Bodhayana Viruthi
In order to fulfill the desire of Sri Alavandar to write the Bhashyam (viyakyanam) for Brahma Sutra written by Sri Veda Vyasar, Sri Ramanujar, along with Sri Koorathazhvan went to the Sarada Peetam Saraswathi Pandara book store situated in Kashmir , where the notes for Brahma Sutra were available. In order to write the vyakyanam for Brahma Sutra, it is essential to get its Viruthu Grandham (literature containing notes) for reference. The head of the Book Store gave the palm leafs containing the notes for Brahma Sutra written by Bothayana Rishi to Sri Ramanujar considering his spiritual knowledge. However, the Head of the book store changed his mind and took back the notes after a few days, due to the ill advice of those who were opposed to the notes given to Sri Ramanuja.
When Sri Ramanuja was worried that the work relating to writing the Bashyam for Brahma Sutra, Sri Koorathazhwan offered his help and told Sri Ramanujar that he could tell verbatim the full contents of the notes as he went through the notes during night time when Sri Ramanujar was asleep on the few days the Viruti Grandam (notes) were with Sri Ramanujar.
Sri Koorathazhwan with his extra-ordinary power of memory, knowledge and scholarship, recited each sentence contained in the notes and Sri Ramanujar wrote the Viyakyanam for the Brahma Suthra without any difficulty.
Sri Koorathazhwan wrote the viyakyanam as dictated by his Guru Sri Ramanujar on palm leaf, adding due comments wherever necessary as contained in the Bothayana Virrithi. After the script was completed Sri Ramanujar took it to Sri Saradha Peetam at Kashmir with the help of Sri Koorathazhwan. Sri Sarada Devi was very much pleased that the Script was very well written giving the correct meaning to Brahma Sutra, and named the Script as Sri Bashyam.
From this one can understand that Athmagnanam is very essential. If one has perseverance and true Bhakthi to his Acharyan, it is easy to understand even difficult meanings of Scriptures. But at the same time one should have the patience to hear contra ideas, realize the truth and act according to Dharma. All these qualities were embodied in Sri Koorathazhwan, who never had any pride over the richness of his knowledge and scholarship. He lived a simple life and never turned away from Acharya bhakthi.
Reference: Sri Velkudi Krishnan Swamy Text from the Calender, Kinchitkaram Trust
We have read an interesting incident as described in Guru Parampara Vaibhavan by Sri Ethiraja Ramanuja Dasar, as follows: When Sri Ramanujar went to Tirukoshtiyur to get Upadesam of the Ragasyarthangal from Sri Tirukoshtiyur Nambi, Sri Nambigal asked Sri Ramanujar to come along with Thandu and Pavithram to get the upadesam of Ragashyarthangal. Sri Ramanujar went to sri Tirukoshtiyur Nambigal with Sri Koorathazhwan and Sri Mudaliyandan. When Sri Nambigal asked Sri Ramanujar where is Thandu and Pavithram, Sri Ramanujar replied that he considered Koorathazhwan as Pavithram and Sri Mudaliandan as Thandu and thus all the three got Upadesam on Ragasyarthangal. What a valuable relationship these great scholars had between them!!
Sri Ramanujar considered Sri KooratAzhwan as Pavithram and
MudaliyAndan Swamy as Thandu. The Thandam of sanyAsis is like
the sengOl with the Kings. It is used to reign and enforce the powers.
MudaliyAndan Swamy was used as Thandam (power) to reign the Sri Rangam
temple and Sri Ramanujar through MudaliyAndan could able to alter the kaimkaryam
and designed the specific procedures for carrying out kaimkaryam to Lord Sri Renganthar
which is still practiced today at Sri Rangam!!
Before that, the Sri Rangam temple was maintained by Thiruvarangathu
Amudanar who wrote Ramanusa NooTrandhAthi.
Sri KooratAzhwan was considered as Pavithram by Sri Ramanujar. Pavithram
represents the Knowledge, purity, Wisdom – Gn~Anam, VairAgyam, Bhakti –
all which is equivalent to Sri KooratAzhwan who is repository of all the above
kalyAna gunams !
Swamy KooratAzhwan’s vaibhavam reveals how a Sri Vaishnava should
lead a life and what are the kalyana gunam’s that one should have
and how dedicate to AchArya thiruvadi.
Pillai LokAchArya in his Sri Vashana BhUshaNam –
“AchAryan thiruvadiyE uththAragam”
Sri KooratAzhwan Sri Sookti’s were treated as a MANGALYAM to
Sri Vedha Matha. This status was not given to the sri sookthis of any other
AchArya’s(including Sri Ramanjar) or even the pAsurams of Azhwars!
Such is the greatness of SWAMY KOORATAZHWAN.
Long Live Swamy KooratAzhwan and his vaibhavam.
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