SrI abhinava dESika UttamUr SwAmi - His Greatness and Glory

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrI PadmAvati SamEta SrInivAsa Para BrahmaNE namaha

SrImatE Bhagavad rAmAnujAya namaha

SrImatE nigamAnta mahAdESikAya namaha

 

SrImad abhinava dESika UttamUr VAtsya VeerarAghavArya -

mahAdESIkAya namaha

 

SrImatE SrIvaN SaThakOpa nArAyaNa yateendra mahAdESIkAya namaha

 

Dear devotees,

namO nArAyaNa.

 

The following is an article by SrI N. Chakravarthy of

SrI Ahobila Mutt, who performed kAlakshEpam under SrI UttamUr

SwAmi. He is the current principal of SrI MadhurAntakam

Sanskrit College run by SrI Ahobila Mutt. This was published

in the souvenir released on 25th Jan 1984 in commemoration of

SrI UttamUr SwAmi's 88th thirunakshatram (birthday), soon after

swAmi's attainment of his AchArya's sacred feet (ie.attainment

of Paramapadam alias SrI VaikuNTham).

 

THE GREATNESS AND GLORY OF SRI ABHINAVA DESIKA

************************************************

 

The unequivocal glory and radiance of the Great AchArya of

our times SrI U.Ve. TarkArnava, PaNdita-RatNa, Poorva-Uttara

MImAmsa Pradeepa, Ubhaya MImAmsa vallabha, PaNdita MArtANda,

PaNdita BhUshaNa, PrakASika PrakASa, Ubhaya-VEdAnta Vijayadwaja,

SarvAtma RakshAmaNi, MahAvidvAn abhinava dESika Tirumalai nallAn

chakravarthy UttamUr VeerarAghava MahAdESika can only be compared

in the words of the great poet " Adi Kavi " SrI VAlimIki thus -

" gaganam gaganAkAram sAgaraha sAgarOpamaha " ie. " Sky can be

compared only to the sky and likewise ocean for ocean " .

 

 

Its not an exaggeration but a humble truth that the Greatness

of SrI Abhinava DESika SrI UttamUr SwAmy can be equated only to

his own greatness. It is an adventure to dwell on his greatness;

yet let us consider atleast one aspect of the many and varied

prabhAvAs of SrI SwAmi.

 

Bhagavad BhAshyakAra - SrI RAmAnuja firmly established

SrI VaishNavism, the ViSishtAdvaita siddhAnta in sheer contrast

to various 'isms' like Monism etc, and this was hailed by the

unbiased philosophers of the world as the " Living and practical

philosophy " . He did so in line with the SanAtana Dharma - through

the Upanishads, Brahma SUtras of Bhagavad BAdarAyana, BodhAyana's

Vrittigrantas and the teachings of SrI NAthamuni, YAmunAchArya and

other AchAryas.

 

The unique sAmrAjya (kingdom) of SrI Bhagavad BhAshyakAra was

zealously guarded by the " wonder " fortress created to surround

the kingdom against any onslaughts of the enemies through any

mischievous means. And this was done by Lord VEnkatanAtha

(Lord SrInivAsa of Tirupati) Himself in His avatAra as " Thooppul

SrI VenkatESa " alias " SrI NigamAnta MahAdESika " (alias SrI -

VEdAnta DESIka).

 

All these proved still inadequate to arm further against any

intruders. SrI VEdAnta DESika himself appeared again as

SrI Abhinava DESIka UttamUr SwAmi.

 

.......

 

Bhagavad BhAshyakAra's first and foremost mandate is to

dedicate oneself to the noble task of propagating the true

philosophy (ViSishtAdvaita). Our SwAmi SrI apara (newer) DESika

stood as an eloquent testimony and true to the letter and spirit

of pUrvAchAryas. His dedication and grace towards mankind is

unparalleled and unique. He graced us with more than 150

invaluable and rare spiritual works of all times. His glory

started radiating through " ParamArtha BhUshaNam " which carried

with it the President's First National Award for Sanskrit.

Amongst the various pearls, gems, diamonds, emeralds, safire,

rubies and other invaluable and precious stones of amazing

philosophical works of SrI swAmi studded and adorn the Crest

Jewel brahmaSirasi videeptE of Lord SrInivAsa shall include

commentaries, notes on the Upanishad BhAshyas, SrI BhAshya, SrI

GIta BhAshya, SrImad Rahasya Traya SAra, Prabandha Raksha,

all sUktIs of SrI VEdAnta DESika with commentaries including the

yeomen work of TatvamuktA kalApa, PAdukAsahasra, YAdavAbhyudaya,

AdhikaraNa SArAvali, Paramata bhangam, DramidOpanishad TAtparya

RatnAvali (UttamUr SwAmi last commentary released on the eve of

Lord's call to His abode) and so on.

 

Amongst the *last will and Testament* of SrI UttamUr SwAmi

include in the forefront -

 

(1) The protection of all his rare works, by reprinting as and

when exhausted ; and to keep these grantas always made

available for the needy.

 

(2) Regular discourses/pravachanams/kAlakshEpas with the help

of these works to gladden the Supreme Lord.

 

(3) To bring out SrI swAmi's unpublished works which include

the pUrvAchArya's vyAkyAna of Divya Prabandha in DEvanAgiri

script (Sanskrit) ie. in ManipravALa style, which are at

moment out of print.

 

 

Truly jellying with the 'Tanian', SrI UttamUr SwAmi had laid

a perfect concrete road to the High Bliss and what is just

required by all is to broom the road and dust out by constant

dedication and total devotion to the study of his works.

Nothing shall please SrI swAmi than these.

 

And let us pray and plead the Grace of SrI (UttamUr) SwAmi

on this august occasion to bless us for dedicating to these

kainkaryas (services) in our humble mite.

 

-- By SrI N.Chakravarthy

---

 

 

Hope that you all have read the previous posting titled

" A Sincere Appeal to SrI VaishNavas in 1977: Reg. UttamUr

SwAmi's Books " . If anyone has missed it, kindly go through

it. Thanks.

 

SrI Abhinava DESika's final instructions before the attainment of

Parama-padam, to all SrI VaishNavas and his sishyAs + abhimAnis

in particular, is very clear. The " Sri Uttamur Viraraghavachariar

Centenary Trust " is carrying out these instructions.

 

Apart from Books re-publication, the trust is arranging for

monthly upanyAsam by a scholar at " SiddhAshramam " (UttamUr

SwAmi's thirumALigai) on every " SwAti " star appearence day;

SwAti being SrI UttamUr SwAmi's avatAra nakshatram. The

yearly thirunakshatram of SrI UttamUr SwAmi (Thai-SwAti) is

celebrated in a very grand manner with many upanyAsams from

leading vidvAns, apart from Vidvat Sathas on subjects like SrI

BhAshyam. Good amount of sambhAvanai are given to all the

scholars. During that celebration, a lecture is also arranged at

Vaishnavism Dept of Madras University. Cash awards to those SrI

VaishNava students who excel in Stotra recitation, Study of NyAya

SAstra, VEda adhyayanam and Divya Prabandha adhyayanam are given

by the trust in recognition and encouragement of their talent.

 

The successor of SrI UttamUr SwAmi in adminstrating

Panca-SamskAram and Bhara-nyAsam is SrI U.Ve. PayyambAdi

VEnkatavaradAchArya, a very devout disciple and cousin brother

of SrI UttamUr SwAmi. SrI PayyambAdi SwAmi is delivering

kAlakshEpam at SiddhAshramam on SrI BhAshyam and Bhagavad

Vishayam currently. The Trust is giving monthly sambhAvanai to

this AchArya as well.

 

Please come forward to help the Trust in carrying out the

instructions of SrI UttamUr SwAmi. aDiyEn will post a separate

mail on the availability of books. Thanks.

 

aDiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,

anantapadmanAbhan.

krishNArpaNam.