abhinava dEsika- SrI UttamUr Swamy Divya Charitham-18

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SrI:

Sri Padmavathi Sametha Srinivasa Parabrahmane Namaha.

Sri Perundhevi Sametha Devadhiraja Parabrahmane Namaha.

SrimathE Bhagavad Ramanujaya Namaha:

SrimathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namaha:

Srimate Rangaramanuja Maha Desikaya Namaha.

Srimate Abhinava Desika Vatsya Satchakravarti Uttamur SRI

VIRARAGHAVARYA MAHA DESIKAYA NAMAHA

 

SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |

vedAntAcArya-varyome sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

 

Thanian (Invocatory verse on Sri UttamUr swamy written by

Swamy's AchAryan Sri Kozhiyalam Swamy himself)

 

adbhutam yasya vikrAntam vEda vIthI ViSOdhanE |

aparam nigamAntAryam prapadyE vIrarAghavam ||

 

[Article in Tamil by SrI PayyampADi VEnkatavaradAchArya SwAmi; English write

up (based on Tamil) by SrI R.VenkatAchAri (SohattUr- Vankipuram -Oppiliappan

Sannidhi), a disciple of SrI UtthamUr SwAmi. Appeared in the souvenir

released during the SatAbhishEkam (80th birth anniversary) of SrI UtthamUr

swAmi on 10th Feb, 1977]

 

KALASHEPA KRAMA :

 

Before starting the Kalashepa, he wanted to explain to the

prospective Sishyas, the proper and correct method of conducting a

Vedanta Kalakshepa Goshti which he would insist on following, He said:

 

In many places, leading pundits have started Upanyasas on the platforms and

people are so much accustomed to hearing them, lecture

on Itihasas and Puranas; with the result, the tendency for looking

into the granthas had vanished. They sincerely felt that there might

not be much to learn from the books as the leading pundits gave them

the essence. But they forget theat the Upanyasakas had before them

the task of pleasing a varied audience and so could not tell the

correct meaning in full. They had to hide certain truths and had to

tell many things in a subtle way to please the audience, containing

many Sidhantins. The next day the audience would forget all that they heard

and go about as usual fully ignorant of our Sampradaya. Only if he studied

the original granthas word by word, the intricate truths could be learnt and

retained in one’s mind. It was ordained by great Acharyas that a Prapanna

should study the four granthas, called Grandtha Chatushtaya. Under the feet

of a qualified Acharya. They are, Sri Bhashya, Gita Bhashya, Tiruvoimozhi,

and Srimad Rahasya Traya Sara of Swamy Desikan. The Pramanas very clearly

say, Acharyaddhaiva Vidya Sadhishtam Prapat” - meaning that the correct

meaning and truths could be learnt only by learning before an Acharya, with

the book in hand, which is the age-old method of learning Vedanta. Sri

Nigamanta Guru also said “Gurubahyaha Tadgurubhyascha” meaning that the

Sishyas should, not only worship his immediate Acharya but also all the

other Praacharyas in that Acharya Parampara. We have seen that the Acharya

Parampara for all the four granthas are different. So it becomes necessary

that if one grantha is taken up for Kalakshepa; only that Parampara should

be worshipped.

 

Upanishads say that the Acharya Parampara upto Sriman Narayana, who is the

Pratamacharya, should be worshipped. We have agreed that one could have

different Acharyas for both Pancha Samskara and Bharanyasa. In the same way

different Acharya Paramparas for different granthas should be accepted. Sri

Bhashyakara had different Achayas for Tiruvoimozhi and for other granthas.

We could also do according to the accepted method. I had agreed to conduct

and accept you as Sishyas in the Kalakshepa - Acharya Parampara through

which I gained my knowledge. As we have many Acharya Paramparas in our

Sampradaya, it is quite wrong to think that a sishya from one Acharya

Parampara should not recite the names of the Acharyas from a different

Parampara.

 

Also, one need not abandon his original Parampara, Sampradaya and Kulachara.

Only at the time of attending the Kalakshepa of a particular grantha, the

concerned Acharya Parampara should be worshipped. This is very important as

this was followed by all the leading Acharyas. Apart from that,

Srivaishnavas who want to attend my Kalakshepa, should have their Snaanam,

perform the Sandhyavandana and adhere to the accepted code of dress in our

Sampradaya. In short, they should have not only Deha Sudhi but also Manas

Sudhi, with complete faith and regard for the Acharya and his Parampara.

Finally, none should come late for the Kalakshepa, as the recital of the

Tanians in the beginning and at the end is most important. So also, none

should leave in the middle, except in special circumstances, and that too

with prior intimation.

 

On hearing the above, the assembled Astikas agreed to abide by the

above conditions and assured that it would not be difficult for them,

as they were used to following dress and other regulations and rules

in the schools and colleges they attended. The Goshti was progressing for

more than a year. Once some of the sishyas mentioned this Sampradaya method

of the Kalakshepa Goshti method of the and the

advice given by our Swami at the beginning, to Srimad Azhagiasingar of

Devanaravilagam. It seems, he very much appreciated the good fortune of

those of his sishyas who had the privilege to attend the Kalakshepa under

Our Swami and that it would be absolutely necessary to follow his advice and

instructions. He said that it would not amount to their leaving the

Parampara. They then came straight to Our Swami and told what Srimad

Alagiasingar had told them. Thus Our Swami was successful in forming a

Kalakshepa Goshti consisting of Sishyas from different Sampradayas and

different Acharya Parampara and achieved the -Sarva Sampradaya Aikarasyam.

On hearing the starting of the Rahasya Traya Sara Kalakshepa, Srimad

Alagiasingar of Injimedu sent enough copies of his commentary called

“Sarabodhini” for the use of the members of the Goshti.

 

The Kalakshepa Goshti was thus flourishing from 1954 upto this day, on all

days except of course on Anadhyayana days, covering not only the Grantha

Catushtaya but also the Upanishads, Minor Rahasyas, Stotras, Prabandams,

etc. and not only in the mornings but also in the evenings and afternoons,

wherever permitted.

 

ACHARYANUGHRAHA – The Birth of a Tanian:

 

Some sishyas from the Kalakshepa Goshti, while visiting Sidhasramam at

Perumal Koil, paid their homage to Sri Swami and told him about the

wonderful progress of the Kalakshepa Goshti. Sri Swami was pleased and

asked them what Tanian they were using. They said that they were reciting

the name only and when they requested Our Swami to teach them his Tanian he

replied that the Tanian which was used in Tirupati could not be remembered

and for the time being it would be enough if they should not set a bad

convention of abandoning the Tanian in such a correct Sampradaya Kalakshepa

Goshti. He then said that he would give them a Tanian, which would contain

the greatness of his Kulam, Vidya and Acharya Parampara, and the same should

be recited every day. He also said that he would give a short Tanian,

similar to Sri Desika’s Tanian which would bring out clearly that he was the

Abhinava Avatara of Sri Desika himself. In fact the first part of the short

Tanian would be the same as the first part of the sloka which he used in his

book “Parapaksha Nirakriti”. He insisted that the Tanian should be recited

without fail in the Kalakshepa. He said that he was telling so much only

because he alone knew the genius and the value of Our Swami and that he was

not praising unnecessarily which was never his habit.

 

The Tanian was as follows:

 

adbhutam yasya vikrAntam vEda vIthI ViSOdhanE |

aparam nigamAntAryam prapadyE vIrarAghavam ||

 

The sishyas were very much pleased at the simplicity and the great

meaning it contained and came rushing to Madras to give the happy news to

Our Swami. Our Swami felt that this is the highest blessings a Sishya could

get from his Acharya and agreed to obey the commands of his Revered Acharya.

AChAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo Narayana

aDiyEn dAsan

 

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