MaangaLya Sthavam : Part II

[Guest guest]

SrI:

Dear VishNu BhakthAs :

 

Let us study the structure of MaangaLya Sthavam First .

 

The First two slOkams contain the questions of Sage DhAlabhyar :

 

KaaryArambhEshu sarvEshu dhu:svapnEshu cha satthama

amangalyEshu dhrushtEshu yajjapthavyam tadhuchyathAm ---SlOkam 1

 

yEnArambhAsccha siddhyanthy dhu:svapnOscchOpaSaamyathy

amangaLAnAm dhrushtAnAm parihArAsccha jaayathE ---SlOkam 2

 

(Meaning): Sage Dhaalabhya asks : Oh Sage Pulasthya ! the great one among

those who comprehend the Supreme Brahman! What should one recite

when one commences initiatives ? What should one recite when one has

bad dreams ? What should one recite , when one wishes to ward off

inauspiciousness ?Please enlighten us . How do the tasks started

reach auspicious endings without disruptions ? How does the bad dreams

fail from delivering their inauspicious effects ? Which is the force behind

the banishment of amangaLams ( inauspiciousness) ?

 

Sage DhAlabhya 's concern is that for us as well . We would like to start

a task with a Phalan in mind and would like to speed towards its realization

without any hindrance . We wish to have vigna upasAnthy thru parihAram

for those amangaLams that stand in the way of fulfilment . Hence , Sage

DhAlabhya's question has an universal ring to it . He wants to know about

a sthOthram/Mantra Japam that will be an antidote for the amangaLams that

one may come across in the execution of tasks initiated or SaadhanAs attempted .

Which powerful sthOthram would help us is the question !

 

Sage Poulasthyar agrees to respond to the question of Sage DhAlabhyar .

He says :

 

JanArdhanam bhUthapathim Jagadhgurum

smaran manushya: sathatham MahAmunE :

dhushDAnyasEshANAyapahanthy sAdhayathi

asEsha-kAryANi cha yAnyabheepsathy ----SlOkam 3

 

Sage Pulasthyar says : Oh great Rishi DhAlabhya ! I will reveal

to you as to how one chases away all these amangaLams and

gains the auspicious fruits that one wishes . He does it by

meditating on the Supreme Being of the Universe, who is the owner of

all chEthanams and achEthanams (Sentients and insentients) of

the universe and who has the unique power to eliminate future

births in this samsaaric world subject to the amangaLams of

the tApa thrayams . The name of that Supreme Being is JanArdhanan .

Meditation on Him confers all MangaLams and destroys all amangaLams.

 

The key words in this slOkam are (1) Janardanan (2) BhUtha Pathi

and (3) Jagath Guru . Let us study these three significant nAmAs chosen

by Sage Pulasthyar :

 

(1) JanArdhana : "Bhaktha vidhvEshaNAm thUrNam mardhanAth Sa JanArdhana :

 

He is called JanArdhana because He protects His devotees ( Bhaktha RakshaNam)

from their enemies and destroys (Mardanam) latter without any external help

( anAvaraNa guNam) . He is endless and boundless and stands Supreme

at His temple on the beach at Varkala in KeraLA and everywhere for that matter .

 

(2) He is BhUtha Pathi :Vedam salutes: " Pathim visvasya aathmEswaram Sivam

Achyutham ".

 

He is the Master of all bhUthams ( beings) .The following VishNu Sahasra NaamAs

will help appreciate the significance of BhU sabdham and the many NaamAs

containing that BhU sabdham . Here is a brief comments from Bhagavadh

GuNa DaerpaNam of Swamy ParAsara Bhattar :

 

2.1: BhU: (438th NaamA) : The All-Supporter

 

2.2: BhU Garbha: (72nd Naamaa) : He for whom Earth is the object of protection .

 

2.3:He creates all beings without any external help and protects them

as BhUthakruth (5th NaamA) .

 

2.4:He is the Master of all things in the past, present and fruture as

BhUtha Bhavya Bhavath Prabhu ( 4th Naama for JanArdhana Prabhu).

 

3. Jagath Guru : He is the AchAryan for us all . Thru his avathArams as

Varaha ( Jn~AnappirAn) , Raama and KrishNa (GeethAchAryan) , He blessed us

with the three Charama slOkams as the Jagath Guru .

Essence of the Fourth SlOkam

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The fourth slOkam is in the form of an assurance by Pulasthyar that he will

initiate Sage DhAlabhyar in to the Japam of a Sthuthi , which would produce

subham , remove all obstacles that stand in the way of desired fruits and

destoy all amangaLams . The benefits accruing from mediatation of

JanArdhana Hari is indicated as the remedy for the ills associated with

amangaLams .

 

Rest of the Maangalya Sthavam

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

 

In the next 8 slOkams , Sage Pulasthyar describes the sarvOnnathathvam

(Supermacy over every one) of Hari , His Jagath KaaraNathvam ( Cause

behind the universe , its creation , sustenance and dissolution ) , Mokshapradhathvam

( unique power to grant Moksham ) , antharyAmithvam ( presence as the indweller

in all ) and Parathvam ( Supermacy ) .

 

The next set of 8 slOkams , the greatness of NrusimhAvathAram is celebrated

by the Sage ; this in turn is followed up with a description of the uniqueness of

VarAhAvathAram in the next 7 slOkams . These two avathArams are specially

about Bhaktha RakshaNam and removal of amangaLams ( the two RaakshasAs

who tormented the Lord's BhakthAs) . Sofar we have reached a count of 27 among

the 50 slOkams of Maangalya Sthavam .

 

After the celebration of VarAha avathAram , VaamanAvathAram comes into

focus . Sage Pulasthyar salutes this avathAram with 7 slOkams. This is followed by

salutations to Sri HayagrIva , Sri ParasurAma , Sri Ramachandra and Sri KrishNa

avathArams with one slOkam each . Now we have reached the count of 39 slOkams .

 

Now , Sage Pulasthyar moves away from salutations to the individual avathArams

and devotes one slOkam each to the Moorthys , which are to be meditated

upon in the Morning , afternoon , the evening and at all times by us . Two phala sruthi

slOkams flow next about these Four Moorthys to be worshipped at different

times of the day or throughout the whole day . That Hari is the sakala Phala-

pradhan is proved with referecne to some of His leelais in the next slOkam .

This Sthavam ends with three more slOkams linked to the celebration of

the uniqueness of Hari Naama Sankeethanam and Hari Naama Japam

for removal of all amangaLams and the realization of all MangaLams .

 

In the next few postings , adiyEn will study in detail the 4th SlOkam and

the ones that follow it .

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan