Koorathalwar Thirunakshatram
Today is the Thirunakshatram of Swami Koorathalwar, a disciple who gave his very eyes for his Acharya Sri Ramanuja. This year marks the 999th year of Swami Koorathalwar. The next year, 2010 marks the 1000th year of Swami and there are many plans to celebrate it very grandly in various Sri Vaishnava temples and more importantly in Kooram, Swami’s birth place. We will soon have a post on the celebrations planned so you can participate and help in whatever way you can.
Swami Koorathalwar was born as Kuresan in the small town of Kooram {near Kaanchipuram}. He hailed from a well-off family, but lead a life of simplicity & charity. Kuresan had a gem of a person in his wife, Sri Andalamma. Eveyday he fed the poor & needy in his home. During this time Kuresan became a disciple of Swami Ramanuja in Kanchipuram. They developed a very close relationship and had great regard for each other. But soon Sri Ramanuja decided that he has to move to Sri Rangam to further spread Sri Vaishnavam and left Kanchipuram.
Koorathalwar & his wife continued their daily life of charity and feeding the poor. One such day, as they closed the doors of their home after the daily alms, the sound was so loud that it was heard in by Lord Vardaraja & his divine consort Perundevi Thayar in Kanchipuram. Thayar queried the Lord as to the cause of the gong reverberating through the night air. The Lord turned to his chief priest, Kanchipurna or Thirukachi Nambhi who answered that it was Sri Koorathalwar closing his doors after the daily alms. The Lord and Perundevi-piratti, very pleased to know of Kuresa and his piety and charity, commanded that Kuresan be brought to their Presence. Swami Thirukachi Nambhi hastened to Kura to bring Koorathalwar.
At Kura, when Koorathalwar came to know from Thirukachi Nambhigal the purpose of his visit, he became extremely indignant with himself. “What?! Did the clanging of my doorway disturb the Lord and His Consort in Kanchi?! What a conceited wretch am I that I should let my charity be announced thus to the whole world! What a vain sinner am I!”. The very instant Koorathalwar decided that he had to renounce all his wealth and surrender to his Acharya, Sri Ramanuja at Sri Rangam. Koorathalwar left for Sri Rangam with his wife Andalamma and became a disciple of Sri Ramanuja.
More about Swami Koorathawar’s life can be read here – www.saranagathi.org/acharyas/kuresar/life.htm
One correction: The name should be Kooraththazhvan
and not Kooraththazhvar. The latter is the name
of the father of the former.
adiyEn
Thank you once again for correcting me swami. I thought Kooraththazhvar was a more respected way of telling Koorathazhvan. Please do correct me whenever you find any mistakes.
Adiyean.