Sri Vilakkoli Perumal, Thoopul/ThirutthaNkA dhivya Desam: Nithya AarAdhana kaimkaryam for VilakkoLi PerumAL and Swamy Desikan : Part XXVII: Twenty Fourth SlOkam

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Today , adiyEn will cover the Twenty fourth slOkam

of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan

focuses on the boons granted by SrI DhIpa PrakAsan to

many devotees , who approach Him thru the interrelated

routes of karma, Jn~Ana and Bhakthi yOgams:

 

dhee samskruthAn vidhathAm iha karma-bhEdhAn

suddham jithE manasi chinthayathAm svamEkam

Thvath-karma-saktha-manasAmapi chaparEshAm

soothE phalaNabhimathAni BhavAn prasanna:

 

--SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 24

 

(meaning): Oh Lord DhIpa prakAsA ! there are many kinds of

saadhanaas to come close to You : practise of karma yOgam,

performance of Yaagams , giving charities (dhAnam), engagement

in penance (tapas) et al. Those who practise these have a mind

purified by the jn~Anam about the relationship between

the Isvaran and the Jeevan. You gladly grant the boons to

the karma yOgis , who perform the aarAdhanam for You

imbued with the spirit of Saathvika ThyAgam ( it is only

the Lord , who causes these aarAdhanams to be performed ,

Svasmai SvayamEva kaarayathi). These karma yOgis get

empowered to perform Jn~Ana yOgam . Jn~Ana yOgam in this

context is the total control of one's senses , to separate

the Aathma svaroopam from the physical body and to be engaged

in Kaivalya anubhavam ( aathmAvalOkanam ).That siddhi will

qualify the successful practioners of Jn~Ana yOgam to prepare

for the practise of Bhakthi yOgam. During the latter saadhanA

or anushtAnam(Bhakthi yOgam) , the jeevans do not seek any fruits

and worship You and perform aarAdhanam) to you with joy in their

hearts. You bless them with growth in their Bhakthi through

Your anugraham so that they can be engaged in kaimakryams to You

and Your dear BhaagavathAs and make their Bhakthi Yoga anushtAnam

will culminate with the phalan of Moksham .

 

Additional Comments(V.S):

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

Swamy Desikan focuses first on those whose minds are perfected by

proper jn~Anam to perform various karmAs prescribed by SaasthrAs

( dhee samskruhtAn karma bhEdhAn vidhadhathAm ).Next,Swamy Desikan

shifts to those who control thier minds perfectly , meditate on

the aathma svaroopam to gain kaivalya sukham ( jithE manasi suddham

SVAM YEKAM chinthayathAm ). " SVAM YEKAM " here refers to the aathman.

Then there are all the othrs following different routes in search

of the Lord. Swamy Desikna says that the most merciful DhIpa PrakAsan

hastens with joy to grant all these SaadhakAs the boons appropriate

to their saadhanAs ( aparEshAm cha abhimathAni phalAni BhavAn

prasanna: soothE).

 

Swamy Desikan is going to shift to the central message of

SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai (viz)., Prapathti and its glories

in the subsequent slOkams . Before that , he acknowleges in

this slOkam , the fruits resulting from the practise of

other yOgams such as Karma , Jn~Ana and Bhakthi yOgams .

In RaamAnuja-Desika sampradhAyam , Bhakthi yOgam and Prapatthi

yOgam are the only two anushtAnams recognized as

the appropriate ones for gaining everlasting Moksha sukham

and ParipoorNa BrahmAnandham in Sri Vaikuntam through nithya,

niravadhya kaimkaryam ( uninterrupted , blemishless sevice )

to the Dhivya dampathis.

 

Swamy Desikan is following the route of Swamy AlavanthAr

and AchArya RaamAnujA here in dealing with the architectonics

of GeethAchAryan's upadesam to the beleagured Arjuna in

the battle field . Swamy AlavanthAr has divided the 18 chapters

of SrI Bhgaavad GitA into three groups of six chapters each.

About the first hextad , Swamy AlavanthAr says:

 

Jn~Ana-karmAthmikE nishtE yOgalakshyE susamskruthE

AathmAnubhUthi-siddhyarTam poorva-shaDkEna chOdhithE

 

--SlOkam 2 of The GithArTa sangaraham , YaamAuna Muni

 

The coincidence in the choice of words by Swamy AlavanthAr

( SusmaskruthE ) and Swamy Desikan ( Dhee samskruthAn ) is

noteworthy.

 

(meaning) " In the first hextad , the performance of desireless

Karma and Jn~Ana , with the practise of YogA in view , is enjoined

for the realization of the Self " .

 

The second (middle) hextad , Swamy AlavanthAr states

GitAchAryan covers Bhakthi yOgam " brought about by Karma

and Jn~Ana " yogams . That leads to the acquisition of clear

and correct knowledge about BhagavAn , the Supreme Being :

 

madhyamE Bhagavath-tatthvayATAthmyaavApthi-siddhayE

Jn~Ana-karmAbhir-nivarthyOr Bhakthi-yOga: prakeertthitha:

 

--SlOkam 3 of the GIthArTa sangraham

 

The third ( final ) hextad , the knowledge supplementing and

complimenting the upadEsams of the First and the Second hextads

are housed. The third hextad and particularly the final chapter

(Eighteenth) contains the Charama slOkam and the Lord's command

to perform SaraNAgathy at His Thiruvadi to be rid of all sins

and fears .The Lord gives His firm word that He will be

the one and only refuge for Moksham .

 

All these three yOgams --Karma , Bhakthi and Jn~Ana yOgams

are related to one another. Sofar , Swamy Desikan focussed

on the first two yOgams and connected them to Bhakthi yOgam.

In the subsequent sOkams , he will move on to the central message

of DhIpa PrakAsan at the battle field , SaraNAgathy or absolute

surrender with MahA visvAsam , at His sacred feet.

 

SrI Maragathavalli SamEtha SrI DhIpa PrakAsa ParabrahmaNE nama:

Swamy Desikan , SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan/SaThakOpan