Swamy Ramanuja and Thirupavai Pasuram 23
Key phrases: Seeriya Singam, Arivuttru thee vizhuthu
“Arivutru theevizhuthu very mayir ponga eppadum perndhu udhari moori nimirndhu muzhangi purapadam seeriya singam” – Who else can be other than our yathisaarva baumar Swami Ramanuja, (nam yathi saarva bauma simham thavira veru undo?). Swami Thiruvarangathamudhanar talks about this “seeriya” singam in his Ramanuja Nootrandaadhi
“Kali mikka channel kazhanik kurayal kalai perumaan
Oli mikka paadalai undu than ullam thadithu adhanaal
Vali mikka seeyam iraamaanusan marai vaadhiyaraaam
Puli mikkadhendru ippuvanathil vandhamai potruvane”
-Ramanuja Nootranaadhi 88
Swami Thiruvaranangathamudhanar describes Swami Ramanuja as “seeriya singam”. A lion eats good and full and is seen as healthy with a strong presence. Swami Thiruvarangathamudhanar says in the above pasuram that this Yathiraja Simham eats the pasurams of Thirunagaiazhwar as its food and thus is always seen as strong (vali mikka seeyam).
A lion is usually seen in a cave in mountains. What is being referred as mountains and caves here? There was this rishi called “Bharathwaja” who recited Vedas for 300 years. Indira, the chief of devas, revealed the Vedas to the rishi as a huge mountain. This can be found in the Vedas itself and thus, the mountain being referred here is none other than the Vedas. In the mountain called Vedas, the place where the secrets of dharma are hidden are being referred as the caves (“dharmasya thathvam nihitham guhaayaam ennumpadi dharma sookshmangal podhindhu irukum idam). Swami Ramanuja lives in those caves where the “secrets of dharmas” are found in the big mountain called Vedas. Residing at such a place, Swami does not even look at the lowkeekam in his life (aathmaaneva aathmaanaam pashyan soogidithu irupavar Swami).
Arivutru – Swami thinks within himself as to “what is the reason I incarnated here”? (“naam avadarithadu yedharkaaga endru tham avathaara prayojanathai kurikondu endrapadi). Theevizhithu – As per the saying “buddhir maneesha deekshana thee:”, the word “thee” in the pasuram refers to that which is been read using buddhi (budhhi paryaayamaaga padikapatta thee). That “thee” is in full bloom only with Swami Ramanuja. Eppaadum perndhu udhari – Eppadum refers to all directions. Perndhu udhari refers to discarding by shaking. What did Swami Ramanuja discard and what does direction have to do here? Swami travelled along the length and breadth of our country, i.e., all 8 directions and wherever he saw miscreants or kudhrishtigal to Vedas, he won against them very easily as though he just takes up the debate and just discards them as petty one (just as how a lion that comes out of its caves after a deep sleep, and shakes it body in all directions, the manes all over shakes as well and the dust is discarded just like that). This srisookti summarizes the borders of Swami’s visits:
“Srirangam karisaila mangya nagarim dhaarkshayaadhri simhaasalau srikoormam purushothamangya badri naaryanam naimisam, srimath dwaaravadheeprayaaga Mathura ayodhya gaya pushakaram saalagraama girim nishevya rametha raamanujoyam munihi”