A pamphlet ...

[Guest guest]

On 29th of Jan 2010 on the day of the Thai Ther a printed notice was being

distributed in the vicinity of Sri Desikan Thirumaligai. Of late, it is being

looked after by the Srirangam Poundrikapuram Andavan Ashramam. In the days of

yore the great acharya used to live here, just northwest to the sanctum of

Ranganayaki, in the north Uttara street. This is adiyen's feeble attempt at

translation of the notice...

 

Good hearted people of Srirangam always recite the " Dvaya arthanusandhanam " told

by Sri Bhasyakara during the final stage of his life.

 

O Aranga! I am desirous of worshiping You by chanting at all times " Om namo

Narayana " and " Sriman Narayana charanou sharanam prapadhye Srimathe Narayananaya

namah " . But alas! my mouth and tongue are always committing the grave sins of

telling lies, using harsh words, asking others for lowly gains and flattering

the undeserving.

Inspite of knowing the greatness of Your Names I am unable to chant Your Names

because of my ineligibility. I am afraid to enumerate Your Names and I feel that

it may amount to blasphemy if I do. I am unable to direct my tongue to tread the

path of sinlessness. It is not under my control but is being governed by the

actions(karma) of my previous births.

You may become angry by the usage of inappropriate words, like the talk of

fools, by this vassal of Yours. Even that ire of Yours can be borne by Yours

humbly. This is by worshipping you with folded hands, anjali, which will remove

all my sins. I am not able to overcome the troubles caused by my tongue and

mouth. Hence I have to follow the path on which my mouth and tongue take me. You

endure the speech of fools, ogres, the unrighteous and the outcast and still

rule over the world of Srirangam.Some elders who are well versed in " pakshi

sashtra " can decipher good or bad tidings from the voices of crows,asses,parrots

etc and govern the world accordingly. Similarly, this humble servant beseeches

You to accept the chanting of " ashtakshara " and " dvaya arthanusandhanam " by his

sinful tongue, whenever he does so in Your Presence and set him on the righteous

path(flawless service in the time remaining).

When this sinful servant of Yours sings with his tongue, the songs sung by

immaculate sages he not only pollutes those songs but also disparages those

sages consequently. The wrong committed by Your servant is indeed unforgivable.

Because of the quality of " kshama " which makes You tolerant, protective and

forgiving You exonerate those devotees of Yours who having done wrong,

penitently pray for absolution. This quality of yours has been highlighted in

" Kshama shodasi " by Seeramapillai, the grandson of Sri Kurathazhvan. Hence

considering my humble self as Your servant and the servant of Your devotees I

pray to you with folded hands to rectify my speech and make me always chant

" ashtakshara " and " dvaya arthanusandhanam " .

Ranga! This servant knows the good, the evil, the spoilers and the others. He

lives on in this world knowing what is good and what is not. But he has the good

sense to recite Narayana, Ranga, Varada etc. If others ask what is the benefit

of this he not capable of answering. Please do not think that I am flattering

you for some lowly gain. Stationing Yourself near the entrance of Sri

Lakshmi's(Ranganayaki) sanctum, on the second day, You have resolved to grace

and protect Your devotees. Me thinks it is solely for this purpose You arrange

for this festival.

This vassal of Yours is struggling even to know the simple method of thinking

about You. Please do not enable me to understand the esoteric meanings of

" ashtakshara " and " dvaya " . Please do not grace me to be instructed in

" tattvartha " meanings of realities. Those who are eligible to be taught these

must possess the four qualities of humility, piety, discipline and eagerness.

This servant is bereft of these. Please consider me as one who has the sole

qualification of sentience and who lives in the street near Your sanctum. With

just this criterion please protect and grace this servant of yours to forever

vocalise " Namo Narayananaya, Ranga, Varada " and the " dvaya " with full

understanding of the esoterica.

 

In the past You have blessed and protected cowherds and an elephant. In this

world the status of those who believed in their wives and children for welfare

is well seen. Examples from history, of those who were protected and lived well

trusting their spouses,fathers and children, are hard to come by. Was Hiranyan

trustworthy? Were Vasudeva and Dasaratha trustworthy? How You had to suffer

because of them(fathers)! Unable to tolerate this You incarnated as Nrisimha, as

Trivikrama and many others to grace and protect all. During Your incarnation

when Your wives and children suffered, even Your best friend absconded, unable

to safeguard them. That no one else has the power was proved. Even the great

sages are not able to enumerate the number of times You have helped the vain and

egocentric Indra when it appeared that his position was endangered. Thus have

You graced and sheltered him. Consequently even the fools were able to know

unambiguously that You are the master of all.

Wasn't it You who created Manmatha, God of Love, from a portion of Your

handsomeness, because of all the handsome objects in this world You wanted there

to be one which is the most handsome. You Yourself have witnessed that an object

created by You turns inimical. I beseech You to bless the good hearted residents

of Srirangam, created by You, with the good attitude, to forever recite with

enthusiasm Your blessed Name " Om namo Narayana " and " dvaya arthanusandhanam " in

Your presence.

 

N.B.

On the occasion of the 1000th anniversary of Kurathazhvan's birth, the

hospitality at Kuram for which Azhvan was justly famous is being replicated at

Sri Desikan's Thirumaligai, home, in Srirangam's north Uttara street. This

humble servant accepted the hospitality one day and was pained to notice the

next day that after the repast, Udayavar's final advice, the path shown by

Azhvan, " ashtakshara " and " dvaya arthanusandhanam " were not recited by the

residents of Srirangam. Thence I brought out this in a printed form after

worshipping Namperumal.

A silver tumbler will be given as a prize to those who recite Azhvan's

panchastava which amounts to about 250 slokas during " athithi satkaram " at Swami

Desika's Thirumaligai, every day, irrespective of their age.

Those who come to worship Ranganatha need not worry about a place to rest or

about food. They are again and again welcome to receive the hospitality at Swami

Desika's Thirumaligai, free of cost.

Yours

Thiruvinnagaram Govindachary.