Lord RanganAthA's Thirumanjana Kattiyam by Swamy ParAsara Bhattar :Part IV

[Guest guest]

SrI :

 

Dear BhakthAs of Periya PerumAL :

 

On this Tamil New Year day , when the Lord of Srirangam enjoys

His Thirumanjanam with the Kattiyam being recited by the Heriditary

Bhattars from the vamsam of Swamy ParAsara Bhattar , let us reflect

reverentially on the Third SlOkam of the Kattiyam for Periya PerumAL .

 

Swamy PrAsara Bhattar arrived at the Sannidhi of Lord RanganAthA ,

enjoyed the Thirumanjanam and blessed us with this slOkam , where he

compares the Lord's Saamyam/Saadharmyam ( Similarities in attributes )

with Aadhithyan (Sooryan ) .

 

KumkumAruNam-udhanchitha Sriyam

kOmalAruNa SarOja-samsTitham

Rangamandhira ! tamO-nivAraNam

sankathE tapana dheedhithim jana:

 

(Comments acording to Dr.S.Padmanabhan ) : " The Lord in the Sanctum

Sanctorium is also compared to the Sun ; Our Lord dispells the internal darkness

in comparison with the Sun , who dispells the outside darkness . Our Lord is red

in complexion due to the heavy applications of Saffron and is beautiful in

the company of Lakshmi . He has the soft red lotus as the seat . The Sun rises

in all glory ( Udhanchita SrI: ) and is heralded by His red-hued charioteer

AruNan staying on the gentle red lotus " .

 

Additional Comments based on Swamy ParAsara Bhattar's VyAkhyAnam

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" kumkumAruNam " : NaayantE ! If we look at Adhityan ( The Sun ) ,

He is seen with His charioteer AruNan having the hue of Kumkumam . If we

look at You with adoration , You are seen with the application of the red-hued

saffron on Your ThirumEni and possessing the red hue similar to AruNan .

 

" Udhanchitha Sriyam " : NaayantE ! If we consider Adhityan , He is

associated with His bright rays ( PrabhA) and derives His beauty therefrom .

When we enjoy Your asAdharaNa soundaryam , we recognize that arises

from Your association with the SamslEsha SlAghyai , Sri RanganAyaki .

SamslEsham refers to the sErthi Sevai . SlAgyai refers to Her being

the most celebrated for Her association with Lord RanganAtha and

conferring on Him Her HiraNmaya VarNam

 

" KomaLAruNa SarOja-samsTitham " : NaayantE ! If we consider

You as Sooryan , then You are associated with the lotus of AruNan ( AruNAravindhan) .

When we enjoy Your sevai at Thirumanjana kaalam , You are linked to the Lotus aasanam

with its beautiful hue reminding one of AruNOdhayam

 

" TamOnivAraNam " : NaayantE ! If we consider Sooryan ,

He is engaged in destroying the darkness in the world . When we reflect on You ,

we recognize You are engaged in a similar act except that You are engaged in

the banishment of Tamas that grips the ChEtanams . You are active as the nivartakar

of Aj~nam (nescience) , which is the Tamas Sabdha Vaachyam .

 

" Ranga-mandhira: sankatE tapana dheedhitham jana: " Oh Lord !

You have revealed to us that You are VishNu Roopan among the 12 AadhithyAs

( AaadhithyAnam Aham VishNu: ) . You have thus Aadhithya Saadharmyam

( attributes similar to Sooryan). We are reminded of that as You bless us with

Your radiance spreading in all directions that banishes the internal darkness .

You are the object of meditation (dhyEyan) , dhEdheepyamAnan ( source of

the radiant JyOthi spreading everywhere ) and SangatE Tapana dheedhithi roopan

( having the roopam that meets with the saadharmyam with the radiance of

Sooryan ) .

 

Special Notes on the Vedic Significance of Aadhithyan as VishNu

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The MahA Purushan in the middle of Sun's orb is none other than

Sriman NaarAyaNan nourishing the world with His dhivya PrabhA .

Many Veda mantrams salute Him as such .

 

There are many Veda Manthrams saluting Sooryan & VishNu as removers

of darkness . Let us look at two Rg Veda Mantrams:

 

Rg Vedam : VII. 99.3 & 4 : " Thou didst support firmly , Oh VishNu , this earth

and heaven and uphold the earth all around by Your powerful rays , -----------

Ye brought into being the Sun , the Dawn and Agni ".

 

The word Sooryan (the luminous) and Adhithyan ( the son of Adhithi)

are the most common names by which Sun is addressed . The root for

Sooryan is "SUr " to shine . Varaha PurAnam states how SooryA was created :

" When the eternal , the One Self , Sriman Narayanan , the dispeller of Tamas

and the power of knowledge , wished for a second , light was born and

was called Sooryan ". Everey one of the meanings of the word Sooryan and

Aadhithyan can be linked to the Lord , who destroys our nescience and Tamo

GuNam : the eye of the world ( Jagath Chakshus) , witness to deeds ( Karma

saakshin ) ,Having a thousand beams ( Sahasra KiraNan ) , Friend of Lotus /Lakshmi

( Padma Bhandhu) , Made of Twelve aprts ( DhvAdasAthman) , Effacer of darkness/

nescience ( TamOpahan) , Tamo-nudan ( dispeller of darkness) , Tamisra-han

( the killer of Darkness) , DhivAkaran ( the Maker of the Day, Jn~Ana Pradhan) ,

PrabhA-karan ( Source of Supreme JyOthi) , Chitra BhAnu ( with myriad colord

rays ), Bhaaskara ( Mkaer of light ) , VibhA vasu (abode of Light ) and Rohitaa

( the red one , KumkumAruNan ) .

Upanishadic Suport for the Saamyam of Sooryan & The Lord

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Like the oldest among the VedAs , Rg Vedam , we turn to one of

the oldest of Upanishads , ChAndhOgyam , for support to see

Saamyam among the Sun and the Lord :

 

" The Sun represents the Supreme principle , first nonmanifest (avyaktham)

and then manifest (vyaktham)" ----- ChAndhOgya Upanishad: 3.19.1

 

" Those who worship Sun as Absolute ever hear beautiful sounds

and are filled with Joy ( bliss, aanandham) ----ChAndhOgyam 3.19.1- 4

 

The Sun is saluted therefore as "the sed of the Supreme Ruler

(PaaramEshtya Soma ) .

 

"He who dwells in Man and who dwells in the Sun is one " --TaittirIya

Upanishad : 2.8.

 

Prasna Upanishad(1.6.8) salutes the Cosmic Being as life and fire

spreading its radiance all around : " Hence the scripture describes

the Sun as the resplendent One , embodiment of the Universe , all knowing ,

Support of All , --- with a thousand rays and hundreds of whirlpools ".

 

This is an echo of Rg Veda mantram (I.115.1): The Sun is the Soul

( antharyAmi Brahman ) of the World (ChEtanAchEtanAthmakam ) .

 

With two key words ( TamO NivAraNam and Tapana dheedhithim ) ,

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar revealed the Aadhithya Saadharmyam of

Lord RanganAtha as He was about to enjoy the Sahasra dhAraa abhishEkam .

SrI RanganAtha ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan