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YathirAja Vimsathi (YRV ) of Sri MaNavALa MaamunigaL

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • April 7, 1997 


Dear Members of the Bahkthi Group :

I will try to complete the translation of the remaining 
slokas (13-20) of YRV in this posting . May the Great 
AchAryA's blessings support me in this effort . 

Slokam 13 : 

taapathrayee janitha dukkhanipAthinOpi 
dehasthithou mama ruchisthu na tannivrutthou I
yethasya kaaraNamahO mama paapameva naatha !
tvameva hara tath YathirAja seegram II

(meaning ) : O King among SanyAsis ! Even if my body is
afflicted by the sorrows caused by the three kinds of TaapAs ,
and I can not bear the sufferings caused by them , I have no 
deep desire to leave this body. Actually , I nourish this body .
My accumulated sins are the reasons behind this attitude of mine.
What a pity ! O my ParamAchAryA ! Please banish my sins quickly
so I can be freed from the sufferings caused by the Taapa ThrayAs .

(Comments ) : Sri MaamunigaL states here that he is guilty of
thinking about the sufferings caused by the Taapa ThrayAs as
pleasures due to the influence of his sins . He appeals to YathirAjA , 
who has the power to see the Lord 's presence  inside and outside 
of all His creations to take pity on him and banish his  sins and 
save him from the sufferings caused by the Taapa ThrayAs 
( AadhyAthimikam , Aadhibowdhikam and Aadhidaivikam ) . 

The first of the three TaapAs is from the sins committed by
the limbs such as the hands and legs . That breaks up into 
the two categories of Sareeram and Maanasam . Sareeram 
is understood as Vyathi (disease ) and Maanasam is understood
as Aadhi or ancient  disease . These two diseases together 
constitute the Taapam (affliction ) of AadhyAthmikam .

The second of the TaapAs is the one caused by the animals,
humans , rakshasAs et al . This is Aadhibowdhikam .

The third one is caused by wind , cold , rain , climatic changes.
This type of suffering is known as Aadhidaivikam . All the three
cause dukkham or sorrow to the humans . This is the " Taapa 
thrayee janitha Dukkha: " referred to in this slokam .

Slokam 14
************

vaachaam agochara mahAguNa Desika agrya
koorAdhinaatha kathitha akhila naichya paathram I
Yesha: aham yeva na punar jagadhi yeedhrusas
tath RaamAnujArya ! karuNaiva thu madhgathistEh II

(Meaning ) : O Arya RaamAnujA ! I am indeed the one ,
who fits in this world  the complete description of the person
with all the condemnable attributes ! There is no one else , 
who can answer to that description . That is why , I conclude 
that your compassion is most suited for me and to  lift me 
up from my morass .

The great AchArya and the direct disciple of RamAnujA ,
KooratthAzhwAn condemned himself as a great sinner 
in a mood of self-depreciation in Sri VaradarAja sthavam
and Sri Vaikunta Sthavam . This type of self-condemnation 
before the Lord by AchAryAs are done not because they have 
the despicable qualities they assign themselves ; it is because 
the AchAryAs have us in mind and plead to the Lord on our
behalf for forgivance for our trespasses . 

Sri MaamunigaL salutes the great KurEsa here as 
" VaachAm Agochara MahAguNa Desika agrya : " .
He describes KurEsa here as the one , whose limitless 
auspicious qualities are beyond the power of description 
by one's  tongue. The many NaichyAnusandhAnams 
stated by KurEsa in the latter section of the above  two 
sthavAs have no relevance for this great AchAryA . He had
it for the benefit of AsmadhAdhi's anusandhAnam ( our 
benefit ) after his time . 

Sri MaamunigaL says that " KooradhinAtha Kathitha akhila naichya 
paathram jagadhi yesha : aham yeva " . I am indeed the true character
in all the worlds fitting to a tee the entire NaichyaanusandhAnam
that KurEsa attributed to himself . Hence , O RamAnujArya ! 
there is no one more fitting for the Object of your mercy than 
myself .

This prayer for the mercy of RamAnujA is the echo of
the statement by AmudanAr in His RaamAnjua
NooRandhAdhi : " niharinRi niRa venneesathaikku 
ninnaruLinkaNanri puhal onRumillai , arutkumahtE puhal ". 

Slokam 15: 
************

Here also , MaamunigaL continues with the thrust of 
sentiment that he expressed in the previous verse. He 
repeats that the Mercy of RamAnujA has no better target 
for redemption than him . 

Suddha Aathma Yaamuna Gurootthama kooranAtha
bhattaakhya Desika vara uktha samastha naichyam I
adhya asthi asankuchitham yeva mayee iha lOkhE 
tasmath Yatheendhra ! karunaivathu madhgathis tEh II

(meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! All of the sentiments of 
self-condemnation recorded by the grat and pure 
AcharyAs like AaLavandhAr , KurEsA , Parasara Bhattar
are possessed by me in its entirety . Therefore , O YathirAja!
Your mercy has me as the most appropriate target .

Here Maamuni hints htat these great AcharyAs are 
SuddhAthmAs , who were blemishless independent 
of the fact that they went on record as great sinners ,
when they sought the protection of  Sriman NaarAyaNA 
resident as ArchAmurthys at Srirangam and
Kanchipuram .

In his sthothra Rathnam , AaLavandhar 
described his unfitness in the following two slokAs :
" Na Nindhitham karma Tadhasthi lOkhE " and 
" AmaryAdha: Kshudra : " . Here , the great AaLavandhAr 
described himself with us in mind as the one , who has 
practised every despicable act condemned by SaasthrAs 
and went on to say that he was an arrogant and lowly one.

KurEsa went on record through more than twenty slokAs of 
his sthavam about  the sins that he had committed starting 
from the one , which begins : " TaapathrayeemayadavAnal 
dahyamAnam " . MaamunigaL expressed his sorrows earlier 
as " Taapathrayee janitha dukkham " . 

In his moving prayer to Sri RanganAthA , ParAsara Bhattar
described his " despicable "  status  as : " Garbhajanma -
JarAm^ruthi asannikrushtasya nikrushta JanthO --" .

Swami Desikan has performed NaichyAnusandhaanam 
in number of his sthothrams . These are heart-breaking
statements made in a mood of repentance over his deficiencies 
in his conversation with the Lord of Thiruvaheendrapuram .
In one slokam , Swami states :

aj~nana vaaridhim apAyadhurandharam
aj~nyA vibhanjanam akinchana Saarvabhoumam I
vindhan bhavAn vibhudhanAtha samasthavedhi 
kim naama paatramaparam manutEh krupAyA : II

(Meaning ) : O DevanAthA ! I am indeed the ocean of 
aj~nanam (ignorance about the true meanings 
of Saasthram ) . I am in the front of those , who vow to
committ sins . I am a transgressor of your commandments
amd am the first among the helpless . I am indeed thus 
most qualified to be the object of your mercy. You are 
all-knowing ( Sarvaj~nan ) . Why then should you consider 
anyone as more deserving of your compassion than Me ?

Elsewhere Swami Desikan has described himself as the 
emperor of all AparAdhAs in a mood of Naichyam and begged 
for the Lord"s mercy. 

Slokam 16:
*************

sabdhAdhi bhOga vishayA ruchi : asmadheeyA 
nashtA bhavathi iha bhavadh dayayA yatheendhra I
tvadh daasadaasa daasa gaNanaa sarama avathou
tatthdAsadhaika rasatha  mama aviratha asthu II

(Meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! May Thou bless me to be rid
of desires to enjoy the transient  pleasures associated 
with the use of my limbs ! May Your DayA banish my  taste 
for such pleasures that only cause misery later ! May You 
make me an enduring servant of the servant of the servant of
your servant and reach the saramA state. I have nothing to
offer at your altar.  It is only your nirhethuka karuNA that I 
am looking for as my saviour. 

Slokam 17 :
************

Sruthyagra Vedhya nija divya GuNasvarupa: 
prathyakshataam upagatha: iha RangarAja : I
Vasya: sadhA bhavathi tEh YathirAja tasmAth 
saktha: svakeeya jana paapa vimochanE tvam II

This slokam is set as a response of MaamunigaL to 
Sri RaamAnujA's protestation on the inappropriateness 
of the former in pressing him (RamanujA ) for banishing 
the sins . RaamAnujA seems to point out that  it is the Lord of 
Srirangam and not him , who can confer the boons requested
by MaamunigaL  . Latter reminds RaamAnujA that it is a well
known fact that Sri RanganAtha is under the influence of 
RaamAnujA and hence it is appropriate for him(Maamuni)
 to knock on RamAnujA's door for mercy . 

(meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! Sri RanganAthA is presenting Himself 
at Srirangam for all to enjoy Him . He has the auspicious 
attributes (KalyANa GuNAs ) that can only be understood 
through the declarations of the VedAs . That RanganthA 
of matchless power and glory is under your control . Therefore ,
O Acharya Saarvabhouma ! You are indeed capable of removing
my miseries . 

The references are to the dialog between RamAnujA and 
Sri RanganAthA in SaraNAgathi Gadhyam and an incident 
related to the washerman of the Lord's clothes at Srirangam .

A SrivaishNava Laundryman had cleaned and  pressed 
the Lord's Parivattams and showed them to Sri RamAnujA .
The AcharyA was so pleased with the kaimkaryam of the 
dhobhi that he took the dhobhi (VaNNAn ) to the Sannidhi
of Sri RanganAtha and requested the Lord to bless his servant.
Sri RangarAjan opened His eyes and blessed the VaNNAn as 
requested by the AchAryA and then told RaamAnujA that he has 
now forgiven the VaNNAn for his apachAram during 
His krishNAvathAram , when this VaNNAn refused to give 
KrishNA and BalkarAmA the clothes that they requested of
him in MathurA . This VaNNAn was the royal dhobhi in the court 
of KamsA then . That is the type of power Sri RamAnujA had
that MaamunigaL alludes to here.

Slokam 18
***********

kalathrayEpi karaNathraya nirmithathi 
paapagriyasya saraNam Bhagavadh Kshamaiva I 
sa acha tvayaiva KamalAramaNE arthithA Yath
Kshemassa yeva hi Yatheendhra ! bhavathsrithAnAm II

(Meaning ) : O RaamAnujA ! For the one , who has committed 
limitless sins through mind , body and speech , the Lord of 
Srirangam is the sole refuge in the past , present and future.
Our protection  is indeed that prayer of yours to the Sri RanganAthA 
on a panguni Uttaram day through your SaraNAgathi.
That  is our invaluable and only protection . 

The reference here is to the response of Lord  RanganaathA
to the prayer housed in the SaraNAgathi gadhyam of 
RaamAnuja . The Lord responded to the prayer of  AchaaryA 
and declared that it is not only RamAnujA but any one 
having his Sambhandham would be automatic objects 
of His mercy . This is the boon that MaamunigaL refers to .
This is our adhrushtam ( good fortune  ) as a result of 
the saraNAgathi performed by Achaarya RaamAnujA 
at Srirangam and accepted by the Lord on that 
Panguni Uttaram day .

Slokam 19 :

Sriman Yatheendhara ! Tava divya padhaabhja sEvaam 
Srisailanaatha karuNA pariNAma dhatthaam I
thAm anvaham mama vivathaya naatha ! tasyA : 
kaamam viruddham akhilam cha nivarthaya tvam II

(Meaning ) : O My Lord RamAnujA ! Please increase my
blessings to have the darsanam of your lotus feet daily .
That blessing was conferred first on me  by 
my own Acharya , Thirmali AazhwAr , out of the great 
compassion  that he had for me . Please banish any other
desire that stands in the way of the darsana bhaagyam 
of your lotus feet .  

The reference here is to the request of MaamunigaL's own
Achaarya , Thiruvaaimozhi PiLLai ( Srisaila Naathar ) asking 
his disciple to compose a sthothram on Sri RaamAnujA . 

Slokam 20 :
************

vij~apanam yathithadhya thu maamakeenam 
ankikurushva YathirAja DayAmbhurAsE I
Aj~na : ayam aathmaguNalesa vivarjithasccha 
tasmaath ananyasaraNO bhavathi ithi mathvaa II

(meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! O Ocean of Mercy ! 
Please recognize me as an ignoramus , who does not 
know much about Tattva, Hitha , PurushArthams and as 
a helpless one without any redeeming qualities 
(Aathma GuNAs ) .Please accept my prayerful request
for your grace and protection and bless me .

MaamunigaL housed  his many prayers and pleadings
for help from the thrid verse ( VaachA Yatheendhra ! manasA)
to the 19th verse . In this final slokam , he concludes his 
prayers and begs for acceptance of them and the showering
of Acharya RaamAnujA' s blessings on him .

Subhamasthu .

Sri MaNavALa MaamunigaL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan