Salutation to Sri VishvaksEnar

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

One of my dear friends requested me to

compose a few Bhajans on Lord VishvaksEnA

for usage in the local temple during sathsangams .

 

I am glad to do so and share the first of the arpaNams

with you all . In our SampradhAyam , Lord VishvaksEnA

is the commander-in-chief of Sriman NaarAyaNA's army .

He has been given the authority by Sriamn NaarAyaNA

to protect the wealth of Sri Vaikuntam and maintain

order and run the affairs of Parama Padham .He is visualized

as having a cane (military staff of a General ) in his

hand to command his tropps (dEvAs ) and is always in the

company of NithyasUris . Swami Desikan salutes

him as the third in the hierarchy of our AchAryAs

after KamalA kaanthan and KamalA Herself :

 

VandhE Vaikunta sEnAnyam dEvam Soothravahtee sakham

yadhvEthra sikhara spandhE visvam yEthadh vyavasthitham

----YathirAja Sapthathi : SlOkam 3

 

(Meaning ): I salute VishvaksEnar , the consort of

Soothravathi and the Commander-in-Chief of the Lord's army .

The whole universe is controlled by the different

movements of the Cane that he holds in his hand

as insignia of his delegated authority .

 

VishvaksEnar is also recognized as the AchAryan for NammAzhwAr .

The name of VishvaksEnar's wife is Soothravathi .He is

the first among the Kainkarya parAL of Sriman NaarAyaNA in

Sri Vaikuntam . In the 14th slOkam of Sri VenaktEsa SuprabhAtham ,

Sri VishvaksEnar is seen in action controlling the throngs

of the DevAs jostling with each other to get a better sEvai

of ThiruvEnkatamudayAn during His SuprabhAtham :

 

Sri Swami PushkariNikaa plava nirmalAnghA :

SrEyOarthinO Hara Virinchi SanandhanAdhyA :I

dhvArE vasanthi varavEthra hathOtthamAnghA :

Sri VenkataachalapathE ! Tava SuprabhAtham II

 

(Meaning ) : " Brahma , MahEsvarA , the sage

SanandanA and others , aspiring well-being

and having bathed in Sri Swami PushkariNI

and (thus) sanctified their bodies , are waiting

at the entrance receiving cane strokes on their heads

from VishvaksEnar , their commander . Oh Lord of

VenkatAchalam ! May it be an auspicious dawn

to Thee !".

 

The cane strokes of VishvaksEnar are to be considered

as gentle touches to control the over enthusiastic

crowds of DevAs pushing for an advantageous

vantage point for the darsanam of their Lord .

 

With this background comments , I place at

the sacred feet of Lord VishvaksEnar a krithi

to be sung in HinDOla Raagam :

 

Pallavi : VishvaksEnam bhajarE rE maanasa

VaikuNta sEnAnyam BhajarE

 

Anupallavi: vEthra saara hasthinam Soothravathi nAtham

Sri Vaikunta Isvarya ParipAlana Daksham

 

CahraNam : SadhA NaarAyaNa PaarAyaNa vaibhava prasiddham

vEdha vEdAntha divya prabhnadha prakAsakam

KamalA Kaantha DayA paathram ParAnkusa AchAryam

nidhEsEna anusarAn nirvAhakam VishNu Kinkaram

(VishvaksEnam BhajarE rE Maanasa )

 

(Meaning of the Krithi Vaakhyams ):

 

Pallavi: Oh My mind ! Please eulogize Sri VishvaksEnar !

Please meditate on him as the Commander-in-chief

of the army of the Lord of Sri Vaikuntam

(parama Padham ).

 

Anupallavi: Oh My mind ! Please salute Sri VishvaksEnar ,

the consort of Soothravathi , with his ceremonial cane

in his hand protecting with masterly skill ,the limitless

wealth of the Lord of Sri Vaikuntam .

 

CharaNam : VishvaksEnar is well known for his

uninterrupted sankeerthanam of his Lord's divya nAmAs .

He is the promoter of the lofty doctrines adumbrated

in the VedAs , Upanishads and Divya Prabhandhams

that celebrate the glories of Sriman NaarAyaNA .

He is the beneficiary of the grace and anugraham

of Sriya: pathi and is the AchAryA of NammAzhwAr .

This prime servant of Sri VaikuntanAthan directs

the Lord's troops with the gestures of his ceremonial

cane .

 

I will compose a Bhajan soon on Sri VishvaksEnar

with the divya dampathi's blessings .

 

Namo NaarAyanA !

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan