Sri Abheethi Sthavam : SlOkam 11

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Dear Sri RanganAtha BhakthAs :

 

In this slOkam , Swamy Desikan wonders as to why the Lord of

Srirangam , who is totally fearlesss from anything and anybody

carries weapons like Chakram , Sword , Mace and bow . Swamy

Desikan gives next the answer to his own question .

 

SlOkam 11

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

apArTa ithi niscchitha: praharANAdhi-yOgas-Tava

svayam vahasi nirbhayas-tadhapi RangapruTveeswara

svarakshanam ivAbhavath praNatha rakshaNam ThAvakam

yadhAttha paramArTavinniyatham antharAthmEthu tE

 

(Meaning & Comments ) : Oh Lord of Srirangam ( Ranga PruTveeswara ) !

It has been established (niscchitha: ) that the possession of aayudhams

( PraharANAdhi yOga: ) is fruitless ( apArTa ithi) for You . Oh Lord ! You are

totally free of fear from anyone or any thing . The whole world and its

beings are indeed afraid of trespassing Your injunctions and Vidhis .

Inspite of this (Tadhapi) , Thou who art fearless (nirbhaya: Thvam)

bear out of Your own sankalpam five weapons on Your body . It may

appear odd that You hold on to the weapons although You really

do not need them at all . There is a sound reason however for Your

" strange " act . You have publicly declared in Your GithOpanishad

that a Jn~Ani, who comprehends You well and has great affection

for You is surely (niyatham) Your anhtaryAmi ( Yath ParamArTavith tE

niyatham antharAthmaa ithi Aattha) . When You protect these dear ones

(thAvakam PraNatha rakshaNam) , that act is equivalent to defending

Yourself (SvarakshaNam iva abhavath). Therefore , it becomes clear

that You are bearing all these weapons for Your dear one's protection .

 

SlOkam 12 :

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

lagishDa sukha-sangadhai: svakrutha karma nirvartithai:

kalathra sutha sOdharAnuchara Bhabdhu-samBhandhibhi:

dhana prabhruthikairapi prachura bheethi bhEdhOttharai:

na Bhibhrathy dhruthim PrabhO ThvadhanubhUthi bhOgArTina:

 

(Meaning and Comments) : Oh Lord of Thiruvarangam ! Those Mumukshus/

bhOga arTina: ( those who desire Moksha sukham) enjoy Your beauty

and auspicious attributes (Thvath anubhUthi: ) without stopping . They

do not turn their attention to alpa sukhams ( laghishta sukham) arising from

their karmAs ( sva krutha karma nirvarthithai: ) . In this world , human beings

are linked with wife , children , brothers, sisters , servants and other

relatives

befitting their accumulated karmaas ( Paapams and PuNyams) . Similarly ,

they are blessed with different levels of wealth that is defined by their karmAs

..

The joy arising from these family members and the wealth however are

insignificant

and perishable. Since the possession of these families and wealth leads

ultimately

to all kinds of anxieties and sorrows in the efforts to protect them , lot of

fear

(Bheethi about losing them) results . SamsAris have hence fitful enjoyment of

these insignificant wealth and are always filled with fear of all kinds (

Prachura

bheethi ) . The Mumukshu in contrast to the SamsAri knows that all the wealth

and family resulting from one's karmAs will not give lasting happiness (

sva-krutha

karma nirvarthithai: prachura bheethi bhEdha uttharai: Bhandhu samBhandhibhi:

dhana prabhruthibhi: dhruthim na Bhibhrathy) . Therefore , the wise Mumukshus

derive their pleasure ( dhruthi) by enjoying Your dhivya soundharyam ,

dhivyAthma

roopam and anantha kalyANa guNams and seek the lasting pleasures of Moksha

anugraham this way .

 

SlOkam 13

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

na vakthumapi SakyathE naraka-garbha- vaasAdhikam

vapusccha Bhahu-dhAthukam nipuNa-chinthanE thAdhrusam

thrivishtapamukham taTA Tava padhasya dhEdheepatha:

kimathra na bhayAspadham bhavathy RangapruTveepathE

 

(Meaning and comments) : Oh Emperor of Srirangam ( Ranga PruTvee PathE )!

Human beings go through the cycles of births and deaths as a result of their

karmAs that they have accumulated . As a result , they experience life in

narakams

(naraka vaasam) on death and suffer stay in different wombs (garbha vaasam ).

These enforced stays are not fit to be described without invocation of fear

(na vakthumapi SakyathE naraka-garbha vaasAdhikam) . When one thinks

intensively ( NipuNa chinthanE ) , this body we celebrate is an admixture of

many loathsome dhAthus( flesh , blood , fat , bones etc) and also causes

disgust ( Bahu dhAdhukam vapu: cha vakthum api na SakyathE) . It is not

some thing to talk about with pride .

 

Oh RanganAtha ! Your abode at Sri Vaikuntam is JyOthirmayam

and Parama Paavanam . It removes all fears .

 

When we compare Your matchless abode (nithya VibhUthi)

with Svarga lOkam and other celebrated places of residence for

the dEvAs , they all feel like Narakam .The comfort of Svarga lOkam

and sukhams there can not even be spoken about in the same breath

with Sri Vaukuntam . In this context , where are the sthAnams in this earth

that do not contribute to fear . Emperors and their vassals are afraid of

losing his sthAnam by enemies . All other lofty sthAnams cause only fear

in the minds of occupants . SamsAra bheethi only grows for occupants of

these earthly sthAnams and perishable wealth .

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan