Srimad Villivalam Periya Swami( SrI VedAntha VaavadhUka Swami) : Part III ( slOkams 26-44)

October 25, 2008

SrI:

SrimatE Lakshmi Nrusimha ParabrahmaNE Nama:

SrimatE RaamAnujAya Nama:

SrimatE VedAnta GuuravE Nama:

SrimadhbhyAm Sriranga SaThakOpa SrI VedAnta Desika YathIndhra

Mahaa DesikAbhyAm nama:

SrimatE VedAnta VaavadhUka SrI NarayaNAchArya MahAvidhushE Nama:

SriamatE LakshmI Nrusimha dhivya PaadhukA Sevaka SrIvaNN SaThakOpa

SrI NarayaNa Yatheendhra MahA DesikAya Nama:

SlOkam 26 : PazhavEri and Villivalam

pratnagandha-grAmamArAt

tanmahatvEabhyasooyayaa

BhilvAraNyamiti grAma:

hEtustat-prasavEabhavat

(Meaning): The SrI GrAmam of Villivalam ( also known as Villivanam = BhilvAraNyam) is near the SrI GrAmam of PazhavEri ( Pratnagandham/ ancient Fragrance). The jealousy of PazhavEri over Villivalam made it claim that it was

the reason for the birth of the child named NaarAyaNan .

SlOkam 27: The counter claims of PazhavEri and Villivalam

PratnagandhO BaalamEnam

madheeya iti chaikshata

BilvAraNyam svajAtanccha

prathitam manyatE smatam

(Meaning): PazhavEri was proud that this child belongs to it; Villivalam on the other hand was happy to claim that this new born child took birth there .

Coments: Bhilva Vruksham is dear to MahA Lakshmi . The hollowed fruits of Bilva tree are used as containers for Yellow SrI ChUrNam by VaidheekAs.

Both the villages hence have powerful links to Vaidhika SrI and also MahA Lakshmi . PazhavEri reminds us of the Sarva Gandhi of SrI Sooktam (GandhadhvArAm dhurAdarshAm nityapushtAm kareeshiNeem , Iswareem sarvabhUtAnAm TaamihOpahvayE Sriyam) . BhilvAraNyam/Villivalam is one of Her preferred residences and SrI Sooktam salutes Bhilva tree as an auspicious vruksham , which arose from the sankalpam of MahA Lkashmi ( Aditya-varNE tapasOadhi JAtO Vanaspatystava

VrukshOatha Bhilva: ) .

The eager contest between the two Sri GrAmams to claim the new child as their own is an understandable one . Both have equal claims in greatness for chasing away amangaLams( alakshmi) .

28. Birth year, Maasam & Nakshatram of

Periya Swami

naishadheeya SubhanAma-vatsarE

VishNuchitta-duhithu: sumAsakE

SrIjadpatyvarUthineeSvarasyOduchAsya

SubhajanmanA Bhabhou

(Meaning): The child was born in the year named NaLa and in the Tamil month of

AaDi when PoorAdam , the avatAra nakshatram of VishvaksEnar was ascendant .

(Comments): The poet connects to three nmaes in this slOkam : NaLan , AndAL and VishvaksEnar.

Periya Swami was born in the year NaLa ,

92 years ago . He was born in the Month of Aadi , the birth Month of GodhA PirAtti , the dear daughter of PeriyAzhwAr. His avatAra nakshatram was PoorADam , same as that of VishvaksEnar , the AchAryan of Swamy NammAzhwAr and the commander-in- chief of the Lord's army . This year ,

the avatAra dinam of Periya Swami was celebrated on Aug 14 by the VedAntha VaavadhUka Trust in a grand manner with Veda PaarAyaNam and Vidhvat Sadas .

NaLan was the Vaanara Chieftain , who helped build the Raama Sethu .

VishvaksEnar is third in the line of SrI VaishNava AchAryAs and performed upadEsams for Swamy NammAzhwAr on

the command of Periya PirAtti .

29. Birth in Srivatsa Gothram

SrivatsalAsyAtula saddhdayEksha

SrivatsagOtrAnvayamuddhidheershO:

sacchakravarthyeeti-SubhaamabhikhyAm

chakAra poothAm jananAdhamushya

(Meaning): With the merciful glances of the Lord , Periya Swami was born in the Srivatsa Gotram to ennoble it further . The happy parents named their son therefore as NallAn Chakravarthy ( Sacchakravarthee).

30. Upanayanam for the Child

Paramavaidhika-santatijam SiSum

kuSavarAgradhiyam kuSala: pitA

nirumai: SubhaviprakulOchithai:

upanayAdhibhiruddharati sma tamm

( Meaning): For this child born in a superior Vaidhika Family and having the sharp intellect like the tip of dharbham

( KuSAgra Buddhi) , the most capable father blessed him with Upanayana samskAram and performed the sacred BrahmOpadEsam .

31. Pancha samskAram from HH the 41st Pattam Srimad Azhagiya Singar

LakshminarahariSaThajidh-yOgeeSvara

Paadhapadma-samSrayaNAt

samskArapanchakEna cha pUtO

mantraan jajApa sandhyAsu

(Meaning): This child sought refuge at the sacred feet of the 41st Pattam Azhagiya

Singar( Kaarukurucchi Azhagiya Singar) and was blessed with Pancha SamskAram

( Taapam , PuNDram , DhAsya namam ,

Mantram and Yaagam) . These are sareera

anubhandhi samskArams for initiation into life as a Sri VaishNava . The initated child performed Japam of the mantras during the three sandhyA Kaalams .

(Comments): The first two of the Pancha SamskArams are Sankha-chakra lAnchanam and dhvAdasa Urdhva PuNdra dhAraam . These two are for the body as VaishNava lakshaNam . Mantram is for Moksha sAdhanam . Yaagam is Bhagavad AarAdhanam as a forerunner of Kaimkaryam in Sri VaikunTham. DhAsya Naamam ( RaamAnuja DhAsOsmi) is Aatmaanubhandhi just as the Taapam and PuNDram are SareerAnubhandhi.

32. VedAdhyayanam & VidhyA grahaNam

yathA-HimAkarO ravE: sutEjasAvrutObhavat

tathA pithussakASattOadhigamya -

sarva-satkalA:

yathOchitam vidhAnatO-adhigamya -sacchutheerayam

tathA nisarga nispruhOapyadheetavAn

kalA: ParA:

(Meaning): Just as chandran recieves its lustre from Sooryan , this KumAran learnt all auspicious vidhyAs from his father with svAbhAvika VairAgyam and completed the Veda adhyayanam of appropriate sections.

33. Kaavya-NaaDaka, NyAya , Tarka vidhyA grahaNam at Thiruppathy

adheeta-kAvya-nADaka : jagAmaSeshaparvatam

KaNAdha sAstramadhyagheeshDa

tatSiSarOmaNirBhabhou

kalAlayEBhudhvOttamA: sukrushNamArya naamakA:

tathOttamUrmahaaBhudhA: sutarka-

BhOdhakA: Bhabhu:

(Meaning): The child learnt Kaavyams and Naadakams with his father and then went to Thiruppathy to learn NyAya sAstram and was awarded the degree of SirOmaNi.

In that kalAsAlA , the MahA VidvAns like

Sri U.Ve KrishNamAcchAr and UtthamUr Swamy served as Faculty .

34. Learning about & Teaching of the advanced Tarka granthams for fellow students at Thiruppathy

ViSvavidhyAlayAdhyaksha niyatAstarka-

satkruthee:

adheeyAnassateerthryAmsccha BhOdhyan Slaagitssamai:

(Meaning): This ( brilliant ) student followed the curriculum set up for him by the head of the Tiruppathy university to learn advanced Tarka Granthams and taught fellow students of the same and was praised by all .

35. Additional grantha grahaNam during the holidays from MahAns elsewhere

adhyApanaamrEDita-teekshNamEdhA :

paadyEtarAnuccchatarAm cha kOSAn

virAma-kAlEshu vichakshaNEbhyO

mudhAgraheeshDAtula-theekshaNa Buddhi:

(Meaning): The Jn~Anam of Periya Swamy with matchless sharpness grew further by teaching fellow students many times . He visited great scholars during his holidays from the university and learnt many esoteric granthams outside his required curriculum . He became an expert in all these sAstrams as well .

36. Learning at NavalpAkkam with U.Ve

Iyyaa DevanAthAchArya Swamy

NaavalpAkkamiti prasiddha-viBhudha-grAmam virAmEgata:

VairAgyaacharaNa-praBhOdhanilayam

soulabhyapoorNam gurum

Iyyaapoorvaka DevanAtha gururityA-keertyamAnam janai:

prahvee bhUtaSirA: praNamya kaNabhuk

Saastram tathOapyagraheeth

(Meaning): Periya Swamy visited the SrI GrAmam of NaavalpAkkam known for the residence by the assembly of great VedaNtic scholars . There , he prostrated before the great Scholar , Iyyaa DevanAthAcchAr Swamy known for his VairAgyam , Jn~anam , SadAchAram , simplicity and learnt many advanced tarka granthams .

37. First in the University

SirOmaNi-pareekshAyAm

viSvavidhyAlayE tadhaa

sarvaprathama utteerNa: lAgyatE sma

janaissamai:

(Meaning): At the Thirupati Sri VenkatEswara university , Periya Swamy

topped the list in the SirOmaNi examinations ( sarva prathamar).

38. VedAnta VidhyA grahaNam

SrImat-PaaNini-jaimineeyanayavit

tarkE cha SikshA paraam

prApyAthaSrutimouLi tattva vichikitsAtO:

bruSam prErita:

SreeLakshmInarasimhakArija gurO:

PadhAbhjamAsEdhivAn

tadh-vAtsalyapadham pavitramabhavadh-

yajn~Apayatsvam priyam

(Meaning): After developing superior knowledge about VyAkaraNam , MeemAmsai and Tarkam , Periya Swamy desired to gain VedAnta Jn~Anam . He prostrated before the 41st Pattam Srimad Azhagiya Singar and expressed his deep desire to be blessed with such Jn~Anam . Srimad Azhagiya Singar was very pleased with this special vidhyArthi

and welcomed him with affection .

39. Mastery over Grantha ChAtushtayam

tadheeya-karuNAjn~ari samavagAhatO

nirbhara:

kramENa jagruhE tata: pratidhinam

rahasyArthakAn

chaturmahita sAmpradhAyika-sukOSa

satsooktividh

GurUdhgaviSadheekrtutarthaka hrudhA

sudhanyOabhavat

(Meaning): Through the anugraham of Srimad Kaarukkurucchi Azhagiya Singar of the 44th Pattam , Periya Swamy learnt in

the orderly way the esoteric meanings of

the three rahasyams every day . He became blessed with the kaalakshEpam

on the four Granthams ( SrI BhAshyam ,

Bhagavad Vishayam , GitA BhAshyam and

Srimad Rahasya Thraya Saaram ).

40. SaraNAgathy at his AchAryan's Thiruvadi ( BharanyAsa anushtAnam)

nijAtmAnam svarakshayA bharam

tatphalatassamam

LakshmInrusimha padhayO: GurudhvArA

samarpitam

(Meaning): Periya Swamy prayed to his AchAryan , Kaarukkurucchi Srimad Azhagiya Singar to bless him with Aatma-

bhara-Phala SamarpaNams at the sacred feet of SrI Lakshmi Nrisimhan and completed his Prapatti observance .

41. Deeper studies on rahasyArthams

adhigatya rahasyajAtagatE yathirAjAnugrahita bhAshya bhAsamAnE

Bhagavadvishayam gurUdhgavAchaa

tvadhigantu chakramEsa sUtrabhAshyam

(Meaning): Periya Swamy now desired to learn more about RahasyArthams , Bhagavad Vishayam and GeethA BhAshyam following AchArya RaamAnujA's Sri BhAshyam panthati.

42. Periya Swamy's AchArya Bhakti

LakshmInrusimha SaThajitccheeranga

SaThajit gurUm

nApnutAm mOdhaseemAnam parAmbhaktim upEyushA

(Meaning): Both Periya Azhagiya Singar

( Kaarukurucchi Azhagiya Singar) and

Chinna Azhagiya Singar ( InjimEdu Azhagiya Singar) were pleased to observe the parama bhakti of their sishyar .

43. Swamy becoming AchArya KrupApAtram

AchAryam BhagavantamEva manasA dhyAtvA navArthair-dhinam

gambheerai: vilasadhmirAtma-guNavAn-dhanyam nijam chintayan

prAmANyAnvita nUtna dhivyavishayai:

bhakthyA sphuradhirbhabhruSam

mEdhAvee guruvarya hArdha-karuNApAtram BhudhEndhrOabhavat

(Meaning): Periya Swamy considered his AchAryan as his Dhaivam and felt that he was a Dhanyan ( Fortunate one) to be blessed to learn about the new ,

majestic and special meanings on PramAnams revealed to him by his AchAryan . He became the object of Parama KrupA of his AchAryan(s), who

recognized him as a mEdhAvi ( genius

endowed with superior knowledge gained from them) .

44. The auspicious guNams taking abode in Periya Swamy

nava-nava-vishayajn~AnE prEmamahat

satkulArha AachAra:

theekshNapratibhAdhiguNA: sAtvikamAnyam samASrayannEnam

(Meaning ): Periya Swamy was celebrated by his contemproaries as a Saastra Vasyar . The various guNAs like the desire to learn new things about sampradhAyic knowledge, AchAram befitting his kulam and the sharp intellect took refuge in Periya Swami .

The rest of the 18 slOkams of this dharmika sTaBakam cover Swamy entering GruhastAsramam and observing the duties of this Asramam and performing SusrUshai to his parents , Bhagavad AarAdhanam and grantha KalakshEpam .

(To Be continued)

Srimad Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE

Saranam ,

Dhaasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan