Sri RanganAtha Temple , Priest Quarters construction Support series : Posting XV: Sri RanganAyaki Sannidhi

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

Today , we will spend tranquil time before our Mother ,

Sri RanganAyaki's Sannidhi at the Pomona Temple .

 

Sri Paraasara BhattAryA's Sri GuNa Ratna kOsam

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Sri Parasara Bhattar is the illustrious son of Swamy KurEsar

and is one of the renowned junior contemproraies of

Bahgavath RaamAnujA Himself. Bhattar was born due to

the anugraham of the Dhivya Dampathis of Srirangam

and therefore He is recognized as their child . Sri RanganAyaki

had a cradle for Her child and sang lullaby to him and raised

him in the early stages of his life. As a special tribute to his

Mother , Sri RanganAyaki , ParAsara Bhattar offered his

reverential and affectionate salutations in the form of

the splendid sthuthi , SrI GuNa Ratna Kosam .

 

As we stand before Sri RanganAyaki's Sannidhi , tears roll

down in one's eyes as one recalls the second slOkam of

Sri GuNa Rathna KOsam , where Swamy ParAsara Bhattar

visualizes Her as anugrahamayee , Dayaa Moorthy and

SarvAnga Sundari :

 

ullAsa-pallavitha-paalitha-sapthalOki

nirvAha-kOrakitha-nEma-katAksha-leelAm

Sriranga-harmyatala-MangaLa-dheepa-rEkhAm

SrirangarAja-mahisheem-SriyamAsrayAma:

 

As one recites this slOkam of Bhattar and other sixty

slOkams of Sri GuNaratna KOsam and reflect on their

deep meanings , the aanandhAnubhavam is matchless

and overwhelming . The detailed commentaries on

each of the 61 slOkams of Sri GuNa Ratna Kosam (SGRK)

are archived by adiyEn in the MalOlan.org:

 

http://www.malolan.org

 

adiyEn will include excerpts from a great scholar from

Dharwar , who has written an insightful introduction to

" VasurAsi " commentary on SGRK . Please refer to the above

web site for details on Swamy ParAsara Bhattar's celebration of

Lakshmi Tatthvam .

 

Sri K.S.Narayanachar's introductory Comments

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1) ThvamEva Bahumukhasya VaNee vilAsitham(Verses 1-8) :

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In the first 8 verses of SGRK , ParAsara BhattArya

prays for the anugraham of Sri RanganAyaki for his

Sthuthi " to sprout and spring into multidimensional

auspiciousness and glory " and for Sri RanganAyaki

Herself to be at the source of his inspiration .

 

2) Verses 9-18 of SGRK

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In these nine slOkams, BhattArya celebrates Her Vaibhavam

based on Sruthy and Smruthy pramANams . BhattArya

establishes that Her power " to endow greatness on

things that have come to be known as EXCELLENT ,

for all excellence & auspiciousness flows ONLY from Her.

 

3. Verses 19-23 of SGRK

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In these 5 verses , tribute is paid to Her as the Empress /

Commander/Ruler of this temporal world and the other

world " beyond space and time and how these are grounds of

Her divine sport ( Leelaa).

 

4. Verses 24-28 of SRGK

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Here , BhattAryA explains why there is no need for

Sruthis to mention Her (Sri Devi) seperately every time

they make reference to Her Lord's name as " Sath ,

Brahman , jyothi , AakAsa etc. , as She is always implied in

even such names and references , because of Her eternal

and uninterrupted association with Her Lord .

 

5. Verses 29-50 of Sri GRK

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These 22 verses salute the auspicious attributes

comon to the dhivya dampathis , as well as the unique

attributes ( GuNams) of each of them selected by themselves

for the conductance of the affairs of the world and the benevolence

of the beings of those world . This set of verses also provide splendid

describtions of Sri RanganAyaki's dhivya soundharyam

as " the embodiment of all splendours imaginable or available to

human mind and speech . "

 

6. Verses 51-59 of SGRK

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These verses extoll Her divine functions , purushakAram

( pleading on behalf of us , the erring jeevans with Her Lord ),

Her limitless compassion , matchless generosity , soulabhyam

and intercession on behalf of us , the erring jeevans. Her vaathsalyam

to Her children is illustrated with references to key passages

from Srimath RaamAyaNa and ThiruvAimozhi.

 

7. Verses 60-61 of SGRK

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In the 60th SlOkam , ParAsara Bhattar performs

SaraNAgathy at Her sacred feet :

 

" ThvamEva SaraNam vivitha: kruthAsi "

 

The 61st and concluding SlOkam of SGRK

serves as the MangaLa SlOkam :

 

SrirangE Sarada: satham saha

suhrudhvargENa nishkaNDakam

nirdukkham susukhamcha dAsyarasikAm

bhukthvA samruddhim parAm

yushmath Paadha-sarOruhaanthara-

rajasyAma Thvam ambhaa pithaa

Sarvam cha Thvamapi bhava na:

sveekurarasmAth krupaam

 

In a beautiful gralnd of words , Swamy ParAsarar

seeks the boon of " adhrushtam " through residence at Srirangam

for the life span of 100 years/Sarada: satham : Veda PrAyam))

with assembly of aasthikaas ( suhrudh vargam) , sons , grand children ,

sishyAs and their sishyAs ( Puthra-pouthra-bhandhu-sishya

prasishyAdhibhi:) and to engage in nithya Kaimkaryam

to Her at Srirangam , the BhUlOka Vaikuntam without

obstacles, sorrows , inauspiciousness ( nirubhadhravam ,

nirddhukkham ) . Bhattar prays for the boon of connosieurship

in Kaimkaryam to Her , which is the supreme enjoyment

and Iswaryam on this earth and thereafter become

a muktha jevan to continue the nithya kaimkaryam

at Her Supreme abode of Sri Vaikuntam ( dhAsya rasikAm

Thvath Kaimkarya-rasaj~nAm parAm sarvOthkrushtAm ,

Samrsuddhim Sriranga Sriyam bhukthvaa anubhUya ,

yEvam dhrushtamukthvaa adhrushtam aasaastE ).

 

Bhattar addresses Her as his dearest Mother , Father ,

Creator , Sarva Vidha Bandhu, UpAyam (means for

Mukthi) and UpEyam , the goal of manushya janmam

( ThvamambhA pithA , Sarvam cha Thvamapi ThvamEva

bhava na: sveekurvakasmAth krupAm).

 

May You , My Mother be pleased to be every thing for me

" dharmamaloukika srEya: saadhanam karma-Jn~Ana-Bhakthi-

prapathyAdhikam bhava " . My Mother , Sri RanganAyaki !

Please stay in place of all dhramams and extend Your

PurushakAram and then through SiddhOpAyam , please

grant me Prapatthi at Your sacred feet ( Sarva dharma-

sTAnE PurushakAratayaa sTithvaa , SiddhOpAyEna Bhagavathaa

madhishtam prapayEth ithyAsaya: ).Please accept this prayer

and anugraham ( sveekurva). Maam Raksha ithi bhAva:

 

Sri Ranganayaki ThAyAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama: