Swami Nigamantha Mahadesikan Thirunakshathram Special- Today Purattaasi SravaNam- Let us enjoy Acharyan's life and glories

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SrI:

SrImathE Ramanujaya nama:

SrImathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all

 

Today is the most auspicious day.. Purattaasi

ThiruvONam

 

Thirunakshathram (Birthday) of Swami Desikan… Swami

Desikan – Acharya saarvabhouman- The peerless

preceptor (1268 CE- 1369 CE)Let us meditate on His

lotus feet today enjoying the glories of Swami to a

little extent.

 

Acharyan is the dispeller of all sins. He removes the

darkness from our minds and removes ignorance. He

gives us new birth (vidya janmam); He is the Father

and the manthram (which He initiates us with) is the

Mother. This birth places us on the path which meads

us to an end to all future births and deaths. He

endows us with divine vision. He has infinite amount

of compassion towards us. He always is interested in

our welfare. On account of all of these, He is always

to be worshipped as the Lord Himself. One should never

harbour any feeling that he is doing a good return for

what Acharya has done by paying few dollars. It is

only as a token of our gratitude.

 

First let us look briefly at the life of Swamy

Desikan.

 

Born to Sri Anantasuri and Smt Totarambha at Thoopul,

a locality of Kanchi, he is believed to have been the

very incarnation of Lord Srinivasa’s GaNTAmani (temple

Bell). He derived the name GaNTAvatharam in the

taniyan because of this. His intellectual brilliance

was discernable even from his childhood. Once as a

child of five years, he was taken to the august

religious assembly- Kaalakshepa Goshti- of Sri Nadadur

AmmAL by his maternal uncle Sri Appullar, who was

mainly responsible for his education in the religious

line. Sri Ammal and his disciples were so captivated

by the divine appearance of the little boy Desikan,

they were diverted for sometime and forgot what they

were discussing to trace. It was the little Boy

Desikan who came to their rescue by pointing out the

place of the discourse from where their attention was

diverted. They were all simply stupefied on seeing the

extraordinary intellect and brilliance of Swamy at

that age and Sri Ammal who was overwhelmed with joy,

and admiration blessed him for a great future where he

would succeed in establishing the philosophy of

Ramanuja and the previous Acharyas in an unassailable

position and in an unambiguous manner.

 

Another intellectual feat of Sri Vedantha Desika was

his ability to revise Sri Bashyam twenty times before

he was twenty years of age.

 

His life was one of perfect austerity, vairagyam, and

deep devotion particularly to Archamoorthys enshrined

in Divya Desams similar to Thirumangai mannan. He had

a special and abiding devotion to the Lord Varadan of

Kanchi. Just like Sri Ramanuja, his ArAdhya Devatha,

the deity of his daily worship was Sri PeraruLALan. He

led a very simple life. He earned his livelihood by

taking alms from the devotees. The rice he gathered

like that was used for his food after offering to the

Lord. One day his wife found some gold coins in the

rice he got from the philanthropic public. Evidently,

some well intentioned person wanted to help Swamy

Desikan without his knowledge. As soon as this was

found out, Swamy Desikan threw the entire collection

of the day away on the street. This is an example of

his steadfast vairagya. Another instance of his strong

determination /renunciation can be seen when

Vidyaranyar, a royal vidwan at the court of early

Vijayanagar, once his class mate, hearing about Swamy

desikan languishing in penury and knowing his

extraordinary skills and intellectual talents sent a

message to him inviting him and asking to come to the

court of Vijayanagar king where he would be fittingly

honoured with riches. Swamy Desikan refused to go,

saying that he is not after wealth, adding that he was

already provided with the Greatest wealth bequeathed

to him by his grandfather (four faced Brahma), meaning

the Lord Varadan (atthigiri Varadan). This is conveyed

to his friend in the form of five slokas called

“Vairagya Panchakam:.

 

He spent a good part of his time at Tiruvahindrapuram.

Lord Hayagrivan, the Lord of knowledge and learning

blessed him here. He composed “Hayagriva sthOthram:

here in praise of Lord Hayagrivan. He also composed

Achutha sathakam, in prakrit, Devanayaka panchasath,

in Sanskrit, mummaNikkOvai, Navarathnamaalai in Tamil

on Lord Devanathan of this Divya Desam. “nin

vadivazhagu maRvaathaar piRavaadhaarE..” –says Swamy.

He is said to have dug a well, chiseled an idol of his

and cone several wonders and miracles justifying

thereby his title “sarvathanthraswathanthrar”, during

his stay here. After sometime, he retunred to Kanchi

and then later he proceeded to Srirangam (when invited

by Sri Pillailokchariar from Srirangam for debating

against Advaitins who had objected to recitation of

Tamil hymns(4000) at Srirangam temple). The titles of

“Vedantacharya”, Kavitaarkika simham”, were conferred

on him by Lord Ranganathan and Periya Piraatti

respectively at Srirangam where there was occasion for

him to refute theories and arguments of Advaitins

successfully and victoriously establishing the Parama

vaidika Visishtadvaita Srivaishnava sampradayam.

 

Padhuka sahasram is yet another masterpiece of work

containing one thousand eight slokas eulogizing the

Padhukas (sandals) of Lord Ranganathan of Srirangam.

He completed the whole 1008 slokas in one yaamam

(about 3 hours),latter part of night. It is said that

this piece of extraordinary work was composed by him

(when challenged).

 

From Srirangam, he flew to Satyakalam, a place at

Karnataka fearing the muslims depredations. “abheeti

sthvam” on Lord Ranganathan, containing 29 slokas was

brought out here to ward off the fear and evil caused

by the muslim maruders. After the terror had subsided,

he returned to Srirangam to spend his last days. He

attained the lotus feet of Acharya on Karthigai day.

 

His yadhavabhyudhayam, a maha kaavyam on Lord Krishna

was admired very much by the renowned advaita

philosopher Appayya DhIkshithar in the 16th century

A.D. He wrote a commentary also on this mahaakaavya as

a mark of appreciation. (but could not write more than

four slokas, as that itself immersed him and drowned

him with such a beauty and marvel, that he was simply

flabbergasted with its literary nicetry and stopped

after four slokas of this kaavyam, whose commentary

itself ran to pages..

 

In fact, it is simply a foolhardy experiment to

attempt to give a comprehensive picture on the life of

this AchArya saarvabhouman in this small post. Swamy

Desikan wrote original works on Sanskrit and also

commented upon the works of Ramanuja and Yamuna. He

wrote poems, religious works. He wrote 28 sthothrams.

A mere reading of the list of his works is

breathtaking. He wrote 18 works in Tamil, 29 works in

MaNipravALam ( a great mix of Tamil and Sanskrit). He

also wrote naataka grantham, rahasyagrantham etc.

 

His aim in writing is more than one.

 

Dr. V Varadachari says:

 

Firstly, the system of unparalleled Great

VisishtAdvaita Srivaishnava SrI should be kept on a

firm basis and stronger footing.

 

Secondly, the Nyaya tatvam of Sriman Nathamuni which

deals with the topics of Nyaya, Vaisheshika,

Meemaamsa, and treated in a manner to interpret the

doctrines in the light of the Vedantha system.

 

Thirdly, Ramanuja's concepts and theories were

attacked by opponents relentlessly. The refutations

need to be answered, counter attacked and dismissed

then and there.

 

Fourthly, the writers after SrI Ramanuja were not in a

position to evolve the metaphysical, logical theories

consistent with the teachings of Ramanuja. They

required to be given shape in the light of

Emperumaanaar's teachings.

 

Fifthly, some of the Acharyas after Ramanuja did

excellent service to Srivaishnavam by their

expositions of Tamil 4000 Divya prabhandham of

AzhwArs, but could not establish their position in an

unshakable foundation.

 

It only Swamy Vedantha Desikan who not only

established SrI Ramanuja sampradayam on firm footing

with his various works; also He repulsed the attacks

on the importance of Naalaayira Divya prabandham and

placed them on par with Vedas, as the fountain source

for the Vedantha system.

 

SrI Vedantha Desika is the author of 120 works. His

style is inimitable for its depth of ideas, sweetness,

simplicity and ease; it is majestic,

sometimes tough. He was a great admirer of Adhikavi

Vaalmeeki and Kalidasa. His poetic work Hamsa

sandhEsam, though similar to Kalidasa’s mEgasandhEsam,

is original in many respects. (we will see them in

detail later). Daya sathakam is a unique composition

wherein he personifies grace (Divine grace- daya),

without which Lord’s other qualities are of little

value and help to suffering mankind- Swamy says.

AbhIthi sthavam is an invocation for the Lord’s

protection from evil forces from both within and

without. His GodhA sthuthi is a piece of place of

great lyric beauty and merit and talks of Sri GodhA’s

influence with the Lord through love and Desikan’s

surrender to Her compassion.

 

SthOthra granthas:

===============

Hayagriva stOtram

dasaavataara stOtram

Bhagavath dhyaana sOpAnam

dayA sathakam

abheethi sthavam

vairAgya panchakam

Devanaayaka panchAsath

Gopala vimsathy

SrI Sthuthi

BhU sththi

GodhA sthuthi

nyAsa dhasakam

nyAsa vimsathy

nyAsa thilakam

saraNAgathi DIpikA

Achutha sayayam (achutha sathakam)

varadarAja panchAsath

ashtabhujaashtakam

kAmAsikaashtakam

vEgAsEthu sthOthram

paramartha sththi

dhEhaleesa sththi

Raguveera Gadyuam (mahA veera vaibhavam)

sudarsanaashtakam

shodasAyudha stOtram

Garuda dhaNdakam

Garuda panchAsath

yatirAja sapthati

 

Tamil Prabandams

================

amrutha ranjani

adhikAra sangraham

amrutha swAdhini

paramapada sOpAnam

paramatha bhangam

mei viradha mAnmiyam

adaikkalappatthu

artha panchakam

SrI vaishNava dinasari

Thirucchinna maalai

panniru nAmam

thiru manthiracchurukku

dwayachurukku

charama sloka cchurukku

Gitaartha sangraham

mummaNikkOvai

nava maNi mAlai

pandhu (lost)

kazhal (lost)

ammAnai (lost)

oosal (lost)

Esal (lost)

Prabandha sAram

AhAra niyamam.

 

VedAnta granthas

================

mImAmsA pAdukA

sEsvara mImAmsa

satha dhUshaNi

adhikaraNa sArAvaLi

tatva tIkA

nyAya parisuddhi

nyAya siddhAnjanam

tatvamuktha kalApam

nikshepa rakshA

sachcharitra rakshA

srI pAncharAthra rakshA

vAditraya kandanam

dramidOpanishad tAtparya rathnAvaLi

dramidOpanishad sAram

 

BhAshya granthas (Commentaries)

==========================

chatus slokI Bhashyam

SthOthra rathna Bhashyam

Rahasya rakshA

GitArtha sangraha rakshA

tAtparya chandrikA

IsAvAsyOpanishad BhAshyam

sarvArtha siddhi

adhikAraNa dharpaNam (lost)

 

KAvya grantas:

==============

hamsa sandesam

subhAshita nIvi

yAdhavAbyudayam

pAdukA sahasram (1008 verses)

 

Rahasya granthas:

================

sampradAya parisuddhi

tatva-padhavi

rahasya padhavi

tatva navanItham

rahasya navanItham

tatva mAtruka

rahasya mAtruka

tatva sandEsam

rahasya sandEsam

rahasya sandEsa vivaraNam

tatva rathnAvaLi

tatva rathnAvali pratipAdya sangraham

rahasya rathnAvaLi

rahasya rathnAvaLi hrudayam

tatva traya suLakam

rahasya traya suLakam

abhaya pradAna sAram

rahasya sikAmaNi

anjali vaibhavam

pradhAna satakam

upakAra sangraham

sAra sangraham

munivAhana bhogam

madurakavi hrudayam (lost)

paramapada sOpAnam

paramatha bhangam

hasthigiri mAhAthmyam

SrImath Rahasya Traya Saram (MAGNUM OPUS)

SarA sAram

VirOdha parihAram

NigamaparimaLam (lost)

Tirumudiadaivu (lost)

 

nAtaka grantam (Drama)

==============

Sankalpa SooryOdhayam

 

anushtAna grantams

=================

Bhagavath-AarAdhana vidhi

 

Even to read the above list will take so much time.

Swamy alone can compose so many works in one lifetime.

When we see /enjoy later these works individually

later, we will realize that what sweetness, depths,

literary values, rhythms, grammars, variety of

meanings they contain! How true are those words and

fully in accordance with Sri Ramanuja’s works and

Vedas and saasthrAs! We will have to read to believe

it!

 

Thoopul PiLLai ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Acharya paadhaangri rENu:

narayanadAsan madhavakkannan

 

 

 

 

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