Varadanatha Nayanaracharyar Thirunakshatram - Avatara Vaibhavam - Part 3

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Swamy Deshikan Thiruvadigale Sharanam !!!

Swamy Varadanatha Nayanaracharya Maha Deshikan Thiruvadigale Sharanam !!!

 

Dear Bhagavathas,

We shall continue in this posting to enjoy the Avatara Vaibhavam of Sriman

Nayanaracharya Maha Deshikan based on 3000 padi guruparampara prabhavam of

Tritiya Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala Swamy.

 

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Avataara Vaibhavam - 3

 

The entourage of Swamy and Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeeyar reaches

Thirumalai. At this time the Jeeyar of Thirumalai had attained paramapadam.

Lord Thiruvenkatamudaiyan appointed Sri Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeeyar to

take up the mantle of Srikaryadurandhara of Thirumalai shrine. Brahmatantra

Swamy came and submitted this information to his acharya Swamy

Nayanaracharya. An extremely pleased Nayanaracharya said "This is indeed an

anugraha vishesham that you are bestowed with the wealth of Kainkarya

nirvaaham along with Siddhantha pravachanam." From that day onwards

Brahmatantra Swamy took over the mantle of Srikaryadurandhara of Thirumalai

shrine.

 

Swamy Nayanaracharya continued to stay at Thirumalai for some more time and

later on a Purattasi day he performed mangalashasanam to Alarmel Mangai

sametha Srinivasan and moved to Ahobilam. Here Swamy was honoured by the

king Sarvajna Shingappa Nayaka. At this place there was a magician by name

Shakalyamalla who had a brahmarakshasa in his control. This brahmarakshasa

had cast a spell by which the thiruppallakku on which Swamy was travelling

could not be moved at all. Our Swamy with his manthra siddhi broke the spell

and instead made the brahmarakshasa carry the pallakku. This broke the

garvam of Shakalyamalla who later apologised.

 

On the banks of Godavari, Swamy met a Brahmana by name Daasharaja. Swamy

converted this Brahmanan to a Srivaishnavan and named him as Dasharathiraja

and presented him with a vigraham of Nigamantha Maha Deshika and asked him

to perform Thiruvaradhanam to it everyday.

At his request Swamy wrote a few works like Saararthasangraham and others

and taught it to his disciples. After completing his Vada Desha yatrai,

Swamy returned to Perumal Koil Kanchipuram.

 

After his return to Kanchipuram Swamy performed an Agnishtoma Yagam. It may

of interest to note here that Swamy comes in a lineage of acharyas who have

been performers of sacred Yajnas. Mention need to be made of Anantha

Somayaji and Pundarikaksha Yajva who were very famous for the Yajnas they

performed.

 

A few years after this Brahmatantra Swatantrar granted sanyasam to his

disciple Perarulalaiyyar Appai who was named Dwiteeya Brahmatantra Swatantra

Parakala Maha Deshikan (II Jeeyar of Parakala Matham). On one auspicious

day, Brahmatantra Swatantra Jeeyar, contemplating on the thiruvadi of

Deshika, attained his acharya's lotus feet. Upon the instructions from

Nayanaracharya, Veeravalli pillai, performed all the charama kainkaryams of

the Jeeyar. Dviteeya Brahmatantra Swatantra Swamy took over as the Srikaryam

of Thiruvenkatamudaiyaan's shrine.

 

This was the time Nayanaracharya Swamy authored works like Adhikarana

Chintamani. Having been wrongly provoked by Shakalya malla, a maayi sanyasi

approached Swamy and said "You first win over me and then continue your

siddhantha pravachanam". Swamy decided to break the garvam of this sanyaasi

by the anugraham of Perumal and Deshika.

 

Swamy was greatly pleased with the kainkaryams of one his disciples by name

Annan. Swamy consecrated some water with the sacred Hayagrivamanthram and

gave this to Annan and sent him to win over this sanyasi. Annan won over the

sanyasi in a battle of Vedantha. The sanyasi sumitted himself at the feet of

Annan and later at the feet of Nayanaracharya. An extremely pleased Swamy

exclaimed "Prativaadi bhayankaram AnnanE vArum...". Prativaadi Bhayankaram

Annan later composed the most beautiful "Saptati ratna maalika" on Swamy

Deshika. As per the wish of Swamy, Annan went to Thiruvarangam and continued

siddhantha pravachanam.

 

On one day when Swamy was having the darshanam of Perarulalan, he entered

into a spiritual epiphany wherein the Lord said "nam periyaveeDu

shErakkadavIr ..." - "You shall soon attain my holy abode in Paramapadam".

As per the Lord's command, Swamy gave his last sermons to all his disciples

and took Deshika Sripadateertham and blessed his disciples with his own

Sripadateertham. He presented the vigraham of Varadarajar that was presented

to him by Swamy Deshika to his disciple Emperumaanaarappan. Amidst the

ghosham of Thiruvaimozhi and Upanishats, Swamy Nayanaracharya Maha Deshikan

attained the lotus feet of Swamy Deshika on a Panguni Krishna Saptami day of

Jayavarsham.

 

Upon the instructions of Thirumalaiappar who was the Srikaryakartha of

Perumal Koil and also the son of Thirumalai Srinivasacharya,

Emperumaanaarappan who was Swamy's disciple performed all the charama

kainkaryams of Swamy Nayanaracharya.

 

Swamy Varadanatha Nayanaracharya's works include -

 

On Swamy Deshika -

Deshika Mangalashasanam,

Deshika Prarthanashtakam,

Deshika Prapatti,

Deshika Dinacharya,

Deshika Vigrahadhyanam,

Pillai AnthAdi - All these on Swamy Deshikan.

 

Other works on sampradayam include -

SArArtha sangraham,

AbhayapradAna sAram,

Virodhi bhanjani,

Prabandha sAram,

Tattva traya chuLakam,

Rahasya traya chuLakam,

AhAra niyamam,

Nyasa tilaka vyAkhyAnam,

SaguNa brahma samarthanam,

shankAkathakam,

Abheda khandanam,

AvidyA khandanam,

tyAga shabdArtha nirnayam,

Tattva muktA kalApa shAnti,

Adhikarana chintAmaNi,

mImAmsA pAduka paritrANam,

HariNa sandesham,

Kokila sandesham

 

He had disciples ranging from monarchs to ascetics similar to Swamy

Deshikan. HIs prime disciples include -

PrativAdi Bhayankaram Annan,

KandADai Annan,

KomAndUr AchchAn,

PoLipAkkaM nayinAr,

Thirumalai appar,

KidAmbi appar,

NadAdUr Azhwan,

Ananthappan,

KandAdai appan,

EmperumAnArappan

 

Let us sing his taniyan and pray at his feet to grant us the wealth of

jnanam and acharya bhakti -

"shrAvaNe mAsi rohiNyAm jAtam venkatadeshikAt |

vishvAmitrAnvayAbdhIndum varadAryamaham bhaje ||

shrImallakshmaNa yogIndra siddhAntha vijayadhvajam |

vishvAmitrAnvayAbdhIndum varadAryamaham bhaje || "

 

Sri VedAntha Deshika samyami sArvabhouma kaTAksha labdha sArvajna,

Srimath Sri kavikathaka kanteerava charaNa naLina yugaLa vinyasta samastAtma

bhara,

Sri Kumara Varadanatha Nayanaracharya Maha DeshikAya namaha

 

To be contd...

 

Note - The avatara vaibhavam of Nayanaracharya is based purely on 3000 padi

guruparampara prabhavam of Srimath Triteeya Brahmatantra Swatantra Parakala

Yatindra Maha Deshikan (III Jeeyar of Parakala Matham).