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KurEsar's Sri VaradarAja Sthavam: Part VIII: Taniyan and SlOkam 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • June 25, 2001 


Dear BhakthAs:

KurEsar's Taniyan was composed by his son,
ParAsara Bhattar .This slOkam appears as 
the First slOkam of the Poorva sathakam of 
Bhattar's SrirangarAja Sthavam:

Srivathsa-chihna-misrEbhyO nama-ukthimadhImahE
yadhukthaya: thrayeekaNDE yaanthi MangaLa-soothrathAm

(meaning): We repeatedly perform our salutations to that 
MahAn with the ThirunAmam of SrivathsAnga Misrar( koora NaaTan),
just as we do VedhAdhyananam by reciting Vedha manthrams.
His Sri Sookthis are like ThirumAngalyam for 
the SoubhAgyavathi , who is the embodiment of 
Rg, Yajur and Saama vEdhams. 

SrivathsAngAcchAr Swamy has commented that for 
the bride of Sruthi (vEdhams and their Upanishads) , 
KurEsar's Sri Sookthis ( pancha Sthavams )are like 
the auspicious Mangala abhAraNam of ThirumAngalyam . 
He observes further that Swamy Desikan's Sankalpa 
SooryOdhaya slOkam (2.46) houses similar thoughts 
with respect to the bride (VadhU) of the Sruthis 
and AchArya RaamAnujA Sookthis ( Sruthi-vadhU 
vaidhavya-khEdham prAcheenAm naya Paddhathi).
Swamy Desikan points out here that the bride of Sruthi
will be  a widow without the nine AchArya RaamAnuja 
Sookthis serving as the sacred thread around 
(ThirumAngalyam) Her(Vedha MaathA's) neck. 

Sri VaradharAja Sthavam: SlOkam 1
**********************************

Svasthi HasthigirI-mastha-sEkhara:
  SanthanOthu mayi santhatham Hari:
NissamAbhyadhikam abhyadhattha 
  Yam Devam Oupanishadhee Sarasvathee

(Genearal Meaning): May the Lord PraNathArthiharan
standing on top of Hasthigiri as its AabhraNam confer
on me all auspiciousness always ! May that Lord ,
who has been described as the Supreme One with out 
equal or superior by the Upanishads shower me with
mangaLams always !

SrivathsAngAcchAr Swamy's(SVC) Commentary: adiyEn will be 
following closely the scholastic commentary of Sri SVC 
in Tamil. adiyEn understands that he has written even 
a grander commentary in Sanskrit for the Pancha Sthavams.
adiyEn has no access to them at this time. 

adiyEn's additional thoughts on individual words
and passages will be added , wherever appropriate.
These will be identified as thoughts from adiyEn (VS)
and will follow after coverage of SVC's bhAshyam
on individual slOkams. 

Sri SVC's Commentary
*********************
This slOkam is considered as a salutation to both 
Sri PerumdEvi ThAyaar and Her Lord VaradharAjan .
The Lord is addressed as Hari or the One , who 
takes away (steals) the anishtams ( dhurbhAgyams )
of all .In another AchAryan's Sri Sookthi , Lord
VaradarAjan is also addressed as Hari:

VegavathuttharE theerE PuNyakODyAM HARI: Svayam
Varadha: SarvabhUthAnAm adhyApi paridhrusyathE

(Meaning): On the northern bank of the river Vegavathi,
Hari NaarAyanan has appeared with His PuNyakODi VimAnam.
That Lord , who grants the desired boons to every one 
and hence known as Varadhan is seen even today by all
on top of the Hasthigiri. 

Kuresar points out that Varadhan is "nissama-abhyadhikan"
and has no equals or superiors . He is known as "SamAbhyaahdika
Daridhran" . No one equals Him or exceeds HIm in vaibhavam.
Swamy NammAzhwAr points out this Tatthvam at two places in 
his Prabhandhams:

(1)" Tann OppAr-illappan " about ThiruviNNagarappan
(2) OppAr-MikkAr ilayAya MaayA !" 

Swamy Desikan has succinctly stated this matchless 
tatthvam of Lord Varadhan as: " AruLALar ThAmyeninum
TamakkovvArE ". 

The Upanishads state in unison that Lord DevarAja 
PerumAL (PeraruLALan /Varadhan) has no equals or 
superiors : " Yamm Deavam Oupanishadhee Sarasvathee 
nissama-abhyadhikam abhyadhattha ". This declaration is
based on the Sruthi Vaakyam: " Tamm thu Oupanishadham
Purusham PrucchAmi". 

Lord Varadhan is addressed at  the very beginning of 
this Sthavam as "Svasthi" or "Su:+asthi"That His vaibhavam
(irukkum iruppu) is well established as Deva Raajan. None of 
the others have any claim to this title as ThEpperumAL. 

Svasthi also refers to the Lord's consort ,PerumdEvi or
MahA Devi .It is also Her name. Hence Kuresar salutes
the dhivya dampathis of Hasthigiri together here. 

Atleast five Rg Veda Manthrams start with the auspicious
word of Svasthi .SrivathsAngAcchAr Swamy refers to one of
the five Rks in his vyAkyAnam:

Svasthi na IndhrO VruddhasravA: 
Svasthi na PooshA VisvavEdhA:
Svasthi nasthArkshyO arishtanEmi:
Svasthi nO Bruhaspathir dadhAthu

This veda manthram points out that  all
these names refer to Him only and seek His 
aasirvAdham.AdiyEn will cover this and other 
four Svasthi manthrams of Rg Vedham in the 
next posting in this series .

KurEsar addresses the Lord of Hasthigiri 
with a very meaningful ThirunAnaamam:
"Hasthigiri-mastha sEkahara:" Hasthi Giri means 
Elephant Hill; " Mastha" stands for masthakam 
or Head or crest or peak . "sEkhara:" means 
abhAranam . Lord VaradarAjan stands as the crest 
jewel of the Hasthi Giri. SrivathsAngAcchAr Swamy
gives six intrepretations for this ThirunAmaam :

(1) The Lord on top of the Hasthigiri was once
worshipped by the dhig-Gajams ( elephants/hasthi 
that guard the directions): "DhingnAgai: architha:
tasmin purA VishNu: SanAthana:" . The name Hasthigiri
originated form this incident.

(2) Hasthigiri got that name because it was surrounded
by roaming elephants around that hill(hasthi-yUTAvruthO yathA).

(3) Gajendhran worshipped the Lord here with lotuses 
and He came later to its rescue , when its leg was tightly
held by a crocodile ( GajEndhra: kascchith aagathya 
... Poojayan PurushOtthamam);hence this mountain was 
named Hasthigiri after the king of Hasthis, GajEndhran.

(4) The lord incarnated on top of this hill , when
Hastha nakshathram was in ascendance;hence , the Lord is 
addressed as Hasthee and His hill is referred  to as
Hasthi Giri.

(5) Lord VaradarAjan is known for His boon granting
abhaya PrahAnan HASTHAM and it is for this hand gesture,
He is known as Hasthee and His hill is known as Hasthigiri.

(6) Swamy Desikan salutes His might as the mgihty
mountain ,which made the mountain (on which He was
standing ) bend under His weight ( "Malai kuniya
ninRa malai"). That is why this mountain is called
Hasthigiri.

With Vedhic references and with the authority of
PurANams , Kuresar prays in this slOkam to 
Sriman Hari NaarAyanan standing on top of Hasthigiri. 

adiyEn will add furhter insights in the next posting 
about the mangala vaakyams used by Swamy KurEsar in
this first slOkam and conclude the discussions on it.

Srimath Azhagiya Singar Thiruvadi,
Daasan , Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan 

 


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