Thuppul PiLLai- 27- SthOthra granthas- (1) Abheethi sthavam

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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,

 

Let us begin to enjoy the sthOthra granthas of Swamy Desikan [in

alphabetical order]

Thus the first comes is ABHEETHI STHAVAM- [we had already seen few glimpses

about this sloka in Swamy's life history].

 

Abeeti-stava is a stotra in twenty-nine verses which prays to Lord Sri

Ranganatha of Srirangam to dispel all the fears of the world and bestow

knowledge, devotion and happiness on all. There is a historical background

for this stotra. In the 14th centuary A.D there was an invasion of

Srirangam by the muslims from the north for taking away all the valuable

things in the temples in the South, gem set golden jewels of the Lord and

vessels of gold and silver used in the worship of the deities. The invading

army was strong and big. The residents of Srirangam were weak and less in

number. So all the leading Acharyas met, discussed and decided to take the

Lord to some other place away from Srirangam, leave the doors of the

treasure-rooms locked and raise a strong wall before the Sanctum Sanctorum

for protecting the Lord of the sleeping Beauty. Some devout Acharyas

escorted the palanquin in which the idols were kept screened and which was

carried southward. Some Acharyas moved courageously northward in order to

arrest the swift march of the invading army unmindful of the risk for their

lives. A few remained in the city itself in its suburbs to protect the

temple if the could. Sri Vedanta Desika who was very much attached to

Srirangam and Lord Ranganatha , was advised to leave the city and go

northward and save himself to work for the expulsion of the invading army

and for the re-installation of the Lord in the temple by his psychic powers

and devotion and prayer. The aged Pillailokacharya with followers moved

southward by solitary paths and stray villages- with the Lord. Swami Desika

after a long and painful journey reached a remote village, Satyakaalam by

name, near (Kollegal) in the Mysore State (modern Karnataka). There he

stayed for several years leading a strenuous life in deep meditation on the

Lord and prayer for the safety of Srirangam and the re installation of the

Lord Ranganatha. It was in that lonely village on the bank of a flowing

river at the foot of a pair of Asvatta trees that he observed the daily

rites and carried on his meditation. There he composed the Abheetistava and

almost made a penance reciting the stotra for nearly four decades. It is

recorded that in Gingee, Gopanarya, a chief stain of Ginjee drove the

marauders from Srirangam and re-installed Sri Ranganatha and His consorts in

the temple. Hearing the happy and heartening news Swami Desika rushed back

to Srinangam to worship the Lord of his heart and spend his last days at the

feet of the Lord.

 

The Stotra begins with the praise of the Lord and his auspicious qualities

and prays for the protection of those who worship him and recite his names

(1-10). Then a prayer is made for relief from all fears that affect human

beings-fear from wife, son or kinsmen, fear from bodily infirmities and from

worldly objects good and bad; as well as fear from hell or heaven (11-18).

 

The last section (verses 19 to 27) makes a fervent prayer to the Lord that

He must save all the shrines and gods installed there and the poor residents

living there. In about half the number of slokas in the stotra there in

mention of fear and freedom from it. In sloka 22 there is only casual

mention of the sack of Srirangam by Turushkas and Yavanas (muslims and

foreigners) though it was the main cause for the composition of the stotra.

 

The Slokas contain all the essential doctrines of our Srivaishnava

Sampradaya, a knowledge of which will dispel the fear of ignorance and

attachment for worldly pleasures. Another peculiar feature of Abheeti-stava

is that it contains the four carama slokas which describe the value of

Saranagati in Srivaishnavism-the Varaaha carama, Rama-carama, Geeta-carama

and Sita-carama.

 

Sloka 6 (Sthite manasi vigrahe) reproduces to a great extent the words

phrases and thoughts of Varaha-carama which is spoken to Bhoomi Devi as she

is rescued from the Patala-loka and brought back.

 

Shite manasi susvasthe .......nayaami paramaam gatim.

(Varaaha-carama in Varaaha Purana)

 

Sloka 15 (Saktst-prapadana-sprsaam abhaya-daananitya-vratee) contains the

important words of Rama-carama in which Sri Rama proclaims his vow to

protect those who seek refuge in Him, while offering refuge to Vibhishana

brushing aside the opposing arguments of Sugriva and others.

 

Sakrt eva prapannaaya .........dadaami etat vtatam Mama

(Ramayana Yuddhakanda 18.33)

Sloka 5 (Bhavantam iha yah) by the words “ Kvacana tasya nasayaat bhayam

echoes the sentiments of Gita carama addresses to Arjuna by Sri Krishna.

 

Sarva-dharman parityajya ...........maa sucha

 

Sloka 10 in the words “Apathya-parihaara-dheevimukham…..avati vatsalaa

Tvad-dayaa” reminds us the offer of protection to the Rakshasa maidens by

Sita when Hanuman sought permission from Sita to punish the Rakshasees after

Ravana’s death for their ill-treatment of Sita.

 

Paapaanaam vaa subhaanaam vaa vadhaarhaanaam plavangama

Karyam karunam saryena na kascit na apradhyati

(Ram Yudha kanda 116.44)

 

In sloka 19 Sri Vedanta Desika mentions with respect the names of

Prahalada and the crow (Kaakaasura) Gajendra and Draupadi, Vibhishiana and a

serpent, Gopa Damsels and Ambarrisha all of whom got rid of their fear by

seeking refuge at the feet of the Lord. He prays that he and his associates

also should have their fear dispelled at once by the Grace of Sri

Ranganatha.

The last two slokas (28&29) are almost auto biographic to certain

extent and conclude with a moving appeal to the Lord to grant his life-long

longings as follows:

 

“O Lord! My youth was spent in the full enjoyment of the pleasures

with delectable Bharati (words) in the compositions of Sri Ramanuja, the

foremost amongst ascetic as. The hairs have grown grey on the head and I

submit what I can do now. Be pleased to keep me in some sacred place like

Srirangam where there will be no occasion for coming across an enemy and I

will be in the company of pious souls who always pray for mutual benefit.

 

His advice in the last sloka is; “Read this sacred hymn of Lord

Ranganatha which has sprung from the well known Sri Venkatesa by the

merciful glance of learned preceptors.

 

The all compassionate Lord Kesava (Ranganatha) will offer protection with

all the innumerable auspicious qualities of His and says “Get rid of your

fear. May you have all prosperity”.

[From the Life and works of Sri Nigamantha Mahadesikan- by Prof Sri A

Srinivasaraghavan]

 

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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