Sri Vairaagya Panchakam of Swami Desikan : Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear Bhakthi Group membrs:

 

Sri Raghu Govindachari of Canada asked me

in a private mail to translate and comment

on the origin of the five slokas of Swami

Desikan . I am happy to do so. These five

slokas are profound statements by Our Acharya

on his state of mind and his resolve and

his code of conduct in the worldly life.

 

Prior to that , let me invoke the blessings of

Sri Oppiliappan through the following

Maangalya Sthavam verse to give the clarity

of mind to undertake this Task:

 

SARVESHU KAALESHU SAMASTHA DESESHU

ASESHA KAARYESHU TATESWARESWARA: I

SARVAI: SVAROOPAI: BHAGAVAAN ANAADHIMAAN

MAMAASTHU MAANGALYA VIVIRUDDHAYEH HARI : II

 

(MEANING): I invoke Hari to bless me and to enhance

auspiciousness of all kinds at all times, at all places,

and in all endeavours of mine. May that Hari , who appears

in all forms and who is without beginning or end

enhance my Mangalams .

 

*** Swami Desikan and Acharya Ramanuja

 

Swami Desikan was an illustrious propounder of Bhagavat

Raamnuja Siddhaantham. He followed the way shown by

Acharya Ramanuja scruplously. Swami therefore believed

deeply in Acharya"s postulation of a personal God and the

means of attaining Moksham with His grace through Bhakti

or Prapatti margam. In both the margams, the Lord is

recognized as a means and the object of attainment.

Moksham is the end result of His grace mediated by Sri Devi.

This is the Upasana that he imbibed form Ramanujaa

and with the blessings of his Acharya,

he led a pious, simple life and subsisted on

the minimum needed to sustain himself in service of

Sri Ranganatha of Srirangam , Sri Devanatha of

Thiruvahindrapuram and Sri Varadaraja of Kanchi.

 

***Ramanujaa"s way

 

Swami Desikan followed the ancient way which

Ramaanuja showed , which was based on the concept

that Bhakti (devotion ) results wholly from Viveka

(discriminatory knowledge dealing with the true nature

of the Lord ), Vimoka (freedom from worldly temptations),

Abhayaasa (Practice of Nava Vidha Bhakthis), Kriya

( Nandavana and other Kaimkaryams for the Lord ,

intrepretation of scriptues for the disciples),

Kalyaana (auspiciousness/ mangalam = thoughts

on the Anantha kalyaana Gunas of Hari ) ,

Anavasaada ( absence of weakness = steadfast

resolve to worship Hari and Hari alone ) and

Anuddharsha (absence of elation over worldly

victories = Sthitha Prajna aspect ) . Swami Desikan"s

life was a pilgrimage marked with Bhakti for the

Divya Dampathis and Kaimkaryam for them that

culminated in Saranagathi at their lotus feet. Swami

explained in his many granthams about the sacredness

of performing Saranagathi for our benefit and salvation .

His wholelife was one of Vairaagyam (dispassion) and

Bhakti (devotion).

 

***Demonstration of Swami"s Vairaagyam

 

In the early days of his life , Swami was residing

at Kanchipuram and was engaged in Anushtaanam

and Kalakshepam. His brillance as an Acharya

was well established. He led a simple life .

He had a classmate and friend from his student days

by the name of Vidyaranya .. Sri Vidyaranya was

at that time the Aasthana Vidwaan at he court of

the Vijya Nagara King .He was sad to hear that

Swami Desikan was poor inspite of his great scholarship.

He wanted to help his boyhood friend and wanted to use his

influence with the King to secure financial help.

Sri Vidyaranya out of affection wrote a nice letter

welcoming Swami Desikan to the royal court .

Swami saw the letter and sent his response in

the form of a single slokam indicating

his disinterest to receive the munificience of the

king to overcome the poverty that he chose.

Sri Vidyaranya cared a great deal about Swami

Desikan and pressed him again to come to the

court for royal sambhavanaa. Swami composed

this time five verses explaining his resolve to

stay away from material wealth and to only go

after the imperishable wealth given to him by

his ancestors , which is residing on top of

Hasthigiri with the name of Sri Varadaraja .

Sri Vidyaranya was moved by the Vairaagyam

of Swami Desikan and had even greater respect

for his friend. Later, Sri Vidyaranya became a

Parama Hamsa sanyasi and decorated the

Sringeri Sarada Peetam himself.

 

In the next posting , I will comment on the

five brilliant slokas of Sri Vairaagya Panchakam

of Swami desikan.

 

V.Sadagopan