ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam : Part 102 -- SrI Desik aDarsana Saara Sangraham of Vaikunta Vaasi SrI SrIrama DesikAcchAr Swamy

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

As the Thirunakshathram day of Swamy Desikan approaches ( October 5 ) ,

adiyEn's mind

is racing towards the translation of Swamy DEsikan's Prabhandhams . Prior to

that , it is

important to have the wonderful summary of the scope and content of Swamy

Desikan's

Darsana Saara Sangraham as bequeathed to us by my First AchAryan , Sri

Vangipuram

Navaneetham SrI SrIramadesikAcchAr Swamy of Oppiliappan Sannidhi . adiyEn has

just translated below his magnificent summary, which is the essence of Swamy

Desikan's

Prabhandhams. This should serve as a fitting introduction to the 405 Paasurams

constituting the entire (19) Desika Prabhandhams .Here is that Summary.

 

1. Only Vedam is the Moola PramANam

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Every one born in this universe should clearly understand the three Tatthvams

(ChEthanam , achEthnam and Iswaran) , perform one of the two anushtAnams

( Bhakthi Yogam and Prapatthi Yogam) and attempt to gain the PurushArTam of

Moksham . All of these are contained in the different Veda BhAgams . Vedam

is the hand lamp for all of us in this SamsAric world. Vedam alone stands as

the eternal/timeless (anAdhi) , limitless (anantham ) and not composed by any

humans ( apourushEyam) and as an independent PramANam ( as Svathanthra

PramANam that does not depend on any thing else). All the SaasthrAs become

PramANams (means of valid knowledge, evidence) with the help of Vedams.

AzhwArs out of their infinite mercy to uplift the human beings from their

samsAric sorrows analyzed the inner meanings of Veda-VedAnthams

and blessed us with the essence of them through their 4000 Divine Collect

(NaalAyira Dhivya Prabhandham).

 

2. The AzhwArs

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There are ten AzhwArs ( Pathinmar): Poyghai, BhUtham , pEy , Thirumazhisai ,

NammAzhwAr , KulasEkarar , PeriyAzhwAr , ThoNDaradippodi , ThiruppANar,

and Thirumangai . Since they were totally immersed in BhagavAn's GuNAnubhavam

(Aazhnthu kidanthamayaal ) , they are saluted as " AazhwArs " . They are all

avathAra PurushAs ( Incarnation of either Nithya sooris/eternally liberated

jeevans,

or Bhagavan's weapons or AabharaNams). Many were not born in human wombs

(ayOnijAs). Besides the above ten AazhwArs, the Paasurams of ANDAL

(the avathAram of the divine consort of the Lord ) , Madhura Kavi ( Key

disciple of Swamy NammAzhwAr ) and Thiruvarangatthu AmudhanAr

( Disciple of Swamy KurEsar) make up the 4000 Divine collect. Among all

the ten AzhwArs, Swamy NammAzhwAr is the most important . He is revered

as Prapanna SanthAna Kootasthar . The sweetness and the depth of meaning

of Swamy NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi is indescribable. The commentary

on ThiruvAimozhi is known as Bhagavath Vishayam.

 

3. The AchAryAs

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SrIman NaarAyaNan is the First and Foremost AchAryan for all chEthanams.

MahA Lakshmi (Periya PirAtti) is the second in the line of AchAryaas.

VishvaksEnar

is third in this line. Only after the above three , the BhUlOka AchArya

Paramparai

comes into being and Swamy NammAzhwAr is the first among the BhUlOka

AchAryAs. VishvaksEnar descended from Vaikuntam to earth and performed

Pancha SamskArams for Swamy NammAzhwAr and became thus his AchAryan.

Swamy NammAzhwAr is not only the first among the AzhwAr GhOshti

but also in our AchArya Paramparai .

 

Swamy Naatha MUni is the next AchAryan after Swamy NammAzhwAr ,

who incarnated many centuries before Swamy Naatha Muni , who was

a MahA Yogi. In Swamy Naatha Muni's Yoga dasai (Yogic stance),

Swamy NammAzhwAr appeared and initiated him into Dhivya

Prabhandhams and became thus the direct AchAryan for Swamy Naatha Muni.

The VaishNava SampradhAya Sambhandham also was blessed to

Swamy Naatha Muni through SrI ParAnkusa Daasar , who belonged to

the vamsam of Madhura Kavi, who in turn performed direct kaimkaryam

to Swamy NammAzhwAr duirng His stay on this earth. This connection

also led to Swamy NammAzhwAr becoming the AchAryan for Swamy

Naatha Muni seperated by few generations . After Swamy Naatha Muni ,

UyyakkoNDAr , MaNakkAl Nambi , AaLavathAr became AchAryas

in that order. Swamy AaLavanthAr was the grand son of Swamy Naatha Muni .

He is one of the most important AchAryAs in our Guru Paramparai.

Through his maginificent SrI Sookthis like SthOthra Rathnam , Chathu: SlOki

and others , Swamy AaLavanthAr nourished our darsanam and helped

the world immensely . The key disciple of Swamy AaLavanthAr is Periya Nambi.

 

4. SrI BhAshyakArar

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Periya Nambi's sihya is SrI BhAshyakArar , who is pravarthakar of

our SiddhAntham. He is known also by other names such as Udayavar,

RaamAnujar and YathirAjar . He is the One , who saved our siddhAntham

from the destruction that would have been caused to it by other mathams.

He blessed us with nine SrI Sookthis: SrI BhAshyam , VedAntha Dheepam ,

VedAntha Saaram , VedArTa Sangraham , GitA BhAshyam , SaraNAgathi

Gadhyam, SrI ranga Gadhyam , SrI Vaikunta Gadhyam and Nithyam. Among

these nine blessed works, the most celebrated is SrI BhAshyam , which is

the commentary on Sage BaadarAyaNA's Brahma Soothrams.Swamy Desikan

states that he spent His life time studying and intrepreting SrI BhAshyam .

AchArya RaamAnujA has instructed us that the study of SrI BhAshyam is

the first duty and the loftiest among the kaimkaryams to be performed by

a Prapannan.He has placed the SrI BhAshya KaalakshEpam and teaching

of SrI BhAshyam to others as the foremost act to be performed by such

a Prapannan. If we are to think of AchArya Paramparai as a necklace ,

then AchArya RaamAnuja is the center piece of that necklace ( Naayaka

MaNi for that Haaram). He collected the fragmented AachArams and

assembled them with the help of VedAs and protected the VarNAsrama

Dharmams from endangerment. He is the guide for all of us through His

discovery of the inner meanings of the VedAs and the related pramANams

and codified the way of conduct for the people of the world . AchArya

RaamAnujA never swerved from the Saasthrams of the Lord and His

SrI Sookthis based on them even during the most dangerous times

in His life. It is important for us to gain a clear comprehension of

His SrI Sookthis to understand the SiddhAntham revered as Bhagavath

RaamAnuja SidhdAntham . This is the proper way. Anything other than

that way to comprehend His siddhAntham could only prove harmful.

His SiddhAntham can also be understood through KaalakshEpams at

the sacred feet of SadAchAryAs.

 

One of the most important disciples of AchArya RaamAnujA was

Thirukkuruhai PirAn PILLAn , who blessed us with the celebrated

commentary on ThiruvAimozhi known as Thiru AaRAyirappadi.

The AchArya Paramparai after PiLLAn is KadAmpi AacchAn ,

YengaL AazhwAn , NadAthUr AmmAL and KadAmpi AppuLLAr .

 

Swamy Desikan

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

He is the celebrated sishyar of Kadampi AppuLLAr and also

latter's nephew. We have to remember what Swamy Desikan

said about AchArya RaamAnujA , when it comes to Swamy

Desikan himself . Only those who have the Thiruvadi and Thirumudi

sambhandham with AchArya RaamAnuja deserve to occupy the throne

of AchAryAs . We do not need to seek anyone else than Swamy Desikan

since he has blessed us with every aspect of SaasthrAs through his vast

SrI Sookthis.That great help (MahOpakAram) has no match. We should forever

be grateful to the Lord for blessing us with this MahOpakAram of Swamy Desikan.

Sri Appaya Dikshithar , who wrote a commentary for the great Kaavyam

of Swamy Desikan revered as YaadhavAbhyudhayam has stated that

even the simplest works of Swamy Desikan has the deepest meanings

on VedAs and SaasthrAs. Let us understand the Post-Swamy Desikan

AchArya Paramparai form one's own AchAryAs.

 

We will continue with the rest of the summary on Desika Prabhandha Saaram

in the next postings and will cover:

 

(1) The UpakAram of AchAryan

 

(2) Sishyan's Duties

 

(3) Performance of KaalkashEpam

 

(4)The three Rahasyams (Thirumanthiram, Dhvayam, Charamsa SlOkam)

 

(5) The three Tatthvams ( ChEthanam, AchEthanam and Iswaran)

 

(6) Hitham /Prapatthi/duties of Prapannan/sinlesness of Prapannan/

anthima smruthi for Prapannan/The exit of the Jeevan from the body of

Prapannan/travel by ArchirAdhi maargam to SrI Vaikuntam

 

(7) PurushArTam / Arrival at SrI Vaikuntam and ParipoorNa

BrahmAnubhavam there.

 

After covering the above topics as the high lights of messages

housed in Desika Prabhandhams , adiyEn would start the Kaimakryam

of translating the individual 405 Paasurams of the 19 Desika Prabhandhams .

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

SrImath Azhagiya Singar Thiruvadi , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan