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Preface

SrI RanganAyaki ThAyAr

Back in February 1995, I returned from a two week long trip to dhivya dEsams in Tamil Naadu and Thirumalai. I had a marvelous time there and a few days after my return to USA, I had high fever and was admitted to the Hospital. The Doctors could not figure out what was the cause behind that high fever. It was a baffling experience for them. After two weeks at the hospital, the fever subsided and I returned home. During my illness, I made a vow to translate all the 1008 slOkams of Swamy Desikan's Sri RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram (SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram); A copy of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram had been entrusted to me By Sriman K.G.KrishNan Swamy, the son in law of Abhinava Desikar, Vaikunta Vaasi U.Ve. UtthamUr VeerarAghavAchar Swamy. That copy was the sole (library) copy at Sri K.G. KrishNan's home. I had brought it back from India with promise to return it safely.

In one month's time after my recovery, with the anugraham of Swamy Desikan and Lord RanganAtha , I was able to complete the translations of all the 1008 slOkams from the rich commentary of Sri UtthamUr Swamy.With his scholarship , Sri UtthamUr Swamy shed so much light on the individual slOkams that it took few pages for each of the slOkam. My task was to compress those detailed commentaries into one or two paragraphs. After finishing that task, I felt fulfilled and experienced the power of Swamy Desikan's Sri Sookthis across seven centuries. I placed the hand written manuscript containing the translations of UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam in my library and went on with other duties.  

Four years passed. Sriman K.Vasudevan Sawmy of Kaanchipuram brought me back from his trip to India a present: the two volumes of detailed commentaries from Srirangam Srimath Andavans on SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram. These are erudite commentaries by two famous Srimath PeriyAsramam Andavans that celebrate AchArya Vaibhavam. That was a treat to go through.

Meanwhile, a dear friend, Dr.Muralidhar Rangaswamy, a  devout disciple of HH PoundarIkapuram Andavan alerted me about the translations of the Sri RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasrams by Dr.V.N. Vedantha Desikan (VNV) , a family friend and neighbor from Oppiliappan Koil. VNV is another illustrious disciple of HH Srimath Poundarikapuram Andavan. Dr.V.N.Vedanta Desikan is a reputed  scholar in Ubhaya VedAntham and is doing yeoman service  today and helping the Sri VaishNavite community improve their knowledge about Sri Sookthis of our AchAryAs and AzhwArs. Dr.VNV's translations are crisp and capture the essence of the individual slOkams of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram.

It occured to me that it will be wonderful to benefit from the above commentaries on Sri RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram (SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram) under one heading. Back in 1999 Dr. Rangaswamy and myself started the collobaration to cover the individual slOkams of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram one per day. Dr.Achutharaman, a resident of Singapore at that time created a web site to house these postings.

Dr.Rangaswamy will send me the slOkam of the day and its translation by DR.VNV and I will add special notes consisting of (1) UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam (2) Srimath Andavan's anubhavam and (3) additional comments on the Sanskrit words chosen by Swamy Desikan in that slOkam or passages of the slOkam. This kaimkaryam went on for five long years and during the PurattAsi SravaNam of 2004 ( Swamy Desikan's and ThiruvengadamudayAn's thirunakshathram ) , we were able to complete the full coverage of the entire SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram. It was all possible due to our AchAryan's anugraham.

Two years ago, Anil.T, a young devotee from Hyderabad introduced himself and it was clear right away that his bhakthi for the Lord of Thirumala and reverence for Sri VaishNavite AchAryaas was unique. He became a very dear friend of mine. In addition to his bhagavath bhakthi, he has special talent to create very beautiful and informative web sites on topics dear to Sri VaishNavAs. He is currently working on his Doctoral degree in the field of Bio Sciences at an Austrain University. Anil volunteered to assemble the various postings on SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram inspite of his heavy academic commitments and finished the task as per his plans to release the web pages on Sri RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram slOkams on this Sri Vaikunta EkAdasi day dear to Sri RanganAtha and all of us. The site is most enjoyable due to Anil's aesthetic and managerial skills.

The team now places its five year long kaimakryam in your hands to enjoy the slOkams about Sri RanganAtha PadhukAs (Swamy NammAzhwAr). Please overlook any mistakes in our enthusiastic endeavour to tackle such avast subject and accept it as a humble samarpaNam. 

May the power of the Lord's PaadhukAs continue to bless every one who meditate on them and perform AarAdhanam to them!

Sri RanganAtha Para BrahmaNE Nama:

Daasan , Srimath Azhagiya Singar Thiruvadi

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SaThakOpan/Sadagopan    

||  Sriranganaatha divya MaNi PaadhukhAbhyAm Nama: ||