SrI: SrImathE SatakOpAya nama: SrImathE rAmAnujAya nama: SrImadh varavaramunayE nama:
The obsequies of jIyar
Subsequently, in order to carry out the final rites for jIyar, his grandson from previous gruhasthASrama state, jIyar nAyanAr, took all the disciples to the divine kAvEri river where everyone had a bath. Then they carried water from the river to carry out thirumanjanam (divine bath) for jIyar. They positioned his divine, faultless form on a thirumanjanavEdhi (a low, raised platform for carrying out various rituals) and carried out thirumanjanam with recitation of purushasUktham, dhvaya mahAmanthram and various other such SlOkas. They wiped the excess water with a divine cloth and applied the twelve Urdhva puNdrams (divine marks on twelve different parts of the body) just as it has been said in the verse “visthIrNabAlathala vispuradhUrdhvapuNdram” (shining thirumaN kAppu on his broad forehead). They distributed among themselves, the remaining portion of thirumaNkAppu and SrIchUrNam (the white and red coloured powders) as a wealth for unfavourable times. They then mercifully kept the divine form of jIyar on a divine simhAsanam (throne) and kept their heads and chest on his divine feet as their protection. They kept the divine form of jIyar, who is considered as the auspicious refuge, in their respective mind, looking at his divine form without closing their eyelids, experiencing every moment.
At that time, SrI ranganAthan’s divine reddish cloth and the vanamAlai (a divine garland) which he dons on his chest, were carried by uththama nambi (the head kainkaryaparar of SrIrangam temple) on a golden tray on his head as he came to the matam along with all the employees of temple. jIyar’s disciples went to receive them, offered them their salutations and accepted perumAL’s offerings on their head. Just as it has been mentioned by periyAzhwAr in his thiruppallANdu pAsuram 9 “uduththuk kaLaindha nin pIthagavAdai uduththuk kalaththadhuNdu thoduththa thuzhAy malar sUdik kaLaindhana sUdum iththoNdargaLOm” (we, your followers, will wear the dress and the divine thuLasi garland which you had worn and discarded), they decorated jIyar’s divine form with the dress and garland which perumAL had earlier donned. All the servitors of the temple, various AchArya purushas, jIyars, EkAngis (assistants to jIyars, predominantly bachelors) and SrIvaishNavas, worshipped jIyar and recited his thaniyans starting with seyya thAmarai thALiNai vAzhiyE (see part no 75 of this translation) and carried out mangaLASAsanam for jIyar. They recounted to each other “We had compensated the loss of not having worshipped rAmANujar, by worshipping jIyar; now this incarnation too is leaving us, offering us thIrthaprasAdham”, feeling very sorrowful and consoling one another. Then they carried out SrIchUrNa paripAlanam (protecting jIyar’s divine form with divine vermilion), applying the balance material on themselves. They mercifully lifted jIyar’s divine form on to a pushpakavimAnam (vehicle decorated with plenty of flowers), with many disciples carrying the vehicle on their shoulders, carrying chathrachAmaram (divine umbrella and fly-whisk). With all musical instruments being played such as drums being beaten and conches being blown, and as described in the SlOkam
padhAkAth vijinImramyAm dhUryOdhkushta ninAdhanIm
sigdharAjapadhAm rAmyAm kruthsnam prakIrNa kusumOthkarAm
(they decorated the town and the path [through which jIyar’s divine form was being carried] by planting beautiful flags, made the atmosphere to be full of sound by playing all types of musical instruments, sprinkling water all the way, placing various kinds of flowers en route) they decorated the route with various flowers and fruit bearing trees. They carried sugarcanes and recited pAsurams such as rAmAnusa nURRandhAdhi etc. They sprinkled divine water, puffed rice and flowers, and blew a single thiruchchinnam (usually a pair of trumpets blown during the procession of kings, deities et al), chanting “maNavALa mAmunigaL ascended to the divine abode in dharSanam”. Womenfolk performed dhIpArthi (showing lit mud-lamps in clockwise direction) and all the people prostrated in the divine streets when the procession passed them.
Performing thiruppaLLi
[thiruppaLLi refers to the system of burying sanyAsis in our sampradhAyam, instead of cremating them, since sanyAsis are not supposed to have any connection with agni, fire]. jIyar’s divine form was carried to thavarAsan padugai (river basin, used by rAmAnujar when he used to have his divine bath in kAvEri), near AdhikESava perumAL kOyil, so that jIyar will not have to separate from the divine feet of perumAL. At that time, bhUmidhEvi, just as she had taken the divine daughter of king janaka (sIthAppirAtti) on her lap and supported her, took maNavALa mAmunigaL too on her lap and felt pleased. Similar to ALavandhAr and emperumAnAr, jIyar’s divine form was also buried, following the rules for yathis (ascetics).
adiyEn krishNa rAmAnuja dhAsan
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