An Introduction to Swamy Desikan's Sankalpa SooryOdayam /Eve of HH InjimEdu Azhagiya Singar's Thirunakshathram ( Feb 7, 2005) .

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

SrI MalOla ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Sri NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA DesikAya Nama:

 

Dear SishyAs and AbhimAnis of SrI Matam :

 

adiyEn's AchAryan , HH SrI NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA Desikan

is blessing aasthikAs with a most informative KaalkshEpam on

Swamy Desikan's Sankalpa SooryOdhayam for the past few weeks .

adiyEn missed out on the first few KaalkshEpams and joined

the ghOshti during the last four weeks only . adiyEn has summarized

the KaalkshEpams with my limited knowledge for the benefit of those ,

who could not attend . Meanwhile , adiyEn has been blessed to recieve

one of the three copies of Sri Sankalpa SooryOdhayam sent to USA .

This out of print commentary by Vaikunta Vaasi , Abhinava Desika

Sri UtthamUr Swamy is a rare teasure to have to follow Srimath

Azhagiya Singar's high level , traditional KaalakshEpam . adiyEn feels

blessed since adiyEn has been on the look out for this copy of

Sankalpa SooryOdhayam for many years. Finally , adiyEn is blessed .

 

AdiyEn thought it will be useful to gain a perspective first on

the architectonics , content and context of Sankalpa SooryOdhayam .

Hence , adiyEn has taken this effort to provide a preface with considerable

hesitation . Errors in my summary are entirely mine . Any insights adiyEn

has gained are due to the anugraham and vaathsalyam of asmath AchAryan .

 

INTRODUCTION TO THE EXQUISITE & PROFOUND KAAVYAM

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Sankalpa SooryOdhayam(SSU) is an allegorical play in ten acts

bequeathed to us as Kula dhanam by Swamy Desikan .

This play was created by Swamy Desikan as a " rejoinder "

to a play named the PrabOdha ChandrOdhayam by an egotistic

Advaithin named KrishNamisra . Swamy Desikan refuted

soundly the views advocated by Krishnamisra in his nAtakam,

which had six acts . Swamy Desikan established the key tenets of

VisishtAdhvaitha philosophy (Tatthva-hitha-purushArTams )

in SSU and blew away the views advocated by Krishnamisra in his play .

 

In this play consisting of ten acts , Swamy Desikan stresses

that the unfailing power of the will of Sriman NaarAyaNan

( Bhagavath Sankalpam ) is an absolutely indispensable

requirement to gain Moksham ( freedom from the cycles of

births and deaths ) . Swamy Desikan instructed us further that

a SadAchAryan's intercession is a vital prerequisite for the bound

jeevans ( Bhaddha Jeevans) drowning in the terror-striking ocean of

SamsAram and to shatter their bonds of Karma ( PuNyams and

Paapams) .

 

PADHYAMS , GADHYAMS AND PRAKRUTHAM PASSAGES IN SSU

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Inside this Master play , we come across many padhyams (poems)

from well known previous works of Swamy Desikan that have been

quoted to settle arguments on points of contest between Para Mathams

and VisishtAdhvaitham . For instance one finds the slOkams from

Swamy Desikan such as Sri HayagrIva SthOthram , SubhAshitha Neevi ,

YathirAja Sapthathi , Rahasya Thraya Saaram , MeemAmsa PaadhukA ,

AbhIthi Sthavam , PaancharAthra RakshA , Taathparya Chandrika,

DasAvathAra SthOthram , YaadhavAbhyudayam , Abhaya PradhAna Saaram ,

GopAla Vimsathy , Dayaa Sathakam , Dhramidopanishad Saaram ,

NyAsa Tilakam , VaradarAja PanchAsath , NyAsa Vimsathy , SrI Sthuthi

and Garuda DaNDakam . The masterly interweaving of pramANams

from many earlier Sri Sookthis of his own (Svakeeya Bahu grantha slOkA: )

by Swamy Desikan is a most delectable revisit to them a different context .

 

There are many padhyams (SlOkams) composed exclusively

for Sankalpa SooryOdhayam that are radiant jewels in their own

rite . The richness of their meanings are exquisite treats for

discerning students of Poetry , Literature and Philosophy .

 

in this Naatakam , There are extensive passages in Praakrutham

language spoken by Women characters like the queen Sumathy

and her servants . Swamy's genius in handling the language of

PrAkrutham was experienced earlier during the recitation of

the hundred slokams of Achyutha Sathakam . We come across now

additional testaments to Swamy Desikan's rare talent in handling

PrAkrutham once again in SSU . Another unique aspect of

the multifaceted genius of Swamy Desikan is his familiarity with

Naataka ParibhAshA and chereography . He is indeed Sarva Tantra

Svatantran as Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr called Him .

 

THE QUINTESSENCE OF SRI SANKALPA SURYODHAYAM

*************************************************************

Sri UtthamUr Swamy has brilliantly captured the essence of SSU

in his introductionto his commentary on SSU :

 

" KavitArkika Simha Sarvatantra Svatantra VedAnthAchArya

Bhirudhu bhUshithai: , SrI VenkatanATa Desikai: anugruhIthamidham

Sankalpa SooryOdhaya samAkhyam nADakam VisishtAdhvaitha-

siddhAntha anurOdhEna Tatthva-Hitha-PurushArTAn prathibhOdhya ,

mathAnthara dhOshamapi sangrahENOdhgADya , MukthupAyE pravrutthim

vidhAya , pravrutthi mArga PravartanEna , Purushasya samsAra

samudhra sammagnathA paadhakAnAm Kaama-krodha-lObhAdheenAm

dhambha-darpAdheenAsccha nirvartanaprakAram upadhisya ,

" SuddhEna hrudhayEna samuchitha-sTAnavisEshE , SubhAsraya SrIVishNu

roopa dhyAnEna nishpAdhitha bhakthi yOga: prasanna-bhagavahyAkArithEna

mOksha-sankalpAkhyEna SooryENOdhithEna nirastha-tamaska: ParamE padhE

Parama Purusha parama-sAmyam prApnOthi itheemarTam visadham darsayathi".

 

( General Meaning) : This play known as Sankalpa SooryOdhayam has been

created by Sri VenkatanATa Desikan on whom the titles of (1)Lion among

poets and Logicians , (2) Master of all Arts , Crafts and Esoteric VidhyAs

and (3) the VedAntha (Upanishadic) AchAryan have been conferred by

none other than the dhivya dampathis of Srirangam . This nAtakam teaches

us Tatthva-Hitha-PurushArTam along the lines of VisishtAdhvaitha darsanam

and highlights briefly the defects in Para Mathams in intrepreting

Tatthvahitha-PurushArTams . Swamy Desikan also performed

upadEsam on how to perform UpAya anustAnam for MOksham

and how that practise of MOkshOpAyam frees one from the mighty

sins of desire , anger , miserliness, pride, boasting etc that result from

being immersed constantly in the fearsome ocean of SamsAram .

Swamy Desikan also instructed the Mumukshus ( those who desire

Moksham) that pure-hearted meditation on the SubhAsrayam

( Divine , auspicious ThirumEni ) of VishNu will lead one to Bhakthi yOgam

and delight the Lord , which in turn results in the Sunrise of Bhagavaan"s

Moksha Sankalpam (Divine Will and vow to grant Moksham ) that chases away

all nescience . This veritable Sankalpa SooryOdhayam grants

us the boon of arrival at the Lord's Supreme Abode of Sri Vaikuntham and

enjoy ParipoorNa BrahmAnandham there on a par with the Lord Himself .

 

THE SCOPE OF FUTURE POSTINGS ON SANKALPA SOORYODHAYAM(SSU)

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The divine Sri Sookthi of Swamy Desikan is anchored in Bhagavath RaamAnuja

SiddhAntham as elaborated in YathirAjar's magnum opus , Sri BhAshyam .

Even a limited understanding of Sri BhAshyam , where AchArya RaamAnujA

scales the heights of SaasthrAs can be realized only from participation in

the

traditional , face to face KaalkshEpams of our most merciful AchAryAs .

Further knowledge about Tarkam and VyAkaraNam is also needed to gain

the full benefit from such KaalakshEpams on Sri BhAshyam . Not having

all those prerequisites , adiyEn has come to the unavoidable conclusion

that it will be fool hardy to summarize the high level AchArya KaalakshEpams

verbatim over the medium of internet . adiyEn has therefore decided

to focus on the individual slOkams and passages of SSU that will be of

help to us as guide posts in our kaimkaryams to the Lord and lead

the life as one , who has performed one of the MokshOpAyams

(krutha kruthyan=seytha vELvian ) . At the annual visit of Swamy Desikan

on His Thirunakshathram day to His Lord's abode on Hasthigiri , specific

Sankalpa SooryOdhayam slOkams are recited to remind us of the UpadEsams

of Swamy Desikan on MokshOpAya anushtAnams and Sri VaishNavite

tenets on which those anushtAnams are based .AdiyEn will follow that

route and focus on individual slOkams adorning the ten acts of

Sri Sankalpa Sooryadhayam .

 

On this sacred birth day ( ThiruavathAra dinam ) of Sri VaNN SaThakOpa

SrI RanganAtha SaThakOpa YathIndhra MahA Desikan ( HH Injimettu

Azhagiya Singar ), adiyEn seeks the anugraham of asmath AchAryan

to engage in this Kaimkaryam and place the fruits of this kaimakryam

at the sacred feet of Sriranga Dhivya Dampathis .

 

adiyEn will commence this series of SSU postings with the two "Naandhi

SlOkams" , which serve as the Ranga Pooja for SSU ( salutations to the stage

on which this Naatakam takes place) . One of these two slOkams salutes

the MokshOpAyam of Bhakthi yOgam and the other pays its homage to

Prapatthi yOgam .

 

It is adiyEn's hope and prayer that all aasthikAs will join hands to

ssupport

the ongoing effort to raise funds for the continuation of NithyArAdhana

Kaimkaryam at ThUppul Swamy Desikan Sannidhi . From what we have been

blessed with , it is a small sacrifice to set aside some funds to support

atleast one day's AarAdhanam expenses and recieve the magnificent

anugraham of Swamy Desikan . Please join in this Kaimkaryam .

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

 

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

SrivaNN Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

P.S : Dear AaasthikAs : In a companion note on support