Thuppul PiLLai- 35- Devanayaka Panchaasath- fifty on the Lord Deivanayakan

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SrI:

SrImathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namah:

SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |

vedAntAcArya-varyo me sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

 

May the glorious Venkatanatha, the greatest of teachers of Vedanta, and the

lion among poets and debaters, reside forever in my heart.

 

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

Let us begin to enjoy the sthOthra granthas of Swamy Desikan [in

alphabetical order]

Sri Devanayaka-Pancaasat

(The Fifty on Sri Devanayaka the Lord at Tiruvahindrapuram)

 

Sri Devanayaka- pancaasat is a Stotra in 50+3 slokas on Sri Devanayaka, the

Lord at Tiruvahindapuram.He is also known by the name of Devanatha.

 

Sri Desika begins the Stotra paying homage to Bhagavaan and Lakshmi (1-4),

describes the Sacred Hill Aushadaadri and the holy river Garuda-nadi and

other sanctifying waters, (ii) the Lord adorned with ornaments and weapons

which are really deities that preside over the various Tattvas (Reals). In

thirty slokas the various parts of the body from head to foot of the Lord

are described. Towards the end, he mentions Bhakthi and Prapatti which are

the means of emancipation. Echoing the song of the Alwar, Bhagavan is

referred to as Daasa-satya(Adiyavarku-meyyan) and concludes by saying that

true to His name, the Bhagavan has made Sri Desika, Satyavaadi (speaker of

truth). The detailed description of the Lord is made as follows-(with the

number of sloka in brackets)-The crown (16); Curly locks of hair(17); face

(18);forehead(19); ears(22); eyebrows (23); eyes(24)(25);nose and cheeks

(26); lips(27); neck(28); arms(29); chest(32); stomach(35); navel(36);

thighs(38); knees (39); shanks (40); feet(41); toes(42); nails(43); marks on

the sole of the feet(44).

 

A comparative study of description of Lord Deva-nayaka herewith that of

Bhagavan Narayana as enjoyed by the Mukta-atma(Release soul) in Vaikunta

given in the last section(Praaapti-parva) of Paramapadasopana by Swami Sri

Desika will be of great interest to scholars and of great enjoyment to soft

mind devotees.

 

There is a clear internal evidence in the works of Acarya Sri Desika from

which it is determined that Bhagavan Deva-nayaka had installed Himself in

the Arcaa-form in Tiruvahindrapuram centuries before in anticipation of the

birth of Sri Desika in Toopul near Kanchi and his pilgrimage to this shrine

for stay and worship of the Lord and service to the cause of Vaishnavism.

Sri Desika too, impelled by the divine will came to Tiruvahindapuram where

he stayed for several years. As commanded by the Lord, he composed several

works-one in Sanskrit, one in Prakrit (the language of the queens in the

harem); and seven songs in Tamil verse have been composed by him in which

Sri Desika(Venkatanatha) fins himself transformed as the

bride(Venkata-nayaki) and sings in the states of union and separation

depicting her extreme love for the Lord who is the lover. The Lord also

reciprocated the love for Venkatanayaki, the beloved. He also showered His

love and blessings on Sri Desika and made him one of the foremost Acaryas in

our Vaishnava Sampradaya. Sri Desika also did yeomen service to the cause of

our religion and philosophy by writing more than a hundred books in poetry

and prose, epic and drama, in Sanskrit, Prakrit, Tamil and Manipravala.

[From the Life and works of Sri Nigamantha Mahadesikan- by Prof Sri A

Srinivasaraghavan]

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan

kavi-tArkika-simhAya kalyANa-guNa-SAline |

Srimate venkateSAya vedAntagurave namaH ||

 

Salutations to Sri Venkatesa, in whom all perfections reside, who is the

teacher of Vedanta and the lion among poets and debaters

 

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