Srirangam / ThiruArangam

Sri Ranganayiga sameda Sri Ranganatha parabramane namaha

Moolavar - Periya Perumal, Utsavar - Nam Perumal

Sri Ranganatha, Sri Ranganayaki(inset)

Azhagiya Manavalan

Periya Piraattiyaar(Utsavar and Moolavar )

Ranganayaki (Utsavar and Moolavar )

About Srirangam

KAvEri viraja SEyam vaikuNTham rangamandiram 

Sa VAsudEvO rangEsah pratyaksham paramam padam 

VimAnam praNavakaram vEda srungam mahatbhUtam 

SrirangasAyI bhagvAn praNavartha prakasakah 

Meaning: The river KAvEri is the very same Viraja River flowing in VaikuNTham and the temple in SriRangam is VaikuNTham itself, the abode of VishNu. The lord of SriRangam is none other than VAsudEva Himself. The VimAnam is in the form of PraNava—the life-sustaining mantra. The towers are like the vEdAs and the Lord RangasAyi is enunciating the import of the PraNavam.

*SriRangam is considered as Booloka Vaikuntam because it gives the experience of Vaikuntam in the Boolokam itself. As Thondaradipodi Azhwar conveyed in his Thirumaalai Prabandam, SriRangam is Sriman Narayana's thrithiya vibuthi, the other two being Leela Vibuthi (Bhu, Bhuva, Svaha) and Nithya Vibuthi (Vaikuntam). 

*SriRangam is like the root for the Divya Desam tree. If you are not able to go to all the divya desams, atleast go to SriRangam once as that is equivalent to visiting all the Divya Desams. Hence if we sing the praise of SriRangam, it is equivalent to singing the praise of all the Divya Desams. That is the reason we sing only about SriRangam daily in the following sloka.

Adiyargal Vazha Aranga Nagar Vazha
Sadakopan Thandahmizh nool Vazha
Kadal Soozhntha mannulagam Vazha
Manavala Mamuniye Innum Oru Nootrandu Irum

Hence SriRangam is the foremost of all the divya desams. SriRangam is the only divya desam that received maximum songs from all the azhwars. SriRangam is where all the azhwars and acharyas served the Lord. In Naachiyar Thirumozhi, Andal says that SriRangam is where all the Gods from all the 108 divya desams come to sleep at night. SriRangam is the thalaimai peetam (headquarters) for SriVaishnavism.

*Everything in SriRangam is big and great (Periya). Perumal is Periya Perumal, Piraatti is Periya Piraattiyaar. Gopuram is Periya Gopuram (Tallest in Asia). Adhyayana Utsavam is Periya Utsavam. This shows his Perumai (Greatness). At the same time his Elimai (simplicity) is seen when Lord Ranganatha calls SriRangam as Nam Ooru (My place) in Thirunedunthandakam prabhandham by ThiruMangai Azhwar and Perumal is called  NamPerumal, becuase HE is for us.

*It is commonly noted that Periya Perumal is only Lord Krishna. It is said that you can see the rope marks made when Yashoda tied Krishna with the rope, on Periya Perumal's waist. Ofcourse we cannot see it as the Vasthram covers the waist but Periyazhwar has said, so we have to believe it. When Srimad Ramanuja did Saranaagathi to Piraati and Perumal on Panguni Uthiram day, he asked the Lord to grant Moksham to all related to him and the Lord agreed. Immediately Ramanuja asked how he can believe HIM as HE never kept HIS word when HE was Krishna, but immediately NamPerumal said I am Rama and I always keep my word. So NamPerumal is believed to be Rama and that is why we should also be a shishya to Ramanuja so that we can get moksham as promised by the Lord.




Sources and references

1. http://www.vaisnava.cz/clanek_en.php3?no=161
2. http://www.srirangam.ramanujartemples.net/pg.htm
3. http://srivaishnavam.com/divyadesam108/virtualtour/vt1_srirangam.htm
4. * Sri.U.Ve.Velukkudi Krishnan swamy's upanyasams - (Thiruvarangam-100), (Thiruarangam Divya Desa Vaibhavam)