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Sri Devaraja MangaLam of Sri MaNavALa mAmuhigaL--Part 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • November 19, 1996 


Dear members of the Bhakthi group :

After reading the brilliant postings on the Daya of the Lord SrinivAsa
by Sri Sudarshan , I could not help thinking about the peruruLALn
and his consort PerundEvi ThAyAr of VishNu Kanchi . Swami Desikan
as well as Sri RamAnujA have adored the DayAlu at  KAnchipuram .

Swamy Desikan and Yatirajar were born near Kanchipuram and can be
considered as native sons of Kanchi . Swamy Desikan has saluted 
Sri Varadarajan aka Devarajan aka PeruruLaLan aka Hasthi gireesan
in many of his sthoras such as Divya Desa MangaLAsAsanaA , 
Varadaraja PanchAsath , Hasthigiri MahAtmyam,Prapatthi dasaka , 
( Sanskrit Version of the Tamil work , adaikkala Patthu ) , 
Thirucchinna mAlai and last but not least , NyAsa Dasakam , 
where he offered his own  saraNAgathi to VaradarAjan. 

In today's posting, I would like to focus on another great AcharyA,
who came after Swami Desikan and blessed the Sri VaishNavAs 
for all times . I am referring to Visatha Vaak sikhaamaNi Sri MaNavALa
Maamuni and his work known as Sri Devaraja MangaLam . There are 
13 verses in this work to remind one of the TrayodasAkshari mantram
of Sri RamachandrA . I will invoke the blessings of PeraruLaaLa PerumAL
and PerundEvi ThayAr prior to attempting to muse on these 13 slokas .

Taniyan by Sri AppiLLai , direct disciple of MaNavALa MaamunigaL

yacchakrE  DevarAjasya mangaLAsAsanam mudhA I
tam vandEh ramyajAmAtrumunim visatha vAk varam II

(Meaning ) : I salute Sri MaNavALa Maamuni celebrated as 
Visatha Vaak sikhAmaNi ( crown jewel among those poets 
with pellucid  diction ) , who out of his devotion for VaradarajA
eulogized Him with great joy. 

Verse 1 : mangaLam vedasO vedhimedhini gruhamedhinE I
                 Varadhaaya DHAYAADHAAMNEH dhirOdhaaraaya mangaLamII

ManagaLam to the one ,who arose from the homa kuntam of BrahmA at
Atthigiri . MangaLam to that house of Dayaa( dayA dEvi ) ,
VaradhA , whose courage (heroism ) and generosity 
are legendary .

Verse 2 : vAjimedhE vapA homE dhatuttaraveditha : I
                udhithAya hudhAthAt agnErutArAngAya MangaLam II

MangaLam to VaradarAja , who rose from the fire of BrahmA's
YAgam and stood at the UttaravEdhi with a most beautiful body.
He appeared this way at the juncture, when Brahma used the 
VapA (the marrow from his own body) as Aahuthi (offering ) 
and poured it into the sacrificial fire. 

Verse 3 : yajamAnam vidhim veekshya smayamAnamukhasriyE I
                 dayamAnadhrusE tasmai DevarAjAya MangaLam II

MangaLam to DevarAja , who appeared in front of the yajamAna
of the sacrifice , BrahmA , with a bewitching smile on His face ,
when BrahmA wished to have the darsanam of the Lord as a  
boon from the performance of the Yaagam on Hasthigiri . (The supreme
sacrifice of VapA homam of Brahmaa touched the Lord and He 
could not wait anymore on the wings ) .

Verse 4 : vaaridha syAma vapushE virAjath peethavAsasE I
                 vAraNachala vAsAya vArijAkshaya mangaLam II

MangaLam ( PallAndu )  to DEvarAja PeruMAL residing on atthigiri
with lotus eyes,  resplendent peethAmbharam around His waist
and the  most beautiful hue reminding us of the dark blue clouds 
of the rainy season .

Verse 5 : adhyApi sarvabhoothAnAm abheeshta PaladhayikE I
                 praNathArthiharAyAsthu prabhavE mama mangaLam II

MangaLam to my Lord VaradarAja , who blesses the assembly of
 boon-seekers even today , just as he responded to the wish 
of BrahmA in days of Yore . He is my Prabhu , who removes all 
the obstacles and difficulties that we face on this earth . 

Verse 6 : divyAavaya soundharya divyAaabharaNahetayE I
                 dhanthAvaLa gireesAya DevarAjAya mangaLam II

Pallaandu to the lord of Hasthigiri, DeavarAjA , who shines 
beautifully with his beautiful limbs , jewelery and weaopons .
TanthAvaLam is one name for the elephant just as hasthi, 
vAraNam et al . IrAvadam , the eelphant of IndrA is said to
have taken the form of a hillock at Kanchi serving as 
the UttaraVedhi for BrahmA's YAgam. This was the same sacrifice ,
which was saved by YathokthakAri as VeghA sethu  ,
when the furious Saraswathi attempted to destroy 
her husband's sacrifice .   

Verse 7: purushAya PurANAya punyakoti nivAsinE I
                pushpithOdhAra Kalpadhru kamaneeyAya mangaLam II

Pallandu to the most adorable , ancient Purusha celebrated in 
the four Vedas through  Purusha Suktham rks ! mangaLam to 
the beautiful Kalpaka tree with beautiful blossoms  sanctifying 
the PuNya Koti vimAnam at Kanchipuram . 

I will conclude this part with a recollection of Swami Desikan's
own tribute to VaradarAja in his VaradarAja PanchAsath. 
MaNavALa mAmuni had the highest regard for Swami Desikan 
and has expressed his respectful affection for Swami many times.
Therefore , it is interesting to recognize the unity of thought in  their
works of tribute to VaradarAja . Swami's choice of words in his 
eulogy find their echos in Maamuni's tribute .

Swami's words and Maamuni's words are juxtaposed with 
latters in paranthesis .

SyAmaLa : ( syAma VapusE ) ; kalpa sAki ( kalpa dhru ) ;
KaaruNya Raasi: ( DayA dhAmnE ) ; kari saila nAtha: ( VaaraNAchala VAsa: ) ;
Swamin (PrabhO ) ; Kareesa ( DhanthAvaLa gireesa ) ;
KamalA gruha MedhinE ( vedimedhini gruha medhinE ) ;
Nityam, param , sarva Gadham , susukshmam , 
nishpandhanandhathu mayam bhavatha: svarupam --everlasting, 
superior to every thing and being , all-pervasive, sarvaantharmayam , 
having the nature of unalloyed bliss, divine form of Yours
( purushAya, PurANAya, mahA krupAya , DevarAjAya MangaLam ) .