Sri GuNa Rathna KOsam : Part VIII: Second Slokam (conclusion)

[Guest guest]

Vikrama Samvathsaram , DipAvaLi Dinam

 

namo NarAyanAya

Srimathe RaamAnujAya nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

Yesterday adiyEn wrote :

 

>adiyEn will take up the commentary on the second slOkam

>of Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam , which is known for its Madhura

>LakAra prayOgams:

>

>ullAsa Pallavitha paalitha SapthalOkI

> nirvAha kOrakitha nEma KatAksha LeelAm

>Sriranga harmyatala MangaLa dheepa rEkhAm

> SrirangarAja MahishIm Sriyam aasrayAma:

 

The Madhura lakArams are housed in the seven of

the 18 words chosen by Swamy Prasara Bhattar :

 

" UllAsa, Pallavitha , Paalitha , Saptha Loki , leelAm ,

Harmayatala and MangaLa " .

 

These lakArams start with UllAsam and concludes with

MangaLam in this PrArthanA-Poorvaka Prapatthi slOkam .

 

This slOkam is proverbially recited in front of

Sri RangarAjan's Sannidhi at Srirangam between

the two Thirumana ThUNgaL , where the infant ParAsarar's

cradle was set up by the dhivya dampathis for their son .

 

Please recite this slOkam during your next

visit to Lord RanganAthan's sannidhi . You can also

recite the first slOkam of Padma Raaga Paddhathi of

Swamy Desikan as an additional sacred verse there.

The recitation of Both the slOkams will confer

on you dhivya sampath and mahath Isvaryam.

 

Translation of the Meaning by Dr.V.N.Vedantha Desikan

*******************************************************

 

(Meaning ) " HER eye glances , that open up and

partially close , are major acts-not to be thought of

as light or ineffective twinkling of the (ordinary)eye.

With such eye-movements, She achieves everything !--The

creation of the seven worlds , the protection

thereof , etc.

 

Imagine the whole seven-world object as a tree.

Then ,the sprouting of the tree , its growth , its

bearing buds , the buds blooming , are all events,

so to say in a figurative fashion , in the tender

creeper that Her divine Eye-glance . What can it

not achieve ? All achievements at the level of

the world-governance are the sport for the eye-movement

of Goddess RanganAyaki , who dwells in the royal palace of

Ranga VimAnam , as an ever lit-lamp of auspiciousness.

May we surrender unto her ! " .

 

Commentary by Dr.V.N.V

************************

Please witness the wonders of the eye opening

and closing activities of the Divine consort of

Lord RanganAthan ! Reflect on its extraordinary

accomplishments ! Please remind yourself that

the creation , protection and the destruction of

all the seven universes are achieved effortlessly

with those eye openings and closings.Those little

glances cause the bossoming , budding and growth of

the tree of seven universes and their beings.All of

these wonderous deeds happen from the power of

the benovolent glances arising from that tender creeper ,

Sri RanganAyaki .

 

That divine consort behind the srushti, sthithi

and samhAram of the worlds resides at the great

palace at Srirangam as the Empress and shines forever

from there as the most auspicious lamp lighting our way.

 

Additional observations by AdiyEn

**********************************

 

The seven LokAs are protected by a joyous

and tender creeper sprouting young shoots .

As it moves , it is like the tender , UllAsa

laasyam of a female dancer. As TaaNDavam ,

the energetic dance is for the Male dancer ,

and the tender and delicate movement of Laasyam

is for female dancers.

 

This UllAsa Laasyam is unique to Sri RanganAyaki .

The word UllAsam has number of meanings . It can mean

Joy/delight or it can mean beginning /commencement .

It can also mean the Ten UllAsams covered by

the KavyaprakAsA , a work by MammadA (10th century)

on the structure of utthama Kaavyams and sthuthis.

Here the joyous waving of the golden creeper of

Sri RanganAyaki performing UllAsa Laasyam at the time of

Jagath Srushti can be imagined .

 

The second word is " Pallavitha " . This means sprouting

young shoots (arumbus) . Those , who have seen a creeper

grow can relate to this phenomena.The word arises from

" Pallava: " meaning a sprout , sprig , a bud or

a blossom .Pallavitha means therefore that which buds or

blossoms. " Pallava: " also means an amorous sport . This

can be related to the jagath Srushti .

 

The third word is " Paalitha " meaning protected.

What is being protected ? The joyous sprouts budding

are protected by the UllAsa pallavam.These are

the Saptha Lokams.

 

The first Paadham thus refers to Sri RanganAyaki

as " UllAsa Pallavitha Paalitha Saptha LokI " .

 

The Second Paadham

*******************

 

" NirvAha kOrakitha nEma KatAksha LeelAm "

is the second Paadham . " nEma " means half

or partial . " nEma KatAksha LeelAm " means therfore

the power of the play of the half open , half closed

eyes of Sri RanganAyaki.She is partially opening Her

eyes and closing them .She is engaged in this Leelai.

What happens as a result ? What gets administerd

or executed (NirvAham )by this ? KorakAvasthA happens.

" nirvAha kOrakitha nEma KatAksham " falls

on the seven worlds. " korakAvasthA " means

the state of an unblossomed flower or a bud ,

which has not fully developed into a flower .

 

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar is fond of referring to

Sri RanganAyaki as a Nithya Yuvathi to distinuguish

her from an elderly matron . He describes Her as being in

the boundary of a girl and a maiden ( Saisava-youana-

vyatikarA )in verse 43 of the Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam .

The movement of the glances of this young girl

and their effects are described here in terms of

the execution of Jagath VyApAram (Srushti et al).

 

The third Paadham of SlOkam 2:

********************************

 

" Sriranga harmyatala mangaLa Dheepa RekhAm "

 

" Harmya " means a palatial mansion. Harmya talam

or harmya Sthalam means the the room in that

palace, (i.e) the garbha graham of the mansion

with seven ramparts, Srirangam .

 

At the " Sriranga Harmya Talam " , She shines as

" the MangaLa dheepa RekhA " or the nanthA ViLakku

or the Jyothi of the most auspicious eternal lamp

inside the royal palace of Ranga VimAnam.

 

RekhA is a way of rendering Vedam . Her nature as

the essence of Sruthis might also be indicated here.

RekhA generally means a line or streak . That Jyothi

is saluted here.

 

The Fourth paadham of The SlOkam 2:

************************************

 

" SrirangarAja MahishIm SriyamAsrayAma: "

 

She is the Patta MahishI (Empress ) of

the Lord of Srirangam , the BhUlOka VaikuNtam.

She is " Sri Devi " or " Sri " . One PoorvAchAryA

has already observed : " Your name is Sri. What else

more is there for us to say ? " .

 

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar addresses this fast-sprouting,

tender Creeper , the eternal JyOthi inside

Sri Ranga VimAnam , Sri RanganAyaki , hte root

cause of the birth and kshEmam of the seven

worlds and offers his Prapatthi at Her sacred feet.

 

Subhamasthu ! Sarva mangaLAni santhu!

Sri RanganAyakyai nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan