Two Articles by Sri Rengarajan on Periya PerumaL Vaibhavam .

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Bhakthi Group:

 

Sri Rengarajan "s timely articles on Periya PerumaaL

and his Vaibhavam: One can focus on the Tattvam and

legend associated with SRI Ranganatha and spend

a big chunk of our life time on it. Thank you Rengarajan for

giving us lately a lot to think about the majesty of

the Svayam Jyothi engaged in Yoganidra at the banks of

Cauveri .

 

Vijay Srinivasan's thought provoking l summary and

Sundar"s response are equally timely

and are most welcome to distill the essence of our struggle ,

which we act out to different degrees in our lives everyday .

Vijay"s summary of the two schools of thought is brilliant.

 

Yesterday being the Yugadi Celebration day, my mind wandered over

the Sundara Telengu language and the Mahans like Saint Thyagaraja,

Shyaamaa Saastry, Narayana Teerthaa and others , whose ancestors

migrated to the villages of Cauveri Delta . Especially, Saint Thayagaraja"s

Pancha Ratna Keerthanaas on Sri Ranganatha arising from his visit

to Srirangam moved me. I have a wonderful recording of Bombay Sisters

with the 44th Jeeyar"s Anugraha Bhashanam in my collection of tapes .

The mellow mood of the Divine bard and his appeal to Sri Kasturi Rangan

in the Kambhoji piece is unforgettable.

 

Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar"s classic rendering of Thodi piece

(Rajuvedaleh) and Semmangudi"s rendering of Vinaraadhaa

in Devaghaandhari , Maharajapuram Viswanatha

Iyer"s emotional appeal and sukham thru his rendering of the Sarangaa piece ,

Karuna Joodumaiyaah , Kaavedi Rangayaa , Srimati M.S.Suubulakshmi"s

rendering of the Kambhoji piece in 1966 before the UN General assembly

with all the many Sangathis that Sri Thyagaraja SwamigaL are treasures of

memory.

Sangathis were introduced by Sri Thyagaraja for the first time to embellish the

 

emotional and Bhakthi content of the divine pieces he composed.

Sangathi is intrepreted as Messages. He had indeed many messages to the Lord

of Srirangam in his Pancha Ratna Krithis of Srirangam.

 

Kasturi Rangan in our tradition celebrating on Pancha

(Pancha Samskaaram, Pancha Seela,

Pancha Bhootham,Pancha Saara Kshetram et al ),

also includes the tradition of PANCHA RANGAN.

 

These Pancha Rangans are Archa Murthys of Temples

located on the banks of Cauveri river as she moves from the mountains of

Coorg to the plains of Chola Desam. The first Rangan in the count is

Adi Rangan , the Lord resting at Sri Ranga Pattinam in Karnaataka.

Even Tippu Sultan worshipped him.

The second Rangan in count is Appakudatthaan of Thiruppernagar

or Koviladi. The third of the Pancha Rangan is Kasturi Rangan

of Srirangam. The fourth is AarAvamudhan of Thirukkudanthai.

As Cauvery reaches the Sangamam with the Ocean, we find

Parimala Rangapathy of IndaLur as the fifth Rangan

blessing us . There are many

other Sayana Murthys on the banks of Cauveri, but the Ones

with the Name of Rangan assocaiated with them are the

Adi Rangan, Madhya Rangan, Kasturi Rangan, Hema Rangan and

Andhya Rangan. Our Azhwaars have conducted mangaLAsAsanams on

the four Rangans except the Adi Rangan of Sri Ranga Pattinam.

 

May the thoughts about Sri Ranganatha bless our minds!

 

Sadagopan