- 01
In Melkote there was a scholar, Vedānti, whose reputation had spread far. Ramanuja in his old age had wished to bring him to Viśiṣṭādvaita, but had no time, and had conveyed the intention to Bhattar. Ananthalvan was at Siruputtur. Bhattar sent word that he was proceeding to Melkote and sought Ananthalvan’s blessing. Ananthalvan received him, embraced him, accompanied him, and was present at the debate, which lasted several days and ended in Bhattar’s triumph. Bhattar returned to Srirangam, leaving Ananthalvan on the bank of the Kāverī.
- 02
Vedānti chose the order of the sannyāsin. He divided his wealth into three parts, gave two to his two wives, and took the third as offering to Bhattar. On the way, at Siruputtur, he prostrated. Ananthalvan was taken aback. “Why this transformation? You are of soft delicate structure. Is this necessary to attain moksha? Had you taken a cool bath when warm, eaten when hungry, and lived surrendered at Śrī Bhattar’s feet, would you have been rejected from Śrī Vaikuṇṭha? What was the need of sannyāsa-dharma? But then I am trying to build a dam after the floods have breached. You have already embraced sannyāsa. May you be born in Tirumantram, grow in Dvayam, recite the Dvayam always, and earn kainkarya-śrī from it. Henceforth you will be a dvayaika-niṣṭha.”
- 03
Sri P.B. Annangaracharyar Swami records the same meeting after the wives had refused food to hungry bhāgavatas. Nanjeeyar, already taken into the fold by Bhattar, was still in gṛhasthāśrama. That episode made him split the wealth, take sannyāsa, and set out for Srirangam to live at Bhattar’s feet. Anandazhvar met him on that road. The rebuke is the same.
- 04
The word he left is this: a man may live an ordinary life in this world and still reach Him, if he does not grow attached to it and if he surrenders at an ācārya’s lotus feet. Severe austerity is not the means. Maṇavāḷa Māmuṉi later said the same in the Upadeśa-rattina-mālai: if one reaches an ācārya who has true knowledge and true anuṣṭhāna, the Lord of Śrī who stands on the lotus gives Vaikuṇṭha Himself.
- 05
That does not mean one does nothing after surrender. Ananthalvan’s own life is the lesson. He did not give up his duties to his ācārya or to the Lord, though his sambandha with Śrī Rāmānuja was already complete. The pūrvācāryas say the soul’s journey is surrendered to the ācārya. The body’s journey in this world is surrendered to Him, by doing one’s duties, and so the karmas gathered here are cleansed.
gyAnam anuttAnam ivai nanRAgavE udai yanAna guruvai adainthakkAl - man^ilaththeer! thEnAr kamalath thirumAmagaL kozhunan thAnE vaikuntham tharum
O people of this world! If you reach (surrender) to an acharya who has the true knowledge and follows the prescribed rituals, He who is the Lord of Sri who stands on a lotus, will give you Vaikunta without you having to do anything further.
Sri Manavala Mamunigal, Upadesarattinamalai