Sri VacanabhUshanam

SrivacanabhUshanam (text in Adhawin Font, Roman Text, PDF, ) is Pillai Lokacarya's masterpiece. In this work the author discusses the entire gamut of Vaishnava Philosophy in 465 (463, in the archived version, and 466 in some others) sUtras beginning with the quesyion who is a Vaishnava?  and ending with the desciple's belief in and obedience to the Acarya. Manavala mamunikaL of the fifteenth century in his Upadesaratnamaalai praises this work in six stanzas. This is a rare tribute considering that he allocates only one stanza each time in praise of other's works.

Commentators have deviced the treatise into six or nine subdivisions, according to how they viewed the subject matter . The six-fold division uses the following classification.

1. The greatness of the purushakara.
2. The greatness of the path (prapatti).
3. the acts of one who performs prapatti (adhikArikrtya).
4. The service to the Acarya (gurUpasevanam).
5. The Acarya as a means to obtain the goal.

The nine-fold classification is as follows

1. The greatness of the grace of TirumAmakaL (Sri).
2. The goodness of the upAya to obtain the Lord (prapatti).
3. The inferiority of other means (such as bhakti, etc).
4. The greatness of those who follow the true path (prapannas).
5. The good path of those who are the masters of the scriptures (Aranam).
6. The greatness of the good guru who helps one to obtain the feet of Narayana.
7. The nature of those who are devoted to their gurus.
8. How the flawless Lord selects the souls and takes it away.
9. How joy and great path both constitute guru.

The electronic veriosn of the text is presented in Four parts or prakaranam.

First Prakaranam. In this part, Sri Pillailokacarya outlines the importance of the God.

Second Prakaranam. In the second part, the great acarya explains the importance of prapatti and the acts of one who performs prapatti.

Third Prakaranam. This section deals with the importance of acarya and various services such as, service to acarya, service to the Lord and service to other devotees.

Fourth Prakaranam. This section deals with the grace of the acaraya and the Lord.