As today being Aani Anusham Sriman Nathamunigal thirunakshatram , we are publishing the English version of Sriman Nathamunigal Vaibhavam based on Acharya Vaibhavam book written by Sri. U.Ve. Purisai Nadadur Krishnamachariar Swami.
Acharya Vaibhavam
Sriman Nathamunigal
Sriman Nathamunigal
JyesthtOnooraddha sambhootham veeranarayanE pure |
Gajavaktraamsham Acharyamaaddhyam naadhamunim bhaje ||
Once there lived a pious person called Ishvaramuni in a place called Veeranarayanapuram (near present KattumannarKoil). He belonged to the Sottai clan and was born in Sadamarshana gothram. In Kaliyugam year 3985 and the Tamil year of Sobakruth Aani Anuradha Star, Ishvaramuni was blessed with a boy. He was named Nathar.
Ishvaramuni and his wife performed all the rituals like Jaadhakarmam and upanayanam at the right ages and Nathar began to learn Vedas and other scriptures through his formative years. He mastered the different scriptures quickly because of his devout nature and he soon became popular for his knowledge.
SriNathar married a lady called Aravindhapaavai (daughter of Vangeepurathaachi) and they continued to live in Veeranarayanapuram. SriNathar continued his kainkaryam to the presiding deity of this place, Mannar, and at the same time began to practice in Yogic shastram. Soon, they were blessed with a baby boy and he was named Ishvaramuni. SriNathar and his wife performed the different rituals for their son at the right age and Nathar also imparted his yoga knowledge to his son. They all lived happily in Veeranarayanapuram.
After a few years, Nathar wished to go on a pilgrimage with his family to the divyadesams in North India. He prayed to SriMannar and went to different places like Mathura, Salagramam and Ayodhya and prayed to the presiding deity of all these places. He also had a dip in holy rivers like Ganga, Yamuna and Sarayu and from there, went to Govardhan. SriNathar was so happy seeing Yamunai Thuraivar there and mesmerized by His beauty, the entire family began to live there.
Many years later, SriNathar had a dream one night. In his dream, SriMannar asked him to come back to Veeranarayanapuram at the earliest. After taking the permission of Yamunai Thuraivar, SriNathar and his family began the journey back. On the way, they visited many holy places such as Kasi, Puri, Simhadri, Ahobilam, Tirupathi, Kadikasalam, Kanchipuram, Thiruvaheendrapuram, Thirukovilur and Srirangam. Finally they reached Veeranarayanapuram and SriNathar rushed to see his beloved Mannar. Perumal too was eagerly waiting for Nathar and He showered his happiness and blessings as if a mother was welcoming a son who had gone abroad. Nathar continued his kainkaryam to Mannar and lived happily.
Once, a few SriVaishnavas had come from a place called Thirunagari and they sang a few hymns on Aravamudha Perumal. Their hymans portrayed the divine qualities of Perumal and it was a divine experience to hear them sing. They sang only 10 hymns, but at the end of the 10th one, they sang that this is the 10 of 1000 hymns written by Kurugoor Sadagopan. Nathar was completely involved and could feel a divine connect with Him through these songs, so he wanted to know more about the remaining 990 hymns. Nathar gave them the prasadam of Mannar and requested the group to teach him all the 1000 songs called Thiruvaaimozhi.
But the SriVaishnava group said that they know only these 10 songs. They further explained that though Thirunagari was their birth place, they have been traveling to different divya desams for many years. Once when they went to a place called Thirukudanthai, they prayed to Aravamudhan Perumal there. While praying, they heard another group singing these songs about Aravamudha Perumal and this is how they learned it.
The group soon left, but Nathar’s yearning to learn all the 1000 songs kept increasing by the day. One day, Nathar decided to go to Thirukudanthai and pray to Aravamudha Perumal there. After singing these 10 hymns in front of Him, Nathar felt happy and he began asking the elders there to teach him all the 1000 songs. But they didn’t know either.
Not satisfied, Nathar went to Azhwarthirunagari. After praying to perumal there, he approached the elders to teach him Thiruvaaimozhi. They also said that they have only heard of it, but don’t know the songs. But they said they know a hymn called “Kanninum Siruthaambu” which praises about Nammazhwar. They further said that they have learned it in the Sampradaic way and they have heard that when anyone recites it 12,000 times, Nammazhwar will appear before that person.
Immediately Nathar learned these hymns and recited it 12,000 sites near the Tamarind tree where Nammazhwar sat for many years. Perumal and Thayar asked Nammazhwar to appear before Nathar and teach him the complete divyaprabandham. As per their orders, Nammazhwar appeared with Madurakavi Azhwar and taught all the prabandhams to Nathar. In addition, they also taught him divine stotras such as Thirumandiram, Vyasa soothram and other secret granthams with their respective meanings. After learning all this, Nathar prostrated Azhwar and Perumal many times and returned home beaming with happiness and contentment. On the way, he spread the word about these Prabandhams and in one such place, a group of elders told him a story related to it.
Thirumangai Azhwar with the blessings of Periya Perumal brought Nammazhwar idol to Thiruvarangam and starting from Sukla Paksha Ekadasi for 10 days Thiruvaimozhi was recited along with Vedas, named this as Thiruadhyayana Utsavam. This was followed for years. As years passed bringing Azhwar idol was stopped and DivyaPrabandham was lost. This was the story communicated by the group of elders to Nathar.
Hearing this, Nathar felt that Perumal had completed one task through him and he hoped that he will get the opportunity to complete the next one too. He went to the temple and with the permission of the temple authorities, he brought the idol of Nammazhwar from Thirunagari to Srirangam.
By doing so, he revived the lost practice that was once followed and reinstated the utsavam called Thiruadhyayana Utsavam. During this utsavam, Nathar sang the first 2000 hymns from divya prabandham for 10 days starting from Sukla Pradhamai and the 1000 hymns of thiruvaaymozhi for 10 days starting from Ekadasi. He sang the remaining 1000 hymns on the next day, thereby making the 21-day Thiruadhyayana utsavam a grand success.
Later, he went to Thirukudanthai, prayed to Aravamudham and consecrated an idol of Nammazhwar there. He also started the practice of conducting Thiruadhyayana utsavam in Thirukudandhai. Since Nathar took so much effort in establishing the principles of Vishishtadvaitham, he came to be called Vishishtadvaitha Siddhantha Pravarthakar Sri Aravamudhazhvan and even Aravamudhazhvan was happy to see this glory being bestowed on Nathar.
Nathar continued to live in Veeranarayanapuram under the command of SriMannar. At that time, he had many disciples such as Keezhaiagathazhvan and Melaiagathazhvan to whom he taught divya prabandham. After they completed this learning, he sent them to varied places such as Srirangam to spread these hymns.
Just like how Vyasa played an important role in dividing Vedas into four parts, Nathar also played an important role in creating a tune (Devagaanam) for each of these hymns.
Once, there were two ladies who went to the Chola kingdom. Out of the two, one of them sang divya prabandham in devagaanam while the other sang it in manushagaanam. The king, out of his inability to understand devagaanam, honored the lady who recited the hymns in manushagaanam. This offended the lady and she went to Nathar for justice.
Nathar is never the kind of person who likes to visit kings and courts. But since this involved divya prabandham, he was requested by many people to intervene. Giving into the request of so many people, he went to the king. To prove that devagaanam is better, he kept a pair of jalra (cymbals) on a pillar and clapped it 74 times while singing the prabandham. As he kept clapping, the pillar began to melt and the jalra was caught into the melting liquid. When he stopped, the melted liquid solidified and the jalra was caught in it. Then, Nathar asked the lady to sing in manushagaanam and bring the jalra out. But she couldn’t do it. Next, he asked the other lady to sing in devagaanam and hearing this, the jalra loosened and they were able to take it out of the pillar. By doing so, Nathar proved that devagaanam is indeed superior and the king honored both the lady who sang in devagaanam as well as Nathar for his timely intervention in helping the king understand the true importance of this gaanam.
As Nathar had no attachment to worldly pleasures, he didn’t accept any of the gifts given by the king and he continued to live a life of simplicity and devotion.
SrimanNathamunigal composed two important grantas Nyayathatvam and Yogarahasyam
NaathEna Munina thEna BhavEyam naathavaanaham |
Yasya naigamikam thathvam hasthaamalakathAm gatham ||
-English Translation by Sri APN Swami’s Shishyas
Sri APN Swami 