Experiencing Swami Desika - 41

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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 Kumara Varadarya was Swami Desika's son.

He learnt all the meanings under Swami's thiruvadi

and was Swami's ardent disciple. At the peak of his

Bhakti, Shri Kumara Varadarya has shared all the

greatness of Swami as experienced by him. This

great work is in Tamil and is called Pillai Andhadhi.

It is interesting to note that a few paasurams in

this describe both Shri Ramanuja and Swami Desika.

 

Pillai Andhadhi communicates a few very important points

to us. Shri Kumara Varadarya says that

 

* We cannot survive unless we sing about the

greatness of Swami Desika.

 

* Only the philosophy which has been analysed and

arrived at can be a sAdhana.

 

* All our sins disappear when we sing the praise of

Swami Desika and hold him in our heart.

 

* If we seek refuge in Swami Desika we will acquire

all the auspicious qualities.

 

* There is no other upAyam, other than Swami Desika's

blessings.

 

Shri Kumara Varadarya says in his Mangalasasana Hymn,

an euology on Swami Desika:

 

"anrivvulaginaiyAkki arum pOru nool virithu

ninru tan Nil pugal venkatamAmalai mayviyum pin

vendrip pugalttiruvEnkatanAta nennum kuruvAi

ninru nigayndumaN mEninra nOyka tavirttananE"

 

-- Pillai Andhadhi (5)

 

In times of yore, all the beings were like achetanAs.

The Lord with full sympathy, gave them the sarIram,

indriyAs etc. In addition to this, to prevent the

chetanAs from choosing the wrong track and to make

them follow the right path, Lord created the world

and revealed the Vedas and the Sastras pregnant

with noble ideas.

 

In spite of this the chetanAs did not come out of

their agjnana.

 

So, he installed himself with great love as

Lord VenkatEsA on the Venkata hills so that he can

be seen even through naked eyes.

 

In spite of all this the chetanAs did not correct

themselves and so were suffering in the samsAra.

 

Finally, in the Kali-yuga he took an avataara as

Thiru VenkatanAtha in Toopul, the Acharya endowed

with world wide reputation and dispelled all the

evils prevalent on earth!

 

Are we not reminded of the 41st paasuram of

Ramanuja nootrandadi - "manmisaiyOnikal...." ?

 

 

"Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!

SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama" !!"

 

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

 

 

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

 

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi

10th Oct 1999