Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam - my paternal grandfather - the history of the name

The name, Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam, is unique and with a glorious tradition to it. I want to write it here and present it to all my cousins and nephews and nieces, and those to come... for them to know and to be proud.

To speak about the name in this unique combination - Shyamala + Ranga + Bhashyam, one needs to invoke the words -

Srimathe Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikaya Namaha

Sri Ranganatha Divya Mani Padhukabhyam Namaha

The name is part of the guru parampara from Narayana himself (ie Vishnu) to Shri Ramanuja, aka Bhagavath Ramanuja, and this parampara is known also as the Sri Bhashya Parampara. There are many other names to the succession, and one of them also includes the terms Alavandar and Peria Nambi, which are quite significant and I shall explain in a different post. 

The initial names of the guru parampara are - 

(3 names deemed to be that of the gods)

Shri Narayana, Vishnu, Sri Vasudevan

Sri Mahalakshmi

Shri Vishvaksenar

Nammalvar

Sri Nathamuni

Sri Pundarikakshar or Uyyakondar

Sri Ramamisrar or Sri Manakkal Nimbi

Sri Alavandar

(of these, Sri Nathamuni and Sri Alavandar are also names in the family)

From this point - the Rahasyam of Sri Bhashyam begins as the Bhagavath Vishayam

And, most significantly, some branches of various families get to locations in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and even north to Haridwar and all the way back to Nepal and Tibet. But, these breaks are beyond any geneology, and return only when they become an entirely new group, language, gotra, caste or community. 

The line of names in the guru parampara continues -

Peria Nambi Peria Nambi

Sri Ramanujar

Prana tharthi haran Thirukurugai Pillan - or - Thiru Kurukai Pillan
RamAnuja Pillan Sri Vishnu Chithar - or - Vishnu chithar

RangarAja Pillan Nadadur Ammal - or - NadAdur Ammal

[all breaks go towards Kerala]

Appullar

Swamy Desika

Kumara Varadhachar

Brahma thanthrar

Gadika satham Ammal

AdhivannSatakopar

Sri Varadha VishnuvAchar [the name - Varada - is established]

MahaDaya Deesar

Ahobilam Desikachar [all breaks go towards south Andhra Pradesh]

Shashta Parankusamuni 

Srisaila Thatha Desikan 

Srisailam Srinivaschar

Vasthya Ramanujachar 

Paravasthu Venkatanathachar 

Velamur Ranganathachar 

Chithanna Veeraraghavachar - or - Srisaila Venkatachar

VelAmur Rangapathi Desikan 

Kalyanavaham Ranganathar 

Paduka sevaka Ramanujar

Gopalarya Maha Desikan

Vazhuthur Andavan

A distinct root gets established in the guru parampara at this moment at Srirangam, onwards - 

The root is also known as the Kalakshepa Parampara and is based at,  of all places, the most significant - also at Poundarikapuram Asramam - that is, the Ashrama of Pundarika, much much before the place of Pandharpur in Maharashtra becomes a significant pilgrimage location. 

Vazhuthur Andavan

PeriAsramam, srirangam Poundarikapuram Asramam,

Many other acharyas take the line forward from here...  And the guru parampara is now known as - Sribhashya or Bhagavat Vishaya Parampara - totally dedicated to the Srimad Bhagavad and gets to be firmly established exclusively as the Sri Bhashya Parampara

The primary acharya now, is - Thirukkurugai Piran Pillan

[Very significant in the sense that Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam's family + house name was Bala Pilavar or Balapila]

Thirukkurugai Piran Pillan aka Kurukesar was the second son of Periya Thirumalai Nambi, and therefore also rendered himself as the younger Piran Pillan aka Thirukkurugai Balapiran Pillan. Born in 1161 AD, within Poorvashada Nakshatram, in the month of Srimuka Aippasi, in the Shadamarshana Gothra. 

Thirukkurugai Piran Pillan was entrusted directly to the care of Sri Ramanuja and studied vedanta, divya prabandham and other sastras, and performed sidhantha pravachanam in Srirangam. He authored the Bhagavath Vishayam in 6000 padi. Sri Ramanuja decreed that this great work should be recognised as one of the important kalkshepa grantham. 

Sri Bhashyakarar was given the responsibility by Sri Ramanuja to appoint simhasanatipatis for the propagation of the Srimad Bhagavat. Seventy-four (74) simhasanatipatis were appointed. Of them, Thirukkurugai Piran Pillan was also one of them given the responsibility for the propagation of the Srimad Bhagavat. 

The line continued - 

Thirukkurugai Piran Pillai

Sri Vishnu Chithar (1106 to 1197 BC) - conducted pravachanam to vaishnavas in Srirangam. Authored Vyaakyana Grantham for Vishnu Puranam. 

Nadadur Ammal - Varada Desikar (1165-1275) - The name - Varada - becomes firmly entrenced in the guru parampara henceforth. 

This is indeed an amazing verse - 3  related family names are part of this - Varada, Bhushan and Bhashyam. My maternal great-grandfather was Varada, and my paternal grandfather was Bhashyam, while my father's name was Bhushan.

Vandheham varadharyam tham vathsabhi jana bhooshanam

Bhashyamrutha pradhanadyas sanjeevayathi mamapi

The guru parampara continues

Srimad Adivan Satakopajeer (b. 1379) - established the sacred Ahobila Mutt and was the first Acharya for more than sixty years, until 1458.

Sri Ranga Ramanujar - aka Upanishad Bhashyakkarar - in a very significant rendition says -

Yenopanishadham bhashyam ramanuja mathanugam

ramyam krutham prapadhye tham ranga ramanujam munim

Continuing -

Sri Ranganathaya - born to Swamy Desikan in 1317 AD. Was succeeded by his son and disciple -

Kumara Varadacharya - aka - Nainaracharya.

He set up an idol of his father at the Srirangam temple, and later, at the banks of the Venna River, at Thanjavur, he installed an image of his father in the temple of Neelamegha Perumal. 

Later,  he composed the Pillai Anthadhi - a poetic tribute to his father in 20 slokas. 

Continuing -

Thruteeya Parankusar

Vangipuram Srinivasar Muni - born at Thiruvallur

Srisailam Srinivasachar

Munivahana Swamy

Chandragiri Venkatacharya

Padukasevaka Ramanuja

Neela Meghala Shyamala Naidu - My paternal great grandfather

Sometime in 2009, I came to know that my paternal paternal great grandfather was Neela Meghala Shyamala Naidu, born in Srivilliputhur, married to Rukmini Devi, father of Balamma, Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam and Shanmughavalli, grandfather to twelve children.

The name - Neela Meghala Shyamala - is tremendously awesome. It is the name given to Panduranga, the aspect of Krishna, the dark one, as compared to blissfully beautiful dusk clouds.

The name originated with Vaishnava traditions in appreciation of Vishnu's Varaha Avatar, and the possibility that Lakshmi would never have been away from his side, and therefore there would be a  Lakshmi Varaha Avatar. Therefore, Vishnu's Varaha Avatar would always be as beautiful as the rain-laden clouds at dusk. That is indeed a splendid name to live up to.

Swami Desikan in the Dasavathara Slokam salutes Vishnu's Varaha Avataram and describes the Lord coming out of the ocean, but holding Lakshmi firmly on his giant tusk. This rendition is based out of Srivilliputhur, and therefore the name is apt. Andal (Bhumi Devi) salutes Vishnu for the gift of the Varaha Charama Slokam - Naacchiyar Thirumozhi - 11.8 - wherein she says that Sri Ranganatha who took the form of the Varaha avatar and blessed us with the knowledge is completely perfect. Andal renders that she cannot wish away the image of the form of Varaha Avatar, even if she tried her best.

Later, Nammalvar visualised Vishnu as a veritable Blue Mountain, accompanied by two crescent moons (in describing the tusks of Varaha), and holding Lakshmi Devi on one of them and emerging from the ocean. He uses the words - sammuthitho neela ivachal-lo mahan... 

At that moment, he uses only the first word - neela

Later, Muthuswami Dikshitar renders Nammalvar's composition in the Sri Lakshmi Varaham Krithi, in Abhogi Raagam, and salutes the Varaha Avatar as that of Sriman Narayana. He explains that since Lakshmi never leaves the side of Vishnu in any avatar, she would have to be included in the slokam. Therefore, he sings about the presence of a Lakshmi Varaha Sthalam on the banks of the Tambara Bharani River, and recognises Narayana as Sritha Jana Subha Pratham and renders unto him, his appearance - as Neela Megha Jaya Shyamala gathiram, Neela Bhudhevi Sthuthi Paathiram.

There is a verse that is in dedication to Shri Krishna -
Neela megha shyamala roopa gopala, nithyananda swarupa krishna gopala
deva deva devaki baala gopala, vasudeva vaarija nethra gopala... 

and another one in dedication to Shri Rama -
Shri Raama Neela Megha Shyama, Kodandarama...

With all this dedication to Shri Krishna and Shri Rama in various aspects, it was no surprise for Shri Neela Meghala Shyamala Naidu's son, Shri Shyamala Ranga Bhashyam to name his sons after Shri Krishna and Shri Ram...

Daya Krishna, Navaneetha Krishna, Venkata Krishna, Murali Krishna
Kaushala Ram and Shanta Ram

And, by the most amazing coincidence, when my nephew was to be named in the 21st century, 200 years after my great grand father, without being aware, and unknowingly, my brother chose him to be named as Neel...

Finally, is the wonderful rendition to Panduranga, as Neela Megha Shyamala in the movie, Pandurangudu...