Stuti on acharyas and azwars - part 1

This one is on Srimad-Ramanuja.

सद्गुरुहारमध्यस्थं शेषशिरोमणीञ्च नः ।

वरं वरदराजस्य यतिराजं भजे हितम् ।। 1 ।।

I salute Yatiraja (Ramanuja), who is the pendant (centre piece) in the garland of sadgurus (sadacharyas), who is our gift from Lord Varadaraja and who is the jewel crown (siromani) of all seshas (jivas are called as seshas in Visistadvaita), who is our benefactor! The word seshasiromani can be interpreted in many ways! I just gave one meaning here.

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This sloka, a simpler one is also on Ramanuja.

राजा यतिषु तं वन्दे माया येन जिता पुरा ।

नुदतु मां दया तस्य जडं तद्दासवृत्तिषु ।। 2 ।।

I salute that king of ascetics, by whom Maya was conquered. Let his grace goad me, as good as a Jada, to serve his devotees!

Now, there is a speciality in this sloka! The name of the acharya is hidden in the sloka itself! The first aksaras of every pada

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In this verse, Ramanuja is compared to a snake (he is believed to be an avatar of adisesha).

It is believed that some snakes bear a manickam (a very bright gem) on their heads. What can be the gem on Sri Ramanuja's head? It is the lustre of the (works of) twelve stars that arose in the South - namely the Alwars! Ramanuja (just like his predecessors) duly recognised and celebrated the import of the Dravida Vedas and held them on par with the Vedas.

Thalai mel vaithu kondadinaar!

दक्षिणोदितनक्षत्रद्विषट्कजप्रभामणिम् ।

शीर्षकधृतशेषं तं यतिराजं भजे हितम् ।। 3 ।।

दक्षिणोदित raising or shining in the South नक्षत्र stars द्विषट्कज twelve, born from them प्रभामणिम् lustre-gem शीर्षकधृत holding on the head शेषं snake तं him यतिराजं Yatiraja भजे salute हितम् benefactor

I salute that Yatiraja, (our) benefactor, a snake that held on its head the gem of light that was born from the twelve stars that shone in the south!

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अवगमयति चोपायं करस्ते मुरारे! मम पदमधिगच्छेन्मोक्षयिष्यामि सद्यः ।

तव किल मम नाहं रक्ष मां दासभूतं यतिपतिरिति बद्ध्वा प्राञ्जलिं स्पष्टमाह ।। 4 ।।

On Ramanuja in Malini metre. Ramanuja's birth millennium celebrations are going on everywhere. Ramanuja and the Lord are taken on a procession where in the Acharya, goes in the front with his anjali mudra, facing the Lord. How does it look like?

Murari! Your hand (by directing to your feet) indicates the upaya or means to escape samsara - 'resort to my feet I will immediately rescue you'. Ramanuja accepts it with folded hands 'I am not mine, yours indeed, protect me your dAsa', (which is the essence of saranagati). 🙏

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यस्सारो भाति वेदान्ते भाष्ये येन स दीपितः ।

गद्यत्रये श्रितो गीतः नित्यं तमहमाश्रये ।। 5 ।।

This is a stuti on Ramanuja by hinting upon the names of seven of his literary works. By whom, the essence of Vedanta is shining in his commentary, and which was sung and resorted to in his three gadyas, I resort to him daily.

The works are Sribhashya, Vedanta dipa, Vedanta sara, Sarangati gadya, Sriranga gadya, Vaikuntha gadya, Nityam. The two other works that are not mentioned are Vedartha sangraha and Gita bhashya.

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How it feels like going in the ghoshti with learned scholars, following Ramanuja?

तिमिररमितमत्या राजसेनाssसमेवं

    हरति रतिपतौ वै नीयमानं च सत्त्वम् ।

दशशततमवर्षे तज्जनेस्तं जनं मां

    

    नयति स यतिराजो राजमार्गे सहार्यैः ।। 6 ।।

With a mind revelling in darkness due to passion, I was as if my very existence was taken away by the husband of Rati, today, during his 1000th year after his birth, that Yatiraja is leading me, the above said person, along with noble people in a path of glory. (towards salvation). The sabda alankara, if any, may be enjoyed..... Metre: Malini....

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This is on Yatiraja Saptati, a splendid stotra on Sri Ramanuja by Sri Vedanta Desika. It is a beautiful work beyond comparison and is an illustration for all aspects of poetry.....

मत्यां धर्तुं यतन्तां तां गुरुभक्त्या कृतां हिताम् ।

यस्यां विचित्रसप्तत्यां राजते यतिपुंगवः।। 7 ।।

मत्यां in mind धर्तुं to hold (memorise) यतन्तां let all make effort तां that गुरुभक्त्या out of Guru bhakti कृतां done हिताम् good work यस्यां in which विचित्रसप्तत्यां excellent (Yatiraja) saptati राजते shines यतिपुंगवः Yatiraja

Let all make an effort to memorise that beautiful saptati, an excellent work, done out of Guru bhakti, in which shines that Yatiraja!

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When Rama and Lakshmana reached Sugriva's abode, the latter showed the ornaments that were thrown down by Sita while she was taken away by Ravana.

When Rama asked Lakshmana to confirm if those were of Sita's, Lakshmana said that he knew nothing else other than nupura (kolusu)! As he prostrated at their feet everyday! He never looked at Sita! Such is his nobility!

I salute that Lakshmana in this sloka!

दत्तदृष्टिः पदे तस्याः मर्यादया सदा हि यः ।

दत्तसर्वस्तथा पत्ये लक्ष्मणार्यं भजे हि तम् ।। 8 ।।

दत्तदृष्टिः looked at पदे feet तस्याः her मर्यादया out of maryada सदा always च and यः who दत्तसर्वः gave everything तथा in the same way पत्यै to her husband लक्ष्मणार्यं Noble Lakshmana भजे salute हि indeed तम् him

I salute that noble Lakshmana who out of maryada, always looked at her (Sita's) feet only (and not beyond) and gave everything to her husband (Rama)!

If maryada can be taken to mean bhakti this sloka can be interpreted for Ramanuja also!

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When Lakshmana introduces himself to Hanuman he says he is a dasa of Rama because of his Gunas (noble qualities).

Sri Ramanuja to whom Brahman is always saguna (possessed of innumerable auspicious qualities) was also a dasa to that Brahman due to the same reason!

This sloka is for both of them!

परमात्मनि यो ज्येष्ठे गुणैर्दास्यमुपागतः ।

तैरेव तस्य दास्यं वै लक्ष्मणार्यस्य याम्यहम् ।। 9 ।।

परमात्मनि in Paramatma / noble soul यो who ज्येष्ठे in elder brother / superior गुणैः due to qualities दास्यम् daasyam उपागतः attained तैरेव due to them only तस्य of his दास्यं daasyam वै indeed लक्ष्मणार्यस्य of noble Lakshmana or Ramanuja यामि attain अहम् I

The noble Lakshmana assumed daasyabhaava in his elder brother, a greater soul, due to his noble qualities. I assume daasyabhaava of Lakshmana owing to the same reason.

Sri Ramanuja assumed daasyabhava in the all superior Paramatma due to the innumerable auspicious qualities. I assume his daasyabhava for the same reason!

The pada गुणैर्दास्यमुपागतः is of Valmiki's. Taken from him, as he will not claim copyright!!

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On Ramanuja, the foremost of propagators of Visistadvaita sampradaya as his birth anniversary is approaching on 10th of this month.

पुराहमीडे यतिपुंगवं यो ररक्ष लक्ष्मीपतिसंप्रदायम् ।

ददौ च नोऽद्वैतमतं ससर्वं विशिष्टरूपेण यथानुपूर्वम् ।। 10 ।।

पुरा first अहम् I ईडे sing in praise यतिपुंगवं the best of saints यः who ररक्ष protected लक्ष्मीपतिसंप्रदायम् Srivaishnava sampradaya ददौ gave च and  नः to us अद्वैतमतं Advaita Mata ससर्वं that includes all tattvas विशिष्टरूपेण in a special form यथानुपूर्वम् as propagated before.

I sing in praise of the best of Yatis, Sri Ramanuja, who protected the Srivaishnava sampradaya and gave it to us as an Advaita Mata, which includes everything, in a special form (signifying Visistadvaita) as propagated before by other acharyas.

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