Swamy Desikan-8- SatadUshani- ThUppul maNdapam kaimkaryam

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SrI:

SrImathe Ramanujaya namah:

SrImathe Nigamantha mahadesikaya namah:

SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |

vedAntAcArya-varyome sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

 

May the glorious Venkatanatha, the greatest of teachers of Vedanta, and the

lion among poets and debaters, reside forever in my heart.

 

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

 

I am continuing on my appeal and posts on Swamy Desikan and appeal for

Thuppul mandapam kaimkaryam. URL:

http://www.geocities.com/lsriniva/thoopulappeal.html

It is my humble request to please contribute your mite towards this

kaimkaryam, as remembering Acharyan, and talking alone will not suffice.

 

Let us continue to enjoy Swamy’s GREAT works.

 

Swamy Desikan wrote 12 works in Sanskrit which can be grouped under three

heads.

 

Under the first group, are included seven independent works, all on

philosophy of VisistAdvaita. The first ones Tattvamuktakalapam and

Sarvaarthasiddhi were seen last week.

 

The second work is AdhikaraNasaaraavaLi in 562 stanzas. As the title

indicates, this work gives the gist of the 454 sections (adhikaranas) into

which the BrahmasUthras are classified. These sUthras contain the exposition

of the knowledge of Brahman as contained in the Upanishads. Each stanza

offers in remarkably crisp manner the contents of each section.

AdhikaraNadarpaNa is a smaller work on this topic and is not extant.

 

SathadUshaNi is the Third work which is incomplete containing 66 sections

only. There is no evidence to find out why Acharya did not write further.

Each section is called Vaada.

Sri SMS Chari writes in his book on Advaita and Visishtadvaita- “The

SatadUshaNi is an important classic of Visishtadvaita Vedantha in which as

the title suggests, one hundred philosophical issues have been chosen for

systematic criticism directed against the school of Advaita. The text as

available at present contains only 66 topics (Vaadas). These are mainly

based on the arguments advanced by Sri Ramanuja in the early portion of his

monumental work Sri Bhashyam. The arguments are elaborated by Swamy Desikan

with his metaphysical profundity and mastery over the art of disputation.

 

The topics developed in the SatadUshaNi each one of which is devoted to a

discussion of an independent controversial doctrine of Advaita, refer to

various issues bearing on epistemological, metaphysical, cosmological,

religious, and ethical problems.

 

It appears from the order in which the Vaadas are presented give us an

impression that the work must have been based mainly on the arguments

advanced in the debate. Though there is no logical sequence in the

arrangement of the topics, (Sri SMS Chari says), the work is complete and

highly comprehensive so far as the criticism of Advaita doctrines is

concerned. It exhibits fully Swamy Desikan’s mastery of the art of

disputation.

 

The sixty six vaadas though each of them deals with a specific controversial

issue, may be grouped under the following eight broad headings:

 

1. PramaaNaas

2. Perception and Difference

3. The nature of Consciousness (anubhUthi)

4. The individual Self and the Absolute

5. The NirguNa Brahman

6. Universe

7. The doctrine of Avidyaa

8. Saadhana amd mukti

 

A cursory glance at the titles of each Vaada and its bearing on its contents

would reveal the Acharya’s zeal in defending the system of Ramanuja from the

attacks of the Advaitins and also in launching arguments abounding in

incisive logic, the like of which is hardly found in the field of saasthras.

The Acharya was conferred the title of “Vedanthacharya”, by the Lord of

Srirangam in appreciation of this work.

 

Chakrasamarthana is a work which is lost and which indicated the use of the

particle “cha” which was sought to be shown by VidyaraNyar as superfluous.

 

The fourth work is Nyaayaparisuddhi. The Acharya establishes that the nyAya

system as it is based on the sUthras of Gautama and maintained as a system

by the commentators, is opposed to the Vedantha doctrines. The logical and

epistemological aspects of the Nyaya systemare subjected to a very rigorous

scrutiny and criticized whenever they run counter to the vedathic

disciplines. The art of ddebate which was developed by Gautama and his

followers, is assailed using their own weapons. This work contains two

parts, one on pramaaNaas, means of valid knowledge and pramEyam, the objects

of knowledge.

 

The fifth work NyaayasiddhAnjanam is a master piece containing six sections

on Jadadravya, Jiva, NithyavibhUthi, Buddhi, and Adravya. In the main, the

Acharya takes up the VaishEshika system for study. According to the title,

this work offers the magical ointment (siddhAnjanam) in the form of good

logical arguments to know the Reality accurately. Hence, the Acharya takes

up the treatment of Soul, God, and mOksham in separate chapters, which are

clubbed.

 

Please donate according to your shakthi. The money can be sent to "Thuppul

Trust" and the address is:

 

Thuppul Trust

Old No.20, New No.24, Thiruvengadam Street

West Mambalam, Chennai-600033, India

Phone No: 91-44-4741559 / 91-44-3715771

 

Please contact Sri. V.K. Sudharshan at vksudarsh or Sri Lakshmi N

Srinivasa lsriniva (He can collect and send it as single amount

in USA).

 

The address:

 

Lakshminarasimhan Srinivasa

3 Old Towne Road, #212

Ayer, MA-01432

 

For those in the South East Asia, please contact me at

srivaishnavan . Please pass on this kaimkaryam to as many people

as possible in order to complete the same.

 

kavi-tArkika-simhAya kalyANa-guNa-SAline |

Srimate venkateSAya vedAntagurave namaH ||

 

Salutations to Sri Venkatesa, in whom all perfection resides, who is the

teacher of Vedanta and the lion among poets and debaters!

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Narayana Narayana

NarayaNa dAsan madhavakkannan

 

 

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