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NAMO NARAYANA
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- sri:
- srimate ramanujaya
namah:
- sri padmavati
sametha sri srinivasa parabrahmane namah:
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Sri Saila
Purna/Thirumalai Nambi |
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- Originally Publsihed
as " Steeped in Devotional Fervour ",
- The Hindu Online , Friday, May 26, 2000
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- SRI (PERIYA) Tirumalai
Nambi who is known as Srisaila-purna in Sanskrit was the original
sponsor of the name ``Tata'' or ``Tatacharya'' which had become
the surname attached to the name of every descendant of that
family. He as the grandson of Yamunacharya (Alavandar). Periya
Tirumalai Nambi had two sons, Pillai Tirumalai Nambi and Tirukkurukaippiran
Pillan.
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- The line of Tirumalai
Nambi branched off into two and most of the descendants distributed
themselves in various places to propagate Sri Vaishnavism. Some
settled in places like Vizianagaram, Rayadurg, etc., as Raja
Gurus, the line of Tirukkurukaippiran Pillai settled in Kancheepuram,
Valankuppam, Surapuram, Navilpakkam, Srirangam, Kumbakonam, Mysore
and other places, whereas the line of the first son Pillai Tirumalai
Nambi settled in Tirumalai itself with the sole aim of continuing
the service.
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- Even now, the Kainkaryam
of getting Akasa Ganga water for Lord's Aradhanam daily and offering
of Tulasi leaves in His Holy feet are vested in the Tatacharya
family at Tirupati popularly known as Thozhapacharyas in the
Devasthanam records and scriptures.
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- Srisaila-purna imbibed
the spiritual thirst and religious fervour reflected in the ``Ozhivil
Kalamellam'' of Sri Nammalwar and so he dedicated himself to
the service of Lord Srinivasa. He used to bring water from Papavinasam
situated five miles from Tirumalai for the puja. One day, a fowler
approached him and asked for water addressing him as ``Tata''.
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- Srisaila-purna refused
to use the water intended for the Abhishekam of the Lord in any
other manner lest it should become contaminated. By the time
he reached the shrine he saw the fowler behind him, drinking
the water that
- poured out through a
small hole caused by the shot of an arrow. When he was approached
next day, Srisaila-purna discharged an arrow at a hillock nearby
and water came gushing forth from there.
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- The fowler commanded
that water for the Aradhanam of the Lord should thenceforth be
brought from the new fountain and then disappeared. This new
fountain is Akasa Ganga. Srisaila-purna was convinced that the
fowler who addressed him as ``Tata'' was none other than Lord
Srinivasa.
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- To perpetuate the memory
of Srisaila-purna's service to the Lord and His mercy on him,
a festival known as Tanniramudu festival is celebrated even today
at Tirumalai on the last day of Adhyayana Utsavam (during December-January).
On this day, the officiating member of the Thozappacharya family
of Tatacharyas will carry on his head the jar containing the
sacred water and will go round the temple. Inside the temple,
the Thozhappacharya has an abhishekam performed in a traditional
manner. At the end, the Thozhappacharya is taken round the streets
and left at the original abode of Srisaila-purna.
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- The core of Srivaishanavism
is the doctrine of self-surrender of Sarangati. Srisaila-purna's
study of the Ramayana and Nammalwar's Tiruvoimozhi was later
transmitted to his nephew Ramanuja.
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- The efforts of Srisaila-purna
had culminated in the spontaneous outpourings of Ramanuja in
his Saranagati Gadya. Srisaila-purna had two sisters who were
married to Kesavasomayaji and Pundarikaksha. When Srisaila-purna
heard that a son was born to his sister Kantimati and Kesavasomayaji,
he rushed to Sriperumbudur and let fall his spiritual glances
on the child Ramanuja and blessed him by causing the marks of
disc and conch as protective symbols.
- Srisaila-purna took
much pains to convert his nephew, Govinda from Saivism to Srivaishanavism
and finally succeeded in doing so. Later on, Srisaila-purna entrusted
Govinda to the care of Sri Ramanuja to impart intrusions in the
Vedanta and other allied lores. Govinda was later named as Emberumanar
but he called himself Embar.
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- Srisaila-purna handed
over his second son Tirukkurukaippiran Pillan as Gnanaputra (an
heir to inherit the wisdom of Sri Ramanuja). At the behest of
Ramanuja, Pillan wrote a commentary on Tiruvoimozhi (known as
Arayirapadi). Ramanuja declared that Pillan alone was competent
to be in charge of Ubhayavedanta.
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- The millennium birthday
of Srisaila-purna was celebrated on 28th October, 1973 at his
residence in the South Mada Street in Tirumalai, which is under
the management of Thozhappacharyas (Prathama Acharya Purushas,
T.T. Devasthanams) where Srisaila- purna lived and rendered the
Akasa Ganga teertham.
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