Sri GuNa rathna Kosam : Part III--> First SlOkam : the word , " kruthOnjali:"

From the Bhakti List Archives

• October 16, 2000


Sri RanganAyakai Nama:

Dear BhakthAs:

The first slOkam starts with Our Lord's
efforts to create the Naama-Roopa Prapancham
( the world of the form of names and forms)
and Sri RanganAyakI's significant part in its
creation :

"Sriyai samastha chidhachith vidhAna vyasanam HarE:
 angIkAribhi: aalOkai: saarTanthyai KruthOnjali:"
                                    ************

(Meaning as per Dr.V.N.VedAntha Desikan/VNV): " This
anjali , the supplicant posture of the two palms
(of the hands) is submitted to the great MahA LakshmI.
It is Her majestic look of approval that adds 
a meaning and a sense of fruition to the task of
governance of the Universe , creating it ,
protecting it, etc.,that the Lord achieves ,
at some strain ,(let us say so!), as if He does all
this only to please Her! The great creator functions
for the pleasure and approval of Sri RanganAyakI! 
To Her , my anjali !". 

Dr.V.N.V has added brief comments in Tamil 
beyond translations of the slOkams about 
the specific tatthvams covered by
ParAsara BhattAryar .They are housed in 
Nrusimha priyA issues. AdiyEn has benefitted
from them and will highlight them as 
the postings take shape . AdiyEn will also 
compile additional information points 
as elaborations for extended anubhavams of 
the words and phrases chosen by ParAsara BhattAryar .

Special Notes by V.SaTakOpan (V.S):
************************************

ParAsara Bhattar starts with an Anjali
to RanganAyakI PirAtti (Sriyai KruthOanjali:) 
for the conferral of Her anugrahams
at the start of his creation of an eulogy 
of Her anantha KalyANa GuNams  . The power of
anjali to the Lord or His Devi has the vaibhavam
of melting their hearts into "watery material"
(Jala paNDam =am+jalayathi ithi ).

Sri RanganAyaki is Sarva Loka SaraNyai
( the object of refuge by all the denizens of
the Universe) .ParAsara Bhattar offers his prArthanA-
poorvaka prapatthi ( Self surrender prceded 
by prayer )through his anjali to Her at the start of 
his creation of a sthuthi about Her limitless 
auspicious GuNAs (anantha kalyANa guNAs).

ParAsara Bhattar starts  with the anjali-
mudhrA as taught by his PoorvAchAryan , Swamy
AlavandhAr(the 28th slOkam of his sthOthra Rathnam):

tvadhangrim-uddhisya kadhApi kEnachith 
yathA tathA vaapi sakruth KRUTHONJALI:
tadhaiva mushNAthi asubhAnyasEshatha:
SubhAni pushNAthi na jaathu heeyathE 

Swamy ALavandhAr was performing anjali to
the Lord of Srirangam in the above slOkam .

AchArya RaamAnujA followed his Predecessor
AchAryan (PoorvAcharyan, AlavandhAr). when he
saluted SriranganAyaki (MahA Lakshmi ) on a
panguni Uttharam day through his SaraNAgathi- 
Gadhyam :

" Bhagavan NaarAyaNa-abhimatha-anuroopa-Svaroopa-
guNa-vibhava-iswarya- seelAdhi-anavadhika-athisaya-
asankhyEya KalyANa guNA Padma vanAlayA " .
AchArya RaamAnujA prays to Sri RanganAyaki first 
befitting our SampradhAyam since the anjali performed 
for Her (KruthOnjali)first will have the same auspicious 
results as that done for Her Lord.

Late Sriman S. BhAshyam has translated the above
SaraNAgathy gadhyam passage of AchArya RaamAnujA
pertaining to SriranganAyaki (MahA LakshmI) as follows:

" Oh BhagavathI ! Oh Sriyam Devi ! Thyself , Thine form ,
its qualities , and the most wonderful , limitless 
innumerable collections of auspicious qualities of Thine,
such as , Greatness, Rulership and high virtues are all to
Your Lord's liking and worthy of the natural form and 
qualities of Your Lord ,Bhagavan NaarAyaNan Himself ". 

SrimAn BhAshyam points out that the words "anuroopa"
and "abhimatha" are used in conjunction to indicate
their unique co-existence in the case of the Dhivya
Dampathis.Anuroopam means likeness ,conformity;
Abhimatham means agreeable or desired status. 
MahA Lakshmi's GuNa Rathnams are in conformity 
with those of the Lord and much desired by Him 
and vice-versa.

The phalan of the 28th slOkam of Alavandhar for 
BhagavaAn is identical in its effect to the Anjali
performed (kruthOnjali) of ParAsara Bhattar in his 
first slOkam to Sri RanganAyaki . The meaning of
the 28th SlOkam of Swamy AlavandhAr is:

" Oh Sriman NaarAyaNA ! When One performs anjali
at Your sacred feet , even once in any form ,that
anjali destroys all their sins without trace.It confers
enormous auspicousness and makes them multiply.
That anjali never fails to yield the above results".

Sri ParAsara Bhattar had this in mind perhaps ,
when he chose the very words of AlavandhAr 
(KruthOnjali:) in his first slOkam of 
Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam addressed to his Mother , 
Sri RanganAyaki.

We will continue with the commentary on the rest
of the first slOkam in the next posting(s) .

LakshmIm Ksheera-samudhra-rAja-
tanayAm Sriranga-dhAmEsvarIm 
DaasibhUtha samastha-deva-vanithAm
lOkaika-dheepAnkurAm 
--Sri LakshmI AshtOtthara Satha nAmam

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan   

  
 



 


 


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