Ranganathar is a resting form of Lord Vishnu, recumbent on the great form of the serpent god Adisesha, one of the foremost of Hindu Gods.
The Pancharanga Kshetrams are the five most sacred Ranganatha temples which are located on the banks of the Kaveri River.
The five Pancharanga Kshetrams in the order of their successive locations, on the banks of the Kaveri River are:
The Srirangapatna (Karnataka) called the Adi Ranga,
The Srirangam, Trichy in Tamil Nadu known as Adya Ranga (the last temple),
Appalarangam or Koviladi at Tiurppernagar in Tamil Nadu,
Vatarangam near Sirkazhi, Vadarengam, Tamil Nadu,
The Sarangapani temple at Kumbakonam is mentioned in place of Vatarangam.
RANGANAYAKI THAYAR
Ranganayaki, is the presiding Goddess of Ranganatha Swamy.
She is regarded as the manifestation of Lakshmi.
As with Hindu tradition,
the shrine has both a Moolavar and an Uthsavar (presiding deity).
Unlike other temples in SriRangam temple, the Uthsavar of Thayar never leaves her sannathi (shrine).
It is a temple custom that the goddess of the temple takes her place beside the god of the temple
during processions. In Srirangam, however, Thayar never leaves her sannathi. All others, including
Ranganatha himself, come to see her.
VISHWAKSENAR
Vishwaksenar, also known as Senai Mudalvar (Sena Mudaliar).
The Kurma Purana describes Vishvaksena as born out of a portion of Vishnu,
carrying a conch (shankha), Sudarshana chakra (discus) and gada (mace) and wearing yellow clothes.
The twelve Alvar saints of Sri Vaishnavism sect are considered as manifestations of Vishnu
in some form, and the Alvar saint Nammalvar is considered as an avatar of Vishvaksena.
Vishvaksena occupies an important place in the Vaikhanasa sect of Vaishnavism, the sect dedicated to Vishnu.
Any ritual or function begins with the worship of Vishvaksena.
Nathamuni was born at Viranarayana Puram. His birth star was Anusham.
His father's name was Isvara Bhaṭṭa and his son's name was Isvaramuni. His grandson was Yamunacharya.
He came to know about Nalayira Divya Prabhandam, but he heard only 10 hymns. He wanted the rest.
He recited 12000 times, Kanninun Siruthambu, a poem in praise of Nammazhwar.
Nammazhwar appeared and gave the 4000 hymns (Nalayira Divya Prabhandam).
UYYAKONDAR
Name:
Pundareekaakshar later named Uyyakondar by Nathamunigal.
BIRTHPLACE:
Tiruvellarai
Month:
Chiththirai Karthikai.
Nathamunigal had two prominent students, Pundareekaakshar and Kurukai kavalappan.
Uyakkondar had five prominent students, of whom Manarkal nambi (also known as Rama mishra)
was the most popular and important to Srivaishnava Samprathayam.
MANAKKAL NAMBI
Name:
Manakkal Nambi (Rama Misrar)
BIRTHPLACE:
Anbil, near Trichy
Month:
Masi Magam.
The credit for transforming Yamunai thuraivan into Yamuna Muni goes to him.
Rama misrar told Alavandhar that his grandfather Sri Nathamuni had passed on the family wealth (kula
dhanam) that needs to be handed over to Sri Alavandhar. Alavandhar said, "in that case, give me that."
YAMUNACHARYA
Yamunacharya also known as Alavandar and Periya Mudaliar.
As a teenager he challenged the royal priest Akkiyalvan of the Pandya king (the name of the king is disputed).
Akkiyalvan, when he saw the age of the youth, asked sarcastically "alavandara?" meaning "has he come to rule me?".
He defeated Akkiyalvan proving through the accepted rules of logic.
After years of rule, Mannakal Nambi tricked him into visiting the temple of Ranganatha.
There, he had an epiphany and gave up the material duties of a king and became a sanyasin embracing saranagati.
PERIYA NAMBI
MONTH:
Margazhi Kettai
BIRTHPLACE:
Srirangam
ACHARYAN:
Alavandhar
He was one of the prime sishyas of alavandhar and instrumental in bringing ramanujar to srirangam.
After alavandhar’s time, all the srivaishnavas in srirangam request periya nambi to go and bring ramanujar to srirangam.
So, he leaves srirangam with his family and travels towards kanchipuram.
In the mean time, ramanujar also leaves kanchipuram to meet periya nambi.
They both meet at madhuranthagam and periya nambi does pancha samskaram to him right there.
RAMANUJAR
NAME:
Ilayazhvar
BIRTHPLACE:
Sriperumbudur
MONTH:
Chitra Tiruvatarai
AVATAR OF:
AADHI SESHAN
PARENTS:
Mother Kānthimathi and Father Kesava Somayaji.
The Sri Vaisnava tradition attributes nine Sanskrit texts to Ramanuja
Vedarthasangraha (literally, "Summary of the Vedas meaning").
Sri Bhashya (a review and commentary on the Brahma Sutras).
Bhagavad Gita Bhashya (a review and commentary on the Bhagavad Gita).
Vedantapida.
Vedantasara.
Gadya Trayam (which is a compilation of three texts called the Saranagati Gadyam, Sriranga Gadyam and Srivaikunta Gadyam).
Nitya Grantham.
EMBAR (GOVINDAR)
MONTH:
Thai Punarpusam
BIRTHPLACE:
Madhuramangalam
WORKS:
Vijnana sthuthi, Emperumanar vadivazhagu pasuram.
Acharya:
Periya Nambi
Sishyas:
Parasara bhattar, Vedha vyasa bhattar.
Govindha perumal was born in madhuramangalam born as the son of kamala nayana bhattar and sridhevi ammal.
He is a cousin of emperumanar and was instrumental in saving emperumanar
from being killed during varanasi yathrai with yadhava prakasar.
Emperumanar visits periya thirumalai nambi at thirupathi and learns sri ramayanam from him.
Swamy Emberumanar had many Sishyas as everybody knows.
Each and every Sishya had a Sishya or Sishyas for them and that is how the "Emberumanar dharisanam" grew.
PILLAI LOKACHARYA
Name:
Ulagasiriyar, Lokacharyar
Month:
Aippasi Thiruvonam
Birth Place:
Srirangam
Amsam:
Kanchi Devaraja (Varadaraja) Perumal
Works:
Sri Pillai Lokacharya authored 18 Ragasya Granthas collectively known as Astaadasa Ragasya.
All these works are done in Manipravaalam (a mix of Tamil and Sanskrit languages).
The name Ulag-Ariya (or Lokacharya) first became associated with Sri Nampillai when
Sri Kanthadai Thozhappar celebrated him as the acharya for the world
("kanthadai thozhappar tham ugappal enna ulagariyano enru uraikka").
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