Ranganatha Parabrahmane Namaha | Srirangam | Bhuloka Vainkuntam
The reason why Sri Swamiji’s kirtans instantly stir the listener’s soul is because it is the unfathomable love that Sri Swamiji has for Bhagavan, that manifests in the form of such nectarine songs from him.
Among such Madhurageethams, Sri Swamiji’s kirtans on archavataras of Bhagavan are endearing as Sri Swamiji’s heart always melts reminiscing the Lord’s compassion for those in this world, which has led Him to take the form of an archavatara in temples. A form that knows only to give, and give, and give — no matter how much indifference, neglect, and abuse the world subjects them to.
One such kshetra that is close to Sri Swamiji’s heart is Srirangam, the abode of Lord Ranganatha. He sings in praise of this majestic and ancient kshetra in raga Kaanada.
Sri Swamiji refers to Sri Ranganatha as Parabrahman – the Supreme One! Srirangam is revered as the greatest among the divyadesams and referred to as bhUlOka vaikuNTham – as the Lord, is lying here on Adi Sesha just as He is in Vaikunta. Lord Ranganatha is the primordial origin of all the forms of the Lord in all divyadesams, as they have all manifested from Lord Ranganatha. Worshipping Lord Ranganatha is considered to bestow the merits of worshipping archavatara deities of all the divyadesams. And worship of all other archavataras is considered incomplete, until Lord Ranganatha is worshipped. That is the reason He is called poorNa brahman (Absolute One) or para brahman (Supreme One) Lord Ranganatha, who is in yoganidra (meditative state), is the majestic cosmic form – virAT rUpam. He is ever present, even after praLaya (cosmic dissolution). All the devas merge in Lord Ranganatha during dissolution. Lord Ranganatha has been worshipped even by incarnations like Sri Rama and Sri Krishna. He is celebrated and treasured as Ikshvaku Kuladhanam – the treasure of the Ikshvaku clan. Hence, He is aptly called Periya Perumal by our Acharyas.
All Azhwars have sung in praise of Lord Ranganatha. Sri Thiruppanazhwar starts his prabandham by saying ‘amalan AdhipirAn’. ‘AdhipirAn’ means the Primordial Lord. All mahatmas, irrespective of the philosophy they followed, have worshipped Lord Ranganatha and celebrated Him with their hymns.
Sri Andal, Sri Thiruppanazhwar and many other mahatmas merged with Lord Ranganatha right after their first glimpse of His unparalleled form.
Sri Thiruppanaazhwar says, “enamudhinaik kaNDa kaNgaL maRRonDrinai kANAvE” – “Having seen my beloved Ranganatha my eyes shall refrain from seeing anything else!”
Sri Vedanta Desikar says “ArAdha aruLamudham podhindha kOil” – the temple that showers endless nectar.
Sri Adi Shankaracharya, in his Ranganathashtakam where he calls Ranganatha as brahmasvaroopam, ecstatically says,
आनन्दरूपे नि जबो धरूपे ब्रह्मस्वरूपे श्रुति मूर्ति रूपे ।
शशा ङ्करूपे रमणी यरूपे श्री रङ्गरूपे रमतां मनो मे ॥१॥
AnandarUpE nijabOdharUpE brahmasvarUpE shrutimUrtirUpE |
shashAnkarUpE ramaNIyarUpE shrIrangarUpE ramatAm manO mE ||1||
My mind delights in the divine form of Sri Ranganatha, that form resting on the Adisesha, absorbed in bliss, and immersed in His own Self; that form embodying the essence of Brahman, the essence of all the Shrutis (Vedas); the form that is cool like the moon and has exquisite beauty.
Several centuries ago, there was a satsang at brahmaloka. Brahma, Devas and all the rishis had a very pertinent concern. They felt the Vishnu Parshadas (gatekeepers of Vaikunta) get to have Bhagavan’s darshan everyday; the jnanis form of worship was of the nirguna brahman (formless supreme); the yogis with closed eyes, bring the form of Lord Vishnu inbetween their eyebrows and meditate on Him; the rishis worship Him by chanting the Gayathri mantra; the Devas have His darshan frequently at the ksheerabdi (ocean of milk); bhaktas who were in this world in the previous yugas, got to see Bhagavan and Rama and Krishna avatars. When this is the case, what will be the plight of the people of Kali Yuga? How will they have darshan of Bhagavan?
As a representative of this concern expressed in the satsang at Brahmaloka, Lord Brahma went to ksheerabdi with a request. Out of compassion for us, people of Bhooloka, he prayed to Bhagavan to incarnate to give darshan to all the people of Kali Yuga – weak, poor, atheists, secularists, sick, needy, greedy – all alike. He heard Bhagavan’s voice as a response:
“अहमर्चास्वरूपेण भविष्यामि तवेच्छया
तस्यैव दर्शनं भूयान्नृणामज्ञानिनामपि”
ahamarchAsvarUpENa bhavishyAmi tavEcchayA
tasyaiva darshanam bhUyAnnrNAmajnAninAmapi ||
“For your wish, I will manifest as archaroopam. Then, even the ordinary ignorant people would get my Darshan”.
There was a swirl in ksheerabdi. Bhagavan disappeared from there. There was a deafening thunder, and a light that was more brilliant than a thousand suns. The Devas closed their eyes. The Gandharvas began to sing, the kinnaras played auspicious instruments, the apsaras danced. From the ksheerabdi emerged the majestic and magnificent ‘Rangavimana’.
विराजते यत्पुरतो गरुत्मान् पार्श्व तथास्थो विजयो जयश्च ।
सेनापतिर्यज्ञवराहरूपो बिभर्ति संरक्षति यन्मुकुन्दः ||
गावत्रिमन्त्राक्षरसंयुतास्ते स्तम्भाश्च तस्थुः परितो महान्तः ।
प्रपत्तिमन्त्रद्वयरूपमेतत् स्तम्भद्वयं यस्य विराजतेऽन्तः ||
माया जगन्मोहनकारिणी च बद्धाञ्जलिर्भाति हरेः पदाब्जे |
विघ्नेश्वरो विघ्नविनाशकोऽयं भूत्वा श्रितानां हरिदर्शनार्थम् ||
virAjatE yatpurato garutmAn pArshvE tathAstho vijayo jayascha |
sEnApatir yagnavar AharUpO bibharti samrakshati yanmukunda: ||
gAyatrimantrAksharasamyutAstE stambhAshcha tasthu: parito mahAnta: |
prapttimantradvayarUpamEtat stambhadvayam yasya virAjatE§nta: ||
mAyA jaganmOhanakAriNI cha baddhAnjalirbhAti harE: padAbjE |
vignEshwaro vighnavinAshakOşyam
bhUtvA shritAnAm haridarshanArtham |
(Divya Desa Vaibhavam 4.4.5-7)
In the Rangavimana, Garuda was seated opposite to Bhagavan; Jaya and Vijaya (the doorkeepers) were on either side; the vimana was borne by Varahamoorthi and protected by Vishwaksena. 24 pillars representing the letters of the Gayatri Mantra formed the external mantap. 2 pillars representing the Vishnu mantra formed the internal mantap. Durga Devi stood guarding the vimana in the northern direction, and Lord Ganesha guarded in the south. Adi Sesha illuminated the vimana with the 1000 dazzling gems on his head. Lord Vishnu lay on the divine serpent majestically, with one hand on His head and the other extended till His knee.
Brahma, captivated by the grandeur of the rangavimana, stood in awe. He took Rangavimana to Brahmaloka and performed daily pooja as instructed by Bhagavan.
King Shraadadeva, the 7th Vaisvatha Manu who ruled the kingdom of Ayodhya in the banks of the Sarayu, happened to visit Brahmaloka. His eyes fell on the majestic Rangavimana and he celebrated. Lord Ranganatha. Pleased by his worship, Bhagavan asked King Shraadadeva to take Rangavimana with him and consecrate on the earth and worship him. The King requested Brahma for the Rangavimana, and with Brahma’s permission, brought the Rangavimana to earth and consecrated in Ayodhya.
All the kings of the Ikshvaku Dynasty, starting from King Ikshvaku to Lord Rama have worshipped Lord Ranganatha as their family deity. Lord Ranganatha was Lord Rama’s pooja moorthi for 11,000 years.
Lord Rama, while leaving from Bhooloka, bestowed Ranganatha Swami to Vibheeshana. Vibheeshana, as he flew south to Sri Lanka with Bhagavan’s archaroopam, halted in the southern India near Chandrapushkarini to perform his daily rituals.
Earlier, a king from South India called Dharmavarman had attended the Putrakameshti Yaga done by King Dasaratha at Ayodhya to beget children. On seeing the deity of Ranganatha Swami, Dharmavarman was completely enchanted. He requests King Dasaratha to let him have the moorthi. King Dasaratha shudders on hearing this request. He says, “Ask anything from me but Sri Ranganatha. He is our kula dhanam (our dynasty’s treasure). I will part with my life, but not with Him.” Following this, King Dharmavarman returns to his kingdom and engages in a penance to be blessed with Lord Ranganatha’s archaroopam.
This 11,000-year long tapas of Dharmavarman was being done at the exact place where Vibheeshana had halted to perform his daily rituals.
Lord Ranganatha from His archaroopam called out gently to Dharmavarman. Dharmavarman could not believe what he saw when he opened his eyes. He embraced Bhagavan, and was about to take Him along with him, when Vibheeshana stopped him.
There was a fierce brawl between Vibheeshana and Dharmavarman as to who had the right to claim Bhagavan. Vibheeshana argued that Lord Rama Himself bestowed the moorthi to him, while Dharmavarman claimed that Ranganatha Swami Himself called out to him. As they were fighting over Him, Lord Ranganatha Himself spoke and instructed Vibheeshana to hand His archaroopam over to Dharmavarman, saying that Vibheeshana being a rakshasa, could fly over anytime to have darshan, while it would be impossible for Dharmavarman to go that easily to Lanka.
On a full moon day in the Tamil month of Panguni, the consecration of Bhagavan was done by both Dharmavarman and Vibheeshana, and the first utsav at Srirangam was celebrated. The archaroopam has been installed facing southward looking in the direction of Vibheeshana and watching over him. It is believed that even today, at 12 in the night, Vibheeshana flies down to have darshan of Lord Ranganatha.
A few days after this, Goddess Ranganayaki emerged from beneath a Vilva Tree, just as Goddess Sita emerged from the yAga bhoomi of King Janaka. She was seated in padmAsanA on a thousand-petalled lotus. Her divine descent was celebrated by all the devas and rishis. King Dharmavarman sang her praises, and consecrated her in the temple, beside Lord Ranganatha.
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