SRIMAD VEDANTA DESIKA GADHYAM Continued - Part 5 - (25 to 28)

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SRIMAD VEDANTA DESIKA GADHYAM

Continued - Part 5 - (25 to 28)

(Anbil Ramaswamy)

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25. eka yAmini yAma nirmitha pAdhukAsahasra sravaNA sanjAtha vismaya rangEsa

visrANitha kavithArkika simha samAkhyAvikhyAtha vaidagnya/

 

(meaning)

Pleased and Overwhelmed by hearing your magnificent production of PAduka

Sahasram which you composed within one 'yAmam', Lord Ranganatha conferred on

you the title of 'Kavi ThArkika Simham' and brought you recognition in the

whole world as 'vaidagna'- the one who has understood the Vedas thoroughly.

 

Note:

A 'NAzhigai' is equal to 24 minutes. In other words, 2 ½ NAzhigais make one

hour. A 'YAmam' is equal to 7 1/2 NAzhigais or 3 hours. SwAmi Desika poured

out the entire PAduka Sahasram of 1000 stanzas in just one YAmam or just

within 3 hours.

 

26. samsAra dhAvAnala santhapta sanjeevana sarasAmrutha pareeevAharupa -

sAra-sAra, rahasya-traya-sAra , abhaya-pradhAn-asAra, sAra-sangraha,

upakAra-sangraha, virOdha-parihAra, pradhAna-sathaka, parama-pada-sOpAna,

tattva-padhavee, rahasya-padhavee, tattva-navaneetha, rahasya-navaneetha,

tattva-mAtruka, rahasya-mAtruka, tattva-sandEsa, rahasya-sandEsa,

rahasya-sandEsa-vivaraNa, rahasya-sikhAmaNi, tattva-traya-suLaga,

rahasya-traya-suLaga, muni-vAhana-bhOga, anjali-vaibhava,

sampradAya-parisuddhi, hastigiri-mahAtmya, para-matha-bhanga,

tattva-ratnAvaLi, tattva-ratnAvaLi-prathipAdhya-sangraha, rahasya-ratnAvaLi,

rahasya- ratnAvaLi-hridaya

- ranjitha ramA sahAya nitya bahumatha /

 

(meaning)

Heartily pleased with your works which were like the cool waters of the lake

that bring down the scorching heat of jeevas languishing in samsAra, you

became eternally blessed with the grace of 'ramA'- Periya pirAtti.

 

NOTE:

The names of the works are in the text itself and hence not repeated here in

the meaning portion

 

27. pancharAtra prathipAditha abhigamana upAdhAna ijyA swAdhyAya yoga roopa

panchakAla parAyaNa/

 

(meaning)

You have been strictly and truly following the injunctions prescribed in

PAncharAtram regarding the observance of the five duties of Abhigamana,

UpAdhAna, Ijya, SwAdhyaya and yOga.

 

(Notes)

The daily routine of a Prapanna is as follows:

The daytime is divided into 5 periods of say 2 1/2 to 3 hours from sunrise.

1st period: Abhigamana: Praying to the Lord that the day's austerities

should be carried on without any impediments.

2nd Period: UpAdhAna: Gathering flowers, leaves, preparing sandal paste

etc

for the purpose of doing the Thiru Aradhana

(Ritual worship). This includes purification

both physical and mental by uttrering the

appropriate Mantras.

3rd Period: Ijya: Thiru ArAdhana proper according to Agama

traditions

4th Period: SvAdhyAya: Augmenting knowledge of philosophical truths

by deep study of the scriptures

5th period: YOga: Meditating on the feet of the Lord both during

the waking state and during the dream

state.

 

28. samyak pradarsitha ashtAnga yoga/

 

(meaning)

You have shown us clearly the way to perform yoga through "AshTAngas"

 

NOTE:

Bhakti is called "AshTAnga yoga" comprising of 8 disciplines :

i. VIVEKA : Body purity maintained by avoiding impure and unclean food

and taking food that would promote `Satva'.

ii. VIMOHA : Mental Purity (ie) Being free from desires in worldly things

like wealth and pleasure. OF COURSE, IF GOD GIVES THESE,

ACCEPT THEM AS HIS GIFTS - ONLY YOU DON'T SEEK.

iii. ABHYAASA : Frequently meditating on God and his auspicious qualities.

iv. KRIYA : Carrying out the duties and rites prescribed in Sastras

like `Pancha- mahA-yagnas'.

v. KALYAANA : Practicing `Ahimsa' - compassion, mercy, avoiding injury to all

beings in thought, word and deed. Kriya which includes Pancha-mahA-yagnas and

KalyANa emphasize the performance of good deeds - deeds meant to promote the

welfare of the disadvantaged. Self effacing sacrifice for the benefit of

others is inherent in it. Symbols, rituals, fasting, feasting, prayers,

renunciation - all are but adjuncts to the upliftment of not only the self

but also of the society in which the devotee is located.

 

This seems to be in consonance with what St.Paul observed in `Corinthians

13.1 -

"If I have not charity, I am a noisy and a clanging cymbal".

 

IMPORTANT:

If in the height of religious ecstasy, you notice a sick or needy person, it

would be more genuinely religious to forsake your rapture and provide relief

to the needy than to remain in contemplative fervor for, after all, if as a

true SrivaishnNava, you recognize the divinity in all beings, you should not

hesitate to rush to their rescue even if your `contemplation' is interrupted

thereby.

 

The word `athithi', in the list of the pancha mahA yagnas refers to a needy

person who comes to you for any help (that is NOT repugnent to the SAstras)

and rendering such help wholeheartedly and to the best of your capacity is

'athithisatkara' - not merely *feeding* him..

vi. ANAVASAADA : To be cheerful in weal and woe.

vii. ANUDARSA : To be free from pride and egotism (ahankara).

viii. SAMAADHI : Maintaining calmness in union with God.

 

Though this is the final stage of Moksha, traditionally, it is included in

the 8 Yogas of AshtAngayOga. The word 'SAM' has an equivalent in Greek prefix

'SYN' (e.g.) synthesis. It means ' together with'. 'Adhi' which refers to God

is akin to the Hebrew word for the Lord in the old testament viz., 'ADON' or

'ADONI'. Samadhi is therefore 'being together with God'- a complete

integration of the Bhakta's mind and soul with God.

 

These disciplines have been differently classified elsewhere as follows :

i. YAMA; Practicing truth, restraint, detachment, celibacy and

avoiding thieving.

ii. NIYAMA : Reciting Vedas daily, bodily purity, mental purity,

observing vows (VRATA) and doing penance (TAPAS) -

iii. PRANAYAMA: Breath Control.

iv. PRATYAAKARA:Dissociating the senses from the sense objects.

v. DHAARANA : Becoming one with God through meditation.

vi. AASANA : Sitting in YOgic postures with concentration of mind.

vii. DYAANA : Have no other thoughts except God, A ceaseless meditative

flow.

viii. SAMAADHI : Integrative concentration in union with God.

 

(To Continue)

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