Experiencing Swami Desika - 105

[Guest guest]

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 " !!

 

Prapati-Parva is the last parva in phala Kanda. This is the last

step to the transedental world!!!

 

The Jiva is now attracted to the divine seat of the Lord =>

Thiruvananthalvan. The Lord being seated on this soft

Thiruvananthalvan, looks like a maragatha mountain seated

on a silver mountain! The Lord who sits here rules over every thing!!!

 

Our Lord is ever youthful. We can imagine the tEjas of our Lord

be to greater than lakhs and lakhs of suns put together => it is

unimaginable! The consorts of our Lord sit beside Him. It looks

like Lords karuna itself has taken the form of Periya PirAtti,

His patience has taken the form of Bhoomi PirAtti and his unending

vallal thanmai (kodai) has taken the form of NIla PirAtti!!!

 

Among His consorts there is a unique greatness for Periya PirAtti.

Periya PirAtti's svaroopam, ThirumEni and kalyAna Gunas can be

equated to that of our Lord's. They are permanent and there are no

limitations to these. The Lord and Periya pIrAtti always keep seeing

each other and are in a state where separation is impossible. Inspite

of always being associated with Periya pirAtti, the Lord feels that this

enjoyment is new! This is because of the unending greatness

of Periya pirAtti! She is ever youthful and resides in Lord's chest.

She appeared from the nectarian ocean. Residing on the Lotus, she

destroys everybody's sins. Chaturmukha Brahma and other Devas get

their respective positions by Periya PirAtti's katAksham. Her Greatness

is evident from the very fact that she is the consort of sarvEshvaran!

 

Periya PirAtti's karuna to us knows no bounds. When it comes to

devotees her karuna over flows and her eyes are filled with tears!!!

She hence gets hold of the right chest of our Lord! So, our Lord

along with Periya PirAtti is our seshi, they together accept our

kainkaryams. It is pleasing only if our Lord is enjoyed along with

Periya PirAtti. Kainkaryam has to be performed for both. Periya

PirAtti assigns kainkaryams to the troops according to the requirements.

 

The Jiva then offers salutations to Bhoomi PirAtti. One seeing Bhoomi

PirAtti it looks like Periya pirAtti has herself taken another form.

Bhoomi PirAtti is always regarded and respected by every body. Her

thirumEni is like the colour of a huge green mountain.

 

The complexion of nIla is karunEithal. We saw that Peria pirAtti captivates

the Lord by all her bOgams. But this looks too small when we see NIla Devi's

chAduryam. NilA Devi changes the Lord's state and makes him lie down on her

and sleep.

 

All the consorts of the Lord are very compassionate to the Devotees.

In order to make it convenient for the devotees to perform kainkaryam,

the consorts magnanimously sit on the left side of the Lord and worship!

 

The ones who perform kainkarya to the Lord in this state (where he is

with his consorts), realise the he is " Rasam " and he is the " form of Ananda "

in the way the Upanishads state. Our Lord is possessed of incomparable

sweetness !!! Our Lord is the natural seshi to whom devotees with

naturally blooming knowledge perform kainkaryam.

 

It is interesting to note that the Lord himself likes his ThirumEni more

than His svaroopam. Needless to say that our Lords ThirumEni looks

extraordinary! The complexion of Lord's ThirumEni shines like that of

dark clouds, karunEidhal, sea, peacock .. Lord's complexion is like

a blue mani and PirAtti who is in Lord's chest is of Golden complexion.

What a superb vision it would be to be blessed with a darshan of this

combination !!!

 

Just as how, we in this leela Vibhuti are desirous of Moksha and try to

perform only those actions that please the Lord, so also even those

who have reached Moksha perform acts that pleases the Lord, and pray

to him!

 

When each part of the ThirumEni is enjoyed, they get involved in that

beauty. They are carried away by each part and the appropriate ornament

that is worn by the Lord. They pray to the Lord enjoying each of his

parts and the associated ornaments.

 

The process of enjoyment is beautiful and moving and there are

appropriate quotations from the hymns of the Alvars and the works

of Acharyas.

 

They first enjoy Lord's kreedam because this confirms Lord as the

sarvEshvaram. Lord's Thirumudi is straight and is in steps. On seeing

Lords dark and thick Thirumudi it looks like night. But Lord's kreedam

is full of tEjas like the combination of hundred suns. The Thirumudi

and kreedam together makes one visualise day and night at the same time!!!

Is it possible? The Lord has the capacity to combine things which can

never be combined! They salute the kreedam and praise Lord's Thirumudi.

 

The Jiva sees the Lord's Thirukkuyal. They are curly. Lord's Thirukkuyal

is so beautiful that the bees consider his Thirumugam as a lotus and they

stand in a row in order to taste the nectar.

 

When this Thirukkuyal touches the bright forehead, it looks like the moon on

the ashtami day = > brightness on one side and darkness on the other! This

Jiva enjoys the white asthami moon!!!

 

As though to put a boundary to the beauty of the forehead, appear the two

beautiful eyebrows of the Lord. He then sees the broad and big Thirukkangal

(eyes) with red lines running on both the sides. On seeing Lord's

Thirukkangal

even those who think themselves to be independent will loose their

independence and fall at the lord's feet.

 

PramAnas state that Lords breath is Vedas! This Jiva now salutes the

Thirumooku

(nose) that let out that breath. Lords ThirukabAlangal (cheeks) is like a

ratna mirror for the consorts who are near him. The greatness and beauty

of this cannot be explained. So, the parts surrounding it viz.,

Thirukkangal,

thiru vAi, Thirupparkal, Thirukkundalam etc are alone discussed.

 

The Jiva then offers salutations to Lord's lips which is like a group of

red pavayam. He wonders if they are some ripe fruits. It is so beautiful

that he regrets having missed these enjoyments for so long due to his pApAs.

 

The Lord's Thirumugamandalam(face) is of exceptional beauty. Lord's mouth

looks like a kOvai fruit, when our Lord smiles the beauty of the line of

pearls (Thirupparkal) looks like an emission of swallowed lightning!

 

Both the thirusevigal (ears) are for the kAnthi of the face. The kuntalas

are bright and is in the shape of a fish. The kuntalas are so bright that

it makes one wonder if the thirusevi's have themselves become the

magarakundalas!

 

The Jiva now has a complete anubhavam of the Lord's Thirumugam. Even the

full moon which is completely surrounded by brightness is no where near

the beauty of Lord's face. On seeing the Lords face the Jiva thinks that

the beautiful lotus (Thirukkangal), karpaga creeper (Thiru mooku),

pavazham (Thiruvadaram), bow (Thiru puruvam), Pearls (Thiruparkal),

petal (Thirusevi), chandra kalai (Thirunetri) are all contained in one

complete jyOthi mandalattAn!!!

 

 

The above write up is from the book " Rahasyartha Vivaranam "

where Shri RamadEsikachAriyar Swami deals with Swami Desika's

ParamapadasopAnam.

 

 

" Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!

SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama !! "

 

....To be continued!

 

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

 

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi

18th Sep 1999