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ThiruppANAzhwAr 's anubhavam of Sri RanganAthan: amalanAdhipirAn

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • December 3, 1998 


Dear BhakthAs : Earlier in the day , we were reminded by 
Sri MadhavakkaNNan's summary of Srimadh Azhgiya Singar's 
incomparable postings in Nrusimha priyA magazine 
on the "Sukavi Sookthi" of ThiruppANar.

Swami Sri Desikan described the AzhwAr's prabhandham as 
" Sukavi Sookti" and was so moved by it that he wrote a 60 plus 
palm leaves long commentary on the these uniquely 
beautiful 10 paasurams that celebrate the Sarvanga Soundharyam 
and the anantha kalyANa guNams of NamperumAL . 

Sri Sampath Rengarajan gave a beautiful presentation
on the subject at Buffalo New York two years ago .
That pravachanam is still ringing in my ears.
He covered the first the three words of the first
Paasuram and it took him an hour to do full justice to cover those
three words ( Amalan, Aadhi and PirAn ) . Simce then ,He has done a 
lot of research on the rest of the words of the first paasuram 
and the words of the remaining nine paasurams . I request him 
to share his rich and personal anubhavam with us 
in the near future .

Meanwhile , I will focus on Swami Sri Desikan's summary 
of the extraordinary meanings embedded in this most
magnificient first paasuram . Swami Sri Desikan in his rahasya
grantham , Muni Vaahana BhOgam , picks out 15 of the limitless 
auspicious attributes of Sri RangaanthA and instructs us on 
the high point of each of these 15 kalyANa guNAs . I will 
focus on this area of the anubhavam of Swami Sri Desikan 
on this glorious day .

The FIFTEEN GUNAAS  for Sri Ranganaathan picked out by 
ThiruppANar according to Swami Desikan are :

1. Moksha Pradhathvam/samsAra VinAsanam ( Conferral of Moksham 
and there by freeing us from the recurring cycles of births 
and deaths.Conferral of the boon of Nithya Kaimkaryam to Him 
and His consort in paramapadham . 

2. Jagath Kaaranathvam :Being fundametally responsible for
the creation , protection and the dissolution of the Universe .
Being the sole cause of all chEthanams and AchEthanams 
and not being supported by any other entity or principle 
regarding His Jn~Anam and sakthi .

3. SaraNyathvam :Being the SaraNyan (refuge) for those , who
surrender to Him through the AchArya Mukha Prapatthi or the other 
three types of prapatthi .Assuring everyone that seek Him that 
there is no need to look for others to protect them . 

4. UpakArathva Kaashtai : Helping His BhakthAs and coming to
their rescue without hesitation on Kshudra VyAjam ( very little
effort) and making Himself the object of our enjoyment inspite of
His unimaginably lofty status as Ubhaya VibhUthi nAthan ( Lord of 
Nithya and LeelA vibhUthi).Even after this extraordinary help , our
Lord feels that He is indebted forever to His bhakthAs because of 
His inability to give even more than what He has blessed us with 
(viz)., Moksham .

5.KrupA Kaashtai : Unique and incomparable Mercy (KaruNai )
for even those , who commit unspeakable offenses and yet saving 
them .This arises from His saraNAgatha Rakhaka Vratham that
led Him to say that he will offer protection to even RaavaNA , if
he sought His refuge and gave up his ill deeds .Through
the small act (kashaNa Karthavyam )of Prapatthi , He is able
to give the huge boon of residence in Sri Vaikuntam .After that 
granting of the boon , the Lord feels uncomfortable still 
over the thought that He has nothing more to give . 

6.SvAthanthrya Kaashtai : Ability to elvate those , 
whom He wants to bless and protecting them 
in that status against anybody's efforts 
to counter what He established through His samkalpam .

7. NirdhOshathva Kaashtai: Being forever blemishless (amalathvam).
Even if He has affiliation to the blemish-containing entities that
causes every one Aj~Nam and Dukkham , He does not incur any 
Aj~nam or Dukkham . The classic Upanishadic passage of the two 
birds sitting on the branch of the same tree with one experiencing 
false Knowledge and sorrows and the other not subject to these
experiences .  

8.Swaamithva Kaashtai or Being the supreme Lord of Every one 
including Brahman , Indran and all the others .

9.Soulabhya Kaashtai : ease of access , Bhaktha Sulabhan . 
He permits even those , who want to go away because of the
fear of His grandeur to approach Him comfortably .

10. Sousselya Kaashtai :Lowering Himself to the level of
even those , who doubt His Lordship (Isavarathvam ) and
taking the trouble to answering them and keeping them 
in His fold .

11. Vaathsalya Kaashtai: Out of His limitless affection
for His dearest BhakthAs , he ignores their occasioanl 
trespasses and continues to look after their yoga KshEmam .

12. Parama PrApyathva Kaashtai: Being the sole object of
attainment as parama PurushArtham .

13. Aasritha PakshapAtha Kaashtai: Being Sarva VarNa samanan 
( equal of approach to all four VarNams ), He blesses those ,
who seek refuge in Him by cancelling anything countering His 
sankalpam to protect His BhakthAs ).This arises from His 
predisposition (pakshapAtham ) to those, who sought His 
protection (aasrithAL) . 

14.BhOgyathva Kaashtai: Conferring the sweetness of 
the enjoyment of His soundharyam .

15.ayathna BhOgyathva Kaashtai : Blessing capacity to
let one enjoy Him without the intercession of the Indriyams .
His svAbhavika anubhAvyathvam is referred to here .Just
as the breeze carries the fragrance of the flowers , He comes in 
an unbanishable way and lets our eyes enjoy His holy feet 
without  satiety .

All these 15 kalyANa guNams are celebrated in the very 
first verse of AmalanAdhipirAn Sri Sookthi according to
Swami Sri Desikan .

At the very beginning , Swami Desikan states that he wishes
to comment on the Sri Sookthi of ThiruppANar , the poet 
with auspicious attributes .He decribes the AzhwAr , 
who rode on the back of Loka Saaranga Muni (Muni Vaahana 
BhOgar ) as " Mudhitha Mukunda VilOkanar " or the One , who was 
intent on having the Sevai of the Lord of Srirangam , who in turn
is elated to see His BhakthAs .Swami says that he is commenting 
on this extraordinary Sri Sookthi brimming with Bhaavam 
and Bhakthi for the enjoyment of the BhagavathOtthamAs ,
who have controlled their senses (Indriyams) to have 
the Bhagyam of the sEvai of Lord RanganathA .The slokam is
as follows :

vyachikyAsathi BhakthyA viraktha-thOshayA VenaktEsa Kavi :
Mudhitha Mukundha vilOkana MunivAhana Sukavi Sookthim imAm 

Swami points out the uniqueness of this prabhandham of
ThiruppANar among all the other divya Prabhandhams . He
says that The AmalanaadhipirAn Sri Sookthi is not too
long ( athi vistharam ) , not too short (athi sankOcham ) ,
not generating any doubts ( SamsayAthi Janakathvam ) ,
Sorrow due to separation from the Lord as Naayikai (Viraha KlEsam),
Sending of messengers to plead the case to unite the Jeevan 
with the Lord (DhUtha prEkshaNam ) , instructions to others
(parOpadEsam ) and crticism of the other mathams (Para-Matha
nirasanam ).IT IS JUST FULL OF BHAGAVADH ANUBHAVA GHANA RASAM 
( the rich delight arising from the total enjoyment of
the Lord's soundharyam and kalyAna guNAs ). All the ten
paasurams of this AdhyAthma Prabhandham thus differ from 
the aruLic cheyalkaL of other  AzhwArs according to 
Swami Sri Desikan .

At the end of his commetary on this rahasya grantham ,
Swami Desikan describes the nature of the Azhwaar and
the object of his love , Sri Ranganathan  this way :

AzhwAr : aadhi marai yena Ongum arangathuLLE 
aruL aarum kadalaik kaNdavan yenn PaaNan 

Swami salutes with affection the Sukavi as " Yenn PaaNan "
(My ThiruppANAzhwAr ). He describes further about the object
of PaaNan's reverential salutation as the Lord of Srirangam 
resting under the PraNavAkAra VimAnam , the ocean of mercy ,
Sri RanganAthan .

About the quintessence of the Prabhandham , Swami Desikan
states :

vEdiyar taam viritthuraikkum viLaivukellAm 
vidhai aahum ithu yenru viLampinOmE 

This prabhandham is the seed for all what VedanthIs 
elaborate as the fruits of BrahmOpAsanam . 

Swami goes onto say that the ten paasurams of
ThiruppANar as "pazha maRayin poruL " ( the meaning
of ancient VedAs ). 

Swami Desikan  concludes his commentary with a
beautiful palasruthi slOkam  :

MunivAhana  bhOgOyam mukthaisvarya rasOpama:
krupayA RanganAthasya kruthArthAyathu na: sadhA 

(Meaning ) : This rahasya grantham ( MunivAhana BhOgam ) 
is equal in anubhavam to the BrahmAnandha Rasam enjoyed 
by the Muktha Jeevans in parama Padham . May this make all
of the readers krutha Kruthya:( the ones , who realized 
the object of their desires) through the mercy of 
Lord RanganAthA .

AzhwAr , Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan