Sri VenaktEsa MangaLam: Part 1

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Dear BhakthAs:

 

MangalAsAsanam is a tradition by which a grateful

devotee hails the Lord and wishes Him all MangaLams

or auspiciousness. PeriyAzhwAr's ThiruppallaANDu

(wishing long life to the Lord) belongs to this category.

 

Although it is rather absurd for a mere mortal to wish

long life to the all powerful and eternal God , this

act or gesture or impulse has to be understood in

the context of a concerned devotee , who worries about

any harm coming to the Lord from evil-minded beings.

 

In this vein, Sri VenkatEsa MangaLam (MangalAsAsanam)

has to be understood as the deep and pious expression of

gratitude of a dear BhakthA , who was belessed to

perform prapatthi to the Lord of Venkatam hills

through his Sri VenaktEsa Prapatthi .

 

The author of the Prapatthi , MangaLam and SuprabhAtham

for Sri VenkatEsa is Sri PrathivAdhi Bhayankaram ANNaa ,

(P.B.ANNaa) is one of the celebrated eight principal

disciples of the revered AchAryan ,Sri MaNavAla MaamunigaL .

It is interesting to note that Sri P.B.ANNaa's Acharyan,

Sri MaNavALa MaamunigaL and the bard of ThiruvEnkatam ,

TaaLapaakkam ANNamAryA had deep links to

Sri Adhi vaNN SatakOpar , the First Jeeyar of

Ahobila Matam . SvAmi MaNavALa MaamunigaL

was initiated into SanyAsAsramam by the First

Jeeyar of the Ahobila Matam ; ANNamAryA performed

prapatthi and received Nrusimha manthrOpadEsam

from the very same Adhi VaNN SatakOpa Jeeyar.

 

All the fourteen MangaLAsAsana slOkams for

the Chathurdasa BhuvanEsvaran , Sri VenkatEsan ,

conclude with the refrain of "Sri VenaktEsAya

MangaLam " or "SrinivAsAya managaLam ". It is

appropriate to remember that it was AchArya

RaamAnujA , who gave the name of "SrinivAsan"

to the Lord of ThiruvEnkatam . AdiyEn will now

summarize the general meaning of each of these

fourteen moving MangaLAsAsana SlOkams .

 

A great deal can be written about the depth of

meaning of each of the NaamAs that Sri P.B.ANNA chose

to perform his Naama-KusumAnjali in this MangaLAsAsanam.

AdiyEn will conclude these postings with

an archanA for Sri VenkatEsA from the naamAs

used by Sri P.B.ANNA in his benedictory

Sri Sookthi , Sri VenaktEs MangaLAsAsanam .

 

(1) Sriya: KaanthAya KalyANa NidhayEarthinAm

Sri VenkatanivAsAya SrinivAsAya MangaLam

 

May all auspiciousness shower on SrinivAsA of

Venkatagiri! He is the Lord of Lakshmi and is

the rich mine of all auspiciousness. He is

the immeasurable wealth for all those , who seek

Him .He has chosen the Venkatam hills for His

eternal residence .

 

(2) LakshmI-savibhramaalOka subhrU-vibhrama chakshushE

ChakshushE sarvalOkAnAm VenkatEsAya mangaLam

 

May all auspiciousness shower on Sri VenkatEsA ,

the eye of all the Universes ! Over the eyes are

His beautiful eyebrows and over them is His

endearing forehead region .When Sri MahA Lakshmi ,

His divine consort , glances at this beautiful face

of Sri VenaktEsA , She Herself is dismayed and

overcome by the matchless beauty of Her Lord's face .

 

(3) SrivenakatAdhri SrungAgra MangaLAbharaNaangrayE

MangaLAnAm-nivAsaya SrinivAsAya mangaLam

 

The divine feet of Sri VenaktEsA adorn the peak of

the Thiruvenkatam hills. These feet empower the Thiruppathi

hills to become a source of all blesisngs to the devotees

of SrinivAsA . Let the world's Supreme auspiciousness

come the way of Sri VenkatEsA .

 

(4) sarvaavayava soundharya sampadhA sarva-chEthasAm

SadhA sammOhanAyAsthu VenkatEsAya mangaLam

 

There is no one on this earth , who has not been

overcome by the supreme beauty of Lord VenkatEsA .

Every one of His limbs are celebrated for their

unmatchable beauty. It is no wonder He enchants His

devotees with His soundharyam . Let no evil eye fall

on Him and let the world's supreme auspiciousness

come His way .

 

(5) NithyAya NiravadhyAya sathyAnantha-chidhAthmanE

SarvantharAthmanE Sri VenkatEsAya MangaLam

 

Lord VenkatEswarA is the embodiment of the five

supreme principles celebrated by the Upanishads.

These are Satyathvam ( eternal truth) , Jn~Athvam

( True Knowledge), Anantathvam ( Eternal presence),

Amalathvam ( blemishlesness)and Aanandhathvam

( Eternal Bliss ). Sri VenkatEsA is the Parabrahmam

in whom all the above five attributes find their home.

He is the One , who is resident in the heart lotus

of all living beings . Let no harm come to Him and

may he be blessed with all auspiciousness!

 

(6) svathas sarvavidhE sarvasakthyE sarvasEshiNE

SulabhAya SuseelAya VenkatEsAya MangaLam

 

Lord VenkatEsA comprehends every thing without

anyone's help. He is Omnipresent.He is the residual force

after every thing is destroyed by the supreme deluge

(PraLayam). He is easy to reach .He has the most auspicious

guNAs. Let all blessings befall Sri VenkatEsA !

 

(7) parasmai BrahmaNE poorNakaamAya ParamAthmanE

prayunjE paratatthvAya VenkatEsAya mangaLam

 

Wherever the Upanishads use the word "Para Brahman",

they have in mind Sriman NaarAyaNan , who stands on

top of the ThiruvEnaktam hills as SrinivAsan. There is

nothing that He can not attain , when He desires it.

He is all powerful .There is no one in any world ,

who can disobey His command without incurring His

wrath. No atom vibrates in this Universe without

His empowerment . Let all auspiciousness befall

Lord venkatEsA of Thirumalai-Thiruppathi hills !

 

To be continued --