Sriranga gadhyam – 3rd chUrNai

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avathArikai (Introduction)

Having surrendered to bhagavAn in the previous chUrNai, bhagavadh SrI rAmAnuja, now prays to him for granting kainkaryam (dhAsyarasam). But he had already prayed for kainkaryam in the first chUrNai (nithya kinkarO bhavAni). In the second chUrNai, in order to get that kainkaryam, he had surrendered to him (SaraNam aham prapadhyE). Why then pray for kainkaryam yet again? He feels that he has nothing in his hand and what he has asked for is so humongous. However, he has deep faith (mahAviSvAsam) in bhagavAn that he would grant him his wish. Keeping that deep faith in him, he prays for kainkaryam since he has merely mentioned that he has surrendered to bhagavAn (without knowing its full meaning). First the chUrNai:

Evam avasthithsayApi arthithva mAthrENa parama kAruNikO
bhagavAn svAnubhava prIthyA upanItha – aikAnthikAthyanthika nithya
kainkaryaikarathirUpa nithyadhAsyam dhAsyathIthi viSvAsa
pUrvakam bhagavantham nithya kinkarathAm prArthayE II

Word-by-Word meaning

Evam – thus
avasthithasyApi – even if obeying or following
arthithva – having prayed for
mAthrENa – only
parama – very highly
kAruNikO – with mercy
bhagavAn – lord
sva – self
anubhava – experience
prIthi – love
upanItha – initiated
aikAnthika – of one end
Athyanthika – without an end
nithya – permanent
kainkarya – service
rathi – affection
rUpa – form
nithya – forever
dhAsyam – servitude
dhAsyathIthi – to grant
viSvAsa – strong belief
pUrvakam – as prelude
bhagavantham – to bhagavAn
nithya kinkarathAm – permanent kainkaryam
prArthayE – pray for

Explanatory Notes

Evam avasthithasyApiEvam – thus; avasthithasyApi – even if obeying or following. SrI rAmAnuja says that he has merely mentioned that he has surrendered, without knowing the deeper meanings of the action. Even for such a person…..

arthithva mAthrENaarththva – having prayed for; mAthrENa – only. SrI rAmAnuja further says that he has yet not overcome desires in those which are hurdles in reaching bhagavAn (here the reference is to the five sensory perceptions) and he does not have the strong urge in carrying out kainkaryam to bhagavAn. But he merely has desire for kainkaryam and prays for it.

parama kAruNikO bhagavAnparama – very highly; kAruNikO – with mercy; bhagavAn – lord. bhagavAn looks at the mundane (worldly) sufferings of SrI rAmAnuja. Not only does he have mercy towards his ASrithars (followers), he also has the gyAna, Sakthi etc (knowledge, strength etc) to remove the sadness in his ASrithars. Since he has parama karuNai (he is full of mercy) and he is bhagavAn (having gyAna, bala, aiSvarya, vIrya, Sakthi, thEjas) he has all the qualities to provide succour to the suffering jIvAthmA. Hence SrI rAmAnuja prays to him for ……

svAnubhava prIthyOpanItha aikAnthika Athyanthika nithya kainkarya rathi rUpasva – self; anubhava – experience; prIthi – love; upanItha – initiated ; aikAnthika – of one end ; Athyanthika – without an end; nithya – permanent; kainkarya – service; rathi – affection; rUpa – form.  SrI rAmAnuja prays for a unique form. What is this form? With the love that has been initiated in him after experiencing bhagavAn, he wants that love to propel him into carrying out highly focused, endless, permanent kainkaryam. This love should take a form of desire to do kainkaryam and he wants that desire to be his form.

nithya dhAsyam dhAsyathIthinithya – forever; dhAsyam – servitude; dhAsyathIthi – to grant. He prays to bhagavAn to grant him kainkaryam till his AthmA lasts (i.e. for ever).

viSvAsa pUrvakamviSvAsa – strong belief; pUrvakam – as prelude. SrI rAmAnuja affirms that he has very strong belief in bhagavAn, and with that belief as prelude, he is praying for…..

bhagavantham nithya kinkarathAm prArththayE – bhagavantham – to bhagavAn; nithya kinkarathAm – permanent kainkaryam; prArthayE – pray for. SrI rAmAnuja affirms his belief in bhagavAn and prays to him to grant him permanent kainkaryam. He is calling him bhagavAn because he has all the qualities required of bhagavAn (gyAna, bala, aiSvarya, vIrya, Sakthi, thEjas) and since he is bhagavAn, he can grant him his wish.

That brings us to the end of the third chUrNai. We shall now proceed to the 4th and 5th chUrNais.

Translation by krishNa rAmAnujadhAsan.

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