[SriParakalaMatham] Sri DEvarAja Panchakam of DhoddyaachArya (MahAchAryA): Part III

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Dear Sri VaradarAja BhakthAs:

 

In the third slOkam , DoddhAchAryar celebrates

the vaibhavam of the Lord's sacred Thiruvadis

that are held with affection by Garudan in

his extended palms:

 

yath Veda MouLi gana vEdhyam avEdhyam anyai:

yath Brahma-Rudra-Sura Naayaka mouLi vandhyam

Tath PadmanAbha padha padhmam idham manushyai:

sEvyam bhavathbhi: ithi darsayathIva Taarkshya:

 

(Meaning): The glories of Lord VaradarAjan's sacred

feet could be explained adequately only by the assembly

of Upanishads, which serve as the head of the VedAs.

If that were to be so, it is no wonder that their

mahimai could not be fathomed by those darsanams ,

which do not accept Vedaas as PramANams. Those holy

feet are worshipped by Brahmaa, Rudran and Indran

as those belonging to their Master. Those lotus feet are

associated with the BhagavAn , who has a lotus growing

out of His navel to house His son BrahmA. GarudAzhwAn

holds these glorious feet in his palms and shows

the world that these feet are sacred and fit to be

worshipped by humans during PeraruLALan's Garuda

SEvai uthsavam.

 

Additional Comments (V.S): Swamy KurEsar in the very

first slOkam of Sri VaradharAja Sthavam refers to

the efforts of Upanishads to comprehend and describe

the glories of the Lord's tatthvams:

 

NissamAbhyadhikam abhyadhattha yam

DEvam oupanishidhI SarasvathI

 

Here , KurEsar points out that the Upanishads

described this matchless Lord (VaradharAjan )

as having no equal or superior. The Upanishads

acknowledged the general priniciple that there is

no one equal or greater than Him , but could not

go beyond that .

 

In the 59th slOkam of Sri VaradharAja Sathakam ,

KurEsar asks a question of the Lord of Kaanchi:

 

Oh Lord ! Your ThiruvadigaL are blossoming in the heart

lotuses of Bhakthi Yoga nishtars . At Sri Vaikuntam ,

they are resting on the aadhara padhmam. The same Thiruvadis

are adorning the head of the VedAs ,(viz)., Upanishads.

They are staying as gems on Swamy NammAzhwAr's siras.

They are also having as their home ,the peak of

Hasthi Giri and shine there. Oh VaradhA ! Which of these

five places are of the greatest joy for You as

residences ?

 

Here KurEsar begins to describe some of the glories

of the sacred feet of the Lord of Kaanchi and where they

are found..

 

The second paadham of DoddhAchArya Desikan echos

the thoughts of Swamy VedAntha Desikan's 13th slOkma

of Sri VaradarAja PanchAsath:

 

HasthIsa! " aasAthipEshu Giriseshu chathur mukhEshvapi

avyAhathA vidhi nishEdha mayI TavAj~nA "

 

Oh Lord of Hasthi Giri! Your commands to the dhig-PaalakAs,

Rudran , BrahmA on what to do and what not to do are

meticulously followed by them since they implicitly

accept You as their Supreme master.

 

DoddhAchAryaa's salutation to the Lord of Hasthigiri

as the Supreme Master of Brahma-Rudra-Indra takes

this form: " Yath Brahma-Rudra-Sura Naayaka mouLi vandhyam " .

DoddhAchArya MahA Desikan points out that the sacred feet

of the Lord are on the heads of BrahmA , Rudran and Indran

as objects of worship .

 

Sri VaradharAja ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan