Experiencing Swami Desika - 57

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SrI:

Shrimate Shri Lakshmi Nrusimha Parabrahmane Namaha:

Shrimate Shri Seetha Ramachandra Parabrahmane Namaha:

Shrimate Shri Ramanujaya Namaha:

Shrimate Nigamantha Maha Desikaya Namaha:

Shrimate Shrivan Satagopa Shri Narayana Yateendra Mahadesikaya Namaha:

 

" SrimAn VenaktanAthArya: kavithArkika kEsarI!

VedAnthAchArya varyO mE sannidhatthAM sadhA hrudhi " !!

 

In Shri Alavandar's description of the kalyAna gunas

of Sriya:pathi, 'stira:' falls next.

 

A person without any confusions is 'stira:'.

Swami Desika states that it is imperative for

an AchArya to have absolute clarity of thought -

devoid of confusions. As we all know our Swami

was a personification of clarity.

 

With this clarity of thought Swami Desika

systematised the Doctrine of Prapatti - self surrender.

KavitArkikasimham declared that this greatest

act of self surrender was available to one and all

and is a direct means for liberation.

Swami emphatically states the significance of

Prapatti - loud and clear! This itself is enough to

show his 'stiradiyam'.

 

Swami Desika estalished Prapatti also as a distinct

anushtAnam like samAsrayanam. Swami Desika has based

the validity on the words of the Lord and poorvaacharyas

like Shri AlavandAr and Shri BAshyakArar.

 

The concept of Prapatti has been instructed by Lord

Krishna himself in the charama Sloka.

 

Swami took untiring efforts to save us. All through

his life Swami was hence bent upon establishing Prapatti

as a separate and direct method for liberation.

 

This is evident from Swami's works. All the works of

Swami, be it in Sanskrit, prAkrutam or tamil will

have its central theme as Prapatti, saranAgathy

or nyAsa.

 

Swami Desika states that Shri Ramanuja's saranAgathy

gadyam " supports the stand on Prapatti. In this gadyam

we see Shri Ramanuja in the peak of his Bhakthi, speaking

of saranAgathy which he performs at the feet of

Lord Sri RanganAtha.

 

Brahmavidya's are of different types. These are

based on the invocation of the direct attributes of

Sriya:pathi. These are listed by Sage Veda Vyasa in

his Brahmasootra. Swami gave NyAsa an appropriate

place among the Brahma Vidyas. Swami Desika clarifies

that during Prapatti a Prapanna invokes the dayA of

Sriya:pathi and hence Prapatti is a separate and

direct Vidya.

 

We have yet another poorvAcharya who has dealt with

the concept of Prapatti, Shri nadAdur ammal's

Prapanna PArijata. Shri NadAdur ammal is the

praacharya of Swami Desika.

 

All the ideas expressed in this work is supported by

pramAnas. In fact there are a lot of quotations

incorporated in this work from different sources

like Visvaksenasamhita, words of Shri Suka, words of

Bhagavan Vyasa, our Lords own words, quotes from

PancharAtra Agamas etc. This is truly a fore runner of

Srimad Rahasya-traya-Saram of Swami Desika.

 

NyAsa, as mentioned has been the central theme of all

Swami's works. However the following works hold

saranAgathy as the main topic itself.

 

Adaikalapattu in Tamil;

 

sillarai rAhasyam and rahasya Traya saram;

These are in manipravAlam.

 

Nikshepa RAksha in Sanskrit;

 

Out of the twenty eight stotras of Swami Desika, the

following four stotras focus entirely on Saranagathy:

 

Nyasa Dasaka;

Nyasa Vimsati;

Nyasa vimsati and

saranagathy Deepika.

 

Swami Desika was thus extremely firm 'stira:' in the

concept of Prapatti and is justly eulogised as the

" Ocean from which the science of Prapatti has sprung "

- prapadana kalA janma jaladhi:!

 

" Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!

SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama !! "

 

....To be continued!

 

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

 

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi

1st Aug 1999