Manavala Mamuni ( English Manavala Mamunigal, Manavala Mamuni ; 1370-1443) is the largest teacher of Sri Vaishnavism , which traditionally ended the era of the great acharyas , which began with Nathamuni [1] .
| Manavala Mamuni | |
|---|---|
| Manavala jamuni | |
 | |
| Birth name | Alagia Manavala Perumal Nayanar |
| Date of Birth | 1370 |
| Place of Birth | Alvarterurunagari |
| Date of death | 1443 |
| Place of death | Srirangam |
| Allegiance | Vijayanagar Empire |
| Occupation | brahmin |
| Father | Tigalakkidanta Tirunavirudaya Piran |
| Mother | Sriranga Naciar |
Manavala Mamuni restored the spiritual heritage of the early teachers of vashnavizma . In the religious tradition, it is called “Varavaramouni” ( Varavara Muni ) - a saint with amazing accuracy, depth and clarity of teaching. During the 15th century, his eight students spread the teachings of Ramanuja throughout Tamil Nadu . In most of the Vishnu temples in South India , prayers are offered daily for a new dispensation, the prosperity of the teachings of Ramanuja, and that Sri Manavala Mahamuni live for another hundred years. Prayer is associated with the invaluable contribution of Manaval Mamuni to the restoration of the famous temple complex in Srirangam [2] .
Content
Biography
Youth
The boy was born on October 24, 2013 in the Tamil region From birth, his parents gave him a name in honor of the deity Ranganatha , Alagia Manavala Perumal Nayanar ( Azhagiya Manavala Perumal Nayanar ).
Alagia Manaval's father received a dedication from his father-in-law, Kallikavala Dasar , one of the younger students of Pillai Lokacharya . It is believed that he was a descendant of one of the seventy-four heirs to the tradition chosen by Ramanuja. Alagia Manavala's youth was held at the parents' house, where he was taught Vaishnava philosophy .
At the age of sixteen, the parents married Alagia Manavala. After the death of his father, he and his family moved to Alvarterunagari, not far from Tirunelveli . The town housed the temple complex of Alwarteragunari ( Alwarthirunagari Temple ), named after Nammalwar , where the great saint was born and lived.
The famous theologian Tiruvaimozhi Pillai ( Thiruvaimozhi Pillai ) lived in Alvarterurunagari in those years. Alagia Manavala went to his disciples and studied Sanskrit and Tamil scriptures. At the end of his studies, Tiruvaimoli, Pillay, chose him as head of the newly built temple in Tirunagari in honor of Ramanuja. At the new place Alagia Manavala composed his first literary work, a poem in Sanskrit “Yatiraja Vimshati”. Her essay brought the honorable name Yatindra Pravan ( Yatheendra Pravana ) to Alagii Manavalu .
The teacher advised Alagia Manaval to move to Srirangam to serve Ranganath. After the death of Tiruvaimoli Pillai, he actively studied and preached, fame spread about him. He began to appear his own students, among which Azhagiya Varadar was one of the first and most prominent. Subsequently, he became famous under the name of Ramanuja Jeyar or Ponnadikkal Jeeyar. He is known for having founded the first monastery of the Wadagalai school. With a group of followers of Alagia, Manaval traveled to Srirangam. On the way, they visited Srivilliputhur, the birthplace of Andal .
Srirangam Restoration
Srirangam in his youth Alagia Manavala was in decline. The Muslim invasion that occurred during the times of Vedantadeshika was accompanied by the rout and destruction of the holy city. In 1360, the Vijayanagar Empire destroyed the Madurai Sultanate and annexed Srirangam to its territory. The temple of Ranganatha was destroyed and there were no complete religious services. The thoughtful and harmonious management system, once introduced by Ramanuja, has completely collapsed over the past three decades [3] [2] :
Where before the shrines were surrounded by musical rhythms, now a terrible howl of jackals was heard. Instead of the fragrant smoke of the sacred lights in the settlements of the Brahmins, the stench of raw meat spreading among the cries of drunken Muslim soldiers ...
- Sampathkumaran MR
The task of restoring the former glory and splendor of Srirangam was extraordinary. For thirty years, Alagia Manavala worked to recreate the architectural, intellectual, cultural and spiritual heritage of the shrine. The emperor of the Vijayanagar empire, Bukkaraya I, donated considerable funds to Srirangam to restore 17 thousand gold mushers (about two hundred kilograms of gold), and also donated 1,000 shalagrams-shil to priests. In addition, the ruler handed over 101 villages to the temple for its maintenance. The temple was being actively restored, the Nammalwar sanctuary was repaired and a new Murtida of the Garuda was installed in Alagia Manavala Mandape. Thanks to his efforts, Alagia Manavala joined the temple administration [2] .
Recreating the heritage of teachers
In the thirtieth year of life, Alagia Manavala takes sannyas and devotes himself to the spiritual life. His name becomes "Alahiya Manavala Mamuni". Young theologians such as Koil Kantadai Annan, Prativadi Bhaynkar Annan, Herumbi Appan receive initiation as disciples. Manavala Mamuni is actively working on writing a practical guide for Vaishnavas. He compiled the “Upadesa-ratna-mala”, where the dates of life of the saints and acaryas for their honoring during the year are set forth. At the same time, he prepared recommendations for the home worship of Vishnu and family rites.
Many Vaishnava works that expounded the teachings of Ramanuja were destroyed during the Muslim invasion or were missing. Manavala Mamuni made efforts to restore spiritual heritage. In Tamil, he prepared a commentary on one of the main works of Pillai Lokacharyi , “Tattva-traya”, which set forth the basic principles of Vedanta . The statements of one of the teachers of the tradition, Nampillai Vaibhavan ( Nampillai Vaibhavam ), were recorded by his student, Vadakka Tir Vetti Pillai. This collection was known as “Going”, but the notes were lost and the content was transmitted orally from teacher to student. Manavala Mamuni, who knew “Ida” from his teacher, wrote it down and made studying “Ida” a necessary condition for mentors in Sri Vaishnavism . Manavala Mamuni hired a group of copyists, thanks to whom the works of the early teachers were preserved and replicated.
When order in Srirangam was restored, Manavala Mamuni went on a long pilgrimage, visiting Kanci , Tirupati and Shriperumbudur ( Tamil Nadu ). In Kanchi Manavala, Mamuni composed the poem “Devaraja Mangalam” in Sanskrit to the glory of the deity Varadaraja , residing in the temple of Sri Varadaraja Perumal. In Shriverumbudur, Manaval Mamuni prayed to Ramanuja to give him a teacher who knows and understands “Shri Bhashya” written by Ramanuja. In Kanchi, he found an expert on the Vishish -advaita Kidambi Acchan from the Yathothkari Perumal Temple , who presented the work of Ramanuji to him.
Upon his return to Srirangam, Manavala Mamuni was engaged in the compilation of the work of his predecessors. He wrote comments on the works of his predecessors, in particular, on the works of Arulal Perumal Umberuman "Gyana-sara" and "Prameya-sara", and also gave a brief summary of the poems of Nammalwar "Tiruaymoli", "Tiruaymoli Nutrandi".
Manavala Mamuni returned to the city of youth, Alvarterunagari, where he composed a commentary on “Acharya Hridaye”, an essay written by the brother Pillay Lokacharya. In it, he outlined the basics of Sri Vaishnavism, illustrating them with the hymns of Nammalwar .
In the years 1432–1434, the famous lecture course of Manaval Mamuni on Tiruweimoli took place, in honor of which festive ceremonies were canceled in Srirangam. Manavala Mamuni publicly explained the “Ida” and the other four comments on Nammalwar’s poems. It was the apogee of his Vaishnavism preaching. Followers recorded lectures on palm leaves and spread throughout South India. Manavala Mamuni at that time was already 62 years old.
Collection "Tiruvaymoli", trans. from A. M. Pyatigorsky Tamil :
Higher heights, who possesses the highest virtue? - Is he; Who, eliminating the eclipse, gives [higher] wisdom? - Is he; Who is the head of the immortal gods, eliminating lethargy? - Is he; And bowing before the radiance that removes suffering, oh my spirit, rise up!
- Nammalvar
Last years of life
The last years of his life, Manavala Mamuni was seriously ill and was forced to give up personal service in the Ranganath temple. He wrote his commentary on "Acharya Hriday" with difficulty. Anticipating the demise, Manavala Mamuni wrote a single stanza every day in Tamil, which was addressed to Ramanuja. In them he lamented the life in the material body and dreamed of Vaikuntha . The collection of the last verses is called "Arati Prabandham."
Arati Prabandham, introduction and last verse :
Manavala Mamuni To Tom, who wears a flower garland, To Tom, to whose lotus feet Ramanuja has fallen, and To Him who is the embodiment of generosity, [turns] out of complete despair when he is forced to stay in this world and want to find a permanent place in the Higher world, where heaven offer their daily prayers to the Lord ...
Lord Srirangama, Numperumal, blessed my father Ramanuja with mercy so that he would remain forever in the temple of Srirangama. If we remind ourselves of your grace, then she will touch us. For [us as] a son, it is natural to inherit the wealth of the father [Ramanuja].
- Manavala Mamuni
Manavala Mamuni died in 1443 or 1444. He is considered the “Charama Paramacharya,” the last of the great teachers of Sri Vaishnavism . The tomb of Manaval Mamuni is located on the territory of Srirangam , one kilometer from the Ranganath temple . It is a small house with a fenced plot [4] . The burial site is called “Manavala Mamunigal Tiruvaras” ( Manavala Mamunigal Thiruvarasu, ).
Theological writings
Authorship Manaval Mamuni owns nineteen works, three of which are written in Sanskrit , the rest - in Tamil and Manipales. The first group of works consists of “vyakhyan-granthi”, comments on the works of previous teachers: Pillay Lokacharya , Periyavchchan Pillay and Tiruvarangattu Amudanar. These include:
- Sri Vachana Bhushanu ( Sri Vachana Bhushanam );
- Mumukshuppadi ( Mumukshuppadi );
- Tattva-trayu ( Tathvathrayam );
- Acharya Hridayam ( Acharya Hrudhayam );
- Gyana Saru ( Gnana Saaram );
- Prameya-Saru ( Prameya Saaram );
- Periy-Alvar Tirumoli ( Periyazhwar Thirumozhi );
- Ramanuja Nurrantadi ( Ramanuja Nootranthadhi ).
The second group of works is called “pramana-tirattu”, they are lectures on the theological works of predecessors. These include:
- “Coming” ( Eedu );
- Sri Vachana Bhushanam ( Sri Vachana Bhushanam );
- Tattva-traya ( Tathvathrayam ).
The third group consists of Manavala Mamuni’s own works:
- Upadesa Rathna Maalai ;
- "Tiruvaymoli-nutrantadi" ( Thiruvaimozhi Nootranthadhi );
- Iyalch Tharru ( Iyal Satthu );
- Tiruvaradhana Krama ( Thiruvaradhana Kramam );
- Yatiraja Vimshati ( Yathiraja Vimsathi , in Sanskrit);
- Devaraja Mangalam , in Sanskrit;
- Sri Kanchi Deva-Perumal Stotra ( Sri Kanchi Devapperumal Sthothram , Sanskrit);
- "Arati Prabandham" ( Aaarthi Prabhandham ).
Pupils
Manavala Mamuni appointed eight students as his receivers, whom he called "the elephants of the eight cardinal points of the world" ("ashta-dig-gaj"). These include:
- Ponnadikal Jeeyar,
- Paravasta Bhatta Piran Jiyar ( Paravatsu Bhatta Jeeyar ),
- Tiruvenkata Jiyar ( Thiruvenkatta Jeeyar ),
- Koil Kantadai Annan ( Koil Kanthaadai Annan ),
- Prativadi Bhayankar Annan ( Prathivaadhi Bhayankaram Annan ),
- Erumbi Appan ( Erumbi Appaa ),
- Appillai ( Appillai ),
- Appillan ( Appillan ).
They were sent to different parts of South India to spread Sri Vaisnavism. Each of them founded a Vaishnava monastery . The eight maths continue to operate and the disciplic succession that began with Manavala Mamuni has been preserved in them.
Notes
- С Pskhu, 2009 .
- ↑ 1 2 3 Sampathkumaran, 1988 .
- ↑ Annangaracharya, 1962 .
- ↑ Manavala Mamunigal Thiruvarasu, Srirangam, Trichy . Tamilnadu Tourism (2018).
Literature
- Pyatigorsky AM. Materials on the history of Indian philosophy. - M: Publishing East Literature, 1962.
- Psku P.V. Vishishta-advaita-vedanta / Stepanyants MT. - Indian philosophy: encyclopedia. - M: Eastern literature, 2009. - p. 282—286.
- Annangaracharya P. Maṇavāḷa Māmun̲ikaḷ vaipavam. - Kancheepuram, 1962.
- Sampathkumaran MR Sri Manavala Mahamuni // A Quarterly Journal of Visistadvaita Vedanta "Sri Ramanuja Vani". - 1988. - Vol. 11 , No. 2 . - p . 34—42 .
- Mumme P. The disprīvaiṣṇava theological dispute: Maṇavāḷamāmuni and Vedānta Deśika. - Madras: New Era Publications, 1988.
- Mumme P. The Theology of the Manacalummuni Dispatch in the Post-Ramanuja Sri Vaisnavism. - Madras, 1987.
- Varadachari V. Two great acharyas, Vedanta Desika and Manavala Mamuni. - Madras: Prof. M. Rangacharya Memorial Trust: Can be had of MC Krishnan, 1983.