Yathiraja Vimsathy
by Manavala Mamunigal
(Translation in English by Sri V. Sadagopan, New York)


Ya: sthuthim yathipathiprasAdaneem
vyAjahAra YathirAja vimsatheem |
Tham prapanna jana sadhakAmbhudham
nowmi Sowmyavara Yogi pungavam ||

(Meaning ): "I offer my homage to MaNavALa Maamuni, who blessed us with YathirAja Vimsathi with the intention of pleasing the heart of RamAnujA . He is the one, who showered PrapannAs with the nectar of sakala saastrArthAs, just as the rays of moon fully nourish the ChaathakA birds."




Slokam 1 :

Sri MaadhavAngri Jalaja dvaya nitya sevA prema-
aavila aasaya paraankusa paadha bhaktham |
kaamAdhi dhosha haram aathma padhamAsrithAnAm
Raamanujam Yathi pathim praNamAmi MoordhnA ||

( short Meaning ) : I salute the emperor of SanyAsis , Sri RamAnujA , who had great vAtsalyam for the lotus feet of NammAzhwAr and who chased away the blemishes of those , who took refuge at his feet .

In this beautiful slokam , MM connects the AchArya paramparai from Sri Ranganatha down to KuratthAzhwAn, the dear disciple of Sri RamAnujA . The sound effects of reciting this slokam are beautiful . The poetic skills in Sanskrit of MM is abundantly clear. It is a pity that he elected to write mostly in Tamil .



Slokam 2:

SrirangarAja charaNAmbhuja rAja hamsam
Srimadh ParAnkusa padhAmbhuja brungarAjam |
Sri BhattanAtha parakAla mukhAbhja Mitram
Srivatsa chi(h)nna CharaNam(SaraNam) YathirAjameedE ||

(Meaning ) : I eulogize the emperor of SanyAsis , RamAnujA , who has chosen the lotus feet of Sri RangarAja as the seat of his permanent residence , just as a king swan would seek a beautiful lotus for its place of rest . I salute Sri RamAnujA , who is resting on the beautiful paadha kamalam of NammAzhwAr like a honey-sucking bee sitting on the fragrant lotus flower full of pollen and honey . I offer my homage to YathirAjA , who is like a Sun to the lotus-like faces of PeriyAzhwAr and Thirumangai AzhwAr, whose faces blossom forth at the sight of Sri RamAnujA . I bow before the BhashyakArar , who is the refuge for KurEsa ( or who has KurEsa as his Thiruvadi )



Slokam 3:

vaachA yathindra ! manasaa vapushA cha
yushmath paadhAravindha yugaLam bhajathAm guruNAm |
kurooadhinaatha kurukesa mukhA aadhya pumsAm
paadhAnuchintana para: sathatham bavEyam ||

( Meaning) : O Emperor of SanyAsis ! May my mind be filled always with the thoughts of the holy feet of those decorating the AchArya Peetams like KurEsa , Thirukkurhai PirAn PiLLai and others , who are forever offering homage to your lotus feet through their speech, mind and body .



Slokam 4:

nityam Yatheendhra ! divya vapu: smruthou mE
saktham manO bhavathu vaak guNa keerthanEsou |
kruthyam dAsyakaraNam thu kara dvayasya
vruthantharEsthu vimukam karaNa trayam cha ||

(meaning ) : O Emperor of Yathis ! May my mind be blessed to meditate on your beautiful body (divya MangaLa vigraham) !May my speech be engaged always in talking about your auspicious attributes ! May the two hands of mine be always engaged in serving you as your dAsA ! May my three karaNAs ( manas , Vaak and Kaayam ) be diverted from any other activities !



Slokam 5:

ashtAksharAkya ManurAja padha traya artha nishtAm
mama athra vithara adhya yathindra nAtha: |
sishtAgraganya jana sevya bhavath padhAbhjE
hrushtAsthu nithyam anubhuya mama asya buddhhi : ||

(meaning ) : O Lord of our kulam ! In this samsAric life full of afflictions , I pray to you for the boon of developing taste right now for firmness of mind to follow steadfastly the three doctrines elaborated by the mantra Raajam , Ashtaksharam . May I of limited intellect and achievement be blessed to have the uninterrupted meditation on your holy feet that has been fit for worship by mahAns like KuratthAzhwAn, EmbAr, PiLLAn and others



Slokam 6:

AlpApi mE na bhavadheeya padhAbhja Bhakti :
SabdhAthi bhoga ruchi: anvaham yethatE haa |
madh pApamEva hii nidhAnam amushya nAnyath
tath vaaraya Aarya YathirAja Dhayaika SindhO ||

( Meaning ) : O Ocean of Mercy ! O my Crown Jewel of an Achaarya ! I do not possess deep attachment to your lotus feet . I do not seem to have even a small measure of that bhakthi to your sacred feet. My desire for the worldly pleasures keeps on growing day by day . What a pity ! The fundamental reason for this phenomenon is the underlying paapams of mine. I can not think of any other causative factor for this state . Therefore , I beg you to banish my paapams with your grace .



Slokam 7:

vrthyA pasu: naravapu: thvahameedhrusOpi
sruthyAthi siddha nikhilaathma guNArayOyam |
ithyAtarENa krithinOpi mitha: pravakthum
adhyApi vanchanaparOhtra Yatheendhra varthE ||

(Meaning ) : O King of Yathis ! I am an animal edition of human existence. I have the body of a human being (nara Vapu :) ,but by deeds , I am closer to an animal (Pasu Vrutthi ) . Inspite of this , I mislead others and make them think that I am a model of one shining with aathma GuNAs celebrated by the VedAs and VedAngAs . I am completely different than the impression I give them. I am a poli Bhagavathan(pOtkan ) . What a Pity that I am in this despicable state !



Slokam 8:

dukkhAvaha : aham anisam tava dushta chEshta :
sabdhAdhi Bhoga Niratha: saraNAgAthAkya : I
Tvath paadha bhaktha iva sishta janowka madhyE
mithyA charaami YathirAja TadhOsmi Moorka : ||

(Meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! What a ruffian and vesha Dhaari (actor ) I am ! I carry the title of Prapannan and yet I am engaged in the performance of deeds not permitted by sAsthrAs . I create great sorrow for you with my conduct . I am not fit to be seen in the company of your devout sishyAs and yet I pretend that I am one of your very dear disciple and thus practise falsehood . You must take mercy on me and lift me up .



Slokam 9:

nithyam thvaham paribhavAmi guruncha mantram
tathdevathAmapi na kinchith ahO api pibhEmi !
ittham satObhya satavath bhavadheeya sankhE
dhrushta: charAmi YathirAja tadhOsmi Moorka : ||

(Meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! Daily I disgrace my AchArya , the manhtram and the DevathA associated with that mantram . I do not seem to be afraid of doing so even a little. What a pity ? I roam boldly among the group of your devout sishyAs like a great one , who reveres Acharyan, mathram and its adhishtAna devatha . I am indeed a ruffian !



Slokam 10 :

haa hantha hantha mansA kriyayA cha vaachA
yOham charaami sathatham trividhApachArAn |
sOham tavApriyakara: priyakruthvadevam
kaalam nayAmi YathirAja TadhOsmi Moorka : ||

(Meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! What a tragedy ! I committ three kinds of Apacharams through my mind , speech and body . I continue to do many things that cause you displeasure. Yet I go on acting like I am doing all that you instructed me to do . I am spending my time in this fashion .I am indeed a despicable ruffian



Slokam 11:

paapE kruthE yathi bhavanthi bhaya AnuthApa lajjA:
puna: KaraNAm asya katham katEtha |
mOhEna mE na bhavathi iha bhayathilEsa:
tasmAth puna: puna: agham YathirAja kurvE ||

(Meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! If one feels fear and repentance over commiting sins , how can that person engage in committing the sin once again . As far as I am concerned , I do not seem to experience any sense of shame or repentance over repeated commission of sins . Therefore , I keep on piling up my sins .



Slokam 12:

anthar bahis sakalavasthushu santham Eesam
antha: Puras sthithamiva aveekshamANa : |
gandharbha vasya hrudhayas sathatham bhavAmi
hantha tvadh agra gamanasya yatheendhra ! naarha : ||

(Meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! I am not fit to stand before you . I am like a man blind from birth who can not recognize anobject in front of jhim . Similarly , I am unable to see the Lord , who pervades the inside (antharyAmi ) and outside every object of His creation . I am always under the influence of my desires ( KAma Paravasan ) . What a tragedy ! I do not have the qualifications to stand before you.



Slokam 13 :

taapathrayee janitha dukkhanipAthinOpi
dehasthithou mama ruchisthu na tannivrutthou |
yethasya kaaraNamahO mama paapameva naatha !
tvameva hara tath YathirAja seegram ||

(meaning ) : O King among SanyAsis ! Even if my body is afflicted by the sorrows caused by the three kinds of TaapAs , and I can not bear the sufferings caused by them , I have no deep desire to leave this body. Actually , I nourish this body . My accumulated sins are the reasons behind this attitude of mine. What a pity ! O my ParamAchAryA ! Please banish my sins quickly so I can be freed from the sufferings caused by the Taapa ThrayAs



Slokam 14:

vaachaam agochara mahAguNa Desika agrya
koorAdhinaatha kathitha akhila naichya paathram |
Yesha: aham yeva na punar jagadhi yeedhrusas
tath RaamAnujArya ! karuNaiva thu madhgathistEh ||

(Meaning ) : O Arya RaamAnujA ! I am indeed the one , who fits in this world the complete description of the person with all the condemnable attributes ! There is no one else , who can answer to that description . That is why , I conclude that your compassion is most suited for me and to lift me up from my morass .



Slokam 15:

Suddha Aathma Yaamuna Gurootthama kooranAtha
bhattaakhya Desika vara uktha samastha naichyam |
adhya asthi asankuchitham yeva mayee iha lOkhE
tasmath Yatheendhra ! karunaivathu madhgathis tEh ||

(meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! All of the sentiments of self-condemnation recorded by the grat and pure AcharyAs like AaLavandhAr , KurEsA , Parasara Bhattar are possessed by me in its entirety . Therefore , O YathirAja! Your mercy has me as the most appropriate target .



Slokam 16:

sabdhAdhi bhOga vishayA ruchi : asmadheeyA
nashtA bhavathi iha bhavadh dayayA yatheendhra |
tvadh daasadaasa daasa gaNanaa sarama avathou
tatthdAsadhaika rasatha mama aviratha asthu ||

(Meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! May Thou bless me to be rid of desires to enjoy the transient pleasures associated with the use of my limbs ! May Your DayA banish my taste for such pleasures that only cause misery later ! May You make me an enduring servant of the servant of the servant of your servant and reach the saramA state. I have nothing to offer at your altar. It is only your nirhethuka karuNA that I am looking for as my saviour.



Slokam 17:

Sruthyagra Vedhya nija divya GuNasvarupa:
prathyakshataam upagatha: iha RangarAja : |
Vasya: sadhA bhavathi tEh YathirAja tasmAth
saktha: svakeeya jana paapa vimochanE tvam ||

(meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! Sri RanganAthA is presenting Himself at Srirangam for all to enjoy Him . He has the auspicious attributes (KalyANa GuNAs ) that can only be understood through the declarations of the VedAs . That RanganthA of matchless power and glory is under your control . Therefore , O Acharya Saarvabhouma ! You are indeed capable of removing my miseries .



Slokam 18:

kalathrayEpi karaNathraya nirmithathi
paapagriyasya saraNam Bhagavadh Kshamaiva |
sa acha tvayaiva KamalAramaNE arthithA Yath
Kshemassa yeva hi Yatheendhra ! bhavathsrithAnAm ||

(Meaning ) : O RaamAnujA ! For the one , who has committed limitless sins through mind , body and speech , the Lord of Srirangam is the sole refuge in the past , present and future. Our protection is indeed that prayer of yours to the Sri RanganAthA on a panguni Uttaram day through your SaraNAgathi. That is our invaluable and only protection .



Slokam 19 :

Sriman Yatheendhara ! Tava divya padhaabhja sEvaam
Srisailanaatha karuNA pariNAma dhatthaam |
thAm anvaham mama vivathaya naatha ! tasyA :
kaamam viruddham akhilam cha nivarthaya tvam ||

(Meaning ) : O My Lord RamAnujA ! Please increase my blessings to have the darsanam of your lotus feet daily . That blessing was conferred first on me by my own Acharya , Thirmali AazhwAr , out of the great compassion that he had for me . Please banish any other desire that stands in the way of the darsana bhaagyam of your lotus feet .

The reference here is to the request of MaamunigaL's own Achaarya , Thiruvaaimozhi PiLLai ( Srisaila Naathar ) asking his disciple to compose a sthothram on Sri RaamAnujA .



Slokam 20:

vij~apanam yathithadhya thu maamakeenam
ankikurushva YathirAja DayAmbhurAsE |
Aj~na : ayam aathmaguNalesa vivarjithasccha
tasmaath ananyasaraNO bhavathi ithi mathvaa ||

(meaning ) : O YathirAjA ! O Ocean of Mercy ! Please recognize me as an ignoramus , who does not know much about Tattva, Hitha , PurushArthams and as a helpless one without any redeeming qualities (Aathma GuNAs ) .Please accept my prayerful request for your grace and protection and bless me .

AchAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam