SaraNaagati gadhyam :1950 Sriman Bhaashyam's release of Sri VishitAdhvaita PracharaNi sabha , Madras : Part VI

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SrI:

 

Dear Bhagavad RaamAnuja SampradhAyins:

 

In the fifth ChUrNikai AchArya RaamAnuja focuses on the divine ornaments/adornments of Lord RanganAtha.

 

5) svOchitavividhavidhavichitra anantSccharya nityaniravadhya niratiSayasugandha niratisayasukhasparSa niratisayaoujwalya

kireeDa makuDa chUDAvatamsa makara-

kuNDala graivEyaka hAra kEyUra SrIvatsa Koustubha muktAdhAma udharaBandhana PeetAmBara KaancheeguNa nUpurAdhyaparimitha dhivyabhUshaNa ! svAnurUpa achintyaSakti Sankhachakra GadhAsi SaarngasamkhyEya nityaniravadhya nitatiSaya KalyANa-dhivyAyudha !

 

Translation:

 

Oh NaarAyaNa ! Thou art decorated with all sorts and kinds of ornaments, Worthy of Thee , Most wonderful to behold,Everlasting , Faultless , Sweet smelling , soft to touch , wonderfully splenderous,such as the crown bearing the central diadem of lustrous stones , other head ornaments ,ear ornaments, necklaces and neck ornaments , garlands, shoulder bracelets and bracelets in the hands , SrI Vatsa and KoustubhA , pearl garlands , waistlets,lace cloths , gold waist band and leg ornaments and other precious and innumerable ornaments.

 

Commentary

 

Here, AchArya Ramanuja goes on to describe the ornaments and adornments on the dhivya vigraha of Lord Rangantha.

Vividha means different kinds of ornaments such as KaDaka, MakuDa; Vichitra denotes varieties in each kind of ornaments.

 

Anantaascharya-Excellent beyond any limit.The word Niravadhya is used denote , " flawlesness for the purpose of

contemplation".When starting contemplating on the Divine Form,

naturally the vision of His ornaments comes on prominetly before our Mental eyes . The quality of " Niratisaya sugandhatvam" distinguishes these ornamentsfrom the ordinary or common variety. For the Sruti says " He is all sweet smelling and all Rasa".

 

MakuDa means the central piece in the head coronet in which the most precious stone is embedded , or it may mean the Crown itself . Compare " na-akunDali-na-amakuDi". No one in AyOdhya without KunDala and MakuDa (i-e) the head ornament. Dhivya means divine, not the ordinary kind. The word "dhivya" qualifies all of the above ornaments.

 

BhagavAn's ThirumEni is SubhASrayam

( Subham cha asou ASrayaSccha ). It is more amenable for enjoyment than His DhivyAtma Svaroopam.In Swamy Desikan's Srimad Rahasya Traya Saaram ( DhvayAdhikAram) ,He says:

 

ParAvarasukhagrAhyam

prEmaBhOdhaprasAvakam

svarUpAth SwaminO rUpam

upAdhEyatamam vidhu:

 

The dhivya soundharyam of the Lord's ThirumEni is readily appreciated and enjoyed by both the great yOgis as well

as simple people . The darsaNam of that ThirumEni enhances one's Jn~Anam and Bhakti.

 

In the 142nd sUtram of Mumukshupadi,

Sri PiLLailOkAcchAr describes the ParamabhOgya SukhAnubhavam of the ThirumEni of the Lord adorned with His

aabharaNams and weapons this way:

 

"ThirukkayyilE pidittha dhivya AayutangaLUm , vaitthu anjal yenRa kaiyyum , kavitta Mudiyum , Mukamum ,

MuRuvalum , Aasana PadmattilE azhuntina ThiruvadikaLumAi niRkira nilayE namakku tanjam".

 

Immersed in the dhivyAnubhavam of the enjoyment of the Pacchai Maamalai adorned with His AabharaNams and adornments , ThoNDaradippodi AzhwAr revealed his contented state of mind:

 

" Icchuvai tavira yaann pOy Indhira lOkam AaLum acchuvai peRinum vENDEn ,

ArangamaanaharuLAnE ".

 

Our Lord's AabharaNams and Aayudhams are AaSrayams for the dhivya tattva abhimAna dEvatais as explined in the Tattva Traya chintana

AdhikAram ( Purudan MaNivaramAha--).

The samudhAya Sobhai of the AabharaNams with the divine ThirumEni of the Lord is hailed in this ChUrNikai.

 

6. His Weapons

 

In the sixth ChUrNikai , AchArya RaamAnuja salutes the Lord's Aayudhams .

 

Text of the 6th ChUrNikai

 

svAnurUpA achintyasakti Sankha-chakra gadhAsi SaarngdhyasankhyEya nitya niravadhya niratisaya KalyANa dhivyAyudhA !

 

Translation of the Text

 

Oh NarayaNa ! Though Thou bearest also various weapons of par-excellent powers , and worthy of Thee (i.e)., the Conch, the discus, the Mace, the Sword and the Bow and such like other innumerable auspicious divine weapons exceed all others in power and force.

 

Commentary on the 6th ChUrnikai

 

" Achintya Sakti:" Each weapon has the power to do the work of all the weapons as stated in Srimath RaamAyaNa about the arrow of Raama. " The works generally done with the help of a crowbar , a chisel and spade were performed by one arrow from RaamA's bow"; this refers to the splintering of the seven Saala trees, the hill and the netherworld by one arrow of Raama let off by Him to proove His prowess to the doubting Sugreeva.Niravadisaya kalyANa denotes the par-excellent splendour of the whole vision , including weapons and

ornaments saluted in the previous chUrNikai .

 

Seventh ChUrNikai: His Consorts

 

Text of the Seventh ChUrNikai

 

svAbhimata nitya-niravadhyAnurUpa svaroopa roopa vibhava Iswarya SeelAdhyanavadhikAdhiSaya asankhyEya

KalyANaguNagana-Srivallabha ! yEvambhUta BhUmi-NeeLAnaayaka!

 

Translation of the 7th ChUrNikai

 

7. Thou art also the Consort of Sri Devi with a form harmonizing with Thine and of highly beneficient qualities ,such as glory, Rulership with innumerable auspicious attributes. Thou art also the consort of Bhoo and NeeLaa Devis , possessors of similar noble attributes.

 

Commentary on the 7th ChUrNikai

 

This is a passage , which describes the splendid attributes of SrI dEvi and concludes by saying that Iswara is the Lord of such a Sri.He is also the Lord of BhU and NeeLA devis with attributes similar to that of SrI Devi. This is indicated by the word "yEvambhUta".The two devis are mentioned seperately as they occupy not the same status as SrI

dEvi, but are Her SeshabhUtaas . Accordingly , it is said in SrI GuNa Ratna KOSa that Lakshmi pleases Her Lord by means of BhU and NeeLA,whom She( SrI DEvi) considers as Her own organs , breast,hands and feet .

(To Be Continued)

 

adiyEn SrI RaamAnuja DhAsan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan