sri:
srimathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srimadh varavaramunayE nama:
sri vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:
komANdur iLayavilli AchAn – semponseikOil, thirunAngUr
thirunakshathram: chithrai, Ayilyam
avathAra sthalam: komANdUr
AchAryan: emperumAnAr
Place where he attained paramapadham: thiruppErUr
komANdUr iLAyavilli AchAn is one of the maternal cousins of emperumAnAr (similar to embAr). He is also known as bAladhanvi guru. iLAyavilli/bAladhanvi means lakshmaNan – he served emperumAnAr like iLaya perumAL (lakshmaNan) served srIrAmar. He is one of the 74 simhAsanAdhipathis (AchAryas) appointed by emperumAnAr himself.
It is learnt from his thanian (invocatory verse) and vAzhi thirunAmam that he was greatly attached to periya thirumalai nambi (srIsaila pUrNar) and served him as well.
In charama upAya nirNayam (http://ponnadi.blogspot.in/p/charamopaya-nirnayam.html), nAyanArAchAn piLLai brings out the greatness of komANdUr iLAyavilli AchAn. Let us see that now.
When udayavar ascended to paramapadham, many followed (gave up their lives also). kaNiyanUr siriyAchAn left udayavar to live in kaNiyanUr for some time and some time later he started his journey towards kOil (srIrangam) to worship his AchAryan (udayavar) with much love. On the way, he meets a srivaishnava and he asks “Is our AchAryan emperumAnAr living healthy?” and that srivaishnava explains about udayavar’s ascending to paramapadham. Hearing this, immediately, kaNiyanUr siriyAchAn said “emperumAnAr thiruvadigaLE charanNam” (எம்பெருமானார் திருவடிகளே சரணம்) and ascended to paramapadham. komANdUr iLayavilli AchAn was living in thiruppErUr. One night, in his dream, he sees udayavar seated on a brightly glowing divine chariot and in the sky. He sees, paramapadhanAthan with thousands of nithya sUris, AzhwAr, nAthamunigaL and other AchAryas, with many persons playing divine musical instruments to receive emperumAnAr and bring him over to paramapadham. He sees that, after the reception, emperumAnAr’s chariot is leading the journey towards paramapadham with everyone else following him. He then wakes up and realizes what has happened. He immediately informs his neighbour “vaLLal maNivaNNan” that “Our AchAryan emperumAnAr has climbed a divine chariot and ascended to parampadham accompanied by paramapadhanAthan and nithyasUris. I cannot live here anymore. emperumAnAr thiruvadigaLE charaNam” and gave up his life and immediately ascended to paramapadham. There were many such sishyas who gave up their lives immediately after hearing about emperumAnAr’s journey to paramapadham. Those who stayed with emperumAnAr were strictly ordered by emperumAnAr to not give up their lives and since emperumAn desired for those srivaishnavas to continue their lives to serve for the sampradhAyam they unwillingly continued their lives. Thus emperumAnAr’s greatness is such that in his separation, his sishyas would also give up their lives.
Thus, we have seen some glimpses of the glorious life of komANdUr iLayavilli AchAn. He was fully situated in bhAgavatha nishtai and was very dear to emperumAnAr himself. Let us pray at his lotus feet that we too get a little bit of such bhAgavatha nishtai.
komANdUr iLayavilli AchAn’s thaniyan:
srI kausikAnvaya mahAmbhuthi pUrNachandhram
srI bhAshyakAra jananI sahajA thanujam
srIsailapUrNa padha pankaja saktha chiththam
srIbAladhanvi guruvaryam aham bhajAmi
ஸ்ரீ கௌஸிகாந்வய மஹாம்புதி பூர்ணசந்த்ரம்
ஸ்ரீ பாஷ்யகார ஜநநீ ஸஹஜா தநுஜம்
ஸ்ரீஸைலபூர்ண பத பங்கஜ சக்த சித்தம்
ஸ்ரீபாலதந்வி குருவர்யம் அஹம் பஜாமி
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
archived in https://acharyas.koyil.org/index.php/, also visit http://ponnadi.blogspot.com/
Sources: charmOpAya nirNayam, kasthUri rangan swamy’s compilation in thamizh (for thanians and photo)
Anega Aaseervadhangal
Nice to have brought out an article on our Kootasthar.
In fact he served Periya Thirumalai Nambi as per the directions of Swami (Ramanujar)
Hence he is likened to Satrugnazhwaan since Ilayaperumal is Swami himself.
Pl complete the thaniyan as under:
Srisailapurna padha pankaja saktha chiththam
Sribaladhanvi guruvaryam aham bhajaami.
thanks for the feedback swamy. indeed, we are blessed to have taken birth in his lineage.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
very glad to see this swamin… our onnana swamy kootasthar sri illayavilliachan vaibhavam is have to publish in each and every place of srivaishnava samooham. pls add these lines in the below of swamy thaniyan.
“yadhinthra madhrushriya: prathithaarya pathesthitha :/
moolabhootham kowshikanam tham baladhanvi gurum bhaje //”
by
Theivacheyalpuram komandoor ellayavilli .v. tthirumalachary
thiruthangal thirumaligai
thiruthangal , virudhunagar dist.
Excellent information on bAlaDHanvi swAmi! Overjoyed to read it.
Interesting article Swamy. adiyen had few doubts
1. Is kaNiyanUr siriyAchAn’s vaibhavam mentioned as an analogy to komANdur iLayavilli AchAn?
2. Is that ThirupperUr synonymous with Thiruppernagar (Appakudathan sannidhi)?
3. What is the significance of komANdur iLayavilli AchAn at ThirunAngUr? Where in nAngUr is that photo taken?
dhanyosmi
adiyen Ramanuja dasan
thanks for the feedback swamy.
1. no. these two incidents were just together in charamOpAya nirNayam (in the same para) – this para talks about the ones who gave up their lives after hearing emperumAnAr’s journey to paramapadham – so adiyen just reproduced the whole para.
2. dont think so swamy – if it was, the author would have just said thiruppErnagar as in other cases.
3. this thirumEni is in semponseikOil sannidhi – sirupuliyUr swamy is the thIrthakArar in this sannidhi and at some point they have established the thirumEni of their kUtasthar.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
where is Komandur ? How is it connected to Thirunangur ? Did Baladhanvi live in Thiruperur and Thirunangur ?
Komandur Elayavilli Rangarajan
adiyen heard komANdUr is in Andhrapradhesh. There is also some reference to it being located near kAnchIpuram. Not sure about the connection with thirunAngUr.
iLayavilli swamy seem to have definitely lived in thiruppErUr as seen in the incident identified in charmOpAya nirNayam. Beyond that there is no other information available.
adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan
Dear Sri Sarathy Ramanuja Dasan,
thank you very much for your prompt and kind reply. I am really amazed at the devotion Azhvars, Ramanujar and many others had in those days. I wish some one brings out the meanings of those songs in book form. English translation is helpful as more and more of the children are educated in that language. Of course discourses do a good job.
adiyen K.E.Rangarajan
Where u able to locate where komandur is??. We are also looking for the diety in komandur as we too.àre from komandur Elayavalli family..
Adiyen Dasan.
I am Komandur Ilyavalli Srinivasan. My great grand parents were living in a village by name Adoor Agaram, 3 Miles from Kurinjipadi, Cuddalore District in Tamil nadu.
We are trying to find out our family diety and the location of the temple. Kindly help in this respect. my email ID shrishreevas@gmail.com
Adiyen Dasan.
I am also a disciple of Komandur Elayavalli. Can you place tell us where Komandur Elayavalli is ? I want to visit Komandur before my time is over.
Nice article and coming from this lineage it was very informative.
Where is tiruperur ? How can we visit this place? Also any info about komandur will be good
Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan, Thank You fo this fantastic information. My paternal grandfather hailed from Naduvakkarai in Kumbakonam. my late periappa used to have Komaandoor as a prefix , where is Komaandoor in TamilNadu what is its new name. I am trying to r construct our Lineage… Could you please guide me ok Komaandoor
Unfortunately, we are unable to spot the exact location named komandur yet.
adiyen ramanuja dasan