Thirumanjana Kattiyam of Sri RanganathA : SlOkam 25

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Sri Ranganatha BhakthAs :

 

The 25th slOkam is the most celebrated slOkam ,

which is THE THIRUMANJANA SLOKAM .

 

In the ParibhAshai of our verenrable PoorvAchAryAs ,

it has every thing in it according to Sri VaishNava Sri

A.KrishNamAchArya Swamy :

 

1) SoRRc-chuvai ( delectable Taste of chosen words/vocabulary )

2) Porutc-chuvai ( Depth of Meaning of words chosen)

3) ArTa Gaambheeryam ( Majesty of the Meaning of assembly of words)

4) SampradhAya ViLakkam (Explanation of our ancient SampradhAyam)

5) SidhAntha Saaram (Quintessence of Bhagavath RaamAnuja SiddhAntham)

6) VaishNava Matha Tattvam ( The fundamentals of Taathva Thrayam)

7) Kavitha Rasam ( Elegant style as a Poet that is most enjoyable)

8) Noble SaasthrArTam ( Lofty meanings of Bhagavath Saasthrams)

9) Lowkeeka Reethi ( lOka anushtAna kramam).

 

The scholarly and yet lucid style of Swamy ParAsara Bhattar places

its unmistable mudhrai on this slOkam . Bhattar's genius in captuirng

the dialog between the most patient ParamAthmA (Sri Ranganaathan ) and

the impudent , stubborn Jevan will always be celebrated . This slokam

forms the high watermark of Bhattar's literary and philosophical works .

This is considered by scholars as the gem among slOkAs (SlOka rathnam) .

It is the sheet rock of our siddhantham and has been used abundantly by

our PoorvAchAryas in their kaalkshEpams and philosophical works.

 

Dr.S. PadmanAbhan's comments:

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" Noticing the impunity and stubbornness of the (Bhaddha) Jeevan ,

who thinks of himself as independent , the Lord (of Srirangam in

Thirumanjana kOlam) points out that the Jeevan ( on the authority of

Vedam , Gitaa and men of wisdom) always belongs to Him as his Supreme

Lord . But the Jeevan enters into a debate with the Lord . The archA

Moorthy , wet from the Thirumanjanam appears to our poet(Bhattar)

as though the Lord , to prove His claim on the individual Soul ( Jeevan) ,

is taking an oath wearing wet clothes and a garland of sacred Basil (TuLasi)

leaves . This swearing practise is known as dhivya in the Smruthi texts

(Yajnyavalkya Smruthi: II.29.5) . So Bhattar feels that in this particular

context , the Lord appears to be doing Jala dhivya and TuLasee dhivya .

The dialog between the Lord and the Jeevan may be presented as follows :

 

RanganAthan ® : You are Mine ( You belong to Me).

 

Jeevan(J) : No , I belong to myself.

 

R : It can not be ; How could that be possible ?

 

J : Alright , How about Your own claim ?

 

R : My claim is based on the authority of the VedAs .

 

J : My statement is based on my own experience , which is

beginningless in nature .

 

R : But this view is repudiated .

 

J: Where and by whom is it repudiated ?

 

R : By Me , clearly , in the GitA.

 

J : Who is the witness for that ?

 

R : A man of wisdom .

 

J : Well , then , that man of wisdom is partial to You .

 

It is a stroke of Bhattar " s genius that has presented this beautiful

conversation between God and man , of whom the God is ever eager

and ready to establish the sEsha-sEshi relation between Himself

and the rest of His creation . "

 

Sriman KrishNamaAcharya Swamy on the SlOkam's significance :

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In this slOkam , the big debate between PerumAl and the ChEtanan

on the issue of who is the Master of the ChEtanam . PerumAl quotes many

PramANams to point out that the ChEtanam is His property (Sotthu) and

the chEtanam refutes that claim by the Lord . Finally , the Lord adorns

wet vasthram and Tulasee garland and swears that the chEtanam as

His property as per the ways established by His Smruthis . Even today ,

in all Thirumanjanams , PerumAl wears only one vasthram(yEka VasthradhAri)

and has TuLasi Maalai around His neck to remind us of this debate .

If the jeevan had rsponded rightaway to the Lord's claim of him as

His property , there would not have been any debate . BhagavAn would

have been happy as Bhaktha Paratantran to embrace the jeevan for his

sEshathva Jn~Anam . The Jeevan takes the position that he is

his own property with the statement : aham mE ( I belong to myself) .

The most interesting dialog ensues and ends in favor of the Lord ,

the Sarva sEshi reminding the eternal and unalterable uRavu

( UnthannOdu uRavu ozhikka OzhiyAthu in AndAL's words ) .

The glory of creating this magnificent slOkam below belongs to

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar :

 

thvam mE aham mE kuthastadh tahapigutha idham vEdamoola pramANAth

yEtacchAnAdhi siddhAdhanubhava vibhavAth tarhi sAkrOSa yEva

kvAkrOSa: kasya GeethAdheeshu Mama vidhitha: kOatra saakshee sudheessyAth

hantha Thvath pakshapAthee sa ithi nrkalahE mrugya madhyasvathvam

 

(To be continued ).

 

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama: