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Re: Sri Guna Rathna Kosam : Part 59: slOkam 50

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • November 18, 2001 


Dear BhakthAs of Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr:

The 50th slOkam is the beginning of a set of slOkams 
through which Swamy ParAsara Bhattar instructs us that
MahA Lakshmi is the UpAyam ( Means for Moksham ) ,  
UpEyam ( the Goal , the Lakshyam and PrApyam )
and that She is a Vibhu like Her Lord . She as
Bhagavathi has Thulya SeelA ( equal in auspicious 
features in every aspect with Her Lord ,the BhagavAn).

In these slOkams as elsewhere in Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam ,
Swamy ParAsara Bhattar elaborates on the doctrines 
housed in AchArya RaamAnujA's SaraNAgathi Gadhyam 
(first choorNikai) ,Swamy KurEsar's Sri Sthavm and 
Swamy Alavandhaar's ChathusslOki . 

AchArya RaamAnujA started HIs SaraNAgathi Gadhyam 
with the salutation to the abhimadha,anuroopa Roopa-
Svaroopa-GuNa -Vibhava-Isvarya-SeelA aspects of 
Sri RanganAyaki and concluded the first choorNikai
with Prapatthi to Her: " akhila jaganmAtharam ,
asaraNya-saraNyAM ananya-saraNa: SaraNam aham prapadhyE".

In the 50th slOkam , Swamy ParAsara Bhattar
pays tribute to Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr as
the SaranAgatha Rakshaki. The effectiveness of 
Thrijadai's SaraNAgathi to SeethA PirAtti is
used an example here. Swamy ParAsara Bhattar 
points out that Her "UkthyA kshamou" was suprior
to Her Lord's SaraNAgatha RakshaNam  in the case of
VibhishaNaazhwaan and KaakAsuran . Swamy Desikan deals 
at great length on the SaraNAgathis of VibhishaNan and
KaakAsuran in his Sri Sookthi known as "Abhaya
PradhAna Saaram ". The 50th slOkam of Sri GuNa
Rathna kOsam is as follows:

Maathar-Mythili! RaakshasIs-thvayi tadhaiva-ardhrapardhAs-thvyaa
RakshanthyA PavanAthmajaallaghudharaa Raamasya GhOshti kruthA
Kaakam tamcha VibhIshaNam SaraNamithi-ukthikshamou rakshatha:
Saa na: saandhramahAgasas-sukhayathu KshAnthis-tavAkasmikI

Here Swamy ParAsara Bhattar addresses Sri RanganAyaki
as " Maathar-Mythili". Oh My Mother Mythili! You are my
nirupAdhika (Unconditional) Janani (Mother)! You took on
the incarnation of SitA to accompany Your Lord during
RaamAvathAram. You were kidnapped by RaavaNan and
he incarcerated You in AshOka Vanam and put ugly
and cruel Raakshasis as Your guards . They tormented
You and comitted so many apachArams and goaded You to
marry their king, RaavaNan. Among all the Raakshasis 
was one by the name Thrijadai , who was the daughter of
VibhIshaNan. She had a dream in which she saw Raavanan
being destroyed by Lord Ramachandran and His retinue of
Monkeys and bears.She woke up from her dream  
and counselled her fellow raakshasis to save 
themselves from the wrath of Lord Raamachandran
by performing SaraNAgathi at the sacred feet 
of SitA PirAtti :

tadhalam krUravAkyairva: saanthamEva abhidhIyathAm
abhiyAchAma VidhEhimEdadhi mama rOchathE
---Sundara KaaNDam , Srimath RaamAyaNam : 27.54

(meaning): Oh RaakshasIs ! Enough of your threatening 
words to SitA Devi ! Please speak to Her with humility
from now on. Let us beg SitA Devi to protect us from
Her Lord's anger . This is the only appropraite thing 
to do.

PraNipAtha prasannA hi MaithilI JanakAthmajA
ALAMESHAA  parithrAthum RaakshasyO mahathO BhayAth
--Sundara KaaNDam , Srimath RaamAyaNam : 27.57

(meaning): If we pray to SitA PirAtti and seek Her
refuge and protection, She will not be angry at us
anymore. She has the full power to protect us from
the great harm that is ahead of us.

HanumAn was witness to these statements by Thrijadai
counselling Prapatthi at the feet of SitA PirAtti.

Now the scene shifts from Sundara KaaNDam to
Yuddha KaaNDam .The same HanumAn , who had 
witnessed the maltreatment of SitA DEvi by
the Raakshasis has another opportunity to
witness the greatness of SitA PirAtti.

The time was after RavaNa samhAram. The place was
AshOka Vanam in Lankai. HanumAn had rushed to 
SitA Devi's side to let Her know that the destruction
of RavANan at the hands of Her Lord had taken place.
There HanumAn saw all the Raakshasis , who had
committed the offense of causing pain to SitA Devi. 
HanumAn was mighty mad and sought the paermission of
SitA PirAtti to destroy those RaakshasIs .He pointed out 
that the demonesses have no repentence over the treatment
they meted out to SitA PirAtti in their role as Her
jailors. He argued that all of the RaakshasIs
deserve to be killed :

imAsthu khalu RaakshasyO yadhi thvamanumanyE
hanthumicchAmi thaa: sarvA yaabhisthvam tarjithA purA
--Sri ValmIki RaamAyaNam: Yuddha KaaNDam: 113.30

(meaning): Oh SitA PirAtti! " If You permit me , 
I for my part would surely make short work of
all these notorious RaakshasIs , by whom You 
have been intimidated in the past " .

The most merciful SaraNAgatha rakshaki ,SitA 
PirAtti counselled HanumAn against such rash
deeds with these very famous words:

paapAnAm vaa SubhAnAm vaa vadhArhaNamaTApi vaa
Kaaryam kaaruNyamAryENa na kascchinnaparAdhyathi
--Sri VaalmIki RaamAyaNam : Yuddha KaaNDam:113.45

(meaning): " Compassion should by  a noble soul  
towards sinners as well for the good , nay , 
even for those desrving death . There is none 
who never committs a wrong." 

In the next slOkam , SitA PirAtti goes 
one step further to reveal Her DayA Svaroopam:

lOka-himsA-vihArANAm krUrANAm paapakarmaNAm
kurvathAmapi paapAni naiva kaaryamasObhanam
--Yiddha KaaNDam: 113.46

(meaning): " No evil should be done even to those 
cruel men of sinful deeds , who revel in genocide ,
and continue to perpetrate sins". She implies 
that they should be saved , if they seek protection.

HanumAn, the scholar in Nava VyAkaraNam answers 
SitA PirAtti appropriately and praises Her as 
the Consort worthy of the Lord in being the abode
of GuNa Rathnams including DayA , SaraNAgatha
Vaathsalyam and Rakshakathvam:

yukthA Raamasya bhavathI dharmapathnI GUNAANVITHAA
pathisamdisa maam Devi gamishyE yathra Raaghava:
--Yuddha KaaNDam : 113.48

(Meaning): Oh Maathar Mythili! Jagan MaathA !
Thou art indeed the pefect match for Your
great husband as a dharma pathni . You match
His anantha KalyANa GuNams in all aspects. 
Please give me  a mesage to take back to Your Lord !

HanumAn understands the power of the earlier appeal of 
Thrijadai on behalf of the offending Raakshasis to 
SitA Devi.The most merciful Mother rememberd that
appeal and protected the Raakshasis. 

AdiyEn will continue with the many layers of meanings of 
this 50th slOkam in the next posting(s).

Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SaTakOpan  



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