Crown of Sottai Kulam : Part I

Crown of Sottai Kulam ( Sri Satamarshana Gothram) – Sriman Nathamunigal :

Part - I

So far we have got cleared that, Alwars are Emperuman Himself and Sriman Nathamunigal has bridged us the path toward Their Lotus Feet. Now we shall see some Aacharyas who belong to Sriman Natha Munigal's paternal lineage. This we see to understand a basic fact that, as told by the lay-men, Sri Vaishnavam has not been invented by either Sriman Nathamunigal or by our beloved Udayavar. Rather, Sri Vaishnavam was a tradition existing from time immemorial, which dates very back to the creation of Lord Sri Brahma Deva in the Krutha Yuga in the 'Prathama kalpa' as given by the Vedic texts, Samhitas and Upanishads. 

Our Sri Vaishnavam was reviewed by Sriman Natha Munigal with the sacred texts of Alwars. He made 'Ubhayavedhanthas' to exist as two eyes of our Sampradhaya. Sri Alavandhar aptly saved this tradition and Sri Udayavar made it accessible to even the modest of the society. Later Swamy Sri Nigamantha Mahadesikan cleansed the same and directed people towards the right path of Sri Udayavar. Because in his days, there were efforts to illegally 'copyright' Sri Vaishnavam to appear that it belongs to some factional groups claiming the 'False-Inheritance' pertaining to certain people only.  

Sriman Nathamunigal comes in the celebrated lineage of Sri Satamarshana Maharishi. The great sages like Sri Aapasthambar, the author of Aapasthamba Suthram, Aangirasar, Brahma-nandhi, Pundareekakshar, Brahmathanthrar and others belong to this lineage. There was a great aacharyan in this lineage during the last years of Dwapara Yuga. His name is Sri Pundareekakshar (Sri Padhmaksha muni, to differentiate him from the other Pundareekakshar who existed before this swamy). This aacharyan did 'Thapas' at Thirumalai and was ordered by Sri Srinivasar to take care of His Dhivya Mangala Swaroopam as his ancestors did. Then this Swamy was doing a lot of Kainkaryams to Sri Thirumalai appan.  He came to know that the Lord as Sri Krishna has arrived at 'Yathavathri' ( Sri Thirunarayana Puram).

Then he went and prostrated before the Lord. The Lord acknowledged this great Aacharyan and had an elaborate discussion on Dharma Saastras. At the end, the aacharya requested Lord to show the way of educating the souls during the darker days of approaching Kali. The Lord moved by the devotion and care, gave his idol of "Sri Vennai Koothar" ( Sri Navaneetha Nata Krishnan, later became the nithyaradhana deity of Sri Udayavar along with Sri Devaperumal deity which He possessed.

He got this idol from Sri Saila Poornar and later this was handed over to his 'Abhimana Puthrar and the Prathama Simhasanathipathi of Sri Bhashya Bagavath Vishaya Ubhaya Vedhantha Simhasanam Sri Thirukurugai Piran Pillan along with Sri Lakshmi Hayagrivar and Aalavandhar Vigrahams. Later these Vigrahams reached Swamy Desikan and enjoyed his thiruvaradhanam) and asked him to do the nithya Thiruvaradhana and to continue with the kainkaryam of Thiruvenkadavan.