Sri YathirAja Vimsathi of MaNavALa MaamunigaL

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Bhakthi group :

 

After I wrote last year on Sri DevarAja MangaLam of

MaNavALa Maamunigal(MM) , Sri Mohan Sagar asked me

to write about the other sthothrams composed by this

great AchAryA . I will now write about the beautiful sthothram

composed by MM on Sri RamAnujA . The bhakthi that MM had

for Acharya RamAnujA was deep and profound . Similar to the

great works of Acharyas that preceded him with eulogies of their

own -- Swami Desikan's YathirAja Sapthathi , Thiruvarangatthu

AmudanAr"s RaamAnuja NooRanthadhi --this( sanskrit) work of

MM is a testament to the affection and devotion that he had for

the great AchAryA , Sri RaamAnujA . The guru of MM , Thiruvaimozhi

PiLLai suggested to his talented disciple to compose a sthothram

on Sri RaamAnujA . Thus originated the twenty slokams (Vimsathi )

of MM on our great AchAryA . I will cover one slokam in one posting ,

because of the depth of meanings involved .

 

MM was born at Thirunagari , the birth place

of NammAzhwAr -- the object of veneration of RamAnujA --

on an Eippasi Moolam day . RamAnujA has been saluted

as " MaaRanadi PaNintha RaamAnusan " . Hence it is appropriate

that MM , who was born in NammAzhwAr 's birth place

of Thirukuruhoor saluted RamAnujA , whose devotion for

Kuruhoor SaTakOpan ( MaaRan) was legendary .

 

The greatness of MM has been celebrated through the taniyans

about him and also by his 8 magnificient disciples known as

the Ashta Digh Gajams ( elephants defending the 8 directions ) :

1. VaanamAmalai Jeeyar 2. Bhattar Piraan Jeeyar 3. Thiruvenkata

RaamAnuja Jeeyar 4. KoilaNNan 5. PrathivAdhi Bhayankaram ANNan

6. YerumpiappA 7. AppiLLai 8. AppiLLAr .

 

It is instructive however to reflect upon MM "s own appraisal of

his qualifications and how he wanted others to remember him.

We find this description in the following Arthi Prabhandha paasuram

(sandhis separated ) :

 

Tennarangar seer aruLukku ilakkaha peRROm

Devanurai ThiruppathiyE iruppaha peRROm

manniya seer MaRan kalai uNavAha peRROm

Madhura Kavi sorpadiyE nilayAha peRROm

MunnavarAm nanguravar mozhikaLuLLapeRROM

Muzhudhu namakku Ivai pozhudhu pOkkaha peRROm

Pinnai Onru tanil nenju pErAmaRpeRROm

Pirarminukkam poRAmailA perumaiyum peRROm

 

( Approximate Meaning ) : We have become the object of

the auspicious grace of the Lord of Srirangam ; We have been

blessed to claim Thiruppathi , the place of residence of the Lord ,

as our home ; We are blessed to have the illustrious

prabhandhams of the revered SatakOpan as our nourishment ;

We have stabilized ourselves following the instructions of

Madhura Kavi ; We are fortunate to have our purvAchAryA's

aruL vaakugal etched in our mind ; All of these have become

the objects for us to reflect and spend our time on this earth ;

we are blessed not to have any other thoughts that conflict

with the above auspicious tattvams in our mind ; We are also

fortunate not to have the misfortune of stirring the jealousy of others .

 

Such is the greatness of Sri MaNavALa Maamuni revered also

as Yathindra PravaNar -- Name given by his AchArya -- and

Sowmya Varayogi Pungavar , a name chosen by the author of

the Taniyan for YathirAja Vimsathi . It is interesting to note that

MM composed the Vimsathi during his days as a GrahasthA .

The Taniyan salutes him as Yogi Pungavar , a title associated

with the UttamAsramam of SanyAsam in the style of the AchAryA

of MM , who called him Yathindra PravaNar with great affection .

 

Let us start with the Taniyan for YathirAja Vimsathi :

 

Ya: sthuthim yathipathiprasAdaneem

vyAjahAra YathirAja vimsatheem I

Tham prapanna jana sadhakAmbhudham

nowmi Sowmyavara Yogi pungavam II

 

(Meaning ) : 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 .

 

Slokam 1 :

 

Sri MaadhavAngri Jalaja dvaya nitya sevA prema--

aavila aasaya paraankusa paadha bhaktham I

kaamAdhi dhosha haram aathma padhamAsrithAnAm

Raamanujam Yathi pathim praNamAmi MoordhnA II

 

( short Meaning ) : 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 .

 

(Commentary ) : 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 .

 

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 .

 

AzhwAr , AachAryan ThiruvadigaLE Saranam

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

..