Part VII of SrI VedAntha DesikOthsava MaalikA by Sriamd PillaipAkkam Azhagiya Singar , 37th Pattam PeetAdhipathi of SrI Matam .

[Guest guest]

 

 

 

 

 

SrI:

 

 

 

 

Dear Swami Desika BhakthAs:

 

PurattAsi ThiruvONam: SaaRRumuRai Utsavam

 

SlOkams 21-26 cover the ascent and descent of Swamy Desikan over the steps leading to Lord HayagrIvan's sannidhi for MangalAsAsanam and big SaaRRumuRai on the hill .

 

The PurattAsi utsavam for Swamy Desikan at Thiruvaheendhrapuram reaches a high crescendo on his Janma nakshtram( PurattAsi SravaNam) day. This day of Utsavam is called SaaRRumuRai utsavam . The day resounds with the majestic dhvani of the SrI Sookthis of Swamy Desikan as He ascends and descends the Oushadha Giri for MangaLAsAsanam of Lord HayagrIvan .

 

Two years ago , adiyEn had the good fortune to create two DVDs on this important day's highlights with the help of a dear friend and my nephew . The sanctity and solemnity of this extraordinary day and the deep devotion of the bhakthAs of Swamy Desikan are brought out beautifully in those DVDs . Let us now cover the events of the day as enjoyed by Srimad

PiLLaipAkkam Azhagiya Singar in 1899 C.E.

 

SlOkam 21: PurattAsi SravaNam

 

VedAntArya-tvadheeyO-Subhadivasa:

suprabhAtOdhyadEvA:

 

BrahmAdhyA: BrahmaSailE Hayadhana-

SubhaSAsanAya svarantE

 

DhAsA pAdhASritAsccha svahrudaya vidrutE sooktivargE vivakshAm

 

AasthAyadhvArisanti dhrutamiha-gamanam jaitram maangeekurushva

 

(Meaning): Oh VedAntAchArya ! This is the suprabhAta kaalam of this auspicious day of Your Thirunakshatram . Brahma and the other dEvAs are rushing to attend Your MangaLAsAsanam of Lord HayagrIvan ( Hayavadhana- SubhaSAsanAya) at His abode in Brahma Sailam(Oushada giri).Your dAsAs and sihsya vargams are waiting at Your door- step awaiting to recite the assembly of Your SrI sooktis that they have memorized very well.The sishyAs say to their Acharyan : It has been decided to ascend the Oushada Giri . Please approve our plans for Your Vijaya Yaatrai(gamanam jaitram angeekurushva).

 

SlOkam 22: Swamy Desikan's Ascent & yEka PeetAsanam with Lord HayagrIvan

 

ittham-samprArthita:SrI Sruti-Sikhara- guru-soordhvapuNDra: subhUsha:

 

sadhyaprasthAya dEvai: stuta-nija-BirudhO BrahmaSailAdhirOODa:

 

VaageeSAvAsamanta: BahiramarasabhA-

kalpamadhyakshayandhrAk

 

prAdhikshiNyEna gatvA HayavadhanamapikkApi dESEavatathE

 

(Meaning): When prayed in this manner ( ittham samprArthita:) to celebrate His Thirunakshatram , Swamy Desikan

(Sruti sikhara guru:) adorned Himself with the twelve Urdhva PuNDraams and lovely Vastrams and AabharaNams and started quickly on the journey up the hill. He was honored during this ascent by the assembeled dEvAs , who recited His titles and hailed Him with "Jaya Vijayee Bhava" greetings. He arrived now at the top of the hill ( Brahma Sailam) , where Lord Haygrivan has His sannidhi.There , He created a dEva sabha inside and outside the Sannidhi of His Lord in His role as an Adhyakshar ( leader) and went around the sannidhi in the PradkashiNam mode( prAdakshiNyEna gatvA) and after that sat (avatasthE) next to His Lord on yEka Peetam

(HayavadhanamapikkApi dESE avatasthE).

 

SlOkam 23:Swamy's ThirumEni Beauty

 

sOayam kim dhivyam Taarkshya:

phaNipatinagareem pAtukAmOavarUDa:

 

VaageeSA dEvatA vaa?adhbhutanunurakhilAlOkanArhAavateerNA

 

lOkAnAm bhAgya pankti: pariNativaSatO

labdhamUrti: kimEshA

 

dEvESAsyAmrutougEtvakalahitanujA

Mohinee Mohinee vaa?

 

(meaning): The ghOshti assembled in front of Lord HayagrIvan's sannidhi was baffled by the most beautiful ThirumEni of Swamy Desikan as He sat next to His Lord . People wondered : Is He the divine Garudan from Paramapadham (sOyam kim dhivyam Taarkshya:) . Has He descended on Thiruvayindhai to protect it from any danger ( PhaNipathi-nagareem pAtukAmOvarUDa: kim ?).Is He perhaps the Lord of Speech

( VaageeSaa dEvatA vaa?).Has He incarnated in this beautiful body so that it can be enjoyed by one and all ? Has Mohini , who pacified the fighting dEvAs and the asurAs during the time of the distribution of the nectar on the banks of the milky ocean incarnated as this dEvan ? Has the integrated bhAgyam of the people of the world embodied itself

in this enchanting form before us (lOkAnAm bhAgya pankti: pariNativaSatO laBdhamUrty: kimEshA ?) .Srimad Azhagiya Singar uses many comparisons with beautiful vastus to celebrate the dhivya soundharyam of Swamy Desikan sitting next to His Lord on His birthday.

 

SlOkam 24: Glory of GhOshti at Oushada giri

 

itttham sambhrantachEtA: Budhaparishad

-iyam dhrAgudheerNE sughOshE

 

GOdhAgAthAvasAnE Hayamukha samupasthAna sEvOtka yEsha:

 

AchAryOheeti matvA savidhamupagatA

chAmarAdhyai: saparyAm

 

AtanvAnA tamEva praTitaguruvaram sEvatEsmAanimEsham

 

(meaning): Thus , the ghOshti of scholars (Budha parishad) was bewildered by the multiple levels of beauty of Swamy Desikan . The noise from the anuyAtrikAs subsided in anticipation of the start of the SaaRRumuRai . The concluding stage of ThiruppAvai SaaRRu Murai (GodhA gAthAvasAnE) was reached. Swamy Desikan was eager to have the MangaLAsAsanam of His Lord ( Hayamukha samupasthAna sEvOkta yEsha:) and came in front . The ghOshti also approached Swamy Desikan with fans in hands ( chAmardhyai: saparyAm)to serve their AchAryan . The members of the ghOshti enjoyed the darsana soubhAgyam of Swamy Desikan without blinking their eyes .

 

SlOkam 25: GhOshti BahumAnam

 

sUrissOapi svakeeyam Hayavadhananutim

TArkshya-panchAsadhAdhim

 

dhAsAn adhyApya bakshyai: vividha phalayutai: tarpayannarpita svai:

 

panchASatpADadhAree vijitajavatayA

pAdhasEvApiyAtAm

 

vidhvad-BrundhApadESAm viBhudha-

saritamAplAvayn sampratasthE

 

(Meaning ) : Next , Swami Desikan taught His adiyArs (DhAsAn adhyApya)the Garuda PanchAsat and Garuda DaNDakam composed by Him and presented them with the many kinds of fruits and victuals offered to Him and made them happy with the viniyOgams

( bhakshyai: vividha phalayuthai: tarpayan arpithai: svai: ) . Swami immersed the assembled scholars in the majestic PanchAsath stOtram recitation

and made them look like a flowing river of happy Vidhvat janam ( paadha-sEvAbhiyAtam vidhvad brundhApadESAm AplAvayan sampratasthE) and there- after, Swamy started His descent from the BrahmAdhri hill .

 

SlOkam 26: Descent from BrahmAdhri

 

BrahmAdhrEssOavaruhya prathita-

nrupativat klupta ghOshtee vibhAgam

 

bhaktAn sammOdhayan sann PhaNipati-purarAD sadhmaveethee: pareetya

 

dEvEchAdhyakshamEtya svakrutanuti-gaNai: mangaLASAsti poorvam

 

HemAbhjAn RaaghvAdheen sthutibhi: abhinuvan LakshmaNAryam vavandhE

 

(Meaning): As indicated in the previous slOkam , Swamy Desikan concluded the recitation of the stutis at the BrahmAdhri and descended . Like a great king ( Prathita nrupativat) , He was accompanied by many competent ghOshtis ( klupta ghOshtee vibhAgam) reciting His Prabhandhams and other SrI Sooktis. The assembled citizens and visitors were filled with joy to hear these recitations as Swamy descended from the hill and went around the koil of His Lord ( PhaNipatypura raaD sadhma veethee: pareetya) to reach the sannidhi of SrI DEvanAthan . There , Swamy Desikan performed His MangaLa- AsAsanams with the stutis He had composed on the Lord ( Sri DevanAyaka PanchAsath and SrI Achyuta Satakam). He proceeded next to Sri HemAbhjavalli's sannidhi , Raghuveeran's sannidhis and arrived thereafter at AchArya RaamAnujA's sannidhi .

 

AchArya RaamAnuja (LakshmaNAryam vavandhE) was very pleased to see His sishyAn , who followed His path in Paramata Bhangam and celebrated Him thru aruLappAdu and cast His dayaa-laden glances on Swamy Desikan.

(To Be continued )

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan