Experiencing Swami Desika - 40

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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:

 

"SrimAn VenaktanAthArya: kavithArkika kEsarI!

VedAnthAchArya varyO mE sannidhatthAM sadhA hrudhi"!!

 

 

Shri Prativadi Bhayankaram Annan, a disciple of Shri

Kumara Varadarya, had his living during the times of

Swami Desikan - something like a Junior contemporary.

In saptati ratna mAlikA, Shri Prativadi Bhayankaram Annan

gives us a brief of Swami's birth, education and

other basic details.

 

"putro anantarya sure, purusa sama gunah pundarikaksa yastuh

pautroh totarabhikyA sruta-varajanani-garbha varasi candra: !

visvamitranvavaya varada guru pita Vadi hamsa ambuvahat

acaryat apta sastro varada guru matah sarva tantraavatantra:!!"

 

-- saptati ratna mAlikA

 

Swami Desika belonged to visvAmitra gOtra. Swami

was the grand son of Shri PundarIkAksha and

the son of Shri Anantha soori. Smt Totaramba, was

a gem among mothers from whose womb Swami came out

like a moon that comes out of the ocean. Swami had the

blessings of Shri nadAdur ammal. Swami learnt all

the sastras from Shri Appullar. Swami was the father

of Shri Kumara Varadarya Nainaracharya. Swami was

endowed with all auspicious qualities and in that

respect equaled our Lord. Swami was a master of

all sciences - "Sarva Tantra Svatantra".

 

Swami Desika was extremely happy in belonging to

vishvAmitra gOtra. This is evident in Sri Sankalpa

Sooryadayam.

 

All of us know that the gAyathri mantram is

a very important mantram among other mantras.

Shri visvAmitra has done the pravachanam for

a part of this mantra - gAyathri siras.

 

Our Lord has taken a vow that a saranAgatha has

to be protected under any circumstance. It looks like

sage vishvAmitra also lived by this in the trisangu

episode where he sacrificed all his tapO balam.

Sage visvAmitra enjoyed the paramapurusha with his

divine eyes in Srimad rAmAyanam thus:

 

"aham vEtti MahAtmAnam ...rAmam sathya parAkramam."

 

Sage visvAmitra did the greatest kaimkaryam of

getting pirAtti and perumal married!

 

Swami Desika is hence extremely happy to have taken

his avatara in this great gotram.

 

Swami Desika proudly states,

 

"AnyEntrakam buvana manyat anintrakam

kartum shamE kavi aboot ayamAn vavAye !

janmatvidIyam rishibi: katitamyata: sA

devi cha vishvajanajI yat ananyagOtrA!!"

 

By the Eshvaratvam of uniting PirAtti and perumal,

and by the aspect of practicing saranAgathy, we

can even say that Swami Desika confirms the path

of sage visvAmitra.

 

"Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!

SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama" !!"

 

........To be continued!

 

 

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

 

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi

29th Sep 1999