Sri Ranga Pankajam

                                                   Sri :

                    SRI PILLAI LOKACHARYA VAIBHAVAM

                     (narrated by Sri Sivakumar Kaviyappa

                            Email: "kbsivakumar@gmail.com" )

Sri Pillai Lokacharya was born as the amsam (form) of Kanchi Devaraja (Varadaraja or Perarullalan) Perumal (lord) in the month of Aippasi under the star Thiruvonam in year 1205 CE. Lord Devaraja took this avatar in order to document and immortalize the teachings and writings of our Universal Guru Sri Ramanjuar.

The greatest asset to our tradition is the writings of Azhwars as Naalayira Divya Prabandam ( 4000 devotinoal hymns) and the Ashta:dasa Rahasyas of Sri Pillai Lokacharya. Prior to Sri Ramanuja the esoteric truths of the Vedas and scriptures were revealed only to a select few disciples by the great Master’s and that too only after the student had proved his mettle and shown a great thirst in acquiring spiritual knowledge. It was Sri Ramanuja who out of great compassion to mankind decided to part with the secrets in our scriptures revealing the god head to all those who sought it.

After Sri Ramanujar, his successors propagated his teachings with great care. How ever sensing they could be misled or misinterpreted over time the great Master Sri Pillai Lokacharya compiled all the teachings in to 18 different works. They are
1) MumuKshuppadi
2) Parandapadi
3) Sriyahpathipadi
4) Ya:druchikapadi
5) Arttha panchakam
6) Prapannaparithra:na:m
7) Samsa:ra Sa:mra:jyam
8) Archira:di
9) Navavidha sambandham
10)Thaththwa thrayam
11)Thaththwa se:kharam
12) Prame:ya se:kharam
13) Sri: Vachana bhu:shaman
14) Navarathnama:la
15) Sa:rasangraham
16) Thani pranavam
17) Thani dvayam and
18) Thani charamam

These 18 works for Sri Pillai Lokacharya are collectively called as Ashta:dasa:Rahasyas.
Ashta:dasa means eighteen and Rahasyas means secrets. As these teachings were the great secrets extracted from vast ocean of scriptures they are called Rahasyas. The teachings were closely guarded secrets and were revealed only to a select prior to these works hence were also called Rahasyas.

His works broadly summarize the teachings of Sri Ramanujar and the doctrine of unconditional surrender (SARANAGATI). He stayed in the earth for 106 years and ended his life after protecting Sri Lord Ranganatha from muslim invasion in the year 1311 CE.

Sri PillaiLokacharyar was succeeded by the illustrious Sri Manavala Mamuni (1370 – 1444). He his widely considered to be re-incarnation of Sri Ramanujar himself. He has glorified these works in his UPADESA: RATHNA: MALA.