piLLai lOkam jIyar

sri:
srimathE rAmAnujAya nama:
srimadh varavaramunayE nama:
sri vAnAchala mahAmunayE nama:

piLLai lOkam jIyar, thiruvallikkENi

thirunakshathram: chithrai, thiruvONam (sravaNam)

avathAra sthalam: kAnchIpuram

AchAryan: satakOpAchAryar

Works: thanian vyAkyAnams, rAmAnujArya dhivya charithai, yathIndhra pravaNa prabhAvam, vyAkyAnam for rAmAnusa nURRanthAdhi, vyAkyAnams for most of mAmunigaL’s srIsUkthis, vyAkyAnams for some rahasya granthams, vyAkyAnam for cheyya thAmarai thAzhinai (mAmunigaL vAzhi thirunAmam), srI vaishNava samayAchAra nishkarsham

Born in kAnchipuram, he was the great-grandson of paravasthu pattarpirAn jIyar (who is one of the ashta-dik-gajangaL (eight prime sishyas) of mAmunigaL) and was named varadhAchAryar. He became to be popularly known as piLLai lOkam jIyar and piLLai lOkAchArya jIyar.

He renovated the sthalasayana perumAL temple in thirukkadalmallai (mahAbalipuram – mAmallapuram) and re-established proper code of worship in this temple. He was honoured by the king for his contribution and his descendants are continuing to enjoy special honours at the temple even today.

He was a great scholar and a great historian as well. Not much is known about his life. But his works are of great importance to our sampradhAyam.

A few inscriptions are found showing his contribution to dhivyadhEsams.

• A copper plate of year 1614 CE (AD) relating to thirukkadalmallai dhivyadhEsam refers to jIyar as yathIndhra pravaNa prabhAvam piLLai lOkam jIyar (which indicates that by that time itself he was popularly and widely known by his biography on maNavALa mAmunigaL).
• A stone inscription of  year 1614 CE (AD) is found in srIrangam 2nd prAkAram where a sishya of piLLai lOkam jIyar has contributed 120 gold coins as capital to offer sweet rice during emperumAnAr thirunakshathram day.

He has written vyAkyAnams (commentaries) to most of the thaniyans (invocatory verses of dhivya prabhandhams). These vyAkyAnams bring out the most important aspects of the particular dhiyva prabhandham and gives us an insight into the heart/mood of the author of the particular dhivya prabhandham.

 

emperumAnAr – srIperumbUthUr

His rAmAnujArya dhivya charithai is a beautiful depiction of emperumAnAr‘s life history. emperumAnAr’s various journeys, his history along with many of his sishyas are nicely captured in this grantham.

namperumAL offering srIsailEsa thanian to mAmunigaL

His yathIndhra pravaNa prabhAvam brings out the glorious life history of periyavAchAn piLLai, vadakku thiruvIdhi piLLai, piLLai lOkAchAryar, azhagiya maNavALa perumAL nAyanAr, thiruvAimozhi piLLai and maNavALa mAmunigaL among few others. mAmunigaL’s life history is depicted in a detailed manner and his many glorious instructions are narrated beautifully in this grantham as well.

Both rAmAnujArya dhivya charithai and yathIndhra pravaNa prabhAvam are filled with so many thamizh pAsurams (poems) which show his deep knowledge in thamizh.

He has done vyAkyAnam for some rahasya granthams as well.

He has done a beautiful vyAkyAnam for viLAnchOlai piLLai‘s saptha kAthai. saptha kAthai brings out the essence of piLLai lOkAchAryar‘s srIvachana bhUshaNa dhivya sAsthram, i.e., AchArya nishtai.

He has also written comprehensive vyAkyAnams for mAmunigaL‘s srI sUkthis upadhEsa rathina mAlai, thiruvAimozhi nURRanthAdhi and Arthi prabhandham.

He has written a beautiful prose grantham named srIvaishNava samayAchAra nishkarsham which authoritatively establishes the important principles of emperumAnAr dharisanam (our sath sampradhAyam). There are so many pramANams referred in this grantham which shows the deep knowledge of piLLai lOkam jIyar in sAsthram.

Thus, we have seen some glimpses of the glorious life of piLLai lOkam jIyar. He has done great favours to the srIvaishNava sampradhAyam by writing detailed commentaries for the srIsUkthis of our pUrvAchAryas and also recorded the illustrious lives of emperumAnAr and maNavALa mAmunigaL. Let us pray at his lotus feet that we also develop such attachment towards emperumAnAr and mAmunigaL.

piLLai lOkam jIyar’s thaniyan (as seen in yathIndhra pravaNa prabhAvam):

srIsatAri gurOrdhivya srIpAdhAbhja madhuvratham
srImathyathIndhrapravaNam srI lOkArya munim bhajE

ஸ்ரீசடாரி குரோர்திவ்ய ஸ்ரீபாதாப்ஜ மதுவ்ரதம்
ஸ்ரீமத்யதீந்த்ரப்ரவணம் ஸ்ரீ லோகார்ய முநிம் பஜே

adiyen sarathy ramanuja dasan

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Sources: Introduction section in rAmAnusa nURRanthAdhi vyAkyAnam and srivaishNava samayAchAra nishkarsham published by SrivaishNavaSri, photo courtesy kasthUri rangan swamy’s blogsite