Vaishnavism in Andhra.Pdf
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123 CHAPTER IV VAISNAVISM - AT ITS HEIGHT IN ANDHRA / _ The developments in Srivaisnavism in the post- Ramanuja period which eventually led to the split in / - Srivaisnavism are studied in Section I, The spread of • « / - - / Srivaisnavism in Andhradesa during the Vijayanagara period is discussed in detail in Section II. A brief account of Madhva faith is given in Section III. SECTION I : POST RAMANUJA PERIOD The Post-Ramanuja period was an age of transition. The dominant characteristic of this transitional period was one of “growing party-spirit and not of actual party split" Growing interest among the followers of Ramanuja in the interpretation and popularisation of his teachings which - _ t o came to be known as * Ramanuj a-darsanam1, emergence of certain differences of opinion and interpretation among his followers concerning chiefly (a) the prapatti-marga and (b) the relative importance of the Sanskrit and Tamil texts, "controversies, set backs, progress and consolidation" were / - some of the features that marked the history of srivaisnavism after the death of Raminuja. Of these the most important f _ feature is the schism that appeared among the Srivaisnavas. Even during tb e last days of Ramanuja there appeared t two distinct modes of expounding the Vaisnava-darsana or 124 system. They were known as (a) the Sri Bhasya Pravacana and (b) the Dravidamnaya pravacana or Bhaqavatvisaya- Pravacana. The former was the study of the Vedanta sutras in the light of Ramanuja's commentary on them in Sanskrit and the latter consisted of the study of the Four thousand Prabandhas-Tiruvoimoli in particular, of the iQvars in Tamil. Ramanuja followed both the methods in his expositions and 3 brought about a synthesis among them. He served as a binding force to keep his disciples together. The missionary zeal with which they were enthused was a cohesive force t — which kept the Srivaisnava community united. But later with » • the emergence of powerful leaders like Pillai Lokacarya, Vedanta Des'ika and Manavala Mamuni the emphasis on diffe- 4 rences became marked. Then suitable philosophical explana tions and justifications for these differences were provided, thereby setting up and perpetuating the schism. Consequently there arose two separate schools-Tengalai and Vadagalai-, / - - with their centres at srirangam and Kancipuram- and two succession lists of acaryas . ^ After Ramanuja the hierarchy was divided Into two lines as given under:^ 125 Table -~v Ramanuj a CCirca A.D. 1017-1137) Prabahdhic School Sri Bhasya school I I / Bhattar (12th century) Kurukesa (12th century) Nanjiyar (12th century) Engal AIvan (12-tli century) Nampillai (13th century) a * Nadadur Ammal (13th century) Periavacan Pillai (13th century.) Atreya Ramanuja (13th century) Vadakku Tiruvidhi Pillai (13th century) Vedanta Desika (A.D. 1268-1369) Pillai Lokacarya (13th & 14th century - elder contemporary of Nainar Varadacarya Vedanta Desika (14th century) Manavalappaerumal Nainar (do) I I Tirvoimoli Pillai (14th century) Manavala Mahamuni (A.D. 3.370-1443) 12G Following are the Tengalai and the Vadagalai lines of succession. 7 Tengalai School Table - v\ Ramanuja (A.D. 1017-1137) Embar Parasara Bhattar Nanjiyar i Nampillai 0 • ___i__ Periavacan Pillai Vadakku Tiruvidhi Pillai Pillai Lokacarya Tiruvoimoli- Pillai * . » i Manavala Mamunigal (A.D. 1370-1443) Vanamamalai Ramanuja Jiyar (Chief of the As/ta Diggajas) (founded the Vanamamalai Mutt A.D. 1440) Note: The above Table is not a family tree but a preceptor- disciple succession list. 127 Vadagalai School® TouU^ - W Ranianuja (1017-1137) Tirukkurugaippiran Pillai Engal Alvar Nadadur Arrmal Atreya Ramanuja Vedanta Deslka (1268-1369) _________L_______ Brahmatantrasvatantra Nainar Acarya Jiyar-I (founded the Parakala Mutt (A.d. 1360) Ghatikasatam Ammal • • - - Adi Van satagopa,1 Jiyar (founded the Ahobalam Mutt A.D. 1398) # Note: The above table is not a family tree but a preceptor- disciple succession list. The dates within brackets are all circa. Ramanuja's dates are the convention ally accepted dates, but are subject to serious valid objections. 128 The Tengalai or Prabhandhlc School The Upadesa-ratnamalal of Manavala Mahamuni gives the hierarchy of the acaryas of the Tengalai or Prabandhic 9 — - school. The Acaryas of this school had settled down at r - Srirangam and successively held the apostolic leadership _ / there. According to this tradition Parasara Bhattar, son . _ - _ f - of Kurattalvan succeeded Ramanuja at Srirangam. He is said to have defeated a famous Advaitic scholar^Vedanti, who subsequently became his devoted disciple under the name of Nanjiyar and became his successor to the apostolic chair.10 He wrote a commentary on Tiruvolmoli, known as 'The Nine Thousand*. Namburu Varadaraja or Nampillai (My son) (A.D. 1207- 1302) followed Nanjiyar. He was an ardent lover of Tamil Prabandhas and was largely responsible for the formation of Prabandha school at srirangam. Engal Alvan and Varadacarya of the Shasya School were his contemporaries. When the « latter withdrew to Ranchipuram, Nampillai acted vigorously along with a band of veteran scholars to stabilise and popularise the nascent Prabandha School on the basis of 12 sectarian literature. His two talented disciples Peria Accan Pillai* * and Pinbalagiya Perumal* Jiyar did notable service to the cause of Prabandhic School. The former wrote his famous commentary 'The Twenty-four Thousand' on Nalayjra Divya Pra-bandham. It was based on the Prabandha 129 lectures of his teacher Nampillai. The latter's contribu- • « tion to this school was even more substantial. He wrote a Guruparamparai or a succession list of Acaryas. It provided for a traditional or apostolic basis to the Prabandha School. He wrote his work in Manipravala (admixture of Tamil and Sanskrit) in which he gave prominence to the teaching and teachers of Prabandha and did not mention the activities of — - 13 orthodox and Sanskrit school in Kanchipuram. Peria Accan Pillai was the successor of Nampillai / — on the pontifical seat at Srirangam. He was a fastidious thinker and writer. Besides his above mentioned work 'The Twenty-Four Thousand' he composed various treatises, such as / Upakara-ratnam, cararoa-rahasyam, Manlkka-malai, Navaratna- malal etc., in manipravala style. Krsnapada or Vadakku Tiruvidhi Pillai (the Pillai *t« • »« * • / - of the North street of srirangam), another disciple of Nampillai, was the Acarya at Srirangam after Peria Accan 14 Pillai.« » He composed a voluminous commentary on the Tiruvovmoli, known as 'The Thirty-six Thousand'. It contains t the essence of the lectures of his guru. It was well-known as 'Idu' (the equal). The talented author believed that it « - 15 was equal to the grandeur of Nammalvar's work. Pillai Lokacaryq (fi was the son and 9 t successor of Vadakku Tiruvidhi Pillai. He was the contempo rary of renowned Vedanta Des^ka. He was generally regarded 130 as the founder of Tengalism as a distinct sect.*6 He and his brother Alagiya Manavala Perumal Nainar, who were deeply • / m learned in Prabandha School, brought out many treatises explaining to the common people the doctrine of prapatti and the purity of their own creed based on that doctrine. Sri Vacana Bhusana and Acarya Hridayam were their two chief * • works. Pillai Lokacarya is also said to have composed sixteen other minor works like Toni-Tlrumantram, Mumuksupadi, Tattvatraya, Arthapancaka etc. All these combined were __ / f called Astadasa-rahasya pr 'Eighteen Secrets'. They form 4 * the first and basic text-book of the Tengalai School, and that is why Pillai Lokacarya is held in high esteem and 4 « veneration by the Tengalais of the present day. 17 / - t / Srisailesa (Tiruvoimoli Pillai), a disciple of Pillai • » Lokacarya, succeeded him as the leader of the Prabandhic school. He made Alvartirunagari, the birth place of Nammalvar, the scene of his preaching activities and carried on the / - . traditions of this school when worship at Srirangam was 18 disorganised due to Muslim invasions. Training of Alagiya-Manavala was his great service to the Prabandha School of Vaisnavism. Alagiya-Manavala (A.D. 1370-1433), the acknowledged prophet of Terigalism, was bom in A.D. 1370 at Alvartirunagari. He was also known as Manavala Mahamuni, Varavaramuni, and 4 Periya Jiyar. He acquired mastery over Tamil Veda and 131 other lore and became the head of Prabandhic School after /- / / the death of his master, Srisailesa. After staying for sometime at Alvartirunagari he had been to Srirangam and made it his headquarters. He declared that 'The Thirty-Six Thousand' of Krsnapada was the 'Idu' or equal to the Sribhasya • * • ,u fr* « and introduced it formally as a subject of holy studies. 19 His works included commentaries on the Tirumoli of Perialvar, /_ _ __ „ _ Srivacana Bhusana of Pillai Lokacarya and Ramanuja Nurrandadi • « of Amudanar and poems such as Upadesaratnamalai, Yatiraja- vimsatj etc. He popularised Alvars' Divya Prabandham and Prabandhic School. He gave a definite form to Tengalism by his practical life and teachings. His followers regarded him as an avatara of Ramanuja. He laid a strong and permanent foundation of this school by appointing authorised teachers, known as Astadiqqajas, in different parts of Vaisnava world - - 20 from Mysore to Kanyakumari to propagate Prabandhic creed. They and their descendants carried on the torch of learning and teaching, established monasteries at places like Tirupati, Vanamamalai etc., and popularised the cult in the courts as well as in ordinary house-holds. It captured the majority of the temples of the South and its followers are perhaps greater in number than the Vadagalais. The Vadagalai School The Guruparamparaj of the third Brahmatantra Svatantra Jiyar gives the succession list of the Vadagalai 13£ 21 / school. According to it, Kurukesa (Tirukkurugaippiran Pillan) was the successor of Ramanuja on the spiritual throne at srirangam. Following the example of Ramanuja he exercised control over both the Bhasya and the Prabandha facets of the Vaisnava darsana. His period was characte- • » -i—t r u ‘ ■ i rised by the setting up of Ramanuja's images in many temples 22 of south India.