Vaikuntha Ekadashi is celebrated to commemorate the pastime of the highly exalted devotee Sri Nammalwar attaining Vaikuntha.
Sri Nammalwar, one of the 12 alwars of the Sri Vaishnava sampradaya, was an exalted devotee of extremely high calibre. Nammalwar was born as the son of Kariyar on the full moon day of Vaikasi month in the very first year of Kali-yuga, which is called Pramathi-nama-samvatsara according to the Tamil calendar. According to the English calendar, Nammalwar was born in 3102 B.C. His mother was Udiaya-Nangiyar. Nammalwar appeared on this planet just 43 days after Lord Krishna disappeared from this planet.
Nammalwar’s parents became highly concerned as Nammalwar turned out to be an unresponsive child. On the twelfth day the parents took Nammalwar and left him in the care of Lord Vishnu situated on the banks of Thamarabharani river, and the couple returned back. Nammalwar, left alone, slowly crept into the cavity of a tamarind tree, which is said to be a manifestation of Adishesha and retired in meditation at that tender age. Nammalwar didn’t budge from that place for any necessity a normal human would have. He was completely absorbed in meditation and was experiencing the Lord’s pastimes in his meditation.
16 years elapsed like this and Nammalwar grew into a youth while in that cavity!
Nammalwar’s glories were revealed to the world by his disciple Madhurakavi alwar. When Madhurakavi alwar first saw Nammalwar, he posed him a philosophical question. To which, Nammalwar for the first time in his life spoke!
Madhurakavi alwar asked: “If in the womb of the dead, a subtle being is born, what does it eat and where does it abide?”
Nammalwar replied: “Atthai thinru angai kidakkum”, which means it eats that and abides there.
Listening to Nammalwar’s reply, Madhurakavi-alwar realized Nammalwar to be a very advanced devotee and embodiment of spiritual knowledge. Madhurakavi alwar even though older in age and a Brahmana, became a disciple of Nammalwar who was born in a shudra family. By doing so, Madhurakavi alwar has clearly established that Lord Vishnu is accessible to the people of all castes, and all His devotees. Vaishnavas are above all caste, class, age and other considerations pertaining to the body.
From Nammalwar, Madhurakavi-alwar learnt Tiruviruttam (100 hymns), Tiruv-asiriyam (7 hymns), Periya-tiruvandadi (87 hymns), and Thiruvaymozhi (1102 hymns). Though Nammalwar’s works are not as voluminous as the Vedas, it reveals all the secrets to bhakti.
Due to Madhurakavi alwar’s missionary activities, the greatness of Nammalwar started to spread far and wide. Madhurakavi alwar’s missionary activities went on undisturbed until the information of his efforts to promote Nammalwar as the greatest poet reached the local Pandya King’s court.
The Pandya King who ruled over Thirunagari and its surrounding areas, passed a law making it mandatory for every poet to submit their work to the council headed by the court poet, Kambanatt-azhwan, for its scrutiny. As Nammalwar’s works did not have the approval of the council, the Pandya king sent his men to summon Madhurakavi alwar. The King’s soldiers asked Madhurakavi-alwar to bring Nammalwar to the court and present all his works. Angry at the arrogance of the soldiers, Madhurakavi alwar told them that his master, Nammalwar, would not even budge from his sitting place and gave them a palm leaf that contained one stanza from one of the hymns of Nammalwar and asked them to place it before the council for its scrutiny.
The palm leaf read, “Kannan-kazhal inai nannu manam udayir ennum tiru-naman tinnam naraname,” which means “Those whose hearts are in love with the lotus feet of Lord Krishna, take this mantra for meditation, it is indeed the holy name of the Lord.”
After reading that particular passage the council consisting of 300 scholars and the court poet, Kambanatt-azhwan, became the disciples of Nammalwar. When Nammalwar turned 32 the Lord Himself came to Vaikuntha’s door to take him in. This event signifies Vaikuntha Ekadashi. A crown (representing the head of Nammalwar) with the lotus feet of the Lord on the top of it is kept in the Sri Vaishnava temple, signifying Nammalwar’s intense desire to dwell under the lotus Feet of the Lord. This crown is named Shatari and is symbolically placed on the heads of the believers who visit the temple to show the Lordship of the Supreme Lord as well as to signify our eternal servitude to His lotus feet.
– ISKCON Raichur