Sri Alavandhar's SthOthra Rathnam- jewel among hymns- Introduction

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya namah:

 

Dearest Srivaisnavas,

 

Thanks for your great inspiring words of encouragement

on adiyEn’s rambling called free translation. With all

my limitations if there is anything goodness found in

them, it is only due to the moving slokas and the

divine commentary by Sri UttamUr Swamy based on Swamy

desikan’s vyAkhAyanam and also touching on Sri Periya

Vacchaan Pillai’s vyAkhyAnam for the sthOthras.

 

Let us continue to enjoy Alavandhar’s next sthOthram

called SthOthra Rathnam- meaning jewel among hymns.

Indeed, it is really a GEM, jewel among all sthOthrAs.

After completing the Chathussloki on the mahAthmyam of

Sri Mahalakshmi, Swamy ALavandhAr proceeded to compose

his tribute to Sri Hari. AlarmEl mangai and Sri Hari

are our God. Swamy Alavandhar has composed the four

slokas on PiraaTTi which we just enjoyed. Next

Alavandhar enjoys in great detail sthOthram on SrI

Hari.

 

sthOtham means praising. i.e. mentioning, the

qualities, traits, attributes, deeds of someone who is

being praised correctly. But for PiraaTTi Mahalakshmi

and Sriman Narayanan, there can be no “TRUE” praise in

the correct sense or true sense. If at all there is

any praise on others, on their glories, deeds, there

can be two issues: That “others who are being praised”

need not have the qualities mentioned in such praises;

And all deed, qualities, acts, etc.. are all

Bhagawaan’s blessings on anyone and indeed, He is the

cause and reason behind such qualities found in

others. They are His adheenam. Their guNas, deeds are

His adheenam and hence even if done by others, it can

be meant to be performed by Him i.e. Sriman NarayaNan.

Thus all praises to others lead to Him only [as also

mentioned by GitAchAryan]

 

Even if someone thinks that he is not doing justice in

praising the Lord fully and if he feels bad that he

has not been able to cover the entire gamut of kalyANa

guNas, deeds of His, even then, what is so far

narrated by the person (who is praising) still and can

apply to only Sriman Narayanan and there is TRUTH in

such sthOthras (praises). Hence there can be no way

that the sthOthras are mere flattery in the case of

Sriman Narayanan and Sri Mahalakshmi and such a

statement holds good only for them. That alone is TRUE

sthOthras. Others are mere flatteries. nahi asathA

guNEna gathi thEna nudhirbhavathi.. says Sri

Ramanujacharya.

 

Such sthOthras, if explain the rarest, most

incomprehensible Vedas’ essence and meanings in

sthothra form, then it is even grander and greater. In

addition, if it is meant to be talking to and telling

the Lord directly in soul stirring fasihion, it is

more divine and melting to the heart. Compiling the

most ineffable esoteric Upanishad statements in simple

verse style, and also enabling the reciter’s mind

focussing on the God in devotional and emotional

aspect as well, then the sthOthra deserves special

mention. Alavandhar’s sthothra rathnam falls perfectly

into this category. Only this stOthram falls into that

category in fullest sense. Hence it is addressed as

Gem among Hymns. There are many Acharyas being

inspired by this sthOthra, composed many such

sthOthras in same style; However, comparing those,

with this, still, this sthOthra is the Greatest. There

is no kaavyam (epic) that melts the heart like Srimad

Ramayana and there is no sthOthra that melts the heart

like this sthOthra Rathnam. SthOthra Rathnam has been

considered by our Poorvachacharyas as the sthOthram

that is matchless and peerless in moving one’s heart.

It has profound philosophical principles and yet it is

a moving appeal to the Lord and cries out for His

grace. This sthothram is a great lesson in the stages

that one has to go through to perform SaraNAgathi and

to become free of fear about SamsaarA.

 

There are 65 verses in this sthothram. The number 65

is the sum of the letters contained in the three

rahasyams (AshtAksharam + Dwayam+ charama Slokam).

Therefore, Sthothra Ratnam is considered the essence

of Rahasya Trayam. i.e. Rahasya Traya Saaram.

 

Alavandhar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo Narayana

dAsan