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Mukunda Maala -1

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • March 2, 1996 


Dear Members of the Prapatti group:
I will now start my comments about the most 
beautiful stotram known as Mukunda Maala.

Thi stotram is a celebration of Nama Siddhaantham, 
Saranagati, prayer for unceasing rememberance of the 
Lord"s holy feet at all times and places , ParatatvaNirnayam, 
Exhortation to Cetanas to offer Prapatti at the holy feet of the 
most merciful Lord , who has Sri Devi as His inseperable
companion . Hence, It is a summation  of  all the profound
priniciples of  our  Sri Sampradhaayam .

Regarding the celebration of the Naamaas of the Lord, 
Vishnu Sahasra Naamam points us the secret behind the names of 
the Lord. It Says "Yasya Naamaani Gownaani " . It reveals that His
names are Gaunaas (i-e) His names are nothing but a sound 
Form  of His Gunaas (attributes) . The Lord , who is the abode 
of infinite  attributes has therefore Infinite Naamaas. By celbrating these 
names, One grows one's Bhakti and enters the "Rama Bhakti Saamrajyam".
Kulasekhara,as one of the greatest Rama Bhakthas followed  Naama 
Siddhaantham and made his city resonant with the shouts of Sriranga Yaatra
to remind himself and others about the Lord of Ishvaaku Kulam resting at 
Srirangam in Kali Yugam. This Yugam is an age of emotion and in this age,
one can be saved only through the easy route of  Bhakti
or dedicated devotion to the Divya Dampathis 
through Raaganga Bhakti (emotional attachment ) through Naama 
Sankeertanam and Archana with Nama Kusumaas. Saint Thyagaraja
and many others have followed the message of Mukunda Maala and 
attained the supreme goal of life.That is why Saint Thyagaraja chose 
Sri Ragam for his Kriti "Naama Kusumamulacheh Poojincceh Nara 
Janmameh Janmamu  Manasa". Here the Saint , who is both a  Naama 
 and Naada Siddhanti follows the technique adopted by Kulasekhara in 
Mukunda Maala, where many of the  verses are set in the context of
the poet"s conversation with his Manas (Maanasa Sambodhanam ).
 
Swami Desikan in our Acharya Sampradhaaya  established 
in his powerful grantham (Dramidopanishad Taatparya Ratnaavali )
that the 1000 verses of Thiruvaimozhi of Sri Nammazhwaar 
are the celebration of the thousand (Infinite ) Gunaas of the Lord 
having Sri Devi as His Consort. The "1000 verses of Kuruhoor 
Satakopan are housed in ten decads. Swami Desikan states those ten
decads are like a trunk path to all the limitless Gunaas of the Lord 
known as Sri Vallabhan, Srinivasan  and Sridharan.

These ten Gunas mapping on to the ten decads and through linkages 
to the other infinite Gunaas are summarized in this slokam  of Swami 
Desikan:

SEVYATVAAT BHOGYA BHAAVAAT SUBHA TANU VIBHAVAAT SARVA  BHOGYAADHIKATVAAT

SREYASTADHEDHUDHAANAAT SRITAVIVASATAYAAA SVASRITANISHTAHRUTVAAT I

BHAKTACCHANDHANUVRUTTEH : NIRUPADHIGA SUHRDBHAAVAATA: SATPADHAVYAAM

SAAHAYACCHA SVASIDDEH: SVAYAMIHA KARANAM SREEDHARA: PRATYAPAADHI  II    

THE TEN GUNAAS CELEBRATED BY NAMMAZHWAAR ACCORDING TO 

SWAMI DESIKAN ARE: 

(1) Sevyatvam:  Worshippable (2) Bhogyatvam : Enjoyable (3) Subhatanutvam:
Having a Divya mangala Vigraham (4) Sarva Bhogyaadhikatvam: Standing 
as the supreme Bhogya and transcending all the other enjoyable tattvas or 
objects (5) Sreyastadheudhanatvam: Representing all the four purusharthams
as well as  the cause behind them and as anugraha sakti to attain them (6) Srita

Vivasatam : Being under the spell of Prapannas (ie) He is Vasyan (Vaseekaranam)
to Prapannas. (7) Svaasritaanishta hrutva Tatvam (Gunam) : He removes the 
sorrows and sufferings of those , who take refuge in Him
 (8) Bhaktaanucchandaanuvruttam:Acting according to the wishes
 of His devottees as Yatoktakaari 
(9) Nirupadhika Suhrut Bhavam: Well wisher and protector of His Bhaktas
without any premeditation or reason (AVYAAJA SUHRUT ) and (10) Sat-
Padhavyaam Saahayaam : Being a companion on the road of the 
Prapanna (Mukti Maargam ) as MUKUNDA  . These ten
Gunaas celbrated by Nammazhwaar in his 1000 verses of Thiruvaimozhi
representing the 1000 gunaas of the Lord (Sahasra Saakopanishad Samaagamam ),
according to Swami Desikan are the essence of the teachings of 
the Sama Vedam with its 1000 Upanishads corresponding to 
each of its 1000 Saakaas. That is the greatness of the Naamas(Gunaas)
celebrated by Kulasekhara in his MUKUNDA MAALA .

I will start with the first sloka of Mukunda Maala in the next posting and 
wherever possible weave in the thoughts enshrined in the Bhashyam of 
Parasara Bhatta on the 1000 names of the Lord (Sri Vishnu Sahasra Naamam ).

May the Lord and Sri Devi accept this humble offering !

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan