Swamy Desika Sahasra Naamams : 169-205 / Part I

[Guest guest]

SrI :

 

(169) (PraNavam) DasAvathAra sthOthrAkhya JaganmangaLa-kArakAya Nama:

 

(meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who created " the JaganmangaLam "

known as "DasAvathara SthOthram " .

 

(Comments ) : At Srirangam , there is a DasAvathAra Sannidhi built by Thirumangai

Mannan . Swamy Desikan created the DasAvathAra SthOthram there to offer

his praNamams to the ten avathArams of Lord RanganAtha . His intention

was to seek auspiciousnes to the world ( JaganmangaLam ) through the recitation

of Sri DasAvathAra SthOthram . The effect of this sthOtheam is like the plant

" JaganmangaLam " growing on the ocean floor , which on partaking

blesses one with dhivya Jn~Anam . SrI DasAvathAra SthOthram that grew

from the ocean of Jn~Anam (Swamy Desikan ) is equivalent to that ocean herb

of the same name ( JaganmangaLam ) .

 

(170) (PraNavam ) Svapna BhAshyakrudha aajn~aptha VedAchooDa pravartanAya nama:

 

(Meaning ) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who was commanded to engage in

VedAntha Pravarthanam by AchArya RaamAnuja Himself through the medium of

a dream .

 

(Commentary ) :One night , AchArya RaamAnuja appered in the dream of Swamy Desikan

and commanded Swamy to create many Sri Sookthhis to defend VisishtAdhvaitha

SiddhAntham for the benefit of all . Swamy carried out that command very well by

performing SrI BhAshya KaalakshEpams many times , creating many SrI Sookthis

and defending our SiddhAntham by defeating para Matha Vadhins in debates .

RakshaNam of our Matham was done thru the creation of Sri Sookthis of Satha DhUshaNi

and Para matha Bhangam . Swamy reinforced our Matham thru the creation of

the Granthams like Tatthvamuktha kalApam and NyAya SiddhAnjanam .

 

(171) (PraNavam) Yatheendhra sapthathyAkhyA upachAra shruthyantha

dheepakruthE nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to the AchAryan , who blessed us with the SrI Sookthi of

YathirAja Sapthathi recognized as " Upanishad UpachAra Dheepam " .

 

(Commentary ) : The day after AchArya RaamAnujA appeared in Swamy Desikan's

dream , it was the Thirunakshathram (Chitrai ThiruvAdhirai) . Swamy was at

SrIperumbhUthUr that day for the MangaLAsAsanam of AchArya RaamAnuja .

Swamy stood before the Sannidhi of AchArya RaamAnujA and was overwhelmed

by the darsanam of BhAshyakArar and " YathirAja Sapthathi " flowed out of

Swamy Desikan . Thirukkudanthai Desikan quoted Swamy Desikan describing

YathirAja Sapthathi as " UpanishadhAm UpachAra dheepikEyam " or the lamp

carried as UpachAram to guide the Upanishads from being led in the incorrect path .

Others (Para Matha Vaadhins ) misintrepreted the meanings of Upanishads and

were taking the Upanishads via the inauspicous paths . This naming of YathirAja

Sapthathi as "Upanishad UpachAra dheepikEyam " arises from the imagery of

AchArya RaamAnuja holding the torch of correct meanings to help the Upanishads

travel in the auspicious path . YathirAja Sapthathi is thus an UpachAra Dheepam

for Upanishads.

 

(172) (PraNavam) Bhakthi-prakarsha vihitha SrI-BhU-GodhA Sthuthi priyAya Nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to the AchAryan , who created the three individual

Sthuthis for SrI Devi , BhU Devi and Godha NaacchiyAr out of his bhakthi

that flowed out of him .

 

(Commentary ) : Swamy Desikan has indicated that the three sthuthis he composed

on Sri , BhU and GodhA Devis were the result of his abundant Bhakthi for them :

" Upachitha gurubhakthE: Utthtitham VenkatEsAth " in SrI Sthuthi ( this poem originated from

VenkatEsa Kavi with huge and growing Bhakthi for SrI Devi ) ; " Virachithamidham

VenkatEsEna BhakthyA " in BhU Sthuthi ( This was created by VenkatEsa Kavi

with deep Bhkthi) ; " Vikisatha BhakthErutthitham " in GodhA Sthuthi ( This sthOthram

arose from VenkatEsa Kavi as a rsult of his blossoming Bhakthi for GodhA Devi) .

Swamy Desikan himself has thus indicated that these three compositions were

rooted in deep Bhakthi for the three Devis of the Lord .

 

(173) (PraNavam) RangEsa Aajn~Akrutha NyAsa Tilaka sthOthra rathnakAya nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to the AchAryan , who created the SrI Sookthi of NyAsa Tilakam

following the command of Lord RanganAtha.

 

(Commentary ): This SrI Sookthi is about the Vaibhavam of Prapatthi .It has

32 slOkams and has been described as "SthOthra Rathnam " by KumAra

VaradAccAr Swamy , the son of Swamy Desikan, since it contains all we need

to know about Prapatthi Saasthram and its anushtAnam . Swamy has chosen

the name of NyAsa Tilakam to indicate that alankAram on the forehead of us

to enchant Lord RanganAtha ( for His vasIkaraNam ).Swamy also implied that

this SrI Sookthi serves as a Tilakam for nyAsam .

 

(174) SrIranganAtha dhattha SrI VedAnthaachArya naamakAya nama:

 

(Meaning): Salutations to that AchAryan , who has the Birudhu ( Title) of

VedAnthAcchAryar conferred on Him by none other than Lord RanganAtha.

 

(Commentary) : The title of VedAnthAchAryan really belongs to Lord RanganAtha

alone as a PraTamAchAryan . Our Lord was so pleased with the siddhAntha

SthApana Kaimkaryam of Swamy Desikan that He transferred His own title

to Sri VenkatanAthan so that he can be known from then on as VedAnthAchAryan

(VedAntha Desikan), the title by which he is revered by the world.

 

 

(175) (PraNavam) RangEswari dhattha Sarva Tantra SvAtantrya bhUshithAya nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who was adorned with the title of

Sarva Tantra Svatantrar by Sri RanganAyaki , the divine consort of the Lord of

Srirangam .

 

(Commentary ) : The recognition by the Divine Consort of the Lord is a very

special honor ; it is even loftier in SrEyas than the bahumAnam of the Lord .

Acknowledging the many matchless kaimkaryams in defense of our darsanam ,

Sri RanganAyaki conferred on Swamy Desikan the title of Sarva Tantra Svatantrar

( One who roamed with ease among all Bhagavath Saasthrams and Loukeeka Kalais).

 

(176) (PraNavam) ayathnakrutha vaadhithraya khaNDana niBhandhanAya nama:

 

(Meaning) :Salutations to that AchAryan , who effortlessly created the SrI Sookthi

revered as "Vadhi-thraya KhaNDanam " .

 

(Commentary) : This Sri Sookthi blessed by Swamy Desikan is no longer available

to us . This grantham focused on the refutation of the three Mathams : Saankara ,

Yaahdava and BhAskara Mathams .

 

(177) (PraNavam) TathvaDeekA vyAkrutha SrImath BhAshyAmrutha saagarAya nama:

 

( Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who created a Commentary for Sri BhAshyam ,

the ocean of nectar .

 

( Commentary ) :Tatthva Deekai is the VyAkhyAnam fro SrI BhAshyam blessed to us

by Swamy Desikan .

 

(178) (PraNavam) VaajisAkhAsikhA vyAkhyAkruthi sampreetha mAnasAya Nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who pleased the minds of scholars

through the creation of his commentary for IsAvsya Upanishad belonging to

the VaajasanEya SaakhA .

 

(Commnetray ) : At the end of his commentary on this Upanishad , Swamy Desikan

acknowledged that he who belonged to ViswAmithra gOthram ( VaiswAmithra

created this commentary for the hitham of the world (Viswamithram) for

the enjoyment of sishyAs and scholars ( vyatAneeth vidhvacchAthra preethayE

VenkatEsa: ) .

 

 

(179) (PraNavam) Taathparya chandrikA susTa-GeethAbhAshya mahA-paTAya nama:

 

(Meaning) : Salutations to that Utthama AchAryan , who elaborated on the auspicious

and majestic commentary of VaLLal RaamaanujA (SrI GeethA BhAshyam ) through

his Sri Sookthi entitled " Taathparya Chandrikaa" to help one and all access and enjoy

without difficulty the true meanings of GeethA slOkams provided earlier in a terse way

by AchArya RaamAnuja.

 

(Commentary ) : AchArya RaamAnuja"s GeethA BhAshyam was at a high level

and was easy for scholars to comprehend the insights and meanings given there .

People without the gift of scholarship admired superficially the majestic

commentary of AchArya RaamAnuja but had difficulties in comprehending

the depth of BhAshyakArar's high level commentary on the meanings of

(Taathparyams of ) the slOkams of Bhagavth GeethA . Swamy Desikan came to

our rescue through his elaboration on the commentary of GeethA by AchArya

RaamAnujA through his SrI Sookthi named " Taathparya Chandrikai " to

help us comprehend the true meanings of the slOkams of Bhagavath GeethA

provided by AchArya RaamAnujA . Swamy Desikan also helped us remove our

own confusions arising from the reading of the viparitha commentaries of

Para Matha Vadhins on GeethA Saasthram .

 

(180) (PraNavam) YaamunAryOktha GeethArTasangraha-thrANa-kaarakAya nama:

 

(Meaning):Salutations to that SrEshta AchAryan , who wrote a rakshA grantham

for Swamy AlavanthAr's " GeethArTa Sangraham " .

 

( Commentary ) : Swamy AlavanthAr blessed us with a highly condensed yet elegant

summary of the true meanings of the chapters of Bhagavath GeethA and their

purport . AchArya RaamAnujA used GeethArTa Sangraha as the basis for his

own commentary on GeethOPanishad . Swamy Desikan created a rakshA

grantham for Swamy AlavanthAr's " GeethArTa Sangraham " for our benefit ;

this rakshA grantham helped us chase away the doubts that we might have

had in gaining a clear understanding of the summary of GethA slOkams by

Swamy AlavanthAr .

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

SrIMath Azhagiya Singar Thiruvadi, Oppiliappan KOil V.Sadagopan