1.Thiruvarangatthu AmudAnAr"s tribute to RaamAnujA
2. Sri NigamAntha MahA Desikan"s tribute to Lakshmana Muni
3. ManavALa Maamuni's tribute to Yati Raaja
Maamuni was born in Azhwaar Thirunagari a year after Swami Desikan ascended
to Sri Vaikuntam. The Year was 1370 AD. He lived for 73 Years on this earth
and rendered great service by blessing us with commentaries on Sri Pillai
Lokaacharyar"s Rahasya Granthams .He was a disciple of ThiruvaiMOzhi
Pillai, who himself was a disciple of Sri PiLLai Lokaacchaar . Maamuni"s
Acharya sked him to focus on Thirvaimozhi and give minimum attention to
Sanskrit sources and Sri Bhashyam. After his Guru"s death in 1410AD, Maamuni
spent some time at Kanchi and learnt Sri Bhashyam from a disciple of Brahma
Tantra Svatantra Jeeyar, a direct disciple of Swami Desikan. Maamuni had
high regard for Swami Desikan and called Swami Desikan as Abhiyuktar or
the Revered one.
After his return from Kanchi, he elected Sanyasa Asrama and was known
as Yatinra PravaNar, or the leader among Sanyasis. His reverence for RamAnujA
and Nammazhwar had no limits. He intrepreted Thiruvaimozhi as per his Guru"s
wish and wrote brilliant commentaries for the Rahasya Granthas left to
us by Sri Pillai Lokaacchaar. His first work was his tribute to Rammanuja
in twenty verses known as Yatiraja Vimsathi. He blessed us with the commentaries
on Srivachana Bhooshanam, Tattvatrayaa, Mumkshuppati of Sri Lokaacchaar.
He wrote a commentary for the RamAnuja Nooranthadhi. He also wrote a
commentary for AruLaLa PermuAL EmperumAnAr"s Jnana Saara and Prameya Saara.
He composed Thiruvaimozhi Nooranthadhi to celebrate Nammazhwaar"s thousand
verses . The other works by him are Upadesa Ratna Maala, a summary of the
Guruparampara and Alwaar"s teachings, Thiruvaaradhanakramaa, in the
spirit of Sri Ramanuja"s Nitya Grantham.
Towards the end of his life, he created a beautiful commentary on Acharya
Hrudhayam, a work by the brother of Pillai Lokaacchaar. He came to know
that the white ants had damaged partly the Commentary of Periyavaacchaan
PLLai on Periyaazhwaar"s pasurams. He replaced the missing four decades
with his own commentary and filled the gap.
Commentary:
Next , MM describes the special attributes of SatakOpA that made him
the object of RaamAnujA's reverence with the words : " Sri Maadhava angri
jalaja dhvaya nithya sevA prema aavila aasaya parAnkusa : " . NammAzhwAr's
premai for the Lord 's pair of lotus feet ( Sri Madhava Angri jalaja Dhvayam)
has poured out in the form of the Paasurams of Thiruvaimozhi . AzhwAr was
absorbed in the Nitya SEvA of those sacred feet of the Lord . AzhwAr's
mind was "agitated " ( aavila aasaya ) as a result of that premai
. One wonders why AzhwAr's mind was agitated instead of being clear and
joyous as a result of his Premai for the Lord . This has been explained
as the agitation arising from the thought of vislesham (separation from
Him ) and inability to be without Him for even a moment . That is why AzhwAr
out of his prema paravasam engaged in angry conversations with the Lord
as the rejected ParAnkusa Naayaki . AzhwAr's aavilAsayam is therefore due
to his limitless premai for the Lord and not due to any mental agitation
associated with KarmAs .
MM described RaamAnuja pointedly as " PARAANKUSA Paadha Bhaktham" .
He used the Naamam of ParankusA instead of other names like SatakOpan for
the AzhwAr . The two deep meanings of the naamam , ParAnkusA have
been pointed out as the reason for MM's choice of the name ParAnkusA .
AzhwAr is revered as ParAnkusA because he is the ankusam (elephant goad
) for the parAs , who aver that the Lord is not SuguNa Brahmam , He has
no vigraham (NirguNa Svarupi) , and has no vibhoothis . Through his Divya
Sookthis , the AzhwAr has celebrated the anantha KalyANa guNAs of the Lord
, who is Ubhaya Vibhoothi Visishtan . He is the leelA vibhoothi Visishtan
, since He has this world as His property. He is also Nitya Vibhoothi Visishtan
, since he is the Lord of Parama Padham made of Suddha Sattvam . AzhwAr
has described his aruLiccheyalgaL as " Paranadi mEl Kuruhoor SatakOpan
sol " . With his divya sookthis , he has goaded and controlled the
parans as their ankusam . That is why he is called ParAnkusan according
to this view .
In anothe rview , the azhwAr is the Ankusam for the ParAthparan.
In his Thiruvaimozhi ( 6-4-9) , AzhwAr says : " Valakkai aazhi idakkai
sangamivaiyudai maal vaNNanai , malakku naavudayErku ". He proudly says
about his special relation with the Lord and states that he can be like
the ankusam for the Lord to respond to him . That is the second explanation
for the title of ParAnkusan for the AzhwAr . RamAnujA had great reverence
for AzhwAr for possessing such power .
The second line of the slokam refers to RamAnujA as the most compassionate
Acharya , who removes the six kinds of dhoshams ( Kaama , madha , moha
, maatsarya , krodha et al ) from those , who sought refuge in him . He
is therefore described as Dhosha Haran .
This slokam concludes with the salutation of MM that he bows before
that Prapanna jana Dhosha haran , RamAnuja, with his head . It is no loger
anjali mudrA , but sAshtAnga NamaskAram with his head at the feet
of RamAnujA . The depth of devotion and respect of MM for RamAnujA is hinted
here .
Commentary:
SRI RANGARAAJA PADHAAMBHUJA RAAJA HAMSAM
COMPARISON OF RAMAANUJAA TO A KING SWAN
ADDITIONAL REASONS FOR SUCH A COMPARISON
The final reaon for MM's choice of hamsam as a similie for RamAnujA
is based on his engagement in PurushakAra kruthyam (act of pleading / intercession
) with the Lord like the Consort of the Lord , Sri RanganAyaki . ThAyAr's
steps (nadai/NADATTHAI ) are imitated by hamsams . Similar to that, AchArya
RamAnujA followed the prime duty of MahA Lakshmi (viz) ., pleading with
Her Lord to forgive the aparAdhams of the jeevan and grant Moksham to the
PrapannAs . Sri Vedantha Desikan is quoted by PBA swamy here to illustrate
this point ( DhatthE Rangee nijamapi padham DesikAdesa kAnkshee ) .
SWAMI DESIKAN'S COMPARISON OF RAMAANUJAA TO A HAMSAM
SRIMADH PARAANKUSA PAADHAAMBHUJA BRUNGA RAAJAM
Like Thondaradipodi"s " Vandinamuralum " the honey bees go from flower
to flower in search of honey . They do the act of "muralvathu " .
So does the honey bee described as RaamAnujA travels from one paasuram
to the other of NammAzhwAr and enjoys the taste of the nectar contained
in them . Such is the nature of the activities of the king bee, Acharya
RaamAnujA according to MM .
SRI BHATTA NAATHA PARAKAALA MUKHAABHJA MITRAM
SRIVATSA CHIHNA SARANAM( CHARANAM )
YATHIRAAJAM YEEDE
Commentary:
In this third slokam , MM prays for his mind to be blessed always with
the thoughts about the sacred feet of all the AchAryas appointed
to the Acharya Peetams by RaamAnujA . This slokam is a celebration of Taddhdaasa
daasathvam prescribed by NammAzhwAr through his famous paasuram passage
, " enthai pirAn tanakku adiyAradiyAr tam adiyAradiyAr tam adiyAr adiyOngaLE
" .
PBA Swamy has suggested that this slokam is based on the RaamAnusa NooRanthadhi
(RN) paasuram, " TannaiuRRtcheynthanmainOr " (97th paasuram of RN ) .
AmudanAr's 97th paasuram
SaasthrAs state that we should broadcast the glory of our AcharyAs(
Gurum Prakaasayeth ) . A compassionate AcharyA however celebrates his dear
disciples and speaks of their glories too ! RamAnuja instructed AmudanAr
to offer Prapatthi to KurEsa instead of to him directly for the purpose
of reminding others of KurEsA's glorious accomplishments and AchArya Bhakthi
.
First in the series of 17 slokams on Prayer to RamAnujA
Commentary:
MM prays here in the manner of AaNdAL ( MaRRai nam kaamangaL mARRElOrempaavaai
) and AmudanAr . MM's prayer to have the blessings of the chintanA
of the beautiful body of AchArya RaamAnujA reminds one of the celebration
of Swami Desikan about the anga Sowndharyam of the Yatheendhrar in his
11th verse of YathirAja Sapthadhi :
Embar's anubhavam of RamAnujA's lotus feet , tender fingers reminding
one of the creepers , sacred ochre robe , auspicious yagnOpaveedham , thridandam
, smile laden with dayA , eyes reminiscent of wish yielding kalpakA tree
, tuft formed by abundant tresses is simply beautiful . EmbAr states that
there is no one equal to him in all the worlds because of his enshrinement
of Sri RamAnuja of such great beauty and sacredness in his heart lotus
.
MM has also celebrated in his Aarhti Prabhandham the lotus feet of YathirAjar
and his sacred ochre robe symbolizing his achAryA's uttamAsramam :
Commentary:
MM refers to the AshtAkshara manthram or Periya Thiru manthiram as Manu
rAjam . The word Manu is a paryAyam ( Synonym) for Manthram . Manu Raajam
refers therefore to Manthra rAjam . In our sampradhAyam , Ashtakshara Manthram
is revered as Manthra Raajam ; Dhvayam is referred to as Manthra
rathnam . MM recognizes AshtAksharam as made up of three padhams ( PraNavam
, NamO: and nArAyaNAya ) in the manner in which Mumukshuppadi and other
granthams describe it. The meanings of the three padhams have been
explained as references to the mighty doctrines of ananyArha Seshathvam
, Ananya saraNathvam and Ananya Bhogyathvam .
What are these doctrines ?
One who accepts and enjoys that service is Seshi. BhagavAn is the supreme
master of all the jeevans and accepts with joy the services rendered by
the jeevans.Hence He is saluted as Sarva Seshi .
The second doctrine is Ananya SaraNathvam . This is the state of jeevan
experienced during its prapatthi . The jeevan recognizes that it is ananya
SaraNan (i-e) It is not capable of practicing successfully the Karma, J~nana
and Bhakthi YogAs . It feels helpless .It does not have the means to gain
the Lord's grace except through prapatthi in a state of helplessness. Ananya
Saranan simply means in Tamil , vEru uphAyam illaathavan . His state is
ananya saraNathvam .
The third doctrine is ananya Bhogyathvam . This is the state of a paramaikAnthi
. His enjoyment is soley devoted to the thoughts about the Lord and Kaimmkaryam
to HIM and HIM alone . That is this jeevan's sole bhogyam or the
exclusive object of enjoyment .
MM prays to Acharya RaamAnuja : " Manu Raaja Padha Traya artha nishtAm
athra , adhya vithara" . MM has gotten a glimpse of the powerful
meanings of the Manu Raajam . He wants that flash of the knowledge about
the meanings ( padha Traya Artham ) to be firmly rooted without any slippage
in his mind . He prays for the conferral of the boon of Nishtai ( Firm
resolution to practise the meanings of the Manthra Raajam ) .
MM Chooses the word "Athra " and Adhya " regarding the place and time
for this boon to become effective. By choosing the word "Athra " , MM seeks
the boon to be operational right here in this samsAric world known for
its tApa thrayams . By the choice of the word , "adhya " , he refers
to his present state of joy through the quick glimpse obtained about the
power of Manthra Raajam and the taste (longing ) that he has developed
for firm attachment to a way of life rooted in these three doctrines as
the guiding light for the rest of the journey on this earth (deha yAthrA
) . He does not want this boon to become operational in another place
(Sri VaikunTam ) or time . Hence MM chose " Athra and Adhya " in his SaraNAgathi
to Sri RamAnujA .
MM IN SHORT SEEKS PADHA TRAYAARTHA NISHTAI .
Thirumangai according to PBA Swamy hints at the supermacy of Bhagavatha
Nishtai when he states : " MaRRellAm pEsithulum ninn Thiruvettezhatthum
kaRRu naan uRRathum unnadiyArkkadimai ". Here , Thirumangai implies that
Bhagavatha Seshathvam is the central principle enunciated by Manthra Raajam
. Hence MM chose Padha TrayArtha Nishtai as Bhagavatha Nishtai and takes
that as the theme of the second part f this slokam : " SishtAgra GaNya
Jana sEvya Bhavath padhAbjE hrishtA asthu nithyam anubhuya mamAsya Buddhi
: " .
MM describes his buddhi as lowly and not filled with auspicious thoughts
( neesanEn , NiraivonRumilEn ) . He wants that buddhi of his to be lifted
to loftier heights and to be filled forever with the sanctifying thoughts
about the lotus feet of the BhagavathOtthama , Aachharya Saarvabhouman
, RaamAnujA . MM describes further the sanctity of those Lotus feet . He
says that they are the ones that were fit for great disciples such as KurEsa
, AandAn , AruLALa perumALemperumAn and other mahAns . MM wishes to have
the joy of the fruits ( HrushtA ) from the saraNagathi and the kaimkaryam
associated with the observance of the Bhagavatha Nishtai.
Commentary:
Meaning:
AcharyA's Mental state of NaichyAnusanthAnam
There are many instances of VaishNava AcharyAs , who cry out with naicchiyam
in a spirit of identification with our inadequacies and misdeeds . Thyaga
Brhamam was a Rama Chaithanyaa and had a spotless life devoted to
the worship of Sri Ramachandra. He lamented however about his unfitness
and sought the dayA of Sri RamA in the following krithis :(1)
Tudukku Gala (Gowlai ) ; Etula BrOthuvO teliya ( ChakravAham ) ; PrAlabdha
( SvarAvaLi raagam ) ; TelinE jEyu ( Kokila dhvani ) ; nOrEmi Sri
RaamA (VarALi ).
I will take the Gowlai krithi to compare the state of mind of
MM to that of another great BhakthA , ThyagarAjA , who blessed this earth
with his presence few centuries later .
This krithi in RaagA Gowlai starts with the pallavi , "Tudukku Gala
nannE dora koduku prochurA yenthO ". In this second pancha Rathna Krithi
, Saint ThyagaraajA starts in the lower rishabha svaram indicative of his
agitated mental state. He asks as to which dorai magan ( son of the powerful
Master/Chakravarthi Thirumagan ) is going to come to his rescue . He suggests
that Dasarathi , the son of Dasaratha chakravarthi is the only one , who
can save him from his aparAdhams .
Professor Saambhamurthy describes the mental state of NaicchyanusandhAnam
of the Saint this way : " The sahityam reflects the pathetic state of mind
and the penitent mood the composer had at that time . The sahitya
is confessional in tone ; but the fact is ThyagarAjA never committed the
sins enumerated therein . Indirectly , it is provided as a lesson to others
to desist from committng such sins . "
Sadhguru SwamigaL has gone on to compose many krithis expressing similar
aathma GarhaNa mood for our benefit . Some of them are : YennALLu tirikEthi
( MaaLava Sri ) , Yetula KaapAduthuvO ? Sri RamachandrA ! ( Aahiri ) ;
Nenandhu VedakudhurA , Hari ( Hari KaambhOji ) ; Sikku Maali naa
ValE tara -nEvaru thiruga jaalarayaa (KedAra Gowlai ) ; Nimmana valasinadhEmi
? Raama nannavalEnugaaka ( kalyANi ) ; Gattigaanu nanu chEyi BattE tEnnadi
ko ( Begada) ; Paahi KalyaaNa-sundara Raama maam ( Punnaaga VarALi
) ; Nee chitthamu nirmalamani ninnE namminAnu ( DhanyAsi).
Earlier VaishNava AchAryA's Aathma GarhaNam
AaLavandhAr's 11th verse in Sthothra Rathnam starting with , " Na Ninthitam
karma tadhasthi lokE sahasrasO YannamayAvdhAyee " is a case in point.
Here , the great AachAryA cries out to Lord MukhundA :" O Lord ! There
is not a sin that I have not committed tens of thousands of times . I do
not know of any sin that I have not committed. All of these sins have now
ripened and are ready to yield their fruits . At this time of desperation
and terror , I stand before you screaming as to who is going to protect
me .
Swami Desikan states elsewhere :
Swami Desikan also has described himself in yet another sthothram
as " Adharma pravaNAnAm agra skandha pravruttham agatamaana vipratheesAram
maam " . Here he describes himself as the one standing in the front row
unrighteous and as one , who has no compassion for fellow jeeva Raasis
.
This is the Aaathma GarhaNa , Aakinchanya Mood that MaNavALa Maamuni
that he engages in this and other slokams to follow to seek the compassion
of DayA sindhu , Sri RaamAnujA.
Commentary:
First is the slight to the AchAryA (Acharya Paribhavam ). This is related
to both the disregard for the upadesam given by the AchArya and initiating
unfit (AnadhikhAris ) ones with the received upadesam .
The second kind of disgrace is related to the manthram ( mathra paribhavam).
This relates to the forgetting the meaning of the manthram and the
wrong intrepretation of the same.
The third humiliation is DevathA paribhavam . This is assoicated
with the indulgence of the manas , Vaak and Kaayam in matters other than
the Manthra DevathA .
Swami MM says : I am guilty of these three types of ApachArams
(offenses) and am not repentent over them. I boldly strut about
pretending that I am a saasthra PrAmANyan ( believer in the saasthrAs )
and mingle with the true disciples of yours as a mindless ruffian . This
indeed is a pity.
Commentary:
Commentary:
Regarding fear of repeating one's sins , the story is told of one of
the disciples of KurEsa by the name of SEra piLLai piLLai AzhwAn . He was
haughty and committed a lot of BhagavathApacharams . KurEsa wanted to help
him. One day , he asked his sishyA for a DhAnam . SishYa was intrigued
and thrilled about his achAryA's request . KurEsa asked his sishyA to give
udaga dhAnam with the pledge that he will never committ apacharam to BhagavathAs
by mind , speech or body. The sishya made such a dhanam and abided by
that pledge. One day , his anger overrode his sense of control and he committed
a bhagavathApachAram . When he recognized what he had done , he was so
ashamed that he stayed away from the house of his AchAryA . When KurEsa
did not see his sishya that day , he came to the house of sishyA and asked
him about the reason for his absence from the Ghoshti. The sishyA with
tears in his eyes explained as to waht had happened and fell flat at the
feet of his AchAryA . KurEsa lifted his sishya from ground and blessed
him with the statement : If you repent over your Maanaseeka apacharam to
BhagavathAs , the Lord will forgive you ; If you committ any apachAram
with your limbs , the king will straighten you out. From here on , please
be firm on not committing any apachAram with your speech ." This is referred
to in Sri Vachana BhooshaNa VyaakhyAnam . That is what is being alluded
to here according to PBA Swamy.
Commentary:
Commentary:
The first of the three TaapAs is from the sins committed by the limbs
such as the hands and legs . That breaks up into the two categories of
Sareeram and Maanasam . Sareeram is understood as Vyathi (disease ) and
Maanasam is understood as Aadhi or ancient disease . These two diseases
together constitute the Taapam (affliction ) of AadhyAthmikam .
The second of the TaapAs is the one caused by the animals, humans ,
rakshasAs et al . This is Aadhibowdhikam .
The third one is caused by wind , cold , rain , climatic changes. This
type of suffering is known as Aadhidaivikam . All the three cause dukkham
or sorrow to the humans . This is the " Taapa thrayee janitha Dukkha: "
referred to in this slokam .
Commentary:
Sri MaamunigaL salutes the great KurEsa here as " VaachAm Agochara MahAguNa
Desika agrya : " . He describes KurEsa here as the one , whose limitless
auspicious qualities are beyond the power of description by one's
tongue. The many NaichyAnusandhAnams stated by KurEsa in the latter section
of the above two sthavAs have no relevance for this great AchAryA
. He had it for the benefit of AsmadhAdhi's anusandhAnam ( our benefit
) after his time .
Sri MaamunigaL says that " KooradhinAtha Kathitha akhila naichya paathram
jagadhi yesha : aham yeva " . I am indeed the true character in all the
worlds fitting to a tee the entire NaichyaanusandhAnam that KurEsa attributed
to himself . Hence , O RamAnujArya ! there is no one more fitting for the
Object of your mercy than myself .
This prayer for the mercy of RamAnujA is the echo of the statement by
AmudanAr in His RaamAnjua NooRandhAdhi : " niharinRi niRa venneesathaikku
ninnaruLinkaNanri puhal onRumillai , arutkumahtE puhal ".
Meaning:
Commentary:
In his sthothra Rathnam , AaLavandhar described his unfitness in the
following two slokAs : " Na Nindhitham karma Tadhasthi lOkhE " and " AmaryAdha:
Kshudra : " . Here , the great AaLavandhAr described himself with us in
mind as the one , who has practised every despicable act condemned by SaasthrAs
and went on to say that he was an arrogant and lowly one.
KurEsa went on record through more than twenty slokAs of his sthavam
about the sins that he had committed starting from the one , which
begins : " TaapathrayeemayadavAnal dahyamAnam " . MaamunigaL expressed
his sorrows earlier as " Taapathrayee janitha dukkham " .
In his moving prayer to Sri RanganAthA , ParAsara Bhattar described
his " despicable " status as : " Garbhajanma - JarAm^ruthi
asannikrushtasya nikrushta JanthO --" .
Swami Desikan has performed NaichyAnusandhaanam in number of his sthothrams
. These are heart-breaking statements made in a mood of repentance over
his deficiencies in his conversation with the Lord of Thiruvaheendrapuram
. In one slokam , Swami states :
Elsewhere Swami Desikan has described himself as the emperor of all
AparAdhAs in a mood of Naichyam and begged for the Lord"s mercy.
Meaning:
Commentary:
A SrivaishNava Laundryman had cleaned and pressed the Lord's Parivattams
and showed them to Sri RamAnujA . The AcharyA was so pleased with the kaimkaryam
of the dhobhi that he took the dhobhi (VaNNAn ) to the Sannidhi of Sri
RanganAtha and requested the Lord to bless his servant.Sri RangarAjan opened
His eyes and blessed the VaNNAn as requested by the AchAryA and then told
RaamAnujA that he has now forgiven the VaNNAn for his apachAram during
His krishNAvathAram , when this VaNNAn refused to give KrishNA and BalkarAmA
the clothes that they requested of him in MathurA . This VaNNAn was the
royal dhobhi in the court of KamsA then . That is the type of power Sri
RamAnujA had that MaamunigaL alludes to here.
Commentary:
Commentary:
Commentary:
Sri Manavaala Maamuni's
Yatiraja Vimsati
y:et:raj: ev:öS:et:
With English Commentary by Sri V. Sadagopan
Many of the AchAryAs acknowledged their debt of gratitude to Sri RamAnujA
and offered their heart felt tributes to him. Thiruvarangatthu AmudanAr,
a contemproary of Sri RAmanujA composed the RaamAnuja NooRRanthadhi , a
work , which is part of the NaalAyira Divya Prabhandham. He became
a disciple of KooratthAzhwAn at the suggestion of Sri RAmAnuja.
Swami Desikan blessed us with "Yati Raaja Sapthathi , a work consisting
of 70 verses. There he celebrated the ancient nature of Sri Bhagavat RaamAnuja
SiddhAntham. He pointed out the special significance of LakshmaNAryA's(Raamaanuja"s)
upadesam as enshrined in his Sri Sookthis. Like Thiruvarangatthu AmudaanAr,
Swami Desikan also asserted that RAmAnuja"s holy feet are more important
than that of the Lord Himself.He explained his reason for this strong Aacharya
Bhakti for Yati Raaja. In the fifteenth verse of Yati Raaja Sapthathi ,
he stated:
AMUNAA TAPANAATHISAAYEE BHOOMNAA
Here, Swami Desikan compares Sri RAmAnujA to the beautiful center piece
of a necklace made up of brilliant gems. Each of the gem is a PoorvAcharya.
The splendor of the Center piece according to Swami outshines the radiance
of the Sun. That Naayaka Mani (Center piece) unlike the Sun removes the
inner darkness as opposed to the Sun, which removes only the external darkness.
Swami Desikan says that the entire Achaarya Parampara is uplifted by the
Nayaka Mani, Sri RaamAnuja. Such was the reverence of Swami Desikan for
Sri RAmAnuja.
YATIRAAJENA NIBHADDHA NAAYAKA SREE : |
MAHATI GURU PANKTHI HAARA YASHTI:
VIBHUDHAANAAM HRUDHYANGAMAA VIBHADHI ||
The focus of this text will be the Yati Raja Vimsati of Sri ManavALa
Maamuni . In twenty beautiful verses, he distilled the essence of his Bhakthi
for Sri RaamAujA .
When he became too ill , he began to pray to Ramanuja to bless him
with entry to Sri Vaikuntam with great ardour and anguish (Aarthi).
He dictated one verse a day. the collection of those moving verses came
to be known as Aarthi Prabhandham, which was his final work. He begged
forgivenness of any apacharams committed to his sishyaas and gave away
all his books and Araadhana Moorthis to Lord Ranganatha and entered Parama
Padam. His famous disciples were the eight elephants of the quarters(Dik
Gajaams) (VIZ) VanamAmalai Jeeyar, Bhattar Piraan Jeeyar, Thiruvenkata
Jeeyar, Koyil Kanthaadai Jeeyar , Prativadhi Bhayankaram ANNan, AppiLLan,
Erumbi Appa, and AppiLLai . They carried on the tradition established by
their illustrious Acharya.
y:H st:Øet:ö y:et:p:et:)s:adn:iø
vy:aj:ahr y:et:raj:ev:öS:et:m:Î .
Meaning:
t:ö )p:Àj:n:c:at:kamb:Øt:ö
s:aòmy:v:ry:aðeg:p:ؤv:ö /
Ya: sthuthim yathipathiprasAdaneem
vyAjahAra YathirAja vimsatheem |
Tham prapanna jana sadhakAmbhudham
nowmi Sowmyavara Yogi pungavam ||
I offer my homage to MaNavALa Maamuni , who blessed us with YathirAja
Vimsathi with the intention of pleasing the heart of RamAnujA . He is the
one , who showered PrapannAs with the nectar of sakala saastrArthAs , just
as the rays of moon fully nourish the ChaathakA birds .
Â:im:aD:v:a{ÏeG:Òj:l:j:¾y:en:ty:s:ðv:a
)ðm:aev:l:aS:y:p:ra¢ÚS:p:adB:V¶:m:Î .
Meaning:
kam:aeddað\:ahrm:atm:p:daeÂ:t:an:aö
ram:an:Øj:ö y:et:p:et:ö )N:m:aem: m:Ü¿:aü
/ 1 /
Sri MaadhavAngri Jalaja dvaya nitya sevA prema
aavila aasaya paraankusa paadha bhaktham |
kaamAdhi dhosha haram aathma padhamAsrithAnAm
Raamanujam Yathi pathim praNamAmi MoordhnA || 1 ||
I salute the emperor of SanyAsis , Sri RamAnujA , who had great vAtsalyam
for the lotus feet of NammAzhwAr and who chased away the blemishes of those
, who took refuge at his feet .
The most prominent Vaibhavam of RamAnujA among all of his glories is
that he considered himself as the dear devotee of NammAzhwAr's sacred feet
( ParAnkusa Paadha Bhaktha ). Thiruvarangatthu AmudanAr has described RaamAnujA
in this context as , " MaaRanadi PaNinthu uynthavan " . Thiruvaimozhi
Taniyan also salutes the golden links beteen SatakOpA and RamAnujA this
way : " Tamizh MaraigaL aayiramum eenRa mudal Thaai SatakOpan, Moympaal
vaLarthavitatthaai IrAmAnusan " . MM points out and underlines this most
important attribute of RaamAnujA ( Paraankusa Paadha Bhakthi ) in the very
first slokam of his Vimsathi .
Â:ir¤raj:rN:amb:Øj:raj:hös:ö
Â:im:tp:ra{ÏkÙS:p:damb:Øj:B:à¤raj:m:Î
.
Meaning:
Â:iB:¬n:aT:p:rkal:m:ØK:abj:em:*:ö
Â:iv:ts:ec:Èc:rN:ö y:et:raj:m:iRð / 2 /
SrirangarAja charaNAmbhuja rAja hamsam
Srimadh ParAnkusa padhAmbhuja brungarAjam |
Sri BhattanAtha parakAla mukhAbhja Mitram
Srivatsa chi(h)nna CharaNam(SaraNam) YathirAjameedE ||
2 ||
I eulogize the emperor of SanyAsis, RamAnujA, who has chosen the lotus
feet of Sri RangarAja as the seat of his permanent residence , just as
a king swan would seek a beautiful lotus for its place of rest . I salute
Sri RamAnujA , who is resting on the beautiful paadha kamalam of NammAzhwAr
like a honey-sucking bee sitting on the fragrant lotus flower
full of pollen and honey . I offer my homage to YathirAjA , who is like
a Sun to the lotus-like faces of PeriyAzhwAr and Thirumangai AzhwAr,
whose faces blossom forth at the sight of Sri RamAnujA . I bow before
the BhashyakArar , who is the refuge for KurEsa ( or who has KurEsa as
his Thiruvadi ).
There are four points about Ramanuja that are being revealed
to us by Maamuni in this verse:
Lord RanganAtha broke His ArchA samAdhi and spoke to RamAnujA AT sRIRANGAM
on a panguni uttaram day and suggested that RamAnujA stay at his
side in Srirangam until his last days ( Yavaath Sareerapaadham ATHRAIVA
SrirangE SukhamAsva ) . With great affection , Sri RanganAtha accepted
RamAnujA's prapatthi ON THAT SPECIAL DAY ; the Lord used the word
"Athraiva " to indicate that He wanted RamAnujA to stay right there
at His sacred feet . RamAnujA stayed there as a rAja hamsam on a beautiful
lotus flower until his last moment at Srirangam .
The comparison of RamAnujA to a Swan is to hint that like a Swan
that has the power to separate milk from water in a mixture , this great
AchAryA is known for separating sAram from AsAram and for focusing
on the Saaram (essence ) of the SaasthrAs .
The comparison of RamAnujA to a Hamsam also hints at his
Parama Hamsa ParivrAjaka Acharyathvam . Hamsam floating on the muddy rice
fields does not ever have its feet come into contact with the mud of the
rice field. PrathivAdhi Bhayankaram ANNangaAchAriar (PBA ) swamy has quoted
in this context the NammAzhwar's Thiruviruttham pala sruthi passage , which
states that those , who reciteand understand the true meaning of the 100
verses of his poem would not have their feet stuck in the mud of SamsAram
. PBA bases his VyAkhyAnam on the saying " Na BadhnAthi Rathim Hamsa:
KadAchidh karthmAmbhasi ".
I am reminded of the 22nd slokam of YathirAja Sapthadhi of Swami Desikan
, where he also compares RamAnujA to a Raja Hamsam . But , this time ,
he is visualized as the Raaja Hamsam sitting in the heart caves of the
BhakthAs of Sri RanganAthA . The slokam is as follows :
mulE nivisya mahathAm nigama dhrumANAm
Sri BhasayakArar is equated here to a king swan with the wings of J~nanam
and Bhakthi . The rAja hamsam lives acording to legend in Maanasaoravar
, a lake in high HimaalayAs . This Raaja Hamsam (RaamAnujA) however lives
in the lake of the minds of Sri RanganAtha bhakthAs. They meditate on him
always. He holds the tridhandam and chases away their fears caused by the
foes of these devotees of Sri RangEsa .These foes of the devotees
of the Lord cause anguish by intrepreting wrongly (Viparitha
bhAshyam ) the true meanings of the VedAs .
mushNan prathAraka bhayam dhrutha naikadhanda: |
Rangesa Nhaktha jana MAANASA RAAJA HAMSA :
RamAnuja: SARANAMASTHU Muni: svayam na : ||
In the first slokam , MM identified RaamAnujA as PARAANKUSA PAADHA
BHAKTHAM . Here , he salutes RaamAnujA as SRIMADH PARAANKUSA PAADHAAMBHUJA
BRUNGA RAAJAM . The salutation of the 1st slokam has been linked
to SVAROOPA PRAYUKTHA DAASYAM aspect . The salutation housed in the second
slokam is understood as being connected to GUNA PRAYUKTHA DAASYAM
. Just as the honey bee recognizes the nourishing food in the
flower and hovers over the flower to taste that honey , RaamAnujA stays
at the lotus feet of NammAzhwAr to enjoy the nectar-like bhagavadh anubhavam
enshrined in the AzhwAr's Thiruvaimozhi and other aruLiccheyalgaL . NammAzhwAr
has explained the purpose of composing his Paasurams this way : "
thondarkku amudhuNNa sol maalaigaL sonnEn " .
Bhatta NaathA is Bhattar Piraan , PeriyAzhwAr . Para KaalA is Thirumangai
AzhwAr. Mukham is face . Abhjam is the lotus. RaamAnujA is compared to
the Sun that is the friend for the faces of PeriyAzhwAr and Thirumangai
. RaamAnujA made their lotus faces blossom with joy , since he followed
their foot steps in performing Tulasi kaimkaryam to the Lord ( like PeriyAzhwAr
) and constructed prakAram and Gopuram (like Thirumangai ) . That is one
NirvAham (intrepretation ) . According to the other NirvAham , RaamAnuja
followed the sacred path of the two AzhwArs and conducted anushtAnams to
enrich their traditions and made them happy ..
Srivatsachinnar is Kuresar ( KuratthAzhwAn ) . He had a special relationship
to RaamAnujA . Although EmbAr and other sishyAs were dear to RamAnujA ,
Kuresa was the one , who was trusted with the colloboration in writing
Sri Bhashyam . He was RaamAujA's intellectual sparring partner , who went
to the unfriendly king's court to defend his AcharyA's darsanam . Kuresa
is known for his utter devotion to his AchAryA . He took RaamAnujA's sacred
feet as his refuge (SaraNam ) . That is why KuresA is saluted as " perum
puhaZhAn vanjamukkurumbhAmkuzhiyai kadakkum NANKURATTHAAZHWAAN ". Our dear
KuratthAzhwAn is the endearing description. PBA SwamigaL in a 50 year old
commentary on YathirAja Vimsathi that I am using states that there is another
intrepretation to this slokA line . If one uses the version , " SRIVATSA
CHIHNA CHARANAM " instead of " SRIVATSA CHIHNA SARANAM " , then KuresA
is considered as the THIRUVADI OF RAMAANUJAA . Important disciples
are described usually as the supporting feet of the achArya . For instance,
Thirumangai is considered the Thiruvadi of NammAzhwAr , just as KuresA
is described as the Thiruvadi of RamAnujA .
MM concludes the slokam with the salutation , YathirAjam yeedE . I
slaute such a glorious Acharya , who sits at the lotus feet of Sri RangarAja
as the Raja Hamsam , as a honey bee at the feet of SatakOpA , shines as
a SUN to the lotus blossoms of PeriyAzhwAr and Thirumangai.
v:ac:a y:t:ing:Ò !
m:n:s:a v:p:Ø\: c: y:Ø\m:tp:adarev:ndy:Øg:l:ö
B:j:t:aö g:Ø-N:am:Î .
Meaning:
kÝraeD:n:aT:kÙ,kñS:m:ØK:½p:Øös:aö
p:adan:Øec:nt:n:p:rss:t:t:ö B:v:ðy:m:Î / 3 /
vaachA yathindra ! manasaa vapushA cha
yushmath paadhAravindha yugaLam bhajathAm guruNAm |
kurooadhinaatha kurukesa mukhA aadhya pumsAm
paadhAnuchintana para: sathatham bavEyam || 3 ||
O Emperor of SanyAsis ! May my mind be filled always with the
thoughts of the holy feet of those decorating the AchArya Peetams
like KurEsa , Thirukkurhai PirAn PiLLai and others , who are forever offering
homage to your lotus feet through their speech, mind and body
In this slokam , MM pays tribute to the acharya paramparA originating
from RamAnujA . In the previous slokam , he had described RamAnujA as the
Raja Hamsam residing at the lotus feet of Sri RanganAthan , the bee that
drinks deep from the Sri Sookthis of NammmAzhwAr and as the Sun that
lightens up the faces of PeiyAzhwAr and Thirumangai. He concluded that
slokam with a special tribute to KuresA. It probably occured then to MM
that he may be singling out one of the dear disciples of AchArya RamAnujA
and leaving out other great ones. It appears to me that MM hastened to
provide balance by choosing the topic of the next slokam as a homage
to other simhAsanApathis appointed by RamAnujA.
Let me digress to comment on this paasuram . AmudanAr says : " Thann
tahavAl tannai uRRAr anRi tanmai uRRAr illai enRu aRindhu tannai uRRArai
guNam sARRidumE " AmudanAr salutes the generous and compassionate quality
of RamAnujA here . The AcharyA was concerned that the bhakthAs in
their enthusiasm for offering prapatthi to him directly did not fully
comprehend the greatness of his disciples , who had performed prapatthi
to him . These are AchAryAs like KurEsa, Kurhai PirAn, Madai paLLI aacchAn,
EmbAr , et al . RamAnujA suggested that Bhattar offer prapatthi to EmbAr
instead of to him or to his father KurEsa to deflect the light and to let
that shine on the glory of EmbAr . Similarly the proud PiLLai PiLLai AzhwAn
was instructed to offer praptthi to Kuresar .
The third slokam is the first in the series of 17 slokams by MM offering
prayers to RamAnujA for obtaining his blessings for Kaayika , Maanasa
, Vaachika kaimkaryam to him . These slokams are full of the sentiments
of svanikarshAnusandhAnam (i-e) , expression of his inadequacies and his
deficiencies to approach the great AchaaryA . He describes himself to be
an unfeeling person , who has committed Bhagavadh , Bhagavatha and AsahyApachArams
. He cries out loud in a spirit of Naicchiyam (repentance and despair )
and begs for RaamAnujA's grace , DayA and KshamA .
en:ty:ö y:t:indÓ
! t:v: edvy:v:p:Øssm:àt:aò
m:ð s:V¶:ö m:n:að B:v:t:Ø v:gg:ØN:kit:ün:ð|s:aò
.
Meaning:
káty:ö c: dasy:krN:ö
t:Ø kr¾y:sy: v:à¶y:nt:rð|st:Ø ev:m:Øk÷
krN:*:y:ö c: / 4 /
nityam Yatheendhra ! divya vapu: smruthou mE
saktham manO bhavathu vaak guNa keerthanEsou |
kruthyam dAsyakaraNam thu kara dvayasya
vruthantharEsthu vimukam karaNa trayam cha || 4 ||
O Emperor of Yathis ! May my mind be blessed to meditate on your beautiful
body (divya MangaLa vigraham) ! May my speech be engaged always in talking
about your auspicious attributes ! May the two hands of mine be always
engaged in serving you as your dAsA ! May my three karaNAs ( manas , Vaak
and Kaayam ) be diverted from any other activities !
This slokam is the essence of the three paasurams ( 100-102) of AmudanAr's
RaamAnusa NooRandhadhi . In the first of the above three paasurams , AmudanAr
talks about his mind being engaged in the enjoyment of the auspicious attributes
of his AchAryA . Here , he also prays for the boon of freedom from other
distractions . In the second of the triad , AmudanAr seeks the boon for
his toungue to be engaged in talking about the Vaibhavam of his AchaaryA
. This is uttama kalpam for a devoted disciple . In the third paasuram
of this group , AmudanAr moves from manas , Vaak to the kaayam ( hands
, eyes et al ) . Amudanaar says :
naiyum^manam un^ guNangaLai unni yenn naa irundhuem^--
Meaning:
iyyan RaamAnusan yenru azhaikkum aruvinayEn
kaiyum^thozhum kaNN^karuthidum kaaNakkadal pudai soozh
vaiyaam^idanil uhn vanmai yenn paal unn vaLarnthathuvE
My mind melts with joy over the contemplation of your kalyANa
GuNAs ( Naiyum^ manam un^ gunangaLai unni ) . My tongue has stablized
itself and performs naama sankeerthanam by calling , " O my Swami , RamAnujA
" ( yenn naa irundhu yemm Iyan RaamAnusan yenru azhaikkum ) . My sinful
hands unite in anjali mudrA to salute you (aruvinayEn kaium tuozhum ) .
My eyes search for your presence . AmudanAr concludes this paasuram by
pointing out that his Manas ,Vaak, hands and eyes are blessed to be involved
with his AchaaryA because of the jnAnam that his AcharyA blessed him with
. Elsewhere , AmudanAr prays to his Acharya for the blessings of distraction-free
devotion at his lotus feet.
upaveedhinam oordhva pundravantham
Meaning :
trijagadh puNya palam thridhanda hastham I
saraNAgatha saartha vaaham eedE
sikhayA sekariNam pathim yatheenAm II
I salute the emperor of SanyAsis , RaamAnujA , who is resplendent in
his appearanace wearing the sacred thread, urdhva Pundrams and beautiful
tuft made up of dense black tresses . He is holding the thri dhandam in
his hands as a result of the puNyams accumulated by the three worlds and
is leading the prapannAs to moksha saamrAjyam . In yet another slokam ,
Swami Desikan celebrated the beauty of Sri RamAnujA's hand holding the
JnAna mudhrA .
EmbAr has also painted a memorable word picture of the majestic
beauty of RaamAnujA in his SanyAsa Aasramam :
" parpamenatthihazh painkazhalunran pallavamE viralum
Those who have had the darsana bhaagyam of the majestic beauty of
the divya mangaLa vigraham of Acharya RaamAnuja at Sri Perumbhoodhoor and
Melkote can relate to the celebration of Embaar"s paasuram in Tamil and
its echo in Sanskrit by Swami Desikan . The depth of enjoyment of EmbAr
, Swami Desikan and MaNavALa Maamuni arise form their profound AcharyA
anubhavam .
paavanamAhiya painthuvaraadai pathintha
marunkazhahum
muppuri noolodu munkailEndhiya mukkOl tannazhahum
munnavar tandhidu mozhikaL niranithidu
muruval nilAvazhahum
karpakamE vizhi karunai pozhinthidu kamalkkaNNazhahum
kaarisu tan kazhal soodiya mudiyum kana
naRRsihai mudiyum
yeppozhudhum yethiraasan VADIVAZHAHU yeenidhayatthuLathAl
ILLAI YENAKKU YETHIR ILLAI YENAKKU YETHIRILLAI
YENAKKETHIRE "" seerArumethirAsar thiruvadigaL vaazhi ,
Like Mathura Kavi saluting his AchaaryA , EmbAr, Swami Desikan and MM offered
their own profound homage to the king of sanyAsis , RaamAnujA . I will
conclude this posting with a quotation from Upadesa Ratna Maalai, where
MM slautes the dayA guNam of YathirAjar and puts that in perspective to
his poorvAchAryAs . in this 37th Upadesa Ratna Maalai pasuram , MM
makes the distinction between the anuvrutthi prasannAchAryAs( poorvAchAryAs)
and the KrupAmAtra PrasannAchArya like RamAnujA :
thiruvarayil saatthiya senthuvarAdai Vaazhi "" OrANvazhiyAyupadesitthAr munnOr
yerArethirAsarinnaruLAl
, paarulahil
aasai udayOrkkellAm aariyargAL koorumentu
pesi varambaRutthAr
pinn " .AÄax:raKy:m:n:Øraj:p:d*:y:T:üen:Åaö
m:m:a*: ev:t:ra½ y:t:indÓ n:aT: !
.
Meaning:
eS:Äag:Òg:Ny:j:n:s:ðvy:B:v:tp:dabj:ð
ÆÄa|st:Ø en:ty:m:n:ØB:Üy: m:m:asy: b:Øe¹H
/ 5 /
ashtAksharAkya ManurAja padha traya artha nishtAm
mama athra vithara adhya yathindra nAtha: |
sishtAgraganya jana sevya bhavath padhAbhjE
hrushtAsthu nithyam anubhuya mama asya buddhhi : || 5
||
O Lord of our kulam ! In this samsAric life full of afflictions ,
I pray to you for the boon of developing taste right now for firmness
of mind to follow steadfastly the three doctrines elaborated by the mantra
Raajam , Ashtaksharam . May I of limited intellect and achievement be blessed
to have the uninterrupted meditation on your holy feet that has been fit
for worship by mahAns like KuratthAzhwAn, EmbAr, PiLLAn and others .
Sri MM prays , " Mama athra adhya vithara " . He asks : " Please grant
me this boon at this juncture , when my taste has been awakened
, while I am still under the influence of SamsAric afflictions . What is
the taste that he is referring to that got awakened ? It is the taste for
the firmness of mind to be rooted in the king of mantrAs consisting of
three padhams ( PraNavam,Nama: Padham and nArAyaNa padham ) and their corresponding
meanings ( AnanyArha Seshatvam , Ananya SaraNathvam and Ananya Bhogyathvam
) .
The first doctrine is AnanyArha Seshathvam. It is made up of
two words : AnanyArha and Seshathvam. AnanyArham means that the jeevan
does not belong to anyone but the Lord. Jeevan is not a servant of anyone
but Sriman NaarAyaNan . Seshan means one who performs Kaimkaryam with reverence
like a servant . The knowledge about this unconditional service to the
Lord and Lord alone by the jeevan is known as Seshathva J~nanam .
SaraNAgathi has been described to fall in to one of the four categories
of Nishtais : Sva Nishtai , Ukthi Nishtai , AchArya Nishtai and Bhagavatha
Nishtai .
Alp:a|ep: m:ð n: B:v:diy:p:dabj:B:¡V¶:SS:bdaedB:aðg:,ec:rnv:hm:ðD:t:ð
ha .
Meaning:
m:tp:ap:m:ðv: eh en:dan:m:m:Ø\y:
n:any:¶:¾ary:ay:ü y:et:raj: !
dy:òkes:nD:að ! / 6 /
AlpApi mE na bhavadheeya padhAbhja Bhakti :
SabdhAthi bhoga ruchi: anvaham yethatE haa |
madh pApamEva hii nidhAnam amushya nAnyath
tath vaaraya Aarya YathirAja Dhayaika SindhO || 6 ||
O Ocean of Mercy ! O my Crown Jewel of an Achaarya ! I do not possess
deep attachment to your lotus feet . I do not seem to have
even a small measure of that bhakthi to your sacred feet. My desire for
the worldly pleasures keeps on growing day by day . What a pity ! The fundamental
reason for this phenomenon is the underlying paapams of mine. I can not
think of any other causative factor for this state . Therefore , I beg
you to banish my paapams with your grace .
v:àcy:a p:S:Øn:ürv:p:Østv:hm:iXáS:að|ep:
Â:Øty:aedes:¹en:eK:l:am:g:ØN:aÂ:y:að|y:m:Î
.
Meaning:
Ety:adrðN: káet:n:að|ep:
em:T:H )v:Vt:Øm:½aep: v:Wc:n:p:rað|*: y:t:indÓ
! v:t:ðü / 7 /
vrthyA pasu: naravapu: thvahameedhrusOpi
sruthyAthi siddha nikhilaathma guNArayOyam |
ithyAtarENa krithinOpi mitha: pravakthum
adhyApi vanchanaparOhtra Yatheendhra varthE || 7 ||
O King of Yathis ! I am an animal edition of human existence. I have
the body of a human being(nara Vapu :) ,but by deeds , I am closer to an
animal (Pasu Vrutthi ) . Inspite of this , I mislead others and make them
think that I am a model of one shining with aathma GuNAs celebrated by
the VedAs and VedAngAs . I am completely different than the impression
I give them. I am a poli Bhagavathan(pOtkan ) . What a Pity that I am in
this despicable state !
Sri MunigaL is in a state of NaichyAnusandhAnam or SvanikarshAnusandhAnam
. He is in a repentive mood contemplating on his unfitness . He remembers
the adage : J~nEna Heena: Pasubhi: SamAna : " . He cries out that he has
no true knowledge ( J~nana Heenan ) and is poor in anushtaanam (AnushtAna
Vaikalyam ) . He says : "Others describe me as the treasure house
of all of the celebrated aathma guNAs saluted by the sruthis
. What a tragedy ? I am totally unfit to be called a BhagavathA . O Ocean
Of Mercy ! O DayA SindhO ! Please save me from this self-generated calamity
!
dÙHK:av:hað|hm:en:S:ö
t:v: dÙÄc:ðÄSS:bdaedB:aðg:en:rt:SS:rN:ag:t:aKy:H
.
In this and the next two slokas , Our Aachryan describes himself
as a Moorkan or undisciplined ruffian . He pleads for Acharya RamAnujA's
grace . The 8th slokam is as folows :
tv:tp:adB:V¶: Ev: eS:Äj:n:aòG:m:Dy:ð
em:Ty:a c:raem: y:et:raj: t:t:að|¡sm: m:ÜK:üH / 8 /
dukkhAvaha : aham anisam tava dushta chEshta :
sabdhAdhi Bhoga Niratha: saraNAgAthAkya : |
Tvath paadha bhaktha iva sishta janowka madhyE
mithyA charaami YathirAja TadhOsmi Moorka : || 8 ||
O YathirAjA ! What a ruffian and vesha Dhaari (actor ) I am !
I carry the title of Prapannan and yet I am engaged in the performance
of deeds not permitted by sAsthrAs . I create great sorrow for you with
my conduct . I am not fit to be seen in the company of your devout sishyAs
and yet I pretend that I am one of your very dear disciple and thus practise
falsehood. You must take mercy on me and lift me up .
This state is also known as Aathma GarhaNam or Self-depreciation
. In this state , the bhakthan recounts one's shortcomings and prays for
the Lord"s or one's Acharyan's compassion ( AnukmapA and DayA ) . Such
Acharya PurushAs like MaNavALa Maamuni had no particular defects or shortcomings
. This mood however is a sanchAri Bahvam born out of Nirvedam and helplessness
.
MM followed a traditional method set by earlier AachaaryAs in including
many Aathma GarhaNa slokams in his YathirAja Vimsathi .
jaanan anaadhi vihithaan aparAdha vargaan
Meaning:
Swamin bhayaath KIMAPI vakthumaham na saktha :
O SarvesvarA ! I AS THE BEARER OF LIMITLESS LOAD OF ANCIENT SINS am
standing before you with terror in my mind and am dumb to describe your
glories . I stand muted before you weighted down by my paapa Raasis.
en:ty:ö tv:hö p:erB:v:aem:
g:Ø,ö c: m:n*:ö t:¸ðv:t:am:ep: n: ek¡Wc:dhað
eb:B:ðem: .
Meaning:
EtT:ö S:Yað|py:S:Yv:»v:diy:s:¥ñ
D:àÄÁ:raem: y:et:raj: t:t:að|¡sm: m:ÜK:ü:
/ 9 /
nithyam thvaham paribhavAmi guruncha mantram
tathdevathAmapi na kinchith ahO api pibhEmi |
ittham satObhya satavath bhavadheeya sankhE
dhrushta: charAmi YathirAja tadhOsmi Moorka : || 9 ||
O YathirAjA ! Daily I disgrace my AchArya , the manhtram and the DevathA
associated with that mantram . I do not seem to be afraid of doing so even
a little. What a pity ? I roam boldly among the group of your devout
sishyAs like a great one , who reveres Acharyan, mathram and its adhishtAna
devatha . I am indeed a ruffian !
This slokam is a continuation of the NaicchAnusandhAnam of Swami MM
. He refers to three kinds of humilation that he causes .
ha hnt: hnt: m:n:s:a e#y:y:a
c: v:ac:a y:að|hö c:raem: s:t:t:ö e*:ev:D:ap:c:aran:Î
.
Meaning:
m:að|hö t:v:ae)y:krH e)y:ká¾dðv:ö
kal:ö n:y:aem: y:et:raj: ! t:t:að|¡sm:
m:ÜK:üH / 10 /
haa hantha hantha mansA kriyayA cha vaachA
yOham charaami sathatham trividhApachArAn |
sOham tavApriyakara: priyakruthvadevam
kaalam nayAmi YathirAja TadhOsmi Moorka : || 10 ||
O YathirAjA ! What a tragedy ! I committ three kinds of Apacharams
through my mind , speech and body . I continue to do many things that cause
you displeasure. Yet I go on acting like I am doing all that you instructed
me to do . I am spending my time in this fashion .I am indeed a despicable
ruffian .
Here In a continued mood of Naicchiyam , Swami MM states that
he is guilt y of the three types of apachAram (Viz )., BhagavadhApachAram
, BhagavathApachAram and AsahyApachAram . I have wounded your feelings
. Yet , I pretend as though I am a strict observer of the rules laid out
by you a smy AchAryan . What a pity that I go on wiling away my time like
this on this earth !
p:ap:ð kát:ð
y:ed B:v:¡nt: B:y:an:Øt:ap:l:jj:aH p:Øn:H krN:m:sy:
kT:ö G:Xðt: .
Meaning:
m:aðhðn: m:ð n: B:v:t:ih
B:y:aedl:ðS:st:sm:atp:Øn:Hp:Øn:rG:ö y:et:raj: !
kÙv:ðü / 11 /
paapE kruthE yathi bhavanthi bhaya AnuthApa lajjA:
puna: KaraNAm asya katham katEtha |
mOhEna mE na bhavathi iha bhayathilEsa:
tasmAth puna: puna: agham YathirAja kurvE || 11 ||
O YathirAjA ! If one feels fear and repentance over commiting sins
, how can that person engage in committing the sin once again . As far
as I am concerned , I do not seem to experience any sense of shame or repentance
over repeated commission of sins . Therefore , I keep on piling up my sins
.
The commision of sins is not easy to avoid in this world. Inspite of
it , if one feels repugnance over the act of committing a sin and fears
or feel ashamed about such a sinful act , there is prAyascchittham
. Thereafter , Atleast knowingly , that sin will not be committed. Swami
MM refrets about his position here , where he does not feel any regret
or repentance over his sins . He appeals to YathirAjA's compassion to turn
him around.
Ant:b:üehss:kl:v:st:Ø\:Ø
s:nt:m:iS:m:nD:H p:Ør¡ssT:t:em:v:ahm:v:ix:m:aN:H .
Meaning:
kndp:üv:Sy:Ædy:ss:t:t:ö
B:v:aem: hnt: tv:dg:Òg:m:n:sy: y:t:indÓ !
n:ahüH / 12 /
anthar bahis sakalavasthushu santham Eesam
antha: Puras sthithamiva aveekshamANa : |
gandharbha vasya hrudhayas sathatham bhavAmi
hantha tvadh agra gamanasya yatheendhra ! naarha : ||
12 ||
O YathirAjA ! I am not fit to stand before you . I am like a man blind
from birth who can not recognize anobject in front of jhim . Similarly
, I am unable to see the Lord , who pervades the inside (antharyAmi ) and
outside every object of His creation . I am always under the influence
of my desires ( KAma Paravasan ) . What a tragedy ! I do not have the qualifications
to stand before you.
In the prevous slokam , Swami MM said : Puna: Puna: agham YathirAja
KurvE . This verse is considered a response to those who questioned him
about the appropriateness of Swami MM cheating the Lord , who is Sarva
Kaama Saakshi ( Witness to all of our deeds ) . Lord is present without
division in the gross (Sthulam ) and subtle (Sookshmam ) as a pervasive
principle . IN his answer , Swami MM points out that he si like the bindman
from birth, who can not see the objects in front of him. That is why he
committ sall these sins . He goes on to describe his unfitness to stand
before Sri RaamAnujA .
t:ap:*:y:ij:en:t:dÙHK:en:p:aet:n:að|ep:
dðh¡sT:t:aò m:m: ,ec:st:Ø n: t:eÀv:à¶:aò
.
Meaning:
Ot:sy: karN:m:hað m:m: p:ap:m:ðv:
n:aT: ! tv:m:ðv: hr t:½et:raj: !
S:iG:Òm:Î / 13 /
taapathrayee janitha dukkhanipAthinOpi
dehasthithou mama ruchisthu na tannivrutthou |
yethasya kaaraNamahO mama paapameva naatha !
tvameva hara tath YathirAja seegram || 13 ||
O King among SanyAsis ! Even if my body is afflicted by the sorrows
caused by the three kinds of TaapAs , and I can not bear the sufferings
caused by them , I have no deep desire to leave this body. Actually , I
nourish this body . My accumulated sins are the reasons behind this attitude
of mine. What a pity ! O my ParamAchAryA ! Please banish my sins quickly
so I can be freed from the sufferings caused by the Taapa ThrayAs .
Sri MaamunigaL states here that he is guilty of thinking about the
sufferings caused by the Taapa ThrayAs as pleasures due to the influence
of his sins . He appeals to YathirAjA , who has the power to see the Lord
's presence inside and outside of all His creations to take pity
on him and banish his sins and save him from the sufferings caused
by the Taapa ThrayAs ( AadhyAthimikam , Aadhibowdhikam and Aadhidaivikam
) .
v:ac:am:g:aðc:rm:hag:ØN:dðeS:kag:Òy:
kÝraeD:n:aT:keT:t:aeK:l:n:òcy:p:a*:m:Î .
Meaning:
O\:að|hm:ðv: n: p:Øn:j:üg:t:iXáS:st:dÓam:an:Øj:ay:ü
k,N:òv: t:Ø m:·et:st:ð / 14 /
vaachaam agochara mahAguNa Desika agrya
koorAdhinaatha kathitha akhila naichya paathram |
Yesha: aham yeva na punar jagadhi yeedhrusas
tath RaamAnujArya ! karuNaiva thu madhgathistEh || 14
||
O Arya RaamAnujA ! I am indeed the one , who fits in this world
the complete description of the person with all the condemnable attributes
! There is no one else , who can answer to that description . That is why
, I conclude that your compassion is most suited for me and to lift
me up from my morass .
The great AchArya and the direct disciple of RamAnujA , KooratthAzhwAn
condemned himself as a great sinner in a mood of self-depreciation in Sri
VaradarAja sthavam and Sri Vaikunta Sthavam . This type of self-condemnation
before the Lord by AchAryAs are done not because they have the despicable
qualities they assign themselves ; it is because the AchAryAs have us in
mind and plead to the Lord on our behalf for forgivance for our trespasses
.
S:ؾatm:y:am:Øn:
g:Ø-¶:m: kÝrn:aT:B:¬aKy:dðeS:kv:raðV¶:
s:m:st:n:òcy:m:Î .
Here also , MaamunigaL continues with the thrust of sentiment that he expressed
in the previous verse. He repeats that the Mercy of RamAnujA has no better
target for redemption than him .
A½asty:s:¢Úec:t:m:ðv:
m:y:ih l:aðkñ t:sm:a½t:indÓ !
k,N:òv: t:Ø m:·et:st:ð / 15 /
Suddha Aathma Yaamuna Gurootthama kooranAtha
bhattaakhya Desika vara uktha samastha naichyam |
adhya asthi asankuchitham yeva mayee iha lOkhE
tasmath Yatheendhra ! karunaivathu madhgathis tEh ||
15 ||
O YathirAjA ! All of the sentiments of self-condemnation recorded by
the grat and pure AcharyAs like AaLavandhAr , KurEsA , Parasara Bhattar
are possessed by me in its entirety . Therefore , O YathirAja! Your mercy
has me as the most appropriate target .
Here Maamuni hints htat these great AcharyAs are SuddhAthmAs , who
were blemishless independent of the fact that they went on record as great
sinners , when they sought the protection of Sriman NaarAyaNA resident
as ArchAmurthys at Srirangam and Kanchipuram .
aj~nana vaaridhim apAyadhurandharam
Meaning:
aj~nyA vibhanjanam akinchana Saarvabhoumam |
vindhan bhavAn vibhudhanAtha samasthavedhi
kim naama paatramaparam manutEh krupAyA : ||
O DevanAthA ! I am indeed the ocean of aj~nanam (ignorance about
the true meanings of Saasthram ) . I am in the front of those , who vow
to committ sins . I am a transgressor of your commandments amd am the first
among the helpless . I am indeed thus most qualified to be the object of
your mercy. You are all-knowing ( Sarvaj~nan ) . Why then should you consider
anyone as more deserving of your compassion than Me ?
S:bdaedB:aðg:ev:\:y:a
,ec:rsm:diy:a n:Äa B:v:¡tv:h B:v:¸y:y:a y:et:ndÓ
! .
Meaning:
tv:¸as:das:g:N:n:c:rm:av:D:aò
y:st:¸as:t:òkrs:t:a|ev:rt:a m:m:ast:Ø / 16 /
sabdhAdhi bhOga vishayA ruchi : asmadheeyA
nashtA bhavathi iha bhavadh dayayA yatheendhra |
tvadh daasadaasa daasa gaNanaa sarama avathou
tatthdAsadhaika rasatha mama aviratha asthu ||
16 ||
O YathirAjA ! May Thou bless me to be rid of desires to enjoy the transient
pleasures associated with the use of my limbs ! May Your DayA banish my
taste for such pleasures that only cause misery later ! May You make me
an enduring servant of the servant of the servant of your servant and reach
the saramA state. I have nothing to offer at your altar. It is only
your nirhethuka karuNA that I am looking for as my saviour.
Â:Øty:g:Òv:ð½en:j:edvy:g:ØN:sv:-p:H
)ty:x:t:am:Øp:g:t:¡stv:h r¤raj:H .
This slokam is set as a response of MaamunigaL to Sri RaamAnujA's protestation
on the inappropriateness of the former in pressing him (RamanujA ) for
banishing the sins . RaamAnujA seems to point out that it is the
Lord of Srirangam and not him , who can confer the boons requested by MaamunigaL
. Latter reminds RaamAnujA that it is a wellknown fact that Sri RanganAtha
is under the influence of RaamAnujA and hence it is appropriate for him(Maamuni)
to knock on RamAnujA's door for mercy .
v:Sy:ss:da B:v:et: t:ð y:et:raj:
! t:sm:acCV¶:ssv:kiy:j:n:p:ap:ev:m:aðc:n:ð
tv:m:Î / 17 /
Sruthyagra Vedhya nija divya GuNasvarupa:
prathyakshataam upagatha: iha RangarAja : |
Vasya: sadhA bhavathi tEh YathirAja tasmAth
saktha: svakeeya jana paapa vimochanE tvam || 17 ||
O YathirAjA ! Sri RanganAthA is presenting Himself at Srirangam for
all to enjoy Him . He has the auspicious attributes (KalyANa GuNAs ) that
can only be understood through the declarations of the VedAs . That RanganthA
of matchless power and glory is under your control . Therefore , O Acharya
Saarvabhouma ! You are indeed capable of removing my miseries .
The references are to the dialog between RamAnujA and Sri RanganAthA
in SaraNAgathi Gadhyam and an incident related to the washerman of the
Lord's clothes at Srirangam .
kal:*:y:ð|ep: krN:*:y:en:em:üt:aet:p:ap:e#y:sy:
S:rN:ö B:g:v:tx:m:òv: .
Meaning:
s:a c: tv:y:òv: km:l:arm:N:ð|eT:üt:a
y:tx:ðm:ss: Ov: eh y:t:indÓ B:v:¡cCÕt:an:am:Î
/ 18 /
kalathrayEpi karaNathraya nirmithathi
paapagriyasya saraNam Bhagavadh Kshamaiva |
sa acha tvayaiva KamalAramaNE arthithA Yath
Kshemassa yeva hi Yatheendhra ! bhavathsrithAnAm || 18
||
O RaamAnujA ! For the one , who has committed limitless sins through
mind , body and speech , the Lord of Srirangam is the sole refuge in the
past , present and future. Our protection is indeed that prayer of
yours to the Sri RanganAthA on a panguni Uttaram day through your SaraNAgathi.
That is our invaluable and only protection .
The reference here is to the response of Lord RanganaathA to
the prayer housed in the SaraNAgathi gadhyam of RaamAnuja . The Lord responded
to the prayer of AchaaryA and declared that it is not only RamAnujA
but any one having his Sambhandham would be automatic objects of His mercy
. This is the boon that MaamunigaL refers to . This is our adhrushtam (
good fortune ) as a result of the saraNAgathi performed by Achaarya
RaamAnujA at Srirangam and accepted by the Lord on that Panguni Uttaram
day .
Â:im:ny:t:indÓ
! t:v: edvy:p:dabj:s:ðv:aö Â:iS:òl:n:aT:k,N:ap:erN:am:d¶:am:Î
.
Meaning:
t:am:nv:hö m:m: ev:ev:D:üy:
n:aT: ! t:sy:aH kam:ö ev:,¹m:eK:l:ö
c: en:v:t:üy: tv:m:Î / 19 /
Sriman Yatheendhara ! Tava divya padhaabhja sEvaam
Srisailanaatha karuNA pariNAma dhatthaam |
thAm anvaham mama vivathaya naatha ! tasyA :
kaamam viruddham akhilam cha nivarthaya tvam || 19 ||
O My Lord RamAnujA ! Please increase my blessings to have the darsanam
of your lotus feet daily . That blessing was conferred first on me
by my own Acharya , Thirmali AazhwAr , out of the great compassion
that he had for me . Please banish any other desire that stands in the
way of the darsana bhaagyam of your lotus feet .
The reference here is to the request of MaamunigaL's own Achaarya ,
Thiruvaaimozhi PiLLai ( Srisaila Naathar ) asking his disciple to compose
a sthothram on Sri RaamAnujA .
ev:wap:n:ö y:eddm:½
t:Ø m:am:kin:m:¤ikÙ,\v: y:et:raj: dy:amb:ØraS:ð
.
Meaning:
Awað|y:m:atm:g:ØN:l:ðS:ev:v:ej:üt:Á:
t:sm:adn:ny:S:rN:að B:v:t:iet: m:tv:a / 20 /
vij~apanam yathithadhya thu maamakeenam
ankikurushva YathirAja DayAmbhurAsE |
Aj~na : ayam aathmaguNalesa vivarjithasccha
tasmaath ananyasaraNO bhavathi ithi mathvaa || 20 ||
O YathirAjA ! O Ocean of Mercy ! Please recognize me as an ignoramus
, who does not know much about Tattva, Hitha , PurushArthams and as a helpless
one without any redeeming qualities (Aathma GuNAs ) .Please accept my prayerful
request for your grace and protection and bless me .
MaamunigaL housed his many prayers and pleadings for help from
the thrid verse ( VaachA Yatheendhra ! manasA) to the 19th verse . In this
final slokam , he concludes his prayers and begs for acceptance of them
and the showering of Acharya RaamAnujA' s blessings on him .