Oh! Ramanuja,
From the day the Lord exists, even Jeevatma (life) exists. Till
today due to Karma time has been wasted without realizing it.
Not even repented for it. But from the day you grace fell on
me I am repenting for the folly day and night.
thirumazhisai aazhvaar's Srisukthi;
"nNaan unnaiyanRi ilEn nNaaraNanE! nNee ennaiyanRi ilai"
confirms the permanency of relationship between the Lord and
Jeevathma.
nErisai veNbaa
(52)
As I enjoy the
grace of Ramanuja, Lord Ranganatha mounted on Garuda will appear
before me on the eve of my soul leaving the body (at the time
of my death) like dark clouds appearing on the hillock of Meru.
Here MM visualises the scenario
at the time of his charamadasai. This vision is identical with
the one expressed by Nammazhvar in thiruvoimozhi vide Srisukthi;
"kaay sinap paRavaiyoornNthu pon malaiyin meemisaik kaarmugil
pOl"
eNseeraasiriya viruththam
(53)
Even though
I was a sinner due to wickedness as a result of Karma, Oh Ethiraja!
You took me very kindly under your grace as a benevolent parent.
As a next step you must help me to get rid of this samsara (wordly
life). As the result of Karma has to be annulled, the Lord out
of compassion helps me to suffer for it; I am unable to hear
the sufferings an account of severe illness ceased in my body
with unbearable pain. Can I survive this ordeal?
Kaliyan exclaimed, "paavamE
seythu paaviyaanEn". Ramanuja exclaimed "maam thaaraya"(Redeem
me from this cycle of Birth). MM adopts the same pattern and
appeals to redeem him from this samsara.
"Harir thu:kkaanNipakthEpyO
Hitha puththyaakarOthi vai" and "vaaLaalaRuththuch
sudinum maruththuvan paal maaLaatha kaathal nNOyaaLan pOl"
(perumaaL thirumozhi 5-4) are the two Srisukthis which convey
the significance of the stanza.ie even though the doctor who
performs the operation by cutting in the body causing pain, the
doctor will not be blamed as it is being done only for the benefit
of the patient. Similaarly God helps to destroy and annul prarabdakarma
by inflicting illness and causing pain. Even though this act
of the Lord is realised as benevolent, MM bemoans He is unable
to bear the pains and seeks early redemption.
kattaLaikkalippaa
(54)
Oh Ethiraja
you are my mother, father and other relatives who are my benefactors.
Day and night out of compassion you alway think of my welfare.
Even after coming under your benevolent care how long shall I
suffer in this physical state. You are the embodiment of abundant
grace. When will you help to get rid of this physical state of
samsaara and attain Moksha?
Mathurakavigaal expresses this
sentiment of parental state as "annaiyaay aththanaay ennai
aaNdidum thanmaiyaay!" Nammaazhvar expresses"unakku
aatpaattum adiyEn innum uzhalvEnO" (thiruvaay mozhi 5.8.10)
ie even after coming under your fold, I am experiencing this
distress.
eNseerkkadinNedilaasiriya
viruththam
(55)
Usually Acharyas
will not indulge in self-glorification and so Mamunigal will
be the last person to do so. The stanza, which is taken now,
appears at first sight to be one of self-glorification. On deeper
analysis it will be found that all the attributes referred to
in the stanza are obtained by sheer grace of Ramanuja and hence
Mamunigal by way of gratitude pays a charming tribute in the
stanza as detailed below line by line.
thennarangar
seeraruLukkilakkaagap peRROm
This refers to Lord Ranganatha's
abundant grace, which ultimately resulted in Mamunigal being
raised to the status of an Acharya.
thiruvarangam
thiruppadhiyE yiruppaagap peRROm
Visit to Dhivyadhesams is a must
for Sri Vaishnavites. Hence Mamunigal after completing his Pilgrimage
from Tirupati returned to Srirangam. Thereupon Ranganatha wished
Mamunigal to stay in Srirangam permanently as evidenced below.
'nithyam rangE nivaasaaya praarththidha:
paNisaayinaa
pachyanN padhaambujam thaSya paalayaamaaSa saaSanam"
The unlimited grace of Lord Ranganatha
extended not only in lending his name as Azhagia Manavala Mamuni
but also showed him a place called Pallavarayan Mutt to establish
his Mutt and stay permanently as Ramanuja did in the service
of the Lord. This is referred to in Mamuni's Suprabhatham composed
by his disciple Prathivadi Bhayangaram Annan as follows:
Nammaazhwar's Prabhandam
Thiruvaymozhi serves as food for soul. Ramanuja asked his disciple
Pillan to write a commentary on Thiruvaymozhi, which is extolled
by Mamunigal in Upadesa RattinaMalai. This is a forerunner for
the birth of several commentaries. The most elaborate one called
Eedu attracted the attention of even the Lord. All these episodes
are referred to in the line quoted above.
madhurakavi soRpadiyE nilaiyaagap peRROm
The core of Vaishnavite
doctrine is Acharya Bhakthi. It takes precedence over devotion
to Lord. It is called the ultimate stage going by the name of
saramaparvanishtai Madhurakavi Azhwar stands foremost in this
category. He knows none other than Nammalwar Vide his pronouncement
'thEvumaRRariyEn kurugoor nambi" Mamunigal also lived in
the same way. At the command of his Acharya Srisailesa (called
thirumalai aazhvaar alias thiruvaaymozhip piLLai) he was devoted
to Ramanuja and gave expression to his intense devotion in his
works Yatiraja Vimsati and Arti Prabandham. Hence Mamunigal feels
proud of emulating Mathurakavi.
munnavaraam
namkuravar mozhigaLuLLap peRROm
Preceptors preceding
Mamunigal who authored memorable works were always on his thoughts.
Wherever those works like Rahasya Grantham required clarification.
Mamunigal wrote excellent commentaries on them with clarity.
Hence the above line refers to the opportunity given to Mamunigal
to give final shape to Vaishnavite doctrines in his innumerable
works.
muzhudhum
namakkavai pozhudhubOkkap peRROm
All the commentaries
as well as Azhwar's sacred hymns together with the works on Ramanuja
serve to spend time most usefully in the spread of Vaishnavite
culture.
pinnaiyonRudhanil
nenchupEraamal peRROm
Mamunigal expresses
that he cannot think of anything else other than the sentiments
expressed in the six sayings referred above.
piRarminukkam
poRaamaiyillaapperumaiyum peRROmE
Above all, this
sentiment of not being jealous over the affluence of others is
a trait very rarely found. Mamunigal himself gives expression
to this in his commentary on Mumukshuppadi.
This one stanza
gives us a glimpse of the greatness and unique features of this
memorable work. In the course of time further exposition will
follow to the extent of my very limited knowledge.
(56)
Your grace alone
is responsible for my well being is my realisation. On account
of this realisation, it is my hope that you will grant me the
boon of surrender at your holy feet without any more illness
in my physical frame.
Ramanuja expresses liberation from
the earthly association in gadyathrayam as "SukEna imaam
prakruthim Sthoola Sookshma roopaam viSruNYjya". The glory
of the Holy feet is expressed as "unpathayugamaam ErkoNda
veedu" i.e the Holy Feet affords the eternal happiness as
Moksha. In short this stanza reveals the saramaparvanNishtai.
(57)
Oh Ethiraja, I
am the disciple of Sri Salilesha adored by several preceptors
and at whose lotus like fragrant Holy Feet I bowed. On account
of this single factor you were very kind to condone my deficiencies
and pardon me for all my faults. Hence you will please give a
patient hearing to my appeal.
Mamunigal here avers that his discipleship of Srisailesha is
the single factor for Ramanuja's grace. This is identical with
Alavandar echoing "pithaamaHam nNaathamunim vilOkya praSeetha
mathvruththa machinNthayaathvaa". This is also similar to
Kooresha's appeal to Lord Varadaraja by citing the magnificient
hiearchy to which he belongs and hence appeals for the Lords'grace
vide sloka hereunder.
Oh Ramanuja, I realised the eternal
bliss of my association with you due to the grace of my Acharya
Srisailesha. From that moment my mind realises that you are the
embodiment of all relations.
As the prabandam is drawing to
a close MM pays glowing tributes to his Acharya Srisailesha who
diverted him towards Ramanuja. MM reveals here that Ramanuja
is the embodiment of father, mother and other such benevolent
relatives as expressed in the Srisukthi "maatha pithaa yuvathaya:"
etc.
(59)
Oh Ramanuja
please let me know when I would cast off this body to reach the
heavenly abode of Moksha when Lord Ranganatha, our fatherly divinity
will appear mounted on his vahana garuda.
(51)
(52)
(53)
(54)
(55)
(56)
(57)
(58)
(59)