In the Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya grantha, Srimadhwacharya covers Ramayana in the first 9 chapters. All the 7 kandas of Ramayana are covered in great detail, with appropriate “nirnaya” or “declarative clarification” given for those incidents that stand a chance of being interpreted in deviation of siddhanta.
In the 7th Adhyaya of this grantha, titled “Sriramacharite Hanumatpratiyanam”, Srimadanandatirtha Bhagavatpada has covered the entire Sundara Kanda in 50 verses. In his typical, and non-surprising, style, not one detail of the Sundara Kanda (if compared against Maharshi Valmiki’s Ramayana) has been left out. In fact, these 50 shlokas provide additional details of some incidents in the Sundara Kanda.
In the Tattvavada tradition, there is a practice of chanting this adhyaya regularly and is called as the “Sundara Kanda Nirnaya” stotra.
The adhyaya starts with Hanuman getting ready to jump across the ocean and it ends with Hanuman returning to Kishkinda and meeting Sri Rama and handing over Sita devi’s chudamani to him.
The first shloka of the adhyaya is as follows.
रामाय शाश्वतविस्तृतषड्गुणाय
सर्वेश्वराय बलवीर्यमहार्णवाय |
नत्वा लिलङ्घयिषुरर्णवमुत्पपात
निष्पीड्य तं गिरिवरं पवनस्य सूनुः || 1 ||
“Having bowed नत्वा to that Rama रामाय, who is verily the personification of the eternal शाश्वत and all-pervading विस्तृत shad-gunas (six auspicious attributes) षड्गुणाय, who is the Lord of all सर्वेश्वराय, who is verily the mighty ocean महार्णवाय of strength and valour बलवीर्य, the son of Vayu पवनस्य सूनुः, wishing to jump लिलङ्घयिषु across the ocean अर्णवं, pressed against निष्पीड्य that तं excellent mountain गिरिवरं and leapt उत्पपात (into the air)”
Sri Madhwacharya displays his extraordinary literary prowess by combining the description of Hanuman’s actions just prior to his crossing of the ocean with a prayer to Sri Rama that also doubles up as a mangalacharana for this Sundara Kanda. Such an approach highlights the auspicious nature of this Kanda and reflects upon its theological importance even as an independent work!
Since Hanuman is about to cross the mighty ocean and enter into the territory of the enemy to accomplish an all-important task (of locating Sita Devi), he rightly offers his prayers to his “aradhya murti” Sri Rama. The ocean exists forever and is mighty and large. So Hanuman remembers Sri Rama as the abode of eternal and all-pervading auspicious attributes. In Shastra, Sri Mahavishnu is addressed as “bhaga-vanta” or the possessor of bhaga. Bhaga is nothing but the six auspicious attributes of Bala (strength), Veerya (valour), Yashas (glory or lordship), Sri (splendour), Jnana (knowledge) and Vairagya (detachment).
Hanuman needs to cross the ocean which is 100 yojanas in distance. Hence he needs strength or Bala. He needs to overcome all obstacles on the way and in Lanka. Hence he needs valour or Virya. He needs to win against the Rakshasas and establish the supremacy and power of Sri Rama. Hence he needs lordship or Yashas. He needs to locate Sita Mata. Hence he needs knowledge or Jnana. In spite of the desire to bring Sita Devi back himself, he needs to only convey Sri Rama’s message to her and leave the task of returning Sita Devi to Sri Rama himself. Hence he needs detachment or Vairagya. His adventure into Lanka and back needs to increase the glory of Sri Rama. Hence he needs glory or Sri. It is hence extremely appropriate that Hanuman remembers Sri Rama as the abode of these six auspicious Gunas or attributes. Sri Rama is “bhagavanta”. Through his grace, Hanuman also becomes bhagavanta.
There is another line of interpretation that can be attempted with regard to this shloka. In the Valmiki Ramayana, Hanuman appears to be offering a prayer to various devatas before he launches into the sky. The shloka is as follows.
स सूर्याय महेन्द्राय पवनाय स्वयंभुवे |
भूतेभ्यश्चाञ्जलिं कृत्वा चकार गमने मतिम् || ५-१-८ ||
A literal understanding of this shloka will mean that Hanuman prayed to Surya, Indra, Vayu, Brahma and all the Bhutas (entities) before heading towards Lanka. However, given the exalted status of Hanuman as Jeevottama (he belongs to the Ruju Gana or the upper most echelon in the hierarchy of souls), prayers to deities lesser than him in capability and knowledge does not make sense.
This riddle can be easily resolved when following the guidelines of Sri Madhwacharya in interpreting similar shlokas in various shastra granthas. The names of deities are all primarily the names of Paramatma himself. It is only due to the worship of certain qualities of the Lord that the devatas derive their name. Using this approach, we can notice that even in the first shloka of the Nirnaya adhyaya, Sri Madhwacharya has given sufficient hints to us on why Hanuman made a prayer that outwardly appears to be addressing devatas.
In the Valmiki Ramayana (VR) Hanuman offered his salutations to Paramatma known as सूर्य: because Surya means one who is present everywhere (or goes everywhere). सरति सर्वत्र गच्छति इति सूर्यः
Hence Sri Madhwacharya uses the adjective विस्तृत meaning व्याप्त and bows to Sri Rama calling him as विस्तृतषड्गुणाय
In the Valmiki Ramayana (VR) Hanuman offered his salutations to Paramatma known as महेन्द्र because Mahendra means who is the Lord of all.
Hence Sri Madhwacharya uses the adjective सर्वेश्वराय which means Lord of all and bows to Sri Rama calling him सर्वेश्वराय
In the Valmiki Ramayana (VR) Hanuman offered his salutations to Paramatma known as पवन because Pavana is the form of Lord that is present inside Lord Vayu and is the reason behind the great strength and valour of Mukhyaprana.
Hence Sri Madhwacharya uses the phrase बलवीर्यमहार्णवाय and says he is the very repository of strength and valour.
In the Valmiki Ramayana (VR) Hanuman offered his salutations to Paramatma known as स्वयम्भू because if one asks who brought Paramatma into existence the only answer possible is that he himself did it. This is because Paramatma is अनादि and अनन्त. He neither has a beginning nor has an end. So only he himself is capable to bringing himself to being. He is स्वयम्भू.
Hence Sri Madhwacharya uses the phrase शाश्वत-षड्गुणाय as he is eternal!
In this way, this mangalacharana shloka of Sri Madhwacharya can help us understood the true purport of the shloka from Valmiki Ramayana as well.
Sri Krishnarpanamastu
Pranasutra 
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