NAMO NARAYANA

 
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Samarpanam
 
Srimukham
 
Introduction
 
Life and Works of Sri Manavaala Mamunigal
 
Thaniyan
 
Works of Manavala Munigal
 
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sri:
srimate ramanjuaya namah:
sriranga nayika sametha sri rangantha prabrahmane namah:
 

 
Yathiraaja Vimsathy
 
by
Sri U.Ve .Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan
 
Archa Murthy of Sri Ramanuja , Sri Perumpudur
Introduction
 
In Sanskrit literature , the poems are organized in numbers of 4,8,10,20,50 ,70 and 100 .The examples are ; ChathuslOki of Alavandhar (4 verses);Sri DevarAjAshtakam of Thirukkacchi Nampi and Sri SudarsanAshtakam of Swami Desikan (8verses); NyAsa dasakam of Swami Desikan ( 10 verses ); NyAsa Vimsathi of Swami Desikan(20 Verses );Sri VaradarAjA panchAsath of Swami Desikan (50 Verses); Sri YathirAja Sapthathi of Swami Desikan ( 70 Verses); Daya Sathakam and Sri Achyutha sathakam of Swami Desikan (100 Verses ). Sri YathirAja Vimsathi(YV) of Sri maNavALa MaamunigaL (MM) belongs to the category of Vimsathi, since this salutations to AchArya RaamAnujA has 20 verses.
 
MM's YV is a moving sthOthram , which came in to being as
a result of the request of MM's Acharyan to MM to compode
a sthOthra grantham on AchArya RaamAnujA .At that time,
MM was a grahasthar and had the name of Azhagiya MaNavALa
NaayanAr. He was the trustee and administrator for the special
temple built by his AchAryan , ThiruvAimozhip PiLLai. NayanAr's
devotion to RaamAnujA was so transparent that his AchAryan
requested his sishyan to compose an eulogy in Sanskrit for RaamAnujA , whose nine Sri Sookthis are in Sanskrit.NaayanAr composed a deeply moving sthuthi on RaamAnujA's glories and his own naicchiyams . NaayanAr begged for RaamAnjA's grace in a heart rending manner . NaayanAr'sAchAryan was so moved by the reverence of his sishyan for RaamAnujA displayed in the YV that he began to address his dear disciple from then on as YathIndhra
PravaNar or one who is an authority on the glories of AchArya RaamAnujA .
 
Thaniyan for Yatiraaja Vimasthi

Those who heard the slOkams of YV were profoundly
moved by the depth of reverence of NaayanAr .One of
them composed a Taniyan in Tamizh for YV :
 
VALLARGAL VAAZHTTHUM KURUKESAR TAMMAI MANATTHU VAITTHU SOLLAARA VAAZHTTHUM MANAVAALA NAAYANAAR THONDAR KUZHAAM YELLAAM TAZHAIKKA YETHIRAASA VIMSATHI YEENRU ALITTHON PULLAARAVINTHAT-THIRUTTHAALL IRANDAYUM PORRU NENJE
 
(meaning ):remembering the greatness of NammAzhwAr , who is worshipped by all AasthikAs , MaNavALa NaayanAr paid his heartfelt tribute to RaamAnujA so that all of his own disciples could prosper .NaayanAr gave birth to YathirAja Vimsathi and presented it to us as his special gift. Oh My Mind ! Please pay homage to the sacred feet of NaayanAr, which are like a pair of fully blossomed
lotus flowers .
 
Another sishyar of MM has described the sweetness
of YV putting to shame the taste of grape juice and
excelling the delectable taste of honey ; he has compared
the slOkams of YV as a veritable , cool cascade of nectar .
The official Taniyan in Sanskrit for YV is :
 
YA: STHUTHIM YATHIPATHI PRASAADANEEM
VYAAJAHAARA YATHIRAAJA VMSATHIM
TAM PRAPANNA JANA SAATHAKAAMBHUDHAM
NAUMI SOWMYA VARA YOGI PUNGAVAM
 
(meaning): AdiyEn slautes the Sowmya vara Muni (MM), who composed the YV to delight the heart of RaamAnujA. MM is the nectar of moon'srays(food) for the PrapannAs taking the form of saathakA birds ( it is believed that the SaathakA birds exist on moon's rays alone as their food and reject everything else).
This taniyan equates the PrapannAs to the SaathakA birds
insofar as the PrapannAs live only by the grace of Sri RaamAnujA . It is implied that the PrapannAs do not need to go anywhere else their succor and survival an dthat Sri RaamAnujA's sacred feet are
their upAyam and upEyam for slavation .
 
The Twenty Verses of Yathiraaja Vimsathi

These twenty verses constitute one of the most beautiful appeal to RaamAnujA for conferring his anugraham on MM . The Sanskrit Text and the extended meanings of the twenty slOkams are covered in the home pages of Sri VaishNavaa Universe with the URL :
 
http://www.srivaishnava.org/sva.htm/
 
The choice of words for the MangaLAsAsanam for AchArya RaamAnujA are exquisite . The depth of NaicchAnusandhAnam of MM has very few comparisons. One hears the echos of Swami AalvandhAr's SthOthrarathna SlOkams and Swami Desikan's YathirAja Sapthathi slOkmas as well as the RaamAnuja NooRRanthAdhi Paasurams of Thiruvarangatthu AmudanAr .We refer readers to the above home pages and will cover here two
slOkams to illustrate the glory of this sthuthi .
 
Three Illustrative Slokams of Yathiraaja Vimsathi
 
Gopuram of Sri Ramanuja/ Sri Adikesava Perumal Temple,
Sri Perumpudur photographed by B. Haresh , 1993.
 
(1) The second slOkam of YV is an example of the exquisite skills of MM in the choice of words for the saluttion to AchArya RaamAnujA :
 
SrirangarAja CharaNAmbhuja Raajahamsam
Srimath ParAnkusa PadhAmbhja BhrungarAjam
Sri BhattanAtha ParakAla MukhAbhja Mithram
Srivathsa Chihna saraNam YathirAjam EedE
 
(Comments): There are four tatthvams about RaamAnujA that are being revealed to us by MM here in terms of his AchArya and Sishya paramaparai . Each of the four paadhams of the above slOkam elaborate on these specifics :
 
First ,RaamAnjA is saluted as "SrirangarAja CharaNAmbhuja
Raaja Hamsam ". MM points out that RaamAnujA is like the king
Swan that is resting at the lotus feet of Lord RanganAthan .
 
Second , RaamAnujA is eulogized as " Srimath ParAnkusa
padhAmbhuja Brunga Raajam ". Here , RaamAnujA is visualized
as the King Bee sititng on the lotus feet of NammAzhwAr .
This type of salutation is known as GuNa Prayuktha Daasyam .
MM indicates here that ThiruvAimozhi was nectar for RaamAnujA.
Third, MM describes RaamAnjA as : "Sri BhattanAtha ParakAla
Mukha abhja mithram ". RaamAnujA is described here as the Sun ,
which makes the Lotus faces of PeriyAzhwAr and Thirumnagai bloom.

The allusion here is to the deep involvement of Para Tatthva
NirNayam by RaamAnujA , just as PeriyAzhwAr in the court of
the PaandyA king . RaamAnujA was also involved in many temple
Kaimkaryams , just as Thirumangai (ParakAlan ) was involved
in building the saptha prakArams of the Lord at Srirangam
and the building of the DasaavathAra Sannidhi there.
 
Fourth , MM moves on to the sishya paramparai of RaamAnujA
after focusing on his AchArya paramparai. Here MM pays specail
tribute to KooratthAzhwAn , the dear sishyan of RaamAnujA :
"Srivatsachihna charaNam YathirAjameedEh ".MM points out
that RaamAnujA was the object of KooratthAzhwAn's saraNAgathi or latter was the Thiruvadi of RaamAnujA , who had a very
special relationship with Lord RanganAthA (NamperumAl ),
NammAzhwAr , periyAzhwAr and Thirumangai AzhwAr .
 
(2) The fifteenth slOkam of YV is a moving one , where MM
invites RaamAnujA's attention to his insufficiencies and
begs for the dayA and anugraham of the great AchAryan :
 
Suddha aathma yaamuna GurUtthama KppranAtha
Bhattaakhya Desika Vara Uktha SAAMSTHA NAICHYAM
adhya asthi asankuchitham yEva mayi iha lOkE
tasmAth YATHEENDHRA! KaruNA yEva thu math gathi: thE
 
(Comments): In this verse , MM appeals to yathirAjA this way:
KaruNaiva thu math Gathi: /thE karuN yEva math Gathi:
( Oh AchArya RaamAnujA ! ( Your linitless Mercy is my only
refuge and cause for rescue from SamSaric afflictions ).
He goes on to say that the Naichiyams (Statements on one's
deficiencies and inadequacies ) of AlavandhAr , ParAsara
Bhattar, KurEsar and other PoorvAchAryAs have found their
home in him .Therefore , MMpleads that eh should be the deserving and the most appropriate object of the compassion of AchArya RaamAnujA .
 
The Naicchiyam statements (NaicchyAnusandhAnams) that
MM refers to are cited below.
 
(a)AlavandhAr: " na nindhitham karma tadhasthi lOkE "
( sthothra rathnam : Verse 23), " amaryAtha: Kshudhra:--"
(SthOthra rathnam : Verse 62)
 
(b)KuratthAzhwAn's: " Taapa thryamayee dhavAnala dhahyamAnam .."
 
(c) ParAsara Bhattar"s :" Garbha Janma JarAmruthi ",
asannikrushtasya nikrushta JanthO:--"
 
(d) Sawmi Desikan"s : The twenty slOkAs of NirvEdha
Paddhathi of Sri ranganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram .
 
(3) We will conclude this overview of MM's YV with the appeal made by him to YathirAjan :
 
Vijn~Apanam yathidham adhya thu maamkInam
ankikurushva YathirAja DhayAmbhrAsE
aj~na aathma guNa lEsa vivarjithasccha
tasmaath ananya SaraNO Bhavathi ithi mathvA
 
This slOkam reltes to the ChUrNikai of AchArya Hrudhayam :

" ThAiykkum mahanukkum Tampikkum Ivarkkum Ivaradi
PaNinthavarkkumE Ivai uLLathiu" .
 
 
Mantapa in fornt of the temple Gopuram entrance, Sri Perumpudur ( Ramanuja Avatara Sthalam), photographed by B. Haresh , 1993.
 
In this concluding Twentieth slOkam of the YV , MM hails RaamAnujA as "DhayAmbhurAsE " or the Ocean of Mercy . He pleads with RaamAnujA to accept his appeal (tath angikurushva). He cites a sreasons for such a plea his lack of knowledge about Sri VaishNavite doctrines ( Tattva- Hitha-PurushArtham )as well as
nonposeesion of Aathma GuNAs . In his state of utter helplessness, MM begs the most compassionate RaamAnujA to take into account all his enormous deficiencies and accept his appeal to come to his (MM's ) rescue.Thus concludes one of the most moving Sri Sookthis of Sri MaNavALa MaamunigaL in Sanskrit .
 
Namo NaarAyaNAya ,
AzhwAr EmperumAnmAr jeeyar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan
 

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