padithadhai-ch-cholgirEn (Vishnu sahasra nama)

[Guest guest]

SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

 

paDitthaDai-ch-cholgirEn.....

 

>> The beauty of the sahasra-nAmas lies in the fact that nowhere else

do the scriptures convince us so dramatically that God possesses both

the opposites of the same quality or attribute. Contrary attributes

being assigned to God is certainly in tune with the Upanishadic

descriptions of the Absolute in terms of opposite superlative

extremes like smaller than the smallest, greater than the greatest,

etc.:

aNor-aNIyAn-mahato mahIyAn

 

 

>> Tricky names and trickier meanings are what makes the sahasra-

nAmas what they are. They are at the same time texts for recitation

as prayers and also storehouses for information to be leisurely

digested during meditation.

 

He is both Existence - sat - and Non-Existence - asat -. Existence,

because He is the One that exists in all things and beings; Non-

existence, because He is the conditioned and limited plurality of the

universe which is manifest to us but has no ultimate reality. Recall

the words of the Lord in the gItA (9 - 19):

sad-asac-cAham arjuna

 

>> He is the changeless core amidst all changes, but He appears as

changing just as the ocean appears as the changing and dying waves.

He is therefore at the same time the perishing superposition as well

as the imperishable substratum -- ksharaH as well as aksharaH

 

 

>> He is ekaH, one, because there is no second. He is also naikaH,

that is, not one, because He is the One immanent in all the plurality

of the visible universe. Recall Rg-veda (1-164-46): The one Truth,

Wise men speak of in varied ways.

ekam sad-viprA bahudhA vadanti

 

>> Also recall kathopanishad (2 - 2 -9): Just as fire, though one,

having entered the world, assumes separate forms in respect of

different shapes, similarly, the Self inside all beings, though one

assumes a form in respect of each shape; and yet, it is outside:

agnir-yathaiko bhuvanam pratishTo rUpam rUpam pratirUpo babhUva /

ekastathA sarva-bhUtAntarAtmA rUpam rUpam pratirUpo bahiSca //

 

Again, chAndogya-upanishad: (6 - 2 - 1): brahman is one, one only,

without a second.

ekam-evAdvitIyam brahma

 

>> He is aNuh, atomic; bRhat, macrocosmic;

kRSaH, lean; sthUlaH, fat;

guNabrt, full of attributes; nirguNaH, attributeless;

mahAn, great; adhRtaH, supportless.

 

These names occur in continuous succession that parASara, one of the

great commentators on the vishNu sahasra-nAma, excels here by

interpreting these eight names as describing the eight powers of

yoga:

namely, aNimA, mahimA, laghumA, garimA, Isitva, vaSitva, prAkAmya and

prApti --

meaning, the powers to become atomic, transcendent, light, heavy,

the power to will anything beyond any natural phenomenon, effortless

attainment of anything and omniscience coupled with omnipotence! This

is a gem from parASara.

 

>>> From Mahabharatha Shanthi parvam chapter 352 > You will find

many namas with their derivations as told by Krishna Himself to

Arjuna.

 

In chapter 346, Narada pays a sthuthi on sriman Narayana, by 198

namas. Before he starts this, Vyasa says that Narada thus began the

sthuthi of Narayana who is both 'nirgunaNan' and 'guna-swaroopi'.

 

Regards,

jayasree saranathan.

 

 

>> "M.G.Vasudevan" <mgv@l...> wrote:

>

> Dear srivaishNava perunthagaiyeer,

>

> Here is a part of mahaa bhaaratham translation read by me today.

[Translation by Kesary Mohan Ganguly which is available in internet]

>

> Since it was a coincidence that sri sukumar raised a point on

the 'sri vathsa vakshase nama' where he adds -- quote "Which one we

should believe in this context (if my thoughts are not unfounded) -

sruti (which refutes this) or purana / smriti (which details this

incident)?". Unquote.

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

One Sanskrit Scholar at Mysore Palace once mentioned to me that in Vishnu

Sahasra Namam no mention of name pertaining to Lord Ranganatha ( as Ranga or

any derivatives of it) is there.

 

Adiyen would like to know how this name got missed in the 1000 names of Vishnu

in the Sahasranamam.

 

Adiyen Krishna Ramanuja Dasan

 

jayasartn <jayasree.saranathan wrote:

SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

 

paDitthaDai-ch-cholgirEn.....

[Guest guest]

SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

 

There is solid evidence in Naan mugan Thiruvandhadi that it is Lord

Rama who has taken his abode in Thiruvarangam.

I request the fellow bhagavathas to refer to verses 29 & 30 of this

Thiruvandhadhi.

In verse 29, (ugappuruvam thane..) Raman's beauty is described as

also His valour in having overcome Kumbhakarnan.

 

Sri AppiLLai's vyakhyaanam for this pasuram is too detailed and

describes Rama's beauty from every type of text, from sruti to

smriti texts. Rama's thirumEni is desired as `ugappuruvam', `oLi

uruvam', and `magappuruvam' and such a Rama is one who is in

Thriuvarangam is what the aazhwar says in the next pasuram. (avan

ennai aaLi arangil..)

 

Both Sri Peria vaachhan piLai and AppiLLai, continue the vyakhyanam

for the 30 th verse as continuation of the previous verse which

extols Sri Raman.

The previous verse ends a `yaidaan avan' – the avan is Raman.

In the next verse, aazhwar begins as `avan ennai aaLi arangil' – the

avan is therefore Raman who staying Arangam , protects me from this

world or samsara which is like an arangam or stage.

 

Therefore the one residing in the Archa vigraham of Ranganathan is

Saakshaath Rama Piraan Himself.

 

Now about Arangan nama not finding place in Vishnu sahasra naama.

I request the readers to refer to the 3rd verse of Naan mugan

thiruvandhadhi.

After declaring in the first 2 verses, that Narayana is the Adi

devan, the aazhwar describes in the 3rd verse the abodes where He can

be found.

 

He is one who is lying on milk (paalil kidandathuvum)

He is one who established Himself at the ancient city of

Thiruvarangam (pandarangam mEyaduvum)

He is one who is sleeping on the banyan leaf (aalil thuyindraduvum)

Then aazhwar asks who will know His greatness. (aararivaar?)

 

 

The milky ocean and aalilai are His ancient abodes. By placing

Thiruvarangam along with them, the aazhwar concedes the praachIna

sthithi of Thiruvarangam. Bhagavan can not just keep Himself confined

to the first two abodes as He is more concerned about making Himself

easy for access to chethanas and therefore chose Arangam in the very

earliest of times. Since it is the `avatharangaLin ellai nilam' ,

Arangan is considered as the foremost among His archa rUpams. This

is further established in the expression in the pasuram "gyaalatthu

oru poruLai". This is with reference to archa rupam on the earth.

This is expressed in "architha" in sahasra naamam.

 

Since He is the ancient one known by name in archa vigraham to

mankind (gyaalatthu oru poruL), it can deduced that all the 999 names

are Arangan's names and I wonder whether it is actually Ranga sahasra

naama.

We must also refer to the context in Mahabharatha where it has been

rendered by Bheeshma.

 

Another reasoning I can think of is the beginning with Thiruvarangam

and ending with Vaikuntham of the divya desams. The 108 desams are

like 108 beads of the japa mala. The ends of the japamala are

generally connected and not left untied. The Bhooloka vaikuntham and

paraloka vaikuntham are thus indeed next to each other.

Arangam is the stage where He has been established. From there

onwards, every other manifestation of Him till His sthithi in

Vaikuntham is being described in Sahasra naama. That may be perhaps

why He as Arangan is not directly mentioned.

 

Regards,

Jayasree saranathan

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Can anyone help us with the meaning for Ranga or Ranganathan?

Regards

jayasree

 

 

Oppiliappan, "jayasartn"

<jayasree.saranathan@g...> wrote:

>

> SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

>

> There is solid evidence in Naan mugan Thiruvandhadi that it is Lord

> Rama who has taken his abode in Thiruvarangam.

> I request the fellow bhagavathas to refer to verses 29 & 30 of this

> Thiruvandhadhi.

> In verse 29, (ugappuruvam thane..) Raman's beauty is described as

> also His valour in having overcome Kumbhakarnan.

>

>

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Srimathy Sranathan :

 

You had asked for the meaning of Rangan and RanganAthan

and suggested that Rangan is none other than Lord Ramachandra

in archA form . Here are some additional reasons :

 

Furthher to the dhivya Prabhandham Paasurams cited ,

it is traditionally believed that the Uthsavar at

Srirangam is Lord Raamachandran and the Moolavar

is DhAmOdhara KaNNan with His 3 welt marks on

His waist . AzhwArs and AchAryAs ,as you know ,

have experienced Him as DasAvathAran and more .

 

Sri RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram(SRPS) of Swamy Desikan

celebrates Sri RanganAthan's Paadhukai as that of Raamachandra .

At the very beginning of SRPS salutes BharathAzhwAn for revealing

the Vaibhavam of Sri RanganAtha Paadhukais FOR THE CITIZENS

OF THE WORLD and links them to the PaadhukAs to Lord Ramachandra

( SlOkam 2 of SRPS :

 

" BharathAya param namOasthu tasmai

praTamOdhAharaNAya bhakthibhAjAm

yadhupaj~namasEshatha: PruTivyAm praTithO

RAAGHAVA-PAADHUKAA-PRABHAAVA:"

 

Sri RanganAtha Paadhukai is Swamy NammAzhwAr . Bharathan is the One ,

who carried them on His head to Nandigramam ; later VibhishaNa carried

the whole VimAnam ( PraNavAkAram) and landed it with Sri Raamachandra

inside .

 

Swamy DEsikan salutes these Padhukais as " Rangapathy vibhrama

" Paadhukais " , the Paadhukais intended for the sport of Lord Ramachandra

(Ranganatha) , the processional deity . At other places , Swamy Desikan

salutes

these RanganAtha Paadhukais as those of the enemy of Kamsan (SRPS: Slokam 9)

:

" KamsArE: PaadhukE ! Here , the identity of Moolavar is revealed .

 

Various naamArchanams for RanganAtha in SRPS reveal the dance stage (Rangam)

of Lord RanganAtha :

 

Ranga Kshithi RamaNa ( SlOkam 10) ; Ranga BhUmi , aranga MEdai is referred

to and the Lord is recognized as the Master of that space for His leelais .

On

this divine stage dances Lord RanganAthan the various dances ( aha and Pura

Kootthus).

 

Many VinOdha Koothus are performed by the Lords here such as KudamAdu

Kootthu , Nokku ( a dance form marked by agility and grace) like one of

the ten gamakams in VeeNaa playing , where dextirity is needed to execute .

Here on this aranga Medai, the great Master defines His dances of Srushti ,

Sthithi and samhAram within the framework of stylized movements and

symbolic gestures with Rasaa and Bhaavaa for the benefit of His devotees

in genral and the AzhwAars and AchAryAs in particualr . Their rasAnubhavam

flpwed as divine Paasurams .For them , He plays the Alliya Kootthu , Kuda

Kootthu , Mohini Aattam , Vari Kootthu ( vipralambha SringAram) . Arayars

took

their cues from here . In this context , one has to remember the Arayars

enact on

the 4th day of adhyayana festival at Srirangam , the RanganAtha avathAram .

 

On this Ranga BhUmi , the Lord of that stage enjoys Navasandhi Kavutthuvam

by Brahma DEvan and ohter dEvAs with the Jathis , TaaLams and Raagams

assigned to them as per the Aagama Saasthrams , one of which is expounded by

BhagavAn Himself (Sriprasna Samhitha section) .

 

On this divine Ranga BhUmi , the blissful RasAnubhavam is experienced by

" the idnetification of the spectator with the spectacle" . Rasa has been

defined as both the tasting and what is tasted . It has been described as

the most relishable , blissful experience reminding one of the Aanandha of

Brahman described by the Upanishad . AzhwArs had this rasAnubhavam

and left the outpourings of that anubhavam for us to enjoy as Kuladhanam.

 

Sage BharathA , known for Bharatha Saasthram ( Bhaavam+Raagam+TaaLam)

describes this bliss ( at Ranga BhUmi) :

 

yathO hasthas-tathO dhrushti:

yathO dhrushtis-tathO mana:

yathO manas-tathO bhAva:

yathO bhAvas-tathO rasa:

 

We follow the dance of RanganAtha on this stage of srirangam.

 

In Tamil , it has been translated as :

 

kai vazh nayanam sella

kaNN vazhi manam sella

manam vazhi uNarcchi sella

athaninRu Suvai piRakkum

 

I will conclude this big topic rather quickly with the slOkams

used for Aranga Poojai and the spirit behind such an aarAdhanam

by dancers :

 

Bharathakula bhAgya kalikE ! BhAvarasAnandha

pariNathAkArE ! JagadhEka Mohana

kalE Jaya Jaya RANGADHI

DEvathE DEvi " .

 

After ThOdaya MangaLam and MeLa PrApthy rituals , the lady dancer

(Sri Ranga Naayaki) pays Her salutations to the Aranga Devathai

(Her Divine consort) and performs the AarAdhanam treating that

arangam ( stage ) as the Temple . OhmkAra Tulya Naadham

arises from that Rangam because of its association with

PraNavAkAra VimAnam forming the roof for that stage and

links to the AkAra-MakAra-UkAra roopan presiding over that

stage as Lord Ramachandran . The identity of Sri RanganAyaki as

SithA PirAtti is revealed by the RanganAtha PurOhithar in

His GuNa Rathna Kosam , where he addresses Her as " Maathar

Mythili "

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar Thiruvadi ,

Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Regarding the meaning of RanganAthan , the literal meaning is

Master of Rangam , the dance stage ( arangam ) in His LeelA

VibhUthi .

 

 

-

"jayasartn" <jayasree.saranathan

<Oppiliappan>

Friday, November 25, 2005 3:32 AM

Re: padithadhai-ch-cholgirEn (Vishnu sahasra nama)

 

 

> SrI:

>

> Can anyone help us with the meaning for Ranga or Ranganathan?

> Regards

> jayasree

>

>

> Oppiliappan, "jayasartn"

> <jayasree.saranathan@g...> wrote:

>>

>> SRIMATHE RAMANUJAYA NAMAHA.

>>

>> There is solid evidence in Naan mugan Thiruvandhadi that it is Lord

>> Rama who has taken his abode in Thiruvarangam.

>> I request the fellow bhagavathas to refer to verses 29 & 30 of this

>> Thiruvandhadhi.

>> In verse 29, (ugappuruvam thane..) Raman's beauty is described as

>> also His valour in having overcome Kumbhakarnan.

[Guest guest]

-

"jayasartn" <jayasree_saranathan

"sgopan" <sgopan

Sunday, November 27, 2005 1:17 PM

Re: padithadhai-ch-cholgirEn (Vishnu sahasra nama)

 

 

>SrI:

 

>Respected Sri swamin,

 

>Your mail is an enriching experience and the description leaves no

>doubt about Rama's vaasam in Arangan and Arangan's leela at this

>stage. But still I am not clear whether this name Ranga which seems

>to be a sanskrit one, means Lord of this arangam / leelas in the

> arangam. May I know the exact meaning of Rangan?

 

>Regards,

>jayasree.

 

SrI:

 

Dear Srimathy SaranAthan:

 

Thanks for your note . I will focus on the Ranga Tathtvam .

 

The Sanskrit word , "Rangam " ( an arena , an ampitheater ) got

adopted in to Tamil word "arangam " . The Master of that stage

is then RanganAthan (AranganAthan) or Rangan in short .

 

Ranga in Sanskrit also means the audience . In my earlier

mail , I mentioned about RasAnubhavam between the actor

( the Lord) and the audience ( ChEthanams) and the effect .

The saying : " Rangasya darsayithvA nivarthathE narthakee

yathA nruthyAth " We are all the aspiring Narthaskees

yearning for the rasAnubhavam of the union with the Pursushan

(Sarva Sesahi). Our silly dances come to an end after seeing

this cosmic dance of the Parama Purushan .

 

Just as Hasthi Giri and Hasthi GirIsan( Thirumalai and Malayappa

Swamy as well in DayA Sathakam ) are synanymous , the Rangam

and RanganAthan go together .Commentators of Sri VaradarAja

Sthavam of KurEsar and DayA Sathakam of Swamy Desikan have

commented on this intricate relationship between the stage and

the actor pn that stage . AzhwAr's anubhavam about ThirumAlirumchOlai and

ThiruvEnkadam fit into this category .

 

The next line of the slOkam quoted above is : " Purushasya TathAsthAnam

prakAsya vinivarthatE PrakruthE : " . That is the effect of seeing

the dance of the Lord on His Ranga BhUmi. Prakruthi sambhandham is

eliminated thru the experiencing of this dance of the actor at

the Ranga BhUmi. It is difficult to seperate the Rangam and

the Master of that Ranga BhUmi , Sri RanganAthan , the Ranga

AvathArakan ( the actor on the stage) . At this Ranga PeeDam ,

the place of dance , He reigns supreme . At this Ranga BhUmi , He dances

His cosmic dance facing South towards Sri VilliputthUr and

Lanka Raajyam of VibhishaNan . At His Ranga MaNTapam ,

RanganAthan is the Ranga Vasthu and teaches us Ranga VidhyA ,

the dance of the Jeevans cherographed by the PraTamAchAryan .

No wonder every one has flocked around this Ranga SaalA

to gain liberation from the cycles of births and deaths.He is the Pathi

or Naathan of SuddhAntha Naarees ( us , His anthapuratthu PeNNmaNikaL) .

" Antha: purEshu saleelam RangEswara: Sancharathy " enjoying

His bhOgam in His LeelA VIbhUthi . yEthath kaalEshu , bhakthi namra:

prapannA: ThvAm anvapasyan aanandha avasTAm vahathE ( During these

times of enjoying Your dancing , the PrapannAs with heads bent down with

Bhakthi

experience You in a state of bliss) . At those times , He is NaarayaNa

rishi and we are NarAs recieving upadEsam from Him .

 

That Rangam is constituted by the sand dunes in the island made of

Cauvery ( Tadheeyam puNyam PuLinam iyam KavEra tanayA krutham).

There He has His dance on the Rangam as RanganAthan . Here with

the golden hues of His Thiruvadi , RanganAthan makes the river Cauvery

filled as it were with golden lotus blossoms ( Hema sindhum aathmeeya

kaanchana ruchA hemAravindha bharithAmiva vidhathe ).The fragrance

of the VedAs emanate from that stage (Surabhi nigama gandhA asmin

RangE asthi) . Here the dancer Azhagiya MaNavALan is united with

SriranganAyaki during His dances and are celebrated by the PrapannAs

( Soumya- jaamAthru yukthAm Sriyamiva MahaneeyAm ThvAm prapannA:

upacharathy ). RnaganAthA ! Your sanchArams on that stage are like

the gait of the elephant in rut moving around the foothills of Meru

Parvatham ( sanchAraNeeyaam sura SikhariNa: mEkhalAyAm tasTushA

mattha-dhvirapathinA sameekshyaam saamyakashyAm dhatthE ).

 

Below this Rangam , AadhisEshan longs for Your Paadha Sparsam and

therfore holds the Rangam on his thousand heads ( SEshAthmanA nijayaa

Moorthyaiva Ranga BhUmim / Vasumatheem dhathsE ) .

 

One gets carried away by the thoughts about Rangam and the dance that takes

place at this Ranga Bhumi for our benefit . Being afraid of this note

getting even

longer I will stop here . The Sanskrit Quptations are from Swamy Desikan's

Sri RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram .

 

NamO Sri RanganAthAya ,

V.Sadagopan

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

I am impressed by the meanings of Ranga by Sadagopan mama. Other meaning of

Ranga is Colours and Ranganatha means Lord of hues( Colours).

 

Adiyen Krishna Ramanuja Dasan