Singamo - Kavitaarkika Singamo

[Guest guest]

Swamy Deshikan Thiruvadigale Sharanam !!!

 

Speaking of Lions one is often reminded of the Supreme Man-Lion Nrusimhan.

But those who delve further into Vedantha, would make mention of another

Lion, extolling it as the lion amongst poets and logicians. It may also be

observed that both these Lions share quite a lot of similarities between

them with the exception that Sri Nrusimhan or the Man-Lion is many a times

overtaken by the lion amongst poets and logicians. Behold the Lion of Lions

- Kavitarkika Simha (Swamy Deshika) - The lion amongst poets and logicians.

 

The Lord had to put quite an effort in decking Himself as Nrusimhan the

Manlion. He had to come in all his grandeur with the likes of a huge lion,

decked in crown jewels and having sharp and fierce looks, powerful build,

razor sharp nails, towering stature and the anger of a thousand elephants.

It is only after this that people began to proclaim Him as Nara-simha or the

Man-Lion.

Speaking of the other Lion, it may be observed that, our Deshika, with no

effort on his part came to be regarded as the lion amongst both poets and

logicians. His virtue of knowledge fetched him the popular sobriquet

" Kavitaarkika-simha " . For the Lord, the title of Nrusimha came from mere

mortals while for our Deshika the embellishment came from none other than

Periya Piraatti Herself. As if this was not enough, Deshika also popularly

came to be known as Ubhaya-Simhasanadhipati, for he came in the lineage of

Simhasanadhipatis and held the reins of Bhagavad Ramanuja darshanam that

stood on the two pillars of the imperial Vedas and the Divya prabandhams or

the Tamizh marai of Azhwars.

 

Lord Nrusimha in all his regal splendor sported innumerable golden strands

in his mane which were representatives of his anantha kalyana gunams. The

Vedas proclaim the Lord to be embellished with infinite auspicious

attributes.

Our Swamy Deshika is also a lion with a similar mane but, every single

strand of his mane represents his mastery over a specific field of art and

skill.

Deshika is also replete with all auspicious attributes and is held with

great esteem as " Sarvatantra-Swatantra " .

 

Nrusimhan had eyes that were both enraged and merciful. His enraged eyes

struck terror in the hearts of rakshasas while his mercy laden eyes were

visible only to Prahlada.

Our Swamy, similarly has eyes that are both deep and sharp. His deep eyes

signify his unabated mastery over Supreme knowledge while his sharp eyes

signify the fire with which he engulfed the fallacious philosophies and vile

interpretations. His eyes filled with karunyam may be seen by those who

supplicate at his feet for knowledge while his enraged eyes are visible only

to those fallacious philosophers and vile interpreters who tried to bring

disrepute to the imperial Vedas with their derisive writings.

 

Lord Nrusimhan's person had the fragrance of Brahma Gandham as He is verily

the Para-Brahman..

Our Swamy due to his immense Brahma Jnanam had a stronger scent than his

Lord. It was so strong that even the writings and sermons of our Swamy were

fragrant with Brahma-gandham.

 

Lord Nrusimha looked like trivikrama to one's eyes with his majestic gait

filling the palace of Hiranyakashipu.

Our Swamy though short in stature, yet looked like a trivikrama. He was a

trivikrama in atma gunams or inherent virtuousness and his majestic gait has

filled the palace of Ramanuja with spiritual and intellectual wealth.

 

Lord Nrusimha slayed the vile Hiranyakashipu on his laps under the shade of

the hood of Aadishesha.

Our Swamy too slayed the vile and fallacious philosphies under the same

shade of Aadishesha who is none other than Bhagavad Ramanuja.

Our Swamy slayed many other contradicting philosophies by means of his

scholarly elucidations and arguments that were totally based on the divine

works of Ramanuja.

 

It may be interesting to note that for Nrusimhan, Adi Shesha comes as a

shesha or servient while for Deshika aadishesha comes as a Sheshi or master.

If Adishesha protected the Lord under the shade of his hood, then there is

nothing extraordinary in that, because the very nature of a shesha is to be

of service to the Lord. On the other hand the same Adishesha or Ramanuja

also protected and blessed Swamy Deshika under the shade of his hood. This

is something special because in this case Adishesha is the Sheshi or the

master and there is nothing binding on the master to always protect his

servients.

 

Swamy Deshikan in his paduka sahasram says, during Nrusimhavataram, Piraatti

assumed the role as the lord's padukai and accompanied him. The Lord and His

consort are never separated. So Nrusimhavataram saw the Lord's consort

accompanying him as His sandals.

Our Swamy's disciples are his padukais. Our Swamy's disciples have devata

vishvasam in him and are never separated from him. They always remain with

him at every place and every time. They have always accompanied him in every

philosophical disputation that saw the enforcement of Ramanuja siddhantham.

 

Lord Nrusimha was a prisoner. He was a prisoner in the hearts of his

devotees.

Deshika was also a prisoner. He was a prisoner at the lotus feet of his

Lord.

Deshika saw his Lord as his antaratma while the Lord saw Deshika as his

antaratma. Ref - Jnaani tvaatmaiva me matam - Bhagavad Gita.

 

The trails left by the Lord during His Nrusimhavataram are seen only in the

dense Jungles of Ahobila.

The trails of knowledge left by our lion Deshika are seen glowing like lamps

of eternity in the minds and hearts of Jeevans so many.

 

Nrusimhan's roar struck terror in the hearts of his foes and drove them

away.

Swamy Deshikan's roar of the form of his masterly elucidations would strike

fear in the hearts of anyamatha vaadins and drive them away from making

delirious statements.

 

Nrusimhan stood on two legs that were as strong as pillars.

Deshika based his elucidations on two pillars of ubhaya vedantham that were

stronger than mere pillars.

 

Nrusimhan's nails looked like claws and were very sharp and piercing.

Deshika's nails were bright like the Sun and the rays gleaming from that

would give one a spiritual awakening.

 

Nrusimha is dandadharan.

Even if our acharya wishes to inflict pain on others, he is incapable of

doing so.

 

Nrusimhan's snarl would sent waves of terror in the hearts of the rakshasas

and drove them to their ends.

Swamy Deshikan's roar which is of the form of ghanta ghosham strikes terror

in the hearts of internal enemies like kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada,

matsarya, ajnana and drives them away.

 

Deshikan sung on the Lord as

" tvayi rakshati rakshakai: kimanyaiH | tvayichArakshati rakshakai: kimanyai:

|| "

 

- intending to say that " If you have made up your mind to protect me, who

else would I ever need or if you have made up your mind not to protect me,

who else would be able to protect me? "

Swamy Deshika's disciples placed Deshika one pedastal above this. They sung

on Deshika saying

" vedantha Deshika padAmbujameva nityam maddaivatam kimapi kAnkshita

sarvadAyi ... ShrimadvenkatanAthArya: vedAnthacharyavaryaH na me

gatirbhavedanyaa janmajanmaantareshvapi "

 

- intending to say that " Apart from the Lotus feet of Swamy Deshika, my mind

would not ask for anything else, not even the grace of Lord Sriman Narayana.

Without this Lotus feet, I have no one to protect me not only in this life

but in all the births to follow from here " .

The intent expressed here by Swamy's disciples are quite strong. They convey

the import that - Even if Perumal's grace were to be available, they do not

aspire for it. They consider the vicinity of Deshika's padukas more than

even Parama padam. They proclaim that if not for Deshika, there is nobody

who can protect them not only in this birth but in all infinite births to

follow. This statement is made even without the slightest thought that if

not for Deshika, Paraman could be resorted to. Such is the devata vishvasam

that Deshika's disciples had in him. This vishvasam outbeats bhagavad

vishvasam in every measure and hence puts Deshika even above Emperumaan.

 

Swamy Deshika portrayed the essence of prapatti in all his works and he, out

of paripoorna brahma jnanam performed prapatti at the feet of Devadhiraja

perumal, extemporing his Nyasa dashakam and saying " ... Varada nijabharam

nirbharo nirbhayosmi " .

But the disciples of our Deshika went one step above this. They placed

Deshika above the Lord and performed prapatti at the feet of Deshika Himself

in whom they had Devata vishvasam. They extempored Vedantha Deshika prapatti

singing along as " VedanthasUri charaNau sharaNam prapadye " .

 

After the advent of Nrusimha, acharyas celebrated His avataram saying " After

seeing Nrusimha neither a Lion alone nor a man alone looks good " .

But after the advent of Deshika, Jeevans placed him at par with the Lord,

saying that the Lord Himself is incomplete without Deshika. It is to be

noted that Swamy Deshikan is held at par with Lord Hayagriva. He is, infact

in his archasvaroopam seated at par with the Lord. One can enjoy such

manifestations at divya deshams like Thiruvahindrapuram, Thirumalai, Kanchi

and others.

 

After all these considerations, one is often put to wonder, " Is it really

necessary to go beyond Deshika to attain Parama purushartham? "

Is it necessary??

 

vAzhi vyAkhyAmuddirak kai !!!

vedAnthasUri charaNau sharaNam prapadye !!!