Experiencing Swami Desika - 32

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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:

 

After extensive study of several schools of thought

like Buddhism, Jainism, Paasupa, sAnkhya, yoga,

Vaiseshika, bhedAbheda, Advaita, etc Swami Desika

empathetically states that all these could give

him only knowledge. Only Shri yatirAjar's works

viz., Vedanta Sara, Vedanta Deepa and Sri Bhashya

(the commentaries on the Brahma Sutras),

Gita Bhashya, Vedartha Sangraha (a digest of

the Upanishads) and the three Gadyas (Saranagathy,

Sri Ranga and Vaikunta) made him devoted and

enlightened.

 

Swami extends this gratitude to yatirAja in many

places in yatirAja Saptati.

 

"parushAtivAda parivAda paishuna

prabruti prabUta patanIya pankilA!

swadate mamAdhya suBhagA saraswatI

yatirAja keerti katakairvishoditA !!"

 

-- yatirAja Saptati (19)

 

Swami Desika's qualities melts our heart! In spite of

all his greatness, Swami Desika says that he had

many vices like harshness, exaggeration, demeaning

others, carrying tales of others etc which

were great sins capable of dragging one to hell.

Swami with his greatest humility adds that after he

started speaking the greatness of Shri Ramanuja,

he was cleansed, just as how a "ThetAnkottai" in a jug

of water cleanses all the impurities in it!

 

Swami Desika speaks of the above mentioned vices,

in order to make us understand that even people

with many limitations get cleansed by learning

the greatness of Shri Ramanuja.

 

"yatishoNIbharturyadidamanidambhogajanatA

shira:sheNIjushtum tadiha drudabandam prabhavati!

avidhyAranyAnI kuhara vihAran mAmaka mana:

pramAdhyan mAtanga prathama nigalamam pAda yugalam !!"

 

-- yatirAja Saptati (59)

 

Swami Desika says that only those who realise

that the worldly pleasures are worthless (the

paramaikAnthins) can understand the greatness of

Shri Bashyakarar. With great devotion they place

Shri Ramanuja's "tiruvadi" (feet) on their

head and worship.

 

To emphasise the importance of Shri Ramanuja in his

life, Swami compares his mind to that of a wild

elephant. Just as how a wild elephant in a large

forest, will roam here and there and play as it

wishes, so also Swami say's his mind was roaming

about in the large forest of Ajnana. In order to

channelise and discipline the elephant it needs to

be chained at one place, similarly the feet

of Ramanuja proved to be an effective fetter on

Swami's mind to check him from going astray.

 

Though Swami Desika states that he was in a forest of

Ajnana, full of evil qualities etc, we have to understand

it in the correct perspective.

 

1. To make a line look small we draw a bigger line, this is

the principle used by Swami, to emphasise the greatness

of Shri Ramanuja, Swami undermines himself.

 

2. It is not that Swami Desika had all these evil qualities,

he has just reflected our qualities, and thus advises us to

get hold of the feet of Shri Ramanuja.

 

Swami Desika states that Shri Ramanuja has not helped

him alone but has helped our Lord himself !!!!!!

 

 

.......tomorrow!

 

yatirAjar tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

 

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

 

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi

5th Aug 1999