Lord RanganAthA's Thirumanjana Kattiyam bySwamyParAsaraBhattar:PartXIII /SlOkam13 .

[Guest guest]

SrI :

 

Dear BhakthAs of Periya PerumAL :

 

It is customary to eulogize PerumAL as the Ocean of auspicious attributes

in general and particularly as the embodiment of Kashamaa ( patience and

frobearance) , DayA ( Compassion ) , Bhaktha sulabhan ( easy of approach

by His devotees) and Maadhuryam ( delectable Parama BhOgyam ) and other

single KalyANa GuNams . This is the way of our PoorvAchAryAs to salute

the Lord . It is in this context , AchArya RaamAnuja saluted Sri RanganAtha

as " asankyEya KalyANa guNaganouka MahArNava " ( Ocean of limitless ,

auspicious attributes ) , apaara karuNAAmbhudhE ( shoreless ocean of

Mercy ) and " aasritha Vaathsalyeika JaladhE " ( Ocean of vaathsalyam

to those , who seek His protection like PrahlAdha) .

 

Bhattar arrived before Lord RanganAtha on two different occasions of

Sri RanganAthA's Thirumanjanam and was moved to compare the Lord

to a Mahaa Samudhram ( Mysterious , Marvellous , Mighty ocean of infinite

dimensions) . Swamy ParAsara Bhattar blessed us with two seperate

Thirumanjana Kattiyam slOkams commemorating those two anubhavams .

One of the slOkam is filled wih poetic alankAram displaying the poetic

genius of Bhattar. The other is filled with VedAnthic doctrines .

 

Bhattar is so versatile that every one of his Sri Sookthis and their

VyAkhyAnams are filled with the treasures ofthe highest order .

Dr.S.Padmanabhan in his Doctoral thesis ( Parasara Bhatta and

his contributions to VisishtAdhvaitha) covers in detail the poetic

genius and versatality of Bhattar :

 

1) Usage of 45 poetic metres in his 337 slOkams including some

rare metres like Sasikalaa , Rukmavati , PrastArikaa , indravajra et al

 

2) Many sabdhAlankAraas/Figures of Speech (Both sabdha/ sound &

ArThA/Meaning : (1) anuprAsa/alliteration , (2) Upamaa/Comparison ,

(3) UtprEksha /Imagining of One object under the guise of another ,

(3) Roopaka / Metaphor and SlEshaa/double meanings . SlEshaa is used

abubdantly by Bhattar in Thirumanjana Kattiyam slOkams .

 

Dr.PadmanAbhan refers to the other distinguishing aspects of Bhattar's

poetry filled with BhAvam and rasam , which we meet again and again in the

Thirumnajana Kattiyam slOkams on Lord RanganAtha : (1) PrasAda /

" clarity of word and meaning " , (2) Ojas / " capacity of the composition

to kindle the mind of a reader or listener , (3) Samataa/ balanced

expressions , (4) Kaanti/ elegance , and (5) Susabdhaa/employment of

refined words and expressions .

 

Let us now revert back to the enjoyment of the 13th SlOkam :

 

Marakatha-maNi-ramyam ramya-mANikya-mukthA phala

vilAsitha-gAthram praspurath-gandha-vaaham

vihitha vividha-janthum prOlassan-meenaleelam

sugama-jalanidhim ThvAm manmahE RangarAja

 

Dr. S. PadmanAbhan's comments: In this slOkam , we find Lord Rangaraja

identified with an ocean ( jalanidhi) . The Ocean is dark green in color

like the Marakata gems and has its body dazzling with a number of pearls

and such other precious stones . It has its own aroma . It is the abode of

a variety of aquatic beings , including the giant fish (meena ) . Lord

RangarAja has a number of ornaments made of Marakata and brilliant

pearl aabharaNams . His body emits wonderful fragrance . He has created

a variety of beings and assumed the form of a giant fish (Meena) .

 

Bhattar's VyAkhyAnam on the individual passages of this slOkam :

 

NaayantE ! The Thirumanjana sEvai of Yours reminds us of an Ocean for

the following reasons :

 

1. Marakatha MaNi ramyam : The Ocean looks dark green like Marakatha

MaNi (gem) . As for You , Your hue is like a dark emerald : " Vaamanan yenn

Marakata VaNNan " , " Raamam Markata SyAmam " .

 

2. Ramya-mANIkya-mukthA-phala-vilasitha gAthram : The Ocean is known for

its treasures of MaaNikkam (rubies) and pearls . As for You , my Lord ! Your

dhivya MangaLa vigraham is shining with Rathna aabharaNams and

pearl necklaces .

 

3. Praspurath GandhavAham : The Ocean will have the appearance of wind-

swept waves ( " Vaarithir-mAruthOthkshipta Ranga chathurAkruthi " ) . My

Lord !

when it comes to You , You emanate the fragrance of Camphor , Sandal Paste

adn Kumkumam used in Your Thirumanjanam .

 

4. Vihitha Vividha janthum : The Ocean will have a multitude of different

animals and fishes . As for You , My Lord ! You are characterized by

the limitless Jeevans with differences in their Svaroopa, Roopa guNa

vibhava Iswaryams as Your body .

 

5. PrOllasan MeenalOlam : The Ocean will be noted for the playful

movements of its assembly of fishes . My Lord ! You will be MeenalOlan

as enjoyed through Your MatsyAvathAra Leelais : " alai kadal neer kuzhambha,

- - - muthuhil malaikaLai meethu koNDu varumeenai maamalai " . AzhwAr

enjoys the MatsyAvathAram (gigantic form of a Fish ) of the Lord here .

 

The Saadharmyam ( Similarity) of the Lord with the Ocean during the occasion

of His Thirumanjanam reminds Bhattar of the AzhwAr MangaLAsAsanam :

" MaamaNiyum MalarmEl Mangaiyum sankhamum tanguhinra alai kadal

pOnRivar aarkol " ( who is this One looking like the wavy ocean adorned by

the many gems , MahA Lakshmi and Paanchajanyam ) .

 

SrI RanganAtha ParabrhamaNE Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama: