We have seen how Lord Varadan put his stamp of approval on Ramanuja’s Sribhashyam venture, by his famous six sentences through Kanchipoorna.
2. Varadan on Garuda vahana is described as acharyas as “visible brahmam”. Garuda is Vedas personified, and by lifting and showing Varadan to the world proclaiming “He is the Brahman I describe in vedas” . Varadan on Garuda rushing to the rescue of Gajendra is the event remembered by each Srivaishnava on waking up everyday by reciting the verses “graahagrasthe….”, and “nakrakranthe…” of Nadadur Ammal.
3. Ramanuja grew up around Vardan temple, did daily aradana to him lifelong, and was connected with Varadan in all events in his life like sannyasam, shift to Srirangam, etc. Following him Sri Vedanta Desikan was born in Thoopul, close to Vardan temple 250 years later, and he was also launched into an illustrious career by Varadan. During his time, Islamic invaders terrorized the country with ruthless slaughter of the masses, looting,destruction and burning of texts. Desikan risked his life to preserve the Sribhashyam text. Desikan is prominent in the tenkalai Sribhashya guruparamparai also.
4. Sri PBA swamy, one of the sampradaya giants of the last century has explained how the first verse of Tiruvaimozhi is an accurate description of Varadan as Parabrahmam in each of the four lines.
a) உயர்வற உயர்நலம்… The nalam or noble quality unique to Varadan is called nirhetuka kripa, spontaneous grace. Varam means a boon, invariably in return for some merit or good deed. But Varadan’s grace is just for the asking. One may ask why ,then, there is so much suffering in the world. The clouds may pour rains, and rivers full of water. Unless one digs a pond or well to receive the water, he has to suffer. We fail to draw His grace to us.
This line is important, because in one stroke it destroys the contention that brahman is nirguna.
b) மயர்வற மதிநலம்… This is the intellectual clarity for which Ramanuja prayed in the first dhyanasloka. We have seen how Varadan clarified Ramanuja’s doubts by his six sentences.
This line is the basis of our holding jnana as an attribute of brahmam and jivan.
c)அயர்வறும் அமரர்கள் அதிபதி … The moolavar is known as Devadi Rajan, which is what these words mean.
This shows brahman is not nirvisesham.
d) துயரறு சுடரடி…. These lines mean “the resplendent feet which banish distress”. In Varadan moolasthanam we get darshan of Him in five moorthys, one named “Pranata aarti haran,” which Sanskrit terms translate into “one who destroys the distress of devotees”.
5. Acharyas have held that Srivaishnava darsanam (darsanam means way, path, creed,etc.,) is the ultimate goal of Sribhashyam. Darsanam also means sight, and Varadan is reputed as one who grants vision or eyesight. Koorathazhwan had his eyesight restored by Him. When the venerable Kamakoti Paramacharya of Kanchi was advised an eye surgery, he said “do it close to Varadan sannidhi, under the benign glance of the darsana praksaka”.
6. Kanchi is the only mukti kshetra in the South mentioned in ancient texts. We shall next look at the role of Melkote Tirunarayanapuram.
About Sribhashyam 