Swamy Deshika - A poetic tribute - Part 2

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Swamy Deshikan Thiruvadigale Sharanam !!!

 

In this posting we shall celebrate Swamy Deshikan and his association with

Deepa prakasha perumal of Thuppul Kanchipuram. Deepa prakasha perumal, sung

by the great Thirumangai mannan was considered as the family diety (sontha

permal) by the ancestors of Swamy Deshikan including Swamy Deshikan, who

lived in proximity to the temple premises.

 

VERSE

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On his " LORD of lights " he extolled,

" Torch of surrender " in his hand he did hold

Tenets of Nyasa, with precision it did unfold

From Ramanuja's kitchen, that were told

Glory unto him ! Glory unto him ! Glory unto him !

 

LORD of lights here refers to Deepa prakasha or Sriman Narayana who is

considered as the destroyer of the inner darknessor ajnaana. Swamy Deshikan

explicitly states " Deepa prakaasha iti daivatam adviteeyam.. " - The one

deity who is second to none.

 

Swamy Deshikan has extolled this perumal with a single but unique stotram,

which is " Sharanagati deepika " , which is here referred to as the torch of

surrender. It may also be taken to mean - the Torch that will show us the

way to the path of Sharanagathi or prapatti and thereby make us attain the

highest spiritual aspiration ever possible for a soul.

 

Sharanagathi deepika is a full fledged work on prapatti shastram by Swamy

Deshikan. It extols the greatness of prapatti and is complete with all its

doctrinal requisites.

 

The final verse here makes a statement saying " From Ramanuja's kitchen that

were told ... "

This is in agreement with the verse of Sharanagathi deepika itself, wherein

Swamy Deshikan says " mAnyam yatIshvara mahAnasa sampradAyam ... " (mahAnasa -

kitchen)

 

This is because of the following reason -

Kidaambi Aachchaan was one of the prime disciples of Ramanuja, who performed

culinary services (bhiksha kainkaryam) to his master. He was also known as

Madappalli aachchan. It is said that Aachchan studied Vedantha as many as 12

times at the feet of Ramanuja. He was also appointed as one of the 74

Simhasanadhipathis and a Sribhashya Simhasanadhipathi by Ramanuja.

Ramanuja's disciple fold had the following tributaries - Sribhashya

paramparai, Rahasya paramparai and Bhagavad-vishaya paramparai and

innumerable Samashrayana paramparais.

 

The Rahasya paramparai that housed all the doctrinal and esoterical concepts

of Sri sampradayam continued through the familial descendents of Aachchan

and finally coincides with all the other paramparais at Swamy Deshikan.

 

Swamy Deshikan remembers and pays his salutations to this great sampradayam

of Ramanuja or Yatiraja having the divine aroma of Vedantic truths and

Rahasyaarthams that were taught from the kitchen of Ramanuja.

 

Glory unto this great acharya !!!

Glory unto Swamy Deshikan !!!

 

vAzhi vyAkhyAmuddirak kai !!!

vedAnthasUri charaNau sharaNam prapadye !!!