PBA Swami's: Analysis of Srisailesa DayaPatram and Authorship.

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sri:

Dear BhAagavatas,

 

This is a translation of a beautiful article by Sri

PBA Swami, which analyzes the Srisailesa dayapatram

thaniyan given by our Namperumal to Manavala Mamunigal,

and shows why the author of the thaniyan could be none

other than Him.

 

adiyEn madhurakavi dAsan

TCA Venkatesan

 

--

 

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

Pravanar 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 Mythila, 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.

 

Azhvar Emperumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Saranam