Desika NooRRandhAti : Part 1 ( Introduction )

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SrI: Dear Swami Desika BhakthAs : Swamy NigamAntha Mahaa Desikan is the incarnation of the sacred bell at the Sannidhi of ThiruvEnkadamudayAn .There are many AchArya Sri Sooktis that celebrate the Vaibhavam of the Dhivya MaNi GantAvatAran , who incarnated on this eartth to chase away the loud shreiks and lamentations of Para matams , which rejected eternal Vedam as PramANam or misintrepreted the Vedic Texts to suit the needs of their philosophy and point of view . Thru His magnum opus , "Para Mata bangam" , Swamy desikan swept away effortlessly the cobwebs of offending Veda Baahya Matams and strengthened Bhagavath RaamAnuja SiddhAntam and established rigorously the importance and efficacy of SaraNAgati as the easy-to-practise UpAyam to gain the Parama PurushArtham of Sri VaikunTha Vaasam to perfrom blemishless Kaimakryams to the Dhivya dampatis and enjoy ParipoorNa BrahmAnandham there with Them . One of the AchArya PurushAs , who was born through the anugraham of Swamy Desikan became a Sishya of NayinArAchaar , the son of Swamy Desikan .Hence, Swamy Desikan was the PrAchAryan for this sishyan of NayinArAchar . This sishyan was the son of revered Srirangam AchAryan ,KantAdai LaskshmaNAcchAr , who was blessed by Swamy Desikan to have a male progeny . This child was named Theerttha PiLLai since the child was born from the anugraham its parents had by partaking Swamy Desikan's Sri Paadha theertham for a whole year at Satya Mangalam in KaranatAka , where Swamy Desikan had exiled himself . The name of the blessed child of KantAdai LakshmaNAcchAr is MannappangAr . He is recognized as KandAdai MannappangAr Swamy . Just as AmudhanAr eulogized his PrAchAryan AchArya RaamAnujA through his RaamAnuja NooRRandhAti , KanthAdai MannappangAr Swamy saluted his PrAchAryan , Swamy Desikan through Desika NooRRandhAti . RaamAnuja NooRRandhAti is set in the meter of Tamil poetry known as KattaLai KalitthuRai , whereas MannappangAr's Desika NooRRandhAti is set in the VeNN Paa meter. The deep reverence and love that MannappangAr had for his PrAchAryan are abundantly evident in Desika NooRRandhAti . The 100 Paayirams of MannappangAr's andhAti are delectable to enjoy and his devotion to his AchAryan's AchAryan is exemplary .

 

It is my bhAgyam to cover Swamy Desika NooRRandhAti with the insight provided by my dearest friend and classmate , U.Ve. Vangipuram Navaneetam Gopala DesikAchAr (VNG) Swamy from the illustrious Vangipuram Aacchi Vamsam . We grew up together as children in Oppiliappan Sannidhi and are close to each other during all these decades .Sri VNG Swamy is a great traditional scholar , who has blessed us with many important monographs such as (1) Dialogue on Hinduism (2) VaiNavam : A Conversation (3) Bhagavad Gita-ViLakka urai (4) SaThakOpar AndhAti -ViLakka Urai (5) MaRai Moorti KaNNaa (6) ThirumAl ThiruvaruL (7) Dinam Oru Dhivya Prabahndham (8) Swamy Desikan's SubhAshita Neebi ( Neeti nool) , (9) ThiruvAimozhi Amudham Parts 1 & 2 (10) Sankalpa SooryOdhayam (11) Oppiliappan Sahasra Naamams

(12) Thiruppaavai-ViLakka Urai and (13) Sri VaishNavan . Sri VNG Swamy is working on many monographs that are yet to be released . adiyEn prays to our Kula Dhaivam , Sri BhUmi DEvi SamEta Oppiliappan for Veda PrAyam for my dear friend . He has kindly given his permission to translate the verses of Desika NooRRandhAti of MannappangAr form his monograph to spread the glories of Swamy Desikan in Sri VaishNavaa Lists .

 

With humble prayers to asmath AchAryan , Prakrutam Sriamath Azhagiya Singars , adiyEn commences this initative . MahaantO anugrahNantu !

 

DhAsan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SaThakOpan