Whatever happenned to Sattada SV?
Hello folks,
In the following SV = Sri Vaishnava, SSV = Sattada Sri Vaishnava (சாத்தாத ஸ்ரீவைஷ்ணவா)
My thesis is Sri Vaishnavam was a bold experiment in social change started by Azhvars, nurtured by Bhagavat Ramanuja, gained strength through the Thenkalai lineage of Pillai Lokacharyar and Manavala Maamuni, and was in full bloom in the 16th century, but somehow and unfortunately, petered out. Today, this great experiment is completely forgotten or misunderstood, or misinterpreted. SSVs are part of the relic of this glorious past that still lives.
The two sub-sects called Vadakalai and Thenkalai within Iyengars are well known. There is also a third group called Sattada Sri Vaishnavas (SSV) aka Kovil Sri Vaishnavas. They belong to the Thenkalai sect, but they are also different from the Thenkalais in significant ways. Who they really are is shrouded in somewhat of a mystery. They don’t wear yajnopavitam. They don’t perform any Vedic rituals, but rely only on Dhivya Prabhandham for all their rituals. They very seldom if ever are temple archakas. Because of all of these, SSVs are generally thought to be NBs converted to Sri Vaishnavam by Bhagavat Ramanuja.
From guru parapara hagiography, we can infer that Bhagavat Ramanuja gave SSVs important roles in temple activities in SV temples all over Tamilnadu, Karnataka, and Andhra. (Aside: He even included Dalits of his time. He is credited as the one who coined the term “Thirukkulathor” a direct translation of which in Hindi is Harijan.)
Some of the responsibilities Bhagavagt Ramanuja assigned to SSVs continue to this day. Even today, in Sri Rangam, the preeminent temple for Sri Vaishnavas, SSVs perform a wide range of tasks starting from opening the curtain in the morning to closing the curtain at night and a lot in between. Their responsibilities range from fairly low status ones, such as making announcements (kattiyam), to even somewhat high status ones like providing flowers and garlands, and the safe-keeping of the temple keys (HRCE also has one set of keys). It seems SSVs are also known to officiate as aradhakas in some lesser known temples, but not in any of the major temples.
The article by Robert Lester, “The Sāttāda Śrīvaiṣṇavas”, Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 114, No. 1 (Jan. - Mar., 1994), pp. 39-53, presents an outline of the history of SSVs and gives copious references culled out of Temple Chronicles (கோவில் ஒழுகு) and inscriptions. From this article we get a peek into the kind of Sri Vaishnavam practiced a few centuries ago and how much SVs have gone backwards between then and now.
Lester presents evidence that SSVs in Srirangam recited Dhivya Prabhandham alongside brahmin SVs in the gosthi up until 1942. He does not give any details of the reasons why it stopped. Lester further goes on to say that in some temples SSVs used to get theertha prasadam and other prasadams ahead of Brahmins.
So, what happened? How come today the SSVs are not allowed into the elite Brahmin circles? SSVs are not allowed into the praghandha goshti. They no longer enjoy the privileges they had a right to in an earlier era in not so very distant past. While they still maintain a somewhat of a privileged status compared to other NB SVs, there is a clear line of separation between the Brahmin SVs and SSVs.
These are interesting questions for which Lester only gives speculative answers. But what is really amazing is Lester’s thesis that SSVs were not entirely NB converts, but included Bs as well. In support, he cites a 1536 inscription of one SSV called Azagiya Manavala ayyan of Kausika gotra, Apastamba suitra and Yajus shakha and a disciple of Azagiya Manavala Jiyar (Sriman Manavala Mamuni) -- clearly an SSV of brahmin origin. Another record at Srirangam, dated 1665, references an SSV of Srivatsa gotra, once again a clear indication of Brahmin affiliation. For every exalted SSV of Brahmin origin getting recorded through inscription or in chronicles, there must be hundreds, if not thousands of SSVs of B origin unmentioned.
These SSV of brahmin origin removed all their external signs that mark them as Brahmins, like poonal, kaccham, etc. The only sign they sported was the Urdhva Pundaram (namam), common to all, that marked them just as SVs.
To properly understand what this means, we need to look at the expansive social vision of Azhvars that I have already discussed in detail. There were brahmins who heard Periyazhvar's call,
தொண்டக்குலத்திலுள்ளீர் வந்தடி தொழுது ஆயிரம் நாமம் சொல்லி
பண்டைக் குலத்தைத் தவிர்ந்து, பல்லாண்டு பல்லாயிரத்தாண்டு என்மினே!
and did leave their exalted Brahmin kulam and became part of SSVs.
Swami Periyavacchan Pillai's directive to caste brahmins to fall at the feet of even the lowliest of lowly SV did not fall into deaf ears. It was not a daydream. These were vadama smarthas who removed their yajyaopavetham and wore veshti without kaccham and dedicated their lives to temple activities and became SSV along with other NBs as equals or even as servants.
Nammazhvar's songs like:
குலம் தாங்கு சாதிகள் நாலிலும் கீழ் இழிந்து எத்தனை
நலந்தான் இலாத சண்டாள சண்டாளர்கள் ஆகிலும்
வலம் தாங்கு சக்கரத்து அண்ணல் மணிவண்ண்ற்கு ஆள் என்று உள்
கலந்தார் அடியார் தம் அடியார், எம்அடிகளே (3.7.9)
"A servant of a devoted bhaktha of Manivannan, even if he is a candala among candalas, his servant's servant is my master"
inspired them enough to make at least a start to make this vision a reality.
This is not all, there is strong evidence from the past that gives us a glimpse of at least a degree of gender equity that no longer exists today.
K.V. Raman in his book titled “Sri Varadarajaswami Temple, Kanchi: A Study of Its History, Art and Architecture” 1975, published by Shakti Malik Abhinav Publications E37 Hauz Khas, New Delhi 110 016, cites temple records from the 13th century about a special endowment by the Telugu-Chda chieftain Gandagopala for the maintenance of the females goshti (பெருமாள் முன் பாடும் பெண்டுகள் நிமித்தது) p. 135.
K.V. Raman also cites (in the same pahe 135) another record datable to 1535 C.E. that specifies a certain share in the holy food for the ladies by right, who took part in the group-singing in front of the deity (திருவோலக்கம் சேவித்த பெண்கள்).
The term "thiruvolakkam" is very important, it refers to formal gathering of SVs. So, from this record dating back to 1535, we see that at Kanchi Perarulan temple, there were formal goshti made up of women and they enjoyed certain rights and privileges accorded to them by decree.
Today, women must be content with just spectators. Let alone, Kacnhipuram, even in Srivilliputhur in Sri Andal sannidhi, women are not even allowed inside the room in front of the Sannithi where the men-only Goshti gather for the morning seva kalam and Satrumurai. The women will have to stand outside the main sannidhi until the men-only goshti complete saRRumuRai.
The brahmin-men SVs closely guard the privileges from their hoary past, by moving the courts all the way to the supreme court if necessary, but how much of the devotion or the revolutionary spirit of our forefathers is still present, the less said the better. Even in Andal sannidhi the women are not equal to men, what an irony.
What was obviously true at least up until 16th century slowly eroded and finally died out completely by 1942 when the SSVs were excluded from Goshti by court order, why?
By the 16th century the Vijayanagar empire, the primary benefactor of Sri Vaishnavas, was in decline. The deep south of Tamilnadu was under Nayakas control and the middle country under the Nizams of Arcot. Even under these tumultuous times, SSVs were prominent and growing, and women seem to have enjoyed independent status and rights in temples.
Lester says SSVs were part of the goshti in Sri Rangam up until 1942, just 5 years short of the end of British rule. So, it is not unreasonable to deduce that the progressive leanings of SVs continued without any interference from the oft cited Muslim and British intrigue.
Now, SSVs have become a caste like other castes, but continue to enjoy privileged status below brahmins, but above NB SVs. What started as a social reform movement got co-opted and folded into the caste system. Today all that remains in SV is ostentatious recitation of Dhivya Prabhandham, starting with நாயிந்தே நாயிந்தே, with none of the ஈரம் of Azhvar verses touching their humanity, like water rolling off the proverbial lotus leaf.
Andal's நானேதான் ஆயிடுக gets mistaken by some to be நானேதான் நாயிடுக and they wonder whether Naidus were present even in Andal's time. How much have we fallen?
Cheers!
