Sreeh

Srimate Ramanujaya Namaha

Paraankusha Ashtakam by Sri Parasara Bhattar

Sloka:1. Traivid yavriddha janamoordha vibhooshanam yat

Sampachcha saatvikajanasya yadeva nityam|Yadvaa sharanyam asharanyajanasya punyamTat samshrayema vakulaabharanaanghri yugmam || One ||

Tranivid yavriddha janamoordhavibhooshanam yat

It is the ornament for the head;for theconnoisseurs of the Triple Learning i.e. of theVedas;

Sampachcha saatvikajanasya yadeva nityam itself is the treasure of godly men always; Yadvaa sharanyam asharanyajanasyapunyam

itself is the refuge to all homeless souls; it isthe fruit of all merit incorporate,

Tam samshrayema vakulaabharanaanghriyugmam

let us seek refuge with that couplet of thecelebrated feet of Sri Vakulaabharana sage (i.e.Nammalwar)

Sloka: 2. Bhaktiparabhaaava bhavadadbhuta bhaavabandha

Sandhukshita pranayasaara rasougha poornah|Vedaartha ratnanidhirachyuta divyadhaamaJeeyaat paraankusha payodhiraseema bhooma || Two ||

Poornah He is filled with Vedaarthawhich are in the formof the signification’s ofthe Vedas;

Rasougha the flood ofsucculence, Divyadhaama He is the divine abode

Saara which is thequintessence Achuyta of Achuyta (the

saviour of souls);Pranaya of divine love, Payodhir May this milky-ocean

Sandhukshita which is pampered by Paraankusa called Parankusa (orNammalwar)

Adbhuta the wonderful Aseema bhoomaa of boundless greatness

Bhaava emotional Jeeyaat flourish gloriously. Bandha bondageBhavad arising out of prabhaava the power

Bhakti of devotion for Sriyahpati;

Nidhir He is the mine Rathna of gems

Notes:-

An ocean has a plethora of liquid in it; has gems in its deep interstices; and is abounding in itsvastness and depth. So also the great Soul Paraankusa; replete with the liquid of Bhakti turned toLove for conjugation with the Parabrahman; His words are filled with the valuable gems ofVedic gospels in their depth; and His greatness is immeasurable.

Sloka: 3.Rishim jushaamahe KrishnaTrishnaatattvamivoditam |Sahasrashaakhaam yo draaksheetDhraavideem brahmasamhitaam || Three ||

Jushaamahe We find our refuge Brahmasamhitaam BrahmasamhitaaRshim in the sage Draavideem in Tamil.

Tattvam who is as though thetenet of

Trishnaa the thirst forKrishna KrishnaIvoditam dawned on this world,Yo It is He whoAdraaksheet saw

Sahasrashaakhaam the one thousandbranched

Notes:Brahmasamhitaa= The divine literature about Parabrahman.

Sloka: 4. Yadgosahasramapahanti tamaamsi pumsaam

Narayano vasati yatra sa shankhachakrah |Yanmandalam shrutigatam pranamanti vipraahTasmai namo vakulabhooshana bhaaskaraaya || Four ||

Yadgosahasramapahanti tamaamsi His thousands rays (in the form of words)

pumsaam annihilate the darkness (of ignorance ornescience) abiding in men

Narayano vasati yatra sa shankha cakrah

In Him Narayana (the only succor of the wholeworld of non souls impregnated with souls)dwells with his great Conch-shell and the greatDiscus (The Paanchajanya and theSudarshana).

Yanmandalam shrutigatam pranamantivipraah

His orb found in the (Draavida-) Vedas isbowed down to by the Vipras(Viseshaprajnaasaalins i.e. enlightenedphilosophers).

Tasmai namo vakulabhooshanabhaaskaraaya

To Him we prostrate; to the sun going by thenamed Vakula Bhooshana we prostrate with allreverence.

Sloka: 5. Patyuh prasaadena praapta saarvajnya sampadam |

Prapannajanakootastham prapadye sri paraankusham || Five ||

Prasaadena By the grace of Prapanna who surrender to God;

Patyuh the Loving Lord Sri Paraankusham to that Sri Parankusha,

Sri of Sri Devi Prapadye I prostrate insurrender.

Praapta He acquired

Sampadam the wealth of (theopulence of)

Saarvajnya omniscienceKootastham He is the original Head Jana of all the people

Sloka: 6. Shatakopamunim vande shataanaam buddhih dhooshanam |

Ajnyaanaam jnyaana janakam tintrineemoola samshrayam || Six||

Vande I bow Samshrayam who abides Munim to the sage Moola at the root

Shatakopa Shatakopa Tintrineeof the great Tamarind Tree[Tirupilialwar at AlwarTirunagari].

Dooshanam who condemnedBuddhih the intelligenceShataanaam of selfish scholars (hypocrites); Janakam who inspires Ajnaanaam the ignorantJnaana with true knowledge; and

Notes:The great and the gracious Alwar, even now, abides there surely for blessing his surrenderers oftoday and the future.

Sloka: 7. Vakulaabharanam vande jagadaabharanam munim

Yashshruter uttaram bhaagam chakre draavida bhaashayaa || Seven ||

Vande I bow down Shruter inMunim to the sage Draavida Tamil Vakulaabharanam Vakulaabharana (Nammalwar) Bhashayaa Language. Abharanam who is the ornament Jagada adorning the whole worldChakre and who expoundedYah the latterUttaram part Bhaagam of the Vedas

Sloka: 8. Namajjanasya chittabhitti bhaktichitra toolikaa

Bhavaahiveeryabhanjanena narendramantra yantranaa| Prapanna loka kairava prasanna chaaruchandrikaa

Shataari hasta mudrika hataattanotu me tamah || Eight ||

Shataarihastamudrikaa

The (preaching)symbol on the sacredpalm of Nammalwar is

Bhitti on the wall

prasanna chaaruchandrikaa

the unshroudedbeautiful moonlight on

Chitta of the mind

kairava the night lilies, Janasya of the people

loka found in the form ofthe populace Namaj

who prostrate Him.May that Mudrikaa ofShataari’s Hasta,

Prapannaof the prapannas(Hisdependents orsurrenderers).

Hathaat all at once

Yantranaa A mystic control Karotu cut asunderMantra through chanting Me all my

Narendra

as by a vishavaidya(i.e., a curer of poisonsand subduer ofsnakes), in the matterof

Tamaha ignorance ornescience.

Bhanjane destroyingVeerya the virulenceAhi of the serpent

Bhavaof worldlyentanglement andafflictions

Toolikaa the painting brush todelineate

Chitra the pictureBhakti of pure devotion

Note:

‘Shata’ is the name of that particular class of functional air in the body of a being which duringthe birth of the being pervades the soul and shrouds him with delusion or nescience. This Vaayucalled shata tried to do a similar act to Nammalwar at the time of His birth, but was frightenedand driven out by Him. So He is named Shatakopamuni.

Vakulaalankritam srimat shatakopa padadvayam |Asmat kuladhanam bhogyam astume moordhni bhooshanam ||

Dvayam The couple Bhogyam the most pleasurableShatakopa of Shatakopa’s Bhooshanam ornament Pada feet Me on mySrimat which is resplendent Moordhni Head. Alankrtam and decorated by Vakula Vakula flowersAsmat is our Kula familyDhanam treasure; Astu may it be

Paraankusha Ashtakam Samaaptam