Sri Vilakkoli Perumal, Thoopul/ThirutthaNkA dhivya dEsam:NithyAradhana Kaimkaryam : Part 63 , SlOkam 59 (Final Posting relating to this Kaimkaryam)

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ChithrabhAnu, Adi 18 ( PatinettAm Perukku Dinam)

Sukla Paksha Dasami, KritthikA Nakshathram , Aug 3,2002)

 

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Today , adiyEn will cover the Fifty Ninth and the last

slOkam of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan

lets us know as to what motivated him to compose

SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai, a moving prayer to Lord

DhIpaprakAsan and SrI Maragathavalli ThAyar .

 

Usually , Swamy Desikan's sthuthis like AzhwAr's decads

in Dhivya Prapandham would be in the form of a Phala Sruthi

that points out the soubhAgyams that the reciters of

these powerful SrI Sookthis will gain. Here, it is

a different ending. The focus is on the origin of

this SrI Sookthi dealing with the most important

upAya anushtAnam : The Observance of SaraNagathy in all

its essential aspects as established by the VedAs

and Sath SampradhAyam. Swamy Desikan uses slEdai

(double entendre) in this slOkam most evocatively :

 

SnEhOpapanna vishaya sva-dasA-visEshAth

bhooyas-tamisra-samaneem bhuvi VenkatEsa:

dhivyAm sthuthim niramimeetha sathAm niyOgAth

DhIpaprakAsa SaraNAgathi DhipikAkhyam

 

---SrI SaraNAgathi DhipIkai : 59th SlOkam

 

Meaning:

********

Oh ViLakkoLI EmperumAnE! The VedAnthAchAryan with

the naamam of VenkatEsan composed this SrI Sookthi

named SaraNAgathi DhIpikai about You (DhIpa PrakAsan)

following the command of great BhAgavathAs. In this

SrI Sookthi, the Svaroopam and the SvabhAvam of You ,

who has parama Vaathsalyam to chEthanams , are explained

in great detail. Therefore , this Sthithi is bound to banish

the darkness associated with the false and viparItha Jn~Anam

of the people of the World.

 

Additional Comments:

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

Swamy Desikan has compared this magnificent sthOthram

to a radiant (jaajwalya) dhIpam. A DhIpam has oil, wick and

drives away the darkness and provides lustre.Using

the double meaning of the words SnEha, DasA, tamisra-

samanI and prakAsa (dhIpikaa), Swamy Desikan connects to

the different aspects of a DhIpam (lamp) such as

oil, wick , darkness removal and the prakAsam .

 

This divine Sthuthi (Dhivya sthuthi)is revered

as SaraNAgathi DhIpikai ( SaraNAgathi DhIpikAkhyam ).

The object of this Sthuthi is Lord DhIpa PrakAsan.

The author is VenkatEsa Kavi (Swamy Desikan ).

The mood behind this composition and the SamarpaNam

is one of great affection to the Lord ( SnEha Upapannam).

The slOkams of this sthuthi removes the darkness of

ajn~Anam ( Tamisra samanam) of the people of the world.

The special approaches housed in the study to comprehend

the SvarUpam and SvabhAvam of the Lord of ThirutthaNkA/

Thoopul is described by Swamy Desikan as " Sva dasA

VisEsham " . This sthuthi was composed at the request

and command of the Parama BhaagavathAs of the Lord

( DhIpa PrakAsa SaraNAgathi DhIpikAkhyam dhivyam sthuthim

SATHAAM NIYOGAATH NIRAMIMEETHA).

 

THE DOUBLE MEANINGS HERE ARE AS FOLLOWS:

 

1. snEha Upapanna : (created )with great affection or

the Lamp having the oil as a fuel.

 

2. vishaya: the sthuthi about the Lord of ThirutthaNkA

or the vase containing the oil

 

3. sva-dasA visEshAth : through the different and special

methods used in the composition or through the reminder

of the wick soaked in the oil of the Lamp

 

4. tamisra samanIm: that which can remove the dark

overlay of ajn~Anam or that which can banish physical

darkness and illumiate the space around the lamp .

 

The clear reference is to the First Paasurams of

Mudal AzhwArs , who experienced the Lord through

Para Bhakthi, Para Jn~Anam and Parama Bhakthi.

In his SrI DehaLisa Sthuthi , Swamy Desikan

referred to the Mudhal AzhwArs experiencing the Lord

in their heart space (HrudhayAkAsam) with their two eyes

of SvAdhyAyam (Vedam ) and Yogam by lighting a lamp

( dhIpEna kenachith--the 6th slOkam of DehaLIsa Sthuthi).

Swamy Desikan saluted the DhIpam and its PrakAsam

at ThiruttaNkA in a way similar to that of the Mudhal

AzhwArs and explained the SaraNAgathi Tatthvam

and its anushtAanam to banish ajn~Anam and to

gain mOksham.

 

Let us enjoy the light that the Mudahal AzhwArs lit

in the context of this 59th slOakm.

 

Poygai AzhwAr stated in His first Paasuram of

Mudhal ThiruvandhAthi:

 

" The whole world is the bowl.The seas all constitute

the ghee, for the flame and lamp of the hot-ray sun

to light up my Jn~Anam. With this lamp of Jn~Anam ,

I composed a garland of verses to the sacred feet

of the Lord-- " .

 

BhUthatthAzhwAr described the lamp that he lit this way:

 

" I have now lit a lamp for Lord NaarAyaNa by composing

Jn~Anam-laden verses . This is a service at His holy feet.

For this lamp , the bowl (container) is my love of the Lord;

the ghee (fuel) is my craze to see Him and enjoy Him;

the wick (for this lamp) is my heart that had melted in

the pleasure of doting on Him. The flame of the lamp is

my aathmA , which has virtually melted with Parabhakthi

evoked in it-- " .

 

Pey Azhwaar concludes this extraordinary anubhavam of

seeing the Lord with His parama Bhakthi and declares

that it is a great day , when he and his fellow AzhwArs

saw the Lord with Periya PirAtti with the light of the lamp

that they had lit with affection (snEha Upapanna DhIpa

PrakAsEna dhrushtam ).

 

The three AzhwArs described in their 300 paasurams

the Svaroopam and the SvabhAvam of the Sarva Loka

SaraNyan and performed SaraNAgathi to Him .

 

Swamy Desikan followed that path and performed

MangaLAsAsanam for SrI Maragathavalli samEtha

SrI DhIpa PrakAsan of his avathAra sthalam.

Swamy Desikan lit his own lamp and helped us

to use it to drive away all nescience and develop

Svaroopa Jn~Anam to gain Moksham through SaraNAgathi.

Such is the glory of the SrI Sookthi ,

SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai. Let us recite

these slOkams and reflect on their meanings !

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan

 

P.S: Today is the Subha Dinam of PathinettAm Perukku.

This kaimakryam to post a series of articles about

SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai to raise funds for the Nithya

AarAdhanam of Swamy Desikan at ThUppul and the Dhivya

Dampathis of ThirutthaNkA has been completed with our

AchArya Saarvabhouman's (Swamy Desikan's)anugraham.

 

Swamy Desikan's janma Nakshathram is PurattAsi KEttai

( October 11) . This is the same AvathAra dinam of

Thirumalai SrInivAsan ( Lord VenkatEsan) , whose

GantAvathAram is Swamy Desikan.

 

Please continue to support the NithyArAdhana Kaimkaryam

core funds for ThirutthaNkA Dhivya Dampathis and

Swamy Desikan and let us pray for their blessings

to reach the target of 20 Laks of rupees. We have

to add another 7 laks of rupees. Please donate generously

from now until Oct 11, 2002 in a spirit of reverence

to the MahOpakAram done by Swamy Desikan to intrepret

SaraNAgathi Saasthram for our Ujjeevanam.

 

NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa