Fw: Thirumanjan Kattiyam SlOkam 25 : Part II

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Sri Ranganatha BhakthAs :

 

This famous slOkam can be split up as a conversation

this way :

 

thvam mE , aham mE , kuthasthAth , tadhapi kutha ,

idham vEdamoola pramANam , yEthaccAnAdhisiddhAth

anubhava vibhavAth , tarhi saakrOsa yEva " , kAkrOsa: kasya ? ,

GeethAdheeshu Mama vidhitha: , kOathra sAkshee ?

sudhee: syAth , hantha Thvath PakshapAthee Sa ithi

nrukalahE mrugya madhyasvathvam

 

The passages in red (italics) are Lord RanganAthA's words .

The words in blue are those of the arguing Jeevan .

 

The Vaibhavam of the Lord at Srirangam

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

Bhattar's introduction : Among the Para-vyUha-vibhava-antharyAmi-archA

manifestations , the Lord incarnates as the adhyantha sulabha ( most easily

accessible) , aparAtha-saha ( easily forgiving trespasses) , aapiroopya

Moolagandha ( the tap/Main root for Soundharyam ) archAvathAran

at Srirangam ( the quintessential archai ) . Here He rests in the island

formed by the two Cauverys as a result of the power of the penance of

Brahmaa , IshvAku kings , DasaraTa nandhana ( Raamachandra) , VibheeshaNa

and ChOLA king Dharmavarmaa by the banks of Chandra PushkaraNi on

Sesha peetam . This dhivya dEsam is on the top of the list of dhivya dEsams

enjoyed by the bhaktha janams ( Bhagavad-abhimatha ashtOtthara satha

sTAna srEshtatamam ) . It is ancient and primordial ( aadhyam ) , self-manifested

( svayam vyaktham) with the VimAnam known as Rangam ( vimAnam Ranga

Samj~nakam ) . AzhwArs have saluted its glories with the MangaLAsAsanams like:

" Senkayal paay neer Thiruvarangam " , Kuyil koovum kuLir pozhil soozh

Thiruvarangam " , "aRRapaRRar suRRi vaazhum anthaNeerarangam " .

Here , the Lord enjoys ThirumanjanOthsavam on special days with

CauvEry Theerttham . It is here , He engages in the debate with

the stubborn Jeevan, which believes with gusto that it is its own

Master .

 

Additional details on this slOkam included in the Thirumanjana Kattiyam

composed by adiyEn for Oppiliappan are at :

 

http://www.oppiliappan.org

 

Detailed Commentary by Bhattar :

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

The introduction for this slOkam was briefly covered in

the previous posting . Let us cover the rest of the introductory

passage from Bhattar that dwells on the Lord's most enjoyable

residence at His Supreme abode , where He is served by His

two Devis , Parijanams . There at His nithya VibhUdhi , He is

saluted by Deva Rishis , AzhwArs and Sruthis for His dhivyAthma

Svaroopam and Dhivya MangaLa vigraham as :

 

" Satyam Jn~Anam Anantham Brahma " ,

 

" Samastha KalyANa guNAmruthan " ,

 

" ayarvaRum amararkaL adhipathi" ,

 

" ParAsya Sakthir-vividhaiva srUyatE svAbhavikee

Jn~Ana Bala kriyA cha "

 

" GuNa NaamAkArO MahAn "

 

" vaSeevadhAnyO guNavAn rujusSuchi "

 

There at Parama Padham , He is adored and served by

Sri Devi and BhU Devi :

 

" Hreesccha tE Lakshmeeccha Pathnyou "

 

" Thirumadanthai MaNN Madanthai irupAlum thihazha "

 

" VadiviNai-illA Malar MahaL maRrai nilamahaL

pidikkum melladiyAn "

 

He is served by the DevAs holding fragrant garlands in their hands ,

perform Thirumanjanam for Him and present shOdasOpachArams

thereafter at SrI Vaikuntam :

 

" Sootu nanmAalikaL thUyanavEnthi ViNNOrhaL nanneerAtti andhUpam

tarA niRkavE "

 

That Lord of exquisite beauty is served by His DEvis , NithyasUris and

enjoys the Vaikunta BhOgams in His blissful abode as described by

AchArya RaamAnuja in his Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam . His sacred feet are

familar to the NithyasUris through their prostrations . While sitting at

Sri Vaikuntam on the seat of Aadhi Seshan , He worries about the suffering

Jeevans in LeelA VibhUthi ( BhU lOkam ) . " dEsAntharagathanAna puthran

pakkalilE Pithru hrudhayam kidaikkumAppOlE , samsAri chEtanar

pakkalilE ThiruvuLLam kudi pOnthu "( It is like the compassion & concern of

a Father for his son , who has gone to a faroff land , Lord RangananAtha

worries about the chEtanams suffering from SamsAric afflictions ) . He descends

to earth as ArchAvathAran and engages the impudent bhaddha Jeevan

to rescue him from his own follies . This is a beautiful dialog 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 ".

 

Thvam mE : Oh Suffering Jeevan ! You are mine . You are my sEsha bhUthan .

I can not see you suffer

 

aham mE : As dEhAthmAbhimAni , I am my Lord ( IswarOahamaham bhOgi)

Jeevan says here:SvantrAthmabhimAna yukthanAna yenakkE nAnn

sEshabhUthan .

 

Bhagavaan asks How is that ? ( Kuthas-tadh ? ) . It can not be possible.

 

The impudent and deluded Jeevan retorts : " tadhapi kutha " . How about

Your own claim ?

 

RanganAtha answers : " idham Veda moola pramANAth " . My statement is

on the authority of the VedAs (Sudar mihu Sruthi) . Vedam is eternal and

changeless ( VaachA viroopa nithyayA ) . Vedam which is my breath says

about you , the chEtanan , as my Sesha bhUthan are :

 

" Pathim VisvasyaathmEswaram "

 

" TameeswarANAm Paramam MahEswaram Tamm dhaivathAnAm Paramam

cha Dhaivatham "

 

" KsharAthmanou IsathE Deva Yeka: "

 

" PradhAna KshEthraj~na pathirguNEsa : "

 

" BhOkthA bhOgyam prErithAram cha mathvA "

 

" nithyO nithyAnAm chEtanas-chEtanAnAm "

 

" antha: pravishta SaasthA janAnAm SarvAthmA "

 

" Yasya AathmA Sareeram "

 

" Yasya Pruthvee Sareeram "

 

Thus from Veda pramANam , you are My sEshabhUthan .

 

Now Jeevan responds to the Veda PramANam cited by the Lord

and says : My statement of being independent and in control of

my destiny is based on my own experience , which is beginningless

in nature ( yEthaccha anAdhi-siddhAdh-anubhava vibhavAth )

 

Lord RanganAthA observes what you say is repudiated

( tarhi sAkrOsa yEva )

 

Jeevan is still unconvinced and asks : Where and by whom

is it repudiated ?( kkvAkrOsa: kasya) .

 

Lord RanganAtha explains : It is Me , who has repudiated clearly

that view that you hold in My GithOpanishad ( GeethAdhishu Mama

vidhitha: ) :

 

Jeevan is still unconvinced and asks , " who is the witness to Your

repudiation in GitA ? " ( kOathra Saakshee ? ) .

 

Lord replies : A man of wisdom ( Jn~Ani, Sudheeya:) is the witness

(SudheeyasyAth ) .

 

Jeevan still shows its skepticism and comments: " Jn~Ani is indeed

partial to You /PakshapAthi . How can I trust the Jn~Ani ? He will be

a false witness as far as I am concerned ( KooDa Saakshi) .

 

Thus the exchanges and the debate continued ( ithi nru kalahE ) .

 

Lord now wants to settle the dispute once and for all and adorns

the wet vasthram and TuLasi garland ( Jala dhivya and TuLasi dhivya)

to provide the conclusive pramANam for the stubborn ChEtanam

to rescue him from his untenable and dangerous position about

the Jeevan's nonexistent independence as a Sesha bhUthan (nrukalahE

pramANam karthum ithyuktha: mrugya madhyastha: yeeritha: ).

 

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar created this profound slOkam in the form of

a dialog on the ancient and deeep relationship between the Lord

and the dependent Jeevan as the essence of VedAntham .

 

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Srimath Azhagiya Singar Thiruvadi , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan