DESIKA NUTRANDADHI

July 18, 2009

Sri Vaishnava Sri Chennai

DESIKA NUTRANDADHI

Commentary in Tamil by V. N. Gopala Desikachariar

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Vedanta Desika, who lived the full Vedic span of a century, is the subject of a hymn of 100 verses rendered in mellifluous Tamil in Andadhi style by Mannappangar, a disciple of Desika's disciple-son Nainaracharya. Andadhi is a skilful mode of versification where the concluding phrase or word of each stanza forms the beginning of the succeeding stanza, with the continuity of thought sustained throughout. The author was not really breaking new ground as he had before him famous models like Amudhanar's in praise of Ramanuja and his own preceptor's Pillaiyandadhi, a hymnal work on Desika, the most famous and earliest of them all being Madurakavi's hymn on Nammazhvar. The quintessence of the esoteric teachings of our illustrious preceptors is that to know God is to love Him and to love Him is to love His devotees with an overwhelming intensity that surpasses even that of love for Him. Madurakavi's exclusive devotion to Nammazhvar brushed aside even God Himself! Amudhanar's devotion to his preceptor's preceptor Ramanuja was so ardent that his work is dedicated exclusively to Ramanuja, but for a solitary reference to his wn preceptor Kurattazhvan; even if Lord Ranganatha appeared before him, it was only Ramanuja who would captivate him totally. Mannappangar excels even

Amudhanar in this regard as he adores Desika as his only God and refers just once to his preceptor Nainaracharya. Qualities All the verses are vibrant depictions of Desika's countless qualities of head and heart and of his achievements in every field and, what is more, of his personal charm and magnetism that enslaves and ultimately liberates the supplicant from the worldly bonds without recourse to any other means or deity. Coincidentally, an identical thought is reflected in the 94thverse of the two hymns, the one on Ramanuja and the other on Desika. It is not given to every one to evolve spiritually such as to attain the stage of dedicating oneself exclusively to the service of the Acharya, but when true devotion to God finds fulfilment in the Acharya, there is no question of viewing the two as mutually exclusive. Nainaracharya has in his Pillaiyandadhi asserted that Lord Venkatanatha had Himself incarnated as Desika and no wonder Mannappangar hails Desika as the only God, to whom alone he would render service, even as he constantly meditates on him. In his commentary, Gopala Desikachariar provides ample evidence of an intense study, as he shares with us parallel streams of thought and inspiration from Azhvars, Acharyas, Tiruvalluvar and others, who echo almost the same sentiments, besides pointing to the pervasive influence of Ramanuja. The exercise of bringing out this treasure with appropriate comments and references is no ordinary task, and this has been accomplished with commendable lucidity and clarity.