Sri Rangam - Swami Desikan's paasuram - Part 3

[Guest guest]

I am reposting one of the article I posted On SriRangam last year as requested

by bagawthaaLS on this holy day of Sri Vaikunda ekaadesi.

 

 

Swami dEsikan thiruvadikaLE saraNam

 

 

Each aazhwaar have praised this kOil and most of our poorvaachaaryaaLs have

delivered granthams and paasurams on this kOil. The three rahsyams are the

fundamentals of srivaishnvaas. While some of the srivaishnavass derive the

essence of these from the three anthaathis of muthal aazhwaars, many of the

srivaishnavaas refer to Srimath rahasya thrasaaram. Swami dEsikan delivered

Srimath rahasya thrasaaram using 32 athikaaranGaL. Since this is in maNip

pravaaLaa, he also delivered in Tamil, the essence of all these adikaarams in

adikaara sangiraham.

 

In adikaara sankiraham, prior to delivering the adikaaraas, He praised

all the aazhwaars, and eight achaaryaaLs who preceded him. HE exclusively

discussed the efforts of emperumaaNaar, aaLavanthaar, naathamunikaL. Following

this, the concise meaning of each athikaaram is presented in the anthaathi

thodai meter. Besides, Swami dEsikan made special refereces to three temples in

his adikaara sangiraham. The only three such temples referred are kaanchi

aththikiri perumal, Srirangam and thirumalai. He continues this with a

long paasuram on the thiruvadis of Sriranganaathan and concludes with some

paasurams on the achaaryaaL's sEvai . The following is the paasuram on

Srirangam that will narrate the significance of this kOil in the chronological

order and summarises the palan or puNNiyam of worshipping this kOil.

 

 

aaraatha varuL amutham pothintha kOil

ambu yaththOn ayOththi mannaRk kaLiththa kOil

thOL aatha thani veeran thozhutha koIl

thuNai yaana veedaNar kuth thuNai yaan kOil

sEraatha payan ellaan chErkkum kOil

sezhu maRai yin muthal ezhuththuch chErntha kOil

theeraatha vinai anaiththun theerkkun kOil

thiru varanga menath thigazhun kOil thaanE.

 

adikaara sangiraham

 

A rough translation is as follows.

 

The unending nectar of AruL or grace is embedded in this kOil. or The temple of

Srirangam where Lord Arangan is living eternally (nitya vaasam) is so enjoyable

as the nectar of grace that is never ending. it is said that when one attempts

to surrender to this Lord, This Lord will come to receive them at the very

entrance of this temple itself. That is the extent of the grace this Lord would

show to his baagawathALs.

 

The naanmugan who sits on the Lotus flower gave this as the boon for the

itsuvaaku king of ayOthi kingdom.

Undefeated and unique warrior Lord Sri Raama worshipped this kOil

This is also the koil that Sriraama gave to ally vibeedanan' as a "seer" or

gift

 

This is the kOil that brings in all the unobtainable boons and effects or

palan *that are unobtainable anywhere else* to the worshipper.

 

This is the kOil where the first letter of the vEdam is residing (pranavam).

THE SHAPE OF THE VIMAANAM ITSELF IS SIMILAR TO PRANAVAM ! It is beleived that

one who worships this vimaanam even once will get the blessings of this Lord

for sure and will not be born again if sought from Lord paravasudevan residing

in this vimaanam.

 

 

This is the kOil that cures or nullifes all the vinais or karmaas that cannot

be nullified or cured so far.

This is the kOil of thiruvarangam.

 

Please note that what ever penance one will do , it is *finally the ARUL or

GRACE* of the Lord (from what ever form of the Lord it is sought either it is

param or antharayaamam or archamoorthy etc) that delivers the destiny sought

for. This is what is derived as the prominent meaning from these verses and it

is in general conceived by Srirangam school and others. Swami Desikan starts

this paasuram saying that the nectar of ARUL is fully embedded in this kOil.

one can also mean that if one would simply ask HIM, HE will bless them in full

and atonce.

 

 

and Swami dEsikan also delivered this on Arangan's thirup paathangaL

 

uRu sakada mudaiya voru kaal uRRu narnthana

udan marutha modiya voru pOthiR Ravazhnthana

uRi thadavu maLavil ural OduRRU ninRana

uRu neRiyaar tharuman vidu thoothuk kugan thana

 

maRa neRiyar muRiya piru thaanath thuvanthana

malar magaL kai varuda malar pOthiR sivanthana

maRu piRavi yaRu munivar maaluk kisainthana

manu muRaiyil varu vathOr vimaanath thuRain thana

 

aRa mudaiya visayan amar thEriRRi kazhn thana

adal uraka pada madiya vaadik kadin thana

aRu samaya maRi variya thaanath thamarn thana

aNi kurikai nagar munivar naavuk kamain thana

 

veRi yudaiya thuLava malar veeRuk kaNin thana

vizhu kariyOr kumaran ena mEvich chiRan thana

viRal asurar padai yadaia veeyath thuran thana

vidal ariya periya perumaaL men pathankaLE

 

adikaara sangiraham

 

Swami dEsikan's paathukaa sahasram is unique in its style and rich in contents

and exclusively devoted to thiruvadis of periya perumaal. However, in adikaara

saangiraham also, when speaking on the core prinicples of Srivaishnavam, Swami

notes that the worship of periya perumaal's thurvadi as very important. This

paasuram details the accomplishment of these thirup paathangaL in sri krishna

avathaaram and narrates other such specialities.

 

These are the same holy feet that one will never would love to leave them. This

confirm hat it is ideal to seek and cling or hold on to them.

 

These are the same feet that broke sadakaasuran in sri krishna avathaaram.

ie This show the strength of these feet.

 

Those marutha maram, ie a type of trees that were together were slashed down by

the these feet when they crawled. KubErans people were earlier cursed by Saint

naraddha to become trees in gokulam and they were released from the curse by

Lord Sri Krishnan when he crawled with the "ammi" to which he was tied to.

 

These are the same feet that were joined together with the uraL when Sri

Krishna was stealing the butter by climbing on top of these and balanced. ie

The balance was achieved when his feet were sought by these urals which will

never be left from them. This confirm that the Lord alone by HIS mercy holds

one at HIS feet for ever.

 

Some of the line to line meanings are as follows:

 

These are the same feet that went as a messenger for peace or meadiator for

peace representing the side of dharma led by Dharman who stood for the

righteousness.

 

These are the same feet that came to brindavan to kill those angry asuraas.

 

These are the same feet that became more reddish compared to flowers, when they

were given rest and pressed by thayaar.

 

These are the same feet that were sought by holy saints who wanted to stop

their chain of births and death cycle by their devotion and bhakti.

 

Such was the same feet that rests in these vimaanam that was inherited by

Manu's clan.

 

These are the same feet that stood in arjun's chariot

 

These are the same feet that crushed the "padam" of kaalinga snake.

 

These are the same feet that were not known through the arusamayam or 6

maargams or 6 school s of philosphies as the final destiny of all.

 

These are the same feet that was the subject matter of nammaazwaar of kuruhoor.

 

These are the same feet that were more beautiful and prominet than the thiruth

thuzhaay flowers that garlanded HIS chest.

 

One of the important message in this paasuram is that "aRu samaya maRi

variyathaanath thamar nthana" ie, these "thirup paathams" were "not known" or

(unknown) to the "arusamaym" or the other "six maargams" . The thirup paatham

of periya perumaal is sought for as final refuge (also available) and for

worship in the second circuit, the thabOlokam. That is one of the reasons to

derive a position that the other faiths are not possibly leading one to this

circuit and further innerwards, instead "assume" their final goal or (destiny)

prior to entering this circuit itself. In other words, it can be said that If

one must enter this circuit, on their way to final destiny, ie serving Arangan

as param, they will seek the blessings of HIS thiruvadis first. His paathangaL

are addressed as men pathangaLE such that they are so graceful and *soft*

(kind) to all those bagawathALs who worship the same.

 

 

 

Sri Ranganaayika samEthara Sri ranganatha swami thirup paathangaLE charaNam

 

Sampath Rengarajan