Tirukacchi Nambi

Here is a brief write-up about Sri Tirukacchi Nambi, one of the gurus of Sri Ramanujacharya. I am thankful to Sri.Mathre Rangarajan who gave me this article (originally written by Sri.Ranga Madabushi).

When Sri Tirukacchi Nambi was living in Poovirundavalli (a suburb of Chennai now known as Poonthamalli/Poonamalle), Sri Varadaraja Perumal of Kanchipuram came in his dreams and instructed him to proceed to Kanchipuram and do pushpa Kainkaryam to HIM. HE also showed Sri Nambi how to reach HIS place. According to the wishes of Perumal, Sri Tirukacchi Nambi created a Nandavanam in Poovirundavalli, spending all his wealth bequeathed from his father Sri Veeraraghava Chettiyar. The place was renamed as Poovirunthavalli (abounding with flowers) on the basis of the beautiful nandavanam (garden of flowers) created by Sri Tirukacchi Nambi. He used to make garlands out of the flowers from the garden daily and went by walk all the way to Kanchipuram (a distance of around 50 kms) and offered them to Perumal.

On seeing the tired Sri Tirukacchi Nambi while doing his pushpa kankaryam, Perarulala Perumal (another name of Sri Varadaraja in Kanchipuram) took pity on him and instructed him to stay in Kanchipuram itself and do alavatta (fan made of palm leaves covered with silk cloth) kainkaryam to cool HIM down of the heat as Perumal had came out of the sacred Fire. Thereafter Sri Nambigal was regularly doing Alavatta kaingaryam to Perumal and with great devotion, meticulously took great care of HIM. Perumal Devathirajan was very happy of HIS ardent devotee and decided to come out of HIS Archai posture (a prathista swaroopa of the Sacred Form) to have conversation with Sri Tirukacchi Nambi side by side every day. As ordered by Perarulalaperumal Sri Nambi got Pancha Samskaram (five regulations followed to be a true Srivaishnavan, viz. (1) to have *Samacharayanam by Acharya (2) to have Thiruman (3) to get self surrendered to Iswara (4) to get (through Acharya) the three sacred Mantras (5) to worship Bhagavan daily with bakthi)

One day when Sri Tirukacchi Nambi was conversing with Perumal he asked HIM when he will get Moksha. Perumal replied that he would get Moksha when he gets the Bhagavatha Abhimanam (to get the influence of an Acharya by doing kaingaryam to him).

Sri Tirukacchi Nambi decided to get Bhagavatha Abimanam from Sri Thirukotiyur Nambigal who was living in Srirangam. But he could not straight away request Sri Thirukotiyur Nambi to have him as his syshya. He first disguised himself as a cow keeper and started working in the Ashramam of Sri Thirukotiyr Nambi. Sri Tirukacchi Nambi adopted a unique method to attract Sri Thirukottiyur Nambi’s attention.

One day Sri Tirukotiyur Nambi noticed that Sri Tirukacchi Nambi had not returned to the Ashramam with the cow. It was raining at that time. Therefore Sri Thirukotiyur Nambi went in search of his cow keeper. He found Sri Tirukacchi Nambi in bare body lying on his cloths spread on the cow. When Sri Thirukotiyur Nambi asked the cow keeper why he was doing like that, Sri Tirukacchi Nambi told him that if the cow was drenched it would suffer from cold and if Sri Thirukotiyur Nambi drank the milk he would also catch cold. Therefore he was protecting the cow from the rain in order to save his master. On reaching the Ashram, Sri Thirukotiyur Nambi very much impressed by the reverence shown towards him of the cow keeper, offered him food. On successfully getting the abimanam of Sri Thirukotiyur Nambi, the cow keeper revealed that he was none other than Sri Tirukacchi Nambi and told him about the purpose of his visit.

There were innumerable incidents when Sri Perarulala Perumal came to the rescue of Sri Tirukacchi Nambi. One day the Rathna Haram (The Sacred Diamond Necklace) of Perumal was missing. When the King asked the Archakas how the necklace was missing, they told the king that Sri Tirukacchi Nambi only was always with Perumal and he is responsible for the missing necklace. The King arrested Sri Tirukacchi Nambi as he could not give any explanation. After 7 ½ hours, Perumal came in the dreams of the King and informed him that HE only kept the necklace hidden for 7 ½ hours in order to reduce the 7 ½ years of Sani Dasai which gripped Sri Tirukacchi Nambigal. The King realizing the attachment and closeness of Sri Tirukacchi Nambi with Sri Perarulala Perumal, released him immediately. Sri Tirukacchi Nambi rushed to Devaperumal sannadhi and fell at HIS lotus feet and outpoured his heart with tears of mystic feeling rendered the famous, auspicious prabandham “Devarajashtagam” in praise of Sri Varadaraja Perumal.

Before Sri Ramanuja took sanyasam, he was called Ilayazhwar. Sri Ilayazwar used to get all his doubts cleared by Perarulalaperumal through Sri Tirukacchi Nambi as he used to have conversation with Perumal directly. Once Sri Ilayazhwar was upset and sought the help of Sri Tirukacchi Nambi to get the matters solved which were churning his mind. When Sri Tirukacchi Nambi told Perumal about Sri Ilayazwar’s predicament, Perumal asked Sri Nambi to convey the following six words to Sri Ilayazhwar:

(1) I am the Paratathvam (I am Paramathma (Supreme Being)
(2) The individual souls are different from Paramaatma (Chith, Achith and Iswara/Paramathma)
(3) The solution is Saranagathi (to attain salvation self surrender at my feet)
(4) No need for last remembrance (about ME) when the soul is departing
(5) Moksha at the last stage of body (Moksha can be obtained only on laying off mortal body)
(6) Seek refuge at the feet of Periya Nambi (Get the Panchasamaskarathigal* from Sri Periya Nambi).

Sri Ilayazhwar was very happy as he was having the same thoughts and Perumal confirmed them through Sri Tirukacchi Nambi.

Sri Tirukacchi Nambi lived for many more years doing alavatta kainkaryam to Sri Perarulala Perumal and continued to have personal kataksham from Sri Varadaraja Perumal. In view of this our elder learned scholars say that Sri Tirukacchi Nambi had his Prathista Swaroopa (Archa Thirumeni) installed in Poovirundavalli even when he was alive.