Sri DEvarAja Panchakam of DhoddyaachArya (MahAchAryA)

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs :

 

During the course of writing about Sri VaradarAja

Sthavam of Swamy KurEsar , adiyEn came across

the text of the five slOkams (VaradarAja Panchakam)

composed by MahAchAryaa/DhoddayAchAryA (1509-1591 C.E)

in Sri VaradarAja GuNAmrutha Vaibhavam monograph.

adiyEn will post a few articles on this Panchakam .

It is a combination of the celebration of the Lord's

GarudOthsavam and a salutation to His exalted Tatthuvams.

 

This great AchAryan , who wrote a scholarly commentary

on Swamy Desikan's SathadhUshaNi ( VyAkhyA- ChanDamAruthaa"

was a native of ChoLasimhapuram/GhatikAchalam , which is

known today as Sholingur , one of the 108 dhivya dEsams.

His father name was also MahAchArya (VaathUla MahAchAryaa).

 

The Junior MahAchAryaa was a contemproary of Pancha-matha-

Bhanjana Thaatha Desikan , the father of Koti KanyakA DhAnam ,

Sri Lakshmi KumAra Thaatha Desikan , Sri RangarAmAnuja Muni

the Sixth Jeeyar of AhObila Matam , Shashta ParAnkusa

YathIndhra MahA Desikan (AasthAnam 1499-1513C.E))and

Appayya Dikshithar , who wrote a commentary on Swamy

Desikan's YaadhavAbhudayam .

 

Sri DhoddAchAryA was a great bhakthar of Lord VaradarAja

PerumAL of Kaanchipuram . He used to attend regularly

the annual VaikAsi Garuda Sevai of Lord VaradarAjan/

DeavarAja PerumAL.On one particular year , he was not

well to attend the GarudOthsavam at Kaanchi and

felt very bad about his misfortune . He stood near

the temple tank of TakkAn KuLam of ChOLa Simha puram

and visualized the great Garuda Sevai of the Lord at

Kaanchi (maanasIkam) and composed five beautiful slOkams ,

which are known today as Sri DevarAja Panchakam .

He longed for the Lord's sevai.

 

The Lord of Kaanchi did not let His Bhakthan down .

He appeared before DhoddAchAryA on the back of Garudan

at ChOLa Simha Puram and made His sishyan filled with

bliss. The evidence of this recent day leelai of

Lord VaradarAjan is in the form of archai at Takkan KuLam

of ShOlingar in the form of GajEndhra Varadan .GarudArooDa

Lord came with the speed of GajEndra Varadhan to the side

of His bhakthan , who was sorrowing over His inability to

have the bhAgyam of the Lord's darsanam on Garuda Sevai

day due to old age. Such is the mercy of the PeraruLALan!

 

Even today , on VaikAsi GarudOthsavam day , there is

a tradition known as DhoddAchArya Sevai , when the archakAs

hide Lord VaradarAjan at the western gate for a short time

with two umbrellas just before He leaves the Temple

and reserve that occasion for granting His sevai to

DhoddAchArya . The mangaLAratthi takes place thereafter

to the accompaniment of the loud salutations

of the assembled bhakthAs and the Lord proceeds on

His fast-paced journey on the back of Veda Svaroopi,

Garudan.

 

DoddAchArya composed these five slOkams based on his

sweet memories of Lord VaradarAjan's Garuda Sevai in

previous years .He was nostalgically remembering about

those Garuda Sevais and brought those scenes before

His mind's eye as he composed this Panchakam.

 

In the first of the five slOkams , DoddAchArya recalls

the scene in front of the western gate of the temple of

Lord VaradarAjan at Kaanchipuram:

 

prathyUshE Varadha: prasanna vadhana: prApthAbhimukhyAn JanAn

aabhaddhAnjali masthakAn avimalAn aabhAlam aanandhayan

mandhODDAyitha chaamara: MaNI Maya: svEthAtha patthara: sanai:

anthar gOpuram aavirAsa Bhagavan AarooDa PakshIsvara:

 

(extended Meaning): During the early morning hours ,

Lord Varadhan , the shADguNya roopi with His beaming

Thirumukha MaNDalam will arrive slowly at the western

gate on the back of Garudan . Is it n't so ? Would not

the white umbrellas symbolizing His Lordship over

the entire universe move gently on this occasion ?

Would n't the bluish-black hue (ShyAmala mEni ) of

the Lord be most captivating ( ChitthApahAri)during

this time ? Would n't those white umbrellas providing

shade for the Lord look most beautiful then ?

The great bhaagyasAlis assembled on the sannidhi street

would jostle restlessly with each other to get close to

the Lord for a more intimate sevai and would have ther hands

over their heads in anjali mudhrai . The Lord on the back of

His favorite Vaahanam would gladden the hearts of every one

from innocent children to great AchAryAs and would bless every

one of them with His adhbhutha Sevai.

 

He is PeraruLAlan and hence He has Prasanna Vahdanam .

The divine naadham of Thirucchinnam sounds at that

time. One is reminded of the unique salutations of

Swamy Desikan in his Sri Sookthi, Thirucchinna Maalai,

where he celebrates the arrival of Lord VaradharAjan

on the Raaja Veedhis of Kaanchi. Following are

excerpts from the eleven paasurams of

Swamy Desikan's Thirucchinna Maalai

about Lord VaradarAjan's appearance before

His bhakthAs and the symbolic significance

behind such sevai:

 

SurarkaLukku anRuamutharuL SundaranAr VanthAr

-- Verse 1( PraNavam:

 

(meaning): The Lord of enchanting beauty ,

who churned the milky ocean to bring out

the nectar for the DevAs appeared now.

 

vaanERa Vazhi tanthAr vanthAr thAmE

--Verse 2

 

(meaning): The Lord , who performed upadEsams

on MokshOpAyams ( Bhakthi and Prapatthi) to

the chEthanams through His Saasthrams has

now arrived.

 

ninaikka namakku innaRivu tanthAr vanthAr

--Verse 3

 

(meaning): The Lord , who blessed us with

the auspicious thought to meditate on Him

has arrived now.

 

sEmameNNi yemmai anbarkkadaitthAr VanthAr

--Verse 4

 

(meaning): For our KshEmam , the Lord who

blessed us to become the adiyArs of His

BhAgavathAs has appeared before us.

 

tilakamenum ThirumEnic chelvar vanthAr

-- Verse 5

 

(meaning): The Lord with the celebrated dhivya

MangaLa Vigraham has appeared before us.

 

aruLAlE vilankiraNDum azhippAr VanthAr

--Verse 6

 

(meaning): The Lord who through His Krupai

removes the two chains (karmAs) of Paapam and

PuNyam have arrived before us now.

 

puhalillAr puhalAhum Punithar vanthAr

--Verse 7

 

(meaning): That Lord , the parama parisuddhar ,

who stands at the upAya sthAnam for those ,

who do not have the sakthi to perform those

upAyams has arrived.

 

anjina nee Yennai adai yenRAr vanthAr

-- Verse 8

 

(meaning): The Lord who instructed those

--who are afraid of their inability to

perform the upAya anushtAnam-- to perform

instead praaptthi to Him has arrived.

 

vilakkillA vazhi-nadattha virainthAr vanthAr

-- Verse 9

 

(meaning): The Lord who rushes to guide PrapannAs

through the archirAdhi maargam has arrived.

 

karutha varam tarum Dhiva PerumAL vanthAr

--Verse 10

 

(meaning): The Divine Lord , who blesses one with

the boons desired by mere meditation of Him

has appeard before us.

 

mutthi mazhai pozhiyum Muhil VaNNar vanthAr

-- Verse 10

 

(meaning): The Lord with the hue of dark rainy cloud

and who rains down the boon of Moksham has indeed

arrived .

 

This is how DoddAcchAryA might have felt , when he

was blessed with the Garuda Sevai of Lord VaradarAjan

at ChOLa Simha Puram , when the Lord rushed as

GajEndra varadhan to His side with lightning speed.

After all, he was a keen student of Swamy Desikan's

Sri Sookthis!

 

Sri VaradharAja ParabrahmaNE nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan