SrImath VedAntha Desika Prapatthi

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SrI:

 

SrImAn VenkatanATArya: KavitArkika Kesari

VedAnthAchArya varyOmE SannidhatthAm sadhA hrudhi

 

SrImallakshmana YogIndhra SiddhAntha vijayadhvajam

ViswAmithra KulOthbhUtham VaradAryamham bhajE

 

PithrE BrahmOpadhEshtrE mE guravE dhaivathAya cha

PrApyAya PrApakAyAsthu VenkatEsAya MangaLam

 

Dear BhakthAs of AchArya Saarvabhouman , Swamy Desikan:

 

This SrI sookthi has 10 slOkams and was composed by

Swamy KumAra VaradAcchAr , the son and sishyar of

SrI NigamAntha MahA Desikan.This SrI sookthi celebrates

the glories of the sacred ThiruvadigaL of Swamy Desikan

and each of the slOkams ends with the refrain of:

 

" VedAntha Soori CharaNou SaraNam prapadhyE "

 

SrI U.V. T.E. SrIrangam RanganAthAchArya Swamy

has authored this article in the Special Souvenir

on ThiruvahIndhrapuram and adiyEn will translate

from that article with occasional cadded comments.

The author observes that this Desika Prapatthi

grantham was used as a model by later-day AchAryAs,

who composed Prapatthi SrI Sookthis such as

SrI Venkatesa Prapatthi ( PrathivAdhi Bhayankaram

Annan for ThiruvEnkatamudaayAn at the niyamanam of

His AchAryan , Swamy MaNavALa MaamunigaL).

 

SlOkam 1

 

Vidhvan-mathangaja-sikhAbharaNAya maanou

VisvAdhisAyee mahimAmbhu-nidhAna-bhUthou

VidhvEshavAdhi makuDIkrutha kuDDanOu thou

VedAnthasoori CharaNou SaraNam prapadhyE

 

(Meaning): AdiyEn seeks refuge at the sacred

feet of SrI NigamAntha MahA Desikan , which serve

as the aabharanam for the heads of great vidwAns,

which stay as the unsurpassed ocean of glories (Vaibhavam)

among all objects on this earth and which knocks on the heads of

all Para Vaadhis , chastises them for their wrong views

on Tatthva Thrayams and corrects them .

 

In the first two lines , Swamy Desikan's soulabhyam

is referred to and the last two lines hint at His

Parathvam (Supermacy ).

 

It is interesting to note that the first letter of

each of the four Paadhams of this Prapathti start

with "V" or its variations like "Vi" or "vE" in

all of the ten slOkams . Consistent VakAra prayOgam

is noteworthy...(V.S)

 

SlOkam 2:

 

VisvambarAm athitarAmapi bhAsayanthou

VinyAsathO vividha SajjanathAnubhAvyou

VisthAra samsruthi mahArNava karNadhArou

VedAnthasoori CharaNOu SaraNam PrapadhyE

 

(Meaning): adiyEn seeks the refuge of the sacred

feet of Swamy Desikan , who serves as the boatsman

to ferry us across the vast ocean of SamsAram to

the Supreme abode of our Lord and who makes the earth

radiant with His foot steps and who is revered by

the righteous as their caring Mother, instructing

father and loving relative.

 

Here, Swamy Desikan's PrApyathvam and PrApakthvam

are saluted as in SrI Desika MangaLa slOakm .

 

SlOkam 3:

 

VisvAntharAntha-tamasa kshapana praveeNou

VidhyOtamAna nakharEndhu mayUkhajAlai:

VikhyAtha tAmarasa sankha-raTAnga chinhou

VedAntha Soori CharaNou SaraNam prapadhyE

 

(Meaning): Swamy Desikan's Thiruvadi expertly banishes

the inner darkness of all through the cool Moon like

radiance of His toe nails (nakha kAnthi).His sacred feet

carry the marks of lotus, conch and chakram , which are

the Chinhams of Utthama AchAryans. adiyEn seeks the refuge of

those sacred feet for my protection.

 

SlOkam 4:

 

VidhvEshamAna madha matsara vidhvishou yav

VishNvAlayAnugamanOtthama nithya-kruthyav

VedAnthavruddha vihithAnjali gOcharou thav

VedAnthasoori CharaNou SaraNam prapadhyE

 

(Meaning):Swamy Desikan's sacred feet banishes

the arrogance in people born out of hatred, egotism and

pride based on birth in a higher kulam; those sacred

feet have as their occupation to travel to the Temples

of PerumAL.Those feet are worshipped by men of

superior learning.adiyEn seeks the refuge of those

sacred feet of Swamy Desikan.

 

SlOkam 5:

 

VishNvarpithAthmajana bhAgya vipAkabhUthou

VibhrAjamAna navakOkanadhAnukalpou

VeshAntharOpagatha pallava tallajou thou

VedAntha Soori CharaNou SaraNam prapadhyE

 

(Meaning): Swamy Desikan's sacred feet are

the fruit of the bhAgyam of the great ones ,

who have performed BharanyAsam at the Lord's

holy feet.They are beautiful like the SevvAmpal

Pushpam ( Kind of red lotus). They are soft and

tender like another form of a creeper . adiyEn

seeks the refuge of those tender feet of Swamy

Desikan for protection.

 

SlOkam 6:

 

VedOmukhairapi Surai: vihitha-praNAmou

VelAdhilangi sushumA sukumAra Bhavou

VismEra kEsara lasan-mrudhuLAngaleekou

VedAntha Soori CharaNOu SaraNam prapadhyE

 

(Meaning): As VedAs say ( SarvEasmai dEvA

balimAvahanthi) , Brahman and other dEvAs

pay their kappam and worship the sacred feet

of NigamAntha MahA Desikan.They have unsurpassed

beauty and softness.They have beautiful long fingers

on those sacred feet that reminds us of the stamens of

a flower.adiyEn seeks the refuge of those holy feet of

Swamy Desikan for my upliftment(Ujjeevanam).

 

SlOkam 7:

 

VidhrAvitOthbhada vikAra rajO guNou thav

VikhyAtha bhUri vibhavEna raja: kaNEna

VisvOpakAra karaNAya kruthAvathArou

VedAntha Soori CharaNou SaraNam prapadhyE

 

(Meaning): The dust from the sacred feet of

Swamy Desikan have illustrious glories.They

have the power to banish the constantly changing

RajO GuNam and are born to uplift the beings of

the world from the mire of SamsAric afflictions.

adiyEn seeks the rakshaNam of those sacred feet of

Thrayyantha Desikan.

 

SlOkam 8:

 

VishNvangri-nirgatha sarith-pravarAnubhAvyou

VidhyA-vineetha janithai: vimalai: svatheerthai:

vyAnamra sishya-jana rakshana jAgarUgou

VedAntha soori CharaNou SaraNam prapadhyE

 

(Meaning): Swamy Desikan's ThiruvadigaL are

alert in protecting the sishyAs prostrating before them.

Those feet are washed with reverence by SishyAs,

who display modesty (vinayam) as a result of

learning from Swamy Desikan. That SrI Paadha

Theertham is more sacred than the waters of GangA,

which arose from the Lord's Thiruvadi during Thrivikrama

avathAram. AdiyEn seeks the refuge of the sacred feet

of ThUppul Kula MaNi.

 

SlOkam 9:

 

VeeTishu RanganagarE krutha-chankramou thav

VishNuthsavEshu Vidhi-Vaasava sEvithEshu

vidhyA-vineetha janathA vihithAnusArou

VedAntha Soori CharaNou SaraNam prapadhyE

 

(Meaning): In SrIrangam , during Uthsava kaalams ,

BrahmA , IndhrA and other dEvAs were present as

GhOshti to worship Lord RanganATA. Swamy Desikan's

sacred feet accompanied that ghOshti (anuyAthrA)during

the Lord's sanchAram on the rAja veedhis of SrIrangam.

Those sacred feet of the AchArya Saarvabhouman were

in turn followed by the BhAgavathAs known for their

modesty born out of their deep scholarship and

profound anushtAnams.adiyEn seeks the refuge of

those sacred feet of Swamy Desikan.

 

SlOkam 10:

 

VisvAsa-VishNu padha bhakthi virakthi soonyam

Vibhrashta-kruthyamapi mAm vishayEshu sooktham

VidhvathsabhAnu-gathi-yOgyam-ihAdadhAnou

VedAntha Soori CharaNou SaraNam PrapadhyE

 

(Meaning): Swamy Desikan took pity on me and

prepared me to be qualified to enter the assembly of

scholars although adiyEn was bereft of auspicious

attributes like MahA VisvAsam in the Lord , Bhagavath

Bhakthi and VairAgyam , inadequacies in anushtAnams

while engaged in the enjoyment of evanescent material

pleasures.adiyEn seeks the refuge of the holy feet of

Swamy Desikan with deep kruthaj~nathai.

 

KavitArkika SimhAya KalyAna guNasAlinE

SrImathE VenkatEsAya VedAntha guravE nama:

 

VaguLAbharana Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil V.SadagOpan