A Presentation prepared for NammAzhwAr Moksham celebration at Stirling , NJ by Sri RanganAthA Temple of America : Part II
From the Bhakti List Archives
• December 27, 1999
Dear BhakthAs : Sri RanganAthA's mahimai is limitless . As they say , even the thousand tongued AdhisEshA csan not describe it adequately. The status of alpa maanidam is certainly hopeless and yet , we will strive to salute an infinitesimal portion of the Lord's glory at Srirangam following the path shown by AzhwArs and our PoorvAchAryAs . May the Dhivya dampathis of Srirangam bless adiyEn in this fledgling effort . AzhwArs and Sri Ranganathan ****************************** Eleven out of the 12 AzhwArs with the exception of Madhura Kavi placed 247 paasurams at the sacred feet of Sri RanganAthan . This is the largest number of Paasurams for the ArchA Moorthy of any Dhivya Desam . ThiruvEnkatam with its 202 paasurams is the next in count .The paasurams for Sri RanganaathA fit well with the uniqueness of Srirangam as the Aadhi KshEthram and we will provide later five reasons as to why Srirangam and Sri RanganAthan are so unique in our sampradhAyam for AzhwArs and AchAryAs as well as for us. A reflection on the Number 247 and its mirror image 742 ********************************************************* In a light hearted manner , one can play with the number 247 , which is the sum total of the paasurams by the 11 AzhwArs . We can start by transposing this number to 742 using a bimba-prathibimbham route . Seven can be considerd to represent the Saptha PrAkAra madhyan , AkAra SvarUpi ,Sri RanganAthAn;the next number Four in this changed sequence can be considered either as the four purushArthams or the four Paadhams of His Charama SlOkam ; the last of the three numbers , "2" can be equated to dhvayam . If we do a substraction exercise , 7 minus 4 minus 2 , we are left with the number 1 to remind us of PraNavam , YekAksharam . Lord RanganAtha is surely the PraNavArhta PrakAsakan reclining under His PraNavAkruthi VimAnam as the essence of the four Vedams ( Veda Srunga VimAnam ). Five specific reasons why Srirangam is Unique for us ****************************************************** FIRST REASON: ************** (1) One of the popular Sanskrit SlOkam used to emphasize the uniqueness of Srirangam is: KaavEri VirajAsEyam Vaikuntam Rangamandhiram sa VaasudEvO RangEsa: Prathyaksham paramam padham VimAnam praNavAkAram Vedasrungam MahAdhbhutham Sri rangasAyee BhagavAn PraNavArhta PrakAsaka: Eight reasons are given for the uniqueness of Sri RangarAjan and His dhivya Desam in this slOkam : 1.1 : "KaavEri VirajAsEyam" -- At Srirangam , the sacred river KaavEri is indeed the VirajA river , the divine river flowing at Sri Vaikuntam . 1.2: "Vaikuntam Rangamandhiram" --Our Lord's temple at Srirangam is BhUlOka VaikuNtam or the Vaikuntam in His LeelA VinhUthi. 1.3: "Sa VaasudEvO RangEsa:" The Lord here is verily Para VaasudEvan . 1.4: "Prathayaksham Paramam Padham "-- This KshEthram is indeed the supreme abode (paramam Padham ) , where the nithya sooris worship Him (SadhA pasyanthi Sooraya: , Tadh VishNO: paramam padham ). 1.5: "VimAnam PraNavAkAram "-- The VimAnam here has the shape of the sacred PraNavam (PrNavAkruthi VimAnam). 1.6: "(VimAnam ) Veda srungam MahAdhbhutham "-- This most wonderful and mysterious VimAnam is like the fragrant VedAs that have taken the form of a beautiful lotus bud (Sarasija MukuLOthbhAsamAnE VimAnE in Paraasara Bhattar's words). Srungam has many other meanings : Horn , the top of the mountain , Lordship , Soverignity, a fountain of water . All of these different meanings can be used to explain the significance of the Vedasrunga VimAnam . Two Rg Vedic verses come into mind as one reflects on the word Srungam : " Srungam sa dhruptha vinayAdhikrutha--" Rg Vedam: Canto 9 The reference here is to the Horn, the proud angam of a Bull . " Srungam na: prathamA --chakravAkEva prathi --" Rg Vedam : 2.39.3 Here , the reference again is to the two horns of a majestic bull , the Lord .This Veda Manthram begs the Lord to present Himself with His mate like two loving ChakravAkA birds every morning ... " SahasrOthi: sathaamagO VIMAANO rajasa: kavi:I -- Rg Vedam : 9.62.14 Here the tribute is for the Soma rasam ," the sagacious, exhilirating elixir , offering thousand-fold protections and characterized by hundred-fold wealth and is the measure of all the regions ". Such Soma Rasam , offering thousand-fold protections and hundred -fold wealth is the VimAnam , the Veda- Srunga VimAnam of the Lord of Srirangam .When one has the darsanam of VimAna VaasudEvan at His Veda Srunga VimAnam , one has all the blessings and protections referred to by the above Veda- manthram . 1.7: "Sriranga-Saayee BhagavAn " is the 7th group of words. The Parama Purushan under the MahAdhbhutha VimAnam is identified for us as SaakshAth BhagavAn of Parama Padham . 1.8: "(Sa BhagavAn) PraNavArtha PrakAsaka:" -- In the final and the eiughth salutation ,the tattvams behind Sriranganaathan , His dhivya Desam ,His adhbhutha- VimAnam and His glorious temple all come together in one word: "PraNavArhta PrakAsaka:" . That Lord reclining under His Veda Srunga VimAnam is the One , who is the ParamjyOthi explaining the meaning of PraNavam or EkAksharam . Sri Parasara Bhattar , the PurOhithar of Sri RanganAthA has explained for us the meaning of PraNavam in first slOkam of his AshtaslOki Sri Sookthi : " akArArthO VishNu: jagadh udhaya -rakshA- PraLayakruth MakArArthO jeeavsthu tadhupakaraNam VaishNavam idham UkaarO ananyArham niyamayathi sambhandham anayO: thrayIsAra: thrayAthmA PRANAVA imam artham samadisath " (Meaning ): The Supreme Lord , VishNu , who creates , protects and destroys the universe is denoted by the first aksharam ," A" in PraNavam; AkAram also includes His PirAtti.MakAram stands for the Jeevan; He is the sEsha bhUthan of Akaara SvarUpi, VishNu. UkAram stresses that the relationship between the two--the Jeevan and the Isvaran -- is ananyArham or does not belong to anyone else. This relationship is " Ozhikka OzhiyAthu " as well .The PraNavam thus distills the essence of the three Vedams taking the form of the three Aksharams, "A, U, M". THIS THEN IS THE FIRST CITATION FOR THE UNIQUENESS OF SRIRANGA KSHETHRAM AND SRI RANGANAAYAKI SAMETHA SRI RANGANAATHAN . We will cover the other four reasons for unqueness as a prelude to the AzhwAr Paasurams in the subsequent postings . Daasan, O.V.Sadagopan
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