Experiencing Swami Desika - 61

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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 " !!

 

We saw that Our Lord's kalyAna gunas as exhibited

by Tooppul ThiruvEnkatamudayAn. Now, let us dwell with

the adjectives used by our Tooppul ThiruvEnkatamudayAn

on our Lords avatAra's.

 

When Swami Desika went to the dasAvatAra sannidhi in

Thiruvarangam, Swami had a darshan of our Lord's tirumEni

of all the ten avatArs and worshipped them.

In this stotra, Swami Desika has blessed us with the

mention of the divine leelas of the ten avatArs of

our Lord.

 

The stotra starts with the mention that it was

Lord Thiruvaranga who took these avatArams.

Swami Desika enjoys the ten avatAra's in a Sloka

for each. Swami Desika has compressed all the ten

avatArA's into one Sloka, using very significant

and appropriate adjectives for each.

 

In this Sloka we can enjoy Swami Desika's poetic

excellence, talents of summarising and Swami's unique

devotion.

 

" yichA mIna vihAra kacchapa mahApautrin yadrucchAharE

rakshAvAmana rOsharAma karunAkAkutstha hElAhalin !

krIdAvallava kalkavAhanadashAkalkinniti pratyaham

jalpanta: purushA: punanti bhuvanam punyaukapaNyApaNA: !! "

 

-- dashAvatAra stotram

 

In this Sloka Swami Desika uses an adjective for all

the ten avatAr's of our Lord.

 

During the pralaya kAla when an asura took off the Vedas

and got immersed into the waters, Our Lord took the

matsyAvatAram through his own sankalpam and hence

Swami refers to this avatAram as 'yichA mIna'!

 

Next when the dEvas and Asura's used the mantarA mountain

to churn the ocean, the Lord, as a sport came as kUrmAvatAram

hence 'vihAra kacchapa'!

 

When the Asura HiranyAkshan folded the worlds like

a mat the Lord appeared as the mighty varAhA avatAra

and protected the world. Swami addresses this huge

varAhaAvatAra as 'mahApautrin'

 

Lord NarasimhA's sowlabyam is evident here. Our Lord

made this avatAram just to make true the words of his

devotee, prakaladan. Our Lord appeared in the form of

Narasimha when no body expected hence the

adjective - 'yadrucchAharE'

 

Our Lord took the vAmana avatAram only to protect.

Our Lord having come as vAmanan during mahAbalI's yAgam

measured all the three worlds. By doing this the Lord

not only protected the three worlds but also protected

mahAbali, hence 'rakshAvAmana'.

 

'rOsharAma' was used by Swami because, Lord parasurAma

came to destroy the kshatriyA race from the world.

 

Lord rAmA is an embodiment of karunA towards saranAgathAs.

Hence Swami Desika address Lord Rama as 'karunAkAkutstha'.

 

Lord BalarAmA by means of his 'kalapai' did many leelAs

and so is addressed as " hElAhalin " .

 

Our Lord appeared as Kannan in Ayar kulam and performed a

variety of exceptional leela's. Our Lord lifted govardana

and protected the people, the Lord showed his paratvam

in this avatAram. Swami hence empathetically addresses

KrishnA avatAram as 'krIdAvallava'

 

Kalki perumAL would ride on a white horse and would establish

Dharma. He would remove every body's trouble that are going

to come during kali hence Swami addresses him as

'kalkavAhanadashAkalkin'.

 

Swami Desika adds that these avatArA's of the Lord can be

equated to the shops where only punyA is stored. when a

one approaches a shop he can get what ever he wants.

Swami says that in the same way, if we approach these

punya purushas we can get a lot of good things, they

make their place of stay itself pure.

 

We are able to 'realise' that Swami is actually enjoying

" himself " when he defines " his " avatara's !!!

 

" Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!

SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama !! "

 

....To be continued!

 

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

 

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi

5th Aug 1999