Life History of Sri KoorathAzhwAn (Kuresar)

[venkatakailasam]

So here is a sketch of the life-story of Kuresan:

Kuresan hailed from the hamlet of "Kura" (or "kooram") near Kanchipuram. He belonged to the clan of the Haritas and to a well-to-do, land-owning and Propertied family that lived in peace with its neighbours and friends. Kuresan had a gem of a person in his young and comely wife, AndAlammA. They lived a happy and contented life in Kura. They were both known in Kanchi for their unstinting philanthrophy and kindness. They were both ardent devotees of Kanchi Varadan, the presiding deity of the holy city.

Meeting Sri Ramanuja

Early in his life, Kuresan came under the spell of RamanujAchArya who at that time was living in Kanchi. It was the time when Ramanuja was slowly emerging as the propagator of a new school of thought. He was spreading a whole new philosophy quite different from the sterile monism of Advaita which people at that time were growing weary of. Bands of disciples and followers were already growing around Ramanuja.

Kuresan quickly became a disciple of RamanujAchArya.The two took to each other easily and warmly. Under Sri.Ramanuja's guidance, Kuresa was soon initiated into the rigorous study of the ancient Vedic scripture and more especially the "meemAmsa-sutrA-s".

A strange bond of kinship developed between master and student over the years they spent together in Kanchi.

In his mid-life, due to a variety of personal and social reasons, Ramanuja took to "sannyAsA" and was called away by the community of SriVaishnavas in SriRangam to rally them all into a cohesive force there against the onslaught of religious bigotry waged by the Saivite State at that time.

Thus, in deference to the commandments of his elders in SriRangam like Mahapurna, and Kanchipurna in Kanchi, Ramanuja decided to migrate to SriRangam. He left Kanchi for good never to return in future except for brief visits.

Kuresan's close relationship with Ramanuja thus drew to a close. Seeing off his guru Ramanuja to SriRangam, Kuresan returned to his hamlet of Kura and commenced his living his life as before.

But Lord Varadarajan and his Consort Perundevi thAyyAr had other plans for Kuresan.

Departing to Srirangam

With the departure of his guru Ramanuja to SriRangam, Kuresan and his wife AndAlamma returned to their good, uneventful lives in Kura.

One evening, after they had completed their daily routine of feeding the poor at dusk, they retired for the day. They clanged the big brass doorway to their home shut.

This clanging of the brass door was so loud in the quiet of the night that it was heard some distance away in Kanchi. Lord Varadaraja and Perundevi thAyyAr too were a little startled by it. ThAyyAr queried the Lord as to the cause of the gong reverberating through the night air. The Lord turned to his chief priest, Kanchipurna or Tirukacchi-nambi (also one of the several mentors of Ramanujacharya) and asked,"Pray tell Us, wherefrom this sound of the night, O Sire?".

Kanchipurna replied,"Lord, it is the doorway of our dear Kuresan's home being shut for the day after the daily alms-giving."

The Lord and Perundevi-pirAtti, very pleased to know of Kuresa and his piety and charity, commanded that Kuresan be brought to their Presence. Kanchipurna hastened to Kura to beckon Kuresan to Kanchi.

At Kura, when Kuresan came to know from Kanchipurna 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 incident seemed to rudely awaken Kuresan out of a strange spiritual torpor. He realized that a choice in life had been staring him in his face but which he had been subconsciously avoiding all the while since Ramanuja's departure: Either he could continue to live in Kura and lead a life of pious, vain but ineffectual charity or, he could pursue his guru Ramanuja to SriRangam and serve him in his life's great mission.

Kuresan made his choice instantly!

He dispatched Kanchipurna back to Kanchi. He told his wife AndAlammA to immediately renounce all their wealth and belongings and to join him in migrating to SriRangam and wedding themselves forever in the service of SriRamanuja.

It was a turning point in the life of Kuresan.


More at...

http://www.saranagathi.org/acharyas/kuresar/life.htm