Sri Dhanurdasar & Srimathi Ponnaachiyaar

Sri Dhanurdasar & Srimathi Ponnaachiyaar

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In the Chozha Divyadesam of Uraiyur [Thirukkozhi], there lived a wrestler named Dhanurdasar. He was the bodyguard of the Chozha King. He had a beautiful wife named Ponnaachiyaar.

One day, on a hot afternoon, Dhanurdasar and Ponnaachiyaar were on their way to Srirangam [to worship Sri Namperumal during the Brahmothsavam]. Dhanurdasar was quite concerned that the hot rays of the sun may scorch his wife's beauty. So, he carefully held an umbrella for her such that she'd be totally protected from the rays.

A short distance away, Swami Ramanujacharya and His Shishyas were arriving from the banks of River Kaveri after completing the Maadhyaanika ablutions.

Some Shishyas of Swami Ramanuja informed the Acharya about the excessive attention Dhanurdasar showed to his wife. Swami Ramanuja asked a couple of His Shishyas to bring Dhanurdasar to Him. When they did, Swami Ramanuja said, "O wrestler, you are someone who would not care for your life and are fierce in the battlefield. Why do you show this excessive attention to your wife?"

Dhanurdasar promptly said, "Sire, I am a slave of her beautiful eyes. Deeply caught in the mesh of their beauty, I want to serve her beauty!"

Swami Ramanuja smiled slightly and asked, "What if I show you a pair of eyes that far surpasses the beauty of your wife's eyes?"

Dhanurdasar exclaimed, "Sire, if such a pair of eyes indeed exists, I shall surely become a slave of those eyes!"

Swami Ramanuja said, "Come along with me!" Ponnaachiyaar too followed her husband.

Swami Ramanuja took the wrestler & made him stand in front of the Garbagruham of Sri Ranganatha Perumal and prayed to Sri Ranganatha Perumal thus: "O Sri Ranganatha! For the sake of this humble servant, pray kindly show the beauty of Thy incomparably beautiful eyes to Dhanurdasa!"

The next moment, Sri Ranganatha Perumal enabled both Dhanurdasar and Ponnaachiyaar to see His Eyes - the very Eyes that are fit to drink the beauty of Sri Mahalakshmi. The couple was thunderstruck.

Sri Dhanurdasar was beside Himself with ecstasy. He immediately fell at Swami Ramanuja's Feet and shed tears of great gratitude.

Swami Ramanuja said, "Arise, dear Dhanurdasa!"

Swami Ramanujacharya awarded the couple Pancha Samskaram and thus the couple became Swami's Shishyas. The couple showed exemplary devotion to Swami Ramanuja. With time, They won the heart of Their Guru with Their impeccable devotion & conduct.

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One day, when Swami Ramanuja was explaining Sri Vibhishana Sharanagathi in Srimad Ramayanam, Sri Dhanurdasar stood up in the middle of the discourse.

"What is it, my child?" asked Swami Ramanuja.

"O Acharya, if Vanaras examined the integrity of Sri Vibhishana, who had left behind all His relatives and possessions, how will my lowly self, who is still attached to kinsmen and wealth, attain Moksha?" asked Sri Dhanurdasar in a voice choked with emotion.

Swami Ramanuja smiled and said, "Grieve not, my child! You shall attain Moksha by virtue of your association with my feet. I shall attain by virtue of my association with my Acharya's Feet. So on and so forth. Our Guru Parampara reaches the divine Feet of Swami Nammazhwar, who has attained Moksha, and ends with the Sri Ranganatha, the Beloved of our most compassionate Mother Sri Mahalakshmi!"

Sri Dhanurdasar beamed in delight and bowed to Swami Ramanuja’s Feet in sheer gratitude.

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Another day, 4 Shishyas of Swami Ramanuja [Sri Ecchaan, Sri Thondanur Nambi, Sri Maruthur Nambi, Sri Thiruvananthazhwan] prostrated at Swami Ramanuja's Feet and said, "O Acharya, we have a confusion - does the Athma have only one Acharya? Or does it have many Acharyas? Pray kindly clarify!"

Swami Ramanuja merely said, "Present this question to Ponnaachiyaar. She'll answer!"

The 4 Shishyas went to Sri Dhanurdasar's house & knocked. When Srimathi Ponnaachiyaar opened the doors, They greeted Her with joined palms and said, "O Swamini, our Acharya Swami Ramanuja instructed us to obtain a clarification from Your Majesty" and explained the query.

Srimathi Ponnaachiyaar unbraided Her hair, tied up all strands together again and pulled them into a bun. And then, She said, "How can this lowly self answer such a question, O respected Sirs? May Swami Ramanuja answer it, please!" And then, She took a thread of saffron color that was lying on the ground, placed it on Her head and went inside a room.

The 4 Shishyas were perplexed and went back to Swami Ramanuja and said, "O Acharya, Srimathi Ponnaachiyaar said that it is beyond Her and that only Your Majesty can answer our query!"

However, Swami Ramanuja asked, "What was she doing when you were conversing with her?"

The Shishyas explained all that They had observed. Swami Ramanuja smiled slightly and said, "She has answered your query."

The 4 Shishyas were astonished. "How is it, O Acharya? Pray enlighten us!" They pleaded.

Swami Ramanuja explained:

"When she unbraided her hair, she indicated that one may have many Acharyas from different perspectives.

By tying all strands of her hair together & pulling them into a single bun, she indicated that only one Acharya, however, shall grant Paramapadham.

By placing a saffron thread on her head, she has indicated that I [i.e. Swami Ramanuja] am that one Acharya who'd grant Moksham.

By entering inside a room, she has indicated that one should keep me [Swami Ramanuja] inside one's heart and worship me with devotion."

The 4 Shishyas were truly moved by the Guru Bhakthi and humility of Srimathi Ponnaachiyaar.

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Sri Dhanurdasar's heart was so devoid of pride that Swami Ramanuja touched Him after bathing in Kaveri to purify Himself! So, He came to be known as Sri Ramanuja Sparshavedhi, the alchemist who was touched by Swami Ramanuja.

Nonetheless, this act of Swami Ramanujacharya left some Shishyas disappointed. "All said and done, this is against Varnashrama Dharma! He is of the Shudra Varna. Isn’t our Acharya a Brahmanotthama?" they whispered amongst themselves.

The omniscient Swami Ramanuja sensed this dissatisfaction. He took one of His trusted Shishyas into confidence and made a secret plan!

The Shishya went to the place where all Shishyas in the Mutt dried their clothes. He silently tore a very small portion of each garment!

And then, the same Shishya awaited the hour Sri Dhanurdhasar left for work [as the King's bodyguard] in the night. The Shishya crept into Sri Dhanurdasar's house and started taking the gold jewels Srimathi Ponnachiyaar was wearing!!

Srimathi Ponnachiyaar woke up and realized that a Shishya of Swami Ramanuja is stealing Her jewels. She feigned sleep and waited till He removed all jewels that She had been wearing on one side of Her body!!! And then, She acted as though She were turning to Her side in Her sleep so that the Shishya can take the remaining jewels!!!! However, the Shishya panicked and ran away with whatever He had taken.

When Sri Dhanurdhasar came back home & saw His wife, "Why are you wearing jewels on only one side of your body?!" He wondered aloud. Srimathi Ponnaachiyaar narrated what had happened. However, Sri Dhanurdhasar was not pleased with what She had done.

"Had you remained still like an inanimate object, without any sense of ego, the Shishya would have taken all jewels! You acted on your own will! Alas!" He lamented.

Srimathi Ponnaachiyaar asked, "Did you not teach me that we should act according to the wishes of Sri Vaishnavas?"

The Shishya, who had taken the jewels, was secretly listening to this most unusual conversation [as that was His Guru's order]!!

The next day in Swami Ramanujacharya's Matam, the Shishyas saw that a small portion of each of their garments was torn! They uttered very harsh words and cursed each other. Swami Ramanuja was silently watching this.

That afternoon, when giving His usual discourses on Azhwar Pasurams, Swami Ramanuja summoned Sri Dhanurdasar & asked, "Dhanurdasa! Is it true that you & Ponnaachiyaar have had a misunderstanding and that you are not in talking terms with Her?"

Sri Dhanurdasar admitted the truth & narrated the incidents that led to the situation. He said, "O Acharya, she has not given up the sense of 'I' and so, we couldn't serve that Sri Vaishnava. Pray do punish her, O Acharya!"

Swami Ramanujacharya looked at those Shishyas who had created such a commotion for the sake for slightly torn clothes!

"You see? She tries to help a Sri Vaishnava take all her gold jewels & he apologizes for she not staying still till all jewels were taken. Whereas do you all remember the commotion you all had created just because a small portion of your garments was torn?" asked the great Acharya!

The Shishyas realized the exalted nobility of Sri Dhanurdasar and Srimathi Ponnaachiyaar & apologized for their mistake.

And then, Swami Ramanujacharya explained: "They have acquired great Gnanam & Bhakthi towards Sriman Narayana. Therefore, They are above Varna barriers. I might be having some pride due to my Varna but Dhanurdasa has no such pride. So, I purify myself by touching the most pious Dhanurdasa after bathing!"

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When Sri Dhanurdasar attained Paramapadham, Srimathi Ponnaachiyaar too left for Paramapadham on the very same day [as She could not remain separated from a Parama Bhaagavathaa like Him].

Acharya Sri Parashara Bhattar performed the last rites of the great couple.

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