Swamy Desika Sahasra Naamam : NaamAs : 681-705 ( Sankalpa SooryOdhaya Naatakam )

[Guest guest]

Sri :

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

Swamy Desikan blessed us with an allegorical drama named

Sankalpa SooryOdhayam . At one time , a distinguished Adhvaitha

Scholar by the name , SrI KrishNa Misrar engaged Swamy Desikan

in Vaadham and was defeated convincingly . At the time of taking leave ,

this Scholar left the palm leaves (TaaLa Kosam ) of a Sanskrit Naatakam

that he had created with the name of "PrabhOdha ChandrOdhayam "and

requested Swamy Desikan to browse it . Swamy Desikan did not read it

but created a Naatakam of his own named "Sankalpa SooryOdhayam ".

Sri KrishNa Misrar was astonished , when he looked over Swamy Desikan's

Naatakam . Sudarsana Soori and other Sri VaishNava AchAryAs looked at

both the Naatakams and recognized the soundness and superiority of

Swamy Desikan's Naatakam to defend VisishtAdhvaitha darsanam . They

also understood that Swamy Desikan's avathAra VisEsham enabled Him to

write His own response without even looking at KrishNa Misrar's Naatakam

as a response to KrishNa Misrar's defense of adhvaitham in fine detail .

PrabhOdha ChandhrOdhayam was intended by the author to describe and

defend Adhvaitha Tatthvams . Sankalpa SooryOdhayam refutes Adhvaitha

Tathvams and defends our SiddhAntha Tatthvams .

 

Sankapa SooryOdhayam is a drama in 10 acts . The twin themes of

Sankalpa SooryOdhayam are : (1) SamsAric darkness is banished only by

the SooryOdhayam in the form of BhagavAn's sankalpam (2) How to gain

Bhagavath anugraham .

 

Swamy Desikan blessed this Sri Sookthi for the benefit of aasthikAs ,

who might find it difficult to grasp the fine points about our SiddhAntham .

Swamy describes his target group that he is helping as " Lalitha ManasAm

preethyai ) . It is thus in his own words for the benefit/upliftment of those

who might have different ruchis and awareness of our SampradhAyic

doctrines . He refers himself as a poet , who out of compassion for

the latter group , composed this Sri Sookthi in the easily assimilable

form of a drama ( KavinA KaaruNikEna kalpithOasou ) . Swamy Desikan

blessed us with this Naatakam to wet the appetite as it were of those ,

who may not study our Saasthrams and enter into discussions (VichArams) .

 

In Adhvaitha Matham , the contention is that Jn~Anam is the direct upAyam

for Moksham . In defense of this view , KrishNa Misrar named his Naatakam

as " PrabhOdha ChandhrOdhayam " to indicate that the Jn~Ana chandrOdhayam

is the direct MokshOpaayam . ChandhrOdhayam however can not banish

the enveloping darkness fully. Only SuryOdhayam (Sunrise) can scatter

the darkness fully . Further , Jn~Anam alone does not and can not grant

moksham directly . It is BhagavAn , who is pleased with the observance of

Jn~Ana upAyam banishes the darkness of SamsAram and grants Moksha Phalan .

Therefore , Swamy Desikan chose the title of "(Bhagavath ) Sankalpa SooryOdhayam "

for this one and only Naatakam that he blessed us with . This meaning comes out

in the first slOkam of Sankalpa SooryOdhayam itself . This Naataam is therfore

famous by the name itself .

 

Thirukkudanthai Desikan , the author of "SwAmy Desika Sahasra Naamam " included

25 naamAs ( 681 to 705) to highlight the content of "Sankalpa SooryOdhayam ". We will

study together those NaamAs now and salute Swamy Desikan through these 25 NaamAs .

We are following closely the Commentary of Dr. V.VasudEvAcchAr Swamy of

the Famous NaavalpAkkam village .

 

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

 

(681) (PraNavam) Sankalpa SooryOdhayadha: krutha pArakya NaaDakAya Nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who lowered the status of the other NaaDakam

through the construction of Sankalpa SooryOdhaya NaaDakam .

 

(682) (PraNavam ) Sankalpa SooryOdhya- adhyapadhya vyaktha sva-vaibhavAya nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that SrEshta AchAryamn, who through the first set of slOkams

(adhyAni PadhyAni) of his NaaDakam highlighted his Vaibhavams such as avathAram

in ViswAmithra Gothram and as the amsam of ThiruvEngaDamudayAn's bell (GhanDaa) .

 

(Comments ) : The tradition in Sanskrit dramas is to have the recitation of Naandhi

SlOkam first and for the SoothradhAran of the Naatakam to introduce the Kavi

and his Naatakam to start the play . The Naataka abhinayam will commence

thereafter . In the observance of this tradition , there are a few slOkams that serve

as eulogies on the Vaibhavam of the creator of this Naatakam and the uniqueness

of Sankalpa SooryOdhayam as a SrI Sookthi .

 

(683) (PraNavam) chAthra- Bhaddha dhvajOdhbhAsi dasasA soudha maNDalAya Nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who planted the flags of victory in all

the ten directions ( Circles of Palaces) through His own sishyAs .

 

( Commentary ) : The SoothradhAran announces at the beginning about the Vaibhavam

of the Naataka KarthA , Swamy Desikan this way : " chAthra-jana-niBaddha jaithra-dhvaja

prasAdhitha dasa disaa soudha: " (He established the victory flag over Para Matha Vaadhins

in all directions through His sishyAs ) .

 

Swamy Desikan's PradhAna sishyar was PeraruLALa Jeeyar .He defeated a MahA VidhvAn

from Northern India in Vaadham and recieved the title of "Brahma Tantra Svatantra Jeeyar "

from Swamy Desikan Himself . The same distinguished sishyar went to Kaancipuram

and defeated a PaNDithar from Kaasi in a debate . KumAra VaradAcchAr Swamy ,

the son of Swamy Desikan and another important sishyar of Swamy Desikan defeated

adhvaithins in Tamil Naadu in debates .KunAra VaradAcchAr's title and salutation

from this victory is : " SrimallakshmaNa yOgIndhra siddhAntha vijaya dhwajar " .

 

(684) (PraNavam) Sri Vaikunta vinOdhinE Nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to the AchAryan with the name of "Vaikunta VinOdhi" or one who

pleases SrI Vaikunta NaaTan .

 

(Commentary ) : Swamy Desikan gives Himself the name of Vaikunta VinOdhi through

the speech of SoothradhAran : " The many ParamaikAnthis from dhivya Desams

assembled here have commanded adiyEn to create a Naatakam for removing the SamsAric

afflictions to gladden the minds of rasikAs . adiyEn is the son of SanthOsha Paalakar ,

who is the disciple of the Para Matha UpAdhyaayar ( Naatya Saasthra AchAryar) ,

SanmArga Vardhanar . adiyEn bears the commands of the ParamaikAnthis on my head

in enacting this Naatakam . Thus , Swamy declares that he is creating this Naatakam

at the request of ParamaikAnthis and selects the name of Vaikunta VinOdhi ' for himself

as the author of this Naatakam .

 

(685) (PraNavam) Sathkavi Naataka lakshma dhrusE nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who was conversant with the lakshaNams

(attributes ) of good poets and the features of good dramas .

 

(Commentary ) : Swamy Desikan made Saraswathy (Speech/Vaak ) happy with

the exquisite use of rasams and alankArams in this drama and got the title of Kavi

( Sa Kavi: kaTyathE srashtA ) .

 

SoothrakAran states further : In Sankalpa SooryOdhaya Naatakam , the kaavya

lakshaNams are abundantly present .In a manner acceptable to rasikAs , rasa

paripOsham ( the wealth of rasams) are seen everywhere . The author is none

other than the abode of the wealth of VidhyA , Kavi SrEshtar , SrI VenkatEsa Kavi .

This thirunAmam is based on the 21st and 22nd SlOkams of Sri Sankalpa SooryOdhayam .

Swamy Desikan's Naatakam is an Utthama Naatakam filled with Naadaka lakshaNams ,

Saantha rasam and serves to explain the Veda - VEdAntha arthams in the form of a story .

 

(686) (PraNavam) SaanthyEka rasa bhAvaj~nAya nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who knew the existence of

Saantha Rasam .

 

(Commentary ) : In Kaavyams , the nine rasams are famous. The nine are :

" SrungAram , Haasyam , KaruNaa , Roudhram , Veeram , Bhayam , Bheepathsam ,

adhbhutham and Saantham " . Some NaatakAchAryAs do not accept Saantham as

a rasam in their counts and recognize only eight rasams . In Swamy Desikan's

Naatakam , Saantha rasam is PradhAnam . Swamy responds through the statement

of SoothradhAran that those who reject Saanthi as rasam do not fully understand

Sage BharathA's teachings on Naatya Saasthram . He concedes that it is not easy

to place Saanthi rasam as PradhAna rasam and perform abhinayam for it . Swamy

holds that Saanthi rasam alone can remove the sorrows of the heart .

 

(687) (PraNavam) SrungArAdhi rasadhvagnE nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who rejected rasa bhAvams

like SrungAram .

 

(Comments) : Swamy Desikan felt that rasams like SrungAram are not

the best . He viewed Saantha Rasam as the highest rasam . SrungAra rasam

is not ideal for adoption to perform in the middle of many . Veera rasam

celebrates one being defeated by the other . Adhbhutha rasam creates

incredible things for the sake of enhancing our sense of wonderment .

The rasams like Bheepathsaa are insignificant (alpa saaram) rasams .

Hence Swamy Desikan holds that Saantha rasam is the best among

the nava rasams .

 

( 688) (PraNavam) GouDa Vaidharbha PaanchAla mAlAkAra vachOdharAya Nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who had vachanams in his play ,

which were like garlands made up of Goudam , Vaidharbham and PaanchAlam .

 

(Comments) : GouDee Rithi stands for very soft sabdhams in the slOkams.

Vaidharbha Reethi stands for hard and difficult sabdhams ( KaDina Sabdham).

PaanchAli reethi stands for the sabdhams in between the GouDee and Vaidharbha

Reethis . SlOkams constituted by these three reethis are like garlands made of

these sabdhams .

 

(689) (PraNavam) Paathrikrutha VivEkAdhi guNAdhishtAthru dhaivathAya nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to that AchAryan , who etched as actors and actresses ,

the adhishtAna dEvathais of guNams like VivEkam .

 

(Commentary ) The Naataka Katha Paathrams break up into the two classes of

aathma and anAthma guNams of the human beings. One may question as to how

one can cast guNams ( non-chEtanams) as Naataka Paathrams . Swamy answers :

" There are dEvathAs for the guNams like VivEkam . It is those dEvathAs behind

the guNams that are invoked as Paathrams and not the guNams themselves ."

 

In SvEtha dhveepa kingdom , the King is VivEkam (n) . The queen is Sumathy.

SEnApathy(the Commander inchief ) is VyavasAyam . Saarathy (Charioteer) is Logic

(Tarkam ) . GuNams like KshAnthy , Virakthy are on the side of VivEkam(n).

In the MaayA RaajadhAni/kingdom , Moham is the king.The queen is Dhurmathy .

Kaamam , Darpam(ahankAram) , KrOdham (anger) are on the side of king Moham.

Thus Swamy Desikan made use of guNams as the cast .

 

(690) Sandhi panchaka samvEsa NaaDakasTAna kOvidhAya Nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who used the five sandhis

following Naataka Saasthra grammar .

 

(Commentary ) : Great kavis will establish the five sandhis in srEshta

Naatakams . The play will follow the PradhAna story line . The parts of nAtakam

will focus on the individual sub-stories needed to be assembled in support of

PradhAna story . These sub-stories are known as Sandhis . When Bheejam ,

Bindhu , aarambham , Prayattham unite , Sandhi results .

 

Swamy Desikan has observed brilliantly these five sandhis in his Naatakam :

 

(a) First angam( Bheeja aarambha samanvayam ): Here , VivEkan expounds on

his matham , which is for gaining the Moksham by Purushan . This is Mukha sandhi .

 

(b) Second angam ( Prathimukha sandhi ) : Bhindhu-yathna samanvayam ; the refutaton

of Para Mathams that stand in the way of one's Moksham.

 

© Third to Eight angams( Garbha Sandhi ): This is known as PadhakAprApthyAsA

samanvayam . This deals with the destruction of the enemies and realization of

desire in MOksham .

 

(d) Ninth angam (avamarsa Sandhi) : This is known as Prakaree niyathAbhdhi samanvayam .

The determination (nirdhAraNam ) after examination (VichAram) of the realization of

the Phalan .

 

(e) Tenth angam ( Nirvahana sandhi) : This is known as Kaarya-PhalAgama sandhi .

The gaining of Moksha Phalan is the objective here .

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

 

Sri MalOla PaadhukA Sevaka Sri VaNN SaThakOpa NaarAyaNa Yatheendhra

MahA DesikAya Nama: