Thuppul PiLLai- 24- Great Acharyas act united and save Lord, granthas & thus us

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SrI:

SrImathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namah:

SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |

vedAntAcArya-varyo me 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,

 

In or about 1327 CE, there was an invasion to Sirangam by Malik Kafir the

general of Alauddin, the Sultan of Delhi. Srivaishnavas could not defend the

city against powerful muslims. The Acharyas gathered and discussed and

arrived at an unanimous decision to divide into three groups and act

secretly. One groups under the leadership of Sri Pillailokacharya, most

advanced in age was to take the deity of Lord Ranganatha (NumperumAL) and

His divine consorts [ubhaya naachimaars] in a covered palanquin and proceed

south ward after crossing the river Cauveri. Another party under Sri

Sudarsana suri and others was to stay at Srirangam, erect a stone wall in

front of the sanctum sanctorum to save the city from devastation at the

hands of the enemy even at the cost of their lives. The third group was to

corss the river koLLidam and go northward to prevent the quick march of the

infidels so that the first party with deities can get away comfortably. Sri

Vedanta Desika, who was the youngest, among the Acharyas was persuaded by

Sri Sudarsana suri to go with third group and somehow save himself so that

he at least might be leftto propound the Srivaishnava doctrine and the

teaching of Sri Ramanuja. Sri Sudarsanasuri entrusted hs two sons, who were

very young with Swamy Desikan as well as the very valuable and only

manuscript “Srutha prakaasika” head and recorded from the Acharyas in

unbroken tradition and lineage of Acharyas. [srutha prakAsikA, an elaborate

commentary on Sri Bhashyam of Sri Ramanuja on the Brahmma sUthras]. His

earnest desire was that it must be saved for the benefit of future

generations. Swamy Desika agreed and proceeded northward with a number of

Srivaishnavas. The Muslim army which was in Samayavaram, a village few miles

away from Srirangam, attacked them and killed many of them. Swamy Desika

concealed the two sons and himself amidst huge heap of corpses and passed

the night. Before dawn, he took the boys and moved away unnoticed in

North-western direction. After a journey of several days, they reached

Sathyakalam, a remote and lonely village in the Karnataka region, where he

stayed for several years.

 

Tradition says that Swamy Desika composed Abheethi sthavam [lyric for the

repulsion of fear] a sthOthra on Lord Ranganathan himself praying with

devotion that the army of the muslims and Yavanas should be drive out from

Srirangam and the Lord should return to His place of residence for the

relief of devotes in distress. He often repeated this and prayed to invoke

the mercy of the Lord.

 

In Sathyakalam village there is a small temple of the Local deity Sri

Varadaraja in which there is a small shrine for Swamy Desika. Swamy Desika

thought this is the place for him to stay and live for sometime. Sathyakala

lies about ten kilometers south of Kollegal on the trunk Road from

Bangalore. Probably the village attrached him since it was situated on the

bank of the ever flowing river Kaveri and there was a small temple in which

the replica of Lord Varadaraja of Kanchi was there. There are separate

shrines in the temple for Sri Mahalakshmi as well the first three Alwars

[Poigai, Bhootha and PeyAzhwAr] and for Sri Ramanujacharya and Swamy Desika.

Sri Desika took his daily bath in the cool and clear waters of the sacred

river Kaveri flowing gracefully through the hills around and taking his seat

under the aswattha tree on the bank on the Koormaasana – a big tortoise

shaped slab – did his japam and meditation. It is said that several works

were written by Swamy Desika when he was in the calm and peaceful village.

He also composed several works in tamil and Sanskrit and propounded them to

the devout disciples and thus spent his last days at Srirangam. [Devotees

having close connection with this place are of firm conviction that it was

at this village and have highest respect fro Swamy Desikan who lived here

for so many years. They name one of their male children in each family as

Desikachar. Sathyakal Desikachar is very common household name.]

 

Generally the deity of Swamy Desika in all temples is in sitting posture

with the symbol of teaching in the right hand [jnAna mudhrA] and the form of

Srutha prakAsikA manuscript in the left. In Sathyakalam, Swamy Desika is in

standing posture reminiscent of his readiness in rush to Srirangam on

receipt of the happy news of the return of the Lord Ranganatha to His place.

After a stay for some years in Sathyakalam, Sri Vedanta Desika went to

ThirunArAyaNapuram [the modern melkote] a shrine that was very hallowed by

the Lord who is affectionately known as by the name of Selva PiLLai and who

was, as it were the pet child of Sri Ramanujacharya, to leave Srirangam

because of the persecution of Srivaishnavas by KirumikaNta chOzhan.

 

Sri Vedanta Desika also lived in the peaceful and devotional city of

Thirunarayanapuram for several years engaging himself in the propagation of

the teaching of Sri Ramanujacharya and worship the Lord. One day the long

awaited news arrived that one Gopannarya, the chieftain of Gingi fort in

South India had driven away the Muslim infidels from Srirangam brought the

deities of Lord Ranganatha and His five consorts and reinstalled Them in the

temple there. Swamy desika heaved a sign of great relief and at ocne rushed

to Srirangam to worship of the Lord in the company of devoted Srivaishnavas

and begin a fresh lease of life in peace.

 

Sri Vedanta Desika was so much pleased with this glorious act of the

chieftain Gopannarya that he composed two verses in Sanskrit to commemorate

his services to the casue of Srivaishnavam. The slokas have been inscribed

on the eastern side of the outer wall of the sanctum sanctorum and can be

seen even today. The slokas are:

 

AnIya neelasrnga dhyuthirachithajagadhranjanAdh anjanAdhrE: …. samstThApyAm

sarOjOdhbhava iva kuruthE sAdhuCharyAm saparyAm

 

GopannAryA, the mirror of reputation, brought back Ranganatha from the

Anjana mountain [Tirupathi Hills] which describes the world with the charm

of the blue mountain peaks, worshipped him.

Sri Vedanta Desika lived in peace in Srirangam for several years.

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan

kavi-tArkika-simhAya kalyANa-guNa-SAline |

Srimate venkateSAya vedAntagurave namaH ||

 

Salutations to Sri Venkatesa, in whom all perfections reside, who is the

teacher of Vedanta and the lion among poets and debaters

 

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