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Re: Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam : Part XXXII: SlOkam 22

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • April 7, 2001 


Dear BhakthAs :

In the 22nd slOkam of his Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam (SGRK),
Sri ParAsara Bhattar continues to pay tribute to
Sri RanganAyaki as the Empress of the Temporal
world ( LeelA vibhUthi) and the Eternal world beyond 
Space and Time ( Nithya VibhUthi) .

The 22nd slOkma is one of the five slOkams of 
his SGRK (19-23) paying homage to Sri Ranganayaki 
as the unique Empress possessing all facets of Isvaryam . 
The grand unifiying connection  between the two 
VibhUthis , the Sarva Seshi (the Lord ),the anithara 
Seshi (Sri Ranganaayaki ) and the rest of the world 
(the sEsha BhUthams  of prapancham outside 
the dhivya mithunam / Divine Couple )is elaborated here.

The 22nd SlOkam of SGRK
************************
hElAyAmakhilam charAcharamidham bhOgE VibUthi: parA
  dhanyAstE parichArakarmaNi sadhA pasyanthi yE Sooraya:
Srirangeswara DEvi ! kEvala krupA nirvAhya vargE vayam
  sEshithvE Parama: PumAn parikarA hyEtE tava sphAraNE 

Meaning according to Dr.V.N.VedAntha Desikan
*********************************************
Oh Consort of SrI RanganAthA ! This LeelA vibhUthi 
made up of varieties of movables and immovables is 
there for Your sport. The Superior possession , 
the Nithya VibhUthi , the cherished heaven of NithyasUris ,
ever-intent on serving You , is there for Your enjoyment.
We ,however, remain as Your subjects here to be ruled
by You , by reason of Your extreme grace , for which no
cause can be adduced. The Supreme Lord serves the set-up 
as the SEshi , the recipient for all services ,from 
the SEshabhUthAs , who all else are .

Additional Commnets by adiyEn
******************************
The passages from Lakshmi Tantram that elaborate on
the auspicious qualities of Sri Devi has been invoked
by Professor K.S.Narayanachar to comprehend the deep 
meanings embedded in  this slOkam:

"SruNOmi karuNAm vAcham , SruNAmi dhuritham  sathAm , 
 SruNAmi cha guNair-visvam , SaraNam chAsmi Saasvatham , 
 SarIram cha HarErasmi---"

The auspicious (KalyANa ) attributes (GuNams) arising
from the etymology of the "SrI" sabdham (word) are:

(1) She listens to the woeful prayers of Her devotees
(2) She removes their sins out of Her matchless compassion
(3) She extends the glories of the world and nurtures and 
    nourishes them by Her own kalyANa GuNams(Sru-VisthAram)
(4) She is the eternal refuge of the World 
(5) She is the Body of Her Lord Hari
(6) She is the object of devotional prayer by the dEvAs
(7) She intercedes on behalf of Her devotees and appeals 
    to her Lord to protect them 
(8) She causes the removal of the imperfections of Her devotees 
    and grants them their wishes 
(9) She enlarges the powers, the glories and brilliance
    of Her Lord 
(10)She is the most auspicious-natured in her personality
(11)She is the most blissful in Her personality
(12)She is behind the process of word emanation in humans
(13)She has Hari NaarAyaNan as Her own refuge
(14) She is the refuge of all the World.

These are "the special excellent doctrines " associated
with Sri Devi in our SrI SampradhAyam .She is next to
the Lord in the ancient lineage of AchAryAs (AchArya 
Paramparai ) , who initiate us into ManthrArTams and
SaasthrArthams and Tattva-Hitha -PurushArthams .These 
are elaborated further in the DhvayAdhikAram of
Swamy Desikan's magnum opus, Srimath Rahasyathraya Saaram .
AchArya RaamAnujA's saraNAgathi Gadhyam also elaborates
Her excellence with salutations like " Bhagavan 
NaarAyaNaabhimathaanurUpa -svarUpa-RUpa--" and 
saluted Her SvarUpa-RUpa-GuNa-VibhUthis on 
a panguni Uttharam SErthi day at Srirangam. 

VaakyArthams by individual Paadhams
************************************
In the first paadham of the 22nd slOkam , Bhattar
points out that the LeelA VibhUthi and the Nithya
VibhUthi are for her pleasure , delight and enjoyment.
Regarding LeelA vibhUthi, He states : " hElAyAm akhilam
charAcharam idham " .This entire universe and its 
sentients and insentients are for Your play . Regarding
Nithya VibhUthi , Bhattar points out that it is also for
Her enjoyment (bhOgE VibhUthi: ParA ). 

The Second Paadham 
*******************
In the second paadham of the 22nd slOkam , Bhattar 
states that the residents of parama padham of Her Lord ,
The Muktha Jeevans and the Nithya Sooris perform 
kaimkaryam for her and thus attain an exalted state
(DhanyAstE parichAra karmaNi SadhA). These SoorIs 
through their bhAgyam of performing eternal kaimkaryam 
have the uninterrupted darsana soubhAgyam of Sri Devi
(SadhA pasyanthi Sooraya:)and Her Lord.

The Third Paadham
******************
After having dealt with the LeelA VibhUthi and the Nithya
VibhUthi, Bhattar refers to the rulership role played by
Sri RanganAyaki regarding the Bhaddha Jeevans of the world .
In this context , Bhattar says in the third paadham :
" SrirangEswara DEvi! KEvala-KrupA nirvAhya-vargE vayam".
Oh Consort of Sri RanganAthan ! Regarding us , we remain Your 
subjects to be ruled by You due to Your avyAja karuNai.
Here Bhattar eulogizes Sri RanganAyaki's adhiadhbutha
karunai as nirhEthukam.This is the karunai of a supremely-
caring Mother ! This avyAja karuNai is an " iyalpu "
of our Mother Supreme , Sri RanganAyaki!This nirhEthuka,
avyAja karuNai reference here has to be understood as the one
attribute that defies our understanding and comprehension 
and not otherwise . Bhattar says that we , the Bhaddha Jevans 
of this world belong to that category (vargam ) of limited 
intellect , who can not fully comprehend Her limitless dayA. 

The Fourth paadham
*******************
In the final paadham , Bhattar sums up Sri RanganAyaki's
abundant Isvaryam and Glories this way: " SEshithvE Parama: 
PumAn parikarA heyEtE tava sphAraNE ". As SEshi , Lord accepts 
His consorts' anithara  SEshathvam and sets Himself up 
as the Seshi for Her and becomes the recipient of all Her 
kaimkaryams to Him , while both serve as SEshi Mithunam 
for all else (SeshabhUthAs like us, MukthAs and NithyAs ).
Her expanded and abundant glories do not leave any one out 
including Her Lord .They all become her parikarams 
or "uRuppukaL " (limbs or aspects of the Whole). The genius 
of the Vaak VilAsam of Sri ParAsara Bhattar that describes 
even the Lord , who accepts His DEvi's anithara SEshathvam 
as Her parikaram is extraordinary. After all , Bhattar
was raised by the Dhivya Dampathis of Srirangam !

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam ,
Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan   

 

 



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