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ramaanusa nooRRandhaadhi

From the Bhakti List Archives

Mani Varadarajan • March 11, 1996 


K. Sreekrishna asked if raamaanusa nooRRandhaadhi (RN)
was only in the Vadagalai divya prabandham.  Technically
speaking, this is true, in that according to the
Vadagalai sampradaaya numbering system, RN is included
in the 4000 to make the total even out properly. In
addition, it was probably felt appropriate to add a
work in praise of Ramanuja as an official part of the
divya prabandham.

However, the RN is included in every Thengalai edition
of the divya prabandham that I have seen, even though it
is not officially part of the 4000. It is purely a
difference in the way the lines of the periya thirumadal
and siriya thirumadal of Thirumangai Azhvaar are numbered.
According to the Thengalai count, 4000 is achieved without
using the RN at all.

The number 4000 almost definitely came into prominence
after Ramanuja's passing, as disagreements on numbering
the paasurams would otherwise have been settled in the
days of Nathamuni himself.

Mani