Thuppul PiLLai- 54- YathirAja saptathi- seventy verses on the King among sanyasi

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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 continue to enjoy the sthOthra granthas of Swamy Desikan [in

alphabetical order]- Today is the last of SthOthra granthas in albhabetical

order- Yatiraja-Saptati -(Seventy on the ascetic-king)

 

This is a Stotra on Acarya Sri Ramanuja(the ascetic-king) in seventy

+four verses. Sri Vedanta Desika begins this hymn with salutations to the

chief propounders of the Doctorine of Vaishnavism from Bhagavan, the first

Acarya up to Sri Mahapurna(Peria-nambi) the direct Acarya of Sri Ramanuja. A

study of the stotra will reveal the unparrelled devotion of Sri Desika to

the Acarya in general and to Sri Ramanuja in particular. The writing of the

stotra is based to a great extent on verses of Iraamaa-nuja-nootrantaadi, a

Tamil poem composed by Tiru-arangattu-amudanaar. He was a direct disciple of

Sri Ramanuja to whom he submitted it for his approval and publication. Sri

Ramanuja read it fully, and was much pleased with the correctness of the

ideas and devotion to the Acarya (12). On the suggestion of other

comtemporary Srivaishnava Acaryas, he gave it a place in the Divya

Prabhandha of the Alwars. Just as the Kanninun-siruttambu, the poem of

Madhura Kavi Alwar on Nammalwar, was included as the last prabhandha of the

first thousand, Ramanuja-nootrandadi was added as the last prabandha in the

fourth thousand known as Iyarppaa.

 

On the basis of that work, Sri Desika states that Sri Ramanuja was an

incarnation of the five weapons of Bhagavan Vishnu(12), of Vishvaksena(32),

and Dattatrya (63) who was himself an incarnation of Bhagavan with crimson

garment and tridanda. Though the popular tradition is that Sri Ramanuja is

an incarnation of Adisesha, it is not mentioned in the Stotra, Sri Ramanuja

is described as shining with the insignia prescribed by the SAstras for a

Sannyasin- the Sacred Thread (Yajnopaveeta), the vertical and upright

caste-marks on the body(oordhva-pundra), the triple-staff(tri-danda), the

crimson garment(kaasaaya vastra) and the tuft of hair on the head(sikhaa ).

 

The Stotra describes the greatness of Sri Ramanuja and his works, his

contribution to the welfare of the world(39,56),the propagation of the

philosophy of Visishtadvaita and Vaishnavism, and the refutation of the

other systems of philosophy. He also praises the good fortune of those who

have chosen Ramanuja as the Acarya. Sri Ramanuja, the Yati-raja (the ascetic

king) is pre-eminent as the mountain from which flow the streams of right

knowledge; he is the cool tree that affords rest for those who are tired by

their journey in the path of birth and death; he is the morning sun that

dispels the night-like illusion of the perverted intellects and the full

moon for the surging tide of the sea of the Vedas.

 

Sri Vedanta Desika states that he made an intensive study of the several

schools of thoughts like Buddhism of Buddha, Jainism of Jina, Sankhya of

Kapila, Vaiseshika of Kanada, Yoga of Brahma, Paasupata of Siva,

Bhaatta-mata of Kumarila Bhatta, Advaita of Sankara and Bhedabheda of Yadava

and Bhaskara. They gave me knowledge. I received enlightenment and devotion

to God only by the works of Sri Ramanuja-Vedanta Sara. Vedanta deepa and Sri

Bhashya (the commentaries on the Brahma Sutras), Gita-Bhashya, Vedartha

Sangraha(a digest of the Upanishads) and the three Gadyas (Saranagatii, Sri

Ranga and Vaikunta). The devotion of Sri Desika can be seen by the thirty

epithets by which he addresses Sri Ramanuja in the Stotra.

 

For a verse by verse translation, please

http://members.tripod.com/~sriramanujar/yathiraja_sapthathi.html [Translated

to English by Sri U.Ve. V.N Vedanta Desikan - (from Tamil Commentary by

Villivalam Sri U. Ve. Narayanacharya Swamy) as appeared in Sri Nrusimhapriya

in mid 90s)

 

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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