Swami Sri Manaval Mamunikal?s
YATHIRAJA VIMSATI
Author: Sri S.Satyamurthi Iyengar
Yatiraja vimsati
Sloka 2
shrIra~NgarAjacaraNAmbujarAjahaMsaM *
shrImatparAN~NkushapadAmbujabhR^i~NgarAjam |
shrIbhaTTanAthaparakAlamukhAbjamitraM *
shrIvatsacihnacaraNaM yatirAjamIDe || (2)
I adore YATIRAJA, the refuge of Koorathazhvan,
The steadfast Bee on Nammazhvar?s lovely lotus feet,
The majestic Swan reposing in Lord Ranganatha?s lotus feet,
The glorious Sun that blossoms forth lotuses like Periazhvar and Thirumangai
Azhvar.
Notes:
In the preceding sloka, the poet wished to make his head worth its while by
bowing unto Ramanuja and now the tongue is sought to fulfill its due purpose by
singing the praise of that king of ascetics (Yatiraja). Note the words in
bold, i.e., Bee, Swan and Sun. Ramanuja has been referred to in this manner in
keeping with the usage in the Divyaprabandham where the Azhvars, unable to
stand their separation from their most beloved Lord, employ bees, swans etc, as
their emissaries to carry messages to the Lord, which, in essence, would denote
only the great Acharayas interceding between the frail humans, at this feeble
end and the Super-abundant Benefactor at the other end. It is particularly
appropriate to refer Ramanuja as:
1. Swan-abiding for ever at the lotus feet of Lord Ranganatha even as the
Rajahamsa dwells in the lotus flower; Even as the swan is endowed with the
peculiar faculty of separating milk from water, Ramanuja could highlight the
salient features of the Sastras(Scriptures), eschewing the bewildering maze of
relatively non-essential aspects; Even as the Lord appeared as a swan to
disseminate the Vedas, Ramanuja propagated the Sastras among the vast multitude
of his disciples; Even as the Swan is terribly averse to staying on marshy
land, Ramanuja would not allow himself to be bogged down by the slushy terrain
of worldly life (c.f. stanza 100 of Thiruviruttam) and, therefore, became a
?Paramahamsa?; Even as the swan is said to imitate the elegant gait of the
women folk, c.f. Peria Thirumozhi 6-5-5, Ramanuja emulated the Devine Mother,
Sri Maha Lakshmi, the unfailing intercessor between the ?Jiva? and God,
pleading effectively with the former and enticing the latter into admission of
the former unto the latter?s protective fold, c.f. Vedanta Desika?s ?Ukthe
Rangee nijamapipadam desika desakamkshee?, denoting Ramanuja?s part in securing
salvation for all his votaries, from Lord Ranganatha. Similar comparisons
between swan and Ramanuja could be multiplied.
2. Bee- drawn to the honey-like sweet qualities of Saint Nammazhvar even
as the bee hankers after the honey in the lotus flower; like unto the perennial
humming of the bees, Ramanuja was always reciting the mellifluous hymns of
Thiruvoimozhi.
3. Sun- blossoming forth the lotus flower- here, two Azhvars have been
mentioned, in particular, namely Periazhvar and Thirumangai Azhvar, as the
lotus flowers being lit up by Ramanuja, the Sun. The former Azhvar established
the supremacy of Lord Vishnu over all the other Deities and also indulged in
disinterested love of God for God?s sake, praying for His well-being instead of
his own, while the latter Azhvar built the gigantic temple at Srirangam with
its colossal towers and turrets, spacious mantaps, etc. By following in their
footsteps and perpetuating those very activities, Ramanuja pleased them so much
that their flowery faces brightened up like the lotus blooming at the sight of
the morning Sun. Such a response to ?Ramanuja divakara? could well be the case
with all the other Azhvars and the selective mention of the two Azhvars could
be taken as their standing for the entire galaxy of Azhvars, the
fountain-source of inspiration for Ramanuja.
===============================================================
Retyped from the book by Sri Kesavan Srinivasan of Chicago
(The Grandson of Sri U.Ve. Satyamurthi Iyyengar.)
===============================================================
"Come and celebrate Azhvar and Acharya Thirunakshatrams"
"in Washington DC. November 05th and 06th 2005"
"Register at http://www.vedics.net/utsavam"
Azhvar Emberumanar Jeeyar ThiruvadigalE Saranam
adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
Mukundan Vangeepuram Pattangi
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