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DESIKA NUTRANDADHI

Commentary in Tamil by V. N. Gopala Desikachariar

 

 

 

 

Eulogy on Desika

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 own

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.

 

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