Sri RanganAyakam BhAvayE Sri RanganAyakI SamEtham --Part 5

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Isvara Samvathsaram Panguni Uttaram

Divya dampathi's sErthi Dinam

Gadhya Traya AvathAra Dinam

 

Dear Sriranga yAthrA prEmis :

 

This is indeed a sacred day to restart

the postings in tribute to the Divya Dampathis .

The last time , we focused on the BhrindAvana-

SaarangA rAga Krithi of Sri Dikshithar .

 

Sri Dikshithar was so overwhelmed by the beauty

of Sri RanganAthA that he composed two more beautiful

krithis on Him and made sure that he included his

tribute to both Sri RanganAyakan and Sri RanganAyaki

in both the krithis ( Raagams DhanyAsi and Naayaki ).

It is very appropriate to salute these krithis

on this Panguni Uttaram day .The significance of

Panguni Uttiram has been beautifully described by

both Sri MuraLi Rangaswamy and

Sri MadhavakkaNNan earlier in the day .

 

The DanyAsi Raaga Krithi on the Divya dampathis of Srirangam

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This one is a short ( samashti) krithi without anupallavi .

It is set in the fourth Vibakthi , which has special

meaning for those , who do japam of mUla Manthram

of Sriman NaarAyaNA . The chathurthi Vibakthi over

the NaarAyaNa sabdham stands for the Bhagavadh-BhAgavatha

Kaimkaryams . One wonders whether the enormity of

the concepts of the Bhagavdh-BhAgavatha Kaimkaryams

overwhelmed the mind of Sri Dikshithar and resulted in a

shorter krithi . The meanings hidden in this krithi

vAkhyams however are profound .

 

DanyAsi Krithi Vaakhyams ( Hanuma Thodi Janya Raagam )

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Pallavi : Sri RanganAthAya namasthE namasthE

 

CharaNam : Sri Rangapuri vilasitha Sri RamAntharangAya

Sri RanganAyaki SamEthAya Guruguha nuthAya

( Sri RanganAthAya namasthE )

 

Reflections on the Pallavi Vaakhyams

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Sri Dikshithar salutes the Lord of Srirangam , who

rests under the PraNava vimAnam looking southward

as the beutiful bridegroom . He salutes Sri RanganAtha

twice in the pallavi . He recognizes Him first as the Lord

of BhUlOka VaikunTam ( leelA vibhUthi) and in the next round

of salutation (namasthE ) , he offers his salutation

to the Parama Padha Naathan ( nithya VibhUthi ) .

 

When Sri Deekshithar chose twice the Nama:

sabdham in his pallavi Vaakhyams , One is

inevitably drawn toward the Nama: sabdham of

mUla Manthram , which refers to the upAyam and

Bhara SamarpaNam . It also refers to the deep

thought that " Mama : " sabdham is responsible

for us to be sunk in samsAric quick sand and

that " Na Mama " or " Nama: " sabdham refers

to the akshara Brahmam , which is sAsvatham .

Of that eternal , timeless Paramapurushan ,

Sri RanganAthan , Sri Deekshithar sang about

in his pallavi .

 

CharaNa Vaakhyams of the DanyAsi Krithi

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" Sri Rangapuri vilasitha Sri RamAntharangAya

Sri RanganAyaki SamEthAya Guruguha nuthAya

(sri RanganAthAya namasthE namsthE ) "are

the charaNa vAkhyams .

 

As a scholar in Sanskrit , the qualifications of

Sri Deekshithar are impeccable . In support of

that proclivity , he chose the word " Vilasitha "

to describe Sri RanganAthan . He saluted the Lord

( bhOga mUrthy ) as Srirangapuri vilasithan .

 

The MANY meanings of the Word Vilasitha

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This word means (1)Glittering (2) shining ,

(3)gleaming (4) that which manifested ,

(5)that which sports (6) that which is engaged in

amorous dalliance . It also has additional

meanings of a gesture and result .

 

Glittering Aspect ( Vilasitham-Meaning:1)

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The jewels in the crown of the Lord

are glittering as described by Swami Desikan:

" rathnApeeDa dhyuthi saBalithE Rangabharthu: kireetE "

Here Swami Desikan points out that the many gems

adorning the siras of the Lord of Sri Rangam reflect

on the crown that He is wearing and cast a

ever changing glitter for the BhakthAs .

 

Shining aspect ( Vilasitham-Meaning :2)

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The jyOthi of Sri RanganAthan shines

inside the heart cavity of the Yogis

as saluted by Swami Desikan in

Sri Bhagavdh DhyAna sOpAnam :

" Anthar jyOthi: kimapi yaminAm

anjanam yOga dhrushtE : "

 

The jyOthi that shines steadily inside

the heart cavity of the Yogis are seen by

them thru the power of their yOgam and is

their chinthA rathnam ( ChinthaamaNi gem ),

which blesses them with siddhi here in this

world and mOksham in the other world

( Siddhi mOkshAnurUpam ) .

 

Gleaming aspect ( Vilasitham-Meaning :3)

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The gleam is in the eye of the Lord.

He is so happy to see His BhakthA standing

in front of Him . His eyes welcome generously

the errant one , who finally has arrived

at his chambers ( svAgathOdhAra nEthram ) .

Meanwhile , the kanaka tilakam adorning

His forehead shines from the gleam in His eyes

( Kaantham vakthram kanaka tilakAlankrutham

Rangabharthu --svAgathOdhAra nEthram ) .

 

Self-manifested aspect ( Vilasitham-Meaning :4)

***********************************************

The Lord appeared as a result of the Tapas of

BrahmA and then was worshipped by King IshvAku ,

who won the Lord as a boon thru his severe penance .

The Lord stayed at AyOdhyA and was worshipped by Sri RamachandrA .

After His coronation , Sri RamachnadrA gave Sri RanganAthA

as a gift to VibhIshaNA . On the way to LankhA , the Lord

" manifested " at Sri Rangam and chose to stay

right there and receives VibhIshaNA's ArAdhanam

at midnight even today . He is a svayam Vyakthan

and thus makes Srirangam as one of the eight

Svyam-Vyaktha KshEthrams .

 

Swami Desikan reminds us about the svayam-Vyaktham

aspect of Sri Rangavilasithan in one of the slOkams

of Hamsa sandEsam this way : " SatthvE divyE

svayamudhathas tasya dhAmna: prasangAth

manjUshAyAm marakathamiva bhrAjamAnam tadhantha:"

 

" DivyE satthvE svayam udhayatha: tasya dhAmna:

prasanghAth tadh antha; manjUshAyAm marakatham iva

bhrAjamAnam " is the anvaya kramam hee.

 

The Sesha peetam on which His vimAnam is resting

is suddha Satthva mayam ( divyE satthve). There ,

He rose out of His own volition ( Svayam udhayatha: ) .

The effulgence of the self-manifested Lord ( tasya

dhAmna: ) is like the Maragatham gem in its case

( the Lord 's lustre inside the PraNava VimAnam ) .

 

That which sports ( Vilasitham-Meaning : 5)

*******************************************

He is the Lord , who had dalliance with the Gopis

on the banks of YamunA river and enjoyed the sports

of Jala kreetA , Raasa kreetA during KrishNavathAram .

Sri LeelAsukar , the author of KrishNa KarNaamrutham

describes that GOpAla Rangan as " TaruNam ,

VrajaBAla sundareeNAm taralam kinchan dhAmam "

(i-e) the ever youthful , shining jyOthi , which was

the life support of the young GOpis of BhrundAvanam.

At Srirangam , the BhUloka Ranga vilasithan

sported with ANDAL , UrayUr NaachiyAr ,

the Delhi SultAn's daughter and

Sri RanganayakI on the banks of Cauveri river .

 

The gesture/MudhrA( Vilasithan -Meaning 6)

************************************

Sri RanganAthA has the Abhaya Hastham

as His gesture . As Swami Desikan points

out in Sri Abheethi Sthavm , This Rangavilasithan

has the Abhaya MudhrA : " sakruth prapadana

sprusAm abhaya dAna Nithya Vrathee , na cha

dhvibhAshasE tvamithi visrutha: svOkthitha: " .

Swami Desikan says here : Oh , Lord of Sri Rangam !

You will never say twice that You have taken

the eternal vow of giving abhayam as a boon

to prapannAs . When they perform prapatthi once ,

that is enough for You . Infact with Your abhaya hastha

mudhrA , You seem to gesture to them to stop

performing Prapatthi more than once .

 

The Result as a Meaning for Vilasithan ( Meaning 7)

***************************************************

Vilasitha means also palan or the end result .

He is the one , who gave us the charama SlOkam

and assured us that " mAmEkam SaraNam vraja" .

He showed us the one and only way that will

yield Him as the fruit of prapatthi .

 

yEkam sarvapradham dharmam SriyA jushtam samAsrithai: I

apEtha : sOkairAcharyai: ayam PANTHAA:pradarsitha: II

 

In the above Srimadh Rahasya Traya Saara slOkam ,

Swami Desikan says that He united with His divine Consort ,

Sri RanganAyaki and He is the Sarva pradhan

( yielder of all fruits ) . He is the Dharmam

( SiddhOpAyam ) as EmperumAn .Swami Desikan

concludes by reminding us that this unfailing path

has been pointed to us by our AchAryAs .

 

Rest of the CharaNa VaakhYams of the Naayaki rAga Krithi

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" (Sri Rangapuri vilasitha) Sri RamAntharangAya ,

Sri RanganAyaki SamEthAya Guruguha nuthAya "

 

We have covered the meaning of " Sri RamAntharangAya "

in the BhrundAvana SaarangA krithi earlier.

That Sri RangarAjan is always in the company

of Sri RanganAyaki ( Sri RanganAyaki SamEhtAya )

is saluted next by Sri Deekshithar .

He is also eulogized by His nephew , Guhan ( Guruguha

nuthAya ) . The Krithi mudrai , " Guru Guha" is

used by Sri Deekshithar to show that he is the one ,

who composed this krithi in DhanyAsi Raagam .

 

I thouhgt I will say a few words on the DhanyAsi

krithi because of its small size ( Vaamana rUpam ),

but it extended in to its TrivikramA form as a

rsult of the contemplation about the limitless

GuNAs of Sri RanganAyaki Sametha Sri RanganAthan .

 

May the Divya dampathis bless us particularly on

this special day and take their residence at

their temple here in North America! It is my

prayer that we all do the Kaimkaryam of building

the temple " brick-by-brick " for them for their

new home amidst us and thus become kruthArthAs .

 

Jayathu Sri RanganAtha:

Jayathu Sri RangadhAmEsvari !

 

Daasan ,Oppiliappan Koil V.SadgOpan