SrI deSika stotrams - 6. SrI varadarAja pa~ncAsat.

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SrI deSika stotrams - 6. SrI varadarAja

pa~ncAsat.

 

Introduction:

 

This storam is in praise of SrI varadarAjapperumAL of KA~ncIpuram.

KA~nci is a svayam-vyakta kshetram. The Lord appeared here in the

homa-kuNdam when brahma performed a great penance during the kr*ta yuga

to have the darSana of the Lord. This is referred to in the first,

seventh, eight,and forty-fourth Sloka-s in the stotram. The place is

also called satya-vrata keshetram. The Lord's temple is located on top

of a small hill called hasti-giri. The Lord here is also referred to by

the names varadan, devAdirAjan, devarAjan, aruLALan, and pEraruLALan.

 

The title of the stotram is self-explanatory. The word pa~cAsat derives

from the fact that the stotram consists of 50 stotra-s (actually 51

including the phala Sruti). The name vara-da means that He is one who

bestows (da) all that is desired by His devotees (vara), which is

equivalent to pEraruLaLan in tamizh.

 

Summary:

 

This stotram contains an expression of the great essentials of

SrivaishNava concepts, and svAmi deSikan confirms this in his concluding

Slokam (Slokma 51 - This stotra is composed with great devotion, and in

addition has embedded in it great concepts which have the authority of

the veda-s - udAram, Sruti subhagam stotram). The paratvam of nArAyaNa,

nArAyaNa as the only one who can guide a devotee to moksham, the

incorrect view held by many that the tri-mUrti-s are equals, the ease

and greatness of SaraNAgati as the means for attaining moksham compared

to those such as bhakti yoga, the guNa of karuNA or dayA or Infinite

Mercy of the Lord which forgives any wrong-doing of one who has

surrendered to Him, the role of kainkaryam and its contribution in the

great anubhavam of the Lord, the concept that the Lord in His Infinite

Mercy has chosen to appear in His different forms (vyUha, vibhava, arcA,

and antaryAmi) so that He is easily available to His devotees, are all

revealed in this stotram in the short span of 50 Sloka-s.

 

In his short introduction to this stotram, SrI rAmadeSikAcArya svAmi has

pointed out some additional special aspects of this stotram. SvAmi

deSikan has described in this stotram the beauty of the Lord not only in

the traditional terms in which the Sruti-s describe Him, but in addition

in His various vAhana-s during His utsava-s, dwells on the beauty of the

tirumeni of the arcA mUrti of the pEraLuLALan when His ornaments and

kavacam are removed, and imagines the beauty of the Lord even as He has

His suprabhAtam from His Snake-bed, fresh from the embrace of

mahAlakshmi. These later aspects are unique for this stotram that are

not found in any other deSika stotram. This deep involvement of svAmi

deSikan with pEraruLALan might be because he was born in tUppul, which

is part of the area of kA~nci or hasti-giri, and had been having His

darSanam even before he was born.

 

SvAmi deSikan's Humility:

 

The AcArya starts with an expression of utmost humility for attempting

to describe the Lord who is beyond the reach of even the greatest of

sages (muni sArva bahumAh adhigantum aSaknuvantah - Slokam2 ). In

Sloka-s 2 to 6, svAmi deSikan asks for forgiveness from the Lord for

attempting to describe His divya rUpam with his limited skills and

knowledge, and asks for His blessing in this effort of composing this

stotram. In this segment, there is also an expression of kArpaNya, an

essential a~nga of SaraNAgati, and also an essential aspect of

viSisTAdvaida philosophy. SvAmi deSikan tells the Lord of his

realization and awareness of the enormous sins that have been committed

through several births (jAnan anAdi vihitAn aparAdha vargAn), and takes

refuge in His natural vAtsalya (avyAja vartsala - One who is naturally

forgiving without any reason).

 

SrIman nArAyaNa and the Trinity:

 

In this stotra, SvAmi deSikan explicitly refutes the view that some have

that brahma, vishNu, and Siva are equal in stature, through 5 Sloka-s

devoted to this topic (Sloka-s 9 to 13). The well-known SrI vaishNava

concept that SrIman nArAyaNa is the antaryAmi or driving force behind

Siva and brahma and that mahA vishNu alone can help us cross the ocean

of samsAra, is conveyed. It is as if mahA vishNu wears these different

dresses of brahma, Siva, etc. and acts out their roles, and people only

see the outer dress and don't realize that mahA vishNu is acting out all

these roles (vibhrama nAtikAyAm vividha vesha parigraham tvAm - Sloka

9). The view of equating vishNu with brahma and Siva is pointed out as

the cause of not attaining liberation from the bondage of samsAra

(tAdAtmya mUDha matayo nipantantyadhIrAh - Slokiam 10). SrI deSika

even wonders if this common mistake of not realizing the paramAtma

svarUpam of mahA vishNu is because people only think of vishNu as a

matsya or a varAha etc., and not as the paramAtmA which He really is

(Sloka 11) . In fact there are 11 Siva-s, several brahma-s, etc., for

the different aNDa-s and kalpa-s, and they all are under the control of

the One vishNu (Slokam 13).

 

He continues in Sloka-s 14 and 15 and points out that it is Sriman

nArAyaNa who has protected the veda-s whenever there is harm to them

from the asura-s. When the veda-s talk of attributes that can be

generically interpreted - such as sat (existence), or names such as Siva

(auspiciousness), they really refer to nArAyaNa who alone exists without

something else' support (the true sat or existence), or one who is the

source of auspiciouness for everything else (the ultimate

auspiciousness).

 

The Different Forms in which He Manifests For Our Benefit:

 

Then in several Sloka-s svAmi deSikan describes the para, vyUha,

vibhava, arcA, and antaryAmi forms of the Lord, which are all assumed by

Him out of sheer dayA to make Himself easily accessible to His devotees.

In particular, he points out the significance of the arcA mUrti as the

means for even yogi-s to realize His svarUpam ultimately after they

repeatedly meditate on the arcA mUrti. He compares the arcAvatAta to

the a~njana that is worn by the trained magicians to help reveal the

hidden treasure, in this case the worship of the arcA mUrti leading to

the realization of the svarUpam of the paramAtmA (Slokam 28).

 

SvAmi deSikan eloquently describes the beauty of the tirumeni of the

arcA mUrti of kA~nci varadarAja. If evidence was needed for the fact

that great souls such as svAmi deSikan were able to converse with the

Lord in the temple and have His katAksham in reality unlike the ordinary

among us who can only see the material form of the arcA mUrti, this

stotram is a perfect example. Here he prays to the Lord not only to

give him His beautiful darSanam in various vahAna-s during the

utsava-s(Slokam 48), but prays for the darSanam of His tirumeni as He

has His suprabhAtam from the AdiSesha, when the marks of the divine

bangles of periya pirATTi will be fresh on His tirumeni (kanaka valaya

mudrAm kanTha deSe dadhAnah - Slokam 47). The bhAgyam of the blessed

ones (the priests) who can perform the kainkaryam to the Lord where they

get the opportunity to have the darSanam of the Lord's tirumeni with all

the ornaments removed, is referenced in Slokam 46. The beauty of the

mUrti of Lord varadarAja will drive away any desire even for the stature

of brahma as an alternative (Slokam 29). Only someone as deeply

associated with Lord varadarAja as svAmi deSikan can swear that His

desire for SrIvaikunTham vanishes when compared to having the constant

darSanam of the Lord (Slokam 49 - vaikunTha vAse'pi na me'bhilAshah).

 

Prapatti Marga:

 

The efficacy of prapatti as the sure and fool-proof method of getting

His grace and ultimately moksham is revealed again in this storam by

svAmi deSikan. The difficulty of adopting the alternative means of the

tedious bhakti yoga, which requires one to have the knowledge for

observing bhakti mArga, the Sakti for observing this, the caste

restrictions, and above all the patience to wait for getting the effect

through bhakti mArga, cannot even be imagined. The overriding role of

His dayA in forgiving all the sins and in protecting His devotees who

have surrendered to Him (SaraNAgati) is revealed in Slokam 36 (pAre

karishyati dayA tava durnivArA). The role of bhagavat kainkaryam in

yielding the great pleasure that can eradicate all sorrow and the

effects of karma is revealed to us in Slokam 41 (pAdAravinda paricAra

rasa pravAhah). Even after reaching SrIvaikunTham the only desire that

a mukta jIvan will have is the desire to do kainkaryam to Him (the great

right to do kainmaryam to Him to one's heart's content - sacchanda

kinkaratayA svAbhAvikam mahAdhikAram pratilabheya - Slokam 42).

 

dhyAna Slokam:

 

"vyAtanvAnA taruNa tulasI dAmabhih svAmabhikhyAm

 

mAtangAdrau marakata-rucim pushNatI mAnase nah

|

bhogaiSvarya priya-saha-cariah kA'pi

lakshmI-katAksahih

bhUyah SyAmA bhuvana-jananI devatA sannidhattAm

||

 

"Let us meditate constantly on the Lord who is the Cause of This

Universe, and whose Splendor is shining all over hasti giri because of

His divine marakatam-like blue tirumeni's beauty (neela mEni aiyO!),

which is enhanced by the green tulasi garlands, and further enhanced by

the reflection of the katAksham from the blue eyes of mahA-lakshmi or

periya pirATTi who is His constant companion in bestowing on the

devotees all they seek including moksham".

 

-dAsan kr*shNamAcAryan