azhagiya maNavALa perumAL nAyanAr

sri:
srimathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srimadh varavaramunayE nama:
sri vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:

Thirunakshathram: mArgazhi, avittam

avathAra sthalam: srirangam

AchAryan: vadakku thiruvIdhi piLLai

Place where he attained paramapadham: srIrangam

Works: thiruppAvai 6000padi vyAkyAnam, kaNNinuN chiruthAmbu vyAkyAnam, amalanAdhipirAn vyAkyAnam, aruLicheyal rahasyam (rahasya thrayam explanation using AzhwAr words), AchArya hrudhayam, pattOlai (his own explanation for AchArya hrudhayam which is not found anymore), etc.

azhagiya maNavALa perumAL nAyanAr was born in srirangam to vadakku thiruvIdhi piLLai by the grace of namperumAL (we have already seen this in vadakku thiruvIdhi piLLai idhihyam – https://acharyas.koyil.org/index.php/2012/09/17/vadakku-thiruveedhi-pillai-english/). He and his elder brother piLLai lOkAchAryar grew up in srirangam like perumAL and iLaya perumAL in ayOdhya and kannan emperumAn and nambi mUtha pirAn in gOkulam. They both were blessed to have the katAksham and guidance of great AchAryas of our sampradhAyam like nampiLLai, periyavAchAn piLLai, vadakku thiruvIdhi piLLai, etc at the same time. They learnt our sampradhAyam under the lotus feet of their father vadakku thiruvIdhi piLLai. Also, one of the unique quality of these two AchArya simhams is that they both took the vow of naishtika bramhacharyam and lived by that throughout their life.

mAmunigaL, in his upadhEsa rathina mAlai pAsuram 47, glorifies nAyanAr and his contributions.

NanYchIyar cheytha vyAkkiyaigaL NaliranNdukku (நஞ்சீயர் செய்த வ்யாக்கியைகள் நாலிரண்டுக்கு)
enYchAmai yAvaikkum illaiyE (எஞ்சாமை யாவைக்கும் இல்லையே)
tham chIrAl vaiyaguruvin thambi mannu manNavALamuni (தம் சீரால் வையகுருவின் தம்பி மன்னு மணவாளமுனி)
cheyyumavai thAmum chila (செய்யுமவை தாமும் சில)

Simple translation:
NanjIyar did vyAkyAnams for a few prabhandhams in aruLicheyal (even before periyavAchAn piLLai). After periyavAchAn piLLai, azhagiya maNavALa perumAL nAyanAr who is filled with divine qualities and the dear brother of piLLai lOkAchAryar wrote vyAkyAnams for some prabhandhams in aruLicheyal as well.

In the vyAkyAnam piLLai lOkam jIyar brings out the glories of nAyanAr.

• For “tham chIr”, he brings out one of the important glories of nAyanAr. He identifies that nAyanAr’s expertise in aruLicheyal is far greater than all other AchAryas. This can be understood by studying AchArya hrudhayam which is fully built using the words from aruLicheyal (with some words from ithihAsa, purANams as well).
• When explaining “vaiya guruvin thambi”, it is show that nAyanAr’s greatness is due to him being born as the younger brother of piLLai lOkAchAryar. He is popularly glorified as “jagath guruvarAnuja” (brother of jagath guru piLLai lOkAchAryar).

While nAyanAr has done vyAkyAnams for thiruppAvai, kaNNinun chiruthAmbu, amalanAdhipirAn, etc., which are all greatly relishable, his master piece is AchArya hrudhayam.

His vyAkyAnams/works:

• His thiruppAvai 6000 padi vyAkyAnam is very detailed and most beautiful. In the vyAkyAnam, the essence of our sampradhAyam is beautifully presented. Principles like emperumAn’s upAyathvam/upEyathvam, emperumAn’s nirhEthuka krupai, pirAtti’s purushakAram, paragatha svIkAram, kainkaryathil kaLai (virOdhi), etc are most eloquently explained by nAyanAr in his thiruppAvai vyAkyAnam.
• His amalanAdhipirAn vyAkyAnam is one of the best renderings of our sampradhAyam. He beautifully bridges the thirumEni anubhavam of emperumAn and the sidhAntham in his vyAkyAnam. We have already seen this as part of thiuppANAzhwAr’s archavathAra anubhavam in http://ponnadi.blogspot.in/2012/10/archavathara-anubhavam-thiruppanazhwar.html.
• His kaNNinuN chiruthAmbu vyAkyAnam beautifully reveals the glories of panchamOpAyam (accepting AchAryan as everything) and AchArya kainkaryam.
• His aruLicheyal rahasyam beautifully explains rahasya thrayam – thirumanthram, dhvayam and charamaslOkam through words from aruLicheyal. This is one of the most classic works which will be fully relished by experts of aruLicheyal.
• Finally, AchArya hrudhayam, his master piece, brings out the true emotions of NammAzhwAr and his thiruvAimozhi dhivya prabhandham. This grantham explains the principles that are presented in srivachana bhUshaNa dhivya sAsthram (that was written by piLLai lOkAchAryar) in further detail. We have already seen the archAvathAra anubhavam of nAyanAr through AchArya hrudhayam in http://ponnadi.blogspot.in/2012/11/archavathara-anubhavam-nayanar-anubhavam.html.

To understand some one’s greatness, one has to see the words of other great personalities on that person. nAyanAr decided to leave his thirumEni at an early age and ascended to paramapadham leaving behind piLLai lOkAchAryar. piLLai lOkAchAryar fell in an ocean of sorrow and cried out keeping nAyanAr’s thirumudi in his lap and said:

mAmudumbai mannu manNavALa anNnNalodu (மாமுடும்பை மன்னு மணவாள அண்ணலொடு)
chEmamudan vaikuNtham chenRakkAl (சேமமுடன் வைகுந்தம் சென்றக்கால்)
mAmenRu thotturaiththa chollum thuyam thanninAzh poruLum (மாமென்று தொட்டுரைத்த சொல்லும் துயம் தன்னினாழ் பொருளும்)
ettezhuththum inGguraippArAr (எட்டெழுத்தும் இங்குரைப்பாரார்)

Simple translation:
After nAyanAr ascending to paramapadham with all glories, who is present here to explain the rahasya thrayam – thirumanthram, dhvayam and charama slOkam (where emperumAn touched his heart and said “mAm” – I am the protector).

Such is nAyanAr’s glories that piLLai lOkAchAryar himself glorifies him.

Let us pray at the lotus feet of azhagiya maNavALa perumAL nAyanAr that we also develop such attachment towards emperumAnAr and our AchAryan.

azhagiya maNavALa perumAL nAyanAr’s thanian

dhrAvidAmnAya hrudhayam guruparvakramAgatham
ramyajAmAthrudhEvEna dharsitham krishNasUnunA

த்ராவிடாம்நாய ஹ்ருதயம் குருபர்வக்ரமாகதம்
ரம்யஜாமாத்ருதேவேந தர்ஸிதம் க்ருஷ்ணஸூநுநா

glorifications to azhagiya maNavALa perumAL nAyanAr (usually recited after AchArya hrudhayam)

thantharuLavENum thavaththOr thavappayanAy
vantha mudumbai maNavALa – chinthaiyinAl
nIyuraiththa mARan ninaivin poruLanaiththen
vAyuraiththu vAzhum vagai

His archAvathara anubhavam can be read at http://ponnadi.blogspot.in/2012/11/archavathara-anubhavam-nayanar-anubhavam.html.

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

archived in https://acharyas.koyil.org/index.php/, also visit http://ponnadi.blogspot.in/

Sources: yathIndhra pravaNa prabhAvam, periya thirumudi adaivu, vyAkyAnams