Sri Varadarajasthavam of Sri Appaya Dikshithar

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Bhakthi group :

I would like to pay homage to a great admirer of

Swami Desikan , Sri Appaya Dikshithar in this posting ..

 

He was born in the year 1520 A.D and lived until

the year 1593 A.D . He came into this earth 171 years

after Swami Desikan shook off his mortal coils and

reached Parama Padham . Appaya Dikshithar's

grandfather , a great Advaitin and saivite Acharya

married a Vaishnavite Lady and had four sons by her.

The first son , Sri Rangarajadhwari , was the father

of Sri Appayya Dikshithar. The whole family had a

completely "catholic' outlook on the worship of

Vishnu as well as Siva . Sri Appaya Dikshita was a contmprorary

of Koti kanyA dhAnam TaatAchAr . As a great poet and devout

scholar , he has left behind 104 works . He was a Sama Vedi and

has performed Many Soma Yagas including Vajabheyam .

Because of the power of performing so many Soma Yajnas ,

he was recognized to have "AhitAgni " in his right hand .

 

He was a great Advaita acharya following the tradition of his

grandfather , who was the acharya to King Krishna Deva Raaya .

He has written a commentary for Brahma SutrAs called

Naya Mayuka MaalikA , which is a commentary along the lines

of Sruta PrakAsikA , which was saved from destruction by

Swami Desikan during the time of the muslim invasion .

He also wrote another brilliant commentary by the name of

SivArka MaNI deepikai . This deals with the commentary of

SrikanTaaachaarya for Brahma Sutram in the advatic tradition .

Sri Appaya Dikshithar is known as a Hari Hara Abedha Vaadhi .

At his home village near Kanchi , he constructed a Siva Vishnu

temple and Lord Varadaraja and Maarga Bhandhu (Lord Siva)

are the archa murthys there.

 

Sri Appaya Dikshithar was a great devotee of Lord Varadaraja

like Swami Desikan and composed his Varadaraja sthavam with

105 moving slokams . Swami Desikan had composed earlier

Varadaraja Panchasath . Sri Appaya Dikshithar's AarAdhya

Daivam was Lord Varadaraja as in the case of Swami Desikan .

The two Maha Kavis poured their heart out in eulogizing

Hasthigireesan . Sri Appaya Dikshithar used to say ,

" Bhavaa: santhi padhE padhE " about Swami Desikan's

sthothrams and Kavyams . The abundant Bhavam of

Swami Desikan born out of his utter devotion to Sriman NarayaNA

elicited the admiration of Sri Dikshithar . He went ahead and composed

his own Varadarraja sthavam , where the extraordinary bhavam

of Dikshithar finds its home.

 

Out of his admiration for our Kavi ThArkika Simham ,

Sri Dikshithar wrote his own outstanding commentaries

on the two master pieces of Swami Desikan, PadhukhA

Sahasram and YadhavAbhudhayam .

 

I will comment on the final slokam of Sri VaradarAja

sthavam of Sri Appaya Dikshithar in the next posting .

This slokam is as follows and contains a summary of the

beauty of Lord Varadaraja ( sarvAnga Sowndharyam )

described in the earlier 104 verses:

 

aaphAdham achikura bhAram aseshamangam

aanandha brundha lasitham sudhrusAmaseemam I

antarmama spurathu santhatham antharAthman

ambhoja lochana tava sritha hasthisailam II

 

I have split the sandhis . This slokam poem is a beautiful

one , when recited in one breath with the sandhis.

I will enjoy with you the word by word commentary

of this particular slokam and seek comparisons with

Swami Desikan's eulogy of Varadaraja in his Panchasath.

 

Sri Perundevi Sametha HasthigireesAya namo nama :

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan