Thuppul PiLLai- 63- YaadhavAbyudhayam- Great Kaavyam on KrishnA

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SrI:

SrImathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namah:

SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |

vedAntAcArya-varyo me sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

 

May the glorious Venkatanatha, the greatest of teachers of Vedanta, and the

lion among poets and debaters, reside forever in my heart.

 

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

Let us continue to enjoy great sanskrit granthas of Swamy.

 

There are seven works, Swamy wrote in Sanskrit which form part of literature

about which we will start now.

 

The first work is Yaadavaabhyudayam, a mahA kAvya in 24 cantos (chapters) on

the life of Krishna. This is written in an extremely elegant and easy

flowing language.

 

It is held by the traditionalists that this poem (or kaavyam) was written in

a sequel to the Raamabhyudhayam of DiNdimakavi. VaibhavaprakAsikhA of

Mahacharya mentions that the name of this work is known as

KrishNAbhyudhayam. This poem is an ideal Mahaakaavyam, and fulfils all the

conditions laid down by ancient rhetoricians for a Mahaakaavya. There is

proprietary of time and place for descriptions. To mention a few among them,

the city of Dwaraka (Chapter-11), Govardhana hill (Chapter-6) and moon’s

setting in the west at dawn are depicted with UNSURPASSED poetic imagery. Of

equal charm is the beautiful description of the EARTH (Chapter-18) while

KrishNA was returning to earth with SathyabhAmA bringing the Paarijaatha

tree from heaven. The entire story of Mahabharatha war is gracefully

described in Canto 23. In writing this poem, with a religious background,

Swamy Vedantha Desikan, says Sri Prof. A Srinivasaraghavchariar, has an

equal in the English poet Milton. There are 12 sthOthras addressed to God by

different persons on different occasions. Devotion, Self surrender and the

Tattvatrayam get well merited treatment (1st Chapter 53 sloka and 10th

chapter 75 sloka).

 

He is second to none among the ancient poets like Kalidasa in dictional

structures and grammatical traditions. All the sentiments secure superb

delineation but special interest is shown in the cases of Sringaara, Veera

and adbhutha. He is an adept also in framing literary pieces called bandhas

(Chapter 6) in which the letters are redistributed to form pictorial

descriptions like lotus, horse, drum, and others. Some formations are made

with a single letter.

 

6th -96 sloka

 

naanaa naanaa naanaa naanaa naanaa naanaa naanaa naanaa |.

naanaa naanaa naanaa naanaa naanaa naanaa naanaa naanaa ||

WoW! What a slokA!

 

There are many poems in Chapter 6 in which sets of words are repeated. Above

all, there is proprietary in the entire work in respect of the use of words,

prefixes, rasas, and alankaras. This aspect alone enlivens any poem and has

enriched this poem of the Acharya in particular.

 

The poet is a creator in whose poem the Goddess of speech reveals for the

reason that it contains the delineation of sentiments, emotions and

suggestiveness of them, poetic embellishments and presence of literary

qualities. The Acharya’s concept of a poet, as he expressed in 1st chapter

5th sloka, is amply and adequately borne out by all these features presented

in this poem itself.

 

The worth and excellence of this Mahaakaavya are surely high and eminent as

it is evident by the commentary which another polymath – Advaita scholar –

Sri Appayya dhIkshithar wrote two centuries later on this kaavya. His

observation at the end of the commentary on 1st chapter 9th sloka is worth

noting.

 

Kreedaa thULigayaa swasmin krupaarUshithayaa swayam |

EkOviswamitham chithram vibhu: srImAnajeejanath ||

 

The ink is Lord’s karuNai (dayA- Compassion); Lord’s leelA- the paint brush;

He, Sriya: Pathi (who has the capacity to create the worlds on His own),

alone crated is the braod meaning.

 

DhIkshithar’s comment about this mahaakaavyam is made after writing an

expository commentary on 1st chapter 1-9 slokas. He means that the senses or

purports, which are to be neglected upon in this way are found in each word

in the poems of Kavitaarkikasimham, including the simple and lovely poems.

While commenting on the colophon to canto 1, Appayya dhIkshithar observes

that the title, Kavitaarkikasimham, Sarvathanthraswathanthrar and

Vedanthacharya are meaningful in their application to the Acharya. He

explains each word of these titles. Eminence of the Acharya Swamy Desikan

could not be easily assessed. Appayya DhIkshithar acknowledges it.

 

In his commentary, Appayya DhIkshithar says, the sloka conveys everything

what Purusha sUkhta mentions in such essence form, describing the creation

of Universe. Also, in “Swayam Swasmin Eka: “, the Nimittha kAraNathvam,

UpAdAna kAraNathvam, and Sahakaari kAraNathvam of EmperumAn Sriya: Pathi

Sriman Narayanan are described and declared assertively in this sloka

establishing VisistAdvaitam.

 

DhIkshithar adds that in every sloka of Swamy Desikan such great

vishEshArthams are impregnated.

 

Itham Vichintyas Sarvatra Bhaavaah Santhi Padhe Padhe |

Kavi Taarkika Simhasya Kavyeshu Lalitheswapi ||

 

"Even in the simple and soft compositions of this Lion of both poets and

logicians, there are poetic excellence evident at every step and indeed in

every word" – says Sri Appayya dhIkshithar.

 

In the same manner, Abinava dESika Sri UttamUr Veeraraghavachariar Swamy

mentioned that this sloka (1st chapter- 9th sloka) as “anavamam navamam”.

Unparalleled, unmatched sloka is this ninth slokA, which is like a crown

among jewels.

 

The gist of this kaavyam: This kaavyam described the Parathavam and

Sowlabhya guNAs of Sri KrsihNa, who captivated the world with His greatest

most auspicious above two KalyANa guNAs; who killed the demons and asurAs;

and removed the burden of the BhUmi PiraaTTi; who virtuously ruled Dwaraka

along with His Divine Consorts.

 

In the fourth chapter, Swamy Desikan describes very beautifully the KrishNa

leelAs and in the sixth chapter gives a great and grand feast for the Poets

and scholars with Swamy’s play with words full of meanings. ThUppul PiLLai

thUppul PiLLaithaan..

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan

kavi-tArkika-simhAya kalyANa-guNa-SAline |

Srimate venkateSAya vedAntagurave namaH ||

 

Salutations to Sri Venkatesa, in whom all perfections reside, who is the

teacher of Vedanta and the lion among poets and debaters

 

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