[SriParakalaMatham] Sri Guna Rathna Kosam : Part 69: slOkam 59, SrI-RanganAyaki's OudhAryam (Bounteousness)

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr:

 

In the 59th slOkam , Swamy Parasara Bhattar expresses

his Naicchiyam ( lowliness and unfitness) to SrI-RanganAyaki.

In the previous slOkam , ParAsara Bhattar celebrated

the legendary oudhAryam (generosity ) of Sri RanganAyaki.

That thought emboldened him to ask for Her protection

inspite of his utter unfitness . Bhattar banked on his

Divine Mother's Vaathsalyam here:

 

Jn~Ana-kriyA-bhajana-sampadh-akinchanOham

icchAdhikAra sakanAnusayAnabhijn~a:

aagAmsi Devi! yuvayOrapi dhussahAni

BhadhnAmi moorga charithas-TavadhurbharOsmi

 

--SlOkam 59, SrI GuNa Rathna KOsam

 

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

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" An individual ought evidently to possess some virtue ,

if he were to claim the kindliness of the Almighty.

Oh my Mother ! I am an utter destitute , not qualifed

with respect to Jn~Ana or Karma or Bhakthi. With respect to

Prapatthi--which is the course for such a fellow--for which

one's earnest desire is the desideratum , I do not know how

to perform it.What is worst,I am a stranger to the feeling of

regret and grief that should be inevitable in such a situation.

 

The Lord and You are extreme forbearers, I know. But I have

been accumulating sins that even You can hardly forbear and

excuse.I am still going on! Such a vile person as I am is indeed

unbearable to You too. "

 

Additional Comments (V.S):

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This NaicchAnusandhAna slOkam almost at the very end of

the SthOthram is for the benefit of us . SrI ParAsara Bhattar

did not have these deficiencies . He was a model of AchAram,

VairAgyam and anushtAnam.It is for the benefit of us , Bhattar

composed this slOkam. It is for us to utter and correct ourselves

and seek the grace of our Mother(Visva Janani).

 

Bhattar describes himself as a Moorkkan and dhurAchAran here.

He admits that he is not proficient in Karma -Jn~Ana-Bhakthi

Yogams and is totally unfamiliar with the upAyam of Prapatthi,

which is accomplished through " icchA-mAthram " in a trice.

He says that he does not even have any regret over his lack of

skills to follow anyone of the above routes. He says that

he is devoid of any burning desire or capabilities or firmness of

purpose to engage in the practise of these upAyams to save himself.

He says: Among You and Your Lord, both are known for Your limitless

patience and forbearance.Here I am standing before You testing

that limitless capacity to put up with such mahA aparAdhams

and unfitness of mine .I continue to accumulate more sins

through my careless deeds.Such a miserable one is a challenge

to Your forbearance. Inspite of it all , Oh RanganAyaki,

You must come to my rescue and save me .

 

Thirumalai NallAn RaamakrishNa IyengAr Swamy

has translated this slOkam beautifully in Tamil

this way:

 

saRRumE aRivu kanmam bhaktiAm sampath illai

kaRRilEn icchai peRRi kavusalam irangal Devi!

kuRRamE puriyA niRpan kothikka nummiruvar uLLam

muRRumE moorkkanEnai mudiyumO thaanga Nee thAn ?

 

In the first line , Bhattar identifies himself as

the one , who has not even an iota of knowledge about

Jn~Ana , Karma and Bhakthi yOga sampath (wealth).

In the second line , Bhattar admits that he did not

master even the easy route of prapatthi , which is done

with mere wish to do it and begs for SrI RanganAyaki's

dayA in such a state of helplessness. He continues in

the third line to say that he continues to accumulate

more sins with abandon and anger the ThiruvuLLam of

both SrI RanganAthan and His consort , SrI RanganAyaki.

Bhattar declares that he is a complete Moorkkan of

despicable conduct and asks his Divine Mother whether

She can come to his rescue inspite of all these lapses.

 

PoorvAchAryA's NaicchAnusandhAnam that Bhattar remembered

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

Swamy NammAzhwAr, Swamy AlavanthAr and AchArya RaamAnujA

have performed NaicchAnusandhAnam prior to Paraasara

Bhattar in their own moving ways to instruct us as to

how we should conduct ourselves. They were ParipoorNa

adhikAris for performance of Bhathi yOgam or Prapatthi

yOgam and yet for our sake as AchAryAs , they showed us

the way of conducting ourselves with naicchiyam before

the dhivya dampathis. Here are some examples of their

anubhavams:

 

nORRa nOnbilEn nuNNaRivilEn aahilum

Unnai vittonRum aaRRahinRilEn AravinaNaiammAnE

sERRUt-thAmarai sennalUdi malar Sirivaramangala nagar

veeRRiruntha YenthAi ! Unakku mihaiyallEnangE

 

--ThiruvAimozhi:5.7.1

 

(Meaning according to Dr.V.N.Vedantha Desikan/V.N.V ):

" I have not acquired a stature by Karma or by Jn~Ana.

Only these two are said to lead to Bhakti. I have a Bhakti ,

one that can not be kept at rest; that is passionate that

makes me restless. But my bhakthi is not of the Bhakti yOga type,

a tool for attaining salvation. So the urgency , Oh my Lord ,

seated on AadhisEshA at Srivaramangala nagar , abounding in

lotuses growing near verdant paddy crops , count me as within

Your fold of protection and help me! "

 

KaiyyAr Chakkaratthen KarumANikkamE

yenRenRu poyyE kaimmai solli puRame puramEyAdi

meyyE peRRazhinthEn vithi vaaykkinRu kaapAr?

IyyO !KaNNapirAn ! aRayO inipponAlE

 

--ThiruvAimozhi:5.1.1

 

(meaning ccording to Dr.V.N.V): " with vulgar tastes and

trivial interests , I have indeed no chance of cherishing

the Lord in my heart . But fradulently I displayed an external

piety and devotion calling as if in real earnestness. " My dear

Lord , My gem-like Dear , with the Chakra on the hand! False was

my devotion ; but truthfully , I say , He has come and given

His bliss of company. You will hardly believe it , I know .

But it is all His grace , which is my equivalent of what you

people call Fate , that has made this possible . Oh KrishNa ,

own Your defeat before running away ! I have won You not

withstanding my hypocisy of fervor. "

 

" Na dharmOnishtOsmi na chAtmavEdhi na BhakthimAn

ThvaccharanaaravindhE ! akinchanO anayagathis-SaraNya

Thvath Paadhamoolam SaraNam prapadhyE "

 

Swamy AaLavanthAr's SthOthra Rathnam: slOkam 22

 

( Oh Lord ! I do not have the discipline of dharmam.

I have no aathma Jn~Anam. I have not displayed any Bhakthi

towards You. I have no qualifications whatsoever. I seek

refuge at Your feet ).

 

NikaNum BhatthanallEn --ThirumAlai : 25

( I have not developed any Bhakthi towards You).

 

KarmAnushtAnam must be completed to gain discriminating

intellect (nuNNaRivu);That in turn will lead to Svaroopa

Jn~Anam and further to para Svaroopa Jn~Anam. At that time,

pararoopa SaakshAthkAra Bhaagyam is said to be gained and

the Bhakthi rooted on that anubhavam. When karmaanushtAna

siddhi and Jn~Anam are not there , then there is no prospect

for hope and salvation .Bhakthi yOgam as an upAyam is thus

out of question. Bhattar says that he is not capable of

performing Prapatthi either. Thus , Bhattar records for

our benefit powerful NaicchAnusandhAnam.

 

Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SaThakOpan /Sadagopan