Varadaraja Panchasat

[Guest guest]

To my untutored eye, Vedanta Desika seems to be near the

peak of his poetic form in his ``Varadaraaja PancaaSat''.

His humility and utter awe in the presence of the Lord

by themselves make for fascinating reading. Following the

tradition of Yamunacharya, Ramanuja, Koorattazhvaan, etc.,

however, Desikar also incorporates the essence of Vedanta

in these verses, all the while making subtle references to

both the Sanskrit and Tamil Vedas. I'll present a few

select verses over the next few days. I am following nearly

verbatim the explanation of D. Ramaswamy Iyengar as published

in a small book by the Visishtadwaita Pracharini Sabha.

 

Sloka 2:

 

yasya anubhaavam adhigantum aSaknuvanto

muhyanti abhanguradhiyo munisaarvabhaumaa.h |

tasyaiva te stutiShu saahasam aSnuvaana.h

kShantavaya eSha bhavataa kariSailanaatha ||

 

Lord of Karisaila! Even the monarchs among sages

possessing unobstructed knowledge, feel perplexed

and bewildered, being unable to comprehend Your glory.

This (person) who has the rashness to indulge in the

praise of such a one as You should be pardoned by You.

 

 

This and the following four slokas are couched in an apologetic

tone. It is known as 'avaiyadakkam' in Tamil, and

'naicyaanusandhaanam' in Sanskrit.

 

The poet feels aghast at the boldness with which he begins

to sing about the Lord, about whom even the Vedas have said,

``He is beyond speech or thought.''

 

Some of the words employed in this sloka are calculated to

remind us about the first sloka of Srimad Bhagavatam. There,

it was 'muhyanti yat sUraya.h.' Here it is 'muhyanti abhangura-

dhiyo munisaarvabhaumaa.h'. The suris are the denizens of Sri

Vaikuntha, who are free from all trace of Avidya. They were

referred to in the Bhagavata sloka as being unable to comprehend

the Ultimate Godhead. Here, the glory of the 'arca' form of

the Lord is said to be beyond the ken of even the sages and saints

who top the rank of those who contemplate upon God. These words

have been interpreted as referring to the Azhvars, who were the

special recipients of divine grace and who thereby attained a

high degree of 'madinalam' or 'bhaktirUpApanna-jnAna.' It is

interesting to note that the Azhvars themselves felt that they

were thoroughly unfit to sing about His glory.

 

mAya! ninnai naayinEn vaNangi vaazhththum eedelaam

neeyum nin kuRippinil poRuththu nalgu

 

This is Tirumazhisai Azhvar's way of apologizing for having praised

the Lord who is beyond all praise. Saint Yamunacharya (Alavandar)

has also sung in the same strain. Following the Azhvars and Acharyas,

Desika in this sloka at the very outset apologizes for beginning

to praise Lord Varadaraja.

 

We may also refer to similar sayings of the other Azhvars:

 

(1) uraikkavallEnallEn (Nammazhvar)

(2) vaakkuththuymaiyilaamaiyinaalE maadhavaa!

unnai vaaykkoLLamaattEn (Periyazhvar)

(3) azhukkudampeccil vaayaal thooymaiyil

thondanEn naan collinEn thollai

naamam paaviyEn pizhaiththavaaRu enRu

ancinERku (Tirumangai)

 

`Saahasa' means rashness. Desika says here, ``Fools rush in where

angles fear to tread. Pray, pardon this intrepidity on my part.''

 

The 1st sloka invoked the Lord's grace. This sloka invokes His

forbearance.

[Guest guest]

Mani, and the rest,

 

your citation from varadaraja pachasat is great. I like that sloka very

much. I have a commentary on varadaraja panchasat from

karur srinivasacharya - in sanskrit which was translated by

Filloziat - a french person who did his phD or some degree in the philosophy

 

the philosophical doctrinal values of the slokas are profound -

 

in fact he refers in one sloka about:

 

Many have been confused by the terms :

 

Bramha, Shambhu, Siva, Atma, etc. `

 

Not knowing these terms and the

real meanings different opinions have been formed, For one who knows

these terms and their meanings the apparent controversies are solved.

 

I am quoting from memory. But I suggest this sloka is important to keep in

touch. I even knew some verses by heart. I should brush of on it.

 

Incidentally, I met an Advaitic Acharya - Swami Paramananda Bharathi - of

Sringeri. I attended many discourses of his. He is very brilliant. He

even has quoted from "Nammalvar" in his books. He feels that Nammalvar

is a yogi of the highest order and his sayings are wonderful. THis was very

nice to hear from a person from Advaitic tradition. I was trying to indicate

the polemic arguments from satadushani etc. He indicated that polemic views

do not get anyone to the truth. The differences between Visistadvaita and

Advaita are closer to differences in semantics and in real are not very

different. Particularly his proof of Nirguna was very startling:

 

I said if bramhan is nirguna how can you associate creation to him.

the sutras and upanishads describe bramhan as the creator sustainer and

the consumer of the worlds - note consumer means - tallaya ie. world fuses

with him. this is the meaning of sarvam khalvidam bramha - tajjalaan iti

saantha upaaseetha.

 

For this he said: we agree with gunas for issues pertaining to bramhan

and the world surely. If you see everything is bramhan - ie. creation is

bramhan, the world is bramhan, destruction is bramhan. In this state we

cannot see the bramhan but in real everything is bramhan. then there is

nothing else. since gunas make sense only when there are two things, if there

is essentially one gunas make no sense. nirguna does not mean "attribute less"

most advaitic scholars have meant it to be so. but the real belief is

beyond all relative terminologies.

 

To this extent visistadvaita and advaita do agree, since Ramanuja himself says

that at moksha - one experiences as described by the verse:

 

Aham Bramhasmi.

 

 

Not that the differences between advaita and visistadvaita does not exist,

 

but to a large extent they coincide. and particularly Swami Paramananda

Bharathi's

views indicate , that for one's progress in spirituality it is better to follow

a view point and live by it rather than delving in argumentative approach.

 

"atmaanam eva jaanatha anyaaam vachaam vimunchatha " which states -

 

know him alone do not waste time in other useless talk. time is running out!

 

 

I thought I could just share my interview with swami.

 

 

Krishna