Experiencing Swami Desika - 46

[Guest guest]

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"!!

 

'Ruju' is the next auspicious quality of our Lord

as described by Shri AlavandAr. Our Lord creates

situations where he allows himself to be portrayed

as a "Mayan" or "Kapatan" [for ex., mAyA varAhan

or kapata vAmanan]. Swami Desika did not allow

himself to be portrayed with rajO or tamO gunAs and

hence our Swami is not referred with such relative

adjectives. Adiyal's guess is that some ardent

Swami Desika devotees will afford to keep our

Swami a step above the Lord, on account of this.

 

Our Swami stood an embodiment of virtue and conviction.

His thoughts, speech and action were always in sync and

he practiced what he preached. When we learn and under-

stand Swami's explanation of Gadya's we realise that our

Swami will never let down those who attain him.

 

Swami's divine qualities were known to the world through

his dialogues / arguments with Vidyaranyar. Lets see a

brief account on this fact:

 

Both Swami Desika and Shri Vidyaranya were contemporaries

and they knew each other. While our Swami perfected his

knowledge on the most important school - the visistAdvaita,

Shri Vidyaranya became an eloquent person on advaita.

 

Those were the days when scholars were respected and

regarded high and they were directly patronised by the

Royalty. While Shri Vidyaranya accepted the patronage

of the Vijayanagar King, our Swami - out of his sheer

vairAgya - lived a humble and simple life in Kanchipuram.

 

Shri Vidyaranya, out of compassion to his friend, i.e.,

our Swami, sent a message stating that he could also be

part of Royal patronage. Our Swami politely declined

and when further pressed by Shri Vidyaranya, expressed

his unwillingness. Our Swami, now we know why he is so

great, expressed his gratitude for Shri Vidyaranya's

gesture, and then poured his heart out in 5 superb Slokas,

while he added the 6th Sloka as his complement.

 

Thus came the "VairAgya panchakam" from our Swami. This

poem remains the shortest stotra and upon understanding

its meaning, we come to know, how well our Swami defined

"VairAgya". More importantly, our Swami defined, emphasised

and lived the life of a Sri Vaishnava and told us that

we need to lead a simple, contended life, devoid of any pomp

and glamour.

 

 

"Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!

SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama !!"

 

....To be continued!

 

 

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

 

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi

20th Sep 1999