Experiencing Swami Desika - 93

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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 " !!

 

Swami Desika systematised the Doctrine of nyAsa and gave

it the rightful place among the Brahma Vidyas.

 

" swatassiddashSrImAnamitaguNabhOmA karunayA

vidhAya brahmAdIn vitarati nijAdEshmapi ya: !

prapatyA sAshAdvA bhajanashirasAvApi sulabham

mumukshurdEvEsham tamahamadhigacchAmi sharaNam !! "

 

-- nyaasa tilakam (5)

 

" Swami says that he is desirous of attaining Moksham and

approaches (resorts to) that Lord of Devas as his refuge,

that Lord who is self evident, who is SrImAn (ever

associated with Lakshmi) and who shines with abundant and

immeasurable (auspicious) attributes, who out of His grace

created Brahma and others and gave the Vedas which are His

commands, and who is easy to approach only through Prapatti,

either as such or as an adjunct to Bhakti yoga. "

 

The above Sloka is an upanishadic mantra, which Swami has

rendered in the form of a poetry. The first part of the

Sloka communicates -

 

The self evident nature of our Lord;

 

Lord's eternal union with Goddess SrI;

 

Lord as an abode of all KalyAna guna's;

 

Lord's grace as evident during the act of creation => Our Lord

creates Brahma in the first instance and through him the entire

cosmos.

 

In addition to all this our Lord discloses the Vedas to us.

 

Swami assertively states that Prapatti is the only means for

Moksha. Though Bhakthi yoga is also referred to as an Upaya,

even this has to depend on Prapatti in order to get over

several hurdles in its course.

 

Swami's nyAsa Vimsati gives briefly all information one needs

to know about Prapatti. The unique distinction of nyAsa Vimsati

is that this is the only stotra for which Swami has himself

provided excellent commentary quoting PramAnas from the Vedas,

samhitas and Puranas!

 

In the following stotra Swami Desika himself performs Prapatti(*)

at the Lotus feet of Lord Varadaraja of Kanchi. Swami has been

a living example for us to follow. This Sloka is recited at

the end as part of the Nyasa Dasakam.

 

(*)There are three modes by which one can do Prapatti:

 

1. Svanistha: Applicable to Alvars, Acharyas and others

who have full knowledge of the requirements.

 

2. Uktinistha: Applicable to others and is done through

Acharya to the Lord. The Acharya recites sentences, in

the presence of the Archamoorthy conveying full surrender,

which are repeated by the aspirants.

 

3. Acharyanistha: In this case, the individual surrenders

to the Acharya himself. The Acharya out of compassion

prays to the Archamoorthy to look after the protection

of the individual.

 

" samsArAvarta vEga prashamana shubhadrugdEsika prEshitOham

santyaktOnyairopAyairanuchita caritEshvadya shAntAbhisanthi: !

ni:shangastatvadrushtayA niravadikadayam prarthya samrakshakam tvAm

nyasya tvatpAdapadmE varada nijabharam nirbharO nirbhayOsmi !! "

 

-- Nyaasa Vimsati (22)

 

 

" Lord Varadaraja! Having been the recipient of the benignant

glances of (my) Acharya which have the power to quell the speed

and power of the whirlpool of samsara, having been given up

(abandoned) by all other means, having now quelled my tendency

to pursue prohibited paths, having dispelled all doubts by

virtue of true knowledge, having prayed to Thee, - possessing

boundless grace-to be my protector, I have placed the burden

of protecting me at thy lotus feet, I have become burdenless

and fearless. "

 

Swami emphasises on the importance of Acharya katAksham which

is a prerequisite to taking up Nyasa. The power of Acharya

katAksham is so great that it can relieve us from the repeated

cycles of births and rebirths.

 

Based on our sukrudams our Lord Himself secures us Acharya

sambandham. Srimad Azhagiya Singar, in his cassette " dEsikarum

avar sooktikalum " has stated that just as a true well wisher

would try to save a drowning person (a true well wisher would

anxiously wait to somehow save the person and the moment the

person comes closer to the shore would pull him out), so also

the Lord based on our Karmas tries to save us by giving Acharya

sambandham. The UpakAra rendered to us by the Lord is mentioned

in Verse 30 of Amritaaswadani which refers to " pazhiyAda

nalvinaiyil padindAr tAlil paNivittu pAshangaladaya nIki "

- Our Lord makes us prostrate to our Acharyas there by

relieving us of all sins!!!

 

Swami has also referred to several angas of Prapatti. Swami

states that after Performing Prapatti Swami feels relieved

of His burden and his fears. He adds that he is now safe

and secure!!!

 

The translations mentioned above are by

Shri R.Ramaswamy Aiyangar.

 

" Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!

SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama !! "

 

....To be continued!

 

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

 

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi

6th Sep 1999