Stotra ratna by Alavandar/Yamunacharya

பெருந்தேவி தாயார் ஸமேத ஸ்ரீ தேவராஜ பெருமாள் -ஸ்ரீ வரதராஜ கோவில் -காஞ்சிபுரம்

The Strotra Ratna are   pearl like hymns in Sanskrit on Narayana strung  together with deep devotion and eloquence by Yamaunacharya also known as Alavandar ,in the 10 th century AD.He is regarded as a very important acharya by Sri Vaishnavaites.

At the age of 36 ,he relinquished his kingship and suzerainty over Madurai and large tracts of neighbouring regions .He had originally gained these  when the reigning king of Madurai kept his part of the bargain and promise to cede these if young Alavandar could defeat the most renowned scholar of his court which was against all odds ,owing to the tender age of alavandar. Alavandar a precocious child  how ever defeated the pompous scholar as easily as a child's play and the king as was the dharma of those days honoured his promise and immediately handed over half of his kingdom. Alavandar relinquished his kingdom which he had governed well  and also had  extended it on coming to know about his lineage, that he had descended from Nathamuni [his grand father] who was  deeply devout and committed to the cause of Vaishnavism,  by the patient efforts of  one of the aged disciples of Nathamuni who gently made him realise that it was his[ alavandars] duty, to which he was naturally disposed to carry on the work of teaching the essential  principles of Sri Vaishnavism that was slowly going into abeyance due to lack of good acharyas to carry it, forward.

Alavandar's innate spiritualism submerged under polity and materialism  was awakened when he read a few lines of Gita ,showed to him by that aged disciple of Nathamuni .He immediately renounced his kingdom and life of a house holder and proceeded whole heartedly thence forward into the realms of spirituality.
It was Alavandar at  ripe old age who recognised young and bright Ramanuja as his succesor and the fit person to carry the mission of teaching and propagating Sri vaishnavaite faith and philosophy.

The following is sloka  from the Strotra ratna
                                  _________-
               ஸ்ரீமதே யமுனார்ய மஹா தேசிகாய நம :
                         Srimathe Yamunaarya MahaDesikaya namaha

                                         ஸ்தோத்ர ரத்னா
                                            Stotraratna

60**पिता त्वं माता त्वं दयितत नयस्त्वं प्रिय सुहृत्
        त्वमेव त्वं मित्रं गुरुरसि गति च असि  जगताम्
        त्वदीयसत्वत् भ्रिदत्य स्तव परिजन स्तव गतिरहं
      प्रपन्न क्षैवं सत्यह मपि  तवै वासिम हि भर :|| 

பிதா தவம் மாதா தவம் தயிதா த்னயாஸ்தான்
ப்ரிய ஸஹத்வ மே த்வம் மித்திரன் குரூர் சிகதி சாக்ஷி
த்வதீய ஸத்வத்ர த்வஸ்தான்  பாரிஜன்ஸத்வ  த்ராத்திரஹன்
ப்ரபந்ந ஷ்ரேவம் சத்யா ஹம்பி தவை வாசிம் ஹீ பார் ||

**Pitha  tvam ,matha tvam  dayithathnaysathan
priya sahthva mev tvam,mitran gurur sigathi  shaksi jagatham
tvadheeya sathvadra tyasthan parijansathva drathirahan
prapann shrevam sathyahampi thavai vasim hee bhar|

meaning:
You are the father.You are the mother.You are the dear son,
you alone are the friend.you are the ally .you are the teacher and the refuge of the world.
I am yours.Your servant,your associate .you are my goal,
I have taken refuge in you .When such is the case i am really a burden to you alone.

           ஸ்ரீமதே  யமுநார்ய    மஹா தேசிகாய நம :  
           Srimathe Yamunaarya Maha Desikaya namaha

                        ____________________
Dated 9.6.13   -- written and published 9.30.-10.30 AM