Nadadur Ammaal and Swamy Deshika - Swamy Deshikan Thirunakshatram celebrations

[Guest guest]

Swamy Deshikan Thiruvadigale Sharanam !!!

 

Today at Thuppul, one gets to see Swamy Deshika in the "Ammal kAlakshepa

goshti" sEvai. In the evening Deshika enjoys the Surya prabha vAhanam.

 

Let us enjoy this unique and wonderful relationship of Swamy Deshika with

his grand preceptor Nadadur Ammaal.

 

Swamy Deshikan in his Subhashita Neevi, sadaashrita paddhati, sings a

shlokam. It goes as -

 

Eka eva gurordRishTyA dvAbhyAM vApi labheta yat

Na tattisRibhiH aShTAbhiH sahasreNApi kasyachit

 

The verses of Subhashita Neevi are known for their dhvani or hidden imports.

Here the verse conveys that -

 

One glance with the two eyes of an acharya filled with anugraham and

katAksham is so powerful that, it is not equal to a glance with three eyes

of Rudra or eight eyes of Brahma or even a thousand eyes of Indra.

 

It was indeed such an anugraham on Swamy Deshikan by the great Nadadur Ammal

that made Swamy Deshikan an impregnable grandmaster of Ramanuja darshanam.

It is said that the spiritual journey of an aspirant begins with the grace

of an acharya. Swamy Deshikan's illuminative life began with the grace of

Nadadur Ammal. Swamy Deshikan's first meeting with Nadadur Ammal at

KachivAythAn mantapam is quite well known. It was here that Ammal blessed

Swamy Deshikan with the famous words -

 

pratiShThApita vEdAntA pratikshipta bahirmataH

bhUyAstraividyamAnyastvam bhUri kalyANabhAjanam

 

"May you establish Vedantha on a firm footing and may you vanquish the

adverse systems

May you be adored and respected by the knowers and may you be the recipient

of all round auspiciousness"

 

The episode of KachchivAythAn mantapam has been captured for posterity even

to this day. One visiting this place could see a on the roof a beautiful

painting depicting a toddling Deshikan talking to Ammal. A walk along the

corridors of KachivAyththAn mantapam would give one an imaginative

reverberation of "pratishtapita vedantha .....kalyANa bhAjanam".

 

Swamy Deshikan in many of his works like Sankalpa Suryodayam and others,

prays to Nadadur ammal and remembers the choicest of blessings that were

showered by Ammal on him.

 

Nadadur Ammal's anugraham on Swamy Deshikan didn't end with the episode at

KachchivAyththAn mantapam, but remained on him throughout his life. This is

evident from the episode of Shrutaprakashika. During the muslim invasion,

Sri Sudarshanacharya's words are worthy of mention.

 

" ... intha shrutaprakAshikaiyai vAsiththu pravarththippikkavENum, ithu

ummAle tazhaikkumpadi nam ammAL thiruvuLLAmAgaiyyAle ..."

 

It was indeed Ammal's divine prophecy that made Swamy Deshikan establish

Ramanuja darshanam irrefutably.

 

Even to this day, on the occassion of Swamy Deshikan's Thirunakshatram,

Deshikan ascends the 24 holy steps to Aththigiri, but from here does not go

straight to Varadan's sanctorum. He instead comes to the eastern corridor

which is KachivAythAn mantapam to pay respects to his prAchArya Nadadur

Ammal. This verse is then rememberd recited by the goshti. After Varadan

Mangalashasanam, Swamy Deshikan again comes and seats himself in this

mantapam. It is here that the goshti completes the recitation of all the

Srisooktis of Swamy Deshikan.

 

At Thulasi thotam Bangalore, the shrine sanctified by ThillaisthAnam Jeeyar

(Ahobila matam) one gets to see Swamy Nadadur Ammal and Swamy Deshikan in

the same sannidhi. This is the only place that has an archai for Nadadur

Ammal.

 

It may well be said that Yamunacharya - Ramanuja and Nadadur Ammal - Swamy

Deshikan are two of the greatest prAchArya - prashishya relationships.

 

mangaLam dEshikEndrAya mahanIya guNAya cha

chakravarththi tanUjAya sArvabhaumAya mangalam

 

vAzhi vyAkhyAmuddirak kai !!!

vEdAntasUri charaNau sharaNam prapadye !!!