-
- sri:
srimate ramanjuaya namah:
- sriranga nayika sametha sri rangantha
prabrahmane namah:
- by
- Sri U.Ve .Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan
-
- Sri Varadaraja Perumal and Ubaya
Nachiyars,Kanchipuram
The Context of Sri Manavaala Maamunigal's
Devaraja Mangalam
For Sri VaishNava AchAryAs , Srirangam , Kaanchi and Thirumalai
have been and continue to be the three important focal points
of worship. Important granthams , which form the bedrock of our
sampradhAyams took their birth here due to the grace of the ArchA
Moorthis there .
Lord VaradarAjA presides on top of Hasthigiri under the PuNyakOti
VimAnam from time immemorial . Near here were born AchArya RaamAnujA
, KurEsA ,Swami Desikan and other Sri VaishNavite AchAryAs ,
who were given away as presents by Lord VaradarAjan to Lord RanganAthA
of Srirangam .AlavandhAr saw RaamAnujA as the student of Yaadhava
PrakAsA at Sri VaradarAjan's temple and prayed tolatter to bless
RaamAnujA to become his designated successor to grow further
our glorious sampradhAyam .
Here NadadUr AmmAl blessed Swami Desikan to become one
of the greatest AchAryAs. At this sannidhi, Lord VaradarAjan
spoke with Thirukkacchi Nambi , while ignoring the archaa samaadhi
that he was foresworn to .
As MM stood before Lord VaradarAjA enjoying Hisdhivya Soundharyam
and SarvEsvarathvam , the 13 slOkams in the form of a MangaLam
to the Lord arose out of him and reached the holy feet of PerumAl
known as DevarAjan ( King of the DEvAs ) , VaradarAjan ( the
King among boon givers ) and PeraruLALan
( the One who confers unparalleled soubhAgyams on His BhakthAs).
This moving Mangalam on DevarAjA joined the ranks of other great
sthuthis on the Lord of Kanchi such as Sri VaradarAja Panchaasath
of Swami Desikan , DevarAja ashtakam of Thirukkacchi Nambi and
Sri VaradarAja Sthavam of Appaaya Dikshithar , a greatadmirer
of Swami Desikan .
MM's salutations to Lord VaradarAjan took the form of a MangaLam
or pallaaNDu instead of the form of a sthuthi , which was the
chosen format of his predecessors. Typically the salutations
to the Lord takes the form of SuprabhAtham ( ThirupaLLiyezucchi
),
or sthuthi/prapatthi or MangaLam . MM chose the format of MangaLam
for Lord DevarAjA inview of his great fondness for PeriyAzhwAr's
ThirupallANdu hailing long life for the lord to ward off dhrushti
dhOsham .Out of the Parivu of MM , this MangaLam arose .
The thaniyan for the 13 slokam of Devaraaja
Mangalam
At the outset , it can be pointed out that the thirteen verses
of DevarAja Mangalam correspond to the ThrayaOdasAkshari manthram
of Sri RamachandrA . The Taniyan for this Mangalam
for the Lord of Kaanchi was composed by one of the eight
famous disciples of MM known as AppiLLai :
yacchakrE DevarAjasya MangaLAsAsanam
mudhA
tham vandhE RamyajAmAthru munim visadha-vaagvaram
(Meaning): AdiyEn salutes my AchAryan , Sri MM ,celebrated
as Visadha Vaak sikhAmaNi ( the crownj ewel among those poets
with pellucid diction ),who out of his parama bhakthi for DevarAjA
eulogied Him with great joy .
From here on , the meanings of the individual slOkams will
be given with occasional commentson the beauty of selected passages
.The Sanskrit text of the slokams are assembled in the MM Home
pages referred to above.
The Meanings of the 13 shloas of Devaraaja
Mangalam
Gopuram of Varadaraja Swami Temple,Kanchipuram
(1) MangaLam to the One , who arose from the Homa kuntam of
Chathurmukha BrahmA at Hasthigiri ! MangaLam to that house of
DayA ,DevarAjan , whose heroism as Raamachandran in VibhavAtharam
and generosity in ArchAvathAram are legendary .
(2) MangaLam to VaradarAjan , who arose from the sacred fire
of BrahmA's Yaj~nam on top of Hasthi Giri and stood at the UttaravEdhi
with His most beautiful body .Mangalam to the One , who presented
Himself at the time when BrahmA offered his own marrow(VapA )
as Havis to the Lord.( The supreme sacrifice of VapA homam moved
the Lord immensely and He could not wait anymore on the wings
and hold Himself back from His son, Lord BrahmA ).
(3) MangaLam to DevarAjA , who presented Himself witha bewitching
smile before BrahmA ,the YajamAnA of the Yaagam
performed at Hasthi Giri to have the darsana soubhAgyam
of the Lord with his (BrahmA's) own eyes .
(4) MangaLam (PallANdu ) to DevarAja PerumAL (p)residing
on Hasthi Giri known for His lotus soft eyes , beautiful
peethAmbharam around His waist and the captivating hue
reminding one of the dark blue clouds of the rainy season .
Commnets: This is yet another beautiful slOkam , where the
Sanskrit
words chosen by MM flow like the sweet waters of a cool
mountain stream :
Vaaridha SyAma vapushE VirAjath peethavAsasE
VaaraNaachala VaasAya VaarijAkshAya MangaLam
(5) MangaLam to my Lord PraNathArthiharan ( the onewho destroys
the dukkhams of His devotees) of Atthigiri ,who blesses the assembly
of boon seekers even today ,just as He responded to the wishes
of BrahmA in the days of yore. He is my Prabhu , who removes
ALL the obstacles and difficulties that we face on this earth
as SamsAris.
(6) MangaLam to the Lord of Hasthi Giri , DEvarAjA ,who shines
beautifully with His lovely limbs ,jewelery and powerful weapons
.
Commnets: Sri MM uses in this slOkam a rare name for the elephanat
, IrAvadham , the vaahanam of Indran,which took the form of the
tall hill (Homa Kuntam).TanthAvaLam is that rare name for the
rare white elephant of Indran .
(7) PallANdu to the most adorable , ancient PurushA celebrated
in the four VedAs through Purusha Sooktham Rks! Mangalam to the
beautiful KalpakA tree with fragrant blossoms sanctifying the
PuNya kOti VimAnam at Kaanchi ( PushpithOdhAra Kalpa dhru KamanIyAn).
(Comments): It is appropriate to pause here to reflect
on Swami Desikan's own beautiful sthuthi for DeavarAjan
( VaradarAja PanchAsath ) inview of the special reverence
MM had for the Abhiyukthar , VedAntha Desikan . Swami Desikan's
choice of words in his sthOthram find their echos in MM's tribute
.
Swami Desikan's words are juxtaposed below with those
of MM's words in paranthesis below: ShyAmala:(ShyAma VapushE),
Kalpa Saaki ( Kalpa dhru ), KaaruNya raasi: ( DayA dhAmnE),
Kari Saila Naatha: ( VaaraNAchala Vaasa:), Swamin ( PrabhO),
KarIsa ( DhanthaavaLa girIsa), KamalA Gruha mEdhinE
( VedhimEdhini gruha mEdhinE), Nithyam , Param , Sarva gadham
,
SusUkshmum , nishpandhAnandha mayam bhavatha: svarUpam
( PurushAya PurANAya, dayamAna Dhrusaaya ). Both AchAryAs salute
in resonant words the everlasting, all pervasive , ever-blissful
nature of unalloyed auspiciousness .
(8) MnagaLam to the One with the hue of the dark rainy cloud
sitting on the peak of a golden mountain (viz)., the shoulders
of the Veda mUrthy , Garudan with golden wings.
(Commnets): This slOkam is based on the ThiruvAimozhi Paasuram
that begins with the words: " Kaacchina paRavai Oornthu
ponmalayin meemisai karumuhil pOl --". This slOkam is a
salutation to the Garuda Sevai of DevapperumAL.This slOkam is
also connected with the mangaLAsAsanam of BhUthatthAzhwAr ( AtthiUrAn
PuLLai OorvAn--).
(9)This slOkam is a deep salutation to the Dhavaya manthram,
since Sri VaradarAjan is closely linked to this manthra
rathnam , just as Sri RanganAthan and Thirumalai SrinivAsan
are linked to AshtAksharam and Charama slOkam respectively.
The two BhOgams (BhOga Dhvayam ) that the most generous
VaradarAjan can confer on those reciting Dhvaya manthram are
:
(1)the BhOgams on this earth ( IruL TarumA gyalamAhiya ivvulaham
), LeelA VibhUthi and (2) Srivaikunta Vaasam and nithya kaimkaryam
there ( NalamanthamillAthOr naadu ). One or both of
these dhvaya BhOgams , Ihika and Aamushmika BhOgams , are conferred
by the most generous Varadhan on His BhakthAs chanting Dhvaya
manthram.His unmatched oudhAryam has been celebrated by AzhwAr
as " Avan naadum nagaramum nankudan kaaNa nalanidai oorthi
paNNI , Veedum peRutthi tannmUvulauhukkum tarum oru NaayakamE
".
MM says: " ManagaLam to that avyAja karuNA mUrthy , who
grants one or the other of the two boons as requested by His
BhakthAs ."
(10) MangaLam to the jewel, which adorns the peak of
Hasthi Giri ! MangaLam to that Lord who has taken the vow
(Bhaddha dheeksha:) to protect me and my kind (His BhakthAs)
!
(comments): Swami Desikan's elaboration of the Bhaddha Dheekshai
of the Lord is worth reflecting here . Swami Desikan indicates
that the boon giving Lord of Kaanchi blesses the ones possessing
satthva guNam by taking His residence in their hearts in the
form of Jn~aana svarUpi ( Satvavantha: HrudhayE chinmayatayA
rootasya). His MahA krupA encourages Swami Desikan to beg for
His life-giving , nectarine glances to fall on him ( TvadhIya:
karuNA amrutha dhrushti paatha: jeevAthu asthu).Swami Desikan
elaborates further the Bhaddha dhIkshai of Lord varadarAjan ,
the supreme bliss with no equal in the three worlds ,( Viswa
adhisAyee suka Roopan ) with one powerful salutation ,"
MohanAnaandhakAran "( the One , who destroys the false knowledge
through His Param JyOthi svarUpam ).
(11) MangaLam to that Lord of Hasthi Giri, who broke His
archAvathAraa protocol ( silence ) and spoke at all times with
His parama bhakthan, Thirukkacchi Nampi ,with great affection
.
(Comments): The Vow of Sriman NaarAyaNA during archAvathAram
is not to speak directly to anyone .Lord varadarAjan brokethat
self-imposed silence to speak to Thirukkacchi Nambi ,who performed
Fan service to Him daily . He spoke to His beloved Thirukkacchi
Nampi and sent word through him to RaamAnujA . The special blessings
that Thirukkacchi
Nampi received from Lord DeavarAjA PerumAL led him to
be recognized as "DevarAja DayApaathram " in the taniyan
for DevarAjAshtakam of Nampi . The grateful Thirukkacchi
Nampi saluted the Lord in his ashtakam as : "Samastha PrANi
SanthrANa praveeNa! DevarAja DayA sindhO ! Deva Deva!
Jagath pathE ! Vilasanthu katAkshAsthE mayyasmin JagathAm
PathE !). The posting on the beautiful tribute of Nampi,
Sri DevarAjAshtakam is archived in the Sri VaishNavAhome pages
(12) May all auspiciousnes befall Lord VaradarAjA known for
the lingering perfume of KasthUri on His chest arising from His
affectionate embrace of PerundEvi ThAyAr , his inseparable consort.
(Comments): This reference to the perfume of KasthUri on the
Lord's chest reminds us of the NaacchiyAr ThiruvAimozhi section
of ANDAL : " kongai mEl Kunkumatthin Kuzhambahzhiya puhunthu
oru nALL tangu mEl yennAvi tangumennu urayeerE ".
(13): This is the well known verse that we use in our
daily ThiruvArAdhanam
MangaLAsAsanaparai: MadhAchArya purOgamai:
SARVAISCCHA POORVAACHAARYAI: sathkruthAyAsthu Mangalam
(Meaning):MangaLam to Lord DevarAjA of Kaanchipuram ,who has
been worshipped by asmathAchAryan and all the poorvAchAryAs going
back to NammAzhwAr , whose livelihood was nothing but singing
pallANdu to Him. AdiyEn has followed the well trodden path of
poorvAchAryAs to sing pallANdu tothe Lord of Hasthigiri through
this sthuthi .
Sri PerundEvi samEtha HasthigirIsAya MangaLam
AzhwAr EmperumAnAr Jeeyar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam
Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan
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