[SriParakalaMatham] Sri Guna Rathna Kosam : Part 66: slOkam 56, THE TATTVAM BEHIND SRI-RANGA-SRI

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr:

 

In the 56th slOkam , Swamy Parasara Bhattar

celebrates the name SRIRANGAM AND WHY THE NAME

SRIRANGA SRI CAME ABOUT FOR THIS DHIVYA DESAM.

He reminds us that the name of the dhivya dEsam

should be reflected with reverence as SRI-RANGAM

AND NOT SRIRANGAM. He points out that the PREFIX

of SRI before RANGAM , the playground or dance stage of

SRIRANGAM IS NOT A NECESSARY FORMALITY (UPACHAARA

VISESHANAM ) as in the case of SrivilliputthUr,

SriperumbhUthUr et al. Swamy ParAsara Bhattar implies

that the name SRI-RANGAM came about because SRI

OR MAHALAKSHMI chose this Rangam as the place for

Her play and residence to protect Her helpless

children sinking in the ocean of SamsAram through

the most merciful and timely shower of Her grace .

 

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar observes that the Milky Ocean

is a place that SrI RanganAyaki remembers fondly

bcause of that being Her place of birth during

the amrutha maTanam . That is Her piRantha veedu.

She fondly relates to Parama Padham (SrI Vaikuntam)

as well out of Her love for Her Lord . SrI Vaikuntam is

special to Her because it is Her Pukkaham . These two

places relate to Her as Her place of birth and

the place, where Her husband resides . Regarding

SRI-RANGAM , SHE HERSELF SELECTED IT .HER IMPRINT

IS ON IT AS SHE SITS UNDER RANGA VIMAANAM OUT OF

HER LIMITLESS COMPASSION FOR HER SUFFERING CHILDREN.

Hence Sri-Rangam is a very special place for Her .

She chose it deliberately as the playground for

Her sport (SRI-RANGAM) and for conferring anugraham

on the chEthanams.

 

This beautiful slOkam housing this special insight

on the name of this Dhivya Desam and Sriranga

VimAnam takes this form:

 

janana-bhavana-preethyA dhugdhArNavam bahu-manyasE

Janani! dayitha-prEmNA pushNAsi tath-paramam-padham

udhadhi-parama-vyOmnEr-vismruthya maadhrusa-rakshaNa--

kshamamithi dhiyA: bhUya: SRIRANGA-DHAAMANI mOdhasE

 

(Meaning according to Dr.V.N.VedAntha Desikan): This shrine

is called SRI-RANGAM in the sense that it is the court-hall

for Your sport and dance; wherein " SRI " refers to You.

Because You have chosen this dais for Your purpose of

ensuring the well-being of all creatures , which are

but Your children , all like me , knowing nothing and

deserving Your Motherly grace , You enjoy this location ;

evidently You have spurned Your birth place (Janana bhavanam),

the Milky Ocean Your husband's perennial abode (Sree Vaikuntam)

in favor of SREE-RANGAM.It is Sriyah-Rangam (Sreeyutham Rangam

or Sriya: Rangam ). It is truly so!

 

Additional Comments:PiRantha idam and Puhantha idam(V.S)

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

1. PiRantha idam(Place of Birth):

 

Oh JananI SrIrangEsvari! Milky Ocean(DhugdArNavam/

KsheerAbdhi) is Janma gruham for You . Hence , You have

bahumAnam(great respect) for this place of Your birth:

 

TathascchavirabhUth saakshAth SrI-RamA BhagavathparA

ranjayanthI disa: kaanthyA vidhuth-soudhAminI yaTA

--SrImath BhAgavatham: 8.8.8

 

There (at the Milky ocean), She chose the Lord as

Her husband and placed the svayamvara maalai around

His neck. Srimath BhAgavatham describes this scene of

Svayamvaram this way(8.8.24-28):

 

SrI Devi placed the beautiful lotus garland around

the neck of SrIman NaarAyanan.That garland had freshly

blossomed lotuses that were full of the auspicious sounds of

humming bees generating Hari Naama Sankeerthanam.She approached

Her Lord shyly and Her eyes were full of joy . She moved slowly

towards Her seat (viz)., the chest of SrIman NaarAyaNan and

stood next to Him . Next, the Lord of the three universes

lifted Her up and placed Her on His chest , Her seat of

permanent residence. The Mother of the three universes and

the abode of all Isvaryams cast her mercy-filled glances on Her

children and blessed them with all auspiciousness .

At that time , GandharvAs sang ; the sounds of mangaLa

vaadhyams like Conches, Mrudhangam were heard. Brahma ,

Rudran, sage AngIras , the PrajApathis showered flowers and

got blessed with sadAchAram and SadhguNams . They in turn

recited the Veda manthrams that celebrate the anantha--

kalyANa guNams of Her Lord , SrIman NaarAyaNan.

 

This then is the Vaibhavam of Her place of birth

(and wedding) , the Milky Ocean .After gruha pravEsam

ceremonies following vivAham , She entered the house

of Her Lord, SrI Vaikuntam ( Her Pukkaham).

 

2. Puhundha Veedu: SrI Vaikuntam

 

The unique and unparalleled glories of SrI-RanganAyaki's

SrI Vaikuntam have been extolled in the SrI Vaikunta gadhyam

of AchArya RaamAnujA and that of His key disciple , KuResar in

His SrI Vaikunta Sthavam .The 44th verse of SrI Vaikunta

Sthavam celebrates the glories of SrI Vaikuntam this way:

 

Yadh vruddhyapakshaya vinaasa mukhai: vikaarai:

yEthai: asamsthutham anasthamitha asthi sabdham

yadh gouravaath sruthishu phalgu phalam kriyaaNAm

aadhishtam anyath asugOthramadhruvam cha

 

(Meaning): Oh Vaikunta NaaTA! Your parama padham is free of

the six changes ( ShaD bhAva-vikAra:) described in

SrI Bhaashyam: " jaayathE asthi vardhathE pariNamathE

apakshIyathE vinasyathi " . Looking thus at the eternal

parama Padham , which is Moksha roopam , Vedam salutes

the Lord of Parama padham , the samruddhi there and

the eternally-liberated souls (nithya sooris) serving

the Lord and SrI Devi there this way:

 

" SadhA pasyanthi sooraya:, tadhviprAsO vipanyavO

jaagruvAmsa: samindhathE , sahasrasTUNE vimithE

dhruDa ugrE yathra DEVAANAAM ADHIDHEVA AASTHE ,

yathra poorvE saadhyA: santhi dEvA:, kshayanthamasya

rajasa: parAgE " .

 

This Parama Padham( the Supreme abode of the dhivya dampathis,

the Pukkaham of SrI Devi ) does not experience the vikArams

(changes)resulting from growth,dissolution et al ; here ,

the word " Being " has stayed permanent (anasmitha asthi sabdham);

the residence in this world has made the fruits of Yaagams,

Yaj~nams , DhAnams done in prakruthi maNDalam insignificant ;

fruits arising from such Yaaga-Yaj~nam pale into insignificance

before the unalloyed , paripoorNa BrahmAnandham resulting

from the residence at SrI Vaikuntam.

 

3. The Greatness/Superiority of SRI-RANGAM

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

SrI-RanganAyaki spurned the glories of residence at

Her BhahumAnya piRantha Veedu and vEda-Prasiddha

Parama Padham ( TadhvishNO: Paramam Padham ), Her

Pukkaham ,Her Lord's celestial house and elected instead

SrI-Rangam as Her place of residence for protecting

those , who sought refuge in Her . Swamy ParAsara Bhattar

states that SrI-Ranganaayaki chose to reside as ArchA Moorthy

at SrI-Rangam out of compassion for the like of us , who know

nothing and therfore deserve Your grace .

 

Athra SrI-Ranga dhaamani , SrI-Ranga nagarE ,dhivya vimAnE ,

daya-sampoorNa hrudhayEna Thvam mOdhasE. Here at SrI-Rangam ,

You reside under the SrI-Ranga VimAnam after spurning

the milky ocean and Parama Padham ;Your heart is full of

compassion for us, who are rudderless in the ocean of

SamsAram and You come to our rescue . The power of

ArchAvathAram has to be recalled here:

 

archAvathAra vishayE MayApyuddhEsathasthava

ukthA guNA na sakyanthE vakthum varsha-sathairapi

 

As ArchA Roopi, SrI-Ranga Naayaki stays at SrI-Rangam

as Aananda Lahari (waves of unceasing bliss principle)

and as SrI-Ranga-SrI.

 

Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SaThakOpan /Sadagopan