Thirukkachi Nambigal

?TIRUKKACHI NAMBIGAL?
Tirukkachi NambigaL was born in Masi under the asterism of Mrigaseersham.
He was a great devotee of Lord VaradarAja of kAnchi engaged in bringing water (Theertha kainkaryam) from the well (sAlaikkiNaru). His devotion to the Lord was so deep that the Lord in His ?archAavtAram? is reported to have been in ?speaking terms? with him and used to converse with him.

When Bhagavad RamAnuja escaped from a murder plot against him while travelling with his Guru, he was mysteriously rescued from a forest by the divine couple in the garb of wayfarers and entrusted him to the care of Nambi.

Both were dawn to each other and the bonding became closer day by day. Once Bhagavad RamAnuja invited Nambi for dinner in the hope of partaking of the remnants on his leaf. On the appointed day, when he went to Nambi?s home to fetch him, Nambi had arrived at his place through a different route. He requested BR?s wife to serve him urgently as he had to go to the temple for duty. After he finished eating and left, the lady threw the leaf away, cleaned the place with a solution of cow-dung and was taking bath- all because Nambi was born in the fourth caste. BR returned and was enraged at his wife when came to know what had happened. He went to Nambi?s home to apologize but Nambi made light of it all.

With great amount of hesitation BR asked Nambi whether he could get some of his doubts cleared during his routine conversations with the Lord. That very night when Nambi was alone with the Lord, the Lord asked him whether he desired to ask anything and Nambi mentioned about the request of BR. Nambi had not ascertained the doubts from BR and therefore could not present them to the Lord. But, the Lord gave His answers to be conveyed to BR., even without the questions before Him. This is known as ?The Six Words? (Aaru vArthaigaL).The gist of these 6 words are as follows:
1. I am Sriy:pathi, the Supreme reality
(param Tattvam SrImAn aham)
2. Essential differences between individual souls and the Supreme soul is the true doctrine.
(api cha bEdhO mama matham)
3. The easiest and the most direct means to attain mOksham is
self-surrender to me (Prapatti or SaraNAgathi)
(prapattisthu upAya:0
4. It is not necessary for such a surrendered soul to remember me at the time of his death.
(Charama samayE na smritirapi)
5. Moksha is guaranteed to such a soul at the end of this very life itself.
(sareerAnthE mOksha:)
6. The questioner should sit at the feet of MahApoorNar, his spiritual father.
(gururapi cha mahApoorNa:)
When Nambi met BR and conveyed the answers and asked him if these were his doubts, BR was astonished on the Lord?s answers to the very questions he had in mind.
More about the 6 words in a later posting.