A Presentation prepared for NammAzhwAr Moksham celebration at Stirling , NJ by Sri RanganAthA Temple of America : Part II

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs : Sri RanganAthA's mahimai

is limitless . As they say , even the thousand

tongued AdhisEshA csan not describe it adequately.

The status of alpa maanidam is certainly hopeless

and yet , we will strive to salute an infinitesimal

portion of the Lord's glory at Srirangam following

the path shown by AzhwArs and our PoorvAchAryAs .

May the Dhivya dampathis of Srirangam bless adiyEn

in this fledgling effort .

 

AzhwArs and Sri Ranganathan

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Eleven out of the 12 AzhwArs with the exception of

Madhura Kavi placed 247 paasurams at the sacred feet

of Sri RanganAthan . This is the largest number of Paasurams

for the ArchA Moorthy of any Dhivya Desam . ThiruvEnkatam

with its 202 paasurams is the next in count .The paasurams

for Sri RanganaathA fit well with the uniqueness of

Srirangam as the Aadhi KshEthram and we will provide

later five reasons as to why Srirangam and Sri RanganAthan

are so unique in our sampradhAyam for AzhwArs and AchAryAs

as well as for us.

 

A reflection on the Number 247 and its mirror image 742

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In a light hearted manner , one can play with the number

247 , which is the sum total of the paasurams by

the 11 AzhwArs . We can start by transposing this

number to 742 using a bimba-prathibimbham route .

 

Seven can be considerd to represent the Saptha PrAkAra

madhyan , AkAra SvarUpi ,Sri RanganAthAn;the next number

Four in this changed sequence can be considered

either as the four purushArthams or the four Paadhams

of His Charama SlOkam ; the last of the three numbers ,

"2" can be equated to dhvayam . If we do a substraction

exercise , 7 minus 4 minus 2 , we are left with the number 1

to remind us of PraNavam , YekAksharam . Lord RanganAtha

is surely the PraNavArhta PrakAsakan reclining under His

PraNavAkruthi VimAnam as the essence of the four Vedams

( Veda Srunga VimAnam ).

 

Five specific reasons why Srirangam is Unique for us

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FIRST REASON:

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(1) One of the popular Sanskrit SlOkam used to emphasize

the uniqueness of Srirangam is:

 

KaavEri VirajAsEyam Vaikuntam Rangamandhiram

sa VaasudEvO RangEsa: Prathyaksham paramam padham

VimAnam praNavAkAram Vedasrungam MahAdhbhutham

Sri rangasAyee BhagavAn PraNavArhta PrakAsaka:

 

Eight reasons are given for the uniqueness of Sri RangarAjan

and His dhivya Desam in this slOkam :

 

1.1 : "KaavEri VirajAsEyam" -- At Srirangam , the sacred river

KaavEri is indeed the VirajA river , the divine river flowing

at Sri Vaikuntam .

 

1.2: "Vaikuntam Rangamandhiram" --Our Lord's temple at

Srirangam is BhUlOka VaikuNtam or the Vaikuntam in

His LeelA VinhUthi.

 

1.3: "Sa VaasudEvO RangEsa:" The Lord here is verily

Para VaasudEvan .

 

1.4: "Prathayaksham Paramam Padham "-- This KshEthram is

indeed the supreme abode (paramam Padham ) , where the nithya

sooris worship Him (SadhA pasyanthi Sooraya: , Tadh VishNO:

paramam padham ).

 

1.5: "VimAnam PraNavAkAram "-- The VimAnam here has the shape

of the sacred PraNavam (PrNavAkruthi VimAnam).

 

1.6: "(VimAnam ) Veda srungam MahAdhbhutham "-- This most

wonderful and mysterious VimAnam is like the fragrant VedAs

that have taken the form of a beautiful lotus bud (Sarasija

MukuLOthbhAsamAnE VimAnE in Paraasara Bhattar's words).

Srungam has many other meanings : Horn , the top of

the mountain , Lordship , Soverignity, a fountain of

water . All of these different meanings can be used

to explain the significance of the Vedasrunga VimAnam .

Two Rg Vedic verses come into mind as one reflects on

the word Srungam :

 

" Srungam sa dhruptha vinayAdhikrutha--" Rg Vedam: Canto 9

The reference here is to the Horn, the proud angam of a Bull .

 

" Srungam na: prathamA --chakravAkEva prathi --" Rg Vedam : 2.39.3

Here , the reference again is to the two horns of a majestic bull ,

the Lord .This Veda Manthram begs the Lord to present Himself

with His mate like two loving ChakravAkA birds every morning ...

 

" SahasrOthi: sathaamagO VIMAANO rajasa: kavi:I

-- Rg Vedam : 9.62.14

 

Here the tribute is for the Soma rasam ," the sagacious,

exhilirating elixir , offering thousand-fold protections and

characterized by hundred-fold wealth and is the measure of

all the regions ". Such Soma Rasam , offering thousand-fold

protections and hundred -fold wealth is the VimAnam , the Veda-

Srunga VimAnam of the Lord of Srirangam .When one has the darsanam

of VimAna VaasudEvan at His Veda Srunga VimAnam , one has all

the blessings and protections referred to by the above Veda-

manthram .

 

1.7: "Sriranga-Saayee BhagavAn " is the 7th group of words.

The Parama Purushan under the MahAdhbhutha VimAnam is

identified for us as SaakshAth BhagavAn of Parama Padham .

 

1.8: "(Sa BhagavAn) PraNavArtha PrakAsaka:" -- In the final

and the eiughth salutation ,the tattvams behind

Sriranganaathan , His dhivya Desam ,His adhbhutha-

VimAnam and His glorious temple all come together

in one word: "PraNavArhta PrakAsaka:" . That Lord

reclining under His Veda Srunga VimAnam is the One ,

who is the ParamjyOthi explaining the meaning of PraNavam

or EkAksharam . Sri Parasara Bhattar , the PurOhithar of

Sri RanganAthA has explained for us the meaning of

PraNavam in first slOkam of his AshtaslOki Sri Sookthi :

 

" akArArthO VishNu: jagadh udhaya -rakshA- PraLayakruth

MakArArthO jeeavsthu tadhupakaraNam VaishNavam idham

UkaarO ananyArham niyamayathi sambhandham anayO:

thrayIsAra: thrayAthmA PRANAVA imam artham samadisath "

 

(Meaning ): The Supreme Lord , VishNu , who creates , protects

and destroys the universe is denoted by the first aksharam ," A"

in PraNavam; AkAram also includes His PirAtti.MakAram stands

for the Jeevan; He is the sEsha bhUthan of Akaara SvarUpi, VishNu.

UkAram stresses that the relationship between the two--the Jeevan

and the Isvaran -- is ananyArham or does not belong to anyone else.

This relationship is " Ozhikka OzhiyAthu " as well .The PraNavam

thus distills the essence of the three Vedams taking the form of

the three Aksharams, "A, U, M".

 

THIS THEN IS THE FIRST CITATION FOR THE UNIQUENESS OF

SRIRANGA KSHETHRAM AND SRI RANGANAAYAKI SAMETHA

SRI RANGANAATHAN . We will cover the other four

reasons for unqueness as a prelude to the AzhwAr

Paasurams in the subsequent postings .

 

Daasan, O.V.Sadagopan