PART I: SwAmi's Anguish -Posting - 3 (1.7 to 1.9)

[Guest guest]

SWAMI VEDANTA DESIKA'S

"NAICHYANUSANTHANAM" AND "SATVIKA THYAGAM "

(As gleaned from his StOtras)

 

PART I: SWAMI EXPRESSES HIS ANGUISH -

Anguish -Posting - 3 (1.7 to 1.9)

(Anbil Ramaswamy)

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IMPORTANT NOTE

[As already mentioned in the Introduction, the NaichyAnusanthAnam is

applicable to us only and NOT to Swami Desika, we have to substitute

ourselves wherever Swami Desika extrapolates these to himself]

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1.7. "I am like the Kulinga bird"

 

mA sAhasOkthi ghana kanchuka vanchithAnya:

pasyathsu thEshu vidadhAm ytahi sAhasAni /

padmA sahAya karunE na runathsi kim tvam

ghOram kulinga sakunEriva chEshtitham mE //

(DayA Sathakam SlOkam 94)

 

Meaning

" I am advising others not to do anything that is repugnant to the sAstras.

While advising others, what do I do? Even when they are watching me, I

indulge unabashedly to commit precisely what I have forbidden them from

doing. Is it not a foolhardy act? Hiding under the cloak of being a teacher,

I treacherously and deceitfully walk the same forbidden path. This is like

the behavior of the infamous kulinga bird that advises other birds not to

indulge in activities beyond their capacity. But, after having warned other

birds, it enters the jaws of the lion when it yawns to pick the piece of meat

stuck in its teeth. Thus, my word and deed are divorced from each other. Is

it not your responsibility to prevent me from doing this? What are you

waiting for?"

 

Comment:

Cf Manavaala Maamuni's Aarti Prabhandam

 

1.8. "I am like a rogue elephant"

 

drishtEpi durbhaladhiyam dhamanEpi drutham

snAthvApi dhooLee rasikam bhajanEpi bheemam /

bhaddhvA gruhANa vrisha saila pathEr dayE mAm

tvad vAraNam swayam anugraha srunkhalApi //

(DayA Sathakam SlOkam 99)

 

Meaning

"Oh! DayA Devi!

Sometimes, an elephant would get into rut, when it becomes extremely

mischievous and uncontrollable. It would reject the food placed before it.

With pride and insolence, it would ignore the beatings and goad prickles

inflicted by the mahout. It would shower itself with dirty mud and soil its

body just made clean by a refreshing bath. It would dangerously pose itself

threatening to harm the very mahout who feeds it with love, affection and

comforting words. The only way to subdue it is to tie it with strong iron

chains. I am steeped in ego and self conceit like this rogue elephant. I

ignore punishments inflicted on me as also the sage advice of elders- all due

to my Karma vasanas. I continue to relish sins. In fact, I scare away my

benefactors with harsh words. Unless you bind me with hard chains of your

grace and subdue me, I think I have no hope of redemption.

 

Comment:

There is a pun on the word 'VaraNam"- which means 'Elephant' and

'Preventing'. It conveys how the 'elephant' thwarts the attempts of the

mahout to 'prevent' it from doing harm and in his own case, how his sins

'prevent' Lord's mercy from flowing towards him.

 

1.9. "Why am I ruined by fax paus?"

 

sakutapi vinathAnAm sarvadE sarvadEhini

upanishadhabhidhEyE bhAghadEyE vidhEyE /

viramathi na kadhAchit mOhatO hA hathOham

vishma vishaya chinthAmEdhura mE durAsA //

(NyAsa Thilakam SlOkam 23)

 

Meaning

"Thiruvaranga PerumAn grants all that one desires, once one surrenders to

him; Being the indweller (AntharyAmi) he is always near; Upanishada declare

that he protects all; his form is the very personification of the good

fortune of all. Because he is all mercy, he fulfills all that his devotees

desire. In spite of all these, an ruining myself with thoughts of perverse

worldly pleasures and without any thought of surrendering to him"

 

Comment:

Swami repeats these very words in Sankalpa SooryOdaya SlOka 44. Purusha

entertains fear even after the victory of the righteous forces of Viveka over

the evil forces of MahAmOha.

 

Swami implies that till one attains Moksha, one cannot afford to be

complacent because we do not know when, where and on what we may trip into a

faux pas. We see Nammazhwar, expressing similar sentiments in the

"UlagamunDa paruvAyA' Pasurams (TVM-6.10 and also in 7.1) where he says how

he is scared of the onslaughts of Indriyas even after surrendering to Lord

SrinivAsa.

 

(To Continue)

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