Rendering of SrI Desika Prabhandham(Three Tapes)

[Guest guest]

Dear Swamy Desika BhakthAs:

 

Approximately five years ago , a set of three tapes on the entire

Desika Prabhandham (405 Paasurams with Introduction ) was

reelased by SrImans ParthasArathy Dileepan and SrIman NadathUr

Maadhavan .

 

These are authentic recordings by competent adhikAris of

Desika and Dhivya Prabhandhams.

 

As adiyEn enjpys writing about them now , it occured to me

that the audio version would be of interest to some of you .

 

Please contact SrIman Dileepan at he above ae-mail

address if you wish to acquire them for your libraries.

 

The Text version of Desika Prabhandham is also available

in the Zipped and Word Format at the Ahobila Matam Web site .

 

My e-mail of Jan 1998 relating to the release of those

audio tapes is attached.

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

V.Sadagoipan

 

 

 

 

 

You are here: Sri Vaishnava Home Page : Bhakti List : Archives : January 1998

 

Sri Desika Prabhandham Tapes : A vote of Thanks !V. Sadagopan (75041.3037)Fri Jan 30 1998 - 16:35:04 PST

 

Dear Members of the Bhakthi Group : Few days back , I had the good fortune of receiving the set of three tapes on Sawmi Desikan's Tamil Prabhandhams recited by Sri SevilimEdu SrinivasachArSwamy and Ghoshti with lucid and scholarly introduction by Sri NadAthUr Madhavan of Virginia . I understand thatSri Dileepan of Tennessee was instrumental in recording the original tapes in India and that Sri Madhavan linked the Prabhandhams with his brilliant introductions and used the most modern equipment to assemble these tapes . I want to express my sincere thanks for the invaluable contributions of Srimans Dileepan and Madhavan in makingthese rare treasures available to us with the help of of one of the rarest and most competent groups reciting the NINTEEN Prabhandhams in the mostsampradhAyic manner . It is a thrilling experience to listen to these tapes and celebrate the sarva TantraSvathanthra aspect of Swami Desikan . The range and scope of the topics covered by Swami Desikan , his upadEsams to us and his moving salutations to the Divya Dampathis are captured very well by the introductions of Sri Madhavan as a compliment to the sonorous renderings by the SevilimeduSwami and Ghoshti . The availability of the original text of the Sri Desika Prabhandham for down loading atthe web site maintained by Sri Dileepan ( www.cdc.net/dileepan/ahobilam.html ) is a great resource . We are grateful to him for spearheading this Kaimkaryam and enlisting Sri Madhavan to join in the acquisition of Sri VaishNava kaimkarya Sri . In the first tape , Taniyan , ThirupaalAndu and the Thiru avathAramof Swami Desikan are covered . The 19 prabhandhams follow .At the end of the third tape , Swami NainArAchArya's ( Sri Kumara Varada Desikan , the son of Swami Desikan"s ) tribute to his father and AchArya , PiLLai AndhAthi and Sattumurai are included .This set of three tapes are a rare assembly of one of our Kula dhanams .They have been priced at 25$ for the set , which is a thoughtfulgesture on the part of Srimans Dileepan and Madhavan .For the benefit of those , who may not be familiar with the text of the Desika Prabhandhams , I will include a very brief description of the 19 prabhandhams covered by these tapes .For additional information ,I would like to referyou to the excellent introductions to the individual prabhandhamsby Sri Madhavan . 1. Adaikkala Patthu ( 11 paasurams ) : Swami Desikan"s prapatthi at the sacred feet of Sri VaradarAja PerumAL of Kanchi.I had the good fortune to write about these paasurams recently . 2. Maivirada MahAthmyam ( 29 Paasurams ) : Salutation to Sri VaradarAjA of Kaanchi and the greatness of satyavratha KshEthram ( Kaanchipuram ) .3. MummaNik kOvai ( 10 Paasurams ) : Salutations to LordDevanAthA of Thiruvaheendrapuram . The doctrines of Sri Vaishnavism is embedded in the text .4. NavamaNi Maalai ( 10 Paasurams ) : Salutations toLord DevanAthA of Thiruvaheendrapuram , where Swami Desikan spent many years of his life .5. Prabhandha Saaram ( 18 Paasurams ) : Particulars about the 12 AzhwArs , thier birth stars and the month of births , their prabhandhams and salutations to Thiruvarangatthu AmudanAr ,the author of Sri RaamAnuja NoorandhAthi are included . 6 . AdhikAra sangraham ( 56 paasurams ) : In these 56 stanzas ,the contents of the 32 chapters of Swami Desikan's magnum opusis summarized. For great AchAryAs following Swami Desikan ,the recitation of these verses is an important part of their daily life . Vangipuram Navaneetham KrishNamAchArya Swami used to recite them even , when he was incapacitated by a cruel stroke . Sri Srirama DesikAchAr swamy wa sthe gifted sonOf Sri KrishNamAchArya Swamy of Oppiliappan Koiland wrote the commentary for the Desika Prabhandhams .7. GeethArtha sangraham ( 21 paasurams ) : A metrical summary of the 18 chapters of GitA following the path shown by AlavandArin his pioneering commentary on GitA . Few months back , I hadthe good fortune of posting number of articles on this Prabhandham of Swami Desikan . 8 . Tirucchinamaalai ( 11Pasurams ) : Tribute to the divinesound of Thirucchinnam , a musical instrument , used toannounce the approach of Lord VaradarAjA during the uthavams on the streets of Kanchi .9. Amrutha Ranjani ( 39 Paasurams ) : It deals with the importantprinciples of Sri VaishNavA doctrine covered by Swami Desikanin the 17 minor ( Sillarai ) Rahasya works such as Saara DeepA and SampradhAya parisuddhi .10 . Amrutha SvAdhini ( 37 Paasurams ) : This deals with 11minor rahasya works of Swami Desikan such as Saara Saaraand Madhurakavi Hrudhayam . 11. Thirumanthira Surukku ( 10 Paasurams ) : The meaning of the sacred AshtAksharam .12. Dvaya Surukku ( 12 Paasurams ) : This prabhandham deals with the purport of the Dvaya Manthram , sacred to Sri VaishNavAs. 13. Charama SlOka Surukku ( 11 Paasurams ) : Deals with the essence of Prapatthi thru description of the Charama slOkamof Srimadh Bhagavadh GitA .14. Paramatha Bhangam ( 54 Paasurams ) : A refutation of the doctrines of sixteen rival Darsanams and the establishment of Sri VaishNavism as the soundest one among them for attaining Moksham .15. Param padha sOpanam ( 21 paasurams ) : The nine steps in the ladder of ascent of the Mumukshu to parama Padham . I am covering the 8th and the ninth steps in SaraNAgathi Journal now .16. Artha Panchakam ( 11 Paasurams ) : A coverage of the fiveprinciples important to Sri VaishNavism : Nature of Isvara ,Nature of the Soul , the means to reach the Lord , the fruit of our efforts to reach Him and the obstacles encountered in such an effort . 17. PannirunAmam ( 13 Paasurams ) : This prabhandham covers the importance of wearing 12 Urdhva PundrAs in the daily life ofSri VaishnavAs and their links to the twelve EmperumAns from KesavA to DamOdharA .18 . VaiNava Dinasari ( 10 Paasurams ) : This prabhandham provides the details on the daily observances of a Sri VaishNavA . 19 . Ahaara niyamam ( Commentary Only ) : These 21 verses deal with the prescribed diet of a Sri VaishNavA to maintain a saatvik life conducive to the pursuit of spiritual advancement .In summary , this set of three tapes containing the authentic rendition of Swami Desikan's Tamil Prabhandhams with a scholarly introduction by Sri NadAthUr Maadhavan is a must for every AsthikA's home . The genuis of Swami Desikan in mastering the metrics of Tamil Poetry , His skills in constructing chandams with tALams , and most of all his extraordinary gift in summarizing and elaborating the esoteric doctrines of oursiddhAntham in easy -to-understand Tamil is abundantly clear .These are some of the most valuable of our Kuladhanams .May the divya Dampathis confer their choicest blessings onSrimans Dileepan and Madhavan for their extraordinary contributions to make these tapes available to all of us .May Swami Desikan crown the ongoing effort to have authentic renditions of His sthOthrams with success and bring it to a successful conclusion ! Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan