Nyasa Tilakam ----Part 1

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Dear Members of the Prapatthi Group :

 

We will start the reflections on Swami

Desikan's Nyasa Tilakam in the traditional manner

with the salutations by his disciple and son ,

Sri Kumara Varadacharya, who wrote a commentary on

his acharya and father's work :

 

SRIMAAN VEDASIRO GURU : BAHAGAVATHA : SRI VENKATAADHRISITHU :

GHANTAATHMAA NA PARAM TADHAATANAJANAANANDAYANNAATHMANAA I

ADHYAAPI SVAPADHAAMBHUJAIKA RASIKAANAANANDHAYAN VAIBHAVAM

PANTHAANAM PARIPAATHI BHURI KRUPAYAA PARYAAYA SALLAPATHA : II

 

The great Desika Bhaktha , Late Sri D.Ramaswamy Iyengar

has translated the above verse this way in his commentary on

Nyasa Tilakam:

 

" That repository of all auspiciousness , Vedantha Desika,

who is the incarnation of the Bell (Ghanta) of the Lord of

Venkataadhri --not only did he delight the people of his

times by his person and personality , but even today he continues to be

a source of delight to those rasikas who are unflinchingly attached

to his lotus feet -- and by his abundant grace gives the feeling

of personal presence , almost speaks , so to say ."

 

How true is the testimony of the loyal son and disciple !

Swami Desikan casts his majestic shadow across seven

centuries and comforts us under the shade of that giant

presence .

 

Nyasa Dasakam is one of those master pieces given to us

by the Most merciful Swami . His genius as a poet and his

skills in succinctly stating the essence of Prapatthi are

abundantly clear in this work .As Sri D.Ramaswamy Iyengar

describes , " In its metaphysical aspect , Nyasa Tilaka like

SaraNagathi Deepika is a poetic rendering of the salient

features of Saranaagathi as laid down in the Srimad

Rahasyatrayasaara , with the difference , that while

Saranaagathi Deepika is an epitome of Rahasyatrayasaara ,

Nyaasa Tilaka concerns itself more with the mentality that

should prevail in the Post-Prapatthi period . The importance of

Nyasa Tilakam ot Prapanna can not be overestimated. " Here

Sri D.R .Iyengar refers to the significance of Kumara Varadarya"s

singling out this work of his father for writing his commentary

among all other works.

 

This work consists of 32 slokas in 8 different poetic metres:

Anushtup(2); sikarinI (4); Vasanthatilakaa (4) ; Saardhoola Vikriditham (9);

Nathkutakam (2); Mandhaakranthaa(3) ; Sragdharaa (5);

Maalini (3) . Like number of other works contained in 32

sections to be consistent with the count of 32 Upanishadic Brahma vidyas,

Nyasa Tilakam shines with Upanishadic truths.

 

Sri Ranganatha is the object of Prapatthi for Swami here.

In Nyasa Dasaka and Nyasa Vimsathi and Tamil

work, Adaikkalappatthu , he surrended to Lord Varadaraja of

Kanchi. IN Saranagathi Deepika , he offered his Saranagathi to

Lord Dipa Prakaasan of his own agrahaaram in Tuppul .

 

It has been told that a study of Nyasa Tilakam is essential to

remove our doubts about the efficacy of Saranagathi . Let us

offer our salutation to Swami Desikan, the master intrepreter

of Saranagathi saastra prior to studying this important work.

 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan

 

 

This work