Chitirai09

Darsanam

taic[mf

4/14/2009

Chithirai 2009

Srimad Vedanta Desikar Tiruvadigale Saranam

Srinivasan, Muscat – Eeravadai – Tirukkalyana mahotsavam – April 2009

Bhagavate Bhashyakaraya nama:

Sravana Samithi - Muscat

Darsanam – Virodhi – Chithirai 2009 2

Kalayana Utsavam in Muscat

Kalyana Utsavam is now regarded a the annual feature in the landscape of Muscat , thanks to efforts and enthusiasm of many who had worked tirelessly for weeks in preparing for the occasion. Cutting across ages, the cooperation from different religious groups was commendable. Details of the conduct of the utsavam and the photos serials have already been posted in the web which is there for us to enjoy whenever we wish to. In a land where we are far removed from the celebrations that is part of our culture, it is like taking one back to roots when we witness the utsavams even if it were not to measure to the way it is conducted in our home country or town. Utsvamas is not about the grandeur, but the Bhakthi with which we celebrate and involvement as a group in doing kainkaryam for the Lord. It is in this respect we should remember as to how the service of squirrel was appreciated by lord Rama and accepted by

Him as kainkaryam. Any service (kainkaryam)

done with Bhakthi and as part of a community effort is better than one doing alone as the latter shows that we have not shed our ego. Being part of a larger effort with

others with the sole aim of serving Him without any expectation is what the Lord looks for and in this respect we as followers of Ramanuja Sampradayam have lived upto the Acharyans expectations. It was truly a great event that witnessed

Kalyana Utsavam 2009 - Muscat

Oonjal Sevai –Kalyana utsavam 2009 - Muscat


participation of all devotees including children that one rarely sees even in India.

Why do I think this Kalyana utsavam is very important for Sri Vaishnavas? From a pure loukeekam angle, it is a great honor to celebrate the marriage enactment of one‘s own parents as we do in Shashsti abdha poorthi and sadbishekam. If we can repeat this for our ―ultimate‖ parents the sense of fulfillment of many fold. From a more Vaideekam angle do we have to look farther than what Swami Desikans had said in that great passuram ―enn uyir alithavarai sharanam pukku, … inn amutha thirumagaly munnittu….‖ . Swami Desikan in all His divine passurams stresses the importance of Thayaar in our saranagathi and this pasuram is one of the greatest (I see His indulgence in having the impunity to rate His pasurams. He knows it is my ignorance) It is clear that we cannot attain Him without the Kripa of

Thayaar and what more joy can there be

than celebrating

the union of the Thayaar with Thiru maal. It is

further

confirmed by Bhagavad Ramanuja when the avataram of the gadyams was timed on the pagunni uttaram day.

We are deeply indebted to all who made this collective effort a great occasion. We are all proud to have been a part of it.

Vazga Pallandu Nam Amlan Aviyatha Shudar Vazga Pallandu Thoopul Iyya, Vazga Pallandu Periya perumaal Nangainallur Venkatesan

Portion of devotees during tirumanjanam

Neerattam


Paduke Yethirajasya Gathayenthi Yethakkyaya |

Thasya Dasarathehe Pathow Sirasa Daryamyaham|| Swami Ramanuja made the most significant contribution to the development and propagation of the Visishtadvaita Philosophy and Srivaishnavism Religion. Swami Ramanuja systematized the system of thought of Srivaishnavism religion and the Alwar's pasurams and to propagate it among the masses, he had established the Seventy Four(74) Simhasanadhipathis all over and Swami himself had toured extensively throughout the country and had visited all the Srivaishnava Divya Desams

where the presiding deities are copiously praised by the mystic saints, the Alwars. The foremost among the Seventy Four Simhasanadhipathis instituted by Swami Ramanuja is the Vadhulakula Tilaka Sri Mudaliandan Swami, the priya Bagineyar (sister's son) of Swami Ramanuja. It is learnt from our Thirumaligai Thirumudivarga Vaibhava Prakasikai, that Swami Mudaliandan is born to his parents Sri Ananthanarayana Diskshithar and Nachhiaramman as "Dasarathi" on the Chaithra Punarvasu Nakshatra day as the Amsa of Lord Sri Rama himself. Swami Ramanuja had a very intimate attachment for Swami Mudaliandan

which was expressed by Swami Ramanuja himself many times and even at the time when he embraced Sanyasasrama Swami Ramanuja renounced everything except Swami Mudaliandan his priya Bagineyar. Swami Mudaliandan is known to be the Thirdhandam and Paduka of Swami Ramanuja. Sri Kurathalvan, known to be the Pavithram of Swami Ramanuja, has also expressed the greatness of Swami Mudaliandan by saying as, "Padakku Atma Sambandham Irundhalum, Uzhakku Deha Sambandham Illaye", meaning, "Though I have the Atma Sambandham with Swami Ramanuja, I am not

Srimad Bhashyakarar - Kanchi


bodily related to him as Swami Mudaliandan is related to Swami Ramanuja". Such is the greatness of Sri Mudaliandan Swami Swami Mudaliandan was born in 1027 A.D at Pachhai Vaarana Perumal Sannidhi (referred to as ―NazarethPettai‖ today) in Thondai mandalam, to Anandanarayana Dheekshidar and Nachiyaramman. Anandanarayana Dheekshidar did not have any children for a long time. He undertook a yatra to Thiruvengadam to worship Lord Thiruvengadamudayan and pray for a child. On his way at Thiruninravor, where he stayed overnight at Yeri Katha Ramar‘s sannadhi, Sriramar (Anandanarayana Dheekshidar‘s

thiruvaradana perumal) appeared in his dream and instructed that

he need not undertake yatra to

Thiruvengadam for begetting a son He will be born to serve Sri Ramanuja

in Sriperumbudur.

When Sri Ramanuja took

sanyasam, Mudaliandan and

Koorathalwan paid respects at his feet and obtained pancha samskarams from him. Sri Ramanujar taught Sribashyam and other rahasyartham to Swami Mudaliandan while his father Anandanarayana Dheekshidar taught him Divya prabandam. Sri Ramanuja had a very intimate attachment towards Swami Mudaliandan

which was expressed by Sri Ramanuja himself many times. Even at the

time when he embraced Sanyasa, Sri Ramanuja renounced everything

except Swami Mudaliandan, his priya Bagineyar. While going to kaveri for

his daily bath, he used to lean on Dasarathi for support. One day, while on

his way to the river, he was asked why, when he donned the robes of a

Sannyaasin (a Pontiff) he did not give up Dasarathi, as that order

demanded that all kith and kin should be renounced. To this Sri Ramanuja

replied that Dasarathi was an exception as he was his triplestaff

(triTAndam) (the same reason he gave to Tirukkottiyur Nambi) and added

"Just as a Pontiff cannot do without his triplestaff, I cannot do without

Mudali andan – Utsavar and Moolavar


Andaan‖. Thus Andaan is referred to as a Triplestaf(TriTAndam) which is

always found with a pontiff. Andaan had the privilege of having both

Bodily relationship (Thega sambandam) and Spiritual relationship (Atma

sambandam). Bodily relationship as Sri Ramanuja‘s Bagineyar and Spritual

relationship as a Servant of Sri Ramanuja.

Once, on Sri Ramanuja‘s instructions Andaan went to Periya Nambi‘s daughter Athuzhai to her in-law‘s house as ―Attuzhai's stri dhana vellatti‖ (Servants who are sent with bride to her In law‘s house during olden times to work in groom‘s house). Just to comply with his Acharya‘s words, Aandaan served Athuzhai‘s and her in laws for several months until they realized who he was and regretted it all. This incident shows Andaan‘s unparallel devotion to his Acharya, which is the essence of our Sri Vasihanava sampradayam.

Udaiyavar is admired for his

administrative acumen, revered

for his philosophic integrity, and

adored for his surpassing

compassion; he was like the

clouds which bring their

consoling showers, ~~ "kArEi

karuNai-yirAmAnuSa" ~~

says AmutanAr. He

streamlined the entire

administration of properties

and revenues of the 'peria

kOil' (Great Temple) ~~

"tiruvarankan Selva-

muRRum tirutti-vaittAn". This was

possible principally because he had entrusted AandAn with the entirety of

temple administration, in the capacity of SrI-kArya-dhurandhara, or

ANDAn kuRaTTu-maNiam.It was Tirumangai-Mannan who had initially

organised the temple functionaries into five groups. By the time Udaiyavar

became responsible for the Periya kOyil, he amplified the functions and

organized the ten-fold temple 'parijanam' (functionaries).

They were:-


(1) tiruppatiyAr, (2) tiruppaNi-seyivAr, (3) bhAgavatanambi-s, (4) uLLUrAr

and todavattimAr, (5) viNNappamseyivAr, (6) tiruk-karakak-kAiyAr, (7)

sthAnattAr,(8) pattuk-kottu, (9) Arya-bhaTAL, and (10) dAsa-nambi-s.

This reorganisation was known as 'uDaiyavar tiTTam'. Since ANDAn was

made the chief of the entirety of mudalikaL (temple functionaries), ANDAn

came to be known as Mudali-

ANDAn.

Kandadai Andaan

Swami Mudaliandan did not have

children for long time. Once, while

discussing with Sri Ramanuja,

Andaan regretted about not

having a child. At the same, Sri

Ramanuja received prasadam

from the Temple which was

covered with a garment

(Kandadai- Gandam + aadai – a

piece of cloth with fragrance)

worn on Lord‘s thirumeni (Lord‘s

archaamurthy). Sri Ramanuja

indicated to Andaan about the

auspicious happening and told him he will get a son soon. Soon, a son

was born to Andaan. Thus, Andaan vamsam (family) was called

Kandadayar family. It is said that a whole street [north mADa street] in

SrIvilli-puttUr bears the name 'kandADaiyAr vIthi', to signify the

importance of the family.

Vaazhi Periya Perumal

Vaazhi Periya Piratti

Vaazhi Sri Ramanuja

Vaazhi Sri Mudali Andaan

Compiled from the net.

Nangainallur Venkatesan


Swamy Desikan‘s Yatiraja Saptati is indeed the Simha Naadam ( the roar of the Kavi Simham). This roar of Our Swamy is a Saptati (74 slokas) on Yatiraajan. The creation of Our Swamy is potent enough to apply fetters on the passions of the people who are verily giant elephants. The fetters tie the people to the foot of Yatirajan. In other words Yatiraja Saptati is like a fetter which can tie the debaters to the foot of Yatiraja mountain.

This stotra on the Ascetic king begins with salutations to the chief profounder of the Doctrine of Sri Vaishnavism from Perumal, the first Aacharya up to Sri Mahapoornar (Peria Nambi) the direct Aacharya of Sri Ramanuja. Yatiraja Saptati shows the unparalleled devotion of Swami Desikan to his Maanaseeka Aacharya Sri Ramanuja. In the 11th sloka ―Upaveethina Oordhrapundram---Swami Desikan praises Sri Ramanuja who shines with the Yagna Upaveeta on his chest and with the Oordhvapundra (vertical thiruman marks) who is really the fruit of all the good deeds in the world,

who has a Tridanda in his hand and finally has a tuft of hair on his head. He is our savior. A true disciple imprints his Aacharya‘s tirumeni ammaippu or the vigraham in his mind and sincerely adheres to his Aacharya‘s teachings. This is what Our Swamy is telling us to do. One can immediately recall the beautiful Tirumeni of Our Swamy - (Thondar Ugakkum Thunai --- as described by his own son and disciple Sri kumaraVaradar in PillaiAndhadi). The tuft of hair – shikaya shekarinam—just like how a king decks himself with a crown Sri Ramanuja‘s shikai sits like a crown on his beautiful head. Indeed his arrival on this world had made the world trijagat punya phalam.

In sloka 20 of Yatiraja Saptati Our Swami says that Sri Ramanuja‘s tiruvadi is our only refuge.The tiruvadis would secure for those who surrendered the three goals of Artha kaama and Moksha.The holy feet has

Periya Nambigal - madurantakam


the potency to cure and correct bad tendencies of all the Bhadda atmas. Bhakti towards Sri Ramanuja ‗s tiruvadi will ensure Moksha Saamrajyam. Swami Desikan in the next few slokas describes how Sri Ramanuja is his protecting Deity. Sri Ramanuja sits under a large Vedic tree and holds his Tridanda staff in his hand. He drives away the non believers and the heretics rebelling against the Vedic system and stands like a royal swan (raja hamsam) in the manaseeka Manasarovar of the hearts of the devotees. Sri Ramanuja is like a snake charmer who is adept in powerful mantras. He is ever protective of his devotees and takes care that no

harm is done by the poisonous vipers of non believers. Sri Ramanuja‘s Sri suktis act as an antidote for all his Bhaktas who been poisoned by the worldly pleasures. Just like how Pakshirajan Garudan removes all the ailments in our body after a snake bite same way Sri Ramanuja‘s Tirumantram, Dwayam and Charama Slokam is a potent medicine for all ailments. Sri Bhakyakarar sits with his right palm, gesturing as it were an advice or vyakhanam. The luster on the nails of on his Tirukarangal takes away the inner ignorance of the Bhaktas who worship him. This pose of Sri Ramanuja is present only in Tirumalai with

upadesa mudra. Sri Sri Ramanuja‘s Sri Suktis are distilled essence of the Upanishads. They are indeed mantras which can be chanted to protect us from the internal and external sufferings. In sloka 27 Our Swami says in this world there are three luminary bodies like the Agni, Moon and Sun. Agni has the power to make things pure, Moon has the power to cool and the Sun has the power to shine with luster. Sri Ramanuja has all these three qualities of the sun, agni and moon and also qualities which these three do not possess. Let us see how. Sri Ramanuja is like Agni extremely pure. But Agni does not allow any one to come near whereas Sri Ramanuja with his soulabhayam allows every one to come near him. Moon emanates cool rays and those who see the Moon are filled with cooling effect. When we worship the Archa Vigraham


of Sri Ramanuja we have the same moon effect on us! But Moon can shine only when there is darkness and the Moon‘s rays cannot be noticed without the help of a dark night. Sri Ramanuja‘s Tirumeni has the effect of not only cooling the bhaktas but also weeding out the defects in them. Here the word dosha in the sloka is used in two ways—dosha (defects) dosha (ratri night). Sun is full of Tejas so also Sri Ramanuja‘s Bhrama Tejas is beyond description. Sun has a defect. It will give too much heat to mankind that it becomes unbearable. Whereas Sri

Ramanuja who is full of Bhrama Tejas destroys the unbearable heat of

samsaric sufferings with his SriSuktis and Upadeshams. Thus Sri Ramanuja is an assembly of three luminaries in one without any defect, with only karunai. He is there always to give us salvation. Kaare karunai Ramanuja! Our Swami‘s Yatiraja Saptati is

like an ocean which cannot be crossed and the more we delve

into it the more we realize how much less we know about Our

Thoopul Iyya. Vaazhi Yatiraja Chandrama Vaazhi Adbhuta Thoopul Iyya Vaazhi Kumara Varada. Nangainallur Rajashree

Swami Desikan Vandana

kaHcyaaM naBasyaEaaoNaayaama\ Anantaya-gaurao: saut: .

jaatao yaao janaBaagyaona EaImantM tmahM Bajao .. 3 kawfcI EXtfrtftilf p<rdfdaci mastftilf !`nnftacaafyaf

'{mf KRvi[f p<tfrrak j[gfkqi[f pakfyviESxtftalf

`vtarmf ecyft !ma[a[ KRAv EpabfBki[fEb[f.

I pray to my Guru “Sriman” who has taken birth on the earth by our fortune Sri Ananthachariar-Totaramba dampathi in

Kanchi during Purattasi month. P.B. Annan in Vaibhava Prakasika stotram


continuing from Part 2) The 3rd reason why Swami Venkatanathan's memory is to be greatly cherished by us on his 'tirunakshatram' is hinted in the phrase "kalyANa-guNa-shAlinE...". Desikan was a man of many rare and sublime qualities ("guNA-shAli"), two of which were really outstanding. He was (A) utterly fearless ("nirbhaya") and (B) a man of compassion ("kArunnyan"). Desikan achieved in life what ordinary men of the world never do viz. he conquered Fear of both Life and Death. And because he was utterly fearless he was also utterly compassionate towards a world around him mired in Fear of every conceivable kind. Conquest of the Fear of Life:

The fears and anxieties that beset ordinary men in life simply held no terror for Desikan. Poverty, disease, old age, social approval... none of these ever mattered to him. Throughout his life he held steadfast to the age-old value of "simple living and high thinking". He shunned wealth like the plague; he did not know the meaning of the term

"financial welfare"; the future, neither his own nor that of his family, held any worry for him. All his life he was content living on "unchavruthi" -- on whatever means of sustenance came his way by way of day-to-day alms given by the community. Although he considered austerity in life as value, Venkatanathan does not seem to have for that reason imposed it on others. Nowhere in his lifetime does Desikan appear to be grand-standing his simplicity or


humility. At all times he seems to have borne his poverty with a quiet and natural dignity. Desikan's fearlessness in life is amply demonstrated through a famous 'stOtrA' of his, the 'vairAgya-panchakam'. His good Advaitin friend

VidyAranya of the Vijayanagar Court once sent him an invitation to serve as full-time royal poet-laureate. It meant a plum-post securing for Swami Desikan a comfortable livelihood for the rest of his life, not to speak of post-retirement benefits! Swami Desikan however rejected the offer of what today

would qualify as a fantastic 'career-break'. The only wealth, he wrote to his friend in Vijayanagar, the only heirloom he coveted was always his for the taking. "It is ever resident and awaiting me on the Hastigiri Hill in Kanchi"... Desikan was meaning, of course, the Deity in the temple of Lord Varadaraja. Conquest of the Fear of Death:

Malik Kafur, the Mughal general of Alaudin Khilji's invading army in south India, attacked and ransacked the SriRangam temple during Desikan's days there. The poor citizens fled but some of them were ruthlessly massacred. While on his flight from SriRangam to distant Satyakaalam (now in Karnataka) where he took refuge, Venkatanathan was first-hand witness to bloody death and carnage. Desikan lived alone in exile in Satyakaalam for over a decade. The story of human struggle to conquer the primal Fear of death became

one of the marvellous themes that Desikan dealt with in his famous and slightly auto-biographical 'stOtrA', the "abhIti-stavam".

Swami writes Vairagya panchakam

Swami’s life in sathyakalam


Compassion: Desikan was a man of great compassion. Neither lofty scholarship nor high birth seems to have insulated him from the pains and miseries of the common man. Being a "kavi-kEsari" or a "tArkika-simham" did not make him retire into some secluded 'ivory tower'. Desikan seems to have been acutely aware of the social ills and problems of the world around him and deeply empathized with the commonweal.

An example of Desikan's compassion for the commoner is the "sudarshanAshtakam". This 'stOtra' was composed by Venkatanathan on seeing the plight of the people of a village near Kanchi struck by a devastating epidemic. In his times there was no such thing as public health system, and when an

epidemic struck, hundreds if not thousands perished. Desikan's

'sudarshanAshtakam' became at once both a prayer of hope and a therapy for relief at a time of great calamity for the people of Kanchi. To this day, this 'stOtrA' is recited by the faithful everywhere who believe it wards off illness and disease. Swami Desikan was the first 'achArya' in the Vedantic tradition who boldly went as far as to define God's quality of universal compassion as being not merely theological necessity but philosophical axiom. A God without compassion would be a contradiction in terms, he said. Since we see that compassion does exist in this world, we have to conclude that God too therefore must exist. To the Upanishad definition of Brahman having 3 dimensions viz. "satyam", "gnyAnam," and "anantham", Desikan made out a fitting case for adding a 4th dimension -- "dayA" or "anukampA". It became the central theme of his famous "dayA satakam", a "stOtrA" which, beyond a shadow of doubt, only a man of great 'dayA' in his own right – an extraordinary "kalyANa-guNa-shAli", so to speak -- could have ever composed. (to be continued) dAsan, Sudarshan

Swami composes Sudarsanashtakam to save the life of

Srivaishnavas of Tiruputkuzhi agraharam


SrI: SrImathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namah:

SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI | vedAntAcArya-varyo me sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

May the glorious Venkatanatha, the greatest of teachers of Vedanta, and the lion among poets and debaters, reside forever in my heart.

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

Swamy Vedantha Desikan‘s contribution to the VisishtAdvaita Srivaishnava philosophy [Bhagawath Ramanuja Darsanam] in the proper evaluation of the theories and concepts of all schools of thought and rejection of those which are opposed to those of his system i.e. Vedanthic and Vedic religions. All his works both bog, small, breathes this trend.

There is no name in the world of Sanksrit literature and philosophy combined like the name of

Vedantha Desika.

It is aDiyEn‘s intent to enjoy with you the glories of Swamy

Desikan- Thuppul Kula maNi by

remembering his life, by immersing

ourselves in his works, and by enjoying the greatness and mastery of the same. Though we can not [I can not] enjoy the granthas to the fullest extent for lack of jnAnam [in me], even great scholars have declared their failure in attempting to know the depths of Swamy?s works. So, we are not alone.. both in failing and in enjoying as well.

[I refer mostly to Sri A Srinivasargahvan‘s book on the life and works of Vedantha Desika, the malar released by Sri Seva Swamy, the souvenir released by Thirbaheendrauram devotees and Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swamin‘s articles]

Swami Desikan (centre), 1st Parakala mutt Jeer (right to swami) and Kumara

varadachariar (left to swami) – Kanchi parakalamuth


He is the one who makes all those who surrender to His feet- as Mahaadesikan. He is simply phenomenal. Scholars who lived during Swamy Desikan‘s period also mentioned that Swamy is an adhubutha avtar. He is a vidwAn- few said. He is a great intellect- few said. He is the greatest poet; some praised. He is our fortune to establish firmly the VisishtAdvaita- some said. Every one said, based on the extent they understood our Swamy.

Before reading his great mystical life history, let us read the breathtaking huge list of his works: [to read the list itself takes time.. Swamy wrote all of them in one life time.. It is told by scholars, that one

can not even read all of his works fully in one life time.. Such was the greatness of Swamy?s works. It is not that he wrote just ordinary works [engaatthukkaararum kacchErikku pOraar type..]; He wrote gems after gems? Every one grantha out beats the other. ? Many of you may know all this. But there are few who do not know; and it is my intent to reach those few. Also for those of us who know, - this is just rejoicing and relishing Swamy‘s glories again? [kasakkumA?]

Swamy Vedantha Desikan? we can boldly say- was the greatest intellect India has ever produced. He

appreciated Vedic philosophy. He was philosophical; and religious; His

thoughts were moulded by the writings and teaching of his Poorvacharyas ? the galaxy of them- right from Sri SaTakOpa muni (NammAzhwAr)? Nathamuni- Yamunacharya- Ramanujacharya- and others. He was a very faithful follower of his master - Sri Ramanuja. He built a fortress around the philosophy of Ramanuja so well; that none can dare enter. He had fullest conviction in the teachings and followings of Ramanuja. He was a lion among poets and logicians. [We will enjoy all of his works in detail later]. He was a poetic genius. He had the mastery over languages and could use them very effectively to communicate anything he had visualised. But he never went astray with his poetic skills and license and adhered to nothing but the philosophy of VisishtAdvaita Sri vaishnavam.


He was the greatest logician? developed logic to argue? vidhaNdAvaadhis? he entered into hair-splitting discussions and dialogues in his works when he had to explain the various Vedic Upanishadic and other purAnic works.

His works are about 120 in number. [look at the list below-].. The subjects are varied. But the soul of these works is the same.. i.e. Ramanuja darsanam. He wrote original works in Sanskrit; also commented on the works of his Acharyas- namely Yamunacharya and Ramanujacharya. He wrote sthothras, kaavyas, drama, prose etc..

His style is inimitable for its depth of ideas, sweetness, simplicity and ease; it is majestic, sometimes tough. He was a great admirer of Adhikavi Vaalmeeki

and Kalidasa. His poetic work Hamsa sandhEsam, though similar to Kalidasa?s mEgasandhEsam, is original in many respects. Daya sathakam is a unique composition wherein he personifies grace (Divine grace- daya), without which Lord?s other qualities are of little value and help to suffering mankind- Swamy says. AbhIthi sthavam is an invocation for the Lord?s protection from evil forces from both within and without. His GodhA sthuthi is a piece of place of great lyric beauty and merit and talks of Sri GodhA?s influence with the Lord through love and Desikan?s surrender to Her compassion.

Let us look at the amazing list [wait until next]

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Namo narayana

dAsan

kavi-tArkika-simhAya kalyANa-guNa-SAline |

Srimate venkateSAya vedAntagurave namaH ||

Salutations to Sri Venkatesa, in whom all perfections reside, who is the teacher of Vedanta and the lion among poets and debaters

Swami Desikan with Bhashyakarar - Chengalpattu


6. avatAra rahasyam: (Slokam 31): Why did bhagavAn take so many incarnations among us? Swami Desikan reminds us of Lord krshNa's declaration in the gItA (4.8) -

partitrANAya sAdhUnAm vinASAya ca durkrtAm, dharma samsthApanArthAya sambhavAmi yuge yuge - through his Slokam 31. vipaksha nikshapita - for the destruction of the enemies of His devotees, samsthApia parama dharmAh - establishment of the best of dharma-s, and sAdhu paritrANa - for the protection of the good. Srirama Desikacharya Swami observes that while bhagavAn could have done all this while being in SrI vaikunTham itself, He really wanted to be with us in form, and show us how to be a good son, a good husband, a good friend, etc., and it is His souSIlyam that made Him take all these incarnations - just for the sake of His devotees. 7. The Importance of worshipping the arcA mUrti in Temples: The question can be asked - why should we worship the form of bhagavAn in the temples - the arcA mUrti? Swami Desikan gives a simple analogy. When a treasure is hidden underground, people walk on it without knowing its location. There are those who are called siddha-s, who can


provide a dark collerium which can be applied in the eyes and which will then help identify the location of the treasures. BhagavAn's true nature His divya Atma svarUpam - is not realizable except through His own Grace, and is like the treasure hidden from our reach. But if we keep worshipping the dark arcAmUrti of bhagavAn with devotion uninterruptedly, this will serve like the dark collerium that will help in ultimately realizing the divya Atma svarUpam of bhagavAn over time. (Slokam 45). The bhakta-s are so moved by having the sevA of bhagavAn's tirumeni in temples that they shed tears of joy and their whole body experiences extreme excitement (kadamba goLa nibha kaNTakAyamAna nijAgnAn – with mayirk-kuccu - hairs standing erect on the body like budding kadamba flowers -58). 8. BhagavAn's tirumeni: Swami Desikan briefly describes devarAjap Perumal's tirumeni through 10 Sloka-s (34 to 43) in this stotra. We have seen the similar anubhavam of Swami Desikan in a few of his stotra-s before e.g., through 11 Sloka-s in SrI bhagavad dhyAna sopAnam and through 30 Sloka-s in SrI Devanayaka pancAsat. BhagavAn's tiru mukham resembles the moon, His kirITam is like the Sun, and His beautiful dark hair resembles the darkness of the night. How is it possible for the Sun, the moon, and the darkness to co-exist simultaneously? Swami Desikan's beautiful anubhavam - bhagavAn is the aghaTitaghaTanA Saktan - He is One who can make impossible things happen (Slokam 34).


BhagavAn's beautiful face far exceeds the beauty of the full moon, and His eyes resemble the just-blossomed lotus flowers. Meditating on His divine face will remove even the sins committed knowingly, and serve as the prAyaScitta (remedy) for these sins (Slokam 35). The sight of His divine shoulders reminds Swami Desikan of the might of these shoulders under which the different gods including brahma (vidhi pramukha deva janah) have sought refuge (Slokam 37). Having the darSanam of bhagavAn's tiru udaram (belly) reminds Swami Desikan of His saving all the brahmANDa-s in His stomach during the pralaya. His navel reminds him of the creation of brahma in a lotus flower from the nAbhIkamalam (Slokam 38).

Swami Desikan – Vennai Thazhi kannan tirukkolam - Tiruvaheendrapuram

Looking at bhagavAn's deep red pItAmbaram, Swami Desikan meditates on bhagavAn's acts of crushing the asura-s madhu and kaiTabha, and the resulting profuse stream of blood soaking into bhagavAn's pItAmbaram and thus imparting this deep red color (Slokam 40). The mekhalA (waist-band) kindles memories of the great chain that has been put around bhagavAn the manmathan like a chain around a mad elephant (the rasam here is that those who meditate on this mekhalA of bhagavAn will be


relieved of the pursuit of trivial pleasures in this world – Srirama Desikacharya Swami). In SrI Devanayaka pancAsat Swami Desikan's anubhavam of the darSanam of bhagavAn's Divine thighs was that they were the death-bed for the cruel asura-s such as hiraNyakaSipu. In the current Slokam his anubhavam is that they are like the strong pillars that support the mansion where the three worlds are stored (reference to bhagavAn's stomach being the heavy mansion where all the worlds rest at the time of pralaya) (Slokam 41).

The darSanam of bhagavAn's Lotus Feet reminds Swami Desikan of the sacred gangA flowing from His Feet during the time of His trivikrama incarnation and sanctifying all the three worlds, and their offering protection to anyone who surrenders to them (Slokam 43).

9. We Always Belong to Him and Are Never Independent: We have to realize that we are His possession and belonging and are not independent, and are always subservient to Him who is the Supreme Lord. We are like a wooden doll which has been tied by the ropes of the three guNa-s, sattva, rajas, and tamas, and bhagavAn alone can release us from this bondage (82). We came across this same concept in SrI Devanayaka pancAsat earlier (Slokam 8 - sUtrAnubaddha Sakuni kramatah). -To be continued. -dAsan krshNamAcAryan Courtesy : www.ramanuja.org

Madurantakam – Raman Tiruvadi

http://www.ramanuja.org/


Panguni Uthiram Celebration in Muscat Panguni Uthiram was celebrated in Muscat by the asthikas of Sravana Samithi with great dedication. Morning Tirumanajanam was performed to emperuman. The oonjal Utsavam was performed with great devotion with Special Aradhanam, Taligai and parayanam of Gadya Trayam. Oonjal

utsavam was performed with great dedication. Hundreds of Srivaishnavas and devotees took the blessings of Lord Srinivasan.

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