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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00072 Apr 2002

 
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SrI:

Dear BhakthAs of Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr:

In the 56th slOkam , Swamy Parasara Bhattar 
celebrates the name SRIRANGAM AND WHY THE NAME 
SRIRANGA SRI CAME ABOUT FOR THIS DHIVYA DESAM.
He reminds us that the name of the dhivya dEsam 
should be reflected with reverence as SRI-RANGAM 
AND NOT SRIRANGAM. He points out that the PREFIX 
of SRI before RANGAM , the playground or dance stage of
SRIRANGAM IS NOT A NECESSARY FORMALITY (UPACHAARA
VISESHANAM ) as in the case of SrivilliputthUr,
SriperumbhUthUr et al. Swamy ParAsara Bhattar implies
that the name SRI-RANGAM came about because SRI 
OR MAHALAKSHMI chose this Rangam as the place for 
Her play and residence to protect Her helpless
children sinking in the ocean of SamsAram through 
the most merciful and timely shower of Her grace .

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar observes that the Milky Ocean 
is a place that SrI RanganAyaki remembers fondly 
bcause of that being Her place of birth during
the amrutha maTanam . That is Her piRantha veedu.
She fondly relates to Parama Padham (SrI Vaikuntam)
as well out of Her love for Her Lord . SrI Vaikuntam is
special to Her because it is Her Pukkaham . These two
places relate to Her as Her place of birth and 
the place, where Her husband resides . Regarding
SRI-RANGAM , SHE HERSELF SELECTED IT .HER IMPRINT 
IS ON IT AS SHE SITS UNDER RANGA VIMAANAM OUT OF 
HER LIMITLESS COMPASSION FOR HER SUFFERING CHILDREN. 
Hence Sri-Rangam is a very special place for Her .
She chose it deliberately as the playground for 
Her sport (SRI-RANGAM) and for conferring anugraham 
on the chEthanams. 

This beautiful slOkam housing this special insight 
on the name of this Dhivya Desam and Sriranga 
VimAnam takes this form:

janana-bhavana-preethyA dhugdhArNavam bahu-manyasE
Janani! dayitha-prEmNA pushNAsi tath-paramam-padham
udhadhi-parama-vyOmnEr-vismruthya maadhrusa-rakshaNa--
kshamamithi dhiyA: bhUya: SRIRANGA-DHAAMANI mOdhasE

(Meaning according to Dr.V.N.VedAntha Desikan): This shrine
is called SRI-RANGAM in the sense that it is the court-hall
for Your sport and dance; wherein "SRI" refers to You. 
Because You have chosen this dais for Your purpose of 
ensuring the well-being of all creatures , which are 
but Your children , all like me , knowing nothing and
deserving Your Motherly grace , You enjoy this location ;
evidently You have spurned Your birth place (Janana bhavanam),
the Milky Ocean Your husband's perennial abode (Sree Vaikuntam)
in favor of SREE-RANGAM.It is Sriyah-Rangam (Sreeyutham Rangam
or Sriya: Rangam ). It is truly so!

Additional Comments:PiRantha idam and Puhantha idam(V.S)
********************************************************
1. PiRantha idam(Place of Birth): 

Oh JananI SrIrangEsvari! Milky Ocean(DhugdArNavam/
KsheerAbdhi) is Janma gruham for You . Hence , You have 
bahumAnam(great respect) for this place of Your birth:

TathascchavirabhUth saakshAth SrI-RamA BhagavathparA
ranjayanthI disa: kaanthyA vidhuth-soudhAminI yaTA 
--SrImath BhAgavatham: 8.8.8

There (at the Milky ocean), She chose the Lord as 
Her husband and placed the svayamvara maalai around 
His neck. Srimath BhAgavatham describes this scene of 
Svayamvaram this way(8.8.24-28):

SrI Devi placed the beautiful lotus garland around 
the neck of SrIman NaarAyanan.That garland had freshly 
blossomed lotuses that were full of the auspicious sounds of 
humming bees generating Hari Naama Sankeerthanam.She approached
Her Lord shyly and Her eyes were full of joy . She moved slowly 
towards Her seat (viz)., the chest of SrIman NaarAyaNan and
stood next to Him . Next, the Lord of the three universes 
lifted Her up and placed Her on His chest , Her seat of 
permanent residence. The Mother of the three universes and 
the abode of all Isvaryams cast her mercy-filled glances on Her
children and blessed them with all auspiciousness . 
At that time , GandharvAs sang ; the sounds of mangaLa
vaadhyams like Conches, Mrudhangam were heard. Brahma ,
Rudran, sage AngIras , the PrajApathis showered flowers and 
got blessed with sadAchAram and SadhguNams . They in turn 
recited the Veda manthrams that celebrate the anantha--
kalyANa guNams of Her Lord , SrIman NaarAyaNan.

This then is the Vaibhavam of Her place of birth 
(and wedding) , the Milky Ocean .After gruha pravEsam
ceremonies following vivAham , She entered the house
of Her Lord, SrI Vaikuntam ( Her Pukkaham).

2. Puhundha Veedu: SrI Vaikuntam

The unique and unparalleled glories of SrI-RanganAyaki's
SrI Vaikuntam have been extolled in the SrI Vaikunta gadhyam
of AchArya RaamAnujA and that of His key disciple , KuResar in
His SrI Vaikunta Sthavam .The 44th verse of SrI Vaikunta 
Sthavam celebrates the glories of SrI Vaikuntam this way:

Yadh vruddhyapakshaya vinaasa mukhai: vikaarai:
yEthai: asamsthutham anasthamitha asthi sabdham
yadh gouravaath sruthishu phalgu phalam kriyaaNAm
aadhishtam anyath asugOthramadhruvam cha

(Meaning): Oh Vaikunta NaaTA! Your parama padham is free of 
the six changes ( ShaD bhAva-vikAra:) described in 
SrI Bhaashyam:" jaayathE asthi vardhathE pariNamathE
apakshIyathE vinasyathi ". Looking thus at the eternal
parama Padham , which is Moksha roopam , Vedam salutes
the Lord of Parama padham , the samruddhi there and
the eternally-liberated souls (nithya sooris) serving
the Lord and SrI Devi there this way:

"SadhA pasyanthi sooraya:, tadhviprAsO vipanyavO
jaagruvAmsa: samindhathE , sahasrasTUNE vimithE
dhruDa ugrE yathra DEVAANAAM ADHIDHEVA AASTHE ,
yathra poorvE saadhyA: santhi dEvA:, kshayanthamasya
rajasa: parAgE ".

This Parama Padham( the Supreme abode of the dhivya dampathis,
the Pukkaham of SrI Devi ) does not experience the vikArams 
(changes)resulting from growth,dissolution et al ; here ,
the word " Being" has stayed permanent (anasmitha asthi sabdham);
the residence in this world has made the fruits of Yaagams,
Yaj~nams , DhAnams done in prakruthi maNDalam insignificant ; 
fruits arising from such Yaaga-Yaj~nam pale into insignificance
before the unalloyed , paripoorNa BrahmAnandham resulting 
from the residence at SrI Vaikuntam.

3. The Greatness/Superiority of SRI-RANGAM
********************************************
SrI-RanganAyaki spurned the glories of residence at
Her BhahumAnya piRantha Veedu and vEda-Prasiddha 
Parama Padham ( TadhvishNO: Paramam Padham ), Her 
Pukkaham ,Her Lord's celestial house and elected instead 
SrI-Rangam as Her place of residence for protecting 
those , who sought refuge in Her . Swamy ParAsara Bhattar 
states that SrI-Ranganaayaki chose to reside as ArchA Moorthy
at SrI-Rangam out of compassion for the like of us , who know
nothing and therfore deserve Your grace .

Athra SrI-Ranga dhaamani , SrI-Ranga nagarE ,dhivya vimAnE ,
daya-sampoorNa hrudhayEna Thvam mOdhasE. Here at SrI-Rangam ,
You reside under the SrI-Ranga VimAnam after spurning 
the milky ocean and Parama Padham ;Your heart is full of 
compassion for us, who are rudderless in the ocean of 
SamsAram and You come to our rescue . The power of 
ArchAvathAram has to be recalled here:

archAvathAra vishayE MayApyuddhEsathasthava
ukthA guNA na sakyanthE vakthum varsha-sathairapi

As ArchA Roopi, SrI-Ranga Naayaki stays at SrI-Rangam
as Aananda Lahari (waves of unceasing bliss principle)
and as SrI-Ranga-SrI.

Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SaThakOpan /Sadagopan 






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