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Srivaishnava Guru Paramparai - Thaniyans
Srivaishnava Guru Paramparai - Thaniyans
Srivaishnava Guru Paramparai - Thaniyans
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Preface
sri:
srimathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srimadh varavaramunayE nama:
sri vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:
I worship the glorious guru paramparai which starts with sriman nArAyaNan, has
nAthamuni and yAmunAchAriar in the middle and ends with my Acharyan.
This divine slOkam was rendered by kUrathAzhwAn to glorify our guru paramparai.
According to him, asmadhAchArya means emperumAnAr because emperumAnAr was
his AchAryan. But in general, asmadhAchArya means ones own AchAryan.
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Our dharisanam is called emperumAnAr dharisanam by namperumAL as maNavALa
mAmunigaL identifies in upadhEsa rathina mAlai. It was emperumAnAr who re-
established the sanAthana dharmam (eternal way of life) during his life time. He took
the message from his predecessors nAthamuni, ALavandhAr, etc and presented it to
everyone in a very simple manner.
Guru and AchArya are synonyms. Guru means one who clears the ignorance. AchArya
means one who has learnt sAsthram, follows it himself and also makes others follow the
same. Guru paramparai means unbroken lineage of AchAryas. Our srivaishnava guru
paramparai starts with none other than sriman nArAyaNan himself as we see in this
lakshminAtha samArambhAm slOkam. It is out of the unbounded mercy of sriman
nArAyaNan, he himself takes up the responsibility of clearing the ignorance in the minds
of samsAris (jIvAthmAs who are bound in this material world) to rescue them and give
them the ever lasting blissful life in paramapadham. So he became the first AchArya in
our guru paramparai and taught the valuable meanings in sAsthram.
This is a humble effort from adiyen to list out the thaniyans for all the AchAryas of our
glorious guru paramaparai. It is in practice of elders that the thaniyans of OrAN vazhi
AchAryas are recited everyday after applying Urdhva puNdram and other AchAryas
thaniyans are recited atleast during their monthly/annual thirunakshathram days.
Email: sarathy.thothathri@gmail.com
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kArthigai swAthi (November 30, 2013) (3rd release)
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thaniyans
thaniyan is an invocatory verse of glorification to an AchArya which is usually
composed/submitted by a sishya. kUrathAzhwAn explains our guru paramparai in a
beautiful slOkam (which is recited as part of our nithyAnusandhAnam).
Simple translation: I worship our guru paramparai which starts with srIman nArAyaNan
(who is the husband of srI mahAlakshmi), has nAthamunigaL and yAmunAchAryar in
the middle and ends with my own AchArya. For AzhwAn, asmadhAchArya means
emperumAnAr (srI rAmAnujar) who was his own AchArya and for all of us its own
samAsrayaNa AchAryan (the one who performs pancha samskAram to us).
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Let us see the thaniyan for all our pUrvAchAryas. We will start with the OrAN vazhi guru
paramaparai (which starts with periya perumAL and ends with maNavALa mAmunigaL).
Subsequently, we will see the thaniyans for AzhwArs and all other pUrvAchAryas in our
sath sampradhAyam.
:
:
: :
I worship srI ranganAchiyAr whose eyebrow movements (her desire and reaction
revealed through that) determines the fate of jIvAthmAs (whether one is rich or poor,
learned or illiterate, etc).
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vishwaksEnar is the one who controls all jIvAthmAs and achEthanams (matter) through
the powers given by emperumAn, after letting the beautiful moon of srI rangam (periya
perumAL srI ranganAthan) enjoy divine pastimes with srI ranganAchiyAr. We accept
such vishwaksEnar as our sole refuge.
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: :
I worship maNakkAl nambi who is named srI rAma misra and was greatly intelligent in
easily reforming the princely yAmunAchArya simply by giving him thUthuvaLai leaves.
I worship yAmunAchAryar by whose mercy my defects have been removed and I have
become an identifiable object, i.e., previously I was like asath (matter) and now I have
realized that I am sath (soul) after meditating on the lotus feet of yAmunAcharya.
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emperumAnAr (chithrai thiruvAdhirai)
I take shelter at the lotus feet of srI rAmAnuja who out of great attachment for the
lotus/golden feet of achyutha (srIman nArAyaNa) considers everything else as a blade
of grass (not worthy), who is my AchArya, who is perfect in divine qualities such as
knowledge, devotion, etc., and who is an ocean of mercy.
gOvindha bhattar who is inseparable from srI rAmAnuja like the shadow of the lotus feet
and the one who realised his true nature by taking refuge at srI rAmAnujas lotus feet, is
the shade giving abode for me (where I can be relieved from my miseries). Let that
embAr be victorious.
:
:
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Let srI parAsara bhattar bestow me with all auspiciousness. He is the purOhith of srI
ranganAthan, the son of srIvathsAngar (AzhwAn) and is greatly filled with kainkaryasrI
(wealth of servitude).
My obeisances belong to vEdhAnthi nanjIyar whose nectarean words have filled the 3
worlds and who brings auspicious to all 3 worlds.
I take shelter of kalivairidhAsar (nampiLLai) who extracted (and is teaching) the glorious
essence of the nectarean vEdham from vEdhAnthi nanjIyar who himself is an ocean of
nectarean principles, who is filled with mercy (like a cloud filled with water).
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I constantly bow down at the lotus feet of srI krishNa (vadakku thiruvIdhi piLLai) through
whose mercy I acquired knowledge, devotion, detachment, etc.
I offer my obeisances to piLLai lOkAchAryar who is the son of srI krishNa (vadakku
thiruvIdhi piLLai), who has a fully qualified AchArya, who is the medicine for the
jIvAthmAs who are bitten by the poisonous snake called samsAram.
AzhwArs and several other AchAryas also are considered to be part of our srivaishnava
guru paramparai.
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The AzhwArs in order are:
: :
I meditate on poigai AzhwAr who was born in the pond in thiruvekkA (kAnchIpuram) out
of a golden lotus flower and who lit the divine lamp using the radiant sun to have the
vision of srIman nArAyaNan.
I surrender unto pEyAzhwAr who is the leader of mylApUr and was born out of a red lilly
flower in a well and who attained great bliss by having the divine vision of srIman
nArAyaNan with srI mahAlakshmi.
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sakthi panchamaya vigrahAthmanE sUkthikArajatha chiththa hAriNE
mukthidhAyaka murAri pAdhayOr bhakthisAra munayE namO nama:
Let madhurakavi AzhwAr be firmy established in my heart. He did not know any one
other nammAzhwAr, considered singing nammAzhwArs pAsurams as the only
enjoyable activity and naturally considered nammAzhwAr as his only master.
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I bow my head down at the lotus feet of nammAzhwAr who is our
(srIvaishNavas/prapannas) leader and the head of our clan, who is decoared with
maghizham flowers and whose lotus feet are filled with srIvaishNava srI (divine wealth).
For my descendants, he is everything mother, father, consort, children, great wealth
and everything else.
I bow my head down and worship kulasEkara AzhwAr in whose capital city there is
constant hailing about srIranga yAthrai (travelling to srIrangam).
I worship periyAzhwAr who proclaimed the essence of vEdham (without learning it from
an AchArya methodically he was directly blessed by bhagavAn with divine
blemsishless knowledge) to win over pouch containing gold at the pAndiya kings
assembly and who is the direct father-in-law of srI ranganAthan (due to him being the
father of ANdAL nAchiyAr) and who is the leader of brAhmaNas.
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:
I offer my obeisances to gOdhA dhEvi again and again. She is the one who woke up
krishNa who was resting on the breasts of nILA dhEvi, the one who announced her
pArathanthriyam (which is the ultimate principle highlighted in vEdham) to bhagavAn
himself and the one who fully enjoyed emperumAn who wore the garlands that were
once worn by her.
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(kAviri and koLLidam) and who proclaimed that his eyes would not see anything other
than srI ranganAthans divine form.
: :
I meditate on thirumangai AzhwAr who is named kalikanRi, who is a radiant sun among
poets and through whose radiant words the ignorance in the mind was dispelled
completely.
The AchAryas (who are not in OrANvazhi guru paramparai) include (but not limited to):
I constantly bow down at the lotus feet of kurugai kAvalappan who is greatly attached to
the lotus feet of nAthamunigaL, who has the great wealth of gyAna yOgam and bhakthi
yOgam and who is the best amongst yOgis.
I glorify thiruvarangapperumAL arayar who stayed like a beetle in the lotus feet of
maNakkAl nambi, who is the divine son of yAmunAchAryar, who is filled with auspicious
qualities, who was born by the divine grace of srI ranganAthan and who had srI
bhAshyakArar as his sishya.
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thirukkOshtiyUr nambi (vaikAsi, rOhiNi)
We take refuge at the lotus feet of thirukkOshtiyUr nambi who is an ocean of nectar for
knowledge and devotion at the lotus feet of srIman nArAyaNan who is the consort of srI
mahAlakshmi and who is best among AchAryas.
I repeatedly worship srIsaila pUrNa who is the grand father of brahmA who is the grand
father of the entire creation (as nambi was called father by thiruvEnkatamudaiyAn who
is the father of brahmA), who is a wonderful AchArya for srI bhAshyakAra and who
instructed the deep meanings of vAlmIki rAmAyaNa to srI bhAshyakAra.
I worship the AchArya named thirumAlai ANdAn who expertly explained the divine
meanings of thiruvAimozhi which is hailed as dhrAvida vEdham to srI rAmAnuja muni
and who was most intelligent.
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I worship thirukkachi nambi who is the object of srI varadharAjas mercy, who is best
among vaishNavas, who was greatly respected by srI rAmAnuja muni and who was
flocked by many srIvaishNavas.
:
:
We offer our obeisances towards srIvathsAnga misra whose divine sthOthrams are like
mangaLasUthram for vEdham, i.e., they reveal that srIman nArAyaNan is the supreme
clearly.
I decorate my head with mudhaliyANdAns lotus feet. He is named dhAsarathi and srI
yathirAjas sandals are named after him as mudhaliyANdAn.
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aruLaLa permAL emperumAnAr (kArthigai bharaNi)
I worship srI bAladhanvi guru who is like a shining moon for the ocean of kausika clan,
who is the son of srI bhAshyakAras mothers sister, who has his mind fully attached to
the lotus feet of srI saila pUrNa.
I worship the most intelligent praNathArthihara guru who considered the lotus feet of srI
rAmAnuja as his means and ultimate goal.
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rAmAnujArya sachchishyam sALagrAma nivAsinam
panchamOpAya sampannam sALagrAmAryam AsrayE
I take shelter of vaduga nambi who is a dear sishya of emperumAnAr, who lived in
sALagrAmam and who was an expert in panchamOpAyam (AchArya nishtai).
I worship vangi purathu nambi who is born in bhArathwAja clan, who has taken shelter
of srI rAmAnuja, who is filled with mercy and who is the leader of vangipuram.
I worship sOmAsiyANdAn who performed menial services (with great joy) to srI
rAmAnuja to sustain himself, who is an ocean of knowledge in srIbhAshyam and who is
named srI rAma.
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I take shelter of piLLai uRangAvilli dhAsar who never sleeps, who holds bow in one
hand, who holds sword in another hand, who is like a magical pill (which converts iron
into gold when touched), who revealed the essential principles during his lifetime, who
has two nephews (who were great devotees), who managed srI rAmAnujas mutt and
who performs mangaLAsAsanam to srI ranganAthan.
My heart desires to become attached to srI vishNuchiththa. What is the use of anything
but those lotus feet? How would I have mastered yathirAjas divine words had I not
taken shelter of those lotus feet of engaLAzhwAn?
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akilAthma guNAvAsam agyAna thimirApaham
AsrithAnAm susaraNam vandhE ananthArya dhEsikam
I bow down to the AchArya named ananthAzhwAn who is the abode of all auspicious
qualities, who is the one who dispels the darkness of ignorance and who is the means
for the ones who have taken shelter of him.
I take shelter of srIranganAtha guru (amudhanAr) who was born on panguni hastham as
the son of rangAryar (aNi arangathamudhanAr) and who has taken shelter of srI
rAmAnujas lotus feet.
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I take shelter of srI rAma piLLai (vEdha vyAsa bhattar) who is the grand son of srI rAma
misra (kUrathAzhwAr AzhwAns father), who is the son of srIvathsAngar (AzhwAn)
and the younger brother of srI parAsara bhattar.
I worship srI nArAyaNa muni who is a sishya of parAsara bhattar, who protects
srIrangam and who is an ocean of gyAnam (knowledge), bhakthi (devotion), vairAgyam
(renunciation), etc.
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My worships belong to srI krishNa (periyavAchAn piLLai) who is the son of
yAmunAchArya and by whose mercy srIman nArAyaNan is easily achievable.
I worship (eeyuNNi) mAdhavAchAryar who has taken shelter at the lotus feet of
lOkAchArya (nampiLLai), who is an ocean of mercy and who has the great wealth of
both samskritha vEdhAntham and dhrAvida vEdhAntham.
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namOsthu dhEvarAjAya chathurgrAma nivAsinE
rAmAnujArya dhAsasya suthAya guNasAlinE
I take shelter of naduvil thiruvIdhi piLLai bhattar who is greatly attached to the lotus feet
of nampiLLai, who lived in naduvil thiruvIdhi (a street in srIrangam), who is like a moon
for the ocean of kUrathAzhwAns clan.
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azhagiya maNavALa perumAL nAyanAr who is the son of srI krishNa (vadakku
thiruvIdhi piLLai) revealed the divine meanings of thiruvAimozhi (nammAzhwArs divine
heart) which are received through the AchArya paramparai.
sruthyarthasArajanakam smruthibAlamithram
padhmOllasadh bhagavadhangri purANabhandhum
gyAnAdhirAjam abhayapradharAja sUnum
asmath gurum paramakAruNikam namAmi
I worship my most merciful AchAryan who extracts the essence of vEdham, who is like
a sun for the lotus of smruthi, who is eternally related to the lotus feet of srIman
nArAyaNan, who is an emperor of knowledge and is the dear son of abhyapradha rAjar
(periyavAchAn piLLai).
I surrender unto the lotus feet of vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar whose lotus
feet are like a boat that will deliver the jIvAthmAs who are drowning in the ocean of
samsAram.
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I worship kUra kulOthama dhAsar who is the target of the mercy of piLLai lOkAchAryar,
who is a crown jewel that decorates the kauNdinya clan and who is the abode of all
auspicious qualities.
I worship nArAyaNa (viLAnchOlai piLLai) who was born on thulA (aippasi) month
ahirbhudhnya (uthrattAdhi) nakshathram, who is surrendered to piLLai lOkAchAryar and
who composed saptha kAthai (which is the essence of srI vachana bhUshaNam).
Let vEdhAnthAchArya live in my heart eternally. He is like a lion for the (opposing) poets
and debators, abode of knowledge, devotion, detachment (from worldly pleasures), etc.
and is known as vEnkatanAtha.
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After (and during) the period of ManavALa mAmunigal, many glorious AchAryas lived in
our sampradhAyam including (but not limited to):
I worship vAnamAmalai jIyar who is like the imprints of mAmunigaLs lotus feet and who
fully depends on mAmunigaL to establish his true nature (as a servant of mAmunigaL),
sustenance, activities, etc.
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I take shelter of my AchArya srI varadha nArAyaNa (kOil kanthAdai aNNan) who
beholds all the principles of vEdhAntham in his heart, who is best among the
descendants of the great vAdhUla clan, one who take shelter of the lotus feet of
mAmunigaL.
I worship dhEvarAja guru who is like a beetle in the lotus feet of mAmunigaL, who
blesses us with divine knowledge and is most auspicious in nature.
appiLLai
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kAnthOpayanthru yOgIndhra charaNAmbhuja shatpadham
vathsAnvayabhavam vandhE praNathArrhthiharam gurum
appiLLAr
I worship rAmAnujar (appiLLAr) who performed all kainkaryams to mAmunigaL and who
considered mAmunigaL as the only Lord and master.
I worship srInivAsAchAryar (kOil kanthAdai appan) who considers the lotus feet of
varadha nArAyaNa guru (kOil kanthAdhai aNNan) as the only means, who is the target
of the great compassion of mAmunigaL and who is an ocean of many auspicious
qualities which are like gems.
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I worship the most intelligent Adhi yathirAja jIyar who was like a beetle at the lotus feet
of yathIndhra pravaNar (mAmunigaL), who was constantly glorifying the greatness of
vAnamAmalai (ponnadikkAl) jIyar, who learnt srI bhAshyam by the mercy of vAdhUla
srInivAsAchAryar and who learnt thiruvAimozhi (and its meanings) from vAdhula
varadhAchAryar (kOil aNNan).
I worship piLLai lOkAchArya jIyar who is like a beetle at the divine lotus feet of srI
satagOpa guru and who is the author of yathIndhra pravaNam (which fully elaborates
the history of maNavALa mAmunigaL).
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srIrangarAja varadhArya krupAththa bhAshyam
sEvE sadhA raguvarAryam udhAracharyam
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Sources: 6000 padi guru paramparA prabhAvam, yathIndhra pravaNa prabhAvam,
periya thirumudi adaivu
Sincere gratitude to puthUr srI .U.vE. krishNaswamy iyengar for thaniyan translations
(all of thaniyans with simple thamizh meanings are present in a his 6000 padi guru
paramparA prabhAvam, periya thirumudi adaivu and AchAryargaL vaibhavam
publishings). Thanks to srIperumbUthUr Nandakumar swamy for helping in
thirumazhisai aNNAvappangAr and srI perumbUthUr thiruvEnkata rAmAnuja (embAr)
jIyar thaniyans.
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