Manavala Mamunigal was born, according to tradition in 1370 CE, at Alwar Thirunagari, Swami Nammalwar's town, and was named Azhagiya Manavalar. As a young man he became the disciple of Thiruvaymozhi Pillai, learned Thiruvaymozhi and the Eedu at his feet, and served at the sannidhi of Sri Ramanuja there. His love for Sri Ramanuja was so complete that he came to be called Yatheendra Pravanar, the one devoted to Yatiraja.
After his acharya's passing he took sannyasa and settled at Srirangam. The temple and its traditions had suffered through long years of disturbance, and he gave himself to setting them right — gathering and copying old manuscripts, restoring the order of worship, and teaching. He wrote commentaries on Pillai Lokacharya's Srivachana Bhushanam, Mumukshuppadi and Tattva Trayam, and on the Acharya Hrudayam, so that later generations could understand them. In Tamil he gave us Upadesa Ratnamalai, Thiruvaymozhi Nootrandadi and Arththi Prabandham.
The tradition remembers him above all for one year at Srirangam. Namperumal commanded him to explain Thiruvaymozhi, with the Eedu, in His presence. According to tradition, for a full year the temple's festivals were set aside, and Namperumal sat with His consorts in the Periya Thirumandapam, listening every day. On the last day, Aani Thirumoolam, a small child stepped out from the gathering, joined his palms before Mamunigal, recited a new taniyan in his praise — the one known by its opening words, Srisailesa dayapatram — and was gone. (Srisailesa is the Sanskrit form of Thirumalai Azhwar, the name of Mamunigal's own acharya, Thiruvaymozhi Pillai.) Everyone understood that the child was Namperumal Himself, taking Mamunigal as His own acharya. Since then that taniyan is recited before the Divya Prabandham in Sri Vaishnava temples and homes.
Mamunigal appointed eight principal disciples, the Ashta Diggajas, to carry the teaching to every region, and left this world at Srirangam, according to tradition in 1443 CE. The tradition sees in him Sri Ramanuja come again. With him the Guru Parampara is complete: the Lord, with whom the Parampara begins, became his disciple.