Hi Everbody !
This is my first post.
I belong to the ILAYAVILLI lineage of srivaishnavites.
And I would like to share my thoughts on srivaishnavism in general and Ilayavilli paramparai in particular.
As Sri Ramanuja was passing through the Veera Narayanapuram lake , he saw water gushing out from 74 outlets . And immediately he thought of appointing 74 srivaishnavite families to propagate and secure srivaishnavism . And he selected such 74 srivaishnavites who were well versed in the Vedhas and Prabhandhams and gave unique titles to them. They are called "SIMHAASANAADHIPADHIS".
Each one was given a unique title such as ILAYAVILLI, NADAADHUR AMMAL, KIDAMBI AACHAAN etc. And UDAYAVAR empowered them to do SAMAASRAYANAM / PRABHATTHI and they started propagating srivaishnavism throughout the state of Tamilnadu and its northern borders.
As time passed on , more and more people started leaning towards materialistic life and the interest in Vedhic life and sanskrit dwindled. And as with the passage of time , the number of Adhikaaris in the Vedhas and Prabandhams shrunk, people began to realise the need for a common Acharya.
And thus born the sishya paramparais of Sri Azhagiya Singar / Periyasramam etc.
I don't know a lot about the Guru Parampara Charithram but from historical point of view this could have happened.
I now eagerly await the "ILAYAVILLIS" to unite and share their thoughts.
And I am ready to organise a dtabase of Ilayavillis so that future generations can benefit from it.
This is something like the Christians do by maintaining the church records.
One question comes to my mind now:
As the Ilayavilli lineage shouldhave started from one person, all Ilayavillis by default should belong to the Kaushika Gothram . Am I right ?
My father used to lament that Sri Bashyakaarar ordered our paramparai to guard our srivaishnavite tradition just as Ilaya Perumal Sri Lakshmanan guarded Lord Rama and Maatha Sita for fourteen years without any sleep during the period of their Vanavaasam.
But we are moving away further and further from our Sampradhayam and becoming more and more westernised. Is there any way to return back to our original natural state ?
