Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam : Part II
From the Bhakti List Archives
• October 14, 2000
Srimathyai HasthinAtha PrabhOdhinyai Nama:
Sri RanganAyakyai Nama:
Dear BhakthAs :
We will study the Taniyan for Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam
that salutes the extraordinary life and works of
ParAsara Bahttar in this posting .
Taniyan :
*********
Sri ParAsara BhattArya: Sri RangEsa PurOhitha:
Sri VathsAnga Sutha: SrimAn SrEyasE mEasthu bhUasE
(meaning):The revered Sri ParAsara Bhattar is the son
of KurEsar and the PurOhithar for Lord RanganAthan.
He is full of Kaimkarya Sampath and hence is qualified
to be addressed as SrimAn. May adiyEn be blessed
with all auspiciousness again and again through
this salutation of mine at the sacred feet of
Sri ParAsara Bhattar.
This Taniyan is from the Sri VishNu Sahasra naama
BhAshyam of ParAsara Bhattar.
(Commnets): Sri ParAsara Bhattar was born in 1062 C.E(?)
as the son of KurEsar and AndAL. ParAsara Bhattar
came into this world through the grace of Lord
RanganAthA as the elder twin s born to his
parents.AchArya RaamAnujA gave the name of ParAsarA
to this child and the dhivya dampathis of Srirangam
raised him. Hence , ParAsara Bhattar was a Gharbha-
SrimAn as a result of the JaayamAna KatAksham of
the dhivya Dampathis . AchArya RaamAnujA named the twins
as ParAsarA and Veda VyAsA to commemorate the authors
of VishNu PurANam and Brahma Soothrams respectively .
As a direct result of the Spiritual authority
vested by AchArya RaamAnujA in ParAsarA , he
became the chief priest of Lord RanganAthan
and expounded purANams (PurANa patanam) at
the Srirangam temple .That is why the taniyan
salutes him as Sri RangEsa PurOhitha: and it
would have been a wonderful experience for
his contemproaries to listen to ParAsara Bahttar
recite the Thirumanjana Kattiyam for Lord RanganAthA
or provide nirvAham for intricate passages of
Swamy NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi paasurams .
The taniyan also addresses him reverentially as
Sri ParAsara BhattArya:, a salutation that is
commensurate with his great Ubhaya VedAnthA
scholarship , AchArya pathavi and extraordinary
skills in debates to defeat Paramatha Vaadhins.
He shone as a bright star in the firmament of
Sri VisishtAdvaitham during the post-RaamAnujA
and pre-Swamy Desika period. He established
a great Sishya paramparai through the adoption of
Namjeeyar as his main disciple.
ParAsara Bhattar's works some times will
be hall marks of brevity and clarity such
as AshtaslOki , which is the quintessence of
the three Sri VaishNavite Rahasyams. Some times,
his works can be treasure house of elaborate
commentaries such as The Bhagavadh GuNa Darpanam ,
which is an encyclopedaic work instructing
us on the glories of the 1000 names of Lord VishNu
found in SriVishNu Sahasra Naamam.
His ubhaya VedAnthA Scholarship is outstandingly
revealed in his beautiful Tamil Commentary on
Kaiasika PurANam , which is a part of VarAha
PurANam , where VarAha PerumAn reveals to
BhUmi Devi ,the extraordinary anugraham obtained
through singing His glory during the Brahma MuhUrtham
of the twelfth day of Sukla Paksham of VriscchikA
month .The brilliant way in which ParAsara Bhattar
gave the exposition of Kaisika MahAthmyam in
Sri RanganAthA's sannidhi gained the appropation
of Lord RanganAthan Himself . Our Lord orderd
a Brahma ratham to celebrate the expository
skills (PurANa Pravachanam skills )of Bhattar.
Bhattar was carried in a palanquin by dhvijOtthamAs
to his home with BhagavAn's maryAdhais and
became ParAsara BhattAryar as recorded in
His taniyan . Srimathi Anita Ratnam of
the TVS family will be organizing the dance-
drama of Kaisika PurANam at ThiRukkuRunkudi
this year .Hope BhagavathAs can travel to
this dhivya dEsam and enjoy their links to
Sri ParAsara BhattAryar .
In the next posting we will cover the first
slOkam of the Sri GuNa Rathna KOsam of
the ParAsara BhattAryar.
Sri Ranga Dhivya DampathikaL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan
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- SrImate rAmAnujAya namaH -
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