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Dear Members of the Bhakti List,

 

In response to Smt. Nagu Satyan's request, I am summarizing important

aspects of Swami Desikan's Garuda Dandakam.

 

Swami Desikan was initiated into Garuda mantram by his Acharya, Sri AppuLLar.

In Tamil, PuL stands for a bird. In this context, the reference is to

the divine bird, Garuda or Pakshi Raja(the king of Birds). Consequently, the

Garuda Mantram contains among its five syllables the two syllables

constiuted by the word Pakshi. The Garuda Mantram was a Mantram of AppuLLar"s

family. After instructing Swami Desikan on all relevant Sri Vaishnava granthas,

Rahasyas, and Sri Bhashya, Sri AppuLLar initiated him into the recitation of

Garuda Mantram. Swami Desikan had mastered the tenets of Bhagavad Ramanuja

Siddhanta at a very young age and by the time he was twenty years old, he

used to give discourses on Bhagavad Ramanuja Siddhantam. H.H. Srimad

Andavan Swamigal of Srimad Paundarikapuram Ashramam very eloquently

describes the greatness of Sri AppuLLar in his Yatiraja Sapthati Upanyasams. In

particular, he refers to Sri AppuLLar as the only one in the line of Sri

Ramanujacharya's disciples who had mastered both Sri Bhashya as well as

RahasyArthas.

 

After his Acharya's demise, Swami Desikan settled at Thiruvaheendrapuram

and worshipped Sri Devanayaka Perumal and Hemabjavalli Thaayar. While residing

there, he climbed the hill near the Lord"s temple known as Oushadhadri and

sat under an Aswatha tree and recited Garuda Mantram with intense

concentration for a considerable time. Garuda Bhagavan was pleased with the

devotion of Swami Desikan and appeared before him and blessed him. Garuda

Bhagavan also gave an archa murthy of Bhagavan Hayagriva in Yoga posture to

Swami Desikan for use in his daily Aaraadhanam. Garuda also initiated Swami

Desikan into the recitation of the Sacred Hayagreeva Mantram. The Hayagriva

Mantram contains references to PraNavam, Udgita Vak, and the Veda Swaroopam

of Bhagavan Hayagriva. Those who meditate on Bhagavan Hayagriva through

this mantram are blessed with unmatched scholarship and unmitigated eloquence

of speech. All aspects of the Hayagriva Mantram are contained in the

Hayagriva Stotram of Swami Desikan.

 

The tremendous accomplishments of Swami Desikan are entirely due to

the Anugraham of Sri Garuda Bhagavan, who is recognized in Sri

Vaishnava tradition as Veda Swaroopi. Swami Desikan composed the Garuda

Panchasat to record his gratefulness to Sri Garuda Bhagavan and incorporated

the Garuda Mantram in the Garuda Panchasat. He then recited

Sri Hayagreeva mantra and had the good fortune of seeing Sri Hayagreeva and

received His blessings as well. Swami composed the Hayagreeva Stotram and

incorporated the Mantra of Sri Hayagreeva in this stotram. All the acheivements

of Swami Desikan as a Great Acharya arise from the blessings conferred by Both

Garuda Bhagavan and His Lord Sri Hayagreeva at Thiruvahindrapuram.

Specifically, Swami Desikan was blessed with unmatched scholarship,

unbounded knowledge, unmitigated eloquence of speech, extremely keen intellect,

and a razor sharp memory. The archa murthy of the Hayagreeva in Yogic posture

presented by Garuda Bhagavan can be seen even today, next to the Vigraha of

Swami Desikan sculpted by his own hands, when he was challenged by a

sculptor, who wanted to to defeat Swami in a contest.

 

Sri Garuda Dhandakam was composed on a later occasion, when a Snake charmer

challenged Swami Desikan"s title as Sarvatantra Swatantrar and sent some

venomous snakes towards Swami to test his power in handling poisonous snakes.

Swami Desikan drew a line with a piece of chalk and declared that none of the

serpents could cross it. Yet when one serpent crossed the line and advanced

menacingly towards Swami Desikan, he recited the Garuda Mantra and the snakes

were carried away by Garuda Bhagawan. The snake charmer lost thus his snakes

and his livelihood. He fell at the feet of Swami and asked for forgivenness.

Full of compassion for the snake charmer, Swami Desikan forgave him and

requested Garuda Bhagawan to return the snakes. Garuda promptly heeded the

request of his ardent Bhakta. Swami Desikan then composed the Garuda

Dhandakam as a mark of gratitude to Garuda for his unfailing protection. This

stotram was composed at Kanchipuram.

 

Thus, the Stotras associated with Garuda Bhagavan and Sri Hayageeva, the Lord

of Learning occupy a special place among the 28 stotras of Swami Desikan.

Details of the Garuda Dandakam will follow in the next posting.

 

Many instances from Swami Desikan's life presented above have been presented

in great detail by Srimans Sadagopan and Anbil Ramaswamy previously in this

forum.

 

Namo Narayana,

 

Muralidhar Rangaswamy