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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

The Gift That Was Not

 

We were on a trip to Srirangam. Impressed by the glorious vision of Sri 
Rangaraja, who had robbed the sight and heart of innumerable devotees over 
countless millennia, my son asked me, "Why is Ranganatha called "Peria 
Perumal?" This set me thinking. Though there is perhaps only one correct answer 
to this question, yet my mind sought alternatives. Could Ranganatha be called 
Peria Perumal because of the dimensions of His supine figure? No, that could 
not be, for there are bigger moorties at Tiruvanantapuram and Tiruvattaar. 
Could He be called that because of the huge number of devotees He attracts? Not 
really, for Tirumala boasts of a much larger crowd. Could it be because of the 
size of His abode at Srirangam, which is itself called Periya Koil? This too 
could not be, because there are other temples too, equally big and beautiful. 
Is it because He was worshipped by Sri Rama, (who Himself is "Perumal") and is 
hence called "Periya Perumal"-a Super Perumal who has the glory of having been 
venerated by no less than the Lord's own incarnation? This indeed is the 
popular explanation. However, the same distinction is shared by Sri Nrisimha 
too, who too was adulated by Sri Rama and Sri Srinivasa too, for good 
measure-hence, though plausible and popular, this reason too fails to appeal.

 

Then why indeed is Sri Rangaraja adored as "Periya Perumal"? The answer is that 
it is He who has occupied the hearts of Azhwars and Acharyas, almost to the 
exclusion of Emprumans at other divyadesams. It is to Ranganatha that a vast 
majority of verses of Divya Prabandam, dripping with devotion, have been 
dedicated. Much more than any other, it is the Lord of Srirangam who has 
fascinated Azhwars and Acharyas like birds and bees are, by a honey-laden 
flower. If all Azhwars, (with the exception of Madhurakavi, who, in any case, 
confined his eulogies to Sri Nammazhwar) have made it a point to sing of 
Srirangam, whether or not they offered their verbal garlands to any other 
Emperuman, is it not reason enough to call this magnificent Lord "Peria 
Perumal?" Sri Ranganatha is the only Perumal to have two or more Prabandams 
devoted exclusively to Him (Amalanaadipiraan and Tirumaalai). Two Azhwars, Sri 
Kulasekhara Perumal and Sri Tirumangai Mannan, have performed extensive 
kainkaryam at this holiest of holies. All Acharyas, without exception, have 
made Srirangam their head quarters for varying periods of time: Sri Ramanuja 
spent all his life (but for his enforced exile at Melkote) there, after leaving 
Kanchi: Sri Bhattar preferred to be born as a lowly dog, roaming the streets of 
Srirangam, to high birth elsewhere: Swami Desikan made Srirangam his second 
home, composed his magnum opus there and performed all manner of service to the 
Lord: Sri Pillai Lokacharya gave up his precious life in the defence of Sri 
Ranganatha: Sri Manavala Mamunigal spent a major portion of his ascetic life 
performing kainkaryam to Azhagia Manavaalan. It is the resultant sanctity of 
worship by all these Acharyas and the Azhwars before them, that entitles 
Ranganatha to the sobriquet, "Periya Perumal".

 

However, even prior to Azhwars and Acharyas, the list of those who worshipped 
Sri Ranganatha reads like a Who's Who of spiritual literature.

Emperors of the Chozha dynasty, beginning with Dharmavarma, were ardent 
admirers of Azhagia Manavalan and expressed their devotion in stone, mortar and 
metal, building several mandapams, corridors and other constructions, apart 
from adorning the Lord with priceless gems and jewels. Prior to Dharmavarma, it 
was Sri Vibhishana who performed tiruvaaraadhanam to the Lord (this, in fact, 
is the nucleus of the present article). And before Vibhishana, a long line of 
distinguished Emperors of the Ikshvaaku dynasty, up to Sri Rama, worshipped 
Rangaraja as their family deity. And Ikshvaaku himself obtained this priceless 
treasure of Ranga vimaanam and Rangaraja from the four-headed Brahma, who had 
in turn attained the same after long and sincere penance. When we stand before 
Rangaraja today, we feel pretty small and insignificant when we consider the 
long and illustrious line of devotees who have paid obeisance to Him over the 
ages.

 

However, if we poor mortals are able to feast our eyes on Sri Ranganatha today, 
it is Sri Vibhishana we have to thank for the privilege and pleasure.

It was this right-thinking raakshasa who obtained Azhagia Manavalan from 
Chakravartthi Tirumagan and established the moorthy at Srirangam, albeit 
unwittingly. Sri Rama gifted Ranganatha to Vibhishana on the occasion of His 
coronation at Ayodhya, we are told.

 

We are slightly confused here. Several questions arise regarding the gifting of 
Ranga vimaanam and the deity, by Sri Rama to Vibhishana. 

 

First and foremost, would anyone give away the Perumal who forms the object of 
one's daily worship? And more pertinently, would one part with a moorthy which 
had been worshipped by one's distinguished ancestors, who had themselves 
obtained the Perumal after Herculean effort? For instance, would you part with 
a Saalagraama moorthy or vigraham which has been in your family for ages and 
has been ministered to lovingly by your forefathers? Not only would you not do 
it, you wouldn't even think of such a thing. Yet, this is what Sri Rama did-He 
gifted away to Vibhishana the Ikshvaaku kula daivatam, which had been 
bequeathed to Him and which was more precious to Him than the entire kingdom of 
Kosala.

 

Secondly, why was Vibhishana chosen for this invaluable gift and why not 

Sugriva or Angada, who had aided Sri Rama no less in reclaiming Sri Mythily? 
And, more pertinently, why not Hanuman, whose devotion to Raghava was beyond 
parallel? You could think of a host of other worthies who were apparently 
eligible for this priceless gift. Yet, it was Vibhishana whom Sri Raghava chose.

 

Since Sri Rama is the embodiment of righteousness ("Ramo vigrahavaan Dharma:") 
what He did must have indeed been correct, for He was capable of no wrong. When 
you search for a reason, it dawns on you immediately. It was only Vibhishana 
who performed Saranagati at the lotus feet of Sri Rama and to whom the latter 
felt infinitely beholden. He may have had innumerable well-wishers, any number 
of worthies may have aided and assisted Him in His endeavours, but the Lord 
feels an immense sense of obligation to none else but the Saranagata, who 
surrenders to Him heart and soul. Neither Sugriva nor even Hanuman can boast of 
having explicitly performed Saranagati to the Lord, as could Vibhishana. It was 
this rakshasa who recognized Sri Rama as the universal saviour and refuge, as 
are evident from his words on the occasion of his surrender-"Sarva loka 
saranyaaya Raaghavaaya mahaatmane". And it was he and none other who spurned 
untold wealth, a beloved wife and loving children ("tyaktvaa putraanscha 
daaraanscha") and left behind a life of princedom and pleasure, all for the 
sake of the Lord. This simple act of Saranagati imposed such a burden of debt 
on Raghava that He felt partly relieved only after He crowned Vibhishana the 
Emepror of Lanka-"vijvara: pramumoda ha". And it was again as a token of His 
boundless love for surrendered souls that Sri Rama gifted to Vibhishana the 
famed Ranga vimaanam and Sri Ranganatha's moorthy, for He could think of 
nothing more valuable to reward the saranaagata with. Swami Desikan tells us 
that the Lord hastens to bestow the prapanna with all His boundless bounty, and 
is prepared to proffer Himself too, all in return for the simple and singular 
strategy of Saranagati-"tamadu anaitthum avar tamakku vazhangi". 

 

Is there any evidence in the Ramayana for Sri Rama having gifted the Ranga 
vimaanam to Vibhishana, or is it just folklore? For instance, in many villages, 
especially in Karnataka, people say that Rama and Lakshmana stopped there for a 
night or more, as proof of which they point to the name of the place, which is 
usually Ramanagara or Ramapura etc. And if an old wives' tale is recounted long 
enough and loud enough, it becomes quasi-history and in course of time acquires 
an unchallenged authenticity. However, the episode of Vibhishana obtaining Sri 
Ranganatha from Sri Rama is well-documented in Srimad Ramayanam.

 

After Sri Rama pattabhishekam, all those who attended prepare for returning 
home. It is on this occasion that Sri Rama rewards all the vaanara veeras and 
Vibhishana, as is proper and befitting the status of each-"Yathaarham poojitaa: 
sarve kaamai ratnaischa pushkalai". While Sugriva, Hanuman and other 
personalities are honoured with various presents, when it is the turn of 
Vibhishana, Sri Rama obviously feels that the only fitting gift was His own 
deity of daily worship-Sri Ranganatha. He could think of no other reward more 
precious and prized. Sri Valmiki says that Vibhishana returned to Lanka, having 
obtained the family heirloom-"Labhdhvaa kula dhanam Raja Lankaam praayaat 
Vibhishana:". Having parted with His priceless possession, did Rama feel sorry, 
as an afterthought, as many of us do? Not at all-- to the contrary, in His 
extremely generous heart, He felt immensely happy that He could reward the 
Saranagata with a fitting present-"Raaghava: paramodaara: raraaja parayaa 
mudaa".

 

There are those who say that the aforesaid lines of Valmiki are general in 
nature and do not refer in particular to the Ranga vimaanam and that the words 
"Kula dhanam" (ancestral treasure) refer to Vibhishana's traditional property 
of the Kingdom of Lanka (of which Rama crowned him emperor) and not to Rama's 
heirloom of Ranga vimaanam. Just to convince these doubting Thomases, the 
Paadma Puranam explicitly confirms that Rama's gift to Vibhishana was indeed 
the former's deity of daily worship, Sri Ranganatha-

 

"iti uktvaa pradadou tasmai sva vislesha asahishnave

 Sri Ranga saayinam sva archyam Ikshvaaku kula daivatam

Rangam vimaanam aadaaya Lankaam praayaat Vibhishana:"

 

To Vibhishana, who could not bear separation from Rama, Rama gifted His own 
icon of worship, which had belonged to the Ikshvaaku dynasty for countless 
millennia. Happy beyond measure at the unexpected and priceless gift, 
Vibhishana repaired to Lanka with the Ranga vimaanam, says the Paadma Purana. 
These slokas have been quoted by commentators of Ramayana, while dealing with 
the gift to the raakshasa raja. 

 

Further evidence, if required, of the close connection between Srirangam and 
Vibhishana, is available in the Divya Prabandam too, with Sri Tondaradippodi 
telling us that the recumbent figure of Ranganatha looks benignly towards 
Lanka-"ten disai Ilangai nokki". When there are a hundred places south of 
Srirangam, it is indeed significant that Azhwar considers Ranagaraja to be 
facing Lanka, the home of Vibhishana. Having disappointed Vibhishana by not 
choosing to become a resident of Lanka, the Lord apparently thought that He 
would make up somewhat by looking towards Lanka. This can be inferred from the 
following lines of Sri Periazhwar-- "Mannudaya Veedanarkkaa madil Ilangai disai 
nokki malark kan vaittha ennudaya Tiruvarangar"

 

In a classic case of slips between the cup and the lip, Vibhishana could not 
retain the idol of Rangaraja and take it with him to Lanka, where he intended 
to house Him in his palace. Having had enough of palace sojourns, Ranganatha 
decided to settle down at the idyllic spot between two branches of the Kaveri. 
It was evening when Vibhishana was returning to Lanka and the sun was about to 
set. Particular about performing sandhyavandanam in time (ironically, even 
rakshasas appear to be meticulous about this, but not we) the king of rakshasas 
set down the vimaanam at a picturesque and enchanting place, on a stretch of 
sands surrounded by thick groves where birds and bees sang incessantly and the 
river Kaveri flowed serenely, with two branches together resembling a mighty 
garland. After worshipping sandhya, when Vibhishana was ready to resume his 
journey to Lanka, he found that he could not lift the Lord from the place where 
he had set Him down. Try as he might with all his might, the rakshasa could not 
make the Lord budge from the new place He had decided to make His home. And so 
came into being Srirangam, which was to acquire acclaim and renown as "Bhooloka 
Vaikunttam" or heaven on earth. 

 

Swami Desikan tells us that the place at which the Ranga vimaanam was set down 
by Vibhishana was originally known as "Sesha Peetam" and was being worshipped 
by Rishis who were aware of its impending glory as the foundation for the 
Lord's preferred abode. Here is the beautiful slokam from Hamsa Sandesam-

 

"Teere tasyaa virachita padam saadhubhi: sevyamaanam

  shraddhaa yogaat vinamita tanu: Sesha peetham bhajethaa:

  yasmin asmat kula dhana tayaa soumya Saaketa bhaaja:

  sthaanam bhaavyam munibhi: uditam sreemataa Rangadhaamna:"

 

Dispatching a swan with a message to Sri Mythily imprisoned at the distant 
Asokavanam, Sri Raghava describes in detail the places and people the swan 
would encounter on its way to Lanka. It is in this context that Srirangam too 
comes in for its share of adulation, with Sri Rama describing it as the future 
abode of Sri Ranganatha, who had hitherto blessed the Ikshaavuku emperors as 
their family deity, reigning with splendour in their palace temple.

 

And why did the Lord change plans midway and decide to settle down between the 
two branches of Kaveri at Srirangam, when Sri Rama had intended the Ranga 
vimaanam as a gift to Vibhishana, presumably to be established at Lanka? Though 
the ways of the Lord are inscrutable and His mind unfathomable for mortals like 
us, we can at best hazard a guess. It would appear that Sri Ranganatha was 
tired of residing at palaces and being the preferred object of worship of 
emperors and did not want to hop from the Ayodhya palace to the Lankan palace. 
Instead, He yearned, in all His Soulabhyam, to reside amidst the proletariat, 
to be the object of adulation and admiration of countless ordinary devotees, to 
see and be seen daily by hordes of bhaktas poor materially but rich 
spiritually. 

 

And we really shudder to think of what might have happened, had Emperuman 
really obliged Vibhishana and travelled with him to Lanka, to reside there 
forever-there would have been no Azhwars' outpourings on Ranganatha-Tirumaalai 
of Tondaradippodi, Amalanaadipiraan of Paan Perumal and Kangulum Pagalum of 
Nammazhwar would not have seen the light of the day. Our Acharyas would have 
felt themselves extremely poor without the benign presence of Rangaraja: Sri 
Ranga Gadyam of the Bhaashyakaara with its plaintive appeal to the Ultimate, 
Rangaraja Stavam of Sri Bhattar with its inspiring imagery, Bhagavat Dhyaana 
Sopaanam of Swami Desikan and more pertinently, his Paaduka Sahasram, would not 
have been composed at all. And our Sri Vaishnava Sampradaayam, which has as its 
daily prayer the well-being of Srirangam, would definitely not have grown to 
its present stature like a giant banyan putting down roots anywhere and 
everywhere. 

 

The next time we stand before Sri Ranganatha at Srirangam, won't our thoughts 
automatically fly to Lanka and to Vibhishana, to whom we owe this wonderful 
treasure and whom the Lord Himself looks at benignly, even today? If the 
residents of Sri Vaikunttam are loathe to taking their eyes away from 
Emperuman's magnificent form ("sadaa pasyanti sooraya"), it would appear that 
the Lord of Bhooloka Vaikunttam is so smitten with Sri Lanka and Sri Vibhishna 
that He can hardly take His eyes from both of them. If we feel, while before 
Rangaraja, that He is looking over our shoulders at someone behind, we would 
know for sure whom His merciful glances are directed at.

 

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana 
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

dasan, sadagopan

 


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



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