PART VI: Thiru Adhyayana Uthsavam at Lord RanganAthar Temple at Pomona , NY : Swamy Desikan's Taathparya RathnAvaLi:3rd SlOkam

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Dec 17, 2001: Vaayatthu VaazhvIrkAL Dinam

 

ANDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

 

SrI:

 

Sri RanganAtha ParabrahmaNE Nama:

 

Dear RasikAs of Swamy NammAzhwAr's dhivya prabhandhams:

 

On this second ThiruppAavi day , adiyEn will continue with

the third SlOkam of DTR:

 

PaanjAli-ghAthra-sObhA-hrutha-hrudhaya-vadhU-varga-pumbhAvanIthyA

Pathyou PadhmAsahAyE praNayini bhajatha: prEyasI-paaratanthryam

bhakthi: srungrA-vruthyA pariNamathi MunE: bhaava-bhandha-praTimnA

yOgAth prAguttharAvasTithiriha virahO DesikA: tathra dhUthA:

 

(Meaning): Just as in the case of Dhroupathi's exquisite

beauty --witnessed during the time of her bath-- intoxicated

the minds of all the ladies attending to her and led them

to wish they could enjoy her as men , the deep bhakthi

that Swamy NammAzhwAr had for Sri Devi Vallabhan

(Sriman NaarAyaNan) transformed into srungAra bhAvam

and led him to send messengers to " Her " Lord in

the role of ParAnkusa Naayaki to be united with Him .

 

Additional Comments based on UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam:

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

PaanjAli (Dhroupathi) had exquisite beauty marked by

the combination of all SaamudhrikA LakshaNams . When she

had her daily bath , she was attended by number of her

woman servants. They had the opportunity to be witnesses

to her extraordinary soundharyam during those times.

They were overtaken by that superb beauty of their

mistress and wished to be transformed into men so

that they could enjoy her enticing beauty . In their

minds , they became men ( Yaa: SthriyO dhrushtavasyasthA:

PumbhAvam manasA yayu:). The first quadrant of this slOkam

cites this dhrushtAntham :

 

" paanjAlI ghAthra sObhA hrutha-hrudhaya vadhU

pumbhAva neethyA "

 

PaanjAli ghAthra Sobhai(beauty of the limbs) robbed

the hearts of the assembled ladies and made them wish

they were men to enjoy her .

 

As in this case ( PaanjAlI neethi) , Swami NammAzhwAr's

unconditional and deep bhakthi (BhAva bhandha praTimnA bhakthi)

for the Lord of SrI Devi transformed (pariNamathi) into

an intensity of love (srungAra vrutthi ) equal to that of

Sri Devi(prEyasI paaratanthryam ) for Her Lord .

The Bhakthi vrutthi transformed into srungAra Vrutthi

for SaThakOpa Muni (MunE: bhaava bhandha praTimnA bhakthi:

srungAra vrutthyA pariNamathi) and he transformed into

ParAnkusa Naayaki .

 

Swamy NammAzhwAr in the intensity of his passion to

unite with the Lord became ParAnkusa Naayaki . He was

joyous during his union (samslEsham ) with the Lord

during the practise of his Bhakthi yOgam and was down

the dumps , when that union was interrupted (VislEsham).

 

For great bhakthAs , the enjoyment of the Lord during yOgam

is the bhOgam of intimate union . The interruption of

that union with the Lord is unspeakable sorrow.

When supreme bhakthi nishtars like Swamy NammAzhwAr ,

Kaliyan (as ParakAla Naayaki )and Swamy Desikan( as Venkata Naayaki

in front of Dhaiva Naayaka PerumAL at ThiruvahIndhrapuram )

experience seperation and feel the anguish of vislEsham ,

they send AchAryAs as messengers to the Lord to describe

their sorrowful state due to seperation .They appeal to

the AchAryAs to intercede on their behalf and unite them

back with their dear Lord.

 

Here, Bhakthi is compared to the love of a lady for

her lover , the aanandha yOgAnubhavam to union with

the Lord (samslEsham ) and the state of mind before and

after union to VislEsham characterized by unbearable agony.

Swamy NammAzhwAr paasurams inviting various birds (AchAryAs)

to intercede on her (ParAnkusa Naayaki's ) behalf with

the Lord arose out of that manObhAvam(feeling state).

 

In Srimath RaamAyaNam , SitA PirAtti asks AnjanEyar

to take Her message to Her Lord . The tatthvArtham

here is that AnjanEyaA had the role of AchAryAs in

intercession with Lord Ramachandra as the messenger

(ambassador)and SitA PirAtti had the role of a " Jeevan "

seeking union with Her Lord.

 

In NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi , ANDAL relies on the power

of Her father /AchAryan to unite Her with Her Lord

( Vittucchitthar TangaL Devarai valla parisu varuvipparEl ,

athu kANDmE ).The sorrow of ANDAL over seperation from

Her Lord seeks the intervention of Her AchAryan to unite Her

with the Lord(Desika: tathra dhUthA:).

 

In this Third SlOkam of DTR , Swamy Desikan focuses on

the origin of the thUthu paasurams of Swamy NammAzhwAr.

 

Sri RanganAyaki SamEtha Sri RanganAtha ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VardAchAri SatakOpan