Swami Desikan's Raghu Veera Gadhyam: Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Prapatthi group :

 

As a part of this year's celebration of Swami

Sri Nigamantha Maha Desikan's birthday(729th),

I would like to translate his illustrious Gadhyam

and reflect upon similar tributes from great Rama

Bhakthas that preceded him (Azhwaars, Kambar )

and those who followed him (Saint Thyagaraja ,

Bhadrachala Rama Das , et al ) .

 

Raghu Veera Gadhyam is one of the many brilliant

and moving stotrams composed by Sri Vedantha

Desikan , while he was residing in Thiruvahindrapuram.

At this divya desam, there are the most beautiful

Archa murthys of Sri Ramachandra, Sita Devi,

and Lakshmana. Swami Desikan was thrilled one day

by the incomparable beauty of Sri Ramachandra giving

darsanam as Kodhanda Rama at this kshetram and

recollections about the extraordinary valour of our Lord

and his deeds on the battle field as the Maha Veera at Lanka.

Inspired by those thoughts, he summarized in his splendid

Gadhyam (work in prose style ) the Vaibhavam of this Maha Veera

and named it appropriately Maha Veera Vaibhavam .

Later this work came to be known by its popular

name of Raghu Veera Gadhyam.

 

Swami Desikan as a Sarva Tantra Svatantra might also have

followed the foot steps of his Paramacharya , Sri Ramanuja,

who composed his three master pieces in the Gadhyam form

(Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam, Saranagathi Gadhyam and Sriranga

Gadhyam) . Swami Desikan was so fascinated by the Gadhya

Trayas of Sri Ramanuja that he created a commentary on them

known as Gadhya Traya Bhashya . This work fits inside another

work of Swami Desikan known as Rahasya Raksha with four chapters.

 

The first chapter of Rahasya Raksha is the commentary on

Saranagathi Gadhyam also known as Prthugadhyam . The second chapter

is known as Mitagadhya Bhashyam consisting of commentaries

on both Sriranga and Vaikunta Gadhyams. The subject matter of

Sri Ramanuja's Gadhyams were the important doctrine of

Prapatthi and his supreme devotion to the Archa murthy

at Srirangam worshipped by Sri Ramachandra himself

(Sriranga Gadhyam ) and the raptourous description of

Sri Vaikuntam (Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam), the supreme abode of

Sriman Narayana and His consort , the object of our Prapatthi .

 

It is not an exaggeration to state that Swami Desikan's

Raghu Veera Gadhyam is his OWN Prapatthi to the Lord ,

who declared at Sethu : " It is my solemn covenant that I stand by

anyone who surrenders his all to my keeping . According to

this Vibhishana comes under my protecting hand , which

even Ravana is free to accept. I now charge Sugreeva to hail

Vibhishana and lead him to me". It is no wonder that the

entire Ramayana is revered as Saranagathi Sastra by Sri

Vaishnavas .Infact, Sri Ramunuja himself learned

the special meanings of Srimad Ramayanam (Sarangathi )

from Srisailapurna or Thirumalai Nambi , a native of Thiruppathi .

Swami Desikan went on to describe the mystry and sacredness

of Prapatthi in Sanskrit and Manipravala texts such as Sarangathi

Deepikai ,Abhayapradanasara , Rahasyatayasara et al .

 

We are therefore fully justified in considering the delectable

Raghu Veera Gadhyam of Swami Desikan as the celebration

of the Lord's covenant to Prapannas housed as the central

message of the seven cantos of Srimad Ramayanam .

 

Swami Desikan celebrarted the veeram or Parakramam aspect

of Veeraraghavan in this Gadhyam. He went on to celebrate in

yet another stotram the valor of this RaNa Pungavan presiding

as Archa Murthy at Thriuputkuzhi with the divya namam of

Vijaya Ragjhavan. Elsewhere , Thirumangai Azhwar has

performed Mangalasaasanam for Veeraraghavan , the

Archa Murthy at Thiruvellore Divya Desam .Kulasekhara

celebrated the valor of the Lord at Tillai Thiruchitrakootam.

Saint Thyagaraja saluted his valor at battle by describing Him

as " Dhanda Chathuran " in his Kapi-Naarayani song " Sarasa Saama

Dhana Dhanda Chathura Saati Davamevareh ? " .The bard

asked " O Rama! You are adept in statesmanship and in wielding

the four expedients , conciliation(sama), winning over with

gifts (Dhana) ,separating the enemies(Bheda) and punishing by war

(DHANDA ). Who is there equal to You ?". The saint invited

that Raghuveera affectionately again in his Huseni krithi : " Raghuveera

RaNadheera! Raa Raa , Rajakumara !"

 

We will seek Swami Desikan's blessings in enjoying his

magnificient Gadhyam on Raghu Veeran .

 

Swami Desikan Thiruvadigaleh SaraNam

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan