Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam : Part XXXII: SlOkam 22

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Dear BhakthAs :

 

In the 22nd slOkam of his Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam (SGRK),

Sri ParAsara Bhattar continues to pay tribute to

Sri RanganAyaki as the Empress of the Temporal

world ( LeelA vibhUthi) and the Eternal world beyond

Space and Time ( Nithya VibhUthi) .

 

The 22nd slOkma is one of the five slOkams of

his SGRK (19-23) paying homage to Sri Ranganayaki

as the unique Empress possessing all facets of Isvaryam .

The grand unifiying connection between the two

VibhUthis , the Sarva Seshi (the Lord ),the anithara

Seshi (Sri Ranganaayaki ) and the rest of the world

(the sEsha BhUthams of prapancham outside

the dhivya mithunam / Divine Couple )is elaborated here.

 

The 22nd SlOkam of SGRK

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hElAyAmakhilam charAcharamidham bhOgE VibUthi: parA

dhanyAstE parichArakarmaNi sadhA pasyanthi yE Sooraya:

Srirangeswara DEvi ! kEvala krupA nirvAhya vargE vayam

sEshithvE Parama: PumAn parikarA hyEtE tava sphAraNE

 

Meaning according to Dr.V.N.VedAntha Desikan

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

Oh Consort of SrI RanganAthA ! This LeelA vibhUthi

made up of varieties of movables and immovables is

there for Your sport. The Superior possession ,

the Nithya VibhUthi , the cherished heaven of NithyasUris ,

ever-intent on serving You , is there for Your enjoyment.

We ,however, remain as Your subjects here to be ruled

by You , by reason of Your extreme grace , for which no

cause can be adduced. The Supreme Lord serves the set-up

as the SEshi , the recipient for all services ,from

the SEshabhUthAs , who all else are .

 

Additional Commnets by adiyEn

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

The passages from Lakshmi Tantram that elaborate on

the auspicious qualities of Sri Devi has been invoked

by Professor K.S.Narayanachar to comprehend the deep

meanings embedded in this slOkam:

 

" SruNOmi karuNAm vAcham , SruNAmi dhuritham sathAm ,

SruNAmi cha guNair-visvam , SaraNam chAsmi Saasvatham ,

SarIram cha HarErasmi--- "

 

The auspicious (KalyANa ) attributes (GuNams) arising

from the etymology of the " SrI " sabdham (word) are:

 

(1) She listens to the woeful prayers of Her devotees

(2) She removes their sins out of Her matchless compassion

(3) She extends the glories of the world and nurtures and

nourishes them by Her own kalyANa GuNams(Sru-VisthAram)

(4) She is the eternal refuge of the World

(5) She is the Body of Her Lord Hari

(6) She is the object of devotional prayer by the dEvAs

(7) She intercedes on behalf of Her devotees and appeals

to her Lord to protect them

(8) She causes the removal of the imperfections of Her devotees

and grants them their wishes

(9) She enlarges the powers, the glories and brilliance

of Her Lord

(10)She is the most auspicious-natured in her personality

(11)She is the most blissful in Her personality

(12)She is behind the process of word emanation in humans

(13)She has Hari NaarAyaNan as Her own refuge

(14) She is the refuge of all the World.

 

These are " the special excellent doctrines " associated

with Sri Devi in our SrI SampradhAyam .She is next to

the Lord in the ancient lineage of AchAryAs (AchArya

Paramparai ) , who initiate us into ManthrArTams and

SaasthrArthams and Tattva-Hitha -PurushArthams .These

are elaborated further in the DhvayAdhikAram of

Swamy Desikan's magnum opus, Srimath Rahasyathraya Saaram .

AchArya RaamAnujA's saraNAgathi Gadhyam also elaborates

Her excellence with salutations like " Bhagavan

NaarAyaNaabhimathaanurUpa -svarUpa-RUpa-- " and

saluted Her SvarUpa-RUpa-GuNa-VibhUthis on

a panguni Uttharam SErthi day at Srirangam.

 

VaakyArthams by individual Paadhams

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

In the first paadham of the 22nd slOkam , Bhattar

points out that the LeelA VibhUthi and the Nithya

VibhUthi are for her pleasure , delight and enjoyment.

Regarding LeelA vibhUthi, He states : " hElAyAm akhilam

charAcharam idham " .This entire universe and its

sentients and insentients are for Your play . Regarding

Nithya VibhUthi , Bhattar points out that it is also for

Her enjoyment (bhOgE VibhUthi: ParA ).

 

The Second Paadham

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

In the second paadham of the 22nd slOkam , Bhattar

states that the residents of parama padham of Her Lord ,

The Muktha Jeevans and the Nithya Sooris perform

kaimkaryam for her and thus attain an exalted state

(DhanyAstE parichAra karmaNi SadhA). These SoorIs

through their bhAgyam of performing eternal kaimkaryam

have the uninterrupted darsana soubhAgyam of Sri Devi

(SadhA pasyanthi Sooraya:)and Her Lord.

 

The Third Paadham

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

After having dealt with the LeelA VibhUthi and the Nithya

VibhUthi, Bhattar refers to the rulership role played by

Sri RanganAyaki regarding the Bhaddha Jeevans of the world .

In this context , Bhattar says in the third paadham :

" SrirangEswara DEvi! KEvala-KrupA nirvAhya-vargE vayam " .

Oh Consort of Sri RanganAthan ! Regarding us , we remain Your

subjects to be ruled by You due to Your avyAja karuNai.

Here Bhattar eulogizes Sri RanganAyaki's adhiadhbutha

karunai as nirhEthukam.This is the karunai of a supremely-

caring Mother ! This avyAja karuNai is an " iyalpu "

of our Mother Supreme , Sri RanganAyaki!This nirhEthuka,

avyAja karuNai reference here has to be understood as the one

attribute that defies our understanding and comprehension

and not otherwise . Bhattar says that we , the Bhaddha Jevans

of this world belong to that category (vargam ) of limited

intellect , who can not fully comprehend Her limitless dayA.

 

The Fourth paadham

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

In the final paadham , Bhattar sums up Sri RanganAyaki's

abundant Isvaryam and Glories this way: " SEshithvE Parama:

PumAn parikarA heyEtE tava sphAraNE " . As SEshi , Lord accepts

His consorts' anithara SEshathvam and sets Himself up

as the Seshi for Her and becomes the recipient of all Her

kaimkaryams to Him , while both serve as SEshi Mithunam

for all else (SeshabhUthAs like us, MukthAs and NithyAs ).

Her expanded and abundant glories do not leave any one out

including Her Lord .They all become her parikarams

or " uRuppukaL " (limbs or aspects of the Whole). The genius

of the Vaak VilAsam of Sri ParAsara Bhattar that describes

even the Lord , who accepts His DEvi's anithara SEshathvam

as Her parikaram is extraordinary. After all , Bhattar

was raised by the Dhivya Dampathis of Srirangam !

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam ,

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan