Swamy Desika Sahasra Naamam : Part IV/ Priest Quarters Construction at Sri RanganAtha Temple

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of Lord RanganAtha:

 

Today we will cover the Sahasra Naamam relating to

Saaranishkarsha adhikAram and PradhAna Prathitantra

adhikAram.

 

Saara NishkarshAdhkAram

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(804) Saaranishkarsha kusalAya Nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to Swamy Desikan , who had

the power to determine the most important among

the philosophical doctrines and their meanings .

 

Comments: This chapter is about the determination of

the most important meaning of doctrines to be known

by one , who desires Moksham (Mumukshu) .

 

Moksham and the means for attaining it has to be known

through SaasthrAs alone. SaasthrAs are like a vast ocean .

One should churn out of this ocean , the most important

subject and cast aside all the other inessentials. Swamy

Desikan discusses in this chapter about the most important

subjects to be known by us. The five categories to be

evaluated to determine which is the most important are :

 

1. Those without any substance : Poisonous Saasthrams like

Bhouddham and Jainism , which are against the VedAs

(Veda Virudhdam ). They are called asArams.

 

2. Alpa Saaram : These are of low value . These are Veda

BhAgams dealing with insignificant phalans like children ,

perishable worldly wealth . These transients can be discarded .

 

3. Saaram : Vedic karmAs instructing us to gain Svargam

and the other worlds.These may be of substance to some .

But they give dukkham ultimately since they are finite

in the duration of the enjoyment and cause sorrow ,

when one uses these up ( KsheeNa PuNyam ) .

 

4. Saarataram : These are little more substantial . Veda

BhAgams instructing one on gaining Kaivalyam or Aathma

anubhavam .One has to cast them aside too based on

the knowledge that there are more substantial gains

to be sought after .

 

5. Saaratamam : The most important vishayam is the section of

the VedAs dealing with the means to attain the ParamAthmA .

Even here , the subsections covering Tatthvam , Hitham and

PurushArTam through the Rahasya Thrayam are the most

important subjects to know for a Mumukshu.

 

Thus the three rahsyams and their meanings are the absolute

essentials for one to know. Therefore , they are the Saaratamam.

This determination is made in the second chapter of SRTS

known as SaaranishkarsahAdhikAram .Swamy Desikan had

the kusalam( capabilities ) to determine what is Saaratamam

( absolutely essential) .

 

PradhAna Paritantra adhikAram

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(805) PradhAna PrathitantravidhE Nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to Swamy Desikan , who was

fully conversant with PradhAna Prathitantram.

 

(Comments): Prathitantram is the name given to the doctrines that

are unique to a siddhAntham . There are a number of tatthvams that

are indeed unique to Bhagavath RaamAnuja siddhAntham .The most

important ( PradhAnam ) among the prathitantrams is the one

which establishes that the world and its entities are the body

(SarIram ) to Sriman NaarAyaNan and that He is the indweller

(antharyAmi) in them all . This relationship between the chethna-

achethnams of the world and the Lord as their aathmA is

the PradhAna Paritantram for VaishNavAs .

 

(806) Isa-aadharakataa - sEshithva- niyantruthva- BhOdhakAya Nama:

 

(meaning): Salutations to the great AchArya , who established

the ParamAthmA's svaroopam as the Foundation , Master

and Commander of all the Sentients and insentients of the world.

 

Comments: As the indweller of the ChEtanAchEtanams ,

He has DhArakathvam ( Being the underlying base for them ) ,

Seshithvam ( Being their Supreme Master ) and Niyanthruthvam

( Being their commander/controller).

 

Since all sentients and insentients have their svaroopam

( inherent nature ) and Sthithi ( existence ) through ParamAthmA's

svaroopam , He is therefore known as the DhArakan.

 

Similarly , all the entities are adheenam ( under the control of )

to ParamAthmA's sankalpam .The Svaroopam , Sthithi and Pravrutthi

( activities) of the ChEtanams and achEtanams are subject to the will

(Sankalpam ) of the Lord . Therefore , He is therefore known as NiyanthA .

 

Similarly , the world and its entities have been created by

the Lord for delighting Him and function for that purpose .

The One who derives prayOjanam (usefulness ) from them is

the Lord , the Supreme Master (Seshi). That which are used for

His pleasure and purpose are Seshans (ChEtanams and achEtanams ).

ParamAthma is therefore known as Seshi .

 

The Sareerithvam of the Lord ( Him being the aathma for

the world of ChEtanams and achEtanams that serve

as His body/Sareeram) arises from the three aspects of

His svaroopam ( Adharathvam , Niyantruthvam and

Seshithvam ).

 

(807) Jeeva-aadhEyathva-sEshatva-niyAmyatva-niroopakAya Nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutaions to the AchAryan , who proved that

the Jeevans are supported , controlled and used by the Lord

are the sareeram (body) of the Lord. This is defining marks of

Sareeram ( Sareera lakshaNams). All siddhAnthams except ours

do not accept that the jeevans are the body (Sareeram ) of

the Lord. The eternal Jeevans , which are atomic in size is

the sareeram for the Lord and that Jeevan has the perishable

physical body as its Sareeram . Once the physical body made up

of panchabhUtham falls down , then the jeevan moves on either

to another body or starts its journey to the Supreme abode of

its Lord .

 

808) SankalpAdheena- nithyAkhyavasthusthithi visEshavidhE nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to that AchAryan , who knew that

the special existence (sthithi visEsham ) of waht are known as

eternal vasthus are also subject to the wish (Sankalpam ) of

the Lord .

 

The question may arise : why would the nithya vasthus

that are always existent should depend on the Lord's wish

and will to exist .

 

The answer is that the Lord has two kinds of sankalpams.

One is nithya sankalpam that permit the existence of

the nithya vasthus. The other is anithya sankalpam , which

create vasthus that do not stay forever. If Bhagavan has no

nithya sankalpam , the nithya vasthus wont exist . Therefore ,

nithya vasthu is under the control of the Lord as well through

His nithya sankalpam .

 

(809) sEsha-sEshyAdhi sambhandha phalithArTa visEshavidhE nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutaions to that great AchAryan , who understood

clearly the meanings ( implications ) of the three PradhAna Paritantra

relationships such as aadhAra-aadhEya , sEsha-sEshi and sEsha-

sEshi bhaavams. Among these relationships , the sEsha-sEshi

bhAvam is the most important (PradhAnam ).

 

(Comments): The three bhAvams give us the knowledge that

(1) we have no foundation except BhagavAn for our existence

and are ananyAdhararhaL (2) We have no purpose of existence

except to be of use to PerumAl and therefore are ananyaprayOjanarhaL

and (3) We have no recourse except PerumAl for our rakshaNam

(ananyasaraNarhal). Our true nature (Svaroopam ) is defined by

these three dictums. Among the three amsams serving as lakshaNams

for Sareeram , the Sesha-Seshi BhAvam is the most important paritantram

(PradhAnam ) .

 

adiyEn will continue with the next chapter of SRTS (Viz).,

ArTa Panchaka adhikAram next .

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SarNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama: