The Gift that was Not

[Guest guest]

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

 

The Gift That Was Not

 

 

 

We were on a trip to Srirangam. Impressed by the glorious vision of Sri

Rangaraja, who had robbed the sight and heart of innumerable devotees over

countless millennia, my son asked me, " Why is Ranganatha called " Peria Perumal? "

This set me thinking. Though there is perhaps only one correct answer to this

question, yet my mind sought alternatives. Could Ranganatha be called Peria

Perumal because of the dimensions of His supine figure? No, that could not be,

for there are bigger moorties at Tiruvanantapuram and Tiruvattaar. Could He be

called that because of the huge number of devotees He attracts? Not really, for

Tirumala boasts of a much larger crowd. Could it be because of the size of His

abode at Srirangam, which is itself called Periya Koil? This too could not be,

because there are other temples too, equally big and beautiful. Is it because He

was worshipped by Sri Rama, (who Himself is " Perumal " ) and is hence called

" Periya Perumal " -a Super Perumal who has the glory of having been venerated by

no less than the Lord's own incarnation? This indeed is the popular explanation.

However, the same distinction is shared by Sri Nrisimha too, who too was

adulated by Sri Rama and Sri Srinivasa too, for good measure-hence, though

plausible and popular, this reason too fails to appeal.

 

 

 

Then why indeed is Sri Rangaraja adored as " Periya Perumal " ? The answer is that

it is He who has occupied the hearts of Azhwars and Acharyas, almost to the

exclusion of Emprumans at other divyadesams. It is to Ranganatha that a vast

majority of verses of Divya Prabandam, dripping with devotion, have been

dedicated. Much more than any other, it is the Lord of Srirangam who has

fascinated Azhwars and Acharyas like birds and bees are, by a honey-laden

flower. If all Azhwars, (with the exception of Madhurakavi, who, in any case,

confined his eulogies to Sri Nammazhwar) have made it a point to sing of

Srirangam, whether or not they offered their verbal garlands to any other

Emperuman, is it not reason enough to call this magnificent Lord " Peria

Perumal? " Sri Ranganatha is the only Perumal to have two or more Prabandams

devoted exclusively to Him (Amalanaadipiraan and Tirumaalai). Two Azhwars, Sri

Kulasekhara Perumal and Sri Tirumangai Mannan, have performed extensive

kainkaryam at this holiest of holies. All Acharyas, without exception, have made

Srirangam their head quarters for varying periods of time: Sri Ramanuja spent

all his life (but for his enforced exile at Melkote) there, after leaving

Kanchi: Sri Bhattar preferred to be born as a lowly dog, roaming the streets of

Srirangam, to high birth elsewhere: Swami Desikan made Srirangam his second

home, composed his magnum opus there and performed all manner of service to the

Lord: Sri Pillai Lokacharya gave up his precious life in the defence of Sri

Ranganatha: Sri Manavala Mamunigal spent a major portion of his ascetic life

performing kainkaryam to Azhagia Manavaalan. It is the resultant sanctity of

worship by all these Acharyas and the Azhwars before them, that entitles

Ranganatha to the sobriquet, " Periya Perumal " .

 

 

 

However, even prior to Azhwars and Acharyas, the list of those who worshipped

Sri Ranganatha reads like a Who's Who of spiritual literature.

 

Emperors of the Chozha dynasty, beginning with Dharmavarma, were ardent admirers

of Azhagia Manavalan and expressed their devotion in stone, mortar and metal,

building several mandapams, corridors and other constructions, apart from

adorning the Lord with priceless gems and jewels. Prior to Dharmavarma, it was

Sri Vibhishana who performed tiruvaaraadhanam to the Lord (this, in fact, is the

nucleus of the present article). And before Vibhishana, a long line of

distinguished Emperors of the Ikshvaaku dynasty, up to Sri Rama, worshipped

Rangaraja as their family deity. And Ikshvaaku himself obtained this priceless

treasure of Ranga vimaanam and Rangaraja from the four-headed Brahma, who had in

turn attained the same after long and sincere penance. When we stand before

Rangaraja today, we feel pretty small and insignificant when we consider the

long and illustrious line of devotees who have paid obeisance to Him over the

ages.

 

 

 

However, if we poor mortals are able to feast our eyes on Sri Ranganatha today,

it is Sri Vibhishana we have to thank for the privilege and pleasure.

 

It was this right-thinking raakshasa who obtained Azhagia Manavalan from

Chakravartthi Tirumagan and established the moorthy at Srirangam, albeit

unwittingly. Sri Rama gifted Ranganatha to Vibhishana on the occasion of His

coronation at Ayodhya, we are told.

 

 

 

We are slightly confused here. Several questions arise regarding the gifting of

Ranga vimaanam and the deity, by Sri Rama to Vibhishana.

 

 

 

First and foremost, would anyone give away the Perumal who forms the object of

one's daily worship? And more pertinently, would one part with a moorthy which

had been worshipped by one's distinguished ancestors, who had themselves

obtained the Perumal after Herculean effort? For instance, would you part with a

Saalagraama moorthy or vigraham which has been in your family for ages and has

been ministered to lovingly by your forefathers? Not only would you not do it,

you wouldn't even think of such a thing. Yet, this is what Sri Rama did-He

gifted away to Vibhishana the Ikshvaaku kula daivatam, which had been bequeathed

to Him and which was more precious to Him than the entire kingdom of Kosala.

 

 

 

Secondly, why was Vibhishana chosen for this invaluable gift and why not

 

Sugriva or Angada, who had aided Sri Rama no less in reclaiming Sri Mythily?

And, more pertinently, why not Hanuman, whose devotion to Raghava was beyond

parallel? You could think of a host of other worthies who were apparently

eligible for this priceless gift. Yet, it was Vibhishana whom Sri Raghava chose.

 

 

 

Since Sri Rama is the embodiment of righteousness ( " Ramo vigrahavaan Dharma: " )

what He did must have indeed been correct, for He was capable of no wrong. When

you search for a reason, it dawns on you immediately. It was only Vibhishana who

performed Saranagati at the lotus feet of Sri Rama and to whom the latter felt

infinitely beholden. He may have had innumerable well-wishers, any number of

worthies may have aided and assisted Him in His endeavours, but the Lord feels

an immense sense of obligation to none else but the Saranagata, who surrenders

to Him heart and soul. Neither Sugriva nor even Hanuman can boast of having

explicitly performed Saranagati to the Lord, as could Vibhishana. It was this

rakshasa who recognized Sri Rama as the universal saviour and refuge, as are

evident from his words on the occasion of his surrender- " Sarva loka saranyaaya

Raaghavaaya mahaatmane " . And it was he and none other who spurned untold wealth,

a beloved wife and loving children ( " tyaktvaa putraanscha daaraanscha " ) and left

behind a life of princedom and pleasure, all for the sake of the Lord. This

simple act of Saranagati imposed such a burden of debt on Raghava that He felt

partly relieved only after He crowned Vibhishana the Emepror of Lanka- " vijvara:

pramumoda ha " . And it was again as a token of His boundless love for surrendered

souls that Sri Rama gifted to Vibhishana the famed Ranga vimaanam and Sri

Ranganatha's moorthy, for He could think of nothing more valuable to reward the

saranaagata with. Swami Desikan tells us that the Lord hastens to bestow the

prapanna with all His boundless bounty, and is prepared to proffer Himself too,

all in return for the simple and singular strategy of Saranagati- " tamadu

anaitthum avar tamakku vazhangi " .

 

 

 

Is there any evidence in the Ramayana for Sri Rama having gifted the Ranga

vimaanam to Vibhishana, or is it just folklore? For instance, in many villages,

especially in Karnataka, people say that Rama and Lakshmana stopped there for a

night or more, as proof of which they point to the name of the place, which is

usually Ramanagara or Ramapura etc. And if an old wives' tale is recounted long

enough and loud enough, it becomes quasi-history and in course of time acquires

an unchallenged authenticity. However, the episode of Vibhishana obtaining Sri

Ranganatha from Sri Rama is well-documented in Srimad Ramayanam.

 

 

 

After Sri Rama pattabhishekam, all those who attended prepare for returning

home. It is on this occasion that Sri Rama rewards all the vaanara veeras and

Vibhishana, as is proper and befitting the status of each- " Yathaarham poojitaa:

sarve kaamai ratnaischa pushkalai " . While Sugriva, Hanuman and other

personalities are honoured with various presents, when it is the turn of

Vibhishana, Sri Rama obviously feels that the only fitting gift was His own

deity of daily worship-Sri Ranganatha. He could think of no other reward more

precious and prized. Sri Valmiki says that Vibhishana returned to Lanka, having

obtained the family heirloom- " Labhdhvaa kula dhanam Raja Lankaam praayaat

Vibhishana: " . Having parted with His priceless possession, did Rama feel sorry,

as an afterthought, as many of us do? Not at all-- to the contrary, in His

extremely generous heart, He felt immensely happy that He could reward the

Saranagata with a fitting present- " Raaghava: paramodaara: raraaja parayaa

mudaa " .

 

 

 

There are those who say that the aforesaid lines of Valmiki are general in

nature and do not refer in particular to the Ranga vimaanam and that the words

" Kula dhanam " (ancestral treasure) refer to Vibhishana's traditional property of

the Kingdom of Lanka (of which Rama crowned him emperor) and not to Rama's

heirloom of Ranga vimaanam. Just to convince these doubting Thomases, the Paadma

Puranam explicitly confirms that Rama's gift to Vibhishana was indeed the

former's deity of daily worship, Sri Ranganatha-

 

 

 

" iti uktvaa pradadou tasmai sva vislesha asahishnave

 

Sri Ranga saayinam sva archyam Ikshvaaku kula daivatam

 

Rangam vimaanam aadaaya Lankaam praayaat Vibhishana: "

 

 

 

To Vibhishana, who could not bear separation from Rama, Rama gifted His own icon

of worship, which had belonged to the Ikshvaaku dynasty for countless millennia.

Happy beyond measure at the unexpected and priceless gift, Vibhishana repaired

to Lanka with the Ranga vimaanam, says the Paadma Purana. These slokas have been

quoted by commentators of Ramayana, while dealing with the gift to the raakshasa

raja.

 

 

 

Further evidence, if required, of the close connection between Srirangam and

Vibhishana, is available in the Divya Prabandam too, with Sri Tondaradippodi

telling us that the recumbent figure of Ranganatha looks benignly towards

Lanka- " ten disai Ilangai nokki " . When there are a hundred places south of

Srirangam, it is indeed significant that Azhwar considers Ranagaraja to be

facing Lanka, the home of Vibhishana. Having disappointed Vibhishana by not

choosing to become a resident of Lanka, the Lord apparently thought that He

would make up somewhat by looking towards Lanka. This can be inferred from the

following lines of Sri Periazhwar-- " Mannudaya Veedanarkkaa madil Ilangai disai

nokki malark kan vaittha ennudaya Tiruvarangar "

 

 

 

In a classic case of slips between the cup and the lip, Vibhishana could not

retain the idol of Rangaraja and take it with him to Lanka, where he intended to

house Him in his palace. Having had enough of palace sojourns, Ranganatha

decided to settle down at the idyllic spot between two branches of the Kaveri.

It was evening when Vibhishana was returning to Lanka and the sun was about to

set. Particular about performing sandhyavandanam in time (ironically, even

rakshasas appear to be meticulous about this, but not we) the king of rakshasas

set down the vimaanam at a picturesque and enchanting place, on a stretch of

sands surrounded by thick groves where birds and bees sang incessantly and the

river Kaveri flowed serenely, with two branches together resembling a mighty

garland. After worshipping sandhya, when Vibhishana was ready to resume his

journey to Lanka, he found that he could not lift the Lord from the place where

he had set Him down. Try as he might with all his might, the rakshasa could not

make the Lord budge from the new place He had decided to make His home. And so

came into being Srirangam, which was to acquire acclaim and renown as " Bhooloka

Vaikunttam " or heaven on earth.

 

 

 

Swami Desikan tells us that the place at which the Ranga vimaanam was set down

by Vibhishana was originally known as " Sesha Peetam " and was being worshipped by

Rishis who were aware of its impending glory as the foundation for the Lord's

preferred abode. Here is the beautiful slokam from Hamsa Sandesam-

 

 

 

" Teere tasyaa virachita padam saadhubhi: sevyamaanam

 

shraddhaa yogaat vinamita tanu: Sesha peetham bhajethaa:

 

yasmin asmat kula dhana tayaa soumya Saaketa bhaaja:

 

sthaanam bhaavyam munibhi: uditam sreemataa Rangadhaamna: "

 

 

 

Dispatching a swan with a message to Sri Mythily imprisoned at the distant

Asokavanam, Sri Raghava describes in detail the places and people the swan would

encounter on its way to Lanka. It is in this context that Srirangam too comes in

for its share of adulation, with Sri Rama describing it as the future abode of

Sri Ranganatha, who had hitherto blessed the Ikshaavuku emperors as their family

deity, reigning with splendour in their palace temple.

 

 

 

And why did the Lord change plans midway and decide to settle down between the

two branches of Kaveri at Srirangam, when Sri Rama had intended the Ranga

vimaanam as a gift to Vibhishana, presumably to be established at Lanka? Though

the ways of the Lord are inscrutable and His mind unfathomable for mortals like

us, we can at best hazard a guess. It would appear that Sri Ranganatha was tired

of residing at palaces and being the preferred object of worship of emperors and

did not want to hop from the Ayodhya palace to the Lankan palace. Instead, He

yearned, in all His Soulabhyam, to reside amidst the proletariat, to be the

object of adulation and admiration of countless ordinary devotees, to see and be

seen daily by hordes of bhaktas poor materially but rich spiritually.

 

 

 

And we really shudder to think of what might have happened, had Emperuman really

obliged Vibhishana and travelled with him to Lanka, to reside there

forever-there would have been no Azhwars' outpourings on Ranganatha-Tirumaalai

of Tondaradippodi, Amalanaadipiraan of Paan Perumal and Kangulum Pagalum of

Nammazhwar would not have seen the light of the day. Our Acharyas would have

felt themselves extremely poor without the benign presence of Rangaraja: Sri

Ranga Gadyam of the Bhaashyakaara with its plaintive appeal to the Ultimate,

Rangaraja Stavam of Sri Bhattar with its inspiring imagery, Bhagavat Dhyaana

Sopaanam of Swami Desikan and more pertinently, his Paaduka Sahasram, would not

have been composed at all. And our Sri Vaishnava Sampradaayam, which has as its

daily prayer the well-being of Srirangam, would definitely not have grown to its

present stature like a giant banyan putting down roots anywhere and everywhere.

 

 

 

The next time we stand before Sri Ranganatha at Srirangam, won't our thoughts

automatically fly to Lanka and to Vibhishana, to whom we owe this wonderful

treasure and whom the Lord Himself looks at benignly, even today? If the

residents of Sri Vaikunttam are loathe to taking their eyes away from

Emperuman's magnificent form ( " sadaa pasyanti sooraya " ), it would appear that

the Lord of Bhooloka Vaikunttam is so smitten with Sri Lanka and Sri Vibhishna

that He can hardly take His eyes from both of them. If we feel, while before

Rangaraja, that He is looking over our shoulders at someone behind, we would

know for sure whom His merciful glances are directed at.

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

dasan, sadagopan

 

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear svami,

 

Nice to see your articles again...

 

Quote : " If all Azhwars, (with the exception of Madhurakavi, who, in any

case, confined his eulogies to Sri Nammazhwar) have made it a point to sing

of Srirangam.... "

 

It is said that periya perumal has marks of 'kaNNinuN siRuththAmbu...' ;

smells 'venney' and treated as 'kaNNan' while namperumAL as 'Sriraman'.

Possibly, He might have been referred by this AzhvAr as 'peru' mAyan....

(periya mAyan or periya perumAL ! ).

 

This is just for an anubhavam and this may not adhere to pUrvAcharya

vyAkyAnams...

 

Hoping to get more such 'gifts' from you

 

dasan

 

 

_____

 

On

Behalf Of sadagopaniyengar

Thursday, June 15, 2006 12:06 PM

Srirangasri ; ;

oppiliappan; tiruvenkatam ;

ramanuja ; radha

Cc: sadagopaniyengar

The Gift that was Not

 

 

 

Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

The Gift That Was Not

 

We were on a trip to Srirangam. Impressed by the glorious vision of Sri

Rangaraja, who had robbed the sight and heart of innumerable devotees over

countless millennia, my son asked me, " Why is Ranganatha called " Peria

Perumal? " This set me thinking. Though there is perhaps only one correct

answer to this question, yet my mind sought alternatives. Could Ranganatha

be called Peria Perumal because of the dimensions of His supine figure? No,

that could not be, for there are bigger moorties at Tiruvanantapuram and

Tiruvattaar. Could He be called that because of the huge number of devotees

He attracts? Not really, for Tirumala boasts of a much larger crowd. Could

it be because of the size of His abode at Srirangam, which is itself called

Periya Koil? This too could not be, because there are other temples too,

equally big and beautiful. Is it because He was worshipped by Sri Rama, (who

Himself is " Perumal " ) and is hence called " Periya Perumal " -a S! uper Perumal

who has the glory of having been venerated by no less than the Lord's own

incarnation? This indeed is the popular explanation. However, the same

distinction is shared by Sri Nrisimha too, who too was adulated by Sri Rama

and Sri Srinivasa too, for good measure-hence, though plausible and popular,

this reason too fails to appeal.

 

Then why indeed is Sri Rangaraja adored as " Periya Perumal " ? The answer is

that it is He who has occupied the hearts of Azhwars and Acharyas, almost to

the exclusion of Emprumans at other divyadesams. It is to Ranganatha that a

vast majority of verses of Divya Prabandam, dripping with devotion, have

been dedicated. Much more than any other, it is the Lord of Srirangam who

has fascinated Azhwars and Acharyas like birds and bees are, by a

honey-laden flower. If all Azhwars, (with the exception of Madhurakavi, who,

in any case, confined his eulogies to Sri Nammazhwar) have made it a point

to sing of Srirangam, whether or not they offered their verbal garlands to

any other Emperuman, is it not reason enough to call this magnificent Lord

" Peria Perumal? " Sri Ranganatha is the only Perumal to have two or more

Prabandams devoted exclusively to Him (Amalanaadipiraan and Tirumaalai). Two

Azhwars, Sri Kulasekhara Perumal and Sri Tirumangai Mannan, have performed

ex! tensive kainkaryam at this holiest of holies. All Acharyas, without

exception, have made Srirangam their head quarters for varying periods of

time: Sri Ramanuja spent all his life (but for his enforced exile at

Melkote) there, after leaving Kanchi: Sri Bhattar preferred to be born as a

lowly dog, roaming the streets of Srirangam, to high birth elsewhere: Swami

Desikan made Srirangam his second home, composed his magnum opus there and

performed all manner of service to the Lord: Sri Pillai Lokacharya gave up

his precious life in the defence of Sri Ranganatha: Sri Manavala Mamunigal

spent a major portion of his ascetic life performing kainkaryam to Azhagia

Manavaalan. It is the resultant sanctity of worship by all these Acharyas

and the Azhwars before them, that entitles Ranganatha to the sobriquet,

" Periya Perumal " .

 

However, even prior to Azhwars and Acharyas, the list of those who

worshipped Sri Ranganatha reads like a Who's Who of spiritual literature.

 

Emperors of the Chozha dynasty, beginning with Dharmavarma, were ardent

admirers of Azhagia Manavalan and expressed their devotion in stone, mortar

and metal, building several mandapams, corridors and other constructions,

apart from adorning the Lord with priceless gems and jewels. Prior to

Dharmavarma, it was Sri Vibhishana who performed tiruvaaraadhanam to the

Lord (this, in fact, is the nucleus of the present article). And before

Vibhishana, a long line of distinguished Emperors of the Ikshvaaku dynasty,

up to Sri Rama, worshipped Rangaraja as their family deity. And Ikshvaaku

himself obtained this priceless treasure of Ranga vimaanam and Rangaraja

from the four-headed Brahma, who had in turn attained the same after long

and sincere penance. When we stand before Rangaraja today, we feel pretty

small and insignificant when we consider the long and illustrious line of

devotees who have paid obeisance to Him over the ages.

 

However, if we poor mortals are able to feast our eyes on Sri Ranganatha

today, it is Sri Vibhishana we have to thank for the privilege and pleasure.

 

It was this right-thinking raakshasa who obtained Azhagia Manavalan from

Chakravartthi Tirumagan and established the moorthy at Srirangam, albeit

unwittingly. Sri Rama gifted Ranganatha to Vibhishana on the occasion of His

coronation at Ayodhya, we are told.

 

We are slightly confused here. Several questions arise regarding the gifting

of Ranga vimaanam and the deity, by Sri Rama to Vibhishana.

 

First and foremost, would anyone give away the Perumal who forms the object

of one's daily worship? And more pertinently, would one part with a moorthy

which had been worshipped by one's distinguished ancestors, who had

themselves obtained the Perumal after Herculean effort? For instance, would

you part with a Saalagraama moorthy or vigraham which has been in your

family for ages and has been ministered to lovingly by your forefathers? Not

only would you not do it, you wouldn't even think of such a thing. Yet, this

is what Sri Rama did-He gifted away to Vibhishana the Ikshvaaku kula

daivatam, which had been bequeathed to Him and which was more precious to

Him than the entire kingdom of Kosala.

 

Secondly, why was Vibhishana chosen for this invaluable gift and why not

 

Sugriva or Angada, who had aided Sri Rama no less in reclaiming Sri Mythily?

And, more pertinently, why not Hanuman, whose devotion to Raghava was beyond

parallel? You could think of a host of other worthies who were apparently

eligible for this priceless gift. Yet, it was Vibhishana whom Sri Raghava

chose.

 

Since Sri Rama is the embodiment of righteousness ( " Ramo vigrahavaan

Dharma: " ) what He did must have indeed been correct, for He was capable of

no wrong. When you search for a reason, it dawns on you immediately. It was

only Vibhishana who performed Saranagati at the lotus feet of Sri Rama and

to whom the latter felt infinitely beholden. He may have had innumerable

well-wishers, any number of worthies may have aided and assisted Him in His

endeavours, but the Lord feels an immense sense of obligation to none else

but the Saranagata, who surrenders to Him heart and soul. Neither Sugriva

nor even Hanuman can boast of having explicitly performed Saranagati to the

Lord, as could Vibhishana. It was this rakshasa who recognized Sri Rama as

the universal saviour and refuge, as are evident from his words on the

occasion of his surrender- " Sarva loka saranyaaya Raaghavaaya mahaatmane " .

And it was he and none other who spurned untold wealth, a beloved wife and

lovin! g children ( " tyaktvaa putraanscha daaraanscha " ) and left behind a

life of princedom and pleasure, all for the sake of the Lord. This simple

act of Saranagati imposed such a burden of debt on Raghava that He felt

partly relieved only after He crowned Vibhishana the Emepror of

Lanka- " vijvara: pramumoda ha " . And it was again as a token of His boundless

love for surrendered souls that Sri Rama gifted to Vibhishana the famed

Ranga vimaanam and Sri Ranganatha's moorthy, for He could think of nothing

more valuable to reward the saranaagata with. Swami Desikan tells us that

the Lord hastens to bestow the prapanna with all His boundless bounty, and

is prepared to proffer Himself too, all in return for the simple and

singular strategy of Saranagati- " tamadu anaitthum avar tamakku vazhangi " .

 

Is there any evidence in the Ramayana for Sri Rama having gifted the Ranga

vimaanam to Vibhishana, or is it just folklore? For instance, in many

villages, especially in Karnataka, people say that Rama and Lakshmana

stopped there for a night or more, as proof of which they point to the name

of the place, which is usually Ramanagara or Ramapura etc. And if an old

wives' tale is recounted long enough and loud enough, it becomes

quasi-history and in course of time acquires an unchallenged authenticity.

However, the episode of Vibhishana obtaining Sri Ranganatha from Sri Rama is

well-documented in Srimad Ramayanam.

 

After Sri Rama pattabhishekam, all those who attended prepare for returning

home. It is on this occasion that Sri Rama rewards all the vaanara veeras

and Vibhishana, as is proper and befitting the status of each- " Yathaarham

poojitaa: sarve kaamai ratnaischa pushkalai " . While Sugriva, Hanuman and

other personalities are honoured with various presents, when it is the turn

of Vibhishana, Sri Rama obviously feels that the only fitting gift was His

own deity of daily worship-Sri Ranganatha. He could think of no other reward

more precious and prized. Sri Valmiki says that Vibhishana returned to

Lanka, having obtained the family heirloom- " Labhdhvaa kula dhanam Raja

Lankaam praayaat Vibhishana: " . Having parted with His priceless possession,

did Rama feel sorry, as an afterthought, as many of us do? Not at all-- to

the contrary, in His extremely generous heart, He felt immensely happy that

He could reward the Saranagata with a fitting present- " Raaghava: !

paramodaara: raraaja parayaa mudaa " .

 

There are those who say that the aforesaid lines of Valmiki are general in

nature and do not refer in particular to the Ranga vimaanam and that the

words " Kula dhanam " (ancestral treasure) refer to Vibhishana's traditional

property of the Kingdom of Lanka (of which Rama crowned him emperor) and not

to Rama's heirloom of Ranga vimaanam. Just to convince these doubting

Thomases, the Paadma Puranam explicitly confirms that Rama's gift to

Vibhishana was indeed the former's deity of daily worship, Sri Ranganatha-

 

" iti uktvaa pradadou tasmai sva vislesha asahishnave

 

Sri Ranga saayinam sva archyam Ikshvaaku kula daivatam

 

Rangam vimaanam aadaaya Lankaam praayaat Vibhishana: "

 

To Vibhishana, who could not bear separation from Rama, Rama gifted His own

icon of worship, which had belonged to the Ikshvaaku dynasty for countless

millennia. Happy beyond measure at the unexpected and priceless gift,

Vibhishana repaired to Lanka with the Ranga vimaanam, says the Paadma

Purana. These slokas have been quoted by commentators of Ramayana, while

dealing with the gift to the raakshasa raja.

 

Further evidence, if required, of the close connection between Srirangam and

Vibhishana, is available in the Divya Prabandam too, with Sri Tondaradippodi

telling us that the recumbent figure of Ranganatha looks benignly towards

Lanka- " ten disai Ilangai nokki " . When there are a hundred places south of

Srirangam, it is indeed significant that Azhwar considers Ranagaraja to be

facing Lanka, the home of Vibhishana. Having disappointed Vibhishana by not

choosing to become a resident of Lanka, the Lord apparently thought that He

would make up somewhat by looking towards Lanka. This can be inferred from

the following lines of Sri Periazhwar-- " Mannudaya Veedanarkkaa madil

Ilangai disai nokki malark kan vaittha ennudaya Tiruvarangar "

 

In a classic case of slips between the cup and the lip, Vibhishana could not

retain the idol of Rangaraja and take it with him to Lanka, where he

intended to house Him in his palace. Having had enough of palace sojourns,

Ranganatha decided to settle down at the idyllic spot between two branches

of the Kaveri. It was evening when Vibhishana was returning to Lanka and the

sun was about to set. Particular about performing sandhyavandanam in time

(ironically, even rakshasas appear to be meticulous about this, but not we)

the king of rakshasas set down the vimaanam at a picturesque and enchanting

place, on a stretch of sands surrounded by thick groves where birds and bees

sang incessantly and the river Kaveri flowed serenely, with two branches

together resembling a mighty garland. After worshipping sandhya, when

Vibhishana was ready to resume his journey to Lanka, he found that he could

not lift the Lord from the place where he had set Him down. Try as he might

with all his might! , the rakshasa could not make the Lord budge from the

new place He had decided to make His home. And so came into being Srirangam,

which was to acquire acclaim and renown as " Bhooloka Vaikunttam " or heaven

on earth.

 

Swami Desikan tells us that the place at which the Ranga vimaanam was set

down by Vibhishana was originally known as " Sesha Peetam " and was being

worshipped by Rishis who were aware of its impending glory as the foundation

for the Lord's preferred abode. Here is the beautiful slokam from Hamsa

Sandesam-

 

" Teere tasyaa virachita padam saadhubhi: sevyamaanam

 

shraddhaa yogaat vinamita tanu: Sesha peetham bhajethaa:

 

yasmin asmat kula dhana tayaa soumya Saaketa bhaaja:

 

sthaanam bhaavyam munibhi: uditam sreemataa Rangadhaamna: "

 

Dispatching a swan with a message to Sri Mythily imprisoned at the distant

Asokavanam, Sri Raghava describes in detail the places and people the swan

would encounter on its way to Lanka. It is in this context that Srirangam

too comes in for its share of adulation, with Sri Rama describing it as the

future abode of Sri Ranganatha, who had hitherto blessed the Ikshaavuku

emperors as their family deity, reigning with splendour in their palace

temple.

 

And why did the Lord change plans midway and decide to settle down between

the two branches of Kaveri at Srirangam, when Sri Rama had intended the

Ranga vimaanam as a gift to Vibhishana, presumably to be established at

Lanka? Though the ways of the Lord are inscrutable and His mind unfathomable

for mortals like us, we can at best hazard a guess. It would appear that Sri

Ranganatha was tired of residing at palaces and being the preferred object

of worship of emperors and did not want to hop from the Ayodhya palace to

the Lankan palace. Instead, He yearned, in all His Soulabhyam, to reside

amidst the proletariat, to be the object of adulation and admiration of

countless ordinary devotees, to see and be seen daily by hordes of bhaktas

poor materially but rich spiritually.

 

And we really shudder to think of what might have happened, had Emperuman

really obliged Vibhishana and travelled with him to Lanka, to reside there

forever-there would have been no Azhwars' outpourings on

Ranganatha-Tirumaalai of Tondaradippodi, Amalanaadipiraan of Paan Perumal

and Kangulum Pagalum of Nammazhwar would not have seen the light of the day.

Our Acharyas would have felt themselves extremely poor without the benign

presence of Rangaraja: Sri Ranga Gadyam of the Bhaashyakaara with its

plaintive appeal to the Ultimate, Rangaraja Stavam of Sri Bhattar with its

inspiring imagery, Bhagavat Dhyaana Sopaanam of Swami Desikan and more

pertinently, his Paaduka Sahasram, would not have been composed at all. And

our Sri Vaishnava Sampradaayam, which has as its daily prayer the well-being

of Srirangam, would definitely not have grown to its present stature like a

giant banyan putting down roots anywhere and everywhere.

 

The next time we stand before Sri Ranganatha at Srirangam, won't our

thoughts automatically fly to Lanka and to Vibhishana, to whom we owe this

wonderful treasure and whom the Lord Himself looks at benignly, even today?

If the residents of Sri Vaikunttam are loathe to taking their eyes away from

Emperuman's magnificent form ( " sadaa pasyanti sooraya " ), it would appear

that the Lord of Bhooloka Vaikunttam is so smitten with Sri Lanka and Sri

Vibhishna that He can hardly take His eyes from both of them. If we feel,

while before Rangaraja, that He is looking over our shoulders at someone

behind, we would know for sure whom His merciful glances are directed at.

 

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

dasan, sadagopan