Sudarsanaashtakam of Swami Desikan

[Guest guest]

Dear fellow Members of the Prapatti group:

 

Acharya Vedantha Desika's birthday, same as that of Thirupathi

Perumal(Purattasi Sravanam) falls this year on Thursday, Oct 4. I usually

prepare a small or large monograph each year on Swami Desikan"s birthday. This

Year , I have translated the Sudarsanaashtakam at the request of a devotee of

Sri Ranganatha Swami Sannadhi at Pomona , NY. This poem in melodious and

lilting

Sanskrit is a pleasure to recite and listen to.

 

Traditionally, this stotram is recited in homes, when some one has fever or

illness of other kinds. Swami Desikan is said to have composed it to help the

residents of Thiruputtkuzhi, when they suffered from the grip of a epidemic

fever.

Alternatively, It is said that he composed it at Thiruvahindrapuram prior to a

major debate with a leader of anothe rSampradhaya.Swami Desikan won that

debate and thereby established the supermacy of Sriman narayana and

Vishishtaadvaitam.

 

Swami Desikan chose the Dhrithas Chandas as a meter for the 8 verses praising

Sudarsana. He chose the Oupachandasikam meter for the Pala Sruti sloka . Both

these meters hint at the the Vedic roigin of Sudarsana as indicated by Swami

Desikan in one or more verses of this Stotram.

 

I will post the translations in two sections in future postings.

 

V.Sadagopan

[Guest guest]

I enjoued very much Sri sadagopan's posting on the sudharsanAshtakam.

I have been reciting this for long since I learnt it at the Srirangam

Desikar sannidhi but only with a vague idea of what it meant.

Thanks Sadagopan, for the translations and notes on the meters.

 

Raghu