The following are the write up on Upadesa Ratna Maalai by Dr. V.Satakopan Swamy
Structure and Content of Updesa Ratnamalai:
There are 73 paasurams and one Taniyan in URM.The individual paasurams fall into Six distinctcategories (A-F) :
A)Paasurams (1-3): Introductory remarks
In the first paasuram , MM declares that he is performing upadesam for the future generations in strict accordance with the upadesam that he himself received from his Achaaryan, Thiruvaaimozhip piLLai and his AchArya paramparai.In the second paasuram , he comments about the potential impact of his URM on two categories of people . He says that the learned ones of discriminating intellect will study URM and instruct other devotees of the Lord on it with joy. The other category will reject his prabhandham out of jealousy and no harm will come to him because of their rejection of his sadhupadesam .In the third paausram , MM performs MangaLAsAsanam for the AzhwArs and AchAryAs , their Sri Sookthis and says pallANdu to them along with the VedAs , whose essence they represented .
(B)Azhwar-AchAryAL birth details (Months/Stars/Places of Birth)
MM devoted 35 Paasurams to cover the details regarding the month of the birth, the constellation in ascendance at the time of birth , the avathAra sthalams and the unique glories of each of them ( paasurams 4 to 38). For some AzhwArs, he devoted one paasuram (e.g)., ThiruppANar , Thirumazhisai , ThoNdaradippodi and KulasEkarar . For NammAzhwAr , Madhura Kavi and Thirumangai , he dedicated two paasurams . ANDAL and
EmperumAnAr received three paasurams and PeriyAzhwar had the unique distinction of being saluted with five paasurams . The details on the affectionate tributes by MM are covered in detail in his home pages .
C. The Glories of the Commentators on AruLiccheyalkaL (34-50)
MM’s salutation starts with a tribute to Naatha Muni, who restored Dhivya prabhandhams to circulation with the anugraham of Swamy NammAzhwAr. He continues with his salutation to EmperumAnAr , the krupAmAthra pradannAchAryar,and thanks him for his exquisite help in spreading the messeage of ThiruvAimozhi through the niyamanam to Thirukkurhai PirAn PiLLAn to write his scholastic commentary on it. next, MMexpresses his gratitude to the five renowned commentators on ThiruvAimozhi: Thirukkuruhai PirAn PiLLAn , Namjeeyar , PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai, Vadakku Thiruveethi PiLLai and Vaadhi Kesari Azhagiya MaNavALa Jeeyar .MM also refers to the blessings of Azhagiya MaNavALa PerumAL NaayanAr, the brother of Sri PiLLai LokAcchAr through his commnetarieson ThiruppAvai, AmalanAdh PirAn , KaNNInuNN SirutthAmpu and ThiruvAimozhi of Swamy NammAzhwar (AchAryaHrudhayam ).
D. Tributes to Sri PiLLai LokAcchAr and His Rahasya Granthams(51-70)
Among the 18 Rahasya granthams of PiLLai LokAcchAr , MM focuses on Sri Vachana BhUshaNam(SVB) as a dhivya saasthram and points out that it is ” SaangAkhila Dhramida-samskrutha roopa Ved SaarArtha sangraha mahArasa Vaakhya jaatham ( the essence of the Sanskritic VedAs and their six angAs in Tamil).He instructs
us that the understanding of the deep meanings of SVB through a sadAchAryan and conducting one’s life according to those percepts would be the best of blessings that can come one’s way.
From paasurams 60-70, MM elaborates on the key messages of SVB. Some of these messages are: (1) Those without AchArya Bhakthi will not enter Sri Vaikuntam (2) A sishyan, who fully understands theimmensity of his AchArya upakAram will not live away from his AchAryA’s sacred feet ; here , MM points out the importance of AchArya kaimkaryam(3) AchAryan will protect the Aathma SvaruPam of his sishyan and latter in turn will tend with devotion the deha samrakshaNam of his AchAryan .The importance of nithya kaimkaryam at the feet of one’s AchAryan is emphasized here and the example of the devoted service of Pinpazhakiya Jeeyar’s kaimkaryam to his AchAryan, nampiLLai is cited here.(4) the pursuit of the anushtAnams as established by poorvAchAryALs is emphasized instead of following noothana VishNavam . MM states that the spiritual growth should be through climbing the steps of the ladder of anushtAnam established by PoorvAchAryALs (5) AasthikAs following the true way shown by our AchAryAls are the only ones for us to follow (6)sathsangam is the most important cause for the enhancement of our Aathma guNams.
E and F : Upadesa Nigamanam and Phala sruthi (71-73)
In paasuram 71, MM condemns the pseudo scholars , who twist the meanings of SVB according to their own will as Moorkkars and instructs us to stay away from them . In the 72nd paasuram , MM gives us the Upadesam that those who seek a sadAchArya and follow the golden way shown by the SadAchArya paramparai will get rid of the afflictions of samsAram and for them even this earth will be like Sri Vaikuntham .He paraphrases NammazhwAr’s Sri Sookthi: ” ippatthum Uraikka VallArkku VaikunthamAhum tammUrellaam “.In the concluding Seventy third paasuram , MM invites us to study and reflect on the upadesams housed in this prabhndham and informs us that such an effort will grant us the parama krupai of EmperumAnAr without fail.
The 74th Paasuram of URM
MM had the intention of creating 74 paasurams for URM as a measure of his respect for the anugraham of AchArya RaamAnujA in appointing 74 simhAsanAdhipathis to grow “EmperumAnAr darsanam “. At hat time one great AchAryan , who had revered MM as ” the NadamAdum Dhaivam” composed a paasuram known as ” MannuyirkaL inkE MaNavALa Maamunivan ” and begged Lord RanganAthA to include this paasuram along with the 73 composed until then by MM and as a result of Bhagavaan”s niyamanam (Command ), the above paasuram was included as the 74th paasuram of URM for our daily recitation . This paasuram addresses the Mumkshus ( those desiring Moksham ) and states: ” Oh Mumkshu ChethanAs ! If you hold on to the lotus feet of MM on your heads during your earthly stay as your sole refuge , You are assured in being blessed with the sparsam (touch) of the hand of amAnavan , as a prerequisite to your entrance in to Sri Vaikuntam .Sri ManavALa Maamunigal revered also under the names of Sri Vara Vara Munni, YathIndhra pravaNar is one of the greatest Sri ViashNavite AchAryAs. He was born in the village of Kidaram in the year 1370 AD and ascended paramapadham in the year 1443 AD. He has blessed us with 19 granthams. Three of them are in Sanskrit. The rest are in Tamil and ManipravALam. The three works in Sanskrit are: YathirAja Vimsathi, Sri DevarAja mangalam and Sri Kaanchi DevapperumAL SthOthram. His ninteen granthams can be classified under three major categories:
(A) VyAkyAna Granthams or commentaries on the works of earlier AchAryAs like Sri PiLLai Lokaachaar, PeriyavaacchAN PiLLai and Thiruvarangatthu Amudanaar. These eight VyAkhyAna granthams are:
1. Sri Vachana BhUshaNam
2. Mumukshuppadi
3. Tattvathrayam
4. AchArya Hrudhayam
5. Jn~Ana Saaram
6. PramEya Saaram
7. PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi
8. RaamAnuja NooRRanthAdhi
(B) Three granthams known as PramANa Thirattu are:
1. Eedu
2. Sri Vachana BhUshaNam
3. Tattvathrayam
(C) His Own Granthams in Sanskrit (3) and Tamil (5) add up
to the remaining Eight :
1. UpadEsa Rathna Maalai
2. ThiruvAimozhi NooRRanthAdhi
3. Iyalc ChaaRRu
4. ThiruvArAdhana Kramam
5. YathirAja Vimsathi
6. DevarAja MangaLam
7. Sri Kanchi DevapperumAL SthOthram
8. Aaarthi Prabhandham, his last grantham He lived for 73 years on this earth performing many Kaimkaryams and undertook many pilgrimages to many Sri VishNavite Dhivya dEsams. Most of his life was spent however at Srirangam. The work known as “YathIndhra pravaNa PrabhAvam” records the life and accomplishments of this important AchAryA.
His devotion to AchArya RaamAnujA, Swami NammAzhwAr and NammperumAL was extraordinary. He spent a significant portion of his life at Srirangam worshipping Sri Ranganaathan and peforming KaalakshEpams on AzhwAr-AchAryAL aruLiccheyalkaL.
When he was 60, Sri RanganAthA wanted to honor Sri ManavALa Maamunigal for all his kaimkaryams in spreading the message of NaalAyira Dhivya prabhandham. He commanded Sri MM to conduct an year long lecture series on SatAri Soori’s ThiruvAimozhi at Srirangam in His presence. All the regular uthsavams for the Lord of Srirangam was cancelled that year, while He heard the pravachanams on ThiruvAimozhi based on all the five commentaries starting from aRAyirappadi. At the conclusion of these pravachanams, a small boy with dhivys tEjas came from the back of the sadas and sang a verse that has come to be known as the Taniyan for Sri MaNavALa MaamunigaL:
srIsailEsa dayaapaatram dhIbhakthyAdhi guNArNavam
YathIndhra pravaNam VandhE RamyajAmAtharam munim
The audience and Sri MM were wonderstruck after the small boy disappeared as fast as he came on the scene. Later, through His archakAs, Sri RanganAthA revealed that it was He who appeared as a boy to pronounce the famous Taniyan for Sri ManavALa Maamunigal, who is considered as a reincarnation of AchArya RaamAnujA. Earlier at Thirukkurungudi, the Lord had appeared before RaamAnujA and requested for UpadEsams on rahasyArhtams and took on the name of Sri VaishNava Nambi as a result of these upadEsams.
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