Manavala Mamuni - Part 6

[Guest guest]

Srimathe Ramanujaya namaha!

 

Jai Srimannarayana!

 

 

It is quite possible that many people, especially those who have been

untouched by the uplifting grace of our Acharyas and our Lord, may

question the authenticity of this particular episode, that the sloka was indeed

an offering made by Lord Ranganatha to Swami Manavala Mamuni.

The answer is provided by our elders as follows.

This sloka is an outpouring of the not so heartening experience of the

Lord in His previous incarnations as Rama & Krishna.

 

This sloka is to be construed as follows:

 

“Sailesa daya: pa:thram vande:” – I (Sri Rama), salute the monkey

Sugreeva, who the object of the mercy of Sailesha, the Lord of the

mountain Rishyamukha, namely Mathanga Maharshi. Obviously this

has a reference to Rama’s surrender to Sugreeva hoping that he

(Sugreeva) would help Him (Rama) in getting back Sita. But Sugreeva

after getting kingdom with the help of Rama was asked by the latter to

dispatch his monkey subjects, in search of Sita, in all the directions. The

rainy season intervened. During this period, Sugreeva enjoying the pleasures of

the kingdom, forgot all about his promise to Sri Rama. Rama had to send

Lakshmana, to make sugreeva aware of the dire consequences that would follow if

he did not work to keep his promise.

 

So, Sri Rama’s saranagathi in this instance was a total failure.

 

Therefore,now as Ranganatha, our Lord performed saranagathi under the holy

feet of ‘Srishailesa daya: pa:thra’, namely Swami Manavalamamuni, the receptacle

of mercy of Srishailesha also known as Thiruvaimozhi pillai.

 

“Arnavam vande” – ‘I (Sri Rama), take refuge unto the ocean, in order to cross

the ocean & reach Lanka’; such was *Saranagati *(surrender)

performed by Sri Rama to Samudra Raja (the king of the oceans). But

even after the lapse of 3 whole days, the king of the ocean did not bother

appear before Sri Rama. Highly enraged at this misbehavior of the King of the

oceans, Sri Rama ordered Lakshmana to fetch his bow and arrows, so that he might

dry up the ocean itself. After all, the samudra raja is but a kinkara (a

servant) to Sriman Narayana, whose embodiment was Sri Rama! Here also our Lord’s

saranagathi misfired. Hence, Lord Ranganatha takes refuge now under the

veritable ocean (Arnavam) of knowledge (dhi:), bakthi – devotion, Adi – etc.,

namely, Swami Manvalamamuni.

 

To be continued ….

 

Andal Tiruvadigale Saranam.

Madhava Ramanuja dasan.