Book review - Singing the body of God- by Stephen Hopkins- book on Swamy Desika

[Guest guest]

Sri

Srimathe Nigamantha Mahadesikaya Namaha

 

Dear Members,

 

A review on the new book "Singing the body of God" by Stephen

Hopkins

was published about a week back in 'The Hindu'.

 

http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/br/2003/03/04/stories/2003030400090300.htm

 

 

Regards,

 

Malolan Cadambi

 

A master poet

 

SINGING THE BODY OF GOD: Steven Paul Hopkins; Oxford University Press, YMCA

Library Building, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi - 110001. Rs. 595.

 

AMONG THE all-time greats in the realm of religion and philosophy, Vedanta

Desika occupies a unique and hallowed position and shines like a dazzling

star in the poetical and philosophical firmament. He is a great poet in

three languages viz. Sanskrit, Tamil and Prakrit, philosopher, guide,

teacher, saint and theologian — all combined in one. There is no phase in

the literary field that he has not touched and embellished — kavyas (long

poems), philosophical works, stotras in praise of God and gurus, lucid

commentaries on works of earlier acharyas and even on some of his own, and

Tamil Prabandhas — his total works numbering nearly 120.

 

The book under review commences with an overall survey of the state of

Vaishnavism in Tamil Nadu during the period of Desika; its flourishing and

thriving in the scholastic centres of Kanchipuram and Srirangam; and

Desika's interaction with other scholar-contemporaries. Desika's life

history is briefly recounted next, along with the author's comments here and

there.

 

With this background material, the author starts on a detailed examination

of three of Desika's Tamil Prabandhas (out of 24), in praise of Lord

Varadaraja of Kanchi and Lord Devanatha of Tiruvahindrapuram. Translating

many of these verses in English in simple verse form, the author adds his

own appreciative comments, also comparing and contrasting these with the

verses in the Divya Prabandha of Alwars.

 

In this book, the author mainly deals with Desika, as a master-poet in three

languages, although now and then he touches on the philosophical import of

the poetry.

 

The author's English translation of the Tamil and Sanskrit verses is marked

by elegance and beauty; and is faithful to the original. He succeeds in

bringing out the grandeur, sublimity and subtle nuances in Desika's majestic

poetry and his translation almost reads like the original.

 

He has adopted the Tamil orthographic system for Sanskrit names and has

transliterated Varada Desikan as Varata Tecikan, Swaminatha Iyer as

Caminataiyar, Desika Prabandham as Tecika Pirapantam, Sangam as Cankam and

so on, making the reading difficult. The author could have stuck to the

original Sanskrit names for transliteration.

 

It has been commented in the book more than once that there is a slight

variation between the philosophical works of Desika and his devotional

poetry, on the issues of God's grace, human effort and self-surrender. This

is not correct because poetry, and more so devotional poetry, by its very

nature, is allowed certain amount of poetic licence, poetic excess and

exaggeration. The aim of devotional poetry is to praise unstintedly God, His

magnanimity and His mercy as all-pervasive and so, such devotional poetry

has to be understood in the proper perspective, duly understanding the

in-built philosophy, shorn of poetic exaggeration.

 

The author's observation that Desika's Tamil poetry never stood alone as

such and was extracted from his other works and published as a separate book

only in 1940s is far from true. Several editions of this Prabandha had

indeed appeared much earlier than 1940s. Again, out of 24 Tamil Prabandhas,

only six are extracted from his other works and the remaining 18 are

original works.

 

In fact, the Guru Parampara records that even as early as in the 14th

century, Desika's son, Nayinaracharya, had covenanted that Desika Prabandha

should be recited during the period when the Divya Prabandha should not be

recited.

 

While the effort of the author is laudable, there are several factual

mistakes in the book. To mention a few. Desika's father was Anantasuri and

not Pundariksa (sic) (Pundarikaksha), who was actually his paternal

grandfather. Desika, at the age of five, "did not better the elder acharyas

in debate", as stated; but only reminded them of the philosophical passage,

which they were discussing earlier and had subsequently forgotten. Desika's

work Paduka Sahasram is essentially in praise of Ranganatha's sandals and

not Rama's, as stated.

 

Again, Apulllar and Nayinaracharya were not contemporaries and the former

passed away long before the latter was born. Garuda and Vainateya are not

different, but one and the same. Adverting to the genesis of Paduka

Sahasram, Desika's adversary offered to write on the Lord's feet and not on

His sandals. A drama is "nataka" and not "natya".

 

It was at Srirangam that Desika was given the title "master of all arts and

sciences" (Sarvatantra Svatantra) and not at Tiruvahindrapuram. Desika did

not write commentaries on all the Prabandhas of Alwars, but only on some of

them.

 

The benedictory verse of Nadadur Ammal on Desika was not "lifted wholesale

from a scene in Sankalpa Suryodayam" but it is the reverse; the verse has

been incorporated in Sankalpa Suryodayam.

 

The book seems to contain more of rhetoric and high-flown language, with a

plethora of quotations from works of contemporary western and Indian

scholars. It is useful in showing how a westerner studies and admires

Desika's genius as a poet par excellence.

 

V.N. GOPALA DESIKACHARIAR

 

 

 

 

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