Koorathazhwan

Early Life

• kUrEsan lived in a small village of "kOram" near kAnchipuram.
• He was born in 1010 AD seven years earlier than rAmAnuja.
• He was born in a rich family.
• He Married AndAlammA a very kind and very knowledgeable person.
• AndAlammA's vybhavam is greater than kUrEsan.It is said that some time when kUrEsan has doubts in sastrams He will ask AndAlammA and get it clarified.
• Both of them were known for their generosity. They used to serve food (thathIyArAthana) to 1000's of srivaishnavas daily.

Meeting Ramanuja

• kUrEsan came to know about the greatness of rAmAnuja who lived in kAnchipuram.
• He was very happy to know that rAmAnuja took sanyasam and went to meet Him.
• When he went to see rAmAnuja he also meet mudaliAndan there.
• Both kUrEsan and mudaliAndan fell in love in becoming rAmAnuja's shisyas.
• rAmAnuja with unlimited grace accepted kUrEsan and mudaliAndan and did panchasamskaram to them.
• kUrEsan and mudaliAndan under rAmAnuja's guidance were initiated into the rigorous study of Vedic scriptures especially mEmAmsA sUtrAs.
• Meanwhile due to wishes of His AchAryAs and Perumal rAmAnuja had to migrate to srI rangam.

Going to Sri Rangam

• kUrEsan was not happy to leave his AchAryA with heavy heart he went back to kOram and continued his kainkaryam
• One evening, after they had completed their daily routine of thathIyArAthana , they clanged the big brass doorway with gold bells to their home shut.
• This clanging of the brass door was so loud that it was heard in kAnchi.
• Perundevi thAyyAr in kAnchi queried Lord VaradarAja Permual about the cause of this rich sound.
• Lord VaradarAja Permual replied that this is none other than kUrEsan's door bell sounds and Perumal explained the richness of kUrEsan and his daily routine of thathIyArAthana to 1000's of people.
• Perundevi thAyyAr was pleased and wished to this rich man kUrEsan.
• Lord VaradarAja Permual ordered thiru kachi nambi who was doing alavatta kainkaryam at that time to bring kUrEsan the next day.
• The next day thiru kachi nambi went to kOram and asked kUrEsan to come and meet VaradarAja Permual and Perundevi thAyyAr.
• kUrEsan was afraid and asked "did adiyen do any thing wrong what was the reason for this"
• thiru kachi nambi replied "No there is nothing wrong just that yesterday night Perundevi thAyyAr heard the sounds of your door and found out about your richness and wanted to see you"
• kUrEsan felt very bad that Perundevi thAyyAr associated kUrEsan with his richness and not with his association with rAmAnuja.
• He immediately decided to relinquish all his wealth and to serve his AchAryA and informed the same to his wife.
• The same night both he and his wife departed to Srirangam by foot with nothing but the clothes they wore.
• Along the way, Kuresan and AndAlamma had to journey through jungle infested with thieves.
• AndAlamma was afraid of robbers and was walking very causiously. kUrEsan looked at her and asked "Why are you afraid?"
• When questioned so intensely by kUrEsan, AndAlamma had no choice but to confess,"Swamy, I did renounce everything but for this little golden plate which is used to serve you prasadam daily" and she pulled out the plate and showed him.
• kUrEsan said "when I wanted you to renounce everything I meant this little plate too!". So saying Kuresan took the vessel from AndAlamma's hands and threw it away into the night and deep into the forest.
• Finally kUrEsan reached Sri Rangam and lived happily under the shade of rAmAnuja.

Getting CharamaslOka Meaning

• rAmAnuja received the precious meaning of Charamasloka from his Acharya tirukOtiUr nambi with great dificulty.
• Immediately after rAmAnuja came back with the meaning kUrEsan fell on the lotus feet of rAmAnuja and requested to share the meaning with him
• rAmAnuja sadly replied "kUrEsa my Acharya tirukOtiUr nambi ordered me not to share this any one but adiyen requested my Acharya 'Swamy kUrEsan is a parama Bhagavata so please let me share this atleast with him' and my Acharya replied 'Ok but you have to make kUrEsan work hard and serve you for one year and only after that you can give this meaning to him' "
• Hearing this kUrEsan requested "Swamy serving you is adiyen life's goal so it is adiyen bhagyam to serve for one year but what is the guarantee that adiyen will live in this world for one year so one year is too big. Swamy while teaching the sastras you have told us that fasting (upavasam) for one month is equal to serving the Acharya for one year so shall adiyen do it instead" .
• Hearing this rAmAnuja was so happy to see kUrEsan interest and though half hearted accepted it.
• kUrEsa also fasted for one month and got the great meaning of CharamaslOka.
• After getting the meaning kUrEsan went to his home town and distributed all the remaining wealth and all the properties to bhAgavatas and lived happily serving his Acharya rAmAnuja

Tiruvarangathu amudhanar becoming kUrEsan's disciple

• On those days in srI rangam tiruvarangathu amudhanar was the leader of all purohitas in the temple and had the main keys and responsibility to the temple.
• rAmAnuja saw that few practices have changed in due course of time in the temple and want to change it back.
• To do this rAmAnuja has to have the administration authority of the temple, but tiruvarangathu amudhanar had that authority, and rAmAnuja wants to get it.
• At that time tiruvarangathu amudhanar's mother reached paramapatham and he needs a swamy for the 11th day activities.
• 11th day activities are considered very low and person who does that has to restrain from performing happy activities like marriage and all for one year so tiruvarangathu amudhanar did not get any good person for it and he wanted some good bhAgavata to perform his mother's 11th day activity.
• tiruvarangathu amudhanar went to rAmAnuja and requested that he send some one to do this and rAmAnuja asked kUrEsan to go
• Every one around rAmAnuja was surprised by this. Every one wondered why rAmAnuja asked kUrEsan to go for such a low dignity task.
• Sri Rangam Temple keys were with tiruvarangathu amudhanar and rAmAnuja wants that key so that He can rectify things in the temple. rAmAnuja was waiting for an opportunity and when tiruvarangathu amudhanar came to Him for 11th day function (EkAham) He thought that this is the right time to get the temple keys.
• rAmAnuja asked kUrEsan to go and asked him to eat there. It is a custom to ask the person who came for EkAham if he is satisfied and if he is not satisfied it is the duty of the host to make what ever possible to make the person came for EkAham satisfy. rAmAnuja knows that tiruvarangathu amudhanar is going to ask kUrEsa if he is satisfied and rAmAnuja instructed kUrEsa to say "No not satisfied" and when asked what should be done to satisfy you "Give me the Temple keys that is the only thing which will satisfy me"
• kUrEsa did exactly the same thing. When tiruvarangathu amudhanar asked if kUrEsa is satisfied he said No and when asked what should be done to satisfy him he asked the keys of the temple and tiruvarangathu amudhanar also gave it heavy heartedly. kUrEsan took the keys and gave it to rAmAnuja.
• tiruvarangathu amudhanar also gave lot of gold and other things to kUrEsan and when rAmAnuja asked "Where are the other things that tiruvarangathu amudhanar gave you?". kUrEsa replied "Swamy they are all waste things so adiyen disposed them on the streets" rAmAnuja was so pleased and happy to know the vairagyam of kUrEsan.
• After giving the keys tiruvarangathu amudhanar was so upset and cried with tAyAr and tAyAr asked rAmAnuja in his dream to give altelast tAyAr key back to tiruvarangathu amudhanar and rAmAnuja did the same and tiruvarangathu amudhanar was very pleased and asked rAmAnuja to accept him as His shisya but rAmAnuja said "kUrEsan will be your Acharya go and surrender to him". Thus tiruvarangathu amudhanar became kUrEsa's disciple.

BOdhAyana vritti grandham

• One of the three promises rAmAnuja made to Alavandar is to write commentary on brahma sUtrAs. To do this He needed bOodhAyana's vritti brahma sUtrAs.
• This original text was only available in the royal library of the state of Kashmir. The library is called Sarasvathi bhandAram.
• rAmAnuja and kUrEsan, along with certain other disciples undertook the tedious journey to Kashmir and met the leader of the library.
• The leader of the library was very much pleased with these men of divine nature and immediately granted them access to the library.
• rAmAnuja got the book and while He was reading the 1st chapter kUrEsan started reading from the second chapter.
• Meanwhile the pandits of other religion associated to the library came and confused the library leader and made him to take the book from rAmAnuja and put it back to the shelf. rAmAnuja's attempt to convince the library leader did not succeed.
• rAmAnuja was disappointed that He did not get enough time to read but kUrEsan humbly requested his Acharya that if it is Acharya's wish he can say every thing in the book from the second chapter as he read the rest of the book.
• Upon his Acharya's command kUrEsa was able to recall the vritti, instantly and accurately word-by-word.

Working for rAmAnuja to complete sri bAshyam.

• After reaching sri Rangam from Kashmir rAmAnuja started composing sri bAshyam.
• Like Lakshmana worked for Rama in the forest, kUrEsa worked for rAmAnuja. (Note: rAmAnuja is Lakshmana and kUrEsa is Rama)
• rAmAnuja instructed kUrEsa to write while He dictates sri bAshyam and asked kUrEsa to correct Him if he says any thing that is contradictory to vritti and kUrEsa immediately replied "Swamy you are a Ocean of knowledge and you know every thing you should not say so and adiyen is your shishya and does not have the capability to talk back and find mistakes in your commentary".
• rAmAnuja understood that kUrEsa is not going to object to what rAmAnuja says even if it is contradicting to bOdhAyana vritti grandham but rAmAnuja honestly want kUrEsa to help Him so that He will not say any thing in sri bhAshyam that is against vritti. rAmAnuja and kUrEsa both came to an agreement as per the agreement when rAmAnuja says some thing that is contradicting to vritti then kUrEsa stop writing by which rAmAnuja will know that He said some thing contradicting to vritti. kUrEsa humbly followed his Acharya's command and in some places when rAmAnuja said in contrast to vritti kUrEsa stopped writing and then rAmAnuja understood that what He said is wrong and corrected them.
• Rama once said to Lakshmana "Lakshmana you are taking care of me in all aspect finding what I need and when I need. When you are there with me I don't feel that my Father dasaratha is no more in this world". The same way rAmAnuja said to kUrEsa "kUrEsa you are doing all kainkaryam for me finding out what I need and when I need and also you memorized the entire vritti and without you I could not have completed this work. I don't feel like not having my Acharya Alavandar with me."

Going to TirukOttiyUr Nambi Tirumaligai

• Once in rAmAnuja's kalachepam there was a discussion on the nature of jEvAtmA and which one knowledge-ability or servitude is the primary nature of jEvAtmA.
• rAmAnuja though knows the answer He wants to know that from the words of His Acharya so He asked kUrEsa to go and find the answer from TirukOttiyUr Nambi and kUrEsa obliged and went to TirukOttiyUr.
• In TirukOttiyUr kUrEsa saw the Acharya and did dandapranams to Him and requested him to clarify the doubt. TirukOttiyUr Nambi replied "You have come from so far be here for few days and then let us see"
• kUrEsa spend six months in TirukOttiyUr Nambi Tirumaligai doing kainkaryam. Even after six months Acharya did not tell the answer and kUrEsa was unable to stay more as he is not able to live without seeing rAmAnuja so he humbly notified TirukOttiyUr Nambi that he want to go and see rAmAnuja and he started leaving and then TirukOttiyUr Nambi said "The answer to your question is already clarified by nammazhvar in adiyEnvullAn pasuram so go and say this to your Acharya" kUrEsa was so happy and went back to rAmAnuja and informed Him about the same.
• Note : The Answer to the question is servitude is the primary nature of jEvAtmA not knowledge-ability.