Thirumanjana Kattiyam for Lord Ranganatha bySwamyParasara Bhattar ,11th century C.E : Part III

[Guest guest]

SrI :

 

Dear Sri Ranganatha BhakthAs :

 

Today we will enjoy the second slOkam of the Kattiyam for Lord RanganAthan

by Swamy ParAsara Bhattar :

 

anisam kumudham vikAsayantham

satatam poorNamaharnisam cha dhrusyam

anupaplavamadhya RangarAjam

manuthE chandramasam jAnOnumAnyam ----(2)

 

In this slOkam , Swamy ParAsara Bhattar visualizes Lord Ranganathan

as the Moon . This RanganAtha Chandran is however different in number of

ways from the ordinary Moon . First , the ordinary Moon makes the lilies

(Kumudham) bloom (vikAsayantham) only at night . Second , the Moon

is not full always ( satatam PoorNam) ; it waxes and wanes . Third , the ordinary

Moon is invisible during the day time . Fourth , the ordinary Moon is full of

defects (dhOshams) and difficulties ( upaplavam) . In contrast , the RanganAtha-

Chandran is quite different in many ways . Lord makes the Kumudha ( the Earth)

bloom always ( anisam) . He is always full ( ParipoorNan in the spirit of

IsAvAsyOpanishad ) . He can be visualized day and night ( aharnisam cha dhrusyam ) .

He is free from all defects and dhOshams ( upaplava rahithan , anavadhyan ,

nirdhOshan , anupaplavan ).

 

Bhattar enjoyed Lord RanganAthan during one Thirumanjanam day

and compared the Lord with Chandran . He found that the Lord of Srirangam

had many unique features that are not found in the Moon . He enjoyed

the differences between Lord Ranganathan and the Chandran step by step

( VyatirEka saraNi ) and blessed us with this slOkam .

 

Bhattar wrote an in-depth , most erudite commentary of his own for this slOkam

with many VedAnthic references . Here it is with explanatory notes :

 

NaayantE ! You are the Jn~Ana JyOthi ( flame of Jn~Anam ) !

 

As the AzhwAr saluted , thou art :" Yejjn~AnRum engum ozhivaRa

niRaintu ninRa mey Jn~Ana sOthi " ( Saasvatha , ParipoorNa ,

all pervasive true JyOthi ). JyOthi svaropam of Brahma tatthvam is

saluted here .

 

You are akhila hEya Prayaneekan ( free from any and all dhOshams) !

 

You are KalyANa guNaikathan ( abode of all auspicious guNams)

 

SvEthara samastha vasthu vilakshaNar ( Tani Tatthvam differing from

all others ) .

 

Sri RanganAthan's anugraham to the Bhaddha Jeevan

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As the Jeevan driven by its timeless flow of karmaas( anAdhi karma

pravAham ) embeds itself into four kinds of bodies ( DevAs , Humans ,

animals and plants ) and roams in the 14 worlds . You take pity on them

and with Your visEsha kaDAksham , You rescue the Jeevan buffeted

amidst the aasA thrayaM ( MaNN , PeNN , Ponn---land , women and gold) ;

that jeevan did not comprehend Tatthva Thrayam ( Chith , achith , Iswaran)

before ; you blessed that jeevan with Tatthva Thraya Jn~Anam and save them .

 

That jeevan is bound ( Bhaddhan) in the bonds of karmAs and suffers

the Taapa Thrayam ( aadhyAthmikam , Aadhibouthikam and aadhidhaivikam ) .

At that time , the Jeevan is caught up in the net of thriguNams ( Sathvam ,

Rajas and Tamas) and is drowning in Karma Thrayam ( PrArabdham , Sanchitham

and AagAmi KarmAs) . Then , the Lord through His visEsha KaDAksham

banished the Jeevan's VirOdhi Thrayam ( three obstacles to Moksham:

Svaroopa VirOdhi , UpAya VirOdhi and PrApya VirOdhi) and blessed them with

Sukrutha Thrayam ( Yaadhrucchikam , aanushangikam and prAsangikam ) .

 

Our Lord engaged the jeevans in the aakAra thrayam ( ananyArha sEshathvam ,

ananya SaraNathvam and ananya bhOgyathvam ) .He blessed them through

their AchAryan with Manthra Thrayam ( Moola Manthram , VaasudEva Manthram

and VishNu Manthram ) . He chased away their ajn~Ana Thrayam ( ajn~Anam /

nescience , anyathA Jn~Anam and Vipareetha JnA~nam ) through sanmanthra

Thrayam ( Moola Manthram , Dhvayam and Charama slOkam ) . In Moola Manthram ,

the esoteric meanings of the Padha Thrayam ( PraNavam , Nama: Padham and

NaarAyaNa Padham ) were revealed . AakAra Thrayam led the Jeevan onward to

Parva Thrayam ( Para Bhakthi , Para Jn~Anam and Parama Bhakthi) and then on to

Paadha Thrayam ( Parama Padham :" ThripAdhasyaamrutham dhivi " ) .

 

Special Notes on the Passages of SlOkams

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

" Anisam Kumudham VikAsayantha: " During the night , Chandran makes

the Kumudham ( Aambhal Flower , which is Kumudha sabdha Vaachyam )

blossom . Lord RanganAthan gladdens ( Mudh) the heart of BhUmi DEvi

( " Ku " sabdha Vaachyai ) : " Paarennum madanthayai maal seyyum Maal ".

 

" Sathatham PoorNam " : Chandran will be PoorNan one day and apoorNan

at all other times . RanganAthan in contrast is ParipoorNan always ( Idham

PoorNamatha: PoorNam PoorNAth PoorNamuthrisyathe ! PoorNasya

PoorNamAdhAya PoorNamEvAvasishyathE " ) .

 

" aharnisam cha dhrusyam " : Chandran is seen only at night ( Nisaa dhrusyan ) .

RanganAthan can be seen at all times by every one ( Varadhas-sarva bhUthAnAm

adhyApi paridhrusyathE ) .

 

" anupaplavam " : Chandran is Upaplavan , since he is attacked by Raahu .

RanganAthan is " anupaplavan " . He cuts off the head of Raahu and attacks

Raahu and therefore He is " RaahOscchiraccha chicchEth DevAnAm

Prabhurachyutha: " .

 

" adhya RangarAjam manuthE Chandramasam JanOnumAnyam " : The state of

RanganAtha unlike Chandran was (1) KumudhOllAsakam (2) PoorNan at all times

(3) Seen at all times (4) unattacked by anyone at any time . He blesses Muktha Janams

to enjoy His dhivya mangaLa vigraham in archa form at Srirangam

without them blinking

their eyes . Just as Chandran nourishes medicinal herbs as rasAthmaka Chandra

Sareerakan , Our Lord with His archA roopam nourishes us all and grows our

Jn~Anam and Bhakthi .

 

SrI RanganAtha ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil V.Sadagopan