Swamy Ramanuja and Thirupavai Pasuram 26
PASURAM 26 (Maale manivanna)
The phrase “aalin ilayaai” is a very sweet one. “Aalin ilai” refers to banyan leaf. The ONE who slept on the banyan leaf is Kannan (aalin iali adhan mel payyavuyogu thuyil konda paramparan kannan). Vatapathrasayee is the Perumal in Srivlliputhur. This pasuram is being recited twice there. The word “aalin ilayaai” can also be broken into “aalin+ nilayaai”. This would refer to the one whose condition is like of a banyan tree. As they say, “bahoochaayaa mavashtabdho yasya loko mahaathmanaha”, Perumal is ONE who protects those who take shelter under HIS shadow. There is a srisookthi, “praapathaanaam paadha moolam prakruthi madhuraayachchaaya thaapa hruth vaha”. This means that, those who go under and seek protection under the shadow of Swami Ramanuja’s divine lotus feet, Swami takes care of them just like how a banyan tree would give shelter and protection to those people who are under it. This is what is being referred by “aalin nilamai”. Swami Thiruvarangathamudhanar says
Poo mannu maadhu porundhiya maarban pugazh malindha
Paa mannu maaran adi panindhu uyndhavan pal kalayor
Thaam manna vandha iraamaanusan charanaaravindham
Naam manni vaazha nenje solluvom avan naamangale
-Ramanuja Nootrandaadhi 1
“Pal kalayor thaam manna vandha” – This phrases describes both Swami Ramanuja himself directly and his lotus feet (charanaaravindham). So “pal kalayor thaam manna vandha iraamanusan” and “pal kalayor thaam manna vandha iraamanusanuday charanaaravindham”. In the former, Ramanuja is the focus and in the latter, his lotus foot is the object of importance.
There is a special character of banyan tree. According to the srisookthi, “nyakrodho bahoopaadh vataha”, a banyan tree has many foot / root (bahoo paadh). Unlike other trees, roots of a banyan tree are very broad with numerous branches and are very strong. It is truly magnicient and strikingly different from any other tree. Likweise, Swami’s lotus feet is also one that is incomparable and magnificient (aparimithamaana thiruvadigal). If we look at who are the lotus feet of Swami Ramanuja, it is his own sishyas who is being referred to as his “thiruvadi”. We know the greatness of each and every sishya of Swami (yetra kalangal edhir pongi maatraadhe paal soriyum vallal perum pasukal).
If we carefully look at the meanings of the objects being referred in this pasuram, namely, “sangam”, “perumparai”, “pallandu isaipaar”, “kola vilaku”, “kodi” and “vidhaanam”, we can observer that all these are verily Swami Ramanuja himself. Let us see one by one in detail
Sangam - In the puranas, we can recollect the story of Dhruvan. Perumal went in front of Dhruvan, touched him with HIS conch (sangam). It is because of this touch (sanga sparsathinaal), Dhuvan became a “sarvagyan” or the one who knew everything. Similarly, because of Swami Ramanuja’s own sambandham (sva sambandham), persons like Swami Koorathaazhwaan, Swami Mudaliaandaan, Swami Ananthaazhwaan, Swami Embaar, Swami Pillaan, etc, became “sarvagyargal”. The list is very long but it would suffice to name a few here. Hence, the touch of Perumal’s conch and the sambandham of Swami are both the same, as both gives “sarvagyathvam” to the one who is in connection with them.
Saala perum parai – The first meaning of parai is a musical instrument (like a dandora) that is used when some information is being spread out to masses. The inner meaning is "moksham/kainkarya praapthi". Swami Ramanuja spread the kalyaana gunams of Sriman Naarayanan at all directions (bhagavath gunangalai engum parai saatrinavar aagayaale thaame “parai” ena thaguvar). Thus, Swami Ramanuja himself is the parai. Not just “parai”, “perum parai”, rather, “saala perum parai”. Going by this, we can now see what Andal means and wants by parai. If one meaning of “parai” is moksham / kainkarya praapthi, there is another dimension, i.e., Swami Ramanuja himself who is being referred as “saala perum parai”. Andal yearns for the bhaagavatha sambandham.
Pallaandu isaipaar – Like Periyaazhwaar, Swami Ramanuaja sang “pallandu” for Perumal through his works. On top of it, he made innumerable people to sing “pallandu for Perumal. So, he is verily “pallandu isaipaar”.
Kola Vilaku – The one who was the light of the srivaishnava clan (srivaishnava kula pradheepamaai irundhavar).
Kodi – This means the flag (Dwaja). They say “srimalla lakshmana yogeendhra sidhaandha vijayathvaja”. If this can be for somebody else, can this not be easily for our Swami? Just replace the word “yogeendhra” with “vishitaadwaitha” and it would mean that Swami Ramanuja is the flag of our Vishishtaadwaitha philosophy.
Vidhaanam – This is a canopy/ shield. When Krishna came from Mathura towards Thiruvaaipaadi, who served as HIS canopy. It was none other than HIS aadiseshan. Swami Ramanuaja and aadiseshan is verily the same person. Swami Thirumazhisai azhwar, in his Thiruchandha virutham pasuram talks about the vidhaanam:
Vidatha vaai or aayiram eeraayiram kan venthazhal
Vidathu veezhvilaadha bhogam mikka sodhi thokka seer
Thoduthu mel vidhaanamaai bhauva neer araavanai
Paduthapaayal palli kolvadhu engolvelai vannane
Paanja sanniyame, Saala Perumparaye, Pallandu isaipaar, kola vilake, and vidhaanam – all are Swami Ramanuja
