Mukunda Maala -1

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Prapatti group:

I will now start my comments about the most

beautiful stotram known as Mukunda Maala.

 

Thi stotram is a celebration of Nama Siddhaantham,

Saranagati, prayer for unceasing rememberance of the

Lord"s holy feet at all times and places , ParatatvaNirnayam,

Exhortation to Cetanas to offer Prapatti at the holy feet of the

most merciful Lord , who has Sri Devi as His inseperable

companion . Hence, It is a summation of all the profound

priniciples of our Sri Sampradhaayam .

 

Regarding the celebration of the Naamaas of the Lord,

Vishnu Sahasra Naamam points us the secret behind the names of

the Lord. It Says "Yasya Naamaani Gownaani " . It reveals that His

names are Gaunaas (i-e) His names are nothing but a sound

Form of His Gunaas (attributes) . The Lord , who is the abode

of infinite attributes has therefore Infinite Naamaas. By celbrating these

names, One grows one's Bhakti and enters the "Rama Bhakti Saamrajyam".

Kulasekhara,as one of the greatest Rama Bhakthas followed Naama

Siddhaantham and made his city resonant with the shouts of Sriranga Yaatra

to remind himself and others about the Lord of Ishvaaku Kulam resting at

Srirangam in Kali Yugam. This Yugam is an age of emotion and in this age,

one can be saved only through the easy route of Bhakti

or dedicated devotion to the Divya Dampathis

through Raaganga Bhakti (emotional attachment ) through Naama

Sankeertanam and Archana with Nama Kusumaas. Saint Thyagaraja

and many others have followed the message of Mukunda Maala and

attained the supreme goal of life.That is why Saint Thyagaraja chose

Sri Ragam for his Kriti "Naama Kusumamulacheh Poojincceh Nara

Janmameh Janmamu Manasa". Here the Saint , who is both a Naama

and Naada Siddhanti follows the technique adopted by Kulasekhara in

Mukunda Maala, where many of the verses are set in the context of

the poet"s conversation with his Manas (Maanasa Sambodhanam ).

 

Swami Desikan in our Acharya Sampradhaaya established

in his powerful grantham (Dramidopanishad Taatparya Ratnaavali )

that the 1000 verses of Thiruvaimozhi of Sri Nammazhwaar

are the celebration of the thousand (Infinite ) Gunaas of the Lord

having Sri Devi as His Consort. The "1000 verses of Kuruhoor

Satakopan are housed in ten decads. Swami Desikan states those ten

decads are like a trunk path to all the limitless Gunaas of the Lord

known as Sri Vallabhan, Srinivasan and Sridharan.

 

These ten Gunas mapping on to the ten decads and through linkages

to the other infinite Gunaas are summarized in this slokam of Swami

Desikan:

 

SEVYATVAAT BHOGYA BHAAVAAT SUBHA TANU VIBHAVAAT SARVA BHOGYAADHIKATVAAT

 

SREYASTADHEDHUDHAANAAT SRITAVIVASATAYAAA SVASRITANISHTAHRUTVAAT I

 

BHAKTACCHANDHANUVRUTTEH : NIRUPADHIGA SUHRDBHAAVAATA: SATPADHAVYAAM

 

SAAHAYACCHA SVASIDDEH: SVAYAMIHA KARANAM SREEDHARA: PRATYAPAADHI II

 

THE TEN GUNAAS CELEBRATED BY NAMMAZHWAAR ACCORDING TO

 

SWAMI DESIKAN ARE:

 

(1) Sevyatvam: Worshippable (2) Bhogyatvam : Enjoyable (3) Subhatanutvam:

Having a Divya mangala Vigraham (4) Sarva Bhogyaadhikatvam: Standing

as the supreme Bhogya and transcending all the other enjoyable tattvas or

objects (5) Sreyastadheudhanatvam: Representing all the four purusharthams

as well as the cause behind them and as anugraha sakti to attain them (6) Srita

 

Vivasatam : Being under the spell of Prapannas (ie) He is Vasyan (Vaseekaranam)

to Prapannas. (7) Svaasritaanishta hrutva Tatvam (Gunam) : He removes the

sorrows and sufferings of those , who take refuge in Him

(8) Bhaktaanucchandaanuvruttam:Acting according to the wishes

of His devottees as Yatoktakaari

(9) Nirupadhika Suhrut Bhavam: Well wisher and protector of His Bhaktas

without any premeditation or reason (AVYAAJA SUHRUT ) and (10) Sat-

Padhavyaam Saahayaam : Being a companion on the road of the

Prapanna (Mukti Maargam ) as MUKUNDA . These ten

Gunaas celbrated by Nammazhwaar in his 1000 verses of Thiruvaimozhi

representing the 1000 gunaas of the Lord (Sahasra Saakopanishad Samaagamam ),

according to Swami Desikan are the essence of the teachings of

the Sama Vedam with its 1000 Upanishads corresponding to

each of its 1000 Saakaas. That is the greatness of the Naamas(Gunaas)

celebrated by Kulasekhara in his MUKUNDA MAALA .

 

I will start with the first sloka of Mukunda Maala in the next posting and

wherever possible weave in the thoughts enshrined in the Bhashyam of

Parasara Bhatta on the 1000 names of the Lord (Sri Vishnu Sahasra Naamam ).

 

May the Lord and Sri Devi accept this humble offering !

 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan