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Sri Rangam - Swami Desikan's paasuram - Part 3

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sampath Rengarajan • December 20, 1996 


I am reposting one of the article I posted On SriRangam last year as requested
by bagawthaaLS on this holy day of Sri Vaikunda ekaadesi.


Swami dEsikan thiruvadikaLE saraNam


Each aazhwaar have praised this kOil and most of our poorvaachaaryaaLs have
delivered granthams and paasurams on this kOil. The three rahsyams are the
fundamentals of srivaishnvaas. While some of the srivaishnavass derive the
essence of these from the three anthaathis of muthal aazhwaars, many of the
srivaishnavaas refer to Srimath rahasya thrasaaram. Swami dEsikan delivered
Srimath rahasya thrasaaram using 32 athikaaranGaL. Since this is in maNip
pravaaLaa, he also delivered in Tamil, the essence of all these adikaarams in
adikaara sangiraham.

	In adikaara sankiraham, prior to delivering the adikaaraas, He praised
all the aazhwaars, and eight achaaryaaLs who preceded him. HE exclusively
discussed the efforts of emperumaaNaar, aaLavanthaar, naathamunikaL. Following
this,  the concise meaning of each athikaaram is presented in the anthaathi
thodai meter. Besides, Swami dEsikan made special refereces to three temples in
his adikaara sangiraham. The only three such temples referred are kaanchi
aththikiri perumal, Srirangam and thirumalai. He continues this with a
long paasuram on the thiruvadis of Sriranganaathan and concludes with some
paasurams on the achaaryaaL's sEvai . The following is the paasuram on
Srirangam that will narrate the significance of this kOil in the chronological
order and summarises the palan or puNNiyam of worshipping this kOil.


aaraatha varuL amutham pothintha kOil
ambu yaththOn ayOththi mannaRk kaLiththa kOil
thOL aatha thani veeran thozhutha koIl
thuNai yaana veedaNar kuth thuNai yaan kOil
sEraatha payan ellaan chErkkum kOil
sezhu maRai yin muthal ezhuththuch chErntha kOil
theeraatha vinai anaiththun theerkkun kOil
thiru varanga menath thigazhun kOil thaanE.

				adikaara sangiraham

A rough translation is as follows.

The unending nectar of AruL or grace is embedded in this kOil. or The temple of
Srirangam where Lord Arangan is living eternally (nitya vaasam) is so enjoyable
as the nectar of grace that is never ending. it is said that when one attempts
to surrender to this Lord, This Lord will come to receive them at the very
entrance of this temple itself. That is the extent of the grace this Lord would
show to his baagawathALs.

The naanmugan who sits on the Lotus flower gave this as the boon for the
itsuvaaku king of ayOthi kingdom.
Undefeated and unique warrior Lord Sri Raama worshipped this kOil
This is also the koil that Sriraama gave to ally vibeedanan' as a "seer" or
gift

This is the  kOil that brings in all the unobtainable boons and effects or
palan *that are unobtainable anywhere else* to the worshipper.

This is the kOil where the first letter of the vEdam is residing (pranavam).
THE SHAPE OF THE VIMAANAM ITSELF IS SIMILAR TO PRANAVAM ! It is beleived that
one who worships this vimaanam even once will get the blessings of this Lord
for sure and will not be born again if sought from Lord paravasudevan residing
in this vimaanam.


This is the kOil that cures or nullifes  all the vinais or karmaas that cannot
be nullified or cured so far.
This is the kOil of thiruvarangam.

Please note that what ever penance one will do , it is *finally the ARUL or
GRACE* of the Lord (from what ever form of the Lord it is sought either it is
param or antharayaamam or archamoorthy etc) that delivers the destiny sought
for. This is what is derived as the prominent meaning from these verses and it
is in general conceived by Srirangam school and others.  Swami Desikan starts
this paasuram saying that the nectar of ARUL is fully embedded in this kOil.
one can also mean that if one would simply ask HIM, HE will bless them in full
and atonce.


and Swami dEsikan also delivered this on Arangan's thirup paathangaL

uRu sakada mudaiya voru kaal uRRu narnthana
udan marutha modiya voru pOthiR Ravazhnthana
uRi thadavu maLavil ural OduRRU ninRana
uRu neRiyaar tharuman vidu thoothuk kugan thana

maRa neRiyar muRiya piru thaanath thuvanthana
malar magaL kai varuda malar pOthiR sivanthana
maRu piRavi yaRu munivar maaluk kisainthana
manu muRaiyil varu vathOr vimaanath thuRain thana

aRa mudaiya visayan amar thEriRRi kazhn thana
adal uraka pada madiya vaadik kadin thana
aRu samaya maRi variya thaanath thamarn thana
aNi kurikai nagar munivar naavuk kamain thana

veRi yudaiya thuLava malar veeRuk kaNin thana
vizhu kariyOr kumaran ena mEvich chiRan thana
viRal asurar padai yadaia veeyath thuran thana
vidal ariya periya perumaaL men pathankaLE

				adikaara sangiraham

Swami dEsikan's paathukaa sahasram is unique in its style and rich in contents
and exclusively devoted to thiruvadis of periya perumaal. However, in adikaara
saangiraham also, when speaking on the core prinicples of Srivaishnavam, Swami
notes that the worship of periya perumaal's thurvadi as very important. This
paasuram details the accomplishment of these thirup paathangaL in sri krishna
avathaaram and narrates other such specialities.

These are the same holy feet that one will never would love to leave them. This
confirm hat it is ideal to seek and cling or hold on to them.

These are the same feet that broke sadakaasuran in sri krishna avathaaram.
ie This show the strength of these feet.

Those marutha maram, ie a type of trees that were together were slashed down by
the these feet when they crawled. KubErans people were earlier cursed by Saint
naraddha to become trees in gokulam and they were released from the curse by
Lord Sri Krishnan when he crawled with the "ammi" to which he was tied to.

These are the same feet that were joined together with the uraL when Sri
Krishna was stealing the butter by climbing on top of these and balanced. ie
The balance was achieved when his feet were sought by these urals which will
never be left from them. This confirm that the Lord alone by HIS mercy holds
one at HIS feet for ever.

Some of the line to line meanings are as follows:

These are the same feet that went as a messenger for peace or meadiator for
peace representing the side of dharma led by Dharman who stood for the
righteousness.

These are the same feet that came to brindavan to kill those angry asuraas.

These are the same feet that became more reddish compared to flowers, when they
were given rest and pressed by thayaar.

These are the same feet that were sought by holy saints who wanted to stop
their chain of births and death cycle by their devotion and  bhakti.

Such was the same feet that rests in these vimaanam that was inherited by
Manu's clan.

These are the same feet that stood in arjun's chariot

These are the same feet that crushed the "padam" of kaalinga snake.

These are the same feet that were not known through the arusamayam or 6
maargams or 6 school s of philosphies as the final destiny of all.

These are the same feet that was the subject matter of nammaazwaar of kuruhoor.

These are the same feet that were more beautiful and prominet than the thiruth
thuzhaay flowers that garlanded HIS chest.

	One of the important message in this paasuram is that "aRu samaya maRi
variyathaanath thamar nthana" ie, these "thirup paathams" were "not known" or
(unknown) to the "arusamaym" or the other "six maargams" . The thirup paatham
of periya perumaal is sought for as final refuge  (also available) and for
worship in the second circuit, the thabOlokam. That is one of the reasons to
derive a position that the other faiths are not possibly leading one to this
circuit and further innerwards, instead "assume" their final goal or (destiny)
prior to entering this circuit itself. In other words, it can be said that If
one must enter this circuit, on their way to final destiny, ie serving Arangan
as param, they will seek the blessings of HIS thiruvadis first. His paathangaL
are addressed as men pathangaLE such that they are so graceful and *soft*
(kind) to all those bagawathALs who worship the same.



Sri Ranganaayika samEthara Sri ranganatha swami thirup paathangaLE charaNam

Sampath Rengarajan