Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Re: Share your thoughts on Sri Ramanuja's tirunakshatram: April 18

From the Bhakti List Archives

Madhavakkannan V • April 18, 2002 


SrI:
SrImathE Ramanujaya namah:
Dearest Srivaishnavas,

Today being the Thirunakshathram of our dearest and greatest Sri 
Ramanujacharya- Emperumaanaar- Udayavar- Sri Bhashyakarar- ILaya perumAL, 
adiyEn wants to enjoy sharing with my two cents worth on the Yathi rAjar.

1. Sri Ramanuja is the one who gave the compassion (karuNA) to the Lord 
Himself:-) See, the Lord is like the dark clouds that rain on everything 
with no partiality. The Lord showers His compassion on all with no bias, and 
with no stinginess. He is ParamOdhAran; One who benovelently grants 
everything; including hismelf to His devotees; especially the SaraNagathars. 
Whhere does the cloud get waters, from the Sea. The cloud takes the water 
from the Oceans. Sri Ramanuja is the one who performed the thIrtha 
kaimkaryam (water kaimkaryam) at the Lord Varadan's temple for 
Thirumanjanam. Those waters thus are able to grant the Lord such compassion 
just as cloud gets the water from the oceans. Our Ramanuja is the Ocean of 
dayA; Ocean of Comapssion! dhayaika sindhO! Ramanujasya CharaNau SaraNam 
prapadyE!

2. There is none equal to me. (or us:-)

Thiruvarangatthu amudhanAr says: (in Iraamaanusa nooRRanthAthi)

irainjappadum paran Isan aranganenRu ivvulagatthu
aRam seppum aNNal rAmAnusan * en aruvinaiyin-
thiRam seRRu iravum pagalum vidaathu en sinthaiyuLLE
niRainthu oppaRa irundhAn - ENAKKU YAARUM NIGARILLAIYE?

47. Emperumaanaar- Sri Ramanujacharya declared that Sri RanganAthan- the 
reclining Lord of Srirangam on AdhisEshan- is the One praised by Vedas, One 
worshipped by everyone including even Nithya sooris and is also Our Lord. He 
showed the Lord to the world that was filled with adharmam (non virtuous). 
He simply destroyed my karmic diseases, that can not be overcome by 
praayacchitthams or experiencing various births (for the sins are so huge 
and great quantities). Not only did he do that to me, He also resided in my 
heart at all times in the day and in the night, without leaving me even for 
a fraction of second. There is NO PARALLEL or EQAUL to His mercy of residing 
in my heart. There is none EQUAL TO ME, who is blessed with this BhAgyam. 
(47)

Swamy Vedantha Desikan in YathirAja Sapthathi- 28 describes very 
beautifully:

May victory be to Ramanuja - YathirAja- who is the mountain wherfrom the 
perennial rivers of Vedas flows always, who is the GRAND tree offering 
solace to the tried pilgrims (us:-) of samsaaraa; who is the rising sun, 
dispelling the snows of maayaavaadins; who is the Full Moon gladdening the 
waves of the Vedas (kaattiya vEdam kaLippuRRathu:-)

Again, let us enjoy Thiruvarangatthu amudhanAr (61st verse)

61. Emperumaanaar- Sri Ramanujacharya shines so gracefully that those 
Bhagawathas, (who always think that Emperumaan Sriman Narayanan alone is 
everything to them) come to him, take refuge at his Lotus feet and pay 
obeisance to him. But, Sri Ramanuja, the most merciful One came to me, (the 
lowly self, who was deeply immersed in the cruel karma bhandhams, and in the 
world of tremendous sorrows and samsaaric afflictions) and enslaved me. What 
a KaaruNyam! Not just that. He has gone searching for others (like me) if 
any one else is left out for being saved. Thus, the whole earth is awe 
struck with his greatest dayA on humanity.

I am dull headed and can not understand the rich and deep philosophy of 
Ramanuja. His divine beautiful form alone is enough for me to behold in my 
eyes.
Sri Ramanujacharya with His towering personality- Fair complexioned- with 
dwAdasa oordhva pUndram (12 ThirumaN), the pristinely pure saffron sanyaasi 
robe (that adds beauty to the fair complexion further), the dark tresses 
curly hair of sikhA which is so charming on His moon like Divine smiling 
face laden with dayA on us, (Charming Most graceful Thirumukham), the white 
bright pooNool (yagnOpaveedham), the strong thridhaNdam, the lovely Lotus 
feet- Oh Lord! What a sight It could have been, to those Srivaishnavas must 
have been blessed with!

How nice it would have been to witness Sri Ramanujacharya, walking so 
gracefully with such an enchanting personality, with his group of sishyas of 
calibre like KooratthAzhwAn, MudaliANdaan, Embaar, Boy Paraasara Bhattar, 
Kidaambhi Acchaan, and othersÂ…. What a sight! Once, even Periya Nambhi (who 
had initiated Sri Ramanuja with Pancha smaskaram) saw this group coming in 
the front and prostrated on the ground falling flat. When asked, he said "It 
appeared to me as if Alavandhaar is coming with his sishyas!

This scene of Divine Beauty of Sri Ramanuja reminds me of Embaar's poem on 
the azhagu of Ramanuja and declares in the end "illai enaaku edhir; illai 
enakku edhir; illai enakku edhirE!  "There is none equal to me; none equal 
to me; none equal to me!". True!

There is NONE equal to us FOR BEING BLESSED WITH Sri Ramanuja (sampradayam)!

EmbAr's description:

parppOm enatthigazh pai~nkazhal unRan pallavamE viralum/
paavanamAgiya painthuvaraadai pathintha marunkazhagum/
muppuri noolodu munkail yEndhiya mukkOlthan azhagum/
munnavar tandhidum mozhikaL niRaindhidu muruval nilAvazhahum/
kaRpagamE vizhi karunai pozhindhidum kamalkkaNN azhagum/
kaarisuthan kazhalsoodiya mudiyum kana naRRsihai mudiyum/
yeppozhudhum ethiraaJan vadivazhaghu yen idhayatthuL uLLathaal/
illai enakku edhir; illai enakku edhir; illai enakku edhirE!"

Embar's enjoyment of seeing Sri Ramanujacharya's lotus  feet , tender 
fingers reminding one of the creepers, sacred safforn robe, most auspicious 
pooNool, thridandam , His enchanting smile laden with dayA , large dark eyes 
reminiscent of wish yielding kaRpaka maram (tree), the kudumi (sikhA) formed 
by abundant tresses is simply beautiful .  EmbAr declares that  there is no 
one equal to him; since YathirAjan's Divine Beauty lingers in his heart.

YathirAjar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Namo Narayana
aDiyEn dAsan


_________________________________________________________________
Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com



--------------------------------------------------------------
           - SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
To Post a message, send it to:   bhakti-list@yahoogroups.com
Group Home: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/bhakti-list
Archives: http://ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/
 

Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/