Previous Dhati Panchakam
Shloka 5
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Based on Sri P.B. Annangaracharyar Swami's Commentary

Shloka 5:

	pAShaNDa sAgara mahAbaDabA mukhAgni:
		shrIra~NgarAja charaNAmbuja mUladAsa: |
	shrIviShNuloka maNimaNDapa mArgadAyI
		rAmAnujo vijayate yatirAjarAja: ||

Meaning:

mahAbaDabA mukhAgni:		- Like the Badaba fire in controlling
pAShaNDa sAgara			- the ocean of Pashandas;
shrIra~NgarAja charaNAmbuja 
mUladAsa:			- having paramabhakti at the divine lotus 
				  feet of Sri Ranganatha;
shrIviShNuloka maNimaNDapa 
mArgadAyI			- giving the path to the divine Mandapa at 
				  Paramapadha;
vijayate			- thus is victoriously present
rAmAnuja:			- Ramanuja,
yatirAjarAja:			- the king of Yatis.

Commentary:
pAShaNDa sAgara:
Pashandas were like a great ocean. It was during the time that they were active that Swami Ramanuja appeared like the Badaba fire.

mahAbaDabA mukhAgni::
Badaba is the name of a female horse. Puranas say that there is a female horse in the middle of the ocean; that it has a fire on its face that never goes out; it is this fire that absorbs the excess water coming into the ocean and prevents it from breaching its shores; and that during the praLaya, it is this fire that comes out and destroys the worlds. Similar to this, it is said that there is a fire inside our stomachs called Jataragni that absorbs all the food put into it.

Ramanuja controlled the ocean of pashandas like the Badaba fire. He exhibits the quality of fire to both create and destroy - he sheds light on the right path to the devotees while he also acts like a wild fire ("dAva dahana:") in destroying the other sampradhayams.

shrIra~NgarAja charaNAmbuja mUladAsa::
As Thiruvarangaththamudhanar said "thennarangan kazhal senni vaiththu thAn adhil mannum irAmAnusan", Ramanuja has his head at the divine feet of Lord Ranganatha always. Amudhanar also said "pon arangam ennil mayalE perugum irAmAnusan".

shrIviShNuloka maNimaNDapa mArgadAyI:
Showering grace on the devotees is not just removing their obstacles (anishta nigraham), such as defeating the pashandas; it is also giving them what they seek (ishta prApti). Thus, Ramanuja also showed the path to liberation. He set the path to the divine maNdapa that is in the Lord's abode (thirumAmaNi maNdapam).

rAmAnujo vijayate yatirAjarAja::
Thua Ramanuja is present victoriously as the king of all Yatis at Srirangam. He was present, is present and will be present as long as this leela vibhUti exists.

rAmAnujArya divyAnjnjA vardhatAm abhivardhatAm
rAmAnujArya divyAnjnjA prativAsaram ujjvalA

Azhvar Emperumanar Jeeyar Thiruvadigale Sharanam

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