SrI deSika stotra-s.

[Guest guest]

I read SrImAn Sadagopan's response to my note on SrI deSika's stotra-s, and

was overjoyed to find so many new things on SrI ashTabhujap perumAL and the

kshetram that I was not aware of. I know SrImAn Sadagopan is very busy with

many kaimkaryams, but my humble request to him is that he should continue to

add his comments on all the future articles as I present my brief summary.

I also found out that he has already written detailed commentaries on all

the deSika stotra-s long back but has not published them. I have requested

him before to publish them or give me the copy, and would like to take the

opportunity through this mail once more to request him to arrange to share

his writings through this or other forum as soon as he can find the time.

 

-dAsan kr*shNamAcAryan

>

Dear Sri Krishnamachari :

 

 

Whenever Swami Desikan travelled to Sri VaradarAjA's

temple for his mangaLAsAsanam from his home in Thuppul ,

he had to pass via the Ashtabhujan and YathOkthakAri temples.

The Lord of Ashtabujam made sure that He received

from His bhakthan a sthOthram .Thus arose Srimadh

AshtabhujAshtakam that you have commented upon so well.

 

During this trip of mine to Kanchi divya desams ,

I missed offering my salutations to the Lord

of Ashtabhujam , since I was waylaid by the beauty

of YahtOkthakAri .

 

SevA Swamy suggests that Swami Desikan followed the path

of Thirumangai Mannan , who wondered about the Lord

here and His dvarai to meet him with 8 hands instead of

the normal four hands . In each of the 8 hands , he holds

a different weapon or flower ( Disc, Conch , Kamalam ,

Sword , Kedayam , Bow , Arrow and Gadai ). He is ready to

battle and chase away the virOdhis that stand in the way of

His bhakthAs wishing to perform prapatthi to Him .Swami Desikan

suggests that the Lord was anxious and hence doubled His

set of hands to grant protection to SaraNAgathA quickly .

Here the name of the pushkaraNi is Gajendra PushkaraNi

and He is prathyaksham to Gajendran and is thus Gajendra

Varadan . Hence , Swami Desikan salutes Ashtabhuja PerumAL

as " GajEndra RakshA tvaritham Bhavantham " and as

"SathAm Aaptham ".

 

As in the case of the Lord , who rushed from

Sri Vaikuntam in a great hurry to the side of

the lotus pond , where His BhakthA (GajendrA )

was screaming aloud "AdhimUlamE ! Rakshasva" ,

ParakAla Naayaki feels that the Adhi Kesava PerumAL

of Ashta Bhujam rushed to her side with double

set of four hands in great haste for protection .

 

In his beautiful paasurams , Kaliyan as ParakAla

Naayaki states that she did not fully comprehend

the identity of the One , who rushed to her side

and that the Lord then replied that He is the One

who blesses the prapannAs with His Eight arms

( Ashta BhujAn KarOthi )and came for union with

Parakaala Nayaki ,who pined for Him .Kaliyan

describes this wonderful conversation to his

mother and friends thru ten beautiful paasurams .

Swami Desikan follows the path shown by Parakaala Naayaki.

 

Kaliyan wonders " Ivar aar kol ? " ( Who could

this One be? ) and the Lord repiled " atta bhuya

karatthEn yenRar " ( I am the Lord of the divya desam

of Ashta Bhujam ).

 

Kaliyan wonders aloud eight times :

 

1. ari uru aam ivar aar kol ? ( Narasimha rUpi)

2. anthaNar ponRivar aar kol ? (Vaamana rUpi)

3. ambhutham ponRu ivar aar kol?

( with the Hue of a dark cloud )

4. anchudar ponRivar aar kol ? (ancient jyOthi )

5. alaikkadal ponRivar aar kol ?

( with the bluish hue of the Ocean)

6. azhagiyathaam ivarAr kol ?

( the One with Sarvaanga soundharyam )

7. meham --ponRivarAr kol ?

( Once again the bluish hue of a cloud)

8. Yen aavi oppAr ivar aar kol?

( One who is the soul of my soul )

 

The Lord answers , " It is me , the Lord of

Ashta Bhujam that has rushed to your side" and

delights ParakAla Naayaki with that revelation .

The Lord says " I am the AttabhuyakaratthEn ".

Swami Desikan used the Naamam chosen by

the Lord Himself in His dialog with ParakAla

Naayaki to give the name of "Srimadh Ashtabhuja

Sthuthi" to this eulogy .

 

There are ten slOkams in this sthOthram . One for

each of the eight arms .The rest are pala sruthi .

In the very first slOkam , Swami Desikan performs

SaraNAgathi with the prayer: "Ashtabhujam PrapadhyE ".

Swmi concludes in one of the two pala sruthi slOkams

that this SthOthram on the Lord of Ashtabhujam is

" Prapanna Jana paathEyam , prapithsUnAm RasAyanam,

srEyasE jagathAmEthath SRIMADH ASHTA BHUJAASHTAKAM "

 

The Srimadh aspect of KamalAsahAyan is brought out here

and is described as the tasty food for one on the Jivan's

journey via archirAdhi maargam and the powerful medicine

for those , who desire to perform prapatthi .This sthuthi

is considered as the most auspicious ( Srimadh )

to the world of PrapannAs .

 

Daasan ,

Oppiliappan Koil VaradachAri Sadagopan

[Guest guest]

Dear Sri Krishnamachari :

Many thanks for your kind note.

It will be an honor to add what little I know

to your welcome postings as you continue

this kaimkaryam . There is no

limit to our salutations to Swami Desikan .

 

The genius of Swami Desikan is some thing

that we can never fully comprehend.

An Acharya of his stature , who can

give 24 levels of meanings to one slokam

of SunbAshitha nIvi is an universal genius

worthy of our topmost adulation .

Best wishes,

V.Sadagopan

 

At 12:30 PM 10/22/98 -0500, you wrote:

>I read SrImAn Sadagopan's response to my note on SrI deSika's stotra-s, and

>was overjoyed to find so many new things on SrI ashTabhujap perumAL and the

>kshetram that I was not aware of. I know SrImAn Sadagopan is very busy with

>many kaimkaryams, but my humble request to him is that he should continue to

>add his comments on all the future articles as I present my brief summary.

>I also found out that he has already written detailed commentaries on all

>the deSika stotra-s long back but has not published them. I have requested

>him before to publish them or give me the copy, and would like to take the

>opportunity through this mail once more to request him to arrange to share

>his writings through this or other forum as soon as he can find the time.

>

>-dAsan kr*shNamAcAryan