Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam : Part II

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Srimathyai HasthinAtha PrabhOdhinyai Nama:

Sri RanganAyakyai Nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

We will study the Taniyan for Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam

that salutes the extraordinary life and works of

ParAsara Bahttar in this posting .

 

Taniyan :

*********

 

Sri ParAsara BhattArya: Sri RangEsa PurOhitha:

Sri VathsAnga Sutha: SrimAn SrEyasE mEasthu bhUasE

 

(meaning):The revered Sri ParAsara Bhattar is the son

of KurEsar and the PurOhithar for Lord RanganAthan.

He is full of Kaimkarya Sampath and hence is qualified

to be addressed as SrimAn. May adiyEn be blessed

with all auspiciousness again and again through

this salutation of mine at the sacred feet of

Sri ParAsara Bhattar.

 

This Taniyan is from the Sri VishNu Sahasra naama

BhAshyam of ParAsara Bhattar.

 

(Commnets): Sri ParAsara Bhattar was born in 1062 C.E(?)

as the son of KurEsar and AndAL. ParAsara Bhattar

came into this world through the grace of Lord

RanganAthA as the elder twin s born to his

parents.AchArya RaamAnujA gave the name of ParAsarA

to this child and the dhivya dampathis of Srirangam

raised him. Hence , ParAsara Bhattar was a Gharbha-

SrimAn as a result of the JaayamAna KatAksham of

the dhivya Dampathis . AchArya RaamAnujA named the twins

as ParAsarA and Veda VyAsA to commemorate the authors

of VishNu PurANam and Brahma Soothrams respectively .

 

As a direct result of the Spiritual authority

vested by AchArya RaamAnujA in ParAsarA , he

became the chief priest of Lord RanganAthan

and expounded purANams (PurANa patanam) at

the Srirangam temple .That is why the taniyan

salutes him as Sri RangEsa PurOhitha: and it

would have been a wonderful experience for

his contemproaries to listen to ParAsara Bahttar

recite the Thirumanjana Kattiyam for Lord RanganAthA

or provide nirvAham for intricate passages of

Swamy NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi paasurams .

 

The taniyan also addresses him reverentially as

Sri ParAsara BhattArya:, a salutation that is

commensurate with his great Ubhaya VedAnthA

scholarship , AchArya pathavi and extraordinary

skills in debates to defeat Paramatha Vaadhins.

He shone as a bright star in the firmament of

Sri VisishtAdvaitham during the post-RaamAnujA

and pre-Swamy Desika period. He established

a great Sishya paramparai through the adoption of

Namjeeyar as his main disciple.

 

ParAsara Bhattar's works some times will

be hall marks of brevity and clarity such

as AshtaslOki , which is the quintessence of

the three Sri VaishNavite Rahasyams. Some times,

his works can be treasure house of elaborate

commentaries such as The Bhagavadh GuNa Darpanam ,

which is an encyclopedaic work instructing

us on the glories of the 1000 names of Lord VishNu

found in SriVishNu Sahasra Naamam.

 

His ubhaya VedAnthA Scholarship is outstandingly

revealed in his beautiful Tamil Commentary on

Kaiasika PurANam , which is a part of VarAha

PurANam , where VarAha PerumAn reveals to

BhUmi Devi ,the extraordinary anugraham obtained

through singing His glory during the Brahma MuhUrtham

of the twelfth day of Sukla Paksham of VriscchikA

month .The brilliant way in which ParAsara Bhattar

gave the exposition of Kaisika MahAthmyam in

Sri RanganAthA's sannidhi gained the appropation

of Lord RanganAthan Himself . Our Lord orderd

a Brahma ratham to celebrate the expository

skills (PurANa Pravachanam skills )of Bhattar.

Bhattar was carried in a palanquin by dhvijOtthamAs

to his home with BhagavAn's maryAdhais and

became ParAsara BhattAryar as recorded in

His taniyan . Srimathi Anita Ratnam of

the TVS family will be organizing the dance-

drama of Kaisika PurANam at ThiRukkuRunkudi

this year .Hope BhagavathAs can travel to

this dhivya dEsam and enjoy their links to

Sri ParAsara BhattAryar .

 

In the next posting we will cover the first

slOkam of the Sri GuNa Rathna KOsam of

the ParAsara BhattAryar.

 

Sri Ranga Dhivya DampathikaL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan