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CHAPTER XVIII
AN HISTORICAL AND LITERARY SURVEY OF THE VISISTA-DVAITA SCHOOL OF THOUGHT
The Aragiyas from Nathamuni to Rāmānuja. A. GOVINDACHARYAR has written a book, The Holy Lives of the Azhvars, based upon a number of old works'. The writings of the Arvars may be sub-divided generally into three rahasyas (or mystical accounts) called Tiru-mantra-churukku, Dvaya-churukku, Carama-śloka-churukku. These three rahasyas have also been dealt with in later times by very prominent persons, such as Venkatanatha, Raghavacārya and others. Some account of these, in the manner of these later writers, will be briefly given in the proper place, since the scope of this work does not permit us to go into the details of the lives of the Arvars. The hagiologists make a distinction between the Arvars and the Aragiyas in this, that, while the former were only inspired men, the latter had their inspirations modified by learning and scholarship. The list of Aragiyas begins with Nathamuni. There is some difficulty in fixing his age. The Guru-paramparā, the Divya-sūri-carita and the Prapannāmṛta, are of opinion that he was in direct contact with Namm'-arvar, otherwise called Sathakopa, or Karimăṛan, or rather with his disciple Madhura-kaviy-arvär. Thus, the Prapannāmṛta says that Nathamuni was born in the village called Vīranārāyaṇa, near the Cola country. His father's name was Isvara Bhatta, and his son was Isvaramuni2. He went on a long pilgrimage, in the course of which he visited the northern countries, including Mathura, Vṛndāvana and Haridvāra, and also Bengal and Puri. After returning to his own place he found that some of the
1 (1) Divya suri-carita (an earlier work than the Prapannāmṛta, which often alludes to it) by Garuda-vahana Pandita, contemporary and disciple of Rāmānuja; (2) Prapannāmṛta, by Ananta-sūri, disciple of Saila-rangeśa guru; (3) Prabandha-sara, by Venkatanatha; (4) Upadesa-ratna-mālai by Ramyajamatṛmaha-muni, otherwise called Varavara-muni or Periya-jiyar or Manavala Mimuni; (5) Guru-parampara-prabhavam by Pinb'-aragiya Peru-mal Jiyar; and (6) Pazhanadai-vilakkan.
2 It is said that he belonged to the lineage of Sathakopa or Satha-marṣaṇa. His other name was Śri-ranga-nätha. (See introduction to Catuh-sloki, Ananda Press, Madras, p. 3-)
