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

[Guest guest]

 

 

 

 

SrI:

 

 

 

 

Dear Swami Desika BhakthAs:

 

Sixth day Utsavam: VeNNai ThAzhi

SlOkam 15

 

ya: prAg-gOpAlamAdhyam gaDanihita-karam gavyamAhartukAmam,

rushDAm dhrushtvA jigukrusham mudha-chalitapadham nasthitam naprayAtam ,

mithyAgOpam nimilannayanamabhilashan

dhyAyatismAryavarya:,

sOayam tAdhraksharoopa: svayamiha-

jagatam druSyatE satyagOpa:

 

(Meaning):Once before,Sriman Narayanan

incarnated as GopAlan ( Sheperd boy) in Gokulam and wished to steal butter ( Ya: prAg GopAlamAdhyam) and put His hand in the pot containing the butter( gaDa nihita karam) .When YasodhA caught her son in the act of stealing , she became angry and wanted to get hold of Him .

GopAlan saw the anger in His mother's eyes and began to walk slowly . He neither became stationary nor engaged in

running ( rushDAm dhrushtvA jigrusham mudhachalitapadham na sthitam na prayAtam ). Thus , the Gopala SiSu closed His eyes and acted as though He was frightened ( mithyAgOpam nimilannayanam abhilashan).Our utthma AchAryan gives us His sEvai as a crawling infant hugging the pot of VeNNai and appears like the real infant GopAlan , who was stealing butter in Gokulam and being caught in the act .

 

Swamy Desikan's beautiful description of the

immobile KrsihNan caught in the act of stealing by His Mother , YasOdha is housed in His

Sri GopAla Vimsathi stOtram . PeriyAzhwAr's

anubhavam of the chEshtais of BalagOpAlan are delightful to recall in the context of Srimad Azhagiyasingar's SlOkam for the 6th day Morning utsavam .

 

Sixth Day Utsavam Evening : Yaanai Vaahanam

 

SlOkam 16

 

gadhyEnAchAryavaryOstuta: yamiha-

raghUttamsamABAlavruddham ,

sAkEtasthA yamaicchan mahitagaja-

varArOhiNam chandravargam ,

tasmin sAroopyamAryE vidhadhati sa guru: bhadramAruhya nAgam ,

veethim bhOgeendhrapuryAm niSi tu

rasamahEabhUshayadhbhUshitAnga:

 

(Meaning): Swamy Desikan eulogized the beauty and valor of Lord Raamachandran( gadhyEna AachAryavaryO sthuta:).

 

The AyOddhi citizens (SaakEtasthA)from children to older categories ( AaBaala Vruddham) wanted to enjoy the bhavani as the Raghuveeran rode on the back of the royal elephant with a Face that defeated the PoorNa Chandran in its beauty ( Yamm chandra vaktram mahitagajavarArOhaNam dhrashtum icchan) .Swamy Desikan with a beauty matching that of His Lord Raghuveeran

rode on the back of a beautiful elephant and travelled on the Raaja Veethis of Thiruvaheendhrapuram and was adorned with all types of beautiful jewellery.

 

The reference here is to Swamy Desikan's SrI Sookthi of Raghuveera gadhyam praising the valor of the Lord (http://www.sundarasimham.org ) .

 

Seventh day: No Morning PuRappAdu

In the evening , there is ManjaL water,

VasantOtsavam and ChUrNAbhishEkam

 

Seventh Day Evening : SlOkam 17

 

varshAkAlE vasantam kathamanubhavati

prAjn~a AchAryavarya:

varshasyakAlavEdhee Thvamiha kathamimam BhAdhamutprEkshaSE mE

varshAsaBdhaprayuktO hyAtupara iha na:

kleeBha varshArtha sabdha:

sarvE samsAra tApam jahaty sukhamiti

prApitOaham vasantam

 

(Meaning): This slOkam is set as a question and answer format between a scholar and Swamy Desikan . The scholar asks: Mighty intellignet Swami ! This is

PurattAsi month , the rainy season . How come You are saying that you are enjoying the Vasanta kAlam ( spring time)

during VarshA kaalam( the rainy season).

Swamy answers: I brought in Vasantam to allay the sufferings of SamsAris and for them to enjoy some Sukham during this rainy season ( sarvE samsAra tApam jahaty sukhamiti vasantam prApitOham) . Swamy Desikan explains that the confusion of the scholar arose from the multiple meanings of " Varsha" , which commonly refers to ruthu like Vasanta rutu . Varsham on the other hand is a napumsaka linga sabdham denoting as well a time unit ( one year)

 

The scholar asks: " PrAjn~A Acharya- varya ! vasantam katham varshAkAlE anubhavaty ? ". AchAryan responds : How do You deduct that there is no vasantam in VarshA Kaalam ( Varshasya

kAlavEdhee thvamiha katham imam

BhAdhum utprEkshasE mE ?). Although there are two meanings for Varsha sabdham , the ruthu ( two month long season) and the time unit of one year ,

I am using the ruthu ( Vasantha ruthu) here ( VarshA saBdha prayuktO hyarutupara iha ) and not the Year bearing napumsaka lingam ( neutral gender) .You may ask why ? I invoked Vasantam in PurattAsi ( VarshA Kaalam) to alleviate the samsAric tApam of good people I am invoking indeed the vasanta rutu and not the Varsham(samvatsaram).

(To Be continued )

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan