Sri:
Srimathe Shatakopaya namaha
Srimathe Ramanujaya namaha
Srimath Varvaramuneye namaha

"AACHARYA SWAANTHA VAKTHAARAM ABIRAAMAVARAAPITHAM
SHREE KRISHNA THANAYAM VANDE JAGADGURUVARAANUJAM"
[MEANING:I PAY MY OBEISANCE TO SREE AZHAGIYA MANAVAALA PERUMAAL NAAYANAAR WHO IS THE DIVINE SON OF SREE VADAKKU THIRUVEEDI PILLAI , THE YOUNGER BROTHER OF SREE PILLAI LOKAACHAARYA AND THE GLORIOUS AUTHOR OF "AACHAARYA HRUDAYAM"]

"DRAAVIDAAM NAAYA HRUDAYAM GURUPARVAKRAMAAGATHAM RAMYAJAAMAATHRUDEVENA DARSHITHAM KRISHNASOONUNA"
[MEANING:THIS SREESUKTHI BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE DIVINE SON OF SREE VADAKKU THIRUVEEDI PILAI:SREE AZHAGIYA MANAVAALA PERUMAAL NAAYANAAR HAS BEEN HANDED OVER TRADITIONALLY THROUGH SRIVAISHNAVA AACHAARYA PARAMPARA ]

ADIYEN VINNAPPAM

"MUNNOR MOZHINDA MOZHI THAPPAAMAL KETTU
PINNORNDU THAAN ADANAI PESADE--THANNENJUTHANNIL
THONDRINADESOLLI IDU SUDDA UPADESAVARA
VAATRADENBAR MOORKHARAAVAR"[-UPADESA RATHINAMAALAI]

"AACHAARYA HRUDAYA"-- A TREATISE ON SWAMI NAMMAZHWAR'S THIRUVOYMOZHI AS WELL AS HIS OTHER COMPOSITIONS, IS A MUST READ FOR EVERY SRIVAISHNAVA. A COLLECTION OF 234 SUTRAS WITH DEEP RASA AND ARTHA VISHESHA;THE SUTRAKAARAKAR ESTABLISHES THE AUTHENTIC RAHASYAARTHAAS AND GLORY OF THE NAMMAZHWAR'S SREESUKTHIS.
ANOTHER ASPECT OF THIS GRANTHA IS THAT THIS IS COMPLETELY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE IDEALS OF BHAGAVATH RAMANUJA AND OTHER POORVAACHARYAS AND NOT MERELY OF ONE'S OWN THINKING OR IMAGINATION ;THEREBY INCREASING ITS AUTHENTICITY.
THE MEANS TO REACH GOD IS HIS OWN THIRUVADI (LOTUS FEET) OR THE PADUKA. SWAMI NAMMAZHWAR IS THE EMBODIMENT OF THE THIRUVADI OR PADUKA AND THAT IS WHY EVEN IN TEMPLES PERUMAL PADHUKA IS CALLED SHATARI FROM THE DIVINE NAME SRISATAKOPA.
"EVEN IF THE LORD DOES NOT SAVE US HIS PADUKA WILL."SRI NARAYANA PADUKA- SWAMI NAMMAZHWAR IN ORDER TO SAVE US HAS SHOWERED US WITH HIS GRACE IN THE FORM OF THE THIRUVOYMOZHI. THE FOUR COMPOSITIONS OF SWAMI SATAKOPAR ARE EQUIVALENT TO THE FOUR VEDAS.THE EQUIVALENCE IS AS FOLLOWS:

1.THIRUVIRUTHAM- THE RIG VEDA

2.THIRUVASIRIYAM-THE YAJUR VEDA

3.PERIYA THIRUVANTHATHI-THE ATHARVA VEDA

4.THIRUVOYMOZHI-THE SAMA VEDA
SRI NAYANAR ASTOUNDINGLY BRINGS OUT THE INNER RAHASYAS OF "THOOTHU VIDAL"(SENDING MESSAGE TO GOD), "NAYIKA BHAVAM"(ASSUMING THE FEMININE STATUS AS THE LORD'S CONSORT), "THAI BHAVAM"(ASSUMING THE FEMININE STATUS AS A MOTHER) , ETC; WHICH CANNOT BE EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY ORDINARY SOULS.
ALSO, THE SUTRAKAARAKAR BRINGS THE REASON FOR THE AAZHWAR SINGING ABOUT DIFFERENT DIVYADESAMS AND THEIR SPECIFIC VAIBHAVAM. THE ACHARYA ALSO BRINGS OUT THE MENTAL STATE OR THIRUVULLAM OF THE AAZHWAR AS HE SINGS DIFFERENT HYMS.
THIS GREAT WORK IS DIVISIBLE INTO FOUR PARTS:

1.THE FIRST PART DEALS WITH THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SUPREMACY OF THE DRAVIDA VEDA OVER THE SANSKRIT VEDAS IN COMPREHENSION, SIMPLICITY , ADEQUACY, CLARITY AND MANY MORE ASPECTS. IT CLAIMS THE SUPERIORITY OF SRIVAISHNAVAS OVER OTHER MISLED-VAIDIKAS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN DEVATHAANTHARA UPASANA.

2.THE SECOND PART EXPLAINS IN GREAT DETAIL THE GLORY OF SWAMI NAMMAZHWAR BY COMPARING HIM WITH VARIOUS PERSONALITIES OF ITHIHASAPURANAS AND ALSO HIS OTHER MANIFESTED GLORIES.IT ALSO DEALS WITH RAHASYAS OF SOME ASPECTS OF HIS COMPOSITIONS.

3.THE THIRD PART DISCUSSES FIRST THE REMAINING ASPECTS CONTINUED FROM THE SECOND PART. THE VAIBHAVAM OF SOME OF THE MANGALASASANA DIVYADESAMS IS DISCUSSED NEXT. THE CONCLUDING PORTION ESTABLISHES WHY THE DRAVIDA VEDA IS THE EQUIVALENT OF ALL OTHER SANSKRIT SASTRAS.

4.THE FOURTH PART PRESENTS THE SARAARTHAAS OF ALL THE COMPOSITIONS OF SWAMI NAMMAZHWAR AND EXPLAINS THE VAIBHAVAM OF THE REMAINING DIVYA DESAMS.
WHILE WE HAVE BEEN REFERRING TO THESE PRABHANDAS AS COMPOSITIONS OF SWAMI NAMMAZHWAR ,WE SHOULD KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE WERE MERELY TOLD BY SWAMI NAMMAZHWAR BUT NOT NEWLY CREATED BY HIM. THE DRAVIDA VEDA IS AS OLD AS THE SANSKRIT VEDA. IT ALSO HAS THE PROPERTY OF THE VEDAS THAT IT WAS NOT WRITTEN OR CREATED BY ANYBODY. IT IS "AADI" AND AS ANCIENT AS THE LORD HIMSELF.THE DRAVIDA VEDA WAS NOT GIVEN TO THE SOULS EARLIER BECAUSE THE PEOPLE OF THE KRITHA, THRETHA AND DWAPARYA YUGAS WERE CAPABLE OF COMPREHENDING THE SANSKRIT VEDAS. BUT NOW, UNDERSTANDING THE MISERABLE PLIGHT OF KALI YUGA THE LORD THROUGH THE AAZHWARS RELEASED THE DRAVIDA VEDA.
IN THIS "IRUL THARUMA GNALAM" THE SOULS MUST STRIVE TO ATTAIN KNOWLEDGE OF THE DRAVIDA VEDA WHICH WOULD GUIDE THEM TO "THERUL VISUMBU THIRUNAADU". ACHARYA HRUDAYAM BEING A RAHASYA GRANTHA IS RECOMMENDED ONLY FOR SRIVAISHNAVITES AS OTHERS WOULD FIND IT DIFFICULT TO COMPREHEND.
BY THE GRACE OF LORD THIRUVARANGANATHA ABOUT WHOM IS THE ENTIRE THIRUVOYMOZHI,
"VAN THIGAZHUM SOLAI MADILARANGAR VANPUGAZH MEL AANRA TAMIZH MARAIHAL AAYIRAMUM" - SHRI PARASARA BHATTARADIYEN HAS BEEN MADE TO PRESENT THIS GRANTHA IN TRANSLATED-ENGLISH FORMAT.
ADIYEN AM GRATEFUL TO SHRI U.VE . T.M. LAKSHMINARASIMHACHARIAR FOR PRESENTING THE MANIPRAVALA TEXT IN SIMPLE TAMIZH WITH QUOTATIONS FROM VARIOUS PRABHANDAS AND FOR CONSTANTLY GRACING ADIYEN'S WORK OFFERING SUGGESTIONS AND CORRECTIONS AS AND WHEN REQUIRED. ADIYEN AM ALSO GRATEFUL TO ALL OTHER MAHANUBHAAVAS AND BHAGAVATHAS WHO LEFT NO STONE UNTURNED IN CLEARING DOUBTS. ADIYEN AM ALSO INDEBTED TO THE VAISHNAVA COMMUNITIES AND THEIR MEMBERS WHO WERE A CONSTANT INSPIRATION TO WRITE MORE ELABORATELY ON THE GRANTHA. FOR ALL THE ABOVE SRIVAISHNAVAS ADIYEN CAN ONLY SAY ,
"THALAI YALLAL KAIMARILEN"
CARE HAS BEEN TAKEN IN PRESENTING DEEPER TOPICS OF THIS RAHASYA GRANTHA. WHEREVER POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL ILLUSTRATIONS AND EXPLANATIONS SELECTED FROM THE WORKS OF OTHER ACHARYAS HAVE ALSO BEEN FURNISHED. HOWEVER OWING TO ADIYEN'S OWN KARMAPHALA MISTAKES MIGHT HAVE CREPT IN BOTH WORD AND SENSE. IT IS HUMBLY REQUESTED THAT READERS IGNORE SUCH ERRORS AND GRASP ONLY THE RAHASYA SAARA WHILE REASONING. HOWEVER CORRECTIONS AND SUGGESTIONS ARE QUITE WELCOME AND MAY BE KINDLY SENT TO
MAY SRILAKSHMI NAARASIMHA SHOWER HIS ABUNDANT GRACE ON ALL HIS DEVOTEES.
JAI SRIMANNARAYANA!
RAMANUJADASAN,

Krishnamachari R Ranganathan.

ACHARYA HRUDAYAM - - THE ESSENCE OF THE DRAVIDA VEDA

[Based on Summary of the great rahasya grantha by Sri U.Ve.T.M . Lakshmi Narasimhachariar]

PART 1 [SUTRAS 1-86]

I . GRACE OF THE LORD
Srimannarayana- the ever merciful Lord is always our esteemed protector. That is He is our Rakshaka. He is glorified in the Vedas as the Supreme entity. He is "Veda Mudalvan" (Pe. Th. 8-4-2) ; "Maraiyai Virinda Vilakku" (Pe.Th 8-9-4) ; "Mikka Gnana Moorthiyana Veda Vilakku" (Thiruvoy. 4-7-10). By understanding Him and His greatness we can devoutly pursue Him alone as our means to salvation. To understand Him we need Knowledge. The Lord who is the Divine Light called Akara revealed His radiance in the form of the Vedas.
This Knowledge can have two consequences: i] Removal of the desire to cling on to worldly attachments ii] Enlightenment of the soul to seek only Lord Sri:pathi for liberation.
The common desire of everyone in this world is Sukheebhaveyam:" May I enjoy Bliss" and Dukheemabhooyam: "May I not be subjected to suffering". By surrendering to the Lord ; infinite bliss can be enjoyed . By the grace of SriParamapadanatha one can attain SriVaikunta. The azhwar brings out this experience as "Suzhi Pattodum Sudar Jothi Vellathu Imbuttrirupadu"(Thiruvoy. 8-10-5) .
Life in this world is the source of all sorrow. As Thondaradipodi Aazhwar states this life is full of "Pini pasi moopu thumbam" (i.e) Disease-hunger-oldage-suffering. The five senses are responsible for this suffering. They bewitch and hypnotize the soul dragging it into samsara. One should beware of these five enemies and keep the mind out of their control. Even the learned are not spared from the atrocities of the senses(the five indriyas) and hence one should be extremely careful with the worldly temptations that these senses may arouse which would ultimately lead to the continuous chain of birth and death. "Innamudena thondri oraivar yavaraiyum mayakka"(Thiruvoy. 7-1-7). The peak of sorrow is surrendering to the senses and being tossed about in the samsara sagara. The endpoint of bliss is surrendering to the Lord alone and attaining SriVaikunta.
The reasons for all suffering are: 1.Lack of Knowledge about God 2. Lack of Knowledge about the soul 3.Lack of Knowledge of the way to reach the Lord 4. Lack of Knowledge of the obstacles to this pursuit and 5. Lack of Knowledge of the final fruit or Moksha. In short this can be stated as "the Lack of Artha Panchaka Gnana is the source of all suffering". The Knowledge of the Artha Panchaka is the guiding light to the ultimate bliss.
Everyone is endowed with three characteristic gunas : 1.Satva 2.Rajas and 3.Tamas. While the Vathsalya of the Lord is the reason for Satva guna ; the Rajasa and Tamasa gunas are due to the Punya and Papa (that is karma) performed by the soul in its previous births.
The diabolic effects of karma are due to "Poi nindra gnanam" (Thiruviruth. 1) (i.e) unnecessary knowledge of the destructible Body which is composed merely of blood bones and dirt and the destructible world whose pleasures are gateway to the infinite vicious cycle of birth.
The reason for God's grace is "arul purinda sindai adiyaar mel vaithu"(Irandam th. 59). As Thirumangai Azhwar says- "Pettra thayinum ayina seyyum"The Lord who is like our Mother derives happiness by showering His devotees with His grace. Just as the Mother does not expect anything from the child in return for her love ; the Lord showers His grace on the souls without expecting anything from the soul in return.
Ignorance is caused due to attachments with the Acith. Attachment towards the Lord results in His grace. The chain leading to Moksha is this : Bhagavad Sambandha-->Bhagavad Krupa-->Bhagavad anugraha--> Satva guna--> Moksha. The chain leading to suffering is : Acith Sambandha--> Ignorance--> punya-papa karma--> birth and rebirth-->Rajasa and Tamasa gunas--> endless Suffering.
The wasp larva is converted into a complete wasp by the adult wasp which helps it build pupa ; feeds it when required and nurtures it until it attains a form similar to its own. Similarly the Lord guides the soul to a state where it resembles the Lord in many respects as "Paramam Samyam Upaithi" by the knowledge that the soul is the eternal sevant of the Lord. "Nanum unakku pazhavadiyen" (Thirupall. 11)
Similarly rubbing wax onto silver reduces its lustre and at a particular stage silver may even look like some ordinary earth metal.. Similarly the glorious soul which due to continuous attachment with the Acith loses all its glory and remains a prisoner of samsara."Perunthuyar idumbaiyir pirandu koodinen"(Pe. Th. 1-1-1).

II.THE VEDAS
For the human soul bound by Satva; Rajas and Tamas ;the Lord released the Vedas so that the soul could realise that his swaroopa is seshatva to the Lord and not to any other deity ; jeeva or acith. The soul must give up the bondage arising due to Aishwaryanubhava and Kaivalyanubhava. The Vedas are the medicine given by the Lord -the mother to the soul (child) that has consumed the mud named Samsara .The ultimate goal of all Vedas is to make the soul realise that he is paratantra to the Lord.

III. THE ESSENCE OF THE VEDAS
The Veda which talks about four types of sareera (thavar(plants)-thiryak(animals)-daiva(demigods)-maanusham(humans)); four types of ashrama (Brahmacharya-grihastha-vanaprastha-sanyasi) and four types of varna (Brahmana-Kshatriya-Vysa-Sudra) also expounds a variety of other concepts and is infinite and enormous - "ananthavai vedaaha". It is impossible to master the Vedas . Hence the Lord realising the incompetence of the souls revealed the Periya Thirumantra -Om Namo Narayanaya as the essence of the Vedas. The Vedas contain references to many deities and speak of deeds that produced varied results. There are also parts of the Veda where the human soul is tested . As a result the human soul becomes bound to confusion. Amidst all this , in the Veda lies the inner true sacred meaning incomprehensible to souls imprisoned in mortal chambers(bodies). That is the Upanishads/uthara bhaga which contains spiritual knowledge is more important than the poorva bhaga of the veda that contains information about various loukika karmas and their purusharthas. The essence of the Upanishads is the Narayana Anuvaga. The essence of the Narayana Anuvaga is the Vishnu Gayathri .The essence of the Vishnu Gayathri is the Eight-lettered Narayana mantra.
"Thenum palum kannalum amudhumai .......... Namo Narayaname"(Pe.Th. 6-10-6) Thus just as the swan separates the water from milk the Lord separated the Ashtakshara mantra from the rest of the Vedas and it is the Veda sara or the essence."Annamayandrangu arumarai payandan"(Pe.Th. 5-7-3) Similarly just as a honeybee collects nectar from various flowers and stores it in a single small beehive; the Lord collected the Veda sara from its various shakhas(branches) and contained it within the Thirumantra. Just as the honeybee which stores honey in a beehive also resides in the same hive ;the Lord who expounded the Thirumantra as Veda sara in Badrikashrama (as Narayana-Nara) Himself resides in the Thirumantra.
The Lord Srimannarayana gave the elixir to the devas to attain amaratva(immortality) throughout their life time (at the end of their lifetime they undergo laya) by churning the Ksheera Sagara. Similarly He churned the Vedas and gave the elixir named Thirumantra (which SriRamanuja proclaimed to all desiring souls )to attain the permanent amaratva(immortality) at the Nithya Vibhoothi-SriVaikunta. Thus the Thirumantra is a divine mixture of milk; honey and elixir. As the elixir it is capable of leading the souls to mukthi through realisation of the swaroopa and at the same time as sweet as honey.It also sustains the swaroopa of the soul as milk sustains the body (by being nutritious).

IV. THE GLORY OF THIRUMANTRA
The Lord who is Sage Veda Vyasa Himself-"Vyasaya Vishnuroopaya Vyasa roopaya Vishnave" and is the antaryami of the sages starting from (the Lord's own/first son) Brahma revealed the Vedas to the common man. However these Vedas can be learnt only by men of the appropriate race ; caste ; principle and practice. When such criteria apply for even reading the scriptures how much more qualification would be required to understand their inner meaning?
Realising this difficulty on part of the souls the Lord descended out of His own will on this Bhooloka as the Nara-Narayana Rishis and revealed the true knowledge of all Vedic texts-The Periya Thirumantra. There is no bar on grounds of caste ; race or age. The only qualification is "avaa" or the burning intention to learn it. "Aasai udaiyorkellam ariyarhaal koorum"(Ar, Pr). "Nanum sonnen namarum uraimin namo narayaname" (Pe.Th. 6-10-6)
Those who abide by the sastra are sastris. They attain mukthi through their own effort. They have to first realise that the body and the soul are different ; then they realise the nature of body and the soul.Since the body is the source of all sorrow they try to liberate themselves from the life in this body through Sadhyopaya-namely Karma; Gnana and Bhakthi margas. It is similar to a baby monkey clasping the adult monkey as it jumps from one tree to another. The mother does not do anything. The baby monkey is entirely responsible for its safety. If its hold slips even for a moment it falls down. The responsibility of risk lies with the baby monkey. Analogous to this is crossing a flooded river using a holdstick/plank (theppakattai).Even if the hold slips for a moment the person will be drowned in the flood. Again the responsibility of risk is on part of the individual. Similarly following the Sadhyopaya for Mukthi puts the entire effort and responsibility on the individual. Thus it is very difficult to practise these margas in the age of Kali yuga.
On the other hand following the Thirumantra is easier in that the effort is not made by the individual but the Lord Himself. This is Sidhopaya -Prapathi marga. The soul has to realise its swaroopa; swabhava ; lakshanas and vyapara. By realising that the soul is seshabhootha to the seshi-Paramatma and that the only vyapara and purushartha is Bhagavad Kainkarya ;the soul attains a state of complete surrender to the will of the Lord as Gajendra and Draupadi did for their life and raiment and our Azhwar-Aacharyas who could have easily followed Sadhyopaya ;followed Sidhopaya for the setting the example for other souls to follow. This way is analogous to a cat carrying its kitten in its mouth . The responsiblity of carrying the kitten lies entirely with the cat and the kitten does nothing but surrenders to whatever the cat does. Being both the stronger and the older of the two the cat safely carries the kitten to its destination."Vishno Bhodho Naranam" ; "Vaikuntam enbathor thoni" A person travelling in a boat does nothing . He simply sits in the boat. The experienced ferryman ferries the boat across the flooded river and enables the person to reach his destination "Yakkai vidumbodu enne"(Thiruvoy. 1-2-9).Similarly in Sidhopaya the Lord takes the effort to carry the soul across the samsara sagara to Mokshaloka. The soul has just to realise its swaroopa and submit only to His will.Since the responsibility is of the Lord's the marga is unfailing and easy. (However souls must attain manopakkva to attain the state of a prapanna).
The prapanna understands His swaroopa of being seshabhoota to the Lord through the Thirumantra. He out of "Aarthi" attains a state when he cannot stand one moment longer in this samsara "Koovi kollum kalam innum kurugado"(Thiruvoy. 6-9-10). The way indicated by the thirumantra primarily involves knowledge of the soul and the way to take it to the Lord while the method mentioned earlier through the satras primarily involves knowledge of the body and the way to be liberated from it.

V. THE INNER SUBSTANCE OF THE THIRUMANTRA
The soul is subordinate only to the Lord and to none and nothing else. As a result of Kainkarya or Mukthi the Paramatma undergoes bhogthruthvam with the jeeva. The bhoga is always the Lord's and hence He alone is the Bhogtha . On the other hand the soul is the Bhogya or the substance of the Lord's Bhoga.
The soul indicated by the "makaara" of the Pranava is full of knowledge. However during the Bhoga it may consider that it is also eligible to be bhogtha or the enjoyer/master of the bhoga or alternatively that the "Bhoga is his(the soul's)". This feeling is removed by the word "Namaha"(not mine) in the Thirumantra.
The Pranava and Narayana shabdas indicate two traits of the soul -1.Seshatva and 2.Paratantryatva. In other words the Lord is 1.Seshi and 2.Svatantra. The Karmadi upasanas and their angas are regarded by the soul as yet another Kainkarya to the Lord because the Bhoga is always the Lord's.
Sastris on the other hand consider Karmadi upasanas and their angas as their own means and Bhoga. They may be misled by such feeling to Kaivalyanubhava(anubhava of the soul) instead of Bhagavadanubhava(anubhava of Paramatma).

VI. KARMA AND KAINKARYA
The sastra says "Ithan kuru itham maakaarshi" -"Do this ; do not do this". This is the basis of Karma .The do s and dont s vary depending on one's ashrama or varna. However it is worth remembering that varna and ashrama are properties of the destructible body and not of the immortal soul. Thus for a given soul the Karma is not fixed and varies with varna and ashrama over several births and also depends on the nature of the body in which the soul resides.
On the other hand a staunch follower of the Thirumantra performs and wants to perform only Kainkarya. Kainkarya unlike karma does not vary with varna or ashrama. While Karma depends on the destructible body; Kainkarya depends only on the spiritual maturity of the immortal soul. All souls thus have a common goal / purushartha- Kainkarya or "Atthaani sevakam".
A sastri practises Karma in this world to attain Kainkarya in SriVaikunta. A prapanna practises Kainkarya in this world to attain Kainkarya in SriVaikunta. This Kainkarya is also due to the Lord's grace. That is the entire path to Moksha is guided and controlled by the Lord Himself. The sastri on the other hand tries to attain Moksha through his own upasanas.
However the same Thirumantra -principled souls also perform their Karma as enunciated as the Dharma. This is done for rectifying the other misled souls . This Karma is also a form of Kainkarya to the Lord. Whereas the Karma performed by the sastris is as an upaya or means to reach the Lord.
At Thiruvahindrapuram some people gathered at one place and began to perform their Anushtana. SriVilliputtur Bhagavar alone went to another place and performed his anushtana. When asked why he preferred to perform it alone at a different place; he replied ," Those gathered yonder are performing their anushtana based on caste and asrama. On the other hand my anushtana is special in that I belong to 'Thondar Kulam' or 'the caste of SriVaishnava devotees'. Their Sadhana to attain the ultimate purushartha is Karma. Our Sadhana is the Sadhya(That attained by Sadhana) itself-that is Srimannarayana Himself . He is our destination and He is also our way. We want to attain Him not for our own bliss or enjoyment but to see Him enjoy our Kainkarya."
The sastris are commanded by the Vedas to perform Yaga or Homa . This involves various procedures , methods , systems and practises. Though the final goal of all these is SriVishnu-"Narayanayethi samarpayami" it may involve various intermediate practises where it may be required to worship other devathantharas like Agni, Varuna or Indra. However the followers of the sacred Thirumantra clearly know that Srimannarayana is their only Master. They recite the Divya Prabhandas. They reside in or visit Divya Desams. Everywhere they realise that they have surrendered to Him and their only goal remains Kainkarya. The Sastris take time to realise that Narayana is the antaryami or the Supersoul of all these Devas. Then they set about to realise that antaryami Paramatma through severe penance and meditation . Even on realising Him they consider their experience as ordinary. Sri Nammazhwar says," Kanhalal kaandarkku ariyanai karuthukku nanrum eliyanai.........arul seyyum vanavar eesan".The relishers of the divine essence of the Thirumantra do not resort to any of these practises for realisation. They have their Lord in front of them in the form of various Archavataras in several Divyadesams. They easily perceive Him and perform Kainkarya to this Archamurthi completely enchanted by Him. This experience is extra-ordinary.
The sastris perform various Karmas as per the Poorva Bhaga of the Vedas. Their upadesa mantra is the Gayatri-the mother of all chhandas. They take various births as per their Karma and cleanse themselves of various sins. The Thirumantra houses the Lord Himself-the Mother of all souls. He who gives birth to the divine swaroopa gnana to the soul is even greater than a mother who gives birth to the body.
How are they identified? The sastris identify themselves based on their home-town or village; their dynasty , their clan or gothra and their caste .Their glory is in performing their Karma and they assume titles based on their Karma. "Saathi andanar" (Thirumalai 43) ; "Theeyombu kai Maraiyor"(Pe. Th. 7-9-7).Those who abide by the Thirumantra find glory only in serving the Lord. They identify themselves as "Thirumaladiyar" , "Thirunaranan thondar" , "thondar kulatthavar", etc; They are endowed with the title of " Koilil vazhum Vaishnavan"(Periyazhwar Th. 5-1-4 ). Performers of Karma owe their glory to their own deeds or to their dynasty, clan, village, etc; Hence they cannot be easily liberated from Ahamkara and Mamakara. Performers of Kainkarya realise from the Thirumantra that their glory lies in serving Him. Though their glory is greater than that of the sastris, they are never touched by Ahamkara and Mamakara because they owe all their glory to His grace and association.
Who are you?The sastri: "Abhivadaye"-I ,the ........ sarma belonging to ..... caste; .......... clan;........dynasty of ............. village ;follow the ........... version of the .......Veda.The Thirumantra Nishtar: Adiyen (subordinate to the Lord and His devotees), belonging to thondar kula "Venkatathai pathiyaga vazhveerhal" residing in a Divyadesam performing Kainkarya; am a servant of SriRamanuja(Ramanujadasan).Who are your Sansthapna Acharyas?The sastri: Parashara, Vyasa ,Badarayana and others alike.The Thirumantra Nishtar: Azhvars like SriSatakopa and Poorvacharyas like SriRamanuja.How do you attain perfection?The sastri: By studying the Vedas we attain knowledge. From that knowledge we learn our anushtanas and lead a highly principled life. Thus we become complete sastris or vaidikas.The Thirumantra Nishtar: By learning the "aayiram pasurangal"(Thiruvoy. 10-9-11) Thiruvoymozhi from an Acharya who reveals to us all great truths at the time of PanchaSamskara and grants us the authority to perform Kainkarya, we attain perfection.Conclusion: Those who learn the Vedas , follow great principles but do not know the simple truth that Srimannarayana is their Master cannot be Vaidikas (or the learned). They are a disgrace to the divine Vedas if they misinterpret the sacred texts. Great knowledge is required even to just understand the Vedas.So say the Vedas themselves.On the otherhand the unbroken sacred clan of Acharyas carry the great truth of the Dravida Veda and hence are the reliable ,absolute authorities.The knowledge obtained from them is thus accurate and divine. By following the Thirumantra and learning the Dravida Veda (which is also easier than in the case of the Vedas) one becomes even greater than a Vaidika because he has relished only the milk unlike the sastri who swallows the milk mixed with water and tries to perceive the true taste of milk.

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VII. THE DRAVIDA VEDA :: THIRUVOYMOZHI

The Vedas are composed of various branches or "shakas"and occur in various forms. "Oduvaar othellam evvulagathhu evvaiyum"(Thiruvoy. 3-1-6). The Vedas are present in various forms that can be understood by the varying capability and qualification of the people in various worlds. The two types of Vedas are "vadamozhi marai" or the Vedas of the Northern language-Sanskrit and "thenmozhi marai"-the Vedas of the Southern language-Tamizh. The Dravida Veda contains the words "vadamozhi marai" indicative of the two forms of existence of the Vedas. It should not be misunderstood that the Sanskrit Vedas were translated into Tamizh. In Thirunedunthaandakam-4 ;Thirumangai Aazhwar says,"Senthirathha thamizhosai vadasollaagi" indicating that the Dravida veda was preached in Sanskrit format. Thus we draw to the conclusion that both forms of the Vedas are Anaadhi and that in some cases the Sanskrit Veda was preached in Tamizh while in others the Dravida Veda was taught in the Sanskrit language.Thus the authenticity of both Vedas is unquestionable.
Then in what sense are the prabhandas of the Aazhwars equal to the Sanskrit Vedas? The four prabhandas of Swami Nammazhwar are equivalent to the four Vedas. The six Prabhandas of Thirumangai Aazhwar are equivalent to the six Vedangas and the prabhandas of the eight other Aazhwars are equivalent to the eight upangas.
The Vedas are the prime constituents of the Sanskrit Sastras than the Angaas and Upaangas.Similarly the Thiruvoymozhi (and so also Nammazhwar's other compositions) are the principal constituents of the Dravida Veda.
Lord Krishna in the Gita says,"Shruthis Smruthir mamaivagna". Therefore the Vedas mean Divine order or command. They are free from shortcomings or mistakes .They are ancient and reliable. They do not suffer from weaknesses like changes, etc; The Vedas should be read and heard sincerely. The same applies to Thiruvoymozhi also."Aanai aayiram"(Thiruvoy. 6-3-11) ,"Edamil aayiram"(Thiruvoy. 1-6-11), "Poyyil paadal"(Thiruvoy. 4-3-11), "Mundai aayiram" (Thiruvoy.9-5-11), "Azhivilla Aayiram".
The Lord taught the Vedas to Brahma who in turn revealed it to the world. Hence we call Brahma as the "Kartha" for the Sanskrit Vedas. Similarly the Lord taught the Dravida Veda to Aazhwar "Mayarvara mathinalam arulinam"(Thiruvoy. 1-1-1) who revealed it to all. Hence SriNammaazhwar is the "Kartha" for the Dravida Veda. The great men who learnt the Vedas and interpreted the Puranas and various mantras are referred as Rishi, Muni ,Kavi etc; Similarly Nammazhwar is also referred as "Rishim Jushaamahe" ,"Shatakopa Munim vande" , "Ulagam Padaithhaan Kavi"(Thiruvoy. 3-9-10).
"Soorya chandramaso thaathaa yathaapoorvam makalpayath"-The Lord created the Sun and moon as He did in the previous Kalpas. Similarly the Dravida Veda which existed at all times was now revealed by Swami Shatakopar and it is not something newly created.
The Lord rose from His yoga nidra and revealed the Vedas to Brahma. Brahma in turn taught it to his foremost son Paramasiva and others. Depending on the instructor or practitioner ,the Vedas were referred by names like Atharvana, Thaithreeyam,Kaanvam ,etc;
Similarly the Lord taught the Thiruvoymozhi to Swami Nammazhwar who revealed it to Swami Madhurakavi Aazhwar who in turn taught it to the world. Thus the Thiruvoymozhi came to be known after SriParaangusa Muni as "Satakopan sol".

VIII. THE IMPORTANCE OF ARULICHEYAL-I
The Thiruvirutham, Thiruvasiriyam and Periya Thiruvanthathi in the ThiruIyarpaa are the Rig, Yajur and Atharva Vedas respectively .The Thiruvoymozhi is the Sama Veda.
The Rig veda is Swara-based. It is sung as the Sama-gaanam.Similarly the Iyarpaa text -Thiruviruthham is sung as the Thiruvoymozhi."Yazhinisai Vedathhiyal".
One of Sama Vedas' branches is Saandokya which is also indicated in SriParakaala's hym"Sandokan pouzhiyan ....... saamavedi" (Pe. Th . 5-5-4) .The Sama Veda is musical and so is the Saandokya. Every Sama has five special attributes one of which is "Uthgeetham".Any musical note is always sung after a Shruti. This process in musical terms is referred as blending the song with the shruti.The Shruti with which the Saama Veda is sung is the Pranava-Om. Always the Sama gana is done only after singing the Pranava composed of A,U and M. The Thiruvoymozhi is also sung after the Pranava. The Pranava occurs in the first hym:
"U yarvara uyarnalam udaiyavan evan-avanM ayarvara mathinalam arulinan evan-avanA yarvarum amararhal athipathi evan -avanThuyararu sudaradi thozhuthezhu enmanane"
SriVedaacharya Bhattar reveals another wonderful aspect. The Sun -Soorya with seven chhandas as horses and a one-wheeled chariot carries out the Lord's order by rising and setting. He is gifted with the brightness by SriSudarshana "Thirumaal thirukkai chakkaram"(Thiruviruthham 88) . The Sun's antaryami is SrimanNarayana whose shoulder ornaments, the ear ornaments, His great crown and above all the radiating Sanku and Chakra that stand upright in His hands indicating the pride of the invincible lion with His divine form that glows greater than gold and Sri Periya Pirattiyar in His SriVatsasthala- all brilliant and unmatchable cause the Sun to appear radiant and brilliant. The Lord is the embodiment of Sama Veda."Vedaanaam Samavedosmi"(Bhagavad Gita). He is the Paramapurusha. The Inner Sense of the Vedas revealed by "uth" is completely about Him. Now the Thiruvoymozhi -the equivalent of Sama Veda should also convey this . The Thiruvoymozhi begins with "u"kara at ""Uyarvara" and ends with "th"akara at "Uyarnthe". Just as the Ganges descended from the skies and flows through the lands with its numerous tributaries cleansing the sins of many, the inner sense conveyed by "uth" manifested as the Thiruvoymozhi-the thousand pasuram prabhanda for the sake of cleaning the souls of its followers.
These prabhandas are also the equivalent of the Upabrahmanas. The Pancharatra explains the divine attributes of the Lord. The Puranas describe His infinite wealth and greatness. The Ithihasas describe the divine sports (leela) . Similarly the Thiruviruthham - "Maippadi meniyumser senthamarai kannum"(94) ,the Thiruvasiriyam - "Thamarai kadu malar kannodu kanivai udaiyadumai" (5) ,"Meethittu pachhai meni miga pagaippa" (1), the Thiruvanthathi - "Narpoovaippu eenra vannan" (1) ,"Kar kalanda meniyaan" (86) and the Thiruvoymozhi- "Thuyar aru chudaradi"(1-1-1) , "Punakkaya nirathha" (10-10-6) clearly indicate that the divine aspects of the Lord explained in the Upabrahanas are also conveyed in the Prabhandas of Aazhwar.
The Divya prabhandas are in fact even greater than the Puranas. Brahma who learnt the Vedas began to reveal the Puranas in four Kalpas. However all these revelations are not correct as Brahma was possessed by different Gunas in different Kalpas. When Brahma was possessed by Satva guna he sang in praise of Vishnu, he spoke of himself as great when possessed by Rajo guna , he spoke of the greatness of the other Devas when possessed by Tamo guna and finally possessed by all the three conveyed the greatness of Pitruganas and Saraswati. However Siva when overcome by Satva spoke of "Aal mel valarthaanai thaan vanagumaaru" or the way he worshipped the Lord who lay on the Alilai or the Sacred Banyan leaf.The Ramayana was composed by Sage Valmiki due to the grace of Brahma. The Mahabharata was composed with the strength of the boons obtained by Sage Pulasthiya from Siva. The basis of these is the teachings of the Sages.
On the other hand the Divya Prabhanda was revealed by the grace of the Gnana Moorthi Srimannarayana to the Azhvar.After all it is He who is the antaryami of both Brahma and Siva.
The Dravida Veda was thus revealed by Swami Nammazhvar who is even greater than the Rishis because whle the Rishis' teachings were based on the teachings of other Rishis who themselves were prone to attacks of Rajo and Tamo Gunas, the Aazhvar's revelations were obtained from Srimannarayana Himself and thus are accurate as it is He who is untouched by the above mentioned two gunas.
The rishis speak of various karmas as the means to salvation. This leads to upasana of various Devas without realising that their antaryami is also Srimannarayana. They are like lumber cut and floated on the Ganges to be carried downstream from the hills to the plains .The logs group and regroup during this travel .Some may get destroyed. Some may get stuck . Some logs may go to the wrong owner. Only a few reach their correct destination.
The Aazhvar teaches the correct way to salvation - surrendering or performing saranagati to Srimannarayana. There is no necessity to go to any other Deva for this way of attaining salvation .

IX . THE IMPORTANCE OF ARULICHEYAL-II
The Ramayana which began as the story of Rama by Valmiki Maharshi. talked about the origin of the Ganges, the birth of Subrahmanya, description of Pushpaka Vimana,etc;
Similarly Sage Vyasa who began the Mahabharatha as the story of Narayana talked about the birth of Bhishma and also other persons, their lives and other descriptive details. All this is called "Asath Keerthanam" or singing about unworthy things or persons. What is important then -for example is- Vishnu Sahasranama of the Mahabharatha.
However the Aazhwar who began the Prabhandam-Thiruvoymozhi as "Thirumaalavan Kavi" did not desribe or refer to other unnecessary details.Thus Thiruvoymozhi is special as the Purushasooktha of the Vedas, the Manu Dharma of the Dharmasastras, the Bhagavad Gita of Mahabharatha and the Vishnu Purana of the Purana texts.
Sage Vyasa graced the Brahma Sutras. His disciple -Jaimini composed the KarmaSutras contradicting the Brahma Sutras. This made Vyasa specifically refute Jaimini's contradictions. On the other hand all the Aazhwars followed Nammazhwar in their compositons.Unlike Vyasa and Jaimini all Aazhwars did not belong to the same period but all their revelations are never contradicting . In fact each Prabhandam appears to complement the other. Our great ancestors detested what Manu did not specify or recognise in his smriti. What runs contradictory to the sacred words of Swami Nammazhwar is worth detesting.
"SriBhashyakaarar"Swami Ramanuja graced the meaning of the Brahma Sutras and numerous other texts on basis of the Dravida Veda. Here Dravida Veda was used to explain the Sanskrit Veda.[ "Abhayapradaraajar"Swami Periya Aachhaan Pillai explained the Dravida Veda holding the Sanskrit Vedas as the Pramana.]Paramaachaarya Swami "Aalavandaar" (Yaamunaachaarya) said; " The Sastras go by the intellect of the holy saints-Aazhwars whose greatness is unmatched"
The evidence of various hyms of the Thiruvoymozhi which is revered as "Sudar migu Sruthi" is given at various instances as "Paarthan Thernduyarnda Painthuzhaayaan"(Sayings of Arjuna) "Maarkandeyanum kariye"(sayings of Maarkandeya).Similarly the Veda also evidences from sayings of Vyasa, Manu ,Brahma, etc;
The Veda Sara (essence of Vedas) is the Upanishad. The upabrahmana of the Vedas is Mahabharatha and it is called the fifth Veda. The essence of the Mahabharatha is the Bhagavad Gita.This implies that the Gita itself is the Upanishad. Hence Thiruvoymozhi which expounds the inner content of the Vedas is comparable with the Upanishads and Gita.
The Vedas glorified the Parabrahma who is Sriman Narayana. When the Lord descended as SriRama; Vedas became the SriRamayana. The Lord in His Vyuha form is glorified by the Vedas which took the form of the Paancharaatra. The Vedas manifested as Smrithis to glorify the Antaryami state of the Lord. Finally when the Lord descended on the earth in Vigraha/Archa form the Vedas descended as the Nalayira Divya Prabhandam.The Archa form of the Lord is easily accessible as is the case in the Divyadesams. Similarly the Divya Prabhandas are the simplest and easiest form to comprehend the lofty Vedas.
The Veda fears"Pibheth yalpa sruthath vedo, Mamayam pratharishyathi" or "What would happen if the divine expositions of the Vedas fall into the hands of people with meagre intellect? How badly would they destroy the sanctity of its divine revelations?" This fear was dispelled when Aazhwar expounded the Thiruvoymozhi explaining the meaning of the Vedas as it is "Thelivuttra Aayiram" (Thiruvoy. 7-5-11). The Veda is analogous to the River Cauvery that originates from Sahya mountain. It mixes with mud and dirt and becomes very turbid. It attains clarity at SriRangam where it deposits everything before entering and reveals its base. Even Periyazhwar sings of this phenomenon as "Thothavathi Thooymaraiyor thurai"(Peri.Th. 4-8-1) or the place where the learned sages wearing washed clean clothes gather-SriRangam. This does not mean Srirangam is the place where people wash clothes. The above two statements above Vedas and Cauvery must be studied carefully. The Vedas emanated from SrimanNarayana. The Cauvery emanates from Mt.Sahya or Brahmasaras. Initially it is pure. But later due to people of ignorance, the Vedic texts are branded the wrong meanings and everyone is confused just as the Cauvery becomes turbid. But when Cauvery reaches SriRangam its entrance near Coleroon is such that all particles are deposited and it becomes clear. This entrance is a gift to SriRangam as the water becomes clear. Similarly SriRangam is also gifted with Bhagavad Ramanujacharya who makes the confusion in the Vedas to disappear and delivers their clear meaning.This makes even learned sages gather at SriRangam to learn the clear meaning (analogous to the revealing base of clear Cauvery). What was the base Ramanuja revealed? The Thiruvoymozhi! "Porunar Sankani thurai"(Thiruvoy. 10-3-11). The River Tamraparani bequeathed us a wealth called Nammazhwar due to whom not only us but the Vedas themselves became overjoyed.
Only very few people are allowed to study the Vedas and their time of study is limited by age. It is like drinking sea water and spitting out the salt ,swallowing only the water. On the other hand the Aazhwar who is the Sun evaporated the water of the oceans and seas namely the Vedas and their supporting texts and showered the water as fresh rain devoid of salt for all Jeevas, without exception, through the cloud called Thiruvoymozhi. Thus Thiruvoymozhi can be read at any time by anybody anywhere. It will offer immediate comfort and solace from the scorching flames of Karma and Samsara. The sanskrit Vedas are like a pot made of mud . It should be handled carefully and only by the right person and that too for only a particular period of time. Carrying it is also very uncomfortable as one has to be very careful lest it breaks to pieces. The Vedas have similar specifications on who should read them . One should be careful in interpreting or the meaning will be completely destroyed just as the mud pot breaks to pieces. On the other hand a pot made of metal say gold can be easily handed. Being made of gold it is also more precious and desirable than a mud pot. This is Thiruvoymozhi -the pot made of gold which can be read by anyone , is easily understandable but at the same time has several precious meanings.
The Lord Srimannarayana showers His grace in various forms as Vyuha , Antaryami , Vibhava and Archa. The Vyuha is like an ocean full of huge waves. One cannot find the pearls in such an ocean .Similarly it is not possible for us to enjoy the Kalyana Gunas of the Lord in Vyuha. Antaryami is like an enormously deep ocean filled with whirlpools and twists. Again realisation is not possible in this state. Vibhava is like the flood. Floods might have occured long ago or in some other place than ours. Similarly Vibhava Avatharas are bound by time and place and hence are not suitable for experience. The Archa is like the river, the backwater, the lake etc; which stayed back after the floods ,the rains etc; .They offer the suitable water or experience of the Lord. The Divyadesams and all other Archa murthis offer Tharaka.They are the ultimate refuge. The Thiruvoymozhi is about this Archa moorthy and hence is our only refuge for understanding the scriptures.

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X.THE GLORY OF AAZHWAR
The Aazhvar who taught us what is the truth is the greatest acharya. That is why this grantha is Acharya Hrudayam or the heart-felt teachings of a preceptor.The Thiruvoymozhi is "Adiyaarkku inbamari"(Thiruvoy. 4-5-10) or the cloud that showers bliss. Considering Aazhwar's manifestation as birth or analysing His type of birth,clan, etc; is the most dangerous and worst sin . Regarding the Thiruvoymozhi as a Tamizh poem is also a terrible crime. There is no way for redemption of one plagued by such hideous crimes. "Kanivar Veettinbame"(Thiruvoy. 2-3-5). Another such horrible sin is analysing the type of material withwhich the Perumal as Thiruvaradhana Murthy has manifested in various divine palaces of the devotees of the Lord. This is nonsensial too. The Lord only resides in various forms in the Thirumaligais of His devotees so that He can listen to their voices singing Thiruvoymozhi.
Another bitter thing is aversion towards Sanskrit as the Vedas are in that language and have several restrictions as to who should read and who should not. This is also foolish because the Ithihasa-Puranas that are easy to understand are in Sanskrit for the sake of everybody. Similarly some people hold that only Sanskrit is the medium of worship and the Lord can be described only in Sanskrit. Hence they hold that all Sanskrit literature must alone be considered. It must be noted that the Jain and Budda religions too have Sanskrit literature that run antagonistic to scriptures. Hence language should not be taken as a criteria for deciding the authenticity of the content.
If only birth in "so called" higher castes can certify one to be a enunciator of the truth then it will only lead to disaster. Veda Vyasa's mother was a fisherwoman. Lord Krishna was born in the clan of cattle-men. Then are Mahabharata, Vedic classifications, Brahma Sutra and Bhagavad Gita too unacceptable? Further Aazhwar is not like Vyasa who set about to tackle the Sanskrit Vedas and organise them with sufficient supplementary texts , He is also different from Krishna who wanted to establish the Dharma. The Manifestation of Aazhwar is FOR US. He revealed the Dravida Veda, He revealed God, He manifested out of immense desire to praise and sing on the Lord in the Archa form - ALL FOR OUR SAKE!
Devaki is called divine mother because she was the mother of Lord Krishna. But she did not have the fortune of viewing the boyhood exploits of Sri Krishna. It appeared as if Yashoda herself was the true mother of Krishna. But Aazhwar's mother is different.Both did not display any special qualificaton of being mother to Krishna during their times. "Nedunkalamum kannan neenmalar padam paravi pettra"(Thiruvirutham 37). She underwent several rigorous and righteous procedures to obtain Aazhwar.
Sage Veda Vyasa was born in place where there is the stench of fish. Krishna was brought up in a place where there is the odour of the residue obtained after preparing butter. But Aazhwar manifested at Aazhwar Thirunagari in front of Aadipiran who is the ultimate Aacharya(i.e why the divyadesam is Thirukkurugoor). In that place there is only the enchanting divinity produced by the pleasant odour of the Holy Thiruthuyazh or Thulasi garlands adorned by Aadipiran."Ival anthanduyazh kamazhdal"(Thiruvoy. 8-9-10).
Vyasa was born on the banks of Ganges in the shelter of fisherfolk. Krishna was born on the banks of Yamuna which contained terrible people like Kamsa on one side and mere cattle-grazers on the other side who belong to "Arivondrumillada Aaykulathu"(Thiruppavai 28). However Aazhwar manifested at "Saya pugazhar palar vazhum thadan kurugoor"(Thiruvoy. 3-1-11) "Nallar navil Kurugoor"(Thiruvirutham 100) or the place inhabited by renowned scholars and devotees of the Lord.
Sri Rama told the Devas, "Atmanam manusham manye" - I consider Myself born as a man. Sri Krishna told the inhabitants of Gokula-"Aham vo bAndhavo jathaha"- Don't consider me as a Deva, Yaksha or Gandharva. I am your relative. The idea here is that it is not correct to exhibit Paratva where Sousheelya has to be exhibited.
What is birth? The birth that enables one to serve the Lord is birth. What good is being born a Brahmin who does not perform Kainkarya? This is revealed by Aazhwar in His "pandai Naalodu" (Thiruvoymozhi 9-2 Thirumozhi). The only objective of life is Kainkarya to the Lord. "aazhiyankai peraayarku aalaam pirappu .......ulnattu thesandre"(Pe.Thiruvan. 79).
Birth is defined as that which makes the soul become acceptable to the Lord and be His object of enjoyment. Birth is one that makes the soul realise the greatness of the leading life analogous to the life in Paramapadam .It is not to crave for materialism.
SriSita was born as the first in the Janaka race and brought greatness to Her clan. Sri Bharata was born as the intermediate in the Dasaratha family and brought fame to His family. Sri Krishna was born as the last of the family of Vasudevar and glorified His dynasty. Sri Nammazhwar was born as the only child of Kariyar and Udaiya Nangai . The clans of Sita ,Bharatha and Krishna had no dearth of fame. Sita, Bharatha and Krishna only increased manifold that greatness. But Sri Aazhwar brought glory to we -helpless souls who were imprisoned in the prison of Samsara and had many weaknesses. Aazhwar glorified such souls that had fallen from glory into the horrible samsara. Hence Aazhwar's manifestation is full of benevolence and greatness.
The Sungod Surya has four names-1. Aadithya 2. Divakara 3.Bhanu 4. Bhaskara.Due to the rising of the sun the darkness of the world is banished. "Kanavirul agandradu kalaiyam pozhudai"(Thiupalliyezh. 1)
"Rama divakaraha shatru mayam thoyam upashosham nayishyathi" The sun named Rama burnt to dryness the large turbulent ocean named Raakshasas."Achyutha Bhanuhu thathokila jagath padma bhodaya achyuthabhanuna" The sun named Achyutha to bring blossom to the lotus named Bhooloka rose in the Eastern direction that is Devaki. Thus Sri Rama and Sri Krishna have been likened to suns for special reasons. Similarly Aazhwar is likened to a sun who dispelled the darkness named ignorance of the Jeevatmas. Hence He is VAKULABHOOSANA BHASKARAR
Sri Varaha perumal brought out the worlds from deluge. Quite analogous to that Aazhwar brought out the souls out of the deluge of swaroopa due to Samsara.(No wonder it is called Samsara Sagaram.) He dispelled the turbulence caused due to arrogance as Ahamkara due to wealth , caste, knowledge, birth, clan,etc;AAZHWAR TAUGHT THE ARTHA PANCHAKA TO THE SOULS AND HENCE HE IS "ACHARYA".

THE GLORY OF BHAAGAVATHAAS!!
One should always respect the Bhaagavathas. They should not discuss their birth and caste. Their glory is in knowledge and practice. Our glory is in serving them.
1.SriBhagavan said," Even if one is born out of low family or some disliked caste, if he follows 8 types of Bhakthi and loves Me, He is the real Brahmin. He is the really rich person. He is the greatest scholar. He is the teacher of all knowledge and one has to obtain knowledge from Him. Rever Him as your clan's Lord . Consume His Sripada Theertham and attain greatness." 2.Nampaaduvaan sang in praise of Thirukkurungudi Nambi in Kaisika Pan . He granted the fruit of the song to a Brahmin turned BrahmaRakshasa -SomaSharma and converted him back into a Brahmin. Was it not a singer of the so referred low caste who rescued a Brahmin?

3.Sri Guha Perumal was accepted by SriRama as "My Brother". Similarly, Guha and Bharatha discussed about the greatness of the younger SriLakshmana inspite of their own glory. Hence age or caste is no bar to be a Bhagavatha. Lakshmana was not seen as a brother but as the stalwart of BhagavadKainkarya.

4.SriKrishna preferred the house of Vidhura to anyother when He came as a messenger though there were many other established personalities . Hence status is no criteria to decide one's BhagavadSambandham. Sri Rama left Ayodhya - the land of the learned to join with monkeys and embrace Hanuman lovingly and accept Sugriva and Vibhishana as His Brothers.

5.In the Rajasooya yaga the Agrapooja was done to a cattle herd by name - Krishna. At Thirupuliyur, the Vaidikas performed Agrapooja to Thirumazhisai Aazhwar who was brought up by a woodcutter.

6.The sacred funeral of Vidhurar was done by Dharma putra, Jatayu by Rama and Maraneri nambi by Periya nambi.

7. Kurumbarutha Nambi- the great devotee at Thirumala(Pushpa Mandapam) was worshipped and reverred by a great king and Kshatriya -Thondaiman Chakravarthy. The Great Ramanujacharya learnt the Lord's plans from SriKachhi nambi who alone was able to talk to Sri Devaperumal - Kanchi(thyaga mandapam). At Srirangam(Bhoga mandapam), a priest- Lokasaranga carried Thirupannazhwar on his shoulders into the temple.

8.During Thiruvaradhanam, Sri Ramanuja used to hold the hands of Sripillai Urangavilli Dasar as Kayasuddhi.

9.After Thiruvaradhanam, Sri Nampillai used to received Prasadam from Pillai Eru Thiruvudaiya Dasar.

10.During Graha Pravesha, Sri Vadakku thiruveedi Pillai asked Sri Pillai Ramanuja Dasar to enter His house first.

THOSE WHO CONSIDER VARNA, ASHRAMA, VIDHYA, ANUSHTANA FOR THE WRONG REASONS ARE THE BIGGEST FOOLS. THEY ARE BORN LOWLY AND ARE A CURSE TO THEIR CLAN. THEIR KNOWLEDGE IS COMPLETELY USELESS. THE YAGAS THEY PERFORM IS EQUIVALENT TO OFFERING HAVIS TO ASHES.THEY ARE JUST DECORATED CORPSES.
**END OF PART 1 OF ACHARYA HRUDAYAM**
SRI AZHAGIYA MANAVALA PERUMAL NAYANAR THIRUVADIGALE CHARANAM

Aacharya Hrudayam- Part2(Sutras 87-149)
Part1: Seshatva is important
Seshatva(that is realising that the Lord is the Swami to the soul and its complete controller and master) is the true attribute of the soul. It is the how the soul is defined. The learned always prefer the state that enables them to practically realise seshatva.The Nithyasooris:In Sri Vaikuntam ,the Nithyasooris want to perform Kainkaryam to the Lord always. They want to serve Him at all times, at all ocassions and at all instances. Adisesha wants the Lord to lie comfortably on Him. Garuda wants the Lord to sit on Him. The Thiruthuyazh wants the Lord to adorn Her and appears as a garland.The Sages:The sages felt very sad that they were not born as the grass or trees during the time of Sri Krishna. They felt that the trees, dust and grass had His Thiruvadi Sambhandam unlike them. Some sages felt that they could have atleast been the grass on which Krishna's devotees walked so that they could attain Bhagavatha Thiruvadi Sambhandam.Kulashekaraazhwar:Sri Kulashekaraazhwar in Perumal Thirumozhi pathikam on Thiruvenkadamudaiyan sings "kOnEri vAzhum kurugAi pirappEnE", " meenAi pirakkum vidhiudaiyEn aavEnE","Emberumaan ponmalai mEl EdEnum AvEnE".Sri Alavandar:"O Lord! I do not want this body or the benefits and happiness that is derived out of it and not even this soul. All I want is to be born as a worm in the house of your devotees. That will manifest my Swaroopam." The great and the enlightened preferred to be anything that would make them realise their seshatva rather than any other benefit which would be injurious to the true state of the soul.Hence realising Seshatva is very important.
The body that does not help Seshatva is useless. The Varna is an outcome of the body's birth. Birth in turn results from Karma. Hence all such factors like Varna are usless to one who wants to realise Seshatva.
There is no individual beauty in Varna. Vishwamitra - a Kshatriya by birth wanted to avenge Vashishta. Then he became a Brahma Rishi and came to be declared so by Vashishta himself. Vashishta had cursed Trisanku to lowliness. The same Vishwamitra sent Trisanku to the skies. What has been the good done by Varna?
The learned always quote the Vedas as the Supreme evidence on the Paramatma. However some forms of the Lord and some texts are not to be supported or followed. Though it is loudly clear that Narayana is the Paramatma , some ignorant people try to make the texts explain the incorrect meanings antagonistic to the existing truth.Similarly ,"kalla vedam"(Thiruvoy. 5-10-4) of the Lord that is the wonderous yet useless form of the Lord as Buddha to distract the evil mongers from the truth is in no way to be supported by us.Those who do not have such devotion towards Sri Vishnu and remain confused are very ignorant .At the same time Varna is not a criteria for devotion. Even the object of devotion is beyond Varna. Lord Krishna lived in the forest and villages. Periyazhwar says,"kAli pinnE varuginra kannapirAn vedathai kanIr."Driving the idea that the object of devotion itself is beyond Varna, it is frivilous to consider that the devotee should be of a particular Varna. Our Arulicheyal clearly explain this as "nIrAr mugilvannan pEr Ar OduvAr, Ar Ar amararE" (Thiruvoy. 10-5-7). One's importance and greatness is decided by his devotion and not by his Varna.