Alagiya Manavalan, best known by his epithet Manavala Mamunigal (1370–1450), was a
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
theologian. He was a major proponent of the
Sri Vaishnavism
Sri Vaishnavism, or the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya, is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god Vishnu, who ...
tradition in the 15th century in
Tamilakam
Tamiḻakam (Tamil: தமிழகம்; Malayalam: തമിഴകം), refers to the geographical region inhabited by the ancient Tamil people, covering the southernmost region of the Indian subcontinent. Tamilakam covered today's Tamil Nad ...
, disseminating it with the help of his eight disciples. The disciples of Manavalan established places of learning to teach the
Vishishtadvaita
Vishishtadvaita (IAST '; sa, विशिष्टाद्वैत) is one of the most popular schools of the Vedanta school of Hindu philosophy. Vedanta literally means the in depth meaning ''of the Vedas.'' ''Vishisht Advaita'' (literall ...
philosophy in Tamilakam.
''Yathindra Pravana Prabhavam'' by
Pillai Lokam Jeeyar is the earliest work on which scholars and historians rely for information for the biography of Manavala Mamunigal.
Life
Manavala Mamunigal was born in 1370 at
Alwarthirunagiri
Alwarthirunagiri is a panchayat town in Thoothukudi district in the state of Tamil Nadu, India.
It is next to Srivaikuntam on the Tirunelveli - Tiruchendur Highway, Tamil Nadu, southern India. It's about 31 km from Tirunelveli and 29&nbs ...
in Tamil Nadu. His parents were Tigalakidanthan Tirunaveerudaiya Piran Tadar Annar and Sriranga Nachiyar. His father was the son-in-law and also a disciple of Kollikavala Dasar, a junior disciple of
Pillai Lokacharya
Vāraṇādrīśa, more commonly referred to as Pillai Lokacharya () (1205–1311 CE), was a prominent Sri Vaishnava leader and philosopher who authored several works important to Vishishtadvaita philosophy. Early life
Lokacharya is described ...
. His parents named him ''Alagiya Manavalan'' (beautiful groom) after the deity
Ranganathaswamy
Ranganatha, also known as Ranganathar, Rangan, Aranganathar, Sri Ranga, and Thenarangathan, is a Hindu deity with his origin in South India, serving as the chief deity of the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam. The deity is a resting form of ...
of
Srirangam
Srirangam, is a neighbourhood in the city of Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A river island, Srirangam is bounded by the Kaveri River on one side and its distributary Kollidam on the other side. Considered as the first amon ...
.
Manavalan was schooled by father and maternal grandfather, who taught him the
Vedas
upright=1.2, The Vedas are ancient Sanskrit texts of Hinduism. Above: A page from the '' Atharvaveda''.
The Vedas (, , ) are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the ...
,
Vedanta
''Vedanta'' (; sa, वेदान्त, ), also ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six (''āstika'') schools of Hindu philosophy. Literally meaning "end of the Vedas", Vedanta reflects ideas that emerged from, or were aligned with, t ...
, and the
Naalayira Divya Prabandam. He married at the age of 16, and moved from Sikkil Kidaram to Alwarthirunagari to become the disciple of the
acharya
In Indian religions and society, an ''acharya'' (Sanskrit: आचार्य, IAST: ; Pali: ''ācariya'') is a preceptor and expert instructor in matters such as religion, or any other subject. An acharya is a highly learned person with a tit ...
Tiruvaymolipillai.
Tiruvaymolipillai was not instrumental in reviving the ''archa tirumeni'' (idol) of
Ramanuja
Ramanuja (Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmanuja; 1017 CE – 1137 CE; ; ), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and a social reformer. He is noted to be one of the most important exponents o ...
at Alwarthirunagari and in building a temple for him. He put the young Manavalan in charge of the temple and gave him to title of Yatheendra Pravana in recognition of his devotion to Ramanuja. It was around this time that Manavalan wrote ''Yathiraja Vimsati'', which is considered to be the very essence of the exalted
Ramanuja Nootrantati.
Journey towards Srirangam
On his deathbed, Tiruvaymolipillai instructed Manavalan to learn and propagate the
Sri Bhasya
The Sri Bhasya is the most famous work of Sri Ramanuja, (1017–1137). It is his commentary on Sri Badarayana's Vedanta/Brahma Sutra. It was completed when he was around a hundred years old. In his commentary, Ramanuja presents the fundamental ph ...
, and to spend most of his time in propagating and preaching the ''arulicheyal'' (Divya Prabhandam) of the
Alvars
The Alvars ( ta, ஆழ்வார், Āḻvār, translit-std=ISO, lit=The Immersed) were the Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused ''bhakti'' (devotion) to the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, in their songs of longing, ecstasy, and ...
. He also asked Manavalan to stay at
Srirangam
Srirangam, is a neighbourhood in the city of Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A river island, Srirangam is bounded by the Kaveri River on one side and its distributary Kollidam on the other side. Considered as the first amon ...
and perform service to
Ranganatha
Ranganatha, also known as Ranganathar, Rangan, Aranganathar, Sri Ranga, and Thenarangathan, is a Hindu deity with his origin in South India, serving as the chief deity of the Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam. The deity is a resting form of ...
, as his predecessors had done.
Manavalan was inconsolable upon the death of his master. He immersed himself completely into studying and delivering discourses on Divya Prabandham, and rahasyas. Word of his abilities spread and he gained various disciples. Prominent among them was Sri Alagiya Varadar, who undertook ''sanyasashrama'' (asceticism) from Manavalan. The sanyasa name was given as "Ramanuja Jeeyar" (also known as Ponnadikkal Jeeyar). Thus began the most illustrious jeeyar matha in the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya, the Vanamamalai matha, that continues the great unbroken lineage of acharyas to this day.
Intending to fulfil the wishes of his acharya, Manavalan and his disciples left for Srirangam, spending some time at
Srivilliputhur
Srivilliputhur (), is a Municipality in Virudhunagar district in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. As of 2011, the town had a population of 75,396. The most important landmark of Srivilliputhur is 11-tiered tower structure dedicated to the Vatapat ...
, the birthplace of
Andal
Andal ( ta, ஆண்டாள்), also known as Kothai, Nachiyar, and Godadevi, was the only female Alvar among the twelve Hindu poet-saints of South India. She was posthumously considered an avatar of the goddess Bhudevi. As with the Alv ...
, on their journey.
Life at Srirangam and visit to Kanchipuram
Srirangam, at that point, was facing the worst consequences of the Muslim invasion that took place in the early 14th century. It was structurally dilapidated, sacramentally bare, intellectually barren and spiritually, socially and morally corrupt. Misuse of rights, corruption and disorder were rampant. Manavalan had to exert tremendous effort and bring to force his organizational skills to restore the original pristine glory for daily sacramental and festival procedures at Srirangam, without antagonizing the people who were functioning in different capacities at that point in time. He realized the importance of bringing the focus back to the essential tenets of Sri Vaishnavism and achieved this objective by bringing to fore scholarly works of acharyas, that had hitherto been pushed into the background. As a result of his devotion, Manavalan was put in charge of everyday temple administration, as well as anointed the leader for all the Sri Vaishnavas of his time.
With normalcy returning to Srirangam, Manavalan set on a pilgrimage to
Kanchipuram
Kanchipuram ('; ) also known as ''Conjeevaram,'' is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in the Tondaimandalam region, from Chennaithe capital of Tamil Nadu. Known as the ''City of Thousand Temples'', Kanchipuram is known for its temple ...
,
Tirumala
Tirumala is a spiritual town in Tirupati district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the suburbs of the Tirupati, Tirupati urban agglomeration. The town is a part of Tirupati Urban Development Authority and located in Tirupa ...
, and
Sriperumbudur
Sriperumbudur is a town panchayat in the Kanchipuram district of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. It is located 40 kilometers southwest of the capital city of Chennai on the National Highway 4 (India)(old numbering), National Highway 4 and i ...
, after seeking the blessings of Ranganatha. Manavalan paid his obeisance to
Srinivasa
Venkateswara, also known by various other names, is a form of the Hindu god Vishnu. Venkateswara is the presiding deity of the Tirumala Venkateswara Temple, located in Tirupati, Sri Balaji District, Andhra Pradesh, India.
Etymology
Venkatesw ...
at Tirumala, and reached Kanchipuram. At the request of his disciples to glorify the form of Vishnu at Kanchipuram, he composed the ''Devaraja Mangalam'', which praises the glory of Varadharaja in thirteen verses. At Sriperumbudur, Manavalan worshipped Ramanuja, and sought his blessings to formally study
Sri Bhasya
The Sri Bhasya is the most famous work of Sri Ramanuja, (1017–1137). It is his commentary on Sri Badarayana's Vedanta/Brahma Sutra. It was completed when he was around a hundred years old. In his commentary, Ramanuja presents the fundamental ph ...
under an acharya. Ramanuja directed him to Kidambi Manavalan, a descendant of Kidambi Achan. Manavalan exhibited his erudition and scholarship by grasping the intricacies of Sri Bhasya deftly, and then simultaneously expounding it to other disciples. The discourse took place at Yathothkari temple at
Tiruvekkaa
Tiruvekkaa Temple or Yathothkari Perumal Temple (locally called Sonnavannam Seitha Perumall) is a Hindu temple located in Kanchipuram in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu and dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu. Constructed in the Dravidian ...
, where his idol is seen showing the ''vyakhyana mudra'' (the teaching gesture) to commemorate this event.
After visiting several other holy places, Manavalan returned to Srirangam to fully manage the temple affairs. He undertook ''sanyasashrama'' (asceticism) from Sri Sadagopa Jeeyar of Alwarthirunagari (who was his classmate earlier) at Srirangam, to fully involve himself in service to Sri Vaishnavism. It was during this time that he received the appellation ''Alagiya Manavala Mamuni''.
At this point of time, some prominent scholars, namely, Koil Kanthatai Annan,
Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Annan, Erumbi Appa, and Appillai became his disciples.
Philosophy
Manavala Mamunigal continued to live in
Srirangam
Srirangam, is a neighbourhood in the city of Tiruchirappalli in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. A river island, Srirangam is bounded by the Kaveri River on one side and its distributary Kollidam on the other side. Considered as the first amon ...
, and involved himself completely in writing commentaries for works of Pillai Lokacharya. He wrote elaborate commentaries for three of
Pillai Lokacharya
Vāraṇādrīśa, more commonly referred to as Pillai Lokacharya () (1205–1311 CE), was a prominent Sri Vaishnava leader and philosopher who authored several works important to Vishishtadvaita philosophy. Early life
Lokacharya is described ...
's ''rahasya grantha''s (secret texts), namely Mumukshupadi, Sri Vachana Bhushanam, and Thathvathrayam. He also wrote commentaries on the works of swami Arulala Perumal Emperumanar - Gnana Saram and Prameya Saram. He penned commentaries on some decads of Periyalvar Tirumoli, for which the original commentaries of Periyavaccan Pillai were supposed to be lost. In addition, he provided the gist of
Nammalvar
Nammalvar (Tamil: நம்மாழ்வார், lit. 'Our Alvar') was one of the twelve Alvar saints of Tamil Nadu, India, who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses of the Alvars are compiled ...
's
Tiruvaymoli
The ''Tiruvaymoli'' ( ta, திருவாய்மொழி; ) is a 1102-verse Tamil poem, composed in the ninth century by the Hindu poet-saint Nammalvar, who is regarded as the foremost of the Alvar saints of South India. It is the most promi ...
in the form of poetic verses tuned in the
antati
Antati ( ta, அந்தாதி, translit=Antāti) is a unique kind of Tamil poetry, constructed such that the last or ending word of each verse becomes the first word of the next verse.
In some instances, the last word of the series of vers ...
metre in his magnum opus, ''Tiruvaymoli Nootrantati''. Manavalan extolled the greatness of the
Alvars
The Alvars ( ta, ஆழ்வார், Āḻvār, translit-std=ISO, lit=The Immersed) were the Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused ''bhakti'' (devotion) to the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, in their songs of longing, ecstasy, and ...
and the acharyas who wrote commentaries on Tiruvaymoli in his ''Upadesa Ratnamalai'', or the gem-studded garland of instructions. His swansong, ''Arti Prabandham'' - a work composed out of utter despair at having to live in this material world - bears resemblance in part to his earlier Sanskrit work titled ''Yatiraja Vimsati''.
After some time, he returned to Alwartirunagari and started to write commentaries for Acharya Hrudayam. This is a seminal work written by Alagiya Manavalaperumal Manavalan (Pillai Lokacharya's brother), which lays bare the philosophy and basic tenets of Sri Vaishnavism, with words chosen from
Nammalvar
Nammalvar (Tamil: நம்மாழ்வார், lit. 'Our Alvar') was one of the twelve Alvar saints of Tamil Nadu, India, who are known for their affiliation to the Vaishnava tradition of Hinduism. The verses of the Alvars are compiled ...
's Tiruvaymoli. The text was written completely in
Manipravalam
Manipravalam (Malayalam: മണിപ്രവാളം, Tamil: மணிப்பிரவாளம்) is a macaronic language found in some manuscripts of South India. It is a hybrid language, typically written in the Grantha script, which combi ...
, but when trying to teach Acharya Hrudayam, Mamunigal encountered some difficulties. So, he decided to consult with
Ayee Jananyacharya
Ayee Jananyacharya or Devaraja Perumal (1341–1445 CE) was a Hindu Sri Vaishnava religious leader, great saint, and one of the important propagator of the Sri Vaishnavism tradition. Sri Jananyacharya Swami was Seventh in the lineage of Sri R ...
, who was a co-disciple of Tiruyaymolipillai. Ayee was on his way to Alwartirunagari to meet Manavalan. They both met at the outskirts of Alwartirunagari and returned to Manavalan's residence, and the latter studied the secrets of the Acharya Hrudayam.
Literature
Manavala Mamunigal wrote nineteen books known as ''grantha''. Three of these were in
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
, and the rest were in the
Tamil language
Tamil (; ' , ) is a Dravidian language natively spoken by the Tamil people of South Asia. Tamil is an official language of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the sovereign nations of Sri Lanka and Singapore, and the Indian territory of Pudu ...
and
Manipravalam
Manipravalam (Malayalam: മണിപ്രവാളം, Tamil: மணிப்பிரவாளம்) is a macaronic language found in some manuscripts of South India. It is a hybrid language, typically written in the Grantha script, which combi ...
.
Commentaries
#Sri Vachana Bhushanam
#Mumukshuppadi
#Tathvathrayam
#Acharya Hrudhayam
#Gnana Saram
#Prameya Saaram
#Periyalvar Tirumoli
#
Ramanuja Nootrantati
#
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita (; sa, श्रीमद्भगवद्गीता, lit=The Song by God, translit=śrīmadbhagavadgītā;), often referred to as the Gita (), is a 700- verse Hindu scripture that is part of the epic ''Mahabharata'' (c ...
(known as Gita Tatparyadipika) - Kanchi Sri Bhayankaram Annangaracharyar Swami lists this commentary in his Sri Manavala Mamunigal Vaibhavam book (1971) as a work of Swami Manavala Mamunigal, but also says it is lost forever.
Compilations
Pramana Tirattu
#Eedu
#Sri Vachana Bhushanam
#Tathvathrayam
Independent works
#Upadesa Ratnamalai
#Tiruvaymoli Nootrantati
#Iyal Satthu
#Thiruvaradhana Kramam (known as Jeeyar Padi or Nityam)
#Yathiraja Vimsathi
#Devaraja Mangalam
#Sri Kanchi Devapperumal Stotram
#Arti Prabhandham
#Independent quatrains on the Vishnu Temples of Kanchipuram, the various sanctums of the Kanchi Varadaraja Temple, and the Vishnu Temples around the birthplace of Nammalvar, Alwartirunagari.
According to tradition, during his old age, Manavalan discovered that part of Periyavachan Pillai's commentary on Periyalvar Tirumoli was missing. So, he duly restored the lost portion of the commentary. It is also noted that he composed the commentary on Acharya Hrdayam with great difficulty, as his health was failing. When he became very ill, preventing him from worshiping at the temple, he dedicated one Tamil stanza a day, expressing to Ramanuja his anguish at staying in this world, and his eagerness to reach
Vaikuntham. These collected verses became known as ''Arti Prabandham'', his last work.
Legacy
Manavalan's devotional practices towards Vishnu, especially the presiding deity of Srirangam, and the lineage of teachers like Ramanuja, left an indelible influence on his followers, numbering several millions throughout India. His influence can be traced to everyday observances till this date.
His eight famous disciples are known as ''Ashtadiggajas'' (elephants of the eight directions): Vanamamalai Jeeyar, Paravasthu Bhattar Piran Jeeyar, Tiruvengada Jeeyar, Koil Kandhaadai Annan,
Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Annan, Erumbi Appaa, Appillai, and Appillan. Prathivadhi Bhayankaram Annan's
Sri Venkateswara Suprabhatham is widely known. In that work and in the connected
prapatti and mangala stotras he refers to the "God of the Seven Hills" as residing in the heart of Manavala Mamunigal. The teacher-disciple tradition has been followed for over six centuries and exists intact today amongst 74 ''simhasana adipatis''.
The traditional Sri Vaishnava mathas at Srirangam, Tirumala, Kanchi, Melkote, Vanamamalai, Sriperumbudur, Alwarthirunagari, Srivilliputthur, and descendants of most of the Acharya Purushas follow and propagate Manavala Mamunigal's teachings. The Vijayanagara kings and Nayak kings patronized Sri Vaishnavism, inspired by the teachings of Manavala Mamunigal, and his disciples.
The ''taniyan'' or ''vandana slokam'' (eulogy) of Manavala Mamunigal, "Sri Sailesa dayapattram", is chanted across Sri Vaishnava temples, including Tirumala, Srirangam, Kanchi, Melkote, Yadadri (Telangana), and many more across India and abroad.
References
External links
Manavala mamunigal sabhaPhotos of Sri Manavala Mamunigal - From Divyadesamonline.comManavala Mamunigal Life History and Works - From acharya.orgSri Vaishnava.org
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mamunigal, Manavala
Sri Vaishnava religious leaders
13th-century Indian philosophers
Indian Hindu spiritual teachers
Vaishnavism
Sri Vaishnavism
1370 births
1450 deaths
Medieval Hindu religious leaders
14th-century Indian philosophers
People from Thoothukudi district
Scholars from Tamil Nadu
Tamil Hindu saints