Experiencing Swami Desika - 31

[Guest guest]

SrI:

Shrimate Shri Lakshmi Nrusimha Parabrahmane Namaha:

Shrimate Shri Seetha Ramachandra Parabrahmane Namaha:

Shrimate Shri Ramanujaya Namaha:

Shrimate Nigamantha Maha Desikaya Namaha:

Shrimate Shrivan Satagopa Shri Narayana Yateendra Mahadesikaya Namaha:

 

A pearl chain has continuous pearls on both sides. Both these

join with a common bigger pearl. Similarly ,

Shri yatirAja is the bigger pearl in our chain of Acharyas.

Our elders have reverently referred the Acharyas before

Shri yatirAja to be the "Thirumudi Sammandam" while

the Acharyas after Shri yatirAja are referred to as

"Thiruvadi Sammandam".

 

It is interesting to know about BhavishyatachArya.

Shri Madhurakavi Alvar wanted to make an archA vigrahA

of Shri Nammalvar. On completion, to his surprise, the

end product was the Archa vigrahA of Shri Ramanuja.

Shri Madhurakavi Alvar in his dream learnt that

the divine personality figuring in the vigrahA would

be the future Acharya as prophesied by Shri Nammalvar.

 

Shri Nathamunigal was also shown this archA vigrahA

of Shri Ramanuja when he reinstated the Divya prabandam.

 

Thus, Shri Ramanuja's worship began long before his

physical advent on earth!

 

All the Acharyas have sung praises on Shri yatirAja

and what more!? Our Vishistadvaita sampradaya

is referred as "EmperumAnAr darishanam"!

 

Shri Ramanuja is also addressed as yatirAja, udayavar and

emberumAnAr. Swami Desikan has complete devotion on

Shri yatirAja and has used around 30 epithets to address

this Acharya.

 

Swami Desika's devotion, admiration and respect for

Shri yatirAja is boundless and Swami used to feel very

hard that he could not get the bAgyam of being the

direct disciple of Shri yAtirAja. Swami addressed his

longing through his "Sankalpa Suryodaya". In this,

Swami creates two characters, that of an Acharya and

his disciple and likens the Acharya to be Shri Ramanuja

and he himself as the disciple. Swami stages the

"Sankalpa Suryodaya" to get indirect blessings from

Shri Ramanuja.

 

We saw that Shri Nadadur Ammal blessed our Swami

stating that Swami will establish the supremacy

of Visistadvaita. Swami portrays the same event

as a scene in the "Sankalpa Suryodaya", where he

gets blessed by Shri Ramanuja.

 

"Pratisthapita -Vedantah

Prati-kshipta-bahirmatha

bhuyas-trai-vidya-maanyas-tvam

buri kalyana-bhajanam."

 

The above mentioned Sloka depicts the blessing of

Shri Nadadur Ammal received by Swami. [This is seen

in Act II of Sankalpa Suryodaya of Swami Desikan.]

 

Swami exclaims his devotion to Shri Ramanuja, thus:

 

"...SiddAntA na samindate yatipativaragranTAnusanDAyini"

 

-- Yatiraja saptati (61)

 

"I will not even look at faiths other than Shri Ramanuja"

 

"YttIshvara saraswatI surabhitAshayAnAm satAm

vahAmi charanambhujam praNati shalinA MoulinA !

tadanyamata durmada jwalita chetasAm vAdinam

shirassu nihitam mayA padamadashiNam lakshyatAm !!"

 

-- Yatiraja saptati (41)

 

Swami Desika's dedication and devotion to Shri Ramanuja

was so great that Swami was even prepared to bear the

feet of those whose intellect was filled with the

fragrance of the amritam flowing from the lips

of Ramanuja, his head lowered.

 

Swami does not stop here. Swami was very particular that

people should not be misguided by wrong interpretations.

Swami's concern for humanity on the whole is so great,

that Swami says, the world can see that he will never

hesitate to place his left foot on the heads of those

who contests Shri Ramanuja's philosophy. This clearly

establishes that Swami had almost taken a vow to declare

the supremacy of Visistadvaita over other schools.

 

 

.......to be continued!

 

yatirAjar tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

 

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

 

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi

28th Jul 1999