Speaking of Muthaliyaandaan

Daasarathi, the Priya Bhagineya of Udayavar Sri Raamaanujar was the son of his sister Naachiyaarammai. Born to his service, and known as "Yathiraaja Paaduka", he enjoyed a special relationship with Emberummanaar all his life.

Having begun his learning with his father, Vaadhoola Kula Thilaka Sri Anantha Naarayana Dikshithar, Daasarathi would go on to become, with Koorathaazhvaan, a pillar of support to Emberumaanar, acclaimed by him as being identical to his thridandam - his staff off office as a sanyasi. However, Emberumaanar kept him busy in many ways, as he was a most capable executive and administrator. He was later to be known as "Sriranganaatha Divyaalaya Nirvahana Dhurandhara" - the genius who organized, under Emberumanaars tutelage, the adminstration of Srirangam Periya Perumal's Kovil.

As he ruled the temple staff like Senai Muthaliyaar (Sri Vishvaksena), he was given the name Muthali-Aandaan. He is mentioned in the Koyil Ozhugu, the chronicle of Srirangam temple, in glowing terms: "muthaliyaandaanum kurattilirunthu koyil kariyaththaiyum uLLe karuvulaka vaasalileyirunthu thirumeni upachaaraththayum, sannathiyile irunthu thiruppavaLa upchaarangaLayum udayavar niyamanappadi aaraaynthu kondu anaiththazhagum kaNdarula paNNIk-kondirunthaar".

We must remember that Muthaliyaandaan's administration was not restricted to the grand Srirangam temple. The Ramanuja Divya Charitam says that as Ramanuja's chief disciple, he was deputed to Belur (Velupura-Velur) to inaugurate the Keshava Narayana Temple there. Belur is also called Dakshina Varanasi or Southern Benares. Its holiness is due to the celebrated temple of Chenna Kesava there, built by the Hoysala King, Vishnuvardhana (Bitti Deva), to mark his change of faith, influenced by Udayavar's teachings. Later Hoysala kings would contribute to the Srirangam temple as well, building the exquisite shrine of Sri Venugopala there.

Outside View of the Sri Venugopala Shrine in the Hoysala style, Srirangam.

· As the Lion leaps…

Sri Muthaliyaandaan is most well known for his lapidary saying, here given in maNipraavaaLam:

"oru malaiyil ninru, oru malaiyil thaavum semha shareeraththil janthukkaL pole bhaashyakaarar samsaaralanganam paNNa avarOdundaana kudalthudakkaale naam udhdheerdaraavuthomenru muthaliyaandaruLi-ch-cheytha paasuram".

This is roughly translateable as follows: When a lion leaps from a mountain to another, all the creatures that live on his body go with him. Even so, when Udayavar transcended this world, all of us who are associated with him benefit from this as well. But some other, less well known sayings of Muthaliyaandaan also illustrate his great nature.

· Two rescuing hands for a man in a well..

In the Thiryvaaymozhi eedu (2.9.2), the words "gnyaana kai thaa" - (extend to me the helping hand of wisdom) - are illustrated as follows.

"embaarukku aaNdaanaruLi-ch-cheytha vaarthayai smarippathu; athaavathu oru kiNatril vizhunthavanukky iraNdu per kai koduththaal etukkumavargaLukkum eLithaay erumavanukkum eLithaay irukkumire; appadiye aagirathu enru".

The story behind the saying is given as follows.

Once, when Muthaliyaandaan was in Thirunaaraayanapuram, one of his disciples went to serve Embar at his Sannidhi. After a while, it so happened that Embar was granting the pancha-samskara grace to some Sri Vaishnavas. The disciple then prayed Embar to grant him the same grace. Embar asked him if he had any special association (with another acharya), at which point the disciple replied that his service to Embar was in itself an association, requesting his grace again. Embar, not knowing that this person was a disciple of Muthaliyaandaan, granted him the grace of prapatti, and took him into service.

Muthaliyaandan, in time, returned to the Srirangam temple, at which point his disciple went to him, and saluted him. Muthaliyaandaan gladly welcomed him and took him into service again, as before. Embar, coming to know of this, was stricken, considering that he had offended against Muthaliyaandan, and went to him, saying "ghanakka apachaarapattuLLeen" - I have offended deeply.

The noble Muthaliyaandan, knowing the sorrow of his heart, and demonstrating his own great spirit, said the following sweet words: " When a man has fallen into a well, if two people give him a hand to save him, it easier for both of them, and it is easier for the rescued one as well. Even thus has it happened. You have lent a helping hand, as I have I, to one who is drowning in the ocean of samsaara. What is then the loss? Why then do you sorrow?"

· Living by the Ramayana

Aandan's commentaries on the Ramayana, are also of note here, as he draws parallels between events in the epic and our own lives, some of which are as follows:

o Living in this samsaara without the benefit of acharya or divinity is even as Sita Pirattiyaar lived in prison among the demons.

o Encountering an acharya and having association with him is even as Hanuman meeting Pirattiyaar to give her the glad news of Peruman Sri Rama's coming.

o Even as Hanuman gave Pirattiyaar a through description of Peruman, and his ring, is the granting of updaesha by the acharya, with its origins in the guru paramparai.

o Even as Vibhishana's daughter consoled and supported Pirattiyaar in her sorrow, do fellow Bhaagavathas support and nourish a disciple.

o With single minded devotion, Pirattiyaar endured till Peruman came to her, destroyed her captors, and took her back into His embrace. Even so will those who believe that there is no support but that of Ramanuja be rescued from false knowledge and taken into the company of liberated ones.

We end this brief re-telling of some of Muthaliyaandan's memorable sayinsg with his vaazhi-thirunaamam.

aththigiri yaruLaaLar adipaNinthOn vaazhiyE

arutpachcha ivaaraNaththil avathariththaan vaazhiyE

chiththiraiyiR punarpoosam siRakka vanthOn vaazhiyE

seepaadiya meedumuthal seerpeRuvOn vaazhiyE

uththamamaam vaathuula muyaravanthOn vaazhiyE

oorthirunthach seerpatha moonRinaan vaazhiyE^*

muththiraiyum sengOlum mudipeRuvOn vaazhiyE

muthaliyaaNdaanpoRpathangaLuzhithoRum vaazhiyE.

(Adapted from a pravachanam by Mahavidwan Sri Prathivathi Bhayankaram Annagaracharyar Swami)

*A reference to an incident on the way to Thirunarayanapuram. An entire hostile village became gentle after drinking the water from a pond in which Muthaliyandan, at Udayvar’s order, had wet his feet.