Swami Desikan-A Tribute

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Srimate Srivan Satakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

 

 

Swami Desikan-The Pacifist

 

 

 

The uniqueness of our Sampradaya arises from the exalted Acharyas

who adorn the Guruparampara. We can be justifiably proud of Acharyas like Sri

Nathamuni, Sri Alavandar, Sri Ramanuja, Sri PiLLAn, Sri Azhwan, Sri Bhattar,

Swami Desikan et al, who were unparalleled in their devotion to the Lord and

their concern for the upliftment of mankind through their enlightening

teachings.

 

 

 

In the garland of Guruparampara commencing with Sri Nathamuni and upto Swami

Desikan, Sri Ramanuja is likened to the dazzling centrepiece ( " mahatI guru

pankti hAra yashti:..nibaddha nAyaka Sri: " ). If the Guruparampara garland were

extended to our own present Acharyas, then Swami Desikan would easily become the

splendorous centrepiece of the beautiful necklace. This is not to belittle the

greatness of Sri Bhashyakara in any way, nor would Swami Desikan be pleased at

all with such ativAdAs. However, if truth were told, the contribution of Swami

Desikan to the protection and preservation of our Sampradaya is indeed

incomparable.

 

 

 

The Vedas, the sole repository of spiritual knowledge, had been engulfed by

sorrow due to misinterpretation and neglect. The Smritis, which paraphrased the

Vedas, were subjected to disobedience and disrespect by ignorant people. The

ItihAsAs and PurANAs, which have guided mankind through the ages, had lost their

credibility with the disbelieving multitudes. The world fell into the trap of

those who claim everything to be illusory and non-existent.

 

 

 

It was in such a scenario that the Lord sent His Bell to the earth, as Sri

VenkatanAtha, to restore the magnificence, credibility and glory of the

Scriptures, to wean people away from the destructive path they were treading and

to show them the right royal way to Liberation. The following sloka brings this

out-

 

" VEdE sanjAta khEdE munijana vachanE prApta nitya avamAnE

 

sankeerNE sarva varNE sati tad anuguNE nishpramANE purANE

 

MAyAvAdE samodE ;kali kalusha vasAt soonya vAdE vivAdE

 

Dharma trANAya yo abhoot sa jayatu bhagavAn VishNu ghantA avatAra: "

 

 

 

The esoteric secrets relating to the Prapatti marga were carefully preserved

and shared with the select few only, till the times of Sri Ramanuja. It was the

Bhashyakara who opened the doors of such knowledge to one and all, so that the

maximum people could adopt this path to emancipation. However, as with any newly

unveiled formulation, there were doubts galore in the procedure to be followed

for Sharanagati, its form, its efficacy vis a vis other popular strategies for

liberation, etc.

 

 

 

It was Swami Desikan who codified the Sharanagati Shastra, defended it

vociferously against the onslaught of critics who felt that the simplicity of

the stratagem was hardly commensurate with the magnificence of its professed

target. Where was Bhakti Yoga, with its emphasis on continuous, assiduous and

long-drawn curriculum spread over several births and where Prapatti, capable of

momentary performance? How could anyone affirm that both led to the same

destination of Paramapadam? Where was the scriptural authority for this upAya?

And when the Lord declares that He Himself is both the upAya (means) and the

upEya(target to be attained), where is the question of our adopting a separate

strategy for mOksha? Who is the person qualified to perform sharanagati and what

are its prerequisites? What proof do we have of its efficacy? What role does the

Piratti play in all this? Is She a mere ornamental adjunct to the Paramapurusha

or is She capable of releasing souls from bondage on Her own?

 

 

 

These and innumerable other questions cropped up, to which varied answers were

furnished, creating utter confusion in the minds of devotees uninformed about

the philosophical foundations of our Sampradaya.

 

 

 

Then came Swami Desikan, blessed at a young age by Sri Hayagriva, the Lord of

Knowledge and Sri GarutmAn, the personification of VedAs. Little wonder then,

that Swami Desikan was able not only to find authoritative answers to the

aforesaid questions based on the Scriptures (especially the PrastAna trayam) and

the tenets of PoorvAchAryAs, but also establish them on a solid and invincible

foundation of logic, all presented through the sugar-coated medium of beautiful

poetry and bewitching prose.

 

 

 

Swami Desikan was a veritable master of logic ( " TArkika Simham " ). We know the

power of logic:- in the hands of an expert, it could be used to prove or

disprove anything under the Sun. In the wrong hands, this would be a very

dangerous tool, for it could be employed to confer legitimacy to preposterous

premises. It stands to the credit of Swami Desikan that despite being an

incomparable logician capable of blazing his own trail and bulldozing all

opposition, he never strayed from the beaten path traversed by Poorvacharyas and

always stayed within the narrow confines of the pramANAs.

 

 

 

Tooppul Pillai's obsession with Prapatti and his anxiety that every single soul

in this vast universe should attain liberation by adopting this simple upAya ,

find expression in his numerous stotras, kAvyAs, dramas, commentaries and

polemical works. In all his works, whatever be the subject on hand, the theme of

Sharanagati runs as a constant undercurrent, so that the perusal of any one

composition would endow us with comprehensive knowledge of Prapatti and its

modalities. This is what prompted a grateful beneficiary from exclaiming

 

" Seer ondru Toppul TiruvEngadamudayAn

 

PAr ondra chonna pazhamozhiyuL

 

Or ondru tAnE amayAdO

 

TAraNiyil vAzhvArkku vAn Era pOmaLavum vAzhvu "

 

 

 

The vast range of the Acharya's works and the ability of each of them to bestow

the entire gamut of material and spiritual gains on the devotee, is brought out

by the following Saptati Ratna MAlikA sloka-

 

" Para:shatam vApi para:sahasram Sri Venkatacharya kritA: prabandhA:

 

tatra alam Eka: khalu bhukti muktyO: kArtsnyEna ka: tAn gaNayEt samastAn " .

 

 

 

This world has never been grateful enough towards its major benefactors.

Instances are legion, of Preceptors being persecuted. Sri Ramanuja was harassed

by Kulothunga ChOzha and forced into exile and long separation from his beloved

Lord of Srirangam. Sri KoorattAzwan lost his eyes for the protection of the

Sampradaya, while Sri Periya Nambi lost his life. Sri Sudarsana Bhattar and Sri

Pillai LokAchArya gave up their lives in the defence of the Lord against the

muslim invaders.

 

 

 

Similarly, Swami Desikan too suffered a lot of persecution at the hands of his

detractors, who could not endure his spreading name and fame as the sole

repository of all branches of SAmpradAyic knowledge-Sri Bhashyam, Bhagavat

Vishayam, Rahasya granthAs and others.

 

 

 

Swami's doorstep was festooned with footwear, so that it would hit his head as

soon he came out. On the day of his father's annual ceremony, obstacles were

created by ensuring the absence of those identified for nimantraNam

(BrAhmaNArttham). When he was seated on the veranda of his house at Srirangam,

immersed in the composition of one of his works, misguided sishyAs of an

Acharyapurusha who was passing by manhandled Swami Desikan for not rising up in

respect. He was challenged to a debate by anyone and everyone, at the drop of a

hat. People insisted that he prove his title as " Sarvatantrasvatantra: " by

constructing a well and by sculpting his own image. A magician was sent to

induce a stomach ailment in the Acharya. He was offered PuLihOra and Pongal as

bhagavat prasAdam, at the Sannidhi on an Ekadasi day. His sobriquet " Kavi

Simham " was put to test by challenging him to compose a thousand slokas

overnight, a tall order by any standards.

 

 

 

It is not these acts of persecution per se, but Sri Venkatanatha's measured and

pacifist responses that impress us. He accepted the footwear of detractors as

" BhAgavata pAdukAs " and objects of veneration. The perpetrators of this

dastardly act were put to shame instantly, for having tried to offend the great

soul. His father's shrAddham went off uninterrupted with the Lords of three

divyadesams officiating as bhOktAs, in the place of the original invitees. He

accepted challenge after challenge, whether it be to his scholarship or prowess

in all fields. He constructed a beautiful well at Tiruvahindrapuram, which is

functional till date for all to see. He composed the magnificent Paduka

Sahasram, a thousand verses on the limited subject of the Lord's sandals, well

within the time limit set for the composition, while his challenger was able to

cobble together hardly one-tenth of the number of slokas that Swami Desikan

could.

 

The point to be taken here is that, irrespective of the provocation, the

Acharya's responses were always pacifist and self-effacing, demonstrative of his

desire to shun the evil of BhAgavata apachArA in any form. And he displayed

exceptional equanimity in the face of praise or pillorying. Swami Desikan never

reacted emotionally to detractors, but instead gave them measured, inoffensive

responses based on logic and reason.

 

 

 

Swami's prasishya Sri PrativAdi Bhayankaram Annan finds nothing strange in the

Acharya being defamed, when there were people out to abuse even Sri Rama and Sri

Krishna, and likens the detractors of Swami Desikan to the followers of Ravana

and Sisupala-

 

" Sarvatantra dhoorvahasya Venaktesa dheemata:

 

kurvatE avamAnanAm tu kEchana adhunOdhbhavA:

 

Hanta hanta Rama Krishna dooshaNa abhidhAyinAm

 

Kinnu chitram atra Cchaidya Ravana anusAriNAm "

 

 

 

Swani Desikan's vaibhavam is so vast and extensive that it would fill volumes.

While it is impossible to contain his greatness in such few words as these, yet

adiyen thought it worthwhile making a small attempt. While this piece may not

tell anybody anything new, adiyen would consider it to have served its purpose,

if it prompts a thought or two on the great Acharya, the likes of whom the world

has never seen nor is likely to see.

 

" TrayyantArttha! Bhavat pAda pankEruha jushAm satAm

 

Svayam mayi sadA bhooyAt anugraha paramparA " .

 

(From " Sri PrArtthanAshtakam " by Sri KumAra VaradAchArya).

 

Srimate SriLakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dasan, sadagopan.