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

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear Swami Desika BhakthAs:

 

Srimad VedamArgEdhyAdhi SrIvaNN SaThakOpa SrI VeerarAghava SaThakOpa Yadheendhra MahA Desikan adorned the SrI Matam Peetam as the 37th Pattam Azhagiya Singar .His avatAram was in KrOthi year , Maasi , Sukla Paksha DhvAdasi , when Pushya nakshatram

was in ascendance ( Feb 1845) . He was born in a village named PiLLaipAkkam , which is two miles to the south east of SrIperumbhUthUr , the avatAra sthalam of AchArya RaamAnuja .

He was blessed with Pancha SamskAram from Periya ParanthUr Srimad Azhagiya Singar

( 33rd Pattam) . He performed Bhara nyAsam at the sacred feet of Atthipattu Azhagiya

Singar ( 34th Pattam ). He entered into SanyAsa AaSramam in 1897 C.E ( Year hEviLambi).

As a Sanyasi , he was called by Malolan to become the 37th PeetAdhipathi of SrI Matam during

Thai maonth, 1898 . He stayed only one year on the peetam and attained His AchAryan

Thiruvadi on VikAri Samvatsaram ( 1899) ,Marghazhi PourNami .

 

He has performed many kaimkaryams at ThiruveLLUr and Thiruvaheendhrapuram and has authored atleast 32 SrI Sookthis during His PoorvASramam . It is our bhAgyam to have covered " Saareeraka SuprabhAtham " as the 108th ebook in the Ahobilavalli series

( http://www.ahobilavalli.org )

 

PiLLaippAkkam Srimad Azhagiya Singar observed His one and only ChAthurmAsyam as SrI Matam

PeetAdhipathi in 1899 C.E at Thiruvaheendhrapuram . Exactly One hunderd years later, Prakrutham Srimad Azhagiya Singar observed His 8th ChAthurmAsyam at Thiruvaheendhrapuram itself and like His predecssor enjoyed the MangaLAsAsanam of SrI HemAbhjavalli samEta Sri DevanAthan and Swamy Desikan .

 

During the 1899 C.E PurattAsi BrahmOtsavam for Swamy Desikan , Srimad PiLLaippAkkam Azhagiya Singar enjoyed the utsavam for Swamy Desikan and blessed us with a grantham named by Him as " VedAntadEsikOtsava MaalA ". This AchArya SrI Sookthi has been translated from its grantha lipi to Tamil by MeemAmsa SirOmaNi Sri ArasANippAlai D.Gopala DesikAchArya Swamy and released by Prakrutam Srimad Azhagiya Singar at Thiruvaheendhrapuram on Sep 8 , 1999 during His ChAturmAsyam at Thiru Ayindhai .

 

There are 45 slOkams in SrI VedAntadEsika Utsava Maalika . adiyEn is fortunate to translate

these slOkams into English and release it in the SrI HayagrIvan series of ebooks .

 

SlOkam 1: AchArya Vandhanam

 

VedAntadESiakm natvaa tadhagryOtsava vaibhavam

VeerarAgveeSa SaThajith yathirvadhati Saktita:

 

(Meaning) : Srimad Azhagiya Singar extends His PraNAmams first to Swamy Desikan and performs the sanklapam ( takes the vow) to describe the glories of Swamy Desikan's PurattAsi MahOthsavam . Srimad Azhagiya Singar observes modestly that He will attempt to describe the glories of the utsavam to the best of His ability .

 

(Observations): The dhivya dEsam of Thiruvaheendhrapuram is a tranquil village known for the dhivya soundharyam of the dhivya Dampathis , Garuda Nadhi and Oushadha Giri ,where Swamy Desikan was blessed by Lord HayagrIvan .The VaishNava Samooham there is known for its scholarship.It is no wonder that the tranquil anubhavam of Srimad Azhagiya Singar's stay at Thiruvaheendhrapuram transformed in to a fast flowing Bhakthi PravAham . He rememberd that Swamy Desikan Himself spent a significant period of His life performing MangaLASAsanam of the dhivya dampahtis here and engaged in srEshta Grantha nirmAnam ( Sri DevanAyaka

PanchAsath , SrI Achyutha Satakam , Para Mata Bangam and Tamil Prabhandhams like MummaNikkOvai,Navaratna MaalikA et al . PiLlaipAkkam Azhagiya Singar was soaked in the bliss of enjoying Swamy Desikan's uthsavams here and blessed us with a Ratna MaalikA of His own .

 

SlOkam 2: Request for AparAdha KshAmaNam

 

VedAntArya-mahOtsavasya vibhavam bhAtrE VikAryABdhakE

kluptasyAhipatE: PurE VibhudharAD HemAmbhujAbhyAm mudhA

gacchantO vivarithum-adhya sahasA-arabhyastuvE kshamyatAm

yEnABdhOapi viSEshatOarthakaraNAt saarthAabhidhObhUt-svayam

 

(Meaning): During this VikAri year at Thiruvaheendhrapuram ,VedAntAchAryan's ( Swamy Desikan's) utsavam is taking place and makes the dhivya dampathis of Thiruvayindhai joyous .

adiyEn has started to praise the Vaibhavam of this utsavam rather expeditiously and adiyEn should be forgiven for my speed propelled by the excitement of this dhivyAnubhavam .The name of this Samvatsaram , VikAri, suggests that it is an year with many variations. In concordance with the name of VikAri , the utsavam has multifacted Vaibhavams and is insatiable to enjoy . This "viSEsha artha kAranam " associated with the name of this year as VikAri is reflected in the multileveled and unique glories of this utsavam .

 

( Comments): Srimad Azhagiya Singar identifies this utsavam as VedAntArya utsavam.

VedAntArya is the title given by Lord RanganAthaa to Swamy Desikan in recognition of Swamy's extraordinary skills in debating and defeating the Paramata Vaadhins and providing ViSEsha VaakyArthams . Lord DevanAthan is saluted as VibhudharAD , a salutation used by Swamy Desikan in Sri DevanAyaka PanchAsat .Srimad Azhagiyar confesses that the description

of the Vaibhavam of the utsavam is pouring out of Him rapidly (sahasA AarabhyastuvE ) and asks for the pardon of the Lord and His BhAgavathAs for any apachAram resulting from his enthusiasm.

 

SlOkam 3: Mirror Room sEvai

 

SvOadarSOpakramE mEajani mahadhivas-sadhmani-prApnuAdhiti

adhyaivAdarSasadhmOtsavamiha tanavai DevanAthAya-poorvam

dEvyaichArhO nivEdhyahyanubhavithumaham nAnyathEti prayukta:

SrImAn VedAntasUrir-mukuragraham neetavAn DevanAtham

 

(Meaning & comments): Tomorrow the utsavam begins with sEvai of Swamy Desikan in the mirror room.The thought that He has to go , where the mirror room (kaNNAdi aRai) was . That made

Him decide that the Mirror room sEvai should take place today itself and that His Lord should enjoy FIRST the Mirror room sevai with His ubhaya NaacchiyArs and Himself .Swami requested therfore the KaimkaryaparALs to carry the dhivya dampathis on their shoulders for the Mirror

room sEvai that night itself. Swamy asked the kaimkaryaparALs to extend the appropriate poojA vidhAnam ( AarAdhanam ) for HemAbhjavalli as well .In the utsavam earmarked for Him ,it is usual to expect that Swamy Desikan related celebrations will take precedence . Swamy defers however to His Lord and preferred the enjoyment of His Lord First ("DevanAthAya Pooravm")

at the Mirror room and He led His Lord first to the Mirror room ("NeetavAn DEvanAtham") .

Lord DevanAthan enjoyed the reverential protocol established by His dear one.

 

SlOkam 4: DhvajArOhaNam & First day PuRappAdu

 

tushtou thau Dampathee cha Sruti-sikhara-gurum svaikabhaktam svasoonum

sambhAvyAdarSasadhmOtsavamati-vibhavannEtu-masya prabhAtE

vastram hamsadhvajAgrE sumahitasamayE sAstrareetyAdhirOpya

BrahmAdhridhvAra-mArgAt samanayadhakhilaam veethikAm bhrutyavargai:

 

( Meaning and Comments) : The dhivya dampathis of Thiruvaheendhrapuram were very pleased with the gesture of Their son and bhaktan .They honored Swamy Desikan for His asanchala (steadfast) bhakti . They wanted to perform that morning ( First day Morning) the utsavam in the Mirror room for the VedaAntAchArayn ; They organized it and also the flag hoisting ceremony. Next the divine couple commanded Their kaimkaryaparALs to carry Swamy Desikan

via BrahmAdhri Entrance to the temple and from there into Their royal streets for bhavani .

 

" Sruti-SEkhara Guru" is the Trayyanta Desikan (VedAnta Desikan).He is Their own ( the Divine Couple's) devout bhaktan (svaika bhaktan) and Their own son ( sva soonu) . They were overjoyed at the beginning of the Utsavam for Their son ( tushtou thau Dampathee) .They honored

Swamy Desikan and celebrated grandly the Mirror room utsavam on that morning ( sambhAvyaadarSa-sadhmOtsavam ativibhavannEtu ).Next , they ordered the DhvajArOhaNam according to the ways prescribed by the Aagamam ( Vastram sumahita samayE sAstra-reetya

adhirOpya ) . BrahmAdhri dhvAra maargam is the entrance to the temple from the side of Garuda nadhi . The divine couple arranged for the Veedhi sanchAram to start via BrahmAdhri vAsal .With the assembly of KaimkaryaparALs , the procession went around the Raaja Veedhis of Thiruvaheendhrapuram .

 

The Fifth SlOkam : The First night of the Utsavam: VimAna PuRappAdu

 

tathrAtraou nyASavidhyA-sakalaphalakaree satyamEtadhvimAnE

tishDan sOaham Braveemityakhila Budhajanam BOdhayan DeSikEndhra:

chApEnaavidhyalakshyam svakaramabhinayan vyOmayAnEadhirOhan

samSrAvyAmnAyayugmam PhaNipatinagaree veethikA: paryagacchat

 

(Meaning & Comments): During the first night of the utsavam ,Swamy Desikan travels around the Raaja Veedhis of His Lord's dhivya dEsam on the vyOma vimAnam . He travels to the accompaniment of Veda GhOsham and Dhivya Prabhandha PaarAyaNam . While being seated in the vimAnam , He assures us that the NyAsa VidhyA ( Prapatthi anushtAnam) is the yielder of all Phalans including Moksham . All phalans sought in this world and the other are realized thru the observance of Prapatthi at the Lord's sacred feet and laying the protection of the soul at

His Lotus feet . A ParamaikAnthi Prapannan places his entire trust in the Lord and carries on the dEha yAtraa here until departure from this world ( dEha vyOham) .They believe in the Lord's assurance : " na mE Bhakta: praNaSyati ". KaDa Upanishad has explained how to approach the Prapatti . This Upanishad instructs: " AatmAnam rathinam viddhi" ( Consider AatmA as the Master of the chariot , treat manas as the bridle , Buddhi as the Saaraty

and the senses as the horses that draw the chariot . Swamy Desikan's seating on the VimAnam chariot reminds us of this upadEsam . The other instruction from Swamy Desikan thru the ridership on the VyOma VimAnam is about the MuNdaka Upanishad mantram :

 

dhanur-gruheetvA oupanishadham mahAstram

Saram-hyupAsA niSittam sandhayeeta

Aayama tath bhAvagatEna chEtasA lakshyam

tatEvAksharam sOmya Viddhi --Mundakam : 2.2.3

 

Swamy Desikan's instructions are : "Take hold of the bow named PraNavam well described by the Upanishads , fix on that bow the arrow ( the powerful weapon named Aatman , sharpened by the meditation on the Lord) and draw the string with a mind eager to attain Him . Oh Good looking one ! know the target for the arrow is the immutable ParamAtman. The ACT of drawing upon the bow refers to the ceaseless rememberance of the Sesha-Seshi relationship between the JeevAtman and the ParamAtman .

 

Swamy Desikan also reminds us of the next mantram related to NyAsa VidhyA as He sits on the VyOma VimAnam travelling in the Veethis of Thiruvaheendhrapuram :

 

PraNavO dhanu: SarO hyAtmA Brahma tallakshyamuchyatE

apramattEna vEddhavyam SaravattanmayO bhavEth --Mundakam 2.2.4

 

Here , the VedAntAchArya instructs us that the PraNavam is the bow and th Atman is the arrow .Brahman is the target . That target should be hit by a man , who is not erring . He should become one with the target( ParamAtman) ." apramattEna " here refers to the wielder of the bow and arrow to be averse to all things other than the ParamAtman.

 

Swamy Desikan's upadEsams on NyAsa VidhyA are in many SrI Sooktis like SaraNAgati dheepika , NyAsa Trayee ( NyAsa Dasakam ,NyAsa Vimsati and NyAsa Tilakam) . These

SrI Sookthis are covered in the Sundara Simham and Ahobilavalli ebook series.

 

(To Be continued )

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan