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Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam: Slokam 10( Part XIX)

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Sadagopan • Tue Nov 28 2000 - 20:29:07 PST 


Dear BhakthAs :

In the ninth slOkam , Parasara Bhattar had a challenge
to Sri RanganAthA through his claim that his(Bhattar's) 
praise of Sri RanganAyaki would be superior to that of 
the Lord Himself .Therefore , He invited Sri RanganAthan 
to listen to his sthuthi of His Devi very carefully.

In the tenth slOkam , ParAsara Bhattar shifted his
attention from Sri RanganAthan to Sri RanganAyaki and 
declared that the ancient rishis (sages) aver that 
the apourushEya VedAs are the reposiories for the gem-
like klayaaNa GuNams of Sri Devi (Sri RanganAyaki).
The IthihAsAs , the Smruthi texts and the Saathvika
PurANAs elaborate and clarify the Sri Tatthvam as
adumbrated by the faultless , blemishless VedhAs.

The tenth slOkam housing these thoughts is as follows:

Devi Sruthim BhagavathIm praTamE pumAmsa:
  thvath sadhguNouka maNikOsa gruham gruNanthi
taddhvAra pADana paDUni cha sEthihAsa-
  santharkaNa smruthi purANa purassarANi 

Dr. V.N. Vedaantha Desikan's Translation & Comments:
****************************************************

Treatment of a subject , judging the quality , passing 
a verdict--all these depend on the basis , scale or
authority , as we may call it, chosen for the purpose. 
The correct weight of a material will depend on 
the reliability of the weighing scale employed,
of the correctness of weights used for balancing. 
In a similar manner ,the scripture chosen as the scale
should be perfect and blemishless. The ONLY ONE of 
real absolute infallibility is the VedhAs .Great leaders 
of religion like VaalmIki , VyAsa , ParAsara ,Swamy
NammAzhwAr etc ., would treat this infallible 
authority , namely , the Sruthi--as the Treasure chest,
keeping Your qualities in a safe spot. The key to that
Treasure chest is the adjuvant authorities , namely ,
the Epics, good logic, the Smrithis and the Saathvika
PurANAs .

This present work of Sree GuNa Rathna kOsam is ,what 
is revealed on opening , the Treasure chest with
the above key. ( That is, I am going to describe 
the qualities of Sree revealed by the VedhAs and 
such auxillary works listed above).

Sree GuNa Rathna kOsam literally means MahA LakshmI--
great Qualities--Gems--treasure chest; that is the treasure
chest on opening and studying which , the gems of excellent
qualities of MahA lakshmI will be revealed to us. 

AdiyEn's observations
**********************
Here ParAsara Bhattar states that the treasure chest that 
he is going to open is the container of the great gem-like,
resplendent auspicious attributes of Sri RanganAyaki , who is 
the archA form of Sree Devi at Srirangam. 

Sri Bhattar points out that he is just following 
the path of the great sages , who went before him 
like VyAsar , VaalmIki , the author of Sri VishNu purAnam 
( Sage ParAsarar ) , Manu and others, who developed 
their PramANams based on the infallible truisms of 
the authorless , anaadhi Vedhams. Here , Bhattar
suggests that the Upa-bruhmanams like Smrithis and PurANams
reveal the inner meanings of the VedhAs to elaborate on
the anantha kalyANa guNams of Sree Devi just as Purusha 
Sooktham describes the limitles auspicious attributes
of Her Lord . 

Bhattar states that the key to open the treasure chest 
housing the GuNa Rathnams of Sri RanganAyaki is 
the UpabruhmaNams. His sthuthi helps to appreciate
the GuNa Rathanams locked inside the jewel box of 
VedAs and opened by the key made up of Smrithi , 
Saathvika PurANams , Tarkam and IthihAsams.

It is fascinating to see that Bhattar weaves in the Vedic
word with the root of " Gru " ( GruNanthi) in this slOkam
extolling the praise of Vedams and their links to Sree Devi. 
GruNanthi means to praise, announce , proclaim. The first 
two Veda manthrams of NeeLA Sooktham house the  words  
"GruNAhi " and " GruNanthu ". 

Bhattar says in this context : "Devi! pumAmsa: (Great ones 
like VyAsaa , ParAsarA and others) sruthIm BhagavathIm 
tvath sadhguNouka MaNi kOsa Gruham GruNanthi". 

SruthikkE Adaimozhi is BhagavathI (i-e) the synnonym for 
BhagavathI is Sruthi (Vedhams). PumAmsa: (Great Sages)
place these blemishless Vedhams in the first place 
( Bhagavthim Sruthim praTamE gruNanthi).Those Vedhams
holding the top spot for adoration are described 
as the jewel box housing Your gem-like kalyANa guNams 
( Tvath sadh guNa MaNi kOsa gruham).

The keys that open the above jewel box ( Tath DhvAra- 
pADana-paDUni )are the UpabruhmaNams ( IthihAsams , 
good tarkam/samtarkaNam , Smrithi and Saathvika PurANams ).
These UpabruhmaNams are invauable to intrepret 
the inner meanings of the Vedhams housing the anantha 
kalyANa guNams of Sri Devi .

In the next slOkam , Bhattar describes those , who are not
fortunate to receive Sri Devi's KrupA KatAksham are indeed 
fools , who misintrpret VedhArthams and wallow in misery until
the last days of their lives.

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan  
    
 
 
 


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