Sri YathirAja Vimsathi, An Introduction

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Dear BhakthAs:

A New Overview posting on Sri MaNavALa Maamuni's (MM)

YathirAja Vimsathi (YV)is presented here .YV is

one of the two famous sthOthrams of MM .The other is

the DevarAja MangaLam .

>

> SRI YATHIRAAJA VIMSATHI

> ************************

>

>INTRODUCTION : In Sanskrit literature , the poems

>are organized in numbers of 4,8,10,20,50 ,70 and 100 .

>The examples are ; ChathuslOki of Alavandhar (4 verses);

>Sri DevarAjAshtakam of Thirukkacchi Nampi and

>Sri SudarsanAshtakam of Swami Desikan (8 verses);

>NyAsa dasakam of Swami Desikan ( 10 verses );

>NyAsa Vimsathi of Swami Desikan(20 Verses );

>Sri VaradarAjA panchAsath of Swami Desikan (50 Verses);

>Sri YathirAja Sapthathi of Swami Desikan ( 70 Verses);

>Daya Sathakam and Sri Achyutha sathakam of Swami Desikan

>(100 Verses ). Sri YathirAja Vimsathi(YV) of Sri maNavALa

>MaamunigaL (MM) belongs to the category of Vimsathi ,

>since this salutations to AchArya RaamAnujA has 20 verses.

>

>MM's YV is a moving sthOthram , which came in to being as

>a result of the request of MM's Acharyan to MM to compode

>a sthOthra grantham on AchArya RaamAnujA .At that time,

>MM was a grahasthar and had the name of Azhagiya MaNavALa

>NaayanAr. He was the trustee and administrator for the special

>temple built by his AchAryan , ThiruvAimozhip PiLLai. NayanAr's

>devotion to RaamAnujA was so transparent that his AchAryan

>requested his sishyan to compose an eulogy in Sanskrit

>for RaamAnujA , whose nine Sri Sookthis are in Sanskrit.

>NaayanAr composed a deeply moving sthuthi on RaamAnujA's

>glories and his own naicchiyams . NaayanAr begged for

>RaamAnjA's grace in a heart rending manner . NaayanAr's

>AchAryan was so moved by the reverence of his sishyan

>for RaamAnujA displayed in the YV that he began to

>address his dear disciple from then on as YathIndhra

>PravaNar or one who is an authority on the glories

>of AchArya RaamAnujA .

>

>TANIYAN FOR YATHIRAAJA VIMSATHI

>********************************

>Those who heard the slOkams of YV were profoundly

>moved by the depth of reverence of NaayanAr .One of

>them composed a Taniyan in Tamizh for YV :

>

>VALLARGAL VAAZHTTHUM KURUKESAR TAMMAI MANATTHU VAITTHU

>SOLLAARA VAAZHTTHUM MANAVAALA NAAYANAAR THONDAR KUZHAAM

>YELLAAM TAZHAIKKA YETHIRAASA VIMSATHI YEENRU ALITTHON

>PULLAARAVINTHAT-THIRUTTHAALL IRANDAYUM PORRU NENJE

>

>(meaning ):remembering the greatness of NammAzhwAr ,

>who is worshipped by all AasthikAs , MaNavALa NaayanAr

>paid his heartfelt tribute to RaamAnujA so that all

>of his own disciples could prosper .NaayanAr gave birth to

>YathirAja Vimsathi and presented it to us as his special

>gift. Oh My Mind ! Please pay homage to the sacred feet

>of NaayanAr, which ar elike a pair of fully blossomed

>lotus flowers .

>

>Another sishyar of MM has described the sweetness

>of YV putting to shame the taste of grape juice and

>excelling the delectable taste of honey ; he has compared

>the slOkams of YV as a veritable , cool cascade of nectar .

>

>The official Taniyan in Sanskrit for YV is :

>

>YA: STHUTHIM YATHIPATHI PRASAADANEEM

>VYAAJAHAARA YATHIRAAJA VMSATHIM

>TAM PRAPANNA JANA SAATHAKAAMBHUDHAM

>NAUMI SOWMYA VARA YOGI PUNGAVAM

>

>(meaning): AdiyEn slautes the Sowmya vara Muni (MM),

>who composed the YV to delight the heart of RaamAnujA.

>MM is the nectar of moon'srays(food) for the PrapannAs

>taking the form of saathakA birds ( it is believed that

>the SaathakA birds exist on moon's rays alone as their

>food and reject everything else).

>

>This taniyan equates the PrapannAs to the SaathakA birds

>insofar a sthe PrapannAs live only by the grace of

>Sri RaamAnujA . It is implied that the PrapannAs

>do not need to go anywhere else their succor and

>survival an dthat Sri RaamAnujA's sacred feet are

>their upAyam and upEyam for slavation .

>

>THE TWENTY VERSES OF YATHIRAAJA VIMSATHI

>*****************************************

>These twenty verses constitute one of the most

>beautiful appeal to RaamAnujA for conferring

>his anugraham on MM . The Sanskrit Text and

>the extended meanings of the twenty slOkams

>are covered in the home pages of Sri VaishNavaa

>Universe with the URL :

>

>http://www.srivaishnava.org/sva.htm/

>

>The choice of words for the MangaLAsAsanam

>for AchArya RaamAnujA are exquisite . The depth

>of NaicchAnusandhAnam of MM has very few comparisons.

>One hears the echos of Swami AalvandhAr's SthOthra

>rathna SlOkams and Swami Desikan's YathirAja Sapthathi

>slOkmas as well as the RaamAnuja NooRRanthAdhi Paasurams

>of Thiruvarangatthu AmudanAr .We refer readers to

>the above home pages and will cover here two

>slOkams to illustrate the glory of this sthuthi .

>

>THREE ILLUSTATIVE SLOKAMS OF YATHIRAAJA VIMSATHI

>*************************************************

>

>(1) The second slOkam of YV is an example of

>the exquisite skills of MM in the choice of words

>for the saluttion to AchArya RaamAnujA :

>

>SrirangarAja CharaNAmbhuja Raajahamsam

> Srimath ParAnkusa PadhAmbhja BhrungarAjam

>Sri BhattanAtha ParakAla MukhAbhja Mithram

> Srivathsa Chihna saraNam YathirAjam EedE

>

>(Comments): There are four tatthvams about RaamAnujA

>that are being revealed to us by MM here in terms of

>his AchArya and Sishya paramaparai . Each of the four

>paadhams of the above slOkam elaborate on these specifics :

>

>First ,RaamAnjA is saluted as "SrirangarAja CharaNAmbhuja

>Raaja Hamsam ". MM points out that RaamAnujA is like the king

>Swan that is resting at the lotus feet of Lord RanganAthan .

>

>Second , RaamAnujA is eulogized as " Srimath ParAnkusa

>padhAmbhuja Brunga Raajam ". Here , RaamAnujA is visualized

>as the King Bee sititng on the lotus feet of NammAzhwAr .

>This type of salutation is known as GuNa Prayuktha Daasyam .

>MM indicates here that ThiruvAimozhi was nectar for RaamAnujA.

>

>Third, MM describes RaamAnjA as : "Sri BhattanAtha ParakAla

>Mukha abhja mithram ". RaamAnujA is described here as the Sun ,

>which makes the Lotus faces of PeriyAzhwAr and Thirumnagai bloom.

>The allusion here is to the deep involvement of Para Tatthva

>NirNayam by RaamAnujA , just as PeriyAzhwAr in the court of

>the PaandyA king . RaamAnujA was also involved in many temple

>Kaimkaryams , just as Thirumangai (ParakAlan ) was involved

>in building the saptha prakArams of the Lord at Srirangam

>and the building of the DasaavathAra Sannidhi there.

>

>Fourth , MM moves on to the sishya paramparai of RaamAnujA

>after focusing on his AchArya paramparai. Here MM pays specail

>tribute to KooratthAzhwAn , the dear sishyan of RaamAnujA :

>"Srivatsachihna charaNam YathirAjameedEh ".MM points out

>that RaamAnujA was the object of KooratthAzhwAn's saraNAgathi

>or latter was the Thiruvadi of RaamAnujA , who had a very

>special relationship with Lord RanganAthA (NamperumAl ),

>NammAzhwAr , periyAzhwAr and Thirumangai AzhwAr .

>

>(2)The fifteenth slOkam of YV is a moving one , where MM

>invites RaamAnujA's attention to his insufficiencies and

>begs for the dayA and anugraham of the great AchAryan :

>

>Suddha aathma yaamuna GurUtthama KppranAtha

> Bhattaakhya Desika Vara Uktha SAAMSTHA NAICHYAM

>adhya asthi asankuchitham yEva mayi iha lOkE

> tasmAth YATHEENDHRA! KaruNA yEva thu math gathi: thE

>

>(Comments): In this verse , MM appeals to yathirAjA this way:

>KaruNaiva thu math Gathi: /thE karuN yEva math Gathi:

>( Oh AchArya RaamAnujA ! ( Your linitless Mercy is my only

> refuge and cause for rescue from SamSaric afflictions ).

>He goes on to say that the Naichiyams (Statements on one's

>deficiencies and inadequacies ) of AlavandhAr , ParAsara

>Bhattar, KurEsar and other PoorvAchAryAs have found their

>home in him .Therefore , MMpleads that eh should be

>the deserving and the most appropriate object of

>the compassion of AchArya RaamAnujA .

>

>The Naicchiyam statements (NaicchyAnusandhAnams) that

>MM refers to are cited below.

>

>(a)AlavandhAr: " na nindhitham karma tadhasthi lOkE "

>( sthothra rathnam : Verse 23), " amaryAtha: Kshudhra:--"

>(SthOthra rathnam : Verse 62)

>

>(b)KuratthAzhwAn's: " Taapa thryamayee dhavAnala dhahyamAnam .."

>

>© ParAsara Bhattar"s :" Garbha Janma JarAmruthi ",

>asannikrushtasya nikrushta JanthO:--"

>

>(d) Sawmi Desikan"s : The twenty slOkAs of NirvEdha

>Paddhathi of Sri ranganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram .

>

>(3) We will conclude this overview of MM's YV with

>the appeal made by him to YathirAjan :

>

>Vijn~Apanam yathidham adhya thu maamkInam

> ankikurushva YathirAja DhayAmbhrAsE

>aj~na aathma guNa lEsa vivarjithasccha

> tasmaath ananya SaraNO Bhavathi ithi mathvA

>

>This slOkam reltes to the ChUrNikai of AchArya Hrudhayam :

>" ThAiykkum mahanukkum Tampikkum Ivarkkum Ivaradi

>PaNinthavarkkumE Ivai uLLathiu" .

>

>In this concluding Twentieth slOkam of the YV ,

>MM hails RaamAnujA as "DhayAmbhurAsE " or the Ocean

>of Mercy . He pleads with RaamAnujA to accept his

>appeal (tath angikurushva). He cites a sreasons for

>such a plea his lack of knowledge about Sri VaishNavite

>doctrines ( Tattva- Hitha-PurushArtham )as well as

>nonposeesion of Aathma GuNAs . In his state of utter

>helplessness, MM begs the most compassionate RaamAnujA

>to take into account all his enormous deficiencies and

>accept his appeal to come to his (MM's ) rescue.

>

>Thus concludes one of the most moving Sri Sookthis

>of Sri MaNavALa MaamunigaL in Sanskrit .

>

>Namo NaarAyaNAya ,

>AzhwAr EmperumAnmAr jeeyar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam ,

>Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

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