Sri Maaraneri Nambigal Thirunakshatram Vaibavam | Aani Ayilyam Special | MA Madhusudhanan Swami |

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Maraneri Nambi
Thirunakshathram: Ani, Ayilyam
avathAra sthalam: purAnthakam (a village in pAndiya nAdu)
AchAryan: ALavandhAr
Place from where he attained paramapadham: srIrangam

mARanEri nambi is a dear sishya of ALavandhAr. He was born in chathurtha varNam and was most respected in srIrangam for his attachment towards periya perumAL and his AchAryan ALavandhAr.

He is sometimes known as mARanEr nambi – one who is similar to mARan (nammAzhwAr) in qualities.

He was known to be fully engaged in listening kAlakshEpams from ALavandhAr and being engaged in guNAnubhavam of periya perumAL. He had given up all other attachments and just stayed in srIrangam temple prAkAram itself.

During his last days mARanEri nambi requests periya nambi (who is his dear friend) to take care of his final rites and not handover his thirumEni (divine form) to his bodily relatives since they had not become srIvaishNavas. He compares that his body is like havis (offering in yagya) that is only fit to be offered to bhagavAn and should not be touched by others. periya nambi obliges and after mARanEri nambi attains paramapadham, he performs the charama kainkaryams (final rites) for him. Due to his varNam, the local srIvaishNavas does not accept periya nambi‘s action and challenges him. They go to emperumAnAr and complain to him about periya nambi’s act. emperumAnAr, wanting to establish the glories of mARanEri nambi through periya nambi’s words, goes to periya nambi and questions him. emperumAnAr asks him “When I am trying to develop faith and confidence in everyone’s mind on sAsthram, why are you doing something which looks tangential to sAsthram?”. periya nambi replies that “We cannot appoint some one else to perform bhAgavatha kainkaryam. We have to do it ourselves. srI rAman did the final rites for jatAyu. I am not greater than srI rAman and he is not lower than jatAyu – so there is nothing wrong in me doing this kainkaryam for him. payilum chudaroLi (thiruvAimozhi 3.7) and nedumARkadimai (thiruvAimozhi 8.10) padhigams of nammAzhwAr which glorifies bhAgavatha sEshathvam are not just theoretical. We should atleast try to follow some aspects of AzhwAr’s divine words”. Hearing this emperumAnAr becomes very pleased, offers his obeisances to periya nambi and declares that periya nambi has indeed done a noble act. All the local srIvaishNavas become very pleased. This most beautiful conversation is most beautifully explained by maNavALa mAmunigaL in the vyAkyAnam of 234th sUthram of piLLai lOkAchAryar‘s srIvachana bhUshaNam.