Arangan and Mamunigal - An article by Sri PBA Swami

[Guest guest]

Sri:

Srimathe Ramanujaya Nama:

Srimath Anantharya Mahagurave Nama:

Srimath Varavaramunaye Nama:

 

Dear BhAgavatas,

 

Please find following a translation of an article

titled "Aranganum Mamunigalum" by Sri P.B.

Annangaracharya Swami.

 

I have made attempts to make the translation as close

to the original article as possible, but I find myself

unable to duplicate Swami's selection of wonderful

words and phrases. For those who can read Tamil, I

recommend that you read the original article in the

Geethacharyan website at http://geethacharyan.org

 

Any errors in the translation are absolutely mine

alone.

 

Azhvar Emperumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam

 

adiyEn madhurakavi dAsan

TCA Venkatesan

http://www.acharya.org

 

--

 

Sri Ranganatha and Sri Manavala Mamunigal

 

Translation of an article by Sri PB Annangaracharyar

Swami

 

Sri Ranganatha of Srirangam took Sri Manavala Mamunigal

as His acharya and delighted in the act of becoming his

disciple. Having obtained an interest in listening to

the inner meanings of Thiruvaymozhi as explained by

"eedu 36000padi", He commanded Sri Manavala Mamunigal

to present it in His presence in the temple. Sri

Manavala Mamunigal accepting the Lord's order started

the upanyasam the next day and continued it for a year.

At the end of the year, Sri Ranganatha Himself in the

form of a young son of an archaka presented the famous

taniyan:

 

SrisailEsa dayApAtram dhIbhaktyAdi guNArNavam

yatIndra pravaNam vandE ramyajAmAtaram munim

 

 

(History records that the young boy who presented the

taniyan immediately disappeared and simultaneously the

taniyan was presented in a number of other temples

starting with Thirumalai.)

 

It is possible that some people, even those who have

surrendered at the lotus feet of Sri Manavala

Mamunigal, would doubt that this event occured. However

it is clear upon analysis of the arrangement of the

words in the taniyan that none but Sriman Narayana

could have authored it.

 

It is well known that Sri Ranganatha is none but Sri

Rama and Sri Krishna. Several azhvars have established

this fact through several pasurams so that there need

be no doubt on this matter.

 

As Sri Rama and Sri Krishna, Sriman Narayana had

surrendered to a few people and yet each time He was

not happy with those people. He found drawbacks in

each of them and was dissatisfied. As such, He took

Sri Manavala Mamunigal as His acharya and became

happy that He finally had surrendered to one who has

all the qualities to be an acharya. This is clearly

shown by Him in each of the terms of the taniyan.

 

 

1. SriSailEsa dayApAtram: In Sri Rama avatar, He took

refuge with a sailEsa dayApAtran. Now, He salutes

SrisailEsa dayApAtran. SailEsa dayApAtran is Sugriva.

The sailam here is Ricyamukha mountain. The Lord of

that sailam is Mathanka Muni, and Sugriva lived under

this rishi's dayA. At one time, Vali had fought an

asura named Dundubi and killed him. Vali then had

tossed the body of the asura a long distance and at

that time some blood drops from his body had fallen

on Mathanka Muni's ashramam. Mathanka Muni was

angered by that and had cursed that whosoever had

done that and his associates would die if they

stepped on that mountain. Sugriva after earning the

enemity of Vali had taken refuge in this mountain to

escape his brother. Hence he is the sailEsa dayApAtra.

 

Sri Rama had taken refuge with Sugriva initially,

but later was disappointed by him. Even after the

rainy season was over, after the killing of Vali,

Sugriva did not make any efforts in helping Sri

Rama locate Sri Sita. As such, Sri Rama told Sri

Lakshmana to meet Sugriva and tell him that "one

who forgets the help of a friend is a lowly person;

the way Vali was sent is also open to Sugriva; Sri

Rama is ready to send Sugriva, his friends and

relatives to the domain of Yama". Thus Sri Rama had

become dissatisfied with the sailEsa dayApAtran with

whom He had taken refuge. In order that this be

rectified, He now takes refuge with Srisailesa

Dayapatrar who is Sri Manavala Mamunigal.

 

He salutes Sri Manavala Mamunigal who is the receipient

of the dayA of ThiruvAymozhippiLLai (Thirumalai AzhvAr

also known as Srisailesar).

 

2. dhIbhaktyAdi guNArNavam: In Rama avatar, He had

bowed to the lord of the salty ocean ("lavaNArNavam").

Based on Vibeeshana's words, Sri Rama performed

saranagati to the ocean. However, the lord of the ocean

chose to ignore Sri Rama and at that time Sri Rama

decided to send a fierce astram and empty the ocean

and make it into dry land. Thus, He ended up with

disappointment with one to whom He had made saranagati.

In order to make up the disappointment of surrendering

to the ocean of salt, He now surrenders to the ocean

of great guNas who is Sri Manavala Mamunigal.

 

3. yatIndra pravaNam: That Lord Sri Ranaganatha

is the same as Lord Srinivasa is known from pasurams

such as "manthipAy vadavEnkada mAmalai vAnavarkaL

santhi seyya ninRAn arangaththaravinaNaiyAn". And as

Lord Srinivasa, He received the Conch and Discus from

Sri Ramanuja and therefore took him as His acharya.

While there was no disappointment for the Lord with

Sri Ramanuja, after listening to the Ramanuja

Noorranthathi verse "thannaiyuRRat seyyum thanmaiyinOr",

where it is said that rather than being attached to

Sri Ramanuja it is better to be attached to those who

are attached to Sri Ramanuja, He decided on becoming

the sishya of Yatindra Paravanar rather than being the

sishya of Yatindrar.

 

Yatindra Pravanar is a special name given to Sri

Manavala Mamunigal.

 

4. vandE ramyajAmAtaram munim: During avatars, He

became a disciple of muni's: as Sri Rama with Sage

Vishvamitra and as Sri Krishna with Sage Santhipini.

However, He became disappointed with them both. In

Mithilai, He heard about the details of Sage

Vishvamitra's past and became disappointed that He

had taken such a person who was subject to rajas

and tamas, as His acharya. In Sri Krishna avatar,

even after knowing that Sri Krishna was none but

Sriman Narayana, Sage Santhipini requested a lower

purushartha which was his son's life rather than the

higher purushartha which is moksha. As such, He

became disappointed with this muni as well. Thus,

He decided to take on the muni who is the ocean of

satva guNas as His acharya, who is Ramya Jamatru

Muni.

 

 

Thus, this taniyan which has so many special and

hidden meanings could not have been authored by

anyone but Sriman Narayana.

 

 

 

- Official partner of 2002 FIFA World Cup

http://fifaworldcup.