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

[Guest guest]

 

 

 

 

SrI:

 

Dear Swami Desika BhakthAs:

 

A golden thirupallakku is used for PuRappAdu on the second day Morning for Swamy Desikan's Veethi sanchAram .The sixth slOkam describes how the dhivya dampathis arrange for Their son's travel by the golden palanquin .

 

SlOkam 6: second night utsavam

 

sOaheendhrESOdhviteeyE

gurumahitammahE svAnrUpam svaputram,

svaisvaryAkhilasya pratikalabharaNE

dhUrvaham DeSikEndhram ,

bhOgE svEnAvaSishtam nirupamavibhavam

kAnchanAndhOlikAyAm ,

svasyamArOpya veethi pargathamanayat

bhUshitanargabhUsham

 

( Meaning ):The Lord of Thiruvaheendram

is One full of glories . The second day utsavam is a special one.On that viSEsha

dinam , SrI Devanathan , the Lord of all Iswaryams decorated the Utthama AchAryan (Swamy Desikan) with his own AabharaNams and placed him , His own son, on a golden palanquin and wanted him to enjoy all the bhOgams that He as the Lord is entitled to . Lord DevanAthan commanded His servants to carry the AchAryan of matchless fame around the streets of His RaajadhAni .

 

Comments :

 

Illustrious Kaanchana (golden) andhOLika (palanquin) sEvai is described here . The Lord of Thiruvayindhai lent His own golden palanquin for His son because of his glory as DeSikEndhran and personally placed him in the special AandhOlika after adorning him with His own jewelery

for the occasion .This is the highest anubhavam of the poet , Srimath Azhagiya Singar at his best .

 

At Kaanchipuram on the Thirunakshatram of Swamy Desikan , the golden pallakku of Lord VaradarAjan is sent to Thuppul ,

the avatAra stalam of Swamy to bring him to the Lord's sannidhi . At the dhivya dEsam of ThiruvEntipuram , a similar honor is meeted out to Swamy Desikan .Lord DevanAthan wanted to

show His own appreciation for Swamy Desikan for creating Sri DeavanAyaka PanchAsat , SrI Achyuta Satakam and number of Tamil Prabhandhams by His

devout son on Him .

 

SlOkam 7: Second Night PuRappAdu

 

svam sUnum DevanAtha: MadhanaSata-

samam veekshya HemAmbhuA cha ,

snigdhou tath kshEmavruddhyai

hyupari navaniSOthatsvAn-ArabhEtAm,

jn~Atvaivam VedachUDA-gururapi

Pitarou MangaLArtha prapadhyai ,

heetyuktam nyASalakshmAnkita-

karayugalO Dampathee sEvatE sma

 

(Meaning):The Divine Couple of ThiruvEndhipuram looked at the beauty of Their son ( Swamy Desikan) , which defeated easily the beauty of one hundred ManmathAs put together .The dhivya mithunam decided then to organize a nine day long utsavam for Their son to recognize his SrEyas.When Swamy Desikan came to know of the sankalpam of his parents ,he was overcome with gratitude and adorned the anjali mudhrai , the sign of nyASam ( nyASa lakshaNam) and performed his MangaLa ASAsanam .What else can one do except to fold one's palms with anjali mudhrA , when sakala kshEma Pradhan ( grantor of all auspiciousness ) , the Iswaran comes down to shower His anugraham ? One can not perform any pratyupakAram under these circumstances .

 

(Comments) : " DevanAtha: HemAmbhujA cha madhana Sata ( SundarAngam) svam sUnum samveekshya , snigdhou , tath kshEmavruddhyai hi upari nava-niSeetOthsavAn AarabhEtAm " is the prose order .The Divine couple were overcome with the extraordinary beauty of Their son and wanted to conduct a nine night long utsavam for his kshEmam.

 

SlOkam 8 : Lord's Remarks

 

sEyam bhUtidhvayeemaniyamanavaSagaa

hastaga: sAstravarga:,

saishA LakshmIstu lOkatrayavrujinatatE:

nishkrutE: siddhiroopA ,

AavAbhyAm yEcchamEtadhvibhajanam-uditam naavayOranyabhEdhO ,

VedAntArya:tvadhuktim viSadayitumayam vEsha ithyAha saisha:

 

(Meaning): The Lord says : Both these LeelA and Nitya VibhUtis are commanded by Me. The assembly of sAstrams are under My control( KaaruNyAth sAstrapANinA) .

I am the sakala sAstra pratibhAdhyan as well as sakala sAstra svaroopan . Brahma was instructed by Me on Srutis for that reason during the time of incarnation as HayagrIvan .HemAbjavalli sitting next to Me has the power to destroy the sins accumulated by the residents of all the three worlds.She is hence called "siddhi

Buddhi pradhAyini "and Her power of PurushakAram protects the aparAdhis

against the sAstrAs of Mine once they have performed saraNAgathy.There is no

difference on this matter between Myself and My Devi in our responses to the saraNAgathan . We display yEka-Seshitvam as the dhivya Mithunam ( Divine couple).Swamy Desikan seems to emphasize this tattvam thru his anjali mudhrA .

 

(Comments) : Here Lord DevanAthan is responding to the posture of Swamy Desikan as he holds anjali mudhrA in recognition of his Lord's anugrahams .

 

SlOkam 9: Third day morning utsavam:

Soorya Prabhai

 

sOayam poorvam thrimAram PraNavam abhidhat DevanAtham prapanna: ,

tasmAth Soorya: sa yEsha: kshapita-dhurita unneeyatE BrahmabhUta:,

Sooryam bindhanprapanna: paramapadhamiyAth ityumum sarvalOkA:,

pratyaksham pasytEti svayamavagamayan

SooryarandhrEsthitO vaa

 

(Meaning): Swamy Desikan became a prapannan through uccharaNam of three lettered PraNavam . This makes the Sooryan free of sins. Sooryan thru His lustre destroys the delusions( bramams) .

It is because of that the Prapannan breaks thru Soorya MaNDalam to proceed with his journey on ArchirAdhi mArgam ( path of the Light ) . Sruti says :" tEarchisham abhisambavanti ".By

sitting in the Soorya Prabhai vAhanam Swamy Desikan seems to illustrate the truth that the prapannan attains moksham thru Soorya MaNDalam , where

the Lord sits as Soorya NaarAyaNan in the middle of the orb of the Sun .

 

Third day evening: Hamsa Vahanam

 

hamsOpyaikaantya-nishtA tadhadhara ithi gira; tathyatAm vyanktumEsha:,

svApatyam DevanAthO janimahadivasE

jaitrayAtrAcchalEna ,

hamsAtmanyoupavAhyE sujanaparijanai:

chArayan sarvaveethi:,

hamsAvAsO jaDa: syAt kimuta tadharOhi

ityayam mAm kimAha ?

 

(Meaning):ParamaikAnthis as well as ParamahamsAs (SanyAsis) are yEkAnta-nishtaas . They like solitude to meditate on the Lord without distraction . Both have superior Jn~Anam . Hamsams ( Swans) also have Jn~Anam to seperate the milk(sAram) from water( asAram) , when they are mixed together . Thru going around the streets of the Lord's city of Thiruvayindhai on Hamsa Vaahanam , Swamy Desikan seems to suggest that the companionship of Paramahamsa ParamaikAntis will enhance one's Jn~Anam . Srimad Azhagiya Singar wonders whether Swamy Desikan sends this message by riding on the Hamsam .

(To Be continued )

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan