shrI Sundarakanda Nirnaya- MBTN- verses 1-3

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shrI hari vAyu gurubhyO namaH

 

 

praThamO hanumannAma dhvithIyO bhIma Eva cha |

pUrNapraj~JasthRithIyasthuBagavathkAryasADhakah ||

 

Source: Translation by Scholars of Sri Madhwacharya Seva Sangha, Chennai.  

The upanishad proclaims that Sri Hari's grace is bestowed to those jivas who workship their Bimba

Murthy, who also resides in the lotus heart of Vayu.The compassionate Vayu on our behalf prays Sri

Hari thus enaM dInaM dUnaM anAthaM sharaNAgataM rakSha rakSha to release us from the shackles

of samsara.The sutra also states Vayu alone leads us to Paramathma. Sri Vadiraja states

madhvamAnasa padmabhAnusamaM that Paramathma in madhwa is to be meditated upon. In other

words, meditation to be fruitful jiva should meditate on Brahman as present in Vayu.

 

Since this Sundarakaanda was written by Srimad Acharya as a part of Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya

(MBTN) who was Hanuman himself in Treta Yuga, its parayana brings more merit than other

sundarakandas for it is authentic. It speaks of the glory of devotion, the absolute master-servant relation

between the soul & God. So, reciting it with understanding & devotion to Sri Hari, Vayu would earn their

favor & take us to be coveted final purushArtha-Moksha.

 

Everything in this Sundara kaanda Ramayana is beautiful, the story, the characters, the music, the form

of verses etc... In Sundara kaanda, Hanuman's jnana, bhakthi, power & prowess are all exemplified &

give us a beautiful experience of enjoying a kind of bliss.

 

Sundarakanda Nirnaya was originally posted in Dvaita list few years ago.

 

 

 

 

OM || rAmAya shAshvatasuvistR^itashhaD.hguNAya sarveshvarAya

sukhasAramahArNavAya (balavIryamahArNavAya) |

natvA lilaN^ghayishhurarNavamutpapAta nishhpID.hya taM girivaraM pavanasya sUnuH ||

|| 7-1 ||

 

Word to word meaning

sUnuH = The son;

pavanasya = of Wind God (i.e. Hanuman);

lilaN^ghayishhuH = was desirous of crossing;

arNavam.h = the ocean

natvA = After bowing down to

rAmAya = Sri Rama

shAshvatasuvistR^itashhaD.hguNAya = ***who always possessed six perfections (viz:

knowledge, strength, prowess, lordship, virility & splendour) which were quite vast;

sarveshvarAya = who was the Lord of one & all

bala - vIrya - mahArNavAya = an ocean of strength (bala) and valor (vIrya) (sukha - sAra -

mahArNavAya = an ocean of quintessence of bliss (sukhasAra) or an ocean of bliss (sukha) and

richness of knowledge (sAra) or

strength (sAra)

nishhpID.hya = by pressing hard

taM girivaraM = that mighty mountain (Mahendra by name)

utpapAta = and rose high into the sky

The son of Vayu, bowed to Sri Rama who is superior to Brahma & Ramaa, known for his ***six

qualities of excellence who stood like an ocean for Bala, Veerya, Vairagya, by pressing the great

mountain Mahendra hard with his feet, he went up high into the sky to cross the ocean.

 

Explanatory notes:

Sri Madhwacharya's Sundarakanda is of special significance for in his previous avatara, he was

Hanuman, the devoted messenger of Sri Rama; & so it confers merits great to devotees if they do

parayana with true devotion. In Sundarakanda, Hanuman's role is to be viewed as a service to his

master, Sri Rama rather than any help rendered to Sri Rama. To go up into the space, one has to

control the breath, & he being the son of Vayu, he had no difficulty in going into space, & so he is

addressed as pavanasya sUnuH. When he pressed the mountain Mahendra, majority of its part

went into the ground which suggests that Hanuman is superior to all the mountains including

Mahendra.

 

chuxobha vAridhiranuprayayau cha shIghraM yAdogaNaiH saha tadIyabalAbhikR^ishhTaH

|

vR^ixAshcha parvatagatAH pavanena pUrvaM xipto.arNave girirudAgamadasya hetoH || 7-

 

2 ||

 

Word to word meaning:

tadIya - bala- abhikR^ishhTaH = Attracted by his tremendous velocity

vAridhi: = the ocean

chuxobha = become agitated

shIghraM = and at once

yAdogaNaiH saha = along with multitudes of aquatic beings,

anuprayayau = followed him (i.e. began to fly along with Hanuman)

vR^ixAshcha = and even the trees

parvatagatAH = which grew upon that mountain followed suit

girih = Mount Mainaka

xiptaH = who was thrown

arNave = into that ocean

pavanena = by wind

pUrvaM = in olden days (before)

ut.h - Agamat.h = now came up (from the waters)

asya hetoH = for the sake of Hanuman (for providing him a resting place)

 

The force with which Hanuman pressed the Mahendra mountain brought several changes in the

ocean. Attracted by his tremendous velocity, the ocean along with multitudes of aquatic beings,

followed him (began to fly along with him for some distance) and so did the uprooted trees on the

mountain(as if one goes some distance before bidding farewell to known friends). Mount Mainaka,

who was thrown into that ocean by wind in olden days, now came up (from the waters) for the

sake of Hanuman (for providing him a resting place).

 

Explanatory notes:

 

The Mainaka mountain was once thrown into the ocean by Sri Vayu deva for its safety, rose above

the waters with the help of the ocean to offer a resting place to Hanuman since there is no resting

place for the on going journey of 100 yojanas. The ocean which induced the Mainaka to come up

belong to Surya dynasty to which Sri Rama also belongs. Since any help that is rendered to

Hanuman who is the servant of Sri Rama would be considered as service to Sri Rama, so the ocean

helped Mainaka to come up to the surface.

Now, for the purpose of providing rest to Hanuman the son of wind God, Mainaka emerged, along

with all his mountain slopes, breaking up (or pushing away) the ocean (waters).

 

syAlo harasya giripaxavinAshakAle xiptvA.arNave sa marutorvaritAtmapaxaH |

haimo giriH pavanajasya tu vishramArthamudbhidya vAridhimavarddhadanekasAnuH || 7-

3 ||

 

Word to word meaning:

 

saH = That

haimo = golden

giriH = mountain (i.e. Mainaka)

syAlaH = was the brother in law

harasya = of Siva (i.e. Parvathi's brother); and

giripaxavinAshakAle = at a time when the wings of all mountains were

being chopped off (by Indra)

xiptaH = he was pushed

arNave = into the ocean

urvarita - Athma- paxaH = and was thus made to save his wings

marutA = by the wind (god)

vishramArtha tu = and he, for the purpose of providing rest

pavanajasya = to Hanuman the son of wind God

avadhata = (now) came up

anekasAnuH = with all his slopes

udbhidya = breaking up (or pushing away)

vAridhim.h = the ocean (waters)

 

The mountain Mainaka was son of Himavan & Mena & brother of Parvathi & brother in law of

Rudra Deva. It was made up of gold. In earlier days, all mountains had wings. Knowing such a

feature would be harmful to the public, when Indra cut off the wings of other mountains , Vayu had

thrown Mainaka into the ocean. This enabled Mainaka to save his wings.

 

Explanatory Notes:

 

Thus to show his gratitude & indebtedness to Vayu, the Mainaka mountain came up to give a

resting place to Hanuman who is the son of Vayu.

The above translation caters to the first half of the verse. for the second half, the following is to be

added.

Now, for the purpose of providing rest to Hanuman, who is son of Pavana, Mainaka emerged, along

with all his mountain slopes, breaking up (or pushing away) the ocean (waters).

shrI kR^iShNArpanamastu