Commentary and Audios of Ashta Prabhandham and Desika Prabhandham excerpts .

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Dear SrI Sri Nrisimha BhakthAs:

 

I hope you will recieve this attachment

consisting of the introduction to the Ashta

prabhandhams links given in the companion

email announcing the Golden ThiruppattAram

Kaimakryam to house the ancient

SaaLagrAmams at Sri Ahobila Matam .

 

Those who can not recieve this mail can go to

Message 18334 in the Oppiliappan

message archives of the date: April 26,2009 .

 

NamO SrI nrisihmhAya,

V.Sadagopan

 

-- V.Sadagopanhttp://www.Sundarasimham.org http://www.sadagopan.orghttp://www.thiuppavai.org

 



 

Download the original attachment

 

 

SrI:

 

Dear Bhakthas of Srirangam Dhivya Dampatis:

 

The Unjal utsavams at Srirangam are famous and most enjoyable as one sees the Lord Sri RanganAthan and SriranganAyaki sway gently back and forth in their speially decorated Unjals.

 

It is customary to sing beautiful songs as the divine couple enjoy their Unjal utsavams. They come near us and they go away from us as the archakAs gently push the Unjal forward and backward. The AabharaNams reflect the dheepams in the hall and one gets mesmerized enjoying the Munn and the Pinn Servais.

 

Two great poets of Srirangam created the Unjal Prabhandhams for the Lord of Srirangam and His divine consort. These Unjal Prabhandhams are one of the 96 kinds of Tamizh Prabhnadhams with defined lakshaNams.

 

Dhivya Kavi Sri PiLLai PerumAL Iyengar and His grandson, KonEriappan Iyengar are the celebrated creators of the Unjal Prabhandhams for Sri RanganAtha and Sri RanganAyaki ThAyaar.

 

PiLLai PerumAL IyengAr seems to have lived about 250 years ago although some traditions consider him as a direct disciple of Swamy ParAsara Bhattar and that he was the grandson of Thiruvarangatthu AmudanAr, the famous composer of SrI Raamnuja NooRRandhAti. Dhivya Kavi PiLLai PerumAL IyengAr is the author of Ashta Prabhandhams:

 

(1) ThiruvarangatthandAti

(2) Thiruvarangatthu Maalai

(3) Thiruvaranga Kalambakam

(4) Sri RanganAyakar Oosal

(5) ThiruvEngada Maalai

(6) ThiruvengadatthandAti

(7) AzhagarandhAditi

(8) Noorettu Thirupapthi AndAti

 

Sri RanganAyakar Oosal (Unjal) will be the focus of our series of Postings. The scholarly Tamil poetry of IyengAr has been a source of unending delight for Tamil Scholars.

 

Prior to covering all of the 15 Unjal cheyyuLkaL on Lord RanganAtha, it would be my bhAgyam to share with You a quick summary of the works of both the Kavis as covered in an audio tape on their compositions. This input is an extract from an essay adiyEn posted ten years ago in Bhakti archives. Here it is:

AdiyEn will start with the summary of the first side of this tape dedicated to AchAryALs and the dhivya Dampathis of Srirangam and other dhivya desams.

First 45 minutes of the tape:

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

***The tape begins with a salutation to the uniqueness of ArchAvathAram among the five forms of Sriman NaarAyaNA (Para, VyUhA, Vibhava, AntharyAmi and ArchA). The benefits of ArchA worship by AzhwArs and AchAryAs are next covered. The special four benefits arising from ArchA worship are explained as (1) Ruchi Jaathakthvam or the kindling of the spiritual fire in the mind (2) SubhAsrayathvam or the attainment of inner peace and tranquility through darsana soubhAgyam of the beautiful ArchA Moorthy (3) Akshaya Loka CharaNyathvam or the development of the affection for the Dhivya dampathis in ArchA form that raises the fire of Bhakthi further and Bhootha dayaa and (4) anubhAvyathvam or the enhanced state of spiritual experience that stabilizes one’s dhyAnam and dhArNam preparing one to attain a SadAchAryan to perform Prapatthi and qualify for MokshAnugraham.The fifteen aspects of the deep anubhavam Of ThirppANa AzhwAr of the archaa Moorthy of Sri RanganaathA is described further in the Dec 3,98 Bhakthi posting.

*** The excerpts from the sri Sookthi of Sri PiLLai PerumAL Iyengar (Azhagiya MaNavALa Daasar) known as Ashta Prabhandham are chosen by the artist first to illustrate the bhakthi of PiLLai PrumAL IyengAr for ArchA murthys in general and Sri RanganAthA in particular. These Paasurams are literary master pieces from the direct disciple of Paraasara Bhattar.The ecstasy and devotion for the Lord of Srirangam found in these paasurams of Ashta Prabhnadham earned Iyengar the honorific title of “Dhivya Kavi “.

** The first piece is sung in the morning Raagam BhUpALam in the viruttham tradition (without ThALam) to the accompaniment of Flute. Here the dhivya kavi salutes the ArchA Moorthys and states that he is going to offer his salutations in the AnthAdhi form selected by the Mudhal AzhwArs and Swamy NammAzhwAr (yERRa MaNavALan--).The reference is to the Sr RanganAtha Pathivrathai’s (ThoNDadippoDi’s) ThiruppaLLIyezucchi.

** The second paasuram is set in Raagam SourAshtram and is from the section of Ashta prabhandham known as Thiruvaranga Kalambaham.The TaaLam will be Adhi in most of the renderings except for KaNDa ChApu for two pieces dealing with OOnJal of Sri RangarAjan and Sri RanganAyaki.Mrudhangam joins in now. In this Paasuram, Iyengar performs SaraNAgathi at the sacred feet of the 12 AzhwArs in general and Swamy NammAzhwAr in particular (Vedham thohutthu Tamizh paadal seytha Vimalan--). Here thereference is to Madhura Kavi and His AchArya Bhakthi.

**The third Paaauram is set in Raagam Mohanam to describe the dhivya soundharyam of Sri RanganAthan, His beautiful face, His eyes full of Mercy, His sacred ThuLasi MaalA and His dhivya Aayudhams.Iyengar says that there is nothing for him to fear in this world as long as Sri RanganAthA and His Aayudhams are with him (Periya PerumAL Arangan ---).

**The Fourth Paasuram is coming from ThiruvarangatthanthAdhi and is set in Saaveri raagam.Here Iyengar pays tribute to his Guru parampara starting from Bhattar, EmbAr upward to Sri RanganAyaki and Sri RanganAthA.

** The Fifth verse from ThiruvarangatthanthAdhi is set in Raagam BhEgaDA and salutes the five AchAryAs of RaamAnujar and then ends up stating that EmperumAnAr sitting in the middle of the 74 AchAryAs appointed by him is his succor and sustenance.

** The Sixth verse is from ThiruvEnkata Maalai and is a salute to ThiruvEnakatamudayAn as GajEndhra Varadhan. This paasuram is set in the evening raagam of HinDOLam. Iyengar says that his tongue will not praise any deity other than SrimanNaarAyaNA standing in the form of SeshasEkara Vibhu on top of Thirumalai.

** The seventh verse is set in the morning raagam of DhanyAsi and is from ThiruvEnkata Maalai.Here Iyengar salutes Sri VenkatEsan as the Maayavan, KaNNan,MaNivaNNan and Kesavan. Iyengar also states that the Lord’s nayana dhIkshai will remove every fear and Sri Vaikuntam will not be far away for them, who receive such blessings.We must recall that Lord RanganAthA spent few years at ThiruvEnakatam hills.

** The Eighth paasuram comes from Azhagar AnthAdhi dealing with the praise of Sri SundararAja PerumAL of Solai malai or ThirumAl Irum Solai. In the beautiful raagam of Valaji, the artist and the group sing about the power of Azhagar to melt the hearts and the minds of BhakthAs, who recite His 1000 names (sahasra Naamams).The song starts with the words, “Nenjum uruhum, Uyir uruhum--).

** The Ninth pasuram is also from Azhagar AnthAdhi and is sung in Raagam ShaNmuka PriyA (ParanthAmarai ThirumAl Irum ChOlai Pazha maRayai--). Here Iyengar begs his mind to focus on the sacred feet of Azhagar for his redemption. Sri RanganAthan spent few more years as a guest of Azhagar at ThirumAlirum sOlai.

** The Tenth paasuram is about Thirukkudanthai AarAvamudhan and is set in Raagam Suddha SaavEri. He asks the Lord: “Are You really tired form the enormous efforts to create the Universe and protect it? Are You the Lord, who extended His feet and measured the Universe during Your avathAram as Thrivikraman? Please speak to me (Kudanthai kiDanthAi pEsu)â€. The question is in the spirit of Thirumazhisai AzhwAr’s paasuram.

** The Eleventh paasuram is about Sri Oppiliappan of AakAsa Nagaram. Here Iyengar states to the Lord that He had made him think of Him and as a result, he has rejected all the worldly pleasures. The mood portrayed is similar to that Of Thirumangai, who declared “vENDEN manai Vazhkai ViNNagar MEyavanEâ€. This Verse is set in Raagam Hamsadhwani.The passuram starts with “ Kaiyum Karutthum unakkE adimai--).The spirit of the paasuram is similar to the famous paasuram Passage of ANDAL (unakkE naamAtcheyvOm).

** The twelfth verse is about Kaanchi PeraruLALan. Here IyengAr laments that his mind should be constantly thinking about Varadhar only and not about anything else.This piece is set in Raagam Kaapi and starts with the words: “ PoruLAsai MaNNAsai --â€.

** The thirteenth verse is a marvellous description of Lord RanganAthA giving His sevai in DolOthsavam to Iyengar. The Lord surrounded by Nithya sooris, Aayudhams, AchAryALs are visualized by Iyengar and that results in a PallANDu in the spirit of PeriyAzhwAr from him. This apporva Paasuram providing a visual image of the Lord swinging in His dolai and coming towards us and going away from us is a delight to experience. This Paasuram is set in Raagam KuRinji, a Janya Raagam of SankarAbharaNam (ThiruvAzhar ThiruvAzhi Sankam Vaazha, Thiruvananthan Garudan SenayArum Vaazha, --AzhwArkaL Vaazha --yathirAjan adiyAr Vaazha --). The thALam of KaNDa ChApu fits marvellously with the rhythmic movement of the Dolai.

** The fourteenth Paasuram is from KonEri Appan Iyengaar, who wished to celebrate the DolOthsavam of Sri RanganAyaki with Sri RanganAthA on a Panguni Uttharam day during sErthi sEvai. He was inspired by PiLlai PerumAL IyengAr’s Oosal Paatu for the Lord. He is a later day poet.Appan Iyengar paints here a wonderful word picture of the movement of the bangles, the kinkiNi naadham of the bells attached to the ottiyANam, the pleasant naadham raised by the ankle ornaments as Sri RanganAyaki moves back and forth enjoying Her swing. The gentle movement of Her forelocks in the breeze (movement of aLakabhArams) and other AbharaNams are beautifully described in this paasuram set in KamAs Raagam and kanDachApu ThALam. The title of this paasuram is “Sri RanganAyaki AaDirUnjal--â€.

This side of the tape concludes with a description of AchArya RaamAnujA’s saraNAgathi at the sacred feet of the dhivya dampathis and the birth of SaraNAgathi gadhyam. Swamy Desikan’s celebration of Prapatthi is alluded to in the concluding portion of this side.

In the next and final posting, we will cover the contents of the second side of this tape.

(Note by JM: Unless there is more information on the unjal utsvam covered in the concluding article as mentioned above, I think we can delete this line.)

Namo NaarAyaNA!

Daasan, Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan