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Sri Parasara Bhattar Varsha Tirunakshatram on 14.05.2025
Sri Parasara Bhattar of Srirangam: His Life and Legacy
Sri Parasara Bhattar is one of the great Acharyas in our lineage of spiritual preceptors and has done a great service to Sri Vaishnava Siddhanta. He was the son of the great Vaishnavite Scholar Sri Koorathaalwar (his original name was Srivatsa Misrar), a prime disciple of Sri Ramanuja. Elders have told of an interesting episode behind his avatar (birth).
Sri Koorathaalwar and his devoted wife Andal lived in Srirangam. Alwar used to collect just enough grains and pulses every day from people for their food. One day it was raining heavily, and as such, Alwar could not go out. So the couple were left hungry. Then, Andal heard the bells from the Srirangam temple indicating prasadams were being offered to the Lord Sri Ranganatha. She entreated the Lord for a little food from Him.
Accordingly, the Lord sent His prasadams to Koorathalwar’s place. Alwar and Andal took the prasadams. The holy food eventually blessed the couple with two divine, beautiful children, namely Parasara Bhattar and Veda Vyasa Bhattar.
Sri Parasara Bhattar took his incarnation or avatar at Srirangam, with vaikasi (May-June) Month Anuradha as his star, by the divine grace of Sri Ranganatha. Embar, another Acharya, the cousin and disciple of Sri Ramanuja, initiated both the children when they were just eleven days old, a great blessing indeed.
Sri Parasara Bhattar – Adopted son of Sri Ranganatha.
As Sri Parasara Bhattar was born due to the grace of Lord Sri Ranganatha, he used to be cradled in swings between the sacred pillars in the sanctum sanctorum of Srirangam temple. Bhattar used to be known as the adopted son of Sri Ranganatha.
Sri Bhattar was a bright and intelligent student of religious scriptures since his childhood. Once he witnessed a scholar named Sarvjna Bhattar on a palanquin in the streets of Srirangam, beating his own trumpet with pride. Parasara Bhattar, as a little boy challenged him to answer his question.
He asked the scholar how much sand was in his hand. The scholar was perplexed and accepted defeat. Parasara Bhattar very wittingly explained “a handful of sand”, The scholar not only blessed the child but also praised him in public.
Sri Parasara Bhattar: Prodigy, Disciple, and Embodiment of Humility
Sri Parasara Bhattar could grasp and recite Vedic verses in the first attempt itself. He learnt all the Sastras initially from his father, then from Embar and Sri Ramanuja himself. He had all the divine qualities in him. To illustrate his humility, an incident is quoted by elders: Once a dog entered the temple, and the temple authorities arranged for sanctifying rites in the temple.
Seeing this, Sri Parasara Bhattar asked Sri Ranganatha why the authorities do not perform such acts when he enters the temple day in and day out. This indicates the humility of Bhattar, who considered himself lower than a dog. He narrates this incident in his Sri Ranganatha Stotram.
Another time, some brahmins, out of jealousy, started scolding Bhattar in the temple premises. Instead of getting angry and scolding them back, he thanked them. He then said, every devotee while worshipping the Lord should lament on the faults of oneself. As he was deeply immersed in the worship of Sri Ranganatha, he forgot to lament on himself and that the brahmins had reminded him of that. This shows his highest humility and the respect he had towards others.
Sri Parasara Bhattar’s Victory Over Vedanti and the Making of Nanjeeyar
Sri Parasara Bhattar had a lot of followers in Srirangam, to whom he had taught spiritual things. Once, one of his devotees who had earlier travelled to Thirunarayanapuram (Melkote), told him that in that palace a great scholar was calling himself as Vedanti, well versed in Advaita philosophy, and was challenging every scholar in debates with haughtiness.
Sri Parasara Bhattar then went to Thirunarayanapuram and defeated Vedanti with his versatile speech. Vedanti, having been fully convinced, became his disciple and joined his Srirangam Ghoshti (group) and was given the name ‘Nanjeeyar’. He mastered all scriptures of Visishtadvaitam under the guidance of Bhattar. He wrote a commentary on Nammalvar’s Tiruvaimozhi, from what he learnt from Bhattarwhich has come to be known as ‘Onpathayirapadi’.
Sri Parasara Bhattar’s work
Sri Bhattar has a lot of beautiful works to his credit. Some of them are
Bhagavat Guna Darpanam
It is a lovely commentary on Sri Vishnu Sahasranamam. He explains that each sacred name of the Lord relates to a particular quality (attribute) of Sri Vishnu. This treatise is considered as the best authority to explain the thousand names in the Visishtadvaita method.
Srirangaraja Stavam
This is a grand stotram in praise of Lord Sri Ranganatha, containing two parts – Poorva Satakam (the first Canto) with 126 slokas and Uttara Satakam (second Canto) with 105 slokas. Here he discusses the different incarnations of the Lord and various special qualities, each one of which is quite enjoyable.
Sri Gunaratna Kosam
This is a Stotram dedicated to the consort of Sri Ranganatha, Sri Ranganayaki Thayar, bringing out Her highest qualities in blessing Her devotees. It contains 61 beautiful slokas, which are said to be unparalleled.
Ashta Shloki
Bhattar wrote about eight verses as a Rahasya granta, a confidential work. In that he explained Tirumanthram (depicting the relationship between God and the Jeevatma and surrender to God), Dvaya mantram (the process of self-surrender to God and the duty thereafter at Moksha) and the last Charama sloka (the order of Sri Krishna to self-surrender to obtain Moksha). These are to be learnt under a good preceptor.
Once, the local king Veerasundra Brahmarayan wanted to build a big wall around the temple, disturbing the residence of Pillai Pillai Alvan, a staunch devotee of Sri Ranganatha, against the will of Sri Parasara Bhattar. But the king went ahead with his plan. Hurt heavily by this, Sri Bhattar left Srirangam and shifted to Tirukoshtiyur. He did not return to Srirangam till the death of the king.
While he was in Tirukoshtiyur, he was unable to bear the separation from Sri Ranganatha. Then he composed a Stotram entreating the Lord to unite him. That stotram has come to be known as Srirangaraja Stotram. Sri Bhattar’s explanatory notes to many pasurams of Nalayira Divya Prabandha are highly thought-provoking and are used by the Vidwans in their discourses even today. Sri Bhattar seems to have lived a short life. In his last days, while singing the praise of Lord Sri Ranganatha, he left his body and back to the Godhead.
Sri Parasara Bhattar’s Thanian (a sloka praising him) –
“Sri Parasara bhattarya srirangesa prohita:
Srivatsanga sutha sriman mesthu bhuyase”
Let us invoke the blessings of Sri Parasara Bhattar to grow spiritually and develop love and devotion towards the Lord.
