Sri Tiruvaymozhip Pillai

Tiruvoimozhi pillai was named as Tirumalai alwar (Srisailesa) by his parents. His avatara was 41 years before the avatara of Manavala mamunigal. It was vibhava year (1290 A.D) vaikasi visakam. So was he called Satakopa Dasa. His avatarasthalam was Kuntheenagaram near Madurai in poorvasikai kulam. It is interesting to note that all the brahmin alwars were poorvasikai.

Srisailesa's mother pleaded with their acharya Pillai Lokacharya, to bless her child. Acharya blessed and performed panchasamskara. Years grew and so the brilliance of the child. In these days, the Pandya kind died and his son was a minor. Recognising the intelligence of srisailesa, the ministers made him the representative of the prince. Tiruvoimozhi pillai steered the kingdom in a glorious path.

During islamic invasion, pillai lokacharya and others took Namperumal and fled out of Srirangam. They wandered and reached Jyotishkudi where Pillai lokacharya reached his last days. All the disciples, surrendered in their acharyas feet and requested as to what would be their future - whom do they treat as their acharya ? Pillai lokacharya could do nothing else than to remember Tiruvoimozhi pillai. He blessed him to become Darsanapravartaka leaving his duties as a king.  Pillai lokacharya also advised Koorakulothama dasa to teach Rahasyas to Tiruvoimozhi pillai, Tirukannangudi pillai and Tiruputkuzhi jeer to preach tiruvoimozhi, Naloorpillai for the rest 3000, Vilanjolai pillai for saptha kadai. After ordering so, Pillai lokacharya attained swaacharyan tiruvadigal on Jyeshta suddha dvadasi.

Details of Tiruvoimozhi pillai in peria tirumudi adaivu of Kandadai nayan.

Panchasamskara, tiruvoimozhi and other prabandhams blessed by Pillai lokacharyar.
Eedu - naalorachan pillai
Sribhashya and Srutaprakasika - Azhagiya manavalaperumal nayanar.
Tatvatraya pancharahasya, Acharya hridayam, rahasya vyakyana - Koorakulothama dasa.
Other rahasyas - vilanjolai pillai.
His tiruvaradhana deity - Inavayar kulathalaivar.
His works - swapadesa vyakyana to Perialwar thirumozhi.
His kainkaryam - Jeernodharana of Alwarthirunagari.
His main disciples - Peria jeer ( manavala manunigal), Nammalwar koil emberumanar jeer,
                            emberumanar koil satakopa jeer, tatvesa jeer.
His tiruvadyayana - vaisaka Krishna ashtami.

After K. dasa attained his acharyan tiruvadigal, as per the wish of Pillai lokacharya, tirumalai azhwar went to Naloorpillai for divya prabandha kalakshepa. On the way, he went to Kanchi. While he was worshipping Lord Perarulala,both Naloor pillai(father) and naloorachan pillai(son) came there. Immediately Lord Devaraja ordered Naloorachan pillai to bless T pillai with Eedu and other 3000 vyakyanas. This was carried out. The following sloka iterates this event:

dEvadhipAt samadhigamya sahasragItEhe
bhasyam nigUdhamapi yaha prathayAncakara
kuntIpurodbhavam amum saranam bhajeham
srisailanatham urubhaktibhrutam satharou

I surrender myself to tirumalai azhwar - the one who
received Eedu from Naloorachan pillai and spread the
same to many, one who has great bhakti towards
Nammalwar, one who was born in Kuntinagara.

Again during another islamic invasion, Nammalwar was taken from Thirukurugoor to Malai nadu (Kerala). In a low valley of the high raised mountains of Mutharippu, alwar was kept safely in a box robed with chains. A great sole, Thozhappar, went to Madurai and gave this news to Tiruvoimozhi pillai. He in turn, after the invasion was over, sent a letter (srimukham) to Malayala king through Thozhappar. The King of Tiruvananthapuram, respected the letter and rendered all help to bring up alwar. Thozhappan went down the hills to its depth, sent up alwar and while climbing up, fell and attained paramapada. Even today their vamsa is called "Alwar Thozhappar". Malayala King reached alwar safely to a place called thirukkanambi. Alwar was there for some time.

After getting Eedu and other vyakyanas from Naloorachan pillai along with Inavayar talaivan deity, tirumalai azhwar went to tirukanambi to have alwars darsan. He had, and wished to bring back azhwar to alwarthirunagari. He went to tirunagari which was like forest and changed it to a lovely little place, renovated the whole temple and brought back azhwar to tirupuli. Due to this kainkarya he is known as satakopa dasar. As he did so many kainkaryas to the feet of azhwar we say " prasada labdha parama prapya kainkarya saline". His life line was Tiruvoimozhi and so he was called as tiruvoimozhi pillai.

V. Pillai was not born in the so called upper caste. But had the krupa of Pillai lokacharya. He was at Tiruvananthapuram. T. pillai as per the wish of Pillai lokacharya went to T. puram and blessed will many important aspects of our sampradaya by V. pillai. When V. pillai attained acharyan tiruvadigal, it was T. pillai himself who performed the carama kainkarya. This was just like perianambigal performing for maraner nambigal. Later T. pillai considered his nephew as his son and named him as devaperumal after the nama of naloorachan pillai.

The best part of T. pillai great life is the grace he showed to M. Mamunigal. As T. pillai reached old age, he was worried as to who would be the next acharya to receive all the treasure stored in him. As this time, azhagiya manavala nayanar (later known as m. mamunigal) son of tigazha kidandan tirunaveerudaya piran tadarannar (desciple of Pillai lokacharya) came and surrendered himself to T. pillai.

From then on m.mamunigal learnt all the sampradayarthas from T. pillai including Eedu. When m. mamunigal gave his kalakshepa on Eedu for one year in Srirangam, on the conclusion Lord Ranganatha came as a 5 year old archaka boy and submitted the famous taniyan "Srisailesa dayapatram .....". Such was the greatness of acharya sishya sambandha of T. pillai and m.mamunigal that the Lord himself started this sloka on m.mamunigal revealing the daya of T.pillai on m.mamunigal.

Manavala mamunigal also praises his acharya in the following verses :

upadesa rathina malai -
1. "endai tiruvoimozhipillai innarulal..."

Artiprabandham - 12.
"desantigazhum tiruvoimozhi pillai masil tirumalai
azhwar ennai nesatal..."

Artiprabandham - 21.
"tirumalai azhwar tiruvoimozhi pillai seerarulal..."

Artiprabandham - 22.
" teedatra gnana tiruvoimozhi pillai seerarulal..."

Artiprabandham - 46.
"tiruvoimozh pillai teevinayon tammai guruvagi
vanduyyakkondu ...."