLvan ivan enREnO lOkaguruvaip pOlE
The name "kaLvan" is one of the many names of Sriman Narayana. He is known by that name in one His divyadesams also. It means, one who steals or one who cheats/tricks others. He does this for the sake of His devotees in many cases.In the yagasala of Mahabali, He arrived in the form of a small dwarf (vAmana), asked for
and obtained three steps of land, grew up as Trivikrama and measured all the worlds with His divine feet. At that time, the asura guru, Sukracharya called Him as a "kaLvan". However, it does not appear appropriate that this is the incident being refered to in this vArththai and that Sukracharya is being called a Loka Guru.
It would be appropriate to refer to Swami Nammazhvar as Loka Guru. In several pasurams, Nammazhvar refers to the Lord as "kaLvan". In Thiruvaymozhi 5-10-4, he
says "kaLLa vEdaththaik koNdu pOyp puram pukkavARum" - here he refers to the Lord
going amidst the asuras and taking away their faith in the Vedas. In Thiruvaymozhi 3-8-9, Azhvar says "koLvan nAn mAvali mUvadi thA enra kaLvanE" - refering to the Lord's
vAmana avtara.In Thiruvaymozhi 2-2-10, he says "kaLvA! emmaiyum Ezulagum nin uLLE thORRiya iRaivA ..." - in this pasuram, it is Shiva who calls the Lord "kaLvA". This refers to the incident where Shiva obtained a boon from Narayana that He would ask for and get a boon from him. To fulfill that promise, during His Krishna avatara, He went on a kailasha yatra and asked Shiva to grant Him children. Shiva calls Him "kaLvA" because, it is He who is the father of all including Shiva and yet He is asking for the boon of a child. Since Shiva is known for the greatness of his knowledge it would be alright that he is refered to
as the Loka Guru. Thirumangai Azhvar in his hirunedunthandagam, says "nIragaththAy! ... kArvAnaththu uLLAy! kaLvA!". Azhvar says it is His trickery that He is hiding and not showing Himself to Azhvar. At another place in Thirunedunthandagam, Azhvar says "puLLUrum
kaLvA! nI pOgEl". Since this Azhvar invited the Lord Himself to learn from him "kaNNa nin thanakkum kuRippAgil kaRkalAm kaviyin poruL", it would be appropriate to refer to him as Loka Guru.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I refer to Him as 'kaLvan' like the knowledgeable devotees who can be called as Loka Guru's?"
Varththai 69
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69. kadalOsai enREnO periyanambiyaip pOlE
One of Alavandar's disciples was Maraneri Nambi who was born in a low caste. He was the target of Alavandar's grace and another disciple of Alavandar, Periya Nambi who was the acharya of Swami Ramanuja, had great affection for him as well. Because he had understood the true nature of his soul, Maraneri Nambi separated from his relatives who did not understand him, and lived separately. After Alavandar ascended to His divine abode, Maraneri Nambi became physically sick and was struggling alone. Periya Nambi took him under his care without looking at their caste difference, and gave him food from his own home.
When Maraneri Nambi was in his final stages of his life, he asked Periya Nambi that his body not be given back to his relatives for final rites. He told Periya Nambi
"purOdAsaththai nAykkidAdhE nOkki aruLa vENum" –
that is, do not give the offering meant for devas to dogs. After Maraneri Nambi left this world, Periya Nambi followed his words and performed all the final rites for him standing in his son's stead. Many brahmins became very upset that an acharya and brahmin such as Periya Nambi performed final rites for a low caste person and refused to interact with him.
At that time, Ramanuja talked to Periya Nambi and requested to him "When there are many others who could have done these final rites, did you have to do them yourself? Now so many are disrespecting you". Periya Nambi replied "Come O Ramanuja! Am I greater than He who was born in the Ikshvaku family and lived as Dharma itself and is Maraneri Nambi any less than Periya Udaiyar? Am I greater than Dharmaputra and is Maraneri Nambi any less than Vidhura?" Periya Nambi refered to the fact that Sri Rama had performed the final rites for a vulture (Jatayu) and that Yudishtra had performed final rites for a low caste person Vidhura.
He added "Do we ask someone else to do our sandhyavandanam?". This was to answer Ramanuja's question as to why he could not have had someone else do the final rites. He also said "Are the words of Nammazhvar in the pasurams Payilum Sudaroli and
Nedumarkkadimai nothing more than noise made by the ocean? Are these something that I have to explain and you have to understand?". These two decades of Thiruvaymozhi
speak of the greatness of bhAgavatas. Periya Nambi was asking if Azhvar's words were not to be actually followed in real life and were empty like the noise of the ocean. Guru
Paramparai records that Ramanuja immediately acceded to Periya Nambi's words.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I do great bhAgavata service and not treat Azhvar's words like mere noise, like Periya Nambi did?"
This episode is also interesting, since Thirukkolur Ammal is reminding Ramanuja of the words spoken by Periya Nambi to Ramanuja himself.
Varththai 70
==========
70. suRRik kidandhEnO mAlaiyANdAn pOlE
Ramanuja had five main acharyas - Periya Nambi, Thirukkottiyur Nambi, Thirumaalaiyandan, Thiruvaranga Perumal Araiyar and Thirumalai Nambi. Periya Nambi was the one who performed samashrayanam for Ramanuja and is the first acharya for Ramanuja. By his order, Ramanuja learned the rahasyartthas from Thirukkotiyur Nambi.And, based on the order of Thirukkotiyur Nambi, he learned Bhagavad Vishayam (the
meanings of Nammazhvar's Thiruvaymozhi pasurams) from Thirumaalaiyandan. As Thirumaalaiyandan taught Ramanuja the meanings of Thiruvaymozhi per the teachings of his acharya Swami Alavandar, at some places Ramanuja would propose a different explanation for the pasurams. At one point, Thirumaalaiyandan became upset with the alternate explanations proposed by Ramanuja and told him "These are not the meanings that I have heard from Alavandar. What you are doing is Vishvamitra srushti"and stopped teaching Ramanuja.
When Thirukottiyur Nambi heard that the lessons had stopped, he came to Srirangam and enquired with Thirumaalaiyandan as to what happened. When Thirumaalaiyandan told him what happened and the meanings suggested by Ramanuja, Thirukkottiyur Nambi told him "I have heard these additional meanings from Alavandar. Ramanuja listening to you is similar to Krishna learning from Sandipa. Ramanuja will not think of any meanings that was not in the mind of Alavandar. Do continue the teachings".
Hearing that, Thirumaalaiyandan became pleased that he was able to hear the meanings of the pasurams that he had missed hearing from Alavandar. He continued the teachings to Ramanuja. This teaching of Thirumaalaiyandan to Ramanuja as per the wishes of
Thirukkottiyur Nambi is refered here as "suRRik kidaththal' by Thirukkolur Ammal.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I understand the avatara rahasya of Ramanuja and stay with him like Thirumaalaiyandan did?"
Another interesting episode where Thirukkolur Ammal refers to an incident in Ramanuja's life to himself.
=========
61. avan vENdAm enREnO AzhvAnaip pOlE
Due to the trouble caused by the Chola king, Ramanuja had left Srirangam for Thirunarayanapuram. Periya Nambigal had given up his life and Kooraththazhvan lost his eyesight. After performing the final rites for Periya Nambigal, Azhvan returned to Srirangam.
One time, unable to bear the separation from Ramanuja, Azhvan was in deep despair. To console himself, he went to the Srirangam temple to have the darshan of Sri Ranganatha. However, due to his anger against Ramanuja, the Chola king had decreed that no one
who was associated with Ramanuja should be allowed inside the temple. Therefore, a gatekeeper at the temple stopped Azhvan from entering. Another gatekeeper said "Even though Azhvan is associated with Ramanuja, he is full of good qualities. Therefore, he can be allowed inside", and told Azhvan that he could go in.
Azhvan replied "I should be allowed to see the Lord because of my relationship with my acharya and not because I have good qualities. Seeing the Lord while breaking one's connection with one's acharya is not required". Saying so, he refused to go inside the
temple and went back.
Thirukkolur Ammal is saying "Did I show interest in the relationship to my acharya to the extent of saying no to even Sriman Narayana, like Kooraththazhvan did?"
Varththai 62
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62. adhvaidham venREnO emperumAnAraip pOlE
In explaining the meanings of the Vedas and Vedantas, three major sampradhayams came into being - Advaitam, Visishtadvaitam and Dvaitam. In these, Advaitam says that the Supreme Lord alone is the truth and that everything else is false. Even though the jIva may appear to be different based on our experiences, it is not different from the supreme.
This is the interpretation of Adi Shankara of the famous Upanishad statement "tat tvam asi". Dvaitam says that the Supreme and the jIva are always different and separate.
In the Vedantas, one can see statements that support the former (abheda sruti) and the latter (bheda sruti). Swami Ramanuja followed the teachings of Alavandar and
purvacharyas and the words of Azhvars and established Visishtadvaitam based on both bheda and abheda srutis. The cornerstone of this sampradhayam is the sharIrAtma bhAva between the Supreme and the jIva – that is, the Supreme acts as the antaryami of all souls ("yasya AtmA sharIram"). Azhvar establishes this as "udal misai uyir enak karandhu engum parandhu uLan". Vedas too say the same as "antarbahischa tat sarvam vyApya nArAyaNa sthita:".
In his work Sri Bhashya, that is a commentary to the Brahma Sutra, Ramanuja condemns the mAyA vAda of the advaita sampradhayam. This is celebrated in Dhati Panchakam as "mAyAvAdi bhujanga bhanga garuDa" and by Amudhanar in Ramanuja Nutrandhadhi as "uyirgaL meyvittu AdhipparanOdu onRAm enRu sollum avvallal ellAm vAdhil venRAn".
Even when he was a student and learning from advaita teacher Yadavaprakasha, he had the courage to correct the statements made by him. Later, he debated the great advaita vidwan Yajnamurthi, defeated him and took him as his disciple (he would be renamed as Arulala Perumal Emberumanar).
Thirukkolur Ammal is saying "Did I challenge and win the well established siddhantam of Advaitam like Ramanuja did?"
In this word by Thirukkolur Ammal, an interesting feature that is seen is that it is addressed to Ramanuja and it is about Ramanuja - that is, she speaks to Ramanuja about him in the third person.
Varththai 63
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63. aruLAzhi kaNdEnO nallAnaip pOlE
In the banks of Kaveri river in a town lived a brahmin devotee of Sriman Narayana. One time in the floods of the river, a dead body was washed ashore in that town. The brahmin saw that in the shoulders of that body the marks of Shanka and Chakra and realized that it was a Srivaishnava. Therefore, without examining further to determine who it might have been, what caste he might have belonged to, he performed the final rites for that person.
The people in the town were not pleased with what happened. They said that the body was that of a low caste person and that this brahmin should not have performed final rites for him. Therefore, they made him an outcast. The brahmin prayed to the Lord to correct the townsfolk.
The next day at the temple in the town where the town people were gathered, the Lord spoke through the priest and told them "You may not find the brahmin devotee alright; but to Me, he is a good person ('nallAn'). Therefore, you too accept him as such". From
that day forward,he and his descendants came to be known as "Nallan Chakravarthy". The Lord's Chakra (discus) is also known as "aruL Azhi". Nallan saw only the mark of the "aruLAzhi" and nothing else. In the process, he also saw the depth of the Lord's grace ("aruL Azham").
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I see only the mark of the Lord's discus and nothing else like Nallan did?"
Varththai 64
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64. ananthapuram pukkEnO ALavandhAraip pOlE
Alavandar, the grandson of Nathamunigal, was the leader of Srivaishnavas at Srirangam and having taken sanyashrama dharma lived in his mutt there. While doing service to the Lord as the darshana pravarthaka, one day while he was at the temple, Thiruvaranga Perumal Araiyar was reciting Nammazhvar's Thiruvaymozhi with both music and abhinaya (dramatic action). As he sang "kedum idarAyavellAm" (Thiruvaymozhi 10-2), the phrase "kaduvinai kaLaiyalAgum ... ezhil aNi ananthapuram ... nadaminO namaragaL uLLIr" occured. Araiyar Swami looked at Alavandar's face and repeated "nadaminO"
three times.
Understanding the Lord's command through Araiyar, thet he should go to Thiruvananthapuram and serve the Lord there, as per Azhvar's words, Alavandar took the permission of Namperumal. He then asked one of his disciples, Dheyvariyandan, to take care of his mutt and headed immediately to Thiruvananthapuram. There he performed service to the Lord and stayed for a while before his return to Srirangam. It was during this stay that he missed meeting Kurugai Kavalappan, the disciple of
Nathamunigal, to whom he had taught yoga rahasya and told him to pass it on to Alavandar.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I understand the Lord's wish and go to Thiruvananthapuram like Alavandar did?"
Varththai 65
=========
65. Ariyanaip pirindhEnO dheyvAriyANdAn pOlE
When Alavandar left for Thiruvananthapuram (see previous vArththai), he left his mutt at Srirangam under the care of his disciple, Dheyvariyandan. Dheyvariyandan did not want to be separated from his acharya. However, as it was the word of his acharya, he stayed back and started taking care of the mutt. The separation was too much to bear for him though and his health started deteriorating. The other disciples at the mutt began to worry about him and had a physician take a look at his health. The physician told them that it was his mental state that was affected due to the separation from his acharya which in turn was affecting his health.
The disciples decided that he would not survive away from Alavandar and decided to take him to Thiruvananthapuram. As he was too weak to walk, they placed him in a chair and began carrying him. As they got closer and closer to Thiruvananthapuram, Andan became happier and happier that he was going to be re-united with Alavandar and as such his health began to pick up. Soon he became healthy enough to walk and started doing so.
At the same time, Alavandar too began his return journey to Srirangam. The two met on the way and Andan fell at the feet of his acharya. Alavandar remarked "Sri Rama told Bharata to stay back at Ayodhya for 14 years. He being supremely independent and powerful, Bharata followed His word and stayed there. Since I am neither, Andan has come here now". Andan felt very bad and stayed on the ground. Alavandar then said "Are you going to stay down till I too become independent?" Fearing even more, Andan came up and stood quietly.
The other disciples then told Alavandar what had happened. Hearing that Alavandar became happy and told Andan "You have lost so much weight. Go and pray to the Lord at Thiruvananthapuram and come back". Andan replied "When my Thiruvananthapuram is standing in front of me (meaning Alavandar), why do I need to go to another Thiruvananthapuram?" and fell at his acharya's feet again. Alavandar appreciated his acharya bhakti and returned to Srirangam with him and the other disciples.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I separate from my acharya and almost lose my life like Dheyvariyandan did?"
Varththai 66
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66. andhAdhi sonnEnO amudhanAraip pOlE
During Ramanuja's time at Srirangam, there was a great scholar there called Periya Koyil Nambi who held a high office at the temple. Initially he was antagonistic to Ramanuja. Ramanuja corrected him through Kooraththazhvan and he became the disciple of
Azhvan. He then developed great devotion toward Ramanuja. Since he was capable of writing wonderful and sweet poems, he was also called as "Amudhanar" (and also Thiruvarangaththamudhanar).
One time he wrote a few verses praising Ramanuja to a great extent and submitted them to Ramanuja. Ramanuja rejected them and threw them away saying that those verses were not appropriate. He then suggested to Amudhanar "If you still wish to write verses srI: about us, write about our great affinity to the divyadesams, Azhvars, our acharyas such as Nathamunigal and Alavandar and your acharya Kooraththazhvan". Amudhanar therefore
wrote the famous Ramanuja Nutrandhadhi pasurams - 108 pasuram in andhadhi style, in which each pasuram uses the word Ramanuja while showing Ramanuja's affinity to divyadesams, Azhvars and Acharyas. In one verse, Amudhanar also included the greatness of his acharya Kooraththazhvan ("mozhiyaik kadakkum perum pugazhAn").
When Ramanuja heard this work, he approved it and it was determined that this work would become part of the daily recitation (nityAnusandAnam) for all Srivaishnavas. This work is included at the end of the Azhvar's divya prabandham and is now part of the 4000 verses.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I write nectar like verses on my acharya like Amudhanar did?"
Varththai 67
=========
67. anukUlam sonnEnO mAlyavAnaip pOlE
There were many people who gave good advice to Ravana, though he did not listen to them - such as Maricha, Sita Piratti, Vibeeshana, Kumbakarna and Malyavan. Malyavan was Ravana's grandfather. Due to his age, relationship, knowledge and worldly experience, he was in the right position to offer his advice to Ravana.
He told Ravana "O King! You should not go to war with Rama without knowing His strength. Amongst the boons you received, you never got one that protects you against men or monkeys. Now, both are standing together against you. In addition, this Rama does not appear to be an ordinary human being. It is Lord Vishnu Himself who has incarnated as Rama. Our entire clan will be destroyed in this war. So, return Sita to Rama and make peace with Him". Ravana however, rejected this good advice.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I give words of good advice (that show the right path) like Malyavan did?"
Varththai 68
68. kaLvan ivan enREnO lOkaguruvaip pOlE
The name "kaLvan" is one of the many names of Sriman Narayana. He is known by that name in one His divyadesams also. It means, one who steals or one who cheats/tricks others. He does this for the sake of His devotees in many cases.In the yagasala of Mahabali, He arrived in the form of a small dwarf (vAmana), asked for
and obtained three steps of land, grew up as Trivikrama and measured all the worlds with His divine feet. At that time, the asura guru, Sukracharya called Him as a "kaLvan". However, it does not appear appropriate that this is the incident being refered to in this vArththai and that Sukracharya is being called a Loka Guru.
It would be appropriate to refer to Swami Nammazhvar as Loka Guru. In several pasurams, Nammazhvar refers to the Lord as "kaLvan". In Thiruvaymozhi 5-10-4, he
says "kaLLa vEdaththaik koNdu pOyp puram pukkavARum" - here he refers to the Lord
going amidst the asuras and taking away their faith in the Vedas. In Thiruvaymozhi 3-8-9, Azhvar says "koLvan nAn mAvali mUvadi thA enra kaLvanE" - refering to the Lord's
vAmana avtara.In Thiruvaymozhi 2-2-10, he says "kaLvA! emmaiyum Ezulagum nin uLLE thORRiya iRaivA ..." - in this pasuram, it is Shiva who calls the Lord "kaLvA". This refers to the incident where Shiva obtained a boon from Narayana that He would ask for and get a boon from him. To fulfill that promise, during His Krishna avatara, He went on a kailasha yatra and asked Shiva to grant Him children. Shiva calls Him "kaLvA" because, it is He who is the father of all including Shiva and yet He is asking for the boon of a child. Since Shiva is known for the greatness of his knowledge it would be alright that he is refered to
as the Loka Guru. Thirumangai Azhvar in his hirunedunthandagam, says "nIragaththAy! ... kArvAnaththu uLLAy! kaLvA!". Azhvar says it is His trickery that He is hiding and not showing Himself to Azhvar. At another place in Thirunedunthandagam, Azhvar says "puLLUrum
kaLvA! nI pOgEl". Since this Azhvar invited the Lord Himself to learn from him "kaNNa nin thanakkum kuRippAgil kaRkalAm kaviyin poruL", it would be appropriate to refer to him as Loka Guru.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I refer to Him as 'kaLvan' like the knowledgeable devotees who can be called as Loka Guru's?"
Varththai 69
=========
69. kadalOsai enREnO periyanambiyaip pOlE
One of Alavandar's disciples was Maraneri Nambi who was born in a low caste. He was the target of Alavandar's grace and another disciple of Alavandar, Periya Nambi who was the acharya of Swami Ramanuja, had great affection for him as well. Because he had understood the true nature of his soul, Maraneri Nambi separated from his relatives who did not understand him, and lived separately. After Alavandar ascended to His divine abode, Maraneri Nambi became physically sick and was struggling alone. Periya Nambi took him under his care without looking at their caste difference, and gave him food from his own home.
When Maraneri Nambi was in his final stages of his life, he asked Periya Nambi that his body not be given back to his relatives for final rites. He told Periya Nambi
"purOdAsaththai nAykkidAdhE nOkki aruLa vENum" –
that is, do not give the offering meant for devas to dogs. After Maraneri Nambi left this world, Periya Nambi followed his words and performed all the final rites for him standing in his son's stead. Many brahmins became very upset that an acharya and brahmin such as Periya Nambi performed final rites for a low caste person and refused to interact with him.
At that time, Ramanuja talked to Periya Nambi and requested to him "When there are many others who could have done these final rites, did you have to do them yourself? Now so many are disrespecting you". Periya Nambi replied "Come O Ramanuja! Am I greater than He who was born in the Ikshvaku family and lived as Dharma itself and is Maraneri Nambi any less than Periya Udaiyar? Am I greater than Dharmaputra and is Maraneri Nambi any less than Vidhura?" Periya Nambi refered to the fact that Sri Rama had performed the final rites for a vulture (Jatayu) and that Yudishtra had performed final rites for a low caste person Vidhura.
He added "Do we ask someone else to do our sandhyavandanam?". This was to answer Ramanuja's question as to why he could not have had someone else do the final rites. He also said "Are the words of Nammazhvar in the pasurams Payilum Sudaroli and
Nedumarkkadimai nothing more than noise made by the ocean? Are these something that I have to explain and you have to understand?". These two decades of Thiruvaymozhi
speak of the greatness of bhAgavatas. Periya Nambi was asking if Azhvar's words were not to be actually followed in real life and were empty like the noise of the ocean. Guru
Paramparai records that Ramanuja immediately acceded to Periya Nambi's words.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I do great bhAgavata service and not treat Azhvar's words like mere noise, like Periya Nambi did?"
This episode is also interesting, since Thirukkolur Ammal is reminding Ramanuja of the words spoken by Periya Nambi to Ramanuja himself.
Varththai 70
==========
70. suRRik kidandhEnO mAlaiyANdAn pOlE
Ramanuja had five main acharyas - Periya Nambi, Thirukkottiyur Nambi, Thirumaalaiyandan, Thiruvaranga Perumal Araiyar and Thirumalai Nambi. Periya Nambi was the one who performed samashrayanam for Ramanuja and is the first acharya for Ramanuja. By his order, Ramanuja learned the rahasyartthas from Thirukkotiyur Nambi.And, based on the order of Thirukkotiyur Nambi, he learned Bhagavad Vishayam (the
meanings of Nammazhvar's Thiruvaymozhi pasurams) from Thirumaalaiyandan. As Thirumaalaiyandan taught Ramanuja the meanings of Thiruvaymozhi per the teachings of his acharya Swami Alavandar, at some places Ramanuja would propose a different explanation for the pasurams. At one point, Thirumaalaiyandan became upset with the alternate explanations proposed by Ramanuja and told him "These are not the meanings that I have heard from Alavandar. What you are doing is Vishvamitra srushti"and stopped teaching Ramanuja.
When Thirukottiyur Nambi heard that the lessons had stopped, he came to Srirangam and enquired with Thirumaalaiyandan as to what happened. When Thirumaalaiyandan told him what happened and the meanings suggested by Ramanuja, Thirukkottiyur Nambi told him "I have heard these additional meanings from Alavandar. Ramanuja listening to you is similar to Krishna learning from Sandipa. Ramanuja will not think of any meanings that was not in the mind of Alavandar. Do continue the teachings".
Hearing that, Thirumaalaiyandan became pleased that he was able to hear the meanings of the pasurams that he had missed hearing from Alavandar. He continued the teachings to Ramanuja. This teaching of Thirumaalaiyandan to Ramanuja as per the wishes of
Thirukkottiyur Nambi is refered here as "suRRik kidaththal' by Thirukkolur Ammal.
Thirukkolur Ammal is asking "Did I understand the avatara rahasya of Ramanuja and stay with him like Thirumaalaiyandan did?"
Another interesting episode where Thirukkolur Ammal refers to an incident in Ramanuja's life to himself.
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