Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Vandinam Muralum Solai...



vandinam muralum sOlai mayilinam Alum sOlai: Srirangam is filled with number of beautiful gardens. Those gardens are filled with beautiful and sweet smelling flowers which have honey in them. We find number of bees in these gardens which are attracted by the fragrance and beauty of the flowers. That’s what the Alwar says here ‘vandinam muralum sOlai’, the gardens filled with bees flying from one flower to another. In this pleasant place there are number of peacocks which dance with joy. Alwar hears that the sound made by the bees to be a praise to the Lord and that to that music the peacocks dance.

kondal meedhanavum sOlai kuyilinam koovum sOlai:
The Kaveri river is flowing and the plants are flourished, seeing the richness of this place the clouds have appeared in the sky to give benediction. The trees in these gardens are so well grown that they almost touch the skies. And the cuckoos in these gardens sing sweetly with joy. As Srimati Andal says ‘kootil erundu kuyil govinda!govinda! endrazhaikkum’. In Srirangam if the parrots which have been kept inside a cage, can sing happily the name of the Lord then wont the birds which have been left freely in the beautiful gardens sing with joy the praise of the almighty? Even Srimad Bhagavatam says, that wherever the Lord is even the bees with pollen adorning their moustaches and legs in that Brindavam Dham always sing the praise of Sri Krishna only. So the gardens in Srirangam, are similarly filled with the cuckoos which happily sing about the Lord and the bees hum the music and the peacocks dance to this and the clouds appear to be a spectator to this grand music performance.

andarkOn amarum sOlai
: Still now Alwar sang about all the other beauties in Srirangam. Now the Alwar says, the beauty which gave beauty to everything else in this world has also come to stay in this divyadesam. Any other beauty in this world is only a part of the Emperuman’s beauty. That Emperuman, who is the king of kings and one who is the supreme Lord Himself, He also stays in this place. Like the bees, cucukoos, peacocks and the clouds which got attracted to the beauty of this place the Emperuman also got attracted to this divyadesam and stayed here. It is not wrong in equating the parAtparan with these ordinary jeevans, since this is only to show the magimai of the divyadesam, as they too are His devotees.

anithiruvarangam ennA mindarpAyindhu vunnum sOttrai vilakki nAykku edumineerE: Inspite of all these importance, people refrain from even uttering the name of this divyadesam. Many places people say are beautiful, even if we are unable to go there we imagine the beauty of that place and enjoy. But the unfortunate part is Srirangam is the most beautiful place in this world, still people do not even think of it or feel bad that we are unable to go there. They cease to accept the importance of this divyadesam but are only concerned about their wordly pleasure. How can people be so stupid? By this Alwar’s simultaneous anger and pity is raised thinking about such people and hence he goes to the level of cursing them. He says grab the food, which these people jump to eat and throw it to a dog since even a lowly dog which stays in Srirangam is more worthy living than such people who do not even utter the Holy nAma of Lord Ranganatha and His divya desam.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Kaveri theree karuna vilole..

Kaveri theree karuna vilole,
Mandhara moole drutha charu khele,
Daithyanha kale akhila loka leele,
Sri Ranga leele ramatham mano mey.

-Adi Shankaracharya

Let my mind revel in the form of Ranga
Who is on the banks of river Kaveri,
And playfully dispenses mercy,
Who is below the Mandhara tree,
Where he speedily and prettily plays,
And who destroys all asuras,
By his play spread over the whole world.

Friday, March 27, 2009

Ugadi


Ugadi is celebrated by Sri Vaishnavas as the birthday of Lord Ranganatha of Sri Rangam, who appeared in Krita yuga, under the Revathi asterism, in the Tamil month of Panguni…