Sri Abheethi Sthavam : SlOkams 25-29 (Conclusion )

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Dear Sri RanganAtha BhakthAs :

 

Let us study the last 5 slOkams of Sri Abhithi Sthavam today

( For those interested in listening to the rendering of

this moving sthOthram , You can access the MP 3

Audio recording of these slOkams recited in a flawless

manner by Sriman Sunder Kidambi at http://www.prapatti.com

 

SlOkam 25

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bhujangama vihangama pravara sainya-nATA: PrabhO

taTaiva KumudhAdhayO nagara gOpura dhvArapA:

achinthya BalavikramAs-Thvamiva RangasamrakshakA:

jithantha ithi vAdhinO jagadhanugraE jAgrathu

 

(Meaning) : Oh Lord of Thiruvarangam ! AadhisEshan , Garudan ,

VishvaksEnar along with other nithya Sooris like Kumudhan ( head of

Lord's army units) , the protectors of Your Koil ramparts , Gopuram

and their entrances have valour that is beyond imagination . Their

extraordinary deeds of valour in discharge of their duties have been

well recorded and revered . They are all determined to defend

Thiruvarangam . They have been raising the ghOsham of victory

and eulogizing You . It is our prayer that these Nithyasooris protect

not only Srirangam like You but also be alert to protect the whole

world and its beings .

 

(Comments): Here Swany Desikan salutes number of protectors of

Srirangam ( Ranga SamrakshakA: ) . They have prowess (Balam)

and are known for their victorious deeds in battles (VikramA: ) .

They are AadhisEshan ( Bhujangama pravaran) , the head of

Serpent clan ; Garudan , the head of the clan of birds ; VishvaksEnar ,

the head of the Lord's army and Kumudhan, assistant to latter.

In addition to the above , the other protectors of city , Gopuram ,

VimAnam and entrances ( nagara gOpura dhvAra paa; ) belong to

the categoty of Ranga Samrakshakars. Oh Lord ! They are like You

intent on protecting Srirangam (Thvam iva) and are engaged in singing

victory to You ( jitham tE vAdhina:) . Our prayer is for them to be

alert in conferring auspiciousness to the world and being alert

about these activities ( Ranga SamrakshakA: Jagath anugrahE

jAgrathu).

 

SlOkam 26

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Vidhis-thripura mardhanas-thridaSa-pungava: pAvaka:

yama prabhruthayOapi yadhvimatha rakshaNE na KshamA:

rirakshipathy yathra cha prathibhayam na kimchith kvachith

Sa na: prathipaDAn PrabhO Samaya RangadhAmAdhishu

 

(Meaning): Oh Ranga Prabhu ! If a misled one expresses hate

towards You and stands before You as Your enemy , no one ,

be it Brahma , Sivan , Agni or Indhran on an individual basis or

all of them united together can save that enemy from Your anger .

If You decide to protect some one , there will be no harm to that

fortunate one from any one at all times and places . Such is Your

Vaibhavam ! You must therefore chase away the enemies of ours ,

who are harming us at Srirangam by interrupting our worship

of You .

 

(Comments) : Oh RangarAjA ! None of the DevAs are powerful

to protect some one , who has declared enimity to You ( yath vimatha

rakshaNE na kshamA: ). As in the case of BaaNAsuran , Sivan and

His son , SubramaNyan chose the side of the asuran fighting

against the Lord and they could not defend their client . They had

to run away from the battle field . If Lord decides to protect a devotee

of His like PrahlAdhan , nothing can harm him ( Yathra cha rirakshithi,

kvachith prathibhayam kinchith na:). Your valor is of such loftiness.

Therefore , Oh Lord , Please quell the enemies attacking Srirangam .

 

SlOkam 27

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sa KaiDabha tamO ravir MadhupAraka janjacch-jAmaruth

HiraNya giri dhAraNas-thruDitha KaalanEmi dhruma:

kimathra BahunA bhajath bhava payOdhi mushDindhaya:

Thrivikrama bhavathkrama: kshpathu mangshu Rangadhvisha:

 

(Meaning) : Oh Lord who measured the worlds with Your three steps

during ThrivikramAvathAram ! You were the lustrous Sooryan to drive

away the darkness represented by the Asuran with the name of KaiDabhan

during Sri HayagrIvAvathAram . You were the cyclone for swirling the dust

of the asuran called Madhu during the same HayagrIvAvathAram . You split

in to two the mountain named HiraNya Kasipu during Your avathAram

as Narasimhan . You broke the tree of asuran KaalnEmi like a tiny twig .

In matters of Your valour , there is no need to elaborate more . You are known

for sipping in one breath the mighty ocean of samsAram . May this well

demonstrated valour of Yours come to our rescue now in destroying

the enemies of Srirangam quickly .

 

(Comments): Your indefatigable valor has been proven in Your various

avathArams such as Thrivikrama , HayagrIvA , Narasimha and KrishNaa .

Regarding Your matchless sakthi and veeryam , there is no need to pile

up more instances ( athra BahunA Kim ? ) . In addition to the valour displayed

in these Vibhava avathArams , You demonstrate every day Your power

to suck dry the samsAric ocean of Your adiyArs ( bhajath bhava payOdhi

mushtindhaya: ) . These proven power (ParAkramam ) of Yours should

propel You to action and result in Your chasing away the enemies of

Srirangam ( Sa: Bhavath krama: Ranga dhvisha : mangshu kshipathu ) .

Mangshu means rapidly and Kshipathu refers to the enemies being

blown away into oblivion .

 

SlOkam 28

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Yathivarapravara bhArathy rasa bharENa neetham vaya:

prapullapalitham Sira: paramiha kshamam prArTayE

nirastha ripu sambhavE kvachana RangamukhyE vibhO

paraspara hithaishiNAm parisarEshu Maam varthaya

 

(Meaning): Oh Lord of Srirangam ! I have spent my youth

enjoying the nectarine juice of Sri BhAshyam . Now adiyEn

has arrived at old age and my hair has turned gray . Now

adiyEn has only one request to You for the rest of my life

here (i-e)., Please bless adiyEn to live amidst Your BhagavathAs

at Srirangam or other dhivya dEsams , where there are no enemies,

who interfere with adiyEn's enjoyment of You .

 

(Comments) : Swamy Desikan is arriving at the end point of

this Sri Sookthi . He addresses the Lord of Srirangam from his

exile at Sathyagalam . He watches the waters of Cauvery rushing

to wash the sacred feet of Lord RanganAtha at Srirangam . He becomes

nostalgic for the most enjoyable and quite days spent studying

AchArya RaamAnuja Sri Sookthi of Sri BhAshyam and initiating

his sishyAs about the intricacies and intellectual rigor of that

magnum opus . This was during his youth, where he refers to have

given 30 rounds of KaalakshEpams on Sri BhAshyam . He is now

older and his hair is gray . He thinks of old age and longs to

spend it in a tranquil setting free from jealousy between hot headed

BhagavathAs . Swamy Desikan does not mind spending the rest

of his life at any dhivya dEsam as long as it is free from contentions,

rancours caused by quarreling , egotistic BhaagavathAs . He also

wants to be at a place , where there are no enemies for Bhagavath

Sevai and Kaimkaryam . Through this slOkam , Swamy Desikan

prays to Lord RanganAtha to grant him a boon to spend

the remaining period of his life at such an ideal place .

 

SlOkam 29

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PraBudhda guru veekshaNa praTitha VenkatEsOthbhavAm

imAm abhayasiddhayE paDatha Rangabharthu: sthuthim

bhayam thyajatha bhadhramithyabhidhadhath Sa Va: Kesava:

svayam ghana gruNA nidhir guNagaNEna gOpAyathi

 

(Meaning): Oh Best among BhAgavathAs ! adiyEn has been blessed

with the cool , nectarine glances of my AchAryAs . adiyEn is respected

in this world because of the anugraham of these learned AchAryAs .

adiyEn with the name of VenkatEsan has composed this Sri Sookthi

of Sri Abheethi Sthavam about the Lord of Thiruvarangam . Please recite

the slOkAs of these Sthavam . That paarAyaNam of this Sthavam

will remove all of Your fears . The most merciful Lord of Srirangam

will look at You and bless you with the words that He used when dEvAs

were afraid about the troubles that the asurAs were causing them .

Sri RanganAthan will comfort You and say : " Please abandon Your fears .

May auspiciousness shower on You " . This is exactly what He said to

the DevAs in their time of distress ; He destroyed their fears and showered

them with Sarva MangaLams. Lord RanganAthan will protect You in every

way out of His sahaja KaaruNyam and Vaathsalyam .

 

(Comments) : This is the Phala Sruthi slOkam of Sri Abheethi Sthavam

containing the reassuring message from a MahAchAryan , Swamy Desikan.

He places his Naama Mudhra in this Phala Sruthi slOkam with " VenkatEsa

uthbhavAm " and recommends as an AchAryan to study this sthuthi

about Lord RanganAtha " imAm Rangabarthu: sthuthim paDatha " .

He pays his praNAmams to his great AchAryAs , whose kaaruNya

KadAksham blessed him to have the intellectual capabilities to compose

this sthuthi : " PraBhuddha Guru veekshaNa prathitha VenkatEsa

uthbhavAm imAm Sthuthim paDatha " . People may still ask : why should

I study this sthuthi ? What is the prayOjanam ? Swamy Desikan gives

two answers for such questions : (1) This Sthuthi is about the great

Lord of Srirangam (Rangabharthu: sthuthi ) and (2) You should recite this

sthuthi because it will chase away any fears that you have or would

experience ( Rangabharthu: imAm sthuthim ABAHYA SIDDHAYE

PADATHA ) . The unconvinced may still ask : Has there been a precedent ,

where the Lord has removed the fears of others ? Swamy answers : Yes,

when the dEvAs trembled with fears about RaavaNan and Kamsan

and sought His rakshaNam , Our Lord , who is the abode of intense

KaruNai addressed them and asked them to abandon those fears.

assured them that all MangaLams would come their way . He followed up

on those benedictory words by taking Raama and KrishNa avathArams

to destroy the enemies of the dEvAs and chased away their fears .

Swamy Desikan directs us to study Sri Abheethi Sthavam and gives his parting

message : That Lord at Srirangam Himself known also as Kesavan with

the assembly of anantha kalyANa guNams will protect those who seek

His rakshaNam and chase away all their fears (Sa Kesava: guNa gaNEna

Svayam Va: gOpAyathy ) .

 

adiyEn will now conclude this series of postings on Sri Abheethi

Sthavam written during the occasion of Prakrutham Srimath Azhagiya Singar's

79th Thirunakshathra Uthsavam with words culled from this magnificent

prayer of Swamy Desikan to Lord RanganAthA during a traumatic

time at Srirangam . The great RanganAtha heard the prayer of His

dear Bhakthan from Sathyamangalam and responded and chased

away the invading army from His sacred dhivya dEsam . Here is

the Vaarthai Maalai of prayer :

 

Ramaa Dayitha ! RangabhUramaNa ! KrishNa ! VishNO ! Hari !

Thrivikrama! JanArdhana! Thriyuga NaaTa ! NaarAyaNa !

Sakruth PraNatha rakshaNa nithya Vrathee ! PrabhO ! RangEswara!

anaga ! GuNEsa! akhila dEhin ! RangabhU rasika ! DayaanidhE !

Aasritha Kara grahaNa dheekshitha ! Ranga PruTvee pathE !

Jagath PathE! Ranga dhurya ! SaraNAgatha PraNaya bhanga bheetha !

RanganAtha ! Moksha DhAyaka Mukundha! Bhayam Kshapaya !

Prakrushta GuNaka! dharam sva-sakthyA svayam prasamaya !

 

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan