Thirumanjana Kattiyam of Sri RanganathA : SlOkam 24

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SrI:

 

Dear Sri Ranganatha BhakthAs :

 

In the 24th slOkam of Thirumanjana Kattiyam , Swamy ParAsara Bhattar

compared Lord RanganAthA to a gigantic rainy day cloud (KaaLa mEgham) ,

which is intensely blue from all the water that it holds . Here , Bhattar

referred to the things in common between the Lord and the KaaLa mEgham

and eulogized the Lord's unique mahimai :

 

PadhmA-vidhyudhalankruthAnga Vibhavam gambheera nAdhAsrayam

sAndhrEndhrOpala kaanthi chOravapusham santhApavidhvamsinam

kAruNyAmBhu bharAsrayam vidhadhatham sacchAthakAnAm mudham

mAnyam mEgham amOdyha poorNaphaladham RangAdhipam manmahE

 

Dr.S. PadhmanAbhan's comments on this slOkam

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Here , the presiding deity of SrIrangam is figuratively spoken as a dark

blue rainy day Cloud. This cloud is known for its lightning , deep rumbles

and dark blue colour. It is the remover of heat , being laden with water

and it gladdens ChAtakA birds and the like. The Lord also has the lightning

in the form of Lakshmi (at His vakshasthalam) and is the source for Naadha

( the principle of sound) . His bodily complexion is dark as the Indranila

gem and he is also the remover of afflictions ( santApAs) of His devotees .

He is full with (waters of) compassion and brings joy to the virtuous .

 

Bhattar's commentary :

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The introduction to this slOkam by Swamy ParAsara Bhattar is simply

brilliant .The MaNipravALam passages serving as the introduction

(avathArikai) for this slOkam are deep in sabdhAlankArams . Here is

a sample : " IppOthu , ThirumanjanamAdi aruLa vENDi mantra paribhootha

mangaLa kalasa kruthAbhishEkarAi , naanA varNa maalA kalApamAmsaLarAi ,

raaga-bharitha kumkuma kEsararAga paaDalitha pavithra gAthrarAi ,

IrAvathatthin madha tAraikaL pOlE naanA varNamAha sAtthappatta

ThirumAlaihaLai udayavarAi , "ChandramA manasO jaatha: " yenRu

avanudaya uthpatthi sthAnatthai veLiyidak-kadavathAna ThirumArbhilE

sAtthina Sandhanak-kAppayum udayavarAi yezhuntharuLiyirA niRkiRa

nilai oru KaaLamEghatthODE sAmyam sollalAyirA ninRathu "

 

In lilting prose , Bhattar describes here his blissful anubhavam of Lord

Ranganathan's sevai after the completion of Thirumanjanam with

Cauvery theerttham held in( sahasra) Kalasams to the accompaniment of

Veda Manthrams ; Sri RanganAthan's (Sarvagandhan's) ThirumEni

is fragrant now with the saffron and other similar fragrant materials added

to the Thirumanjanam water ; alankArams after that auspicious Thirumanjanam

(viz)., garlands with flowers of many colors on the shoulders and the crown

invites the attention of Bhattar now. The multi-hued flower garlands remind

Bhattar of the different colors of Madha jalam flowing copiously out of

the eyes of the divine elephant , IrAvadham . Bhatar enjoys the sandal

paste on the area over the Vakshasthalam /manas/ hrudhaya dEsam ,

which is the place of origin of Chandran ( ChandaramA manasO jaatha: ).

This forever fragrant Lord cooling the Taapa thrayams of the samsAris

with the KaaruNyam laden glances like a Neer uNDa KaalamEgam

is saluted by Bhattar here .

 

This akAraNa KaruNA pravAham ( flow of nirhEthuka krupA ) originating

from the eyes of the Lord , who has just completed His Thriumanjanam

is saluted further by Bhattar in His inimitable commentary that he wrote

for his own Thirumanjana Kattiyam slOkams : " NaayanthE ! " ponkOtham

soozntha bhuvaniyum , viNNulahum angAthumchOrAmE aaLhinRa EmperumAn

senkOludaya ThiruvarangacchelvanAr " yenRum solluhiRapadiyE ,

aabrahama-sTambha paryanthamAna akhila bhuvanatthiRkkum

asAdhAraNa kaaraNabhUtharAi , akAraNa karuNA pravarshi

vipulAyatha lOchana-bhAvitha samAsritha-vargarAi , nithya niravadhya

pariNAma paripoorNa dhivya (mangaLa) vigraharAi , anugraha karaNa

jaagarookarAna dEvareerudaya vaibhavatthai pEsi- - - - - "

 

Bhattar points out that Sri RanganAthan's nirhEthuka karuNA katAkshams

extend from Chathurmukha BrahmA to even a blade of grass in His creation

and sustains them .His bhakthAs are protected by those glances originating

from the long eyes reaching almost to the ears on both sides . He has the

most auspicious and beauty-laden ThirumEni that is eternal and is known

for its perfect combination of SaamudhrikA LakshaNams ( nithya niravadhya

pariNAma paripoorNa dhivya mangaLa vigrahar ) .

 

He is always vigilant (awake) to bless His bhakthAs with sarva MangaLams

( anugraha kAraNa jaagarookar ) .He is fond of His serpent bed

( AnanthabhOga PravaNar) . " apadhAnagaL" udayavar ( known for

His celebrated , grand avathArams) .

 

He is adorned with splenderous , multi-hued flower garalands (NaanA varNa

mAlAkalaapa mAmsaLar) . He has the lasting make up of bright red saffron

and red vermillion paste on His mangaLa ThirumEni all the time from

His Thirumanjanams ( Raaga bharitha Kumkuma kEsara raaga paadalitha

pavithra gAthrar ).

 

In another passage of the VyAkhyAnam , Bhattar salutes the unique and

limitless boon-granting nature of the Lord of Srirangam ,which reminds him

of His stature as a KaaLamEgham : Intha RangarAja KaaLamEgham ,

" minnalaal alankruthamAna svAngatthai udayathAi , gambhIramAna

idi muzhakkatthai udayathAi , Indhraneelak-kall pOlE tiNintha kaRuppu

niRatthAl viLangum mEniyai udaythAi , sahya-raasikaLin santhApangaLai

pOkkumathAi , jalabhara-bharithamAi , chAthaka pakshihaLukku

santhOshatthai viLaivikkumathAi , poorNa sasyAdhi phala-prathamumAi

irukkum " .

 

Bhattar salutes the Lord with the minnal kodi , HiraNya varNai,

MahA Lakshmi having permanent residence on His chest , when he says

" minnalaal alankruthamna svAngatthai udayathAi " . KaalamEgham shares this

feature by housing the bright lightning inside it .

 

Bhattar hears the majestic sambhAshaNai of the Lord and salutes His

evocative and far reaching voice as the spreading thunder reaching out to

all directions ( GambhIramAna idi muzhakkatthai udayathAi /gmabheera

ghOsha mukarar ) . KaalamEgham shares this trait with the Lord by having

majestic thunderous outbursts .

 

The natural hue of the Lord's body like KaaLamRgham has the color of

the bluish-black gem ( Indhraneelam ) : Indhraneelak-kall pOlE tiNintha

kaRuppu niRatthAl viLangum mEniyai udayathAi " . Swamy Desikan in

the 20th Paddhathi of Sri RanganAtha PaadhukA sahasram

(http://www.sadagopan.org ) elaborates on the bluish-black Harineela

( Indhraneela) complexion of the Lord in the context of saluting

the Indhraneela gems in the Lord's Padhukais .

 

Next , Bhattar salutes the eternal compassion of the Lord of Srirangam

that banishes the sufferings of the bhaddha jeevans : " sahya raasikaLin

santhApangaLai pOkkumathAi " . The outpourings of the abundant rain from

the KaaLamEgham removes the drought . The KaaLamEgham , which is

RanganAthan has vast storage of kaaruNyam and Vaathsalyam inside Him for

His devotees ( Jala bhara bharitham) .When His kaaruNyam laden glances fall

on any one , it results in the growth of the crop of divine and full Jn~Anam

( PoorNa sasyAdhi Phalapradham ) . KaalamEgham's abudant rain has

the same effect on the crops in the fields .

 

(To be continued )

 

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama: