Sunday, August 23, 2015

Yatiraja Vimsati - English Translation

Yatiraja Vimsati - English Translation of the twenty slokas on Yatiraja by SriSri Manavala Mamunigal

Srirangam Mohanarangan

(Pillai Lokam Jeer's commentary is the great help in understanding and translating this wonderful piece.)

Yatiraja Vimsati is a wonderful little work of twenty stanzas, written by SriSri Manavala Mamunigal, otherwise known as Periya Jeer. He was called Periya Jeer, for the reason that he was the Jeer of the Temple, Srirangam. Anything of the Temple is termed as "Periya", the great. He was also known for the same reason as 'Koyil Manavala Mamunigal'.

Sri Sri Manavala Mamunigal has written scintillating commentaries on the puissant Rahasya works of Pillai Lokacharya and the incomparable and masterly work of Acharya Hrudayam by Sri Alagiyamanavalapperumal Nayanar (brother of Pillai Lokacharya). And also he has written commentaries on Sri Ramanuja Nootrandadhi, a major portion of Periyalwar Tirumozhi, for which the commentary of Periyavacchan Pillai was lost even in the times of Periya Jeer. Not only that, Koyil Jeer has penned some of the exquisite verses in Tamil in the form of Upadesa Rattina Maalai, Tiruvaimozhi Nootrandadhi, Aarthipprabandham and some singular pieces of venbas on occasions of wonder and intimacy. He has proved himself as the commentator nonpareil, always having the starting reader in his mind in his commentaries. Also he was able to realise the predicaments of the future reader, in whatever future he might come and he has taken enough pains to make room for clarity even for such readers yet to come. And greatest of all he never minces words and never his words hurt even by way of criticisms. And even when he differs from his superiors, few may be such instances, it is really an art, how he is able to combine precision with reverence. And these remain very valuable lessons for the modern scholars also.

In this work, Yatiraja Vimsati, Periya Jeer is pleading on behalf of one who is steeped in worldly attachments and pleasures and at the same time wanting to liberate himself from all the snares of worldliness and devote fully for ever to the service at the lotus feet of Sri Ramanuja. That one is not able to free himself/herself for he/she realises that he lacks the knowledge proper to do that. Such a person is not able to elicit help from the pious Sadhus of great spiritual acumen for the reason he lacks totally the Atma Gunas, or the qualities spiritual, without which the Sadhus will not tolerate the lay person. So such a person's last resort is nothing but the humble prayer - craving the only possible salvation, viz., the mere spontaneous sympathy of Sri Ramanuja on oneself, caused only by the kindness of Sri Ramanuja himself and for no other reason at all. The faults and blemishes are aplenty. No need for counting. It is innumerable. No qualities of head or heart to stake any claim by right. There is every reason and more so, to give up such an unworthy soul. But Periya Jeer believes that the grace of Sri Ramanuja flows upon the soul exactly for that, that the soul has become irretrievable by any other consideration or means. That is the greatness of Sri Ramanuja that his heart flowed towards the lowliest of the low.

This is the prayer, what I should have made, you should have made and that person over there, should have made. We have not been awakened enough to realise our predicaments and state and we are joyfully ignorant of our banalities. More than that, we imagine ourselves safe in all illusory confidence and this is a good wakening call, if only we choose not to close our ears. When waken up to our dire circumstances, fortunately we have this pleading and prayer ready-made, all we have to do is just recite this or read this with full heart and who knows wonders may happen!

*
Stanza 1

Sri Maadavaangri jalajadvaya nithya sevaa
prema vilaasaya paraankusa paada baktham |
kaamaadi doshaharam aatma padaasritaanaam
Ramanujam yatipathim pranamaami moordnaa ||

*

Sri Ramanuja is full of love
for the service
at the lotus feet of Nammalvar
who is merged in love
of eternal service to Sri Madhava;
Sri Ramanuja, even by his graceful look
destroys all the blemishes
like lust, of the soul
which resorts to him for protection;
To that Yatipathi,
leader of the renunciants,
I bow down my head,
laying all my cares to him.

*
Stanza 2

Srirangaraja charanaambuja raajahamsam
srimadparaankusa padaambuja brungaraajam |
sribhattanaatha parakaala mukaabhjamitram
srivatsachinha saranam yathiraajamidE ||

*

Royal swan residing on the lotus
of the Holy Feet of Sri Rangaraja
Splendid bee enjoying the honey unique
of the lotus feet of Paraankusa
Sun in the sky, friendly to the lotuses,
seeing whom the flowers bloom forth,
the lotus faces of Sri Bhattanatha and Parakala,
He, the Yatiraja, whose lotus feet,
the ideal scholar-disciple Sri Vatsachinha
resorted to as the only refuge,
Unto his lotus feet I pray. 

*
Stanza 3

vaachaayatindramanasaa vapushaa cha yushmad
padaaravindayugaLam bajataam gurooNaam |
kooraadhinaatha kurukesa mukhaadyapumsaam
paadaanuchintana parassatatam bavEyam ||

*
Yatindra! I must remain always devoted
to the lotus feet of those illustrious masters
like Kuresa and Kurukadhipa,
who ever and ever worshipped thine holy feet
by their words, minds and bodies.
Kindly bestow thy grace.

*
Stanza 4

nityam yatindra tavadivya vapus smrdau mE
saktam manO bavatu vaak guNa keertanE sau |
kruthyancha daasyakaraNE tu karadvayasya
vrutyantarEstu vimukham karaNatrayancha ||

*
Yatindra! let my mind be able to
think of your divine form always
let my words sing your divine
qualities ever and ever
let my two hands be always
doing service to thee and your cause
let my three functions, mind, word and body
withdraw from all other activities.

*
Stanza 5

ashtaaksharaakya manuraja padatrayaartha
nishthaammamaatravitaraadya yatindranaatha |
sishtaagragaNyajana sEvyabavatpadaabhjE
hrushtaastunityam anubooyamamaastabuddhi; ||

*
Yatindra! three meanings
of exclusive devotion and service
evinced in the eight-lettered mantra,
and those meanings through Bhagavan
culminating full in His Bhaktas,
let me become deep in conviction
and practice of those meanings full!
Oh my Lord! let my intellect
always rejoice at thine holy feet,
which even the ideal pious great men
devoted their loving service to.

*
Stanza 6

alpaapimEna bavadeeya padaabhjabakti;
sabhdaadiboga ruchiranvahamEdhatEhaa |
matpaapamEvahi nidaanamamushya naanyat
tadvaarayaarya yatiraja dayaikasindhO ||

*

Yatiraja! the great Master of comprehensive knowledge!
Not even a little do I have devotion for thy lotus feet
But, alas, the taste in worldly enjoyments
grows more and more, day by day;
this embarrassment, is due to my sins alone
and not due to any unconcern by God;
Oh Thee! the very ocean of sympathy!
remove these hurdles in me.

*
Stanza 7

vruttyaapasur naravapustvaham IdrusOpi
srutyaadi siddha nikhilaatma gunaasrayOyam |
ityaadarENa krutinOpi mitha: pravaktum
adyaapi vanchanaparOtra yatindra vartE ||

*
O Yatindra!
my activities are animal-like
but my form is human
such a lowly being am I
but, see! even the great wise sages
are extolling me
with great affection among themselves
'what a unique saint,
full of spiritual qualities,
enumerated in scriptures like Vedas!'
So much full of deceit and hypocrisy
do I live day by day, even now, Yatindra!

*
Stanza 8

dukkhaavahOham anisam tavadushtacheshta:
sabhdaadiboga niratassaraNaagataakhya : |
tvatpaadabakta iva sishtajanaugha madhyE
mithyaacharaami yatiraja tatOsmimoorkha: ||

*

O! Yatiraja!
I am a cause of unending worry for thee,
I am of evil ways in life,
steeped in worldly enjoyments,
bieng 'one who has surrendered to thee'
just only in name;
but alas! what a wicked person am I
among the illustrious great ones of devotion
I dare move about
as if I am also equally devoted to thy holy feet.

*
Stanza 9

nityamtvaham paribavaami guruncha mantram
taddEvataamapi nakinchidahO bhibEmi |
itthamsathOpyasathavadbavadeeya sanghE
hrushtascharaami yatiraja tatOsmi moorkha: ||

*
Oh! Yatiraja!
Daily, day in and day out
do I slander Guru and Mantra
and also the Devata evoked in the mantra;
not even an iota of fear do I seem to have;
I remain in truth such a slothful person;
but among your fervent devotees,
See! how I move about in joy
as if I am exceedingly pious !
there lies my wickedness.

*
Stanza 10

haahantahanta manasaa kriyayaacha vachaa
yOhamcharaami satatam trividhaapachaaraan |
sOhamtavaapriyakara: priyakrudvadEva
kaalamnayaami yatiraja tatOsmi moorkha: ||

*

Ha! alas, alas..by mind, actions and words
who, that is me, move about
committing grave blunders
in all three ways without rest;
that same me,
by the very same reason of that
should remain a cause of displeasure for thee;
But, what happens,
I am passing time
as if I behave pleasing to thee!
hence am I a wicked person,
Yatiraja !

*
Some thoughts on Stanza 10:

The beginner in devotion is pulled back by his past impressions and he behaves in mind, words and actions anti to all that he has been taught and anti to all piety. This should cause serious displeasure to God or Acharya, to whom he has surrendered himself. It is almost intolerable. That is how he himself reads the situation. But to his utter dismay he sees that the Master is unperturbed and even evinces more sympathy on him as if he has done something very pleasing to him. The beginner takes it upon himself that he has acted in such a covert manner that even the Master is taken by the impressions. Periya Jeer is packing wonderful poetry and deep psychology in this verse.

Let us take an example, a child beginning to learn alphabets from its mother, or father or teacher. The teacher or mother shows the child how to write rightly and wait for the child to do it by itself. But the child scribbles bizarre and realises that and expects extreme displeasure from its teacher or mother. But when it raises its head and sees, lo! what has happened? The teacher or mother is laughing at him pleasingly, as if he has done something worthful! The reaction is not normal, so it seems to the child which after all expects a scolding at least. But the loving teacher or mother is all patience and sympathy and can wait happily till the child learns by itself, not causing any unwanted trauma in the child by way of showing anger or chastising. That shows the best teacher or ideal parent.

Here Periya Jeer is trying to say that Yatiraja is such a loving mother or the graceful Master, who takes our failures in our attempts in all love and kindness and knows no end of patience and hope.

*

Stanza 11

paapE krutE yadibavanti bayaanutaapa
lajjaa:punakaraNamasya katham ghatEta |
mohEnamEna bavatIha bayaadilEsa :
tasmaat puna: punaragham yatiraja kurvE ||

*

If some one commits sins
and fear, repentance and shame occur,
then how can that person do again such acts?
But in me due to illusion and ignorance
no trace of such fears occur
and hence again and again, Yatiraja!
I go on committing sins after sins.


Stanza 12

antarbhahi: sakalavastushu santamIsam
andha:purassthitam ivaaham avIkshamaaNa: |
kandarpavasya hrudaya: satatam bavaami
hanta tvadagra gamanasya yatindra naarha: ||

*
Like a man born blind
does not see the person standing before him
I, being ignorant-blind do not see
That Supreme Person who stands always
in and out of everything in the world.
My heart is swayed at all times by desires
Alas, Yatindra! I am not fit to come
before thee in thy presence.

*

Stanza 13

taapatrayI janita du:kha nipaatinOpi
dEhasthitau mamaruchistu natannivruttau |
Etasya kaaraNamahO mamapaapamEva
naathatvamEva haratad yatiraja sIghram ||

*

Deeply steeped in miseries threefold am I,
Yet the taste in the body and its maintainence
never seems to fade and disappear;
Alas, the reason for that is my own sins, I am sure;
My Saviour! Yatiraja! you alone can remove
such distractions in me.

*
Stanza 14

vachaamagochara mahaaguNa desikaagrya
kuraadhinaatha kathitaakhila naichyapaatram |
EshOhamEvana punar jagatIdrusastat
Ramanujaarya karuNaiva tu madgatistE ||

*

The lowliness narrated by the great teachers
like Kuradhinatha of wonderful qualities,
inexpressible by words,
all such lowliness of oneself
can be found in full in me
and only in me, in this whole wide world;
Hence, our Supreme Master, Ramanuja !
My only refuge is thy reasonless grace.

*
Stanza 15

suddhaatma yaamuna guroottama kooranaatha
battaakhya desikavarOkta samastanaichyam |
adyaastyasankuchitamEva mayIha lokE
tasmaadyatindra karuNaivatu madgatistE ||

*
Pure souls like the teachers great
Yamuna, Kuranaatha, Sri Bhatta,
whatever lowliness out of imagination
have they uttered in their verses
all that in full measure, unshrunk,
is here only in me in this world;
hence Yatindra! your sympathy
is the sole refuge for me.

*

Stanza 16

sabdadhibogavishayaa ruchirasmadheeyaa
nashtaabavatu iha bavadhdhayayaa yatindra |
tvadhdhaasadhaasa gaNanaa charamaavadhaumya
tadhdhaasataika rasataavirataa mamaastu ||

*
Yatindra! by your grace
here, in this life itself
should the taste in sensual pleasures
disappear from me;
and the involvement in serving
the servants of your servants of your servants
down to my time should never slacken in me
and be always on the increase.

*

Stanza 17

srutyagravedhya nijadhivyaguNa svaroopa:
pratyakshataam upagatastviharangaraja: |
vasyassadhaabavatitE yatiraja tasmaat
saktasvakeeyajanapaapa vimOchanEtvam ||

*

Yatiraja!
One who is known in His true nature,
His divine qualities and splendor
through Upanishads,
verily He resides, Rangaraja,
coming in Srirangam,
visible to all our eyes for ever;
and He is, out of your love limitless,
happily in your control;
so, by that you are able
to liberate from sins
your devotees, surrendered to thee.

*

Stanza 18

kaalatrayEpi karaNatraya nirmitaati
paapakriyasya saraNam bhagavat kshamaiva |
saachatvayaiva kamalaa ramaNertthitaayat
kshEmassa Eva hi yatindra bhavachchritaanaam ||

*

For the sins committed
in the past, the present and the future
by the triple ways of mind, word and actions,
the only refuge is the pardon
of the Almighty God, Bhagavan,
Was it not in such a vein,
that your great prayer
to the Lover of Kamala went forth?
That very great prayer is the sole refuge
for the devotees who have surrendered
unto thine holy feet, Yatindra!

*
Stanza 19

Sriman Yatindra tavadhivya padhaabja sEvaam
srisailanaatha karuNaa pariNaamadhattaam |
taamanvaham mama vivardhaya naathatasyaa:
kaamamvirudhdham akilancha nivartayatvam ||

*
Oh Yatindra,
rich in abundant wealth of divine service!
Please bestow thy grace
so that my involvement
in the deep service of thine lotus feet,
kindled in me by the sympathy
and evolved due to the blessings
of my teacher Sri Sailanathaa,
may grow more and more, day by day;
and by your grace
let the distracting desires
of all other things
be removed from me.

*
Stanza 20

vijnaapanam yadhitam adhyatu maamakeenam
angeekurushva yatiraja dhayaambhuraasE |
ajnOyayam aatmaguNalEsa vivarjitascha
tasmaadhananya saraNO bhavateeti matvaa ||

*

Yatiraja!
Ocean of empathy, which suffers
with the sufferer!
considering that I am chronic ignorant,
and that I am totally devoid of
any shred of spiritual qualities
and hence having no other refuge than thee,
kindly accept my prayer here,
this supplication from a person like me.

***

Here comes to completion this great poem of Yatiraja Vimsati. All together it is just twenty. But what an ocean of frank and excruciating self-repentance, which is a necessary stage in the mystic paths of spiritual progress. This repentance forms the purgatory for the soul. In zen-language it is 'emptying the cup'. Many masters have penned such pieces of repentance, here and there. Even the illustrious fore-masters like Alavandar and Parasara Bhatta have given vent to such emotions of 'deserted state of the soul' and 'keen awareness about the faults'. Human life being as it is, and the divine state that is becoming visible in the horizon being immeasurably great and pure, the poor soul shudders at the realisation. Any qualification is not a sufficient claim and no claim has any right to back it up. There dawns His grace which says the quite opposite to the soul - 'when have you separated from me? why this strangeness? I have been chasing you all along and trying to win over and tell you that you are mine.' 

But here Periya Jeer is so full of compassion for the modern man's predicament, who professes his devotion and turns empty in his soul. Ignorance, habits, mental associations and lack of genuine commitment and sincerity, all these characterize the modern man of religion, whatever name by which he may call the Supreme God, Sriman Narayana. There is no redemption for these anywhere. Even such are saved by the abundant grace of Sri Ramanuja, if they openly confess their state and surrender to him. 

'Not a soul to be lost' seems to be the mission of Sri Ramanuja, at least as per the understanding of Periya Jeer. Such seems to be the import of this unique composition.

***