Does any AzhwAr have any descendants today?
periyAzhwAr has descendants in SrIvillipuththUr. madhurakavi AzhwAr has descendants in AzhwArthirunagari. Both families are engaged in temple kainkaryam.
Please explain why thirunArAyaNapuram chellappiLLai is known as kiNaRRangaraik kuzhandhai?
The name chellappiLLai itself means sweet/pampered child. bhagavath rAmAnujar went to thirunArAyaNapuram and totally reformed the place after establishing mUla mUrthi and uthsava mUrthi. He spent a long time there and was personally looking after all kainkaryams of perumAL. Hence, when he was returning to SrIrangam he ordered the SrIvaishNavas to take care of emperumAn with great care, like caring for a child sitting on the fence of a well (kiNaRRangaraik kuzhandhai).
Kindly elucidate how varavaramuni indicates maNavALa mAmunigaL.
vara means ‘beauty’. vara also means ‘bridegroom’. Both meanings are present in samskritham. That is why azhagiya maNavALa is translated to vara vara (beautiful bridegroom). This is the name of SrI ranganAtha – azhagiya maNavALan – this name is given to many in our SrIvaishNava families.
What is the significance of 74 simhAsana-adhipathis in our sampradhAyam?
They were established by bhagavath rAmAnujar for the propagation of our sampradhAyam and initiating disciples in our sampradhAyam. While most of them were gruhasthas some were sanyAsis too – but all were male – brAhmaNa SrIvaishNavas. Their lineages have the responsibility to continue and establish the mission of bhagavath rAmAnuja. Out of the 74 lineages, we may have about 30 active now. It is said that the vIrANam lake near kAttu mannAr kOyil (vIra nArAyaNa puram) which is the birth place of SrIman nAthamunigaL, had 74 outlets. bhagavath rAmAnujar may have been inspired by that.
Also, as part of our guruparamparA manthram, when we say asmath sarva gurubhyO nama: – it covers all AchAryas up to rAmAnuja from our paramAchAryas (2nd level of AchAryas).
Where is viLAnchOlai piLLai’s thiruvarasu located in?
Probably in thiruvananthapuram – not sure exactly where though.
We see similarities in the dyadic relationship between madhurakavi AzhwAr-nammAzhwAr and kaNikaNNan-thirumazhisai AzhwAr. Is there a reason that kaNikaNNan isn’t given the same status as madhurakavi AzhwAr by our pUrvAcharyAs? Or maybe he is and I am ignorant about it. He also worshipped his AcharyAr with the same devotion.
Interesting question. Historically, as per guru paramaparA prabhAvam, we see madhurakavi AzhwAr carrying out nammAzhwAr’s mission fully and establishing his glories. Same thing is not seen in kaNikaNNan’s life – that may be the reason.
At what age did ANdAL write thiruppAvai?
When ANdAL nAchiyAr was 5 years old, she sang thiruppAvai.
Is thirumangai AzhwAr’s thiruvamsam still there?
Some claim to be his descendants in different towns based on their varNam. But not sure.
Some of our scholars say that SrI kulaSEkharAzhwAr is not the writer of mukundha mAlA sthOthram. Please clarify.
As per periya thirumudi adaivu, kulaSEkharAzhwAr is the author of mukundha mAlA and perumAL thirumozhi. But in 6000 padi guru paramparA, only perumAL thirumozhi is mentioned. That could be the confusion. Since there is one pramANam, we can say that he is the author of mukundha mAlA.
On AzhwArs’ and AchAryas’ thirunakshathram, what can we recite?
Usually for all AzhwArs/AchAryas, we will recite kOyil thiruvAimozhi and rAmAnusa nURRandhAdhi.
Did the first four AzhwArs who lived in and around the time of dhvApAra yugam, sing prabandhams even before krishNAvatharam?
Yes. But, krishNAvathAram has happened in previous 4 yuga cycles and were available in purANams. Alternatively, it is said that bhagavAn manifested krishNa leelAs in their heart.
Is thirumazhisai AzhwAr still there near thirukkudanthai dhivyadhEsam, meditating and waiting to do mangaLAsAsanams for kalki avathAram?
No – he ascended to paramapadham.
What is the meaning of “AzhwAr ,emperumAnAr, jIyar thiruvadigaLE SaraNam, jIyar thiruvadigaLE SaraNam”?
AzhwAr – nammAzhwAr
emperumAnAr – rAmAnujar
jIyar – maNavALa mAmunigaL
jIyar – first thOthAdhri jIyar (ponnadikkAl jIyar) – this extra jIyar is recited by thOthAdhri/vAnamAmalai mutt followers
thiruvadigaLE – their divine lotus feet only
SaraNam – refuge
How many threads are there in the upaveetham of SatakOpa muni?
In AzhwArthirunagari, there are 9 threads. It may vary in different dhivyadhEsams.
Did thirumangai AzhwAr and emperumAnAr visit purI jagannAth? Did mudhaliyAndAn visit and stay in purI for a year and did many renovations to purushOthama kshEtram and jagganAtha temple?
emperumAnAr visited purI jagannAth and his experience is well recorded in guru paramparA prabhAvam. But there is no specific narration to indicate that mudhaliyANdAn visited and performed kainkaryam.
Did nammAzhwAr give dhIkshA to anyone? Can someone other than brAhmaNas give dhIksha?
After ascending to SrIvaikuNtam, nammAzhwAr manifested himself to SrIman nAthamuigaL only and gave dhIkshA. From SrIman nAthamuigaL, the tradition continues. He is an exception, since he had already ascended to SrIvaikuNtam and could bless SrIman nAthamuigaL subsequently.
nammAzhwAr was AchArya for madhurakavi AzhwAr. Similarly, are there Acharyas who were not brahmaNas and had brAhmaNa Sishyas?
Being AchArya has two meanings – doing pancha samskAram for Sishya and doing upadhESam of rahasya thrayam with deep meanings. In case of madhurakavi AzhwAr, he got nammAzhwAr to be his gyAnAchArya. This is why gyAnAchArya is also equally or even glorified more in sampradhAyam sometimes, in comparison to one who does pancha samskAram alone (without upadhESam). Other than nammAzhwAr, there are no abrAhmaNa AchAryas in our sampradhAyam, who has done pancha samskAram to others. But there have been many abrAhmaNa AchAryas who have done upadhESams to others.
nammAzhwAr is incomparable (uNdO SadagOparkku oppu oruvar). So, is it correct to think nammAzhwAr as per the rules and regulations of this world? AzhwAr is beyond all these rules and regulations just like our first AchAryas: perumAL, thAyAr and sEnai mudhaliAr. So, can we put AzhwAr along with them?
As long as he was in this world physically, he lived by the rules of this world only. In that sense, he perfectly upheld SAsthram. But yes, he is very special and beyond comparison. So, he is not obligated to follow those rules but to teach us to follow them.
Why didn’t varavaramuni swAmy directly teach Sri bhAshyam to his Sishyas like kOyil kandhAdai aNNan swAmy, emperumAnAr jIyar nAyanAr, etc. and instead instructed prathivAdhi bhayankaram aNNan swAmy to teach it to them?
thiruvAimozhippiLLai ordered maNavALa mAmunigaL to study SrI bhAshyam once and focus on thiruvAimozhi fully. mAmunigaL did teach SrIbhAshyam too in a few occasions, but dedicated his life to propagate eedu vyAkyAnam of thiruvAimozhi and to write commentaries for the most important rahasya granthams. Though he was a master of all SAsthram (samskritham and thamizh), he focussed on what was really the need of the hour. Because of his focussed efforts only, we are having bhagavath vishaya and rahasya grantha kAlakshEpams, till date.
We hear in thirumangai AzhwAr’s charithram that AzhwAr resorted to stealing to feed SrIvaishNavas, to fulfil kumudhavalli nAchiyAr’s condition. What is the reason for this incident in the sense that, did AzhwAr adopt wrong means and also the SrIvaishNavas accepted food from one who acquired it by wrong means?
AzhwArs, having been blessed directly by bhagavAn, are beyond our normal human limits/boundaries. While some of their actions may be considered inappropriate – they were totally dedicated to bhagavath/bhAgavatha kainkaryams, not thought about themselves at any moment. So, their actions are there for us to admire and enjoy and not to imitate.
What is the lineage of SrI bhAgavatham’s transmission?
vEdha vyAsa –> Suka –> sUtha paurANika –> Saunaka –> our AchAryas.
thirukkOshtiyUr nambigaL’s thirukumArar, theRkAzhwan took thiruvadi sambandham, with emperumAnAr. What is the reason, though nambigaL swAmy himself was one of the Acharyars of emperumAnAr?
Because of emperumAnAr’s greatness, all of his AchAryas, made their children to get pancha samskAram from emperumAnAr.
Were mudhalAzhwArgaL and thirumazhisai AzhwAr present during the time of kaNNan emperumAn’s avathAram?
There is yuga sandhi – the period between two yugas. If we count that, krishNAvathAram would have happened about 1 lakh years ago. AzhwArs period is said to be about 5000 years ago. For yuga sandhi details, refer: https://acharyas.koyil.org/index.php/2012/10/22/mudhalazhwargal-english/
swAmy nammAzhwAr was lamenting how he narrowly missed getting darshan of krishNa (directly in person). Was nammAzhwAr born 43 days after krishNa concluded his avathAram and reached SrIvaikuNtam)?
Considering the other incarnations which are from much far distant past, krishNAvathAram is much closer, but exactly 43 days is only figurative, not actual. For example, when we see SrI rAmAvathAram is going back in many lakhs/crores of years, we can understand that 1 lakh year looks much closer. nammAzhwAr’s appearance is 43 days after kali’s start. krishNa’s ascending to parampadham marks the end of dhvApara yugam. In between there is sandhi period of 300 dhEva years which is 300 * 360 years of gap.
Why is ANdAL not considered as avayavam of nammAzhwAr just as how other AzhwArs are considered as his avayavam?
Since ANdAL is bhUmi dhEvi’s incarnation, she is not considered as avayavam of nammAzhwAr.
Is nambi emperumAn vishwaksEnar?
No.
Is nammAzhwAr an avathAram or a jIvAthmA from samsAram?
nammAzhwAr’s nature is complex. He was a samsAri jIvAthmA before. He was blessed by bhagavAn to become an AzhwAr. We also see that he is glorified to be bhagavAn himself or vishwaksEnar, based on his greatness.
Why is kulasEkara AzhwAr called as “kUdalar kOn kulasEkaran” even though he is from chEra dynasty?
kulasEkara AzhwAr ruled over all the kingdoms at that time and hence he is known as kUdalar kOn.
Similar to the history of how periya perumAL came to SrIrangam, is there history of how namperumAL came to SrIrangam?
It is generally said that periya perumAL (mUlavar) and namperumAL (uthsavar) came together in the praNavAkAra vimAnam.
Is there any pAsuram where nammAzhwAr described the words of his mouth as ‘drenched in nectar of bhagavadh bhakthi’?
“thoNdarkkamudhu uNNach cholmAlaigaL sonnEn”.
Are there pramANams that AzhwArs received thaptha mudhrA?
There is reference for nammAzhwAr getting thaptha mudhrA from vishwaksEnar, and thirumangai AzhwAr getting from thirunaRaiyUr nambi, in guruparamparA prabhAvam 6000 padi.
Is thirumazhisai AzhwAr still residing on earth or attained paramapadham?
As per our sampradhAyam – all AzhwArs have already ascended to paramapadham. That will be applicable to thirumazhisai AzhwAr. Specifically, thirumazhisai AzhwAr has declared in the last pAsuram of thiruchchandha viruththam that he attained mOksham.
Was thirumazhisai AzhwAr a Saivar before becoming a SrIvaishNavar?
Although AzhwAr was blessed by the lord at birth, he explored many religions like Saivism, buddhisim, jainism and finally returned to SrIvaishNavism with the grace of pEyAzhwAr and established that this vEdhic religion is the best. There is no doubt in this.
Which prabhandham glorifies bhagavadh rAmAnujar’s thirumEni beauty?
Arththi prabandham.
Did nammAzhwAr go to paramapadham with his charama thirumEni?
He left his divine form in this world and left to paramapadham, just as many other great personalities did.
Where is nammAzhwAr’s charama thirumEni now?
Generally, it is said to be present right behind the nammAzhwAr’s mUlavar sannidhi in AzhwArthirunagari.
Why did gOshtIpUrNa get angry with rAmAnujAr for divulging the rahasyams instructed to him?
He got angry because rAmAnujAchArya disobeyed guru’s orders. But once gOshtIpUrNa understood rAmAnujAchArya’s magnanimity, he glorified rAmAnujAchArya as emperumAnAr (greater than bhagavAn).
Can we relate to vishwaksEnar’s thirunakshathram as vighna nivAraNa?
It is better not to use a term which is not used by our pUrvAchAryas. We can simply say it as sEnai mudhaliAr thirunakshathram.
Did AzhwArs talk about human values/ free will in prabandhams?
Yes – in general, being compassionate towards others, noble, detached from worldly pleasures, etc are seen in pAsurams. Any spiritual advise, will naturally be focussed on these qualities. A SrIvaishNava must be a good person with noble intentions, simple living, kind heart and concern for the well-being of everyone. Regarding freewill – that is also part of our philosophy. AzhwArs say that they had chosen to go with materialistic ways of living and once they got the mercy of bhagavAn, they lived a spiritualistic life, fully.
In sannidhis where all AzhwArs are together, how to identify who is which AzhwAr?
Some AzhwArs have unique identifications. thiruppANAzhwAr has vINai, thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr has pUkkudalai, madhurakavi AzhwAr and periyAzhwAr have thALam. We can identify the AzhwArs using these identifications.
Are there any incidents / leelAs in our SrI vaishNava sampradhAyam where bhagavAn takes form of dhAsa and does sEva to a bhAgavatha?
There are some incidents recorded in our guruparamparA prabhAvam: bhagavAn assumes the form of an assistant of thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr and gives a gold vessel to dhEvadhEvi, thirukkurungudi nambi coming as vaduga nambi to serve rAmAnuja, SrI ranganAtha assuming the form of an archaka’s child and offering SrISailESa thaniyan.
In SrIrangam, in rAmAnujar sannidhi, is the mUlavar thirumEni actual thirumEni of rAmanujar preserved?
No – his original thirumEni was buried as per SrIvaishNava sanyAsi charama kainkaryam vidhi (final rites for a SrivaishNava sanyAsi) under the same place where his archA thirumEni is present now.
Why vishwaksEnar is called as sEnApathi (army chief)? Why do we require army chief in vaikuNtam?
Though no wars occur, he is the one who takes care of the administration of vaikuNtam and samsAram. Hence, he has the title sEnApathi. It is an honorary title – not a literal one where he goes to war and leads from the front.
Did bhagavath rAmAnujAchArya establish any mutts to continue SrI vaishNava sampradhAyam all over India?
yathirAja jeeyar mutt, thirumalai jeeyar mutt, thirukkurungudi jeeyar mutt, puri embAr jeeyar mutt are all said to be established during rAmAnuja’s times. SrIrangam jeeyar mutt was established subsequently where bhagavath rAmAnuja lived.
Where are all the 74 simhAsanAdhipathis situated?
They are located in various dhivyadhESams/kshEthrams such as SrIrangam, thirumalai, kAnchIpuram, thirunArAyaNapuram, thiruvallikkENi, AzhwArthirunagari, SrIvillipuththUr, gadikAchalam, madhurai, thirunAngUr region, thirukkurungudi, SrIperumbUthUr, thirumazhisai, etc.
Why thirumalai nambi refused to give water when perumAL came in the form of a thirsty hunter. Also, why ananthAzhwAn attacked with a digging bar when perumAL came in the form of small boy to help the couple?
By bhagavAn’s sankalpam such acts were done by AchAryas for particular leelA.
Are kidAmbi appuLLAr and appiLLAR same or different AchAryas?
Yes – they are different personalities. appuLLAr was the maternal uncle of vEdhAntha dhEsika and appiLLAR was the disciple of maNavALa mAmunigaL.
In koyil.org, there is mention of kidAmbi appiLLAR as one of the Sishya of nadAdhUr ammAL. Is this Sishyan same as kidAmbi appuLLAr?
Yes. appiLLAR and appuLLAr are sometimes interchangeably used.
How old are divine vigrahams of namperumAL and thAyAr?
They are very old and have been there since the time of the forefathers of SrI rAmA and even before that brahmA was worshipping the same.
Is there any reference to indicate that thiruvEnkatamudaiyAn said rAmAnuja sambandhis will get mOksham?
thiruvEnkatamudaiyAn re-emphasises rAmAnuja to be udaiyavar (which means owner of nithya vibhUthi and leelA vibhUthi) during rAmAnujar’s first visit itself. bhagavAn acknowledging him as udaiyavar itself means that anyone who is connected to him and realised that connection will be accepted by perumAL.
Have AzhwArs sung about mahAlakshmi and bhUdhEvi in pAsurams?
SrI mahAlakshmi and bhUdhEvi are glorified in many pAsurams. thirumagaL, pUmagaL, thirumAmagaL are commonly seen in pAsurams referring to SrI mahAlakshmi. pArmagaL is often seen referring to bhUdhEvi.
Is kUra kulOthama dhAsar grandfather of maNavALa mAmunigaL?
No.
Is maNavALa mAmunigaL from gOmadathAzhwAn lineage?
Yes.
What is the correct sequence of the 12 AzhwArs based on when they were born?
poigai AzhwAr, bhUthaththAzhwAr, pEyAzhwAr, thirumazhisai AzhwAr, madhurakavi AzhwAr, nammAzhwAr, kulaSEkarAzhwAr, periyAzhwAr, ANdAL, thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr, thiruppANAzhwAr, thirumangai AzhwAr.
What is the demarcation between an AzhwAr and an AchArya? Is udaiyavar considered as an AzhwAr? Is there a possibility of more AzhwArs taking avathAram?
AzhwArs were divinely blessed by bhagavAn with full knowledge/devotion. They were hand-picked by bhagavAn from samsAram to fulfil his desire to help everyone. Also, they are fully immersed in devotion (Azhndhu pOnavargaL – that is why AzhwAr). They are more focussed on enjoying bhagavAn, performing mangaLASAsanam for him, etc and less focussed on upadhESam for others. AchAryas, on the other hand, were blessed by AzhwArs and they acquired knowledge in a step-by-step manner, by proper studies and practice. They too are immersed in bhagavAn and AzhwArs too, but are more focussed on personal anushtAnams and subsequently upadhESam to others. nammAzhwAr is considered as both AzhwAr and AchArya – since he excelled in enjoying bhagavAn as well as guiding others.
udaiyavar is not considered as AzhwAr, but he is treated specially, because he is AdhiSEshan himself, out of his compassion, coming to samsAra for the upliftment of all and helped everyone.
Certainly, anything is possible – but as on date, our pUrvAchAryas accepted 10 or 12 AzhwArs depending on the mood.
How have we come to know about all the AzhwArs’ charithram and their vaibhavam?
Mainly through the works of AchAryas who came after AzhwArs. Main source is 6000 padi guruparamparA prabhAvam, which gives the history of AzhwArs and AchAryas up to nampiLLai. History of nampiLLai to mAmunigaL and Sishyas, is known mainly from yathIndhra pravaNa prabhAvam. There are few other granthams like rAmAnujArya dhivya charithai, etc., which talk about the history. And then, in the vyAykyAnams for dhivyaprabandhams and rahasya grantham, many incidents from the lives of AzhwArs/AchAryas are found. All of these consolidated in our website acharyas.koyil.org, to the best of our ability, by the grace of AzhwArs/AchAryas.
Since AzhwArs have appeared in the various parts of thamizh dhEsam, is there any such dialect diversification in pAsurams of AzhwArs?
In nammAzhwAr’s pAsurams and periyAzhwAr’s pAsurams some local usage of words such as “O” in the end is seen, which are common in south. Similarly, in thirumangai AzhwAr’s pAsuram, “pInaththetta pazham” is mentioned which is a local term.
Similar to how nammAzhwAr appeared for nAthamuni when latter recited kaNNinuN chiRuththAmbu 12000 times, will nammAzhwAr appear for anybody else who repeats the same?
SrIman nAthamunigaL was destined to have the vision of nammAzhwAr. One has to have total control over mind and senses and recite the kaNNinuN chiRuththAmbu prabandham 12000 times with full focus – this seems to be nearly impossible from now onwards since the combination of yOga abhyAsam, devotion and commitment is difficult to see in a single person. Since SrIman nAthamunigaL was such a unique personality, being blessed by emperumAn and AzhwAr for that task, he accomplished it with their grace.
In thirumAlai dhivya prabandham, why does thoNdaradippodi AzhwAr suggests that nAma sankIrtanam is important to attain bhagavAn?
Just like krishNa showed different paths, AzhwArs also have showed different paths. But ultimately their preferred path is SaraNAgathi (bhagavAn is upAyam), and that will be highlighted in their prabandhams at crucial places.
Who is called as thiruvadi for jIyar maNavALa mAmunigaL?
ponnadikkAl jIyar is known as thiruvadi of maNavALa mAmunigaL.
What is the adhikAram for learning mumukshuppadi?
First qualification is to have desire for bhagavath kainkarya mOksham. The culmination of such desire is to accept pancha samskAram. Subsequently, in 4th sUthram, piLLai lOkAchAryar emphasises that to attain the results, one should have strong devotion towards the thirumanthram, the object of thirumanthram (bhagavAn) and the one who teaches the thirumanthram. Subsequently, in the beginning of dhvaya mahA manthram’s explanation, piLLai lOkAchAryar lists many qualities which are expected in a prapanna which includes strong devotion towards AchArya, who fully educates and reforms the Sishya. So, there are multiple levels of qualification. Since pancha samskAram is the step of acknowledging ruchi towards mOksham, it is highlighted as the qualification, in general, in our sampradhAyam. In any case, the AchArya who educates and reforms the Sishya, plays a significant role in this. That is why, it is up to the AchArya to decide if the Sishya is eligible to learn.
How did we get to know about the parentage, birth and life of nammAzhwAr and other AzhwArs?
Mostly all information about sampradhAyam was taught by nammAzhwAr to nAthamuni and then it got transmitted orally. Only in later times – garuda vAhana paNdithar during emperumAnAr’s times, pinbhazhagiya perumAL jIyar during nampiLLa’s times documented these charithrams as granthams.
Did maNavALa mAmunigaL get vegetables only from SrIvaishNavAs?
vaishNavas/SrIvaishNavas can be in any of the 4 varNas and even outside varNa system. If there is a SrIvaishNava who is in 3rd varNa, he may be engaged in farming. Those days, mAmunigaL was particular that we should get food raw materials only from such vaishNavas, so that AhAram would be as sAthvika as possible. While brAhmaNa SrIvaishNavas are ordained to learn and teach vEdham, perform yagya for self and others, other SrIvaishNavas, also have certain duties in society. Based on that, in the olden days, mAmunigaL, insisted to get grains and vegetables from SrIvaishNava farmers.
In thiruvAimozhi 5.5, why does AzhwAr say ‘nAn kaNdapin’ and not ‘adiyEn kaNdapin’? Is this poetic style or license of nAyaki bhAvam?
Both. But the essence is when AzhwAr says “nAn” (I/me), it implies “adiyEn” (servitor) only since he is always in the mood of servitude. When we say “adiyEn” also it implies “nAn” only – since we don’t have the true servitude.
During rAmAnujar avathAra uthsavam, why doesn’t pArthasArathy perumAL come in puRappAdu?
It is a special case for emperumAnAr alone. In thiruvallikkENi, for all AzhwArs/AchAryas, on the sARRumuRai day, perumAL joins the puRappAdu. Only for rAmAnujar, he does not come. This is because, in that dhivyadhESam only rAmAnujar’s parents prayed for progeny and perumAL said he will himself come as their child. Hence pArthasArathy perumAL and rAmAnujar are non-different from each other there. That is why perumAL does not come in the final day puRappAdu.
If AdhiSEsha is an AvESa avathAram of bhagavAn then how can rAmAnujar be non-different from bhagavAn?
It is an anubhavam – a particular way of experience. AdhiSEsha is not AvESa avathAram of bhagavAn. bhagavath rAmAnuja is incarnation of AdhiSEsha. But in the guruparamaparA vaibhavam, it is also stated that pArthasArathy perumAL blesses rAmAnuja’s parents that he himself will be born as their child. This particular aspect is given importance in this dhivyadhESam thiruvallikkENi. We have to understand that rAmAnuja is not only an incarnation of AdhiSEsha, but also has the powers of bhagavAn himself, as granted by bhagavAn.
Why is pEyAzhwAr called as such?
pEyAzhwAr was called pEyAzhwAr because he had great devotion for perumAL.
Does the name jAmAthru muni refer to vAdhi kEsari azhagiya maNavALa jIyar or it only applies to varavaramuni?
It applies to anyone who is having the name as azhagiya maNavALa.
Who is madhurakavi AzhwAr’s dhIkshA AchArya?
nammAzhwAr is madhurakavi AzhwAr’s dhIkshA AchAryan.
In which yuga period madhurakavi AzhwAr got his dhIkshA?
nammAzhwAr was from kaliyugam only – hence madhurakavi AzhwAr’s dhIkshA also happened in kaliyugam only. It is possible that he may have already undergone pancha samskAram from his elders – but there is no specific discussion about it.
Was madhurakavi AzhwAr present during rAmAvathAram?
Since rAmAvathAram was many lakhs of years before, this is not possible.
Is ANdAL (AzhwAr) and kUraththAzhwAn’s wife ANdAL same?
They are different. gOdhA dhEvi is the divine consort of bhagavAn and daughter of periyAzhwAr. kUrESa swAmy’s (kUraththAzhwAn’s) dharma pathni’s name is also ANdAL.
Which perumAL was emperumAnAr’s thiruvArAdhanam perumAL?
varadharAjap perumAL.
Is there more information available about rAmAnujar’s parents?
Not much details known about bhagavath rAmAnuja’s parents. They were from SrIperumbUthUr and had great affiliation with thiruvallikkENi dhivyadhESams.
Why did rAmAnujar learn from yAdhava prakASar instead of learning from a SrI vaishnAva AchAryan?
yAdhava prakASa was not a Saivite. He learnt from yAdhava prakASa to master other person’s philosophy to refute it easily. Subsequently, he did take guidance of kAnchI pUrNa who was there. But there were not many SrIvaishNava AchAryas in kAnchi, since that was the time of revival of SrIvaishNava sampradhAyam.
Was rAmAnujar born in an iyer family?
rAmAnujA was not born in an iyer family. This misinformation is well-spread even among SrIvaishNavas. He was born in a SrIvaishNava family only.
Why does rAmAnujar’s parents name seem like a non-SrI vaishNava name?
Doubt is not just due to the name – which is kAnthimathi (shining knowledge), but it is based on trying to apply present day’s aspects to past times. In present days, people see “sOmayAji”, that is those who do sOma yAgam are mostly smArthas (they have also changed like adhvaithis from gOpi chandhanam to basmam). So, they consider rAmAnuja’s parents like that.
Are there descendants of rAmAnujA present today?
There is AsUri thiruvamSam (the same clan in which emperumAnAr was born). In that particular family, it is said that bhagavath rAmAnuja had 2 sons before accepting sanyAsa ASramam. They say that they are descendants of one of those sons (may be the younger son).