Thuppul PiLLai- 59- other rahasya granthas of Swamy

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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 continue to enjoy other granthas of Swamy Desikan in summary form:

 

Swamy Desikan has offered us 24 works in maNipravAlam, a sweet blend of

Tamil and Sanskrit. The 23rd work is Saarasaara which is an epitome of

Srimad Rahasyatrayasaaram.

RAHASYATRAYASAARAM: (24th work)

 

Sri Vedanta Desikan has written 32 Rahasyas, which contain the teachings of

the Upanishads about the Tattva, Hita and Purushaartha. Rahasyatrayasaara is

for the benefit of those who are not able to study the Vedic texts directly.

 

There is a rule in the saasthras that some ideas that are communicated to

all in public should be taught to those interested in them in private.

Hence, they are called Rahasyas and they have to be learnt from Acharyas.

Twenty eight of them are given the name of ChiilaRai Rahasyam; four are

Major Rahaysas namely Atthigiri MahAthmyam, Paramatha Bangam,

ParamapadasOpAnam and Rahasyatrayasaram. The last is the magnum opus among

the Rahasyas of Sri Vedanta Desikan.

 

Rahaysatraya is mainly intended by the Acharya to offer an elaborate

treatment of the three Rahasyas (moola manthra, Dwayam and Charama slOkam).

This work contains 32 chapters called AdhikAras. The number 32 is suggestive

of this work playing the role of 32 Brahma vidyas of the Upanishads. Every

chapter begins with a Sanskrit sloka on the matter treated in it followed by

its expansion in maNipravALam. A stanza in Tamil and a sloka in Sanskrit

mark the concluding portion of each chapter. The Acharya offers evidences

from Sanskrit sources to be followed by those from the AzhwAr’s prabandhas

in support of his arguments for and against certain problems. The passages

from the works of earlier Acharyas are frequently cited. It is needless to

remark that the Acharya has no equal through this work, not to speak of his

contributions made in other works on Sri vaishnavism.

 

Please refer to Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swamin’s summary on Srimad

Rahasyatrayasaaram in Swamy Vedanta Desika web page

(http://swamydesika.tripod.com/srts.html#top )

 

I would like to reproduce what Prof. A Srinivasaraghavachariar writes about

this magnum opus in his book on The Life and works of Sri Vedantha Desika.

 

There is a chapter Guruparampara saram by name which is at the beginning,

separately as a prelude. It gives the succession of Acharyas which begins

with Paramaathman Sriman Narayanan as the first Acharyan. After giving the

names of Several Acharyas and their works, it edns with Sri Ramanuja who had

five Acharyas of whom Sri MahapoorNar (Periya Nambhi) is the one who

performed Pancha samskaaram to Sri Ramanjuar. There are four Acharyas in the

middle between Sri Ramanjua (1017- 1137) and Swamy Desikan (1268-1369)

 

This rahasya is classified into four heads:

 

1.Artha anusasana bhaga (Chapters 1 to 22) deals with the teaching of chief

doctrines

2.Sthireekara bhaga (Chapters 23 to 26) deals with the establishement of the

system of clarifying doubts and disputed points.

3.Padavakya yojana Bhaga (Chapter 27 to 29) deals with the interpretations

of the meaning of the three rahasyas in details.

4.Sampradya prakriya (Chapters 30 to 32) deals with the path of Spiritual

traditions.

 

1.Artha anusasana bhaga (chapter 1 to 22) is divided into three heads:

 

a. Tatva (chapters 1 to 6)

b. Hita (Chapters 7 to 12)

c. Purushartham (Chapters 13 to 22)

 

Tatva: The first two chapters are introductory. The hritage of the Jivaathma

and how he lost it, a parable how a prince became a huntsman and his rescue

by his acharyas, the determination of the greatness of the three mantras as

the best spiritual literature, the essence of what all should be known from

various ancient sources of knowledge. That there are countless matters to be

known need not defer our aspirant from losing hopes for futurity and that

the three rahasyas are alone to be known is stresses in the 2nd chapter.

 

Chapter 3 deals with the most important doctrine of Visishtadvaita. The

fourth chapter contains the treatment of arthapanchakam i.e the five things

to be learnt. The soul, matter and God constituting the Tattvatraya are

treated in fifth chapter. The truth about the Supreme Sriman Narayanan is

proved excellently in the sixth chapter.

 

Hita: Man should feel that he must get freedom from bondage i.e. the longing

for emancipation. This is explained in Chapter 7. It is necessary to

classify the qualified persons. This is mentioned in chapter 8. The ninth

chapter discusses the methods available for obtaining final release. Chapter

10 deals with the fitness of Self-surrender. The classification of its (self

surrender) accessories are given in Chapter 11 and in Chapter 12, observance

of self –surrender and accessories are dealt with.

 

Purushaartham: Chapter 13 deals with the one who has followed the

injunction. The recognition of the merits of the person in the proper stage

is dealt with in Chapter 14. Chapter 15 deals with the duties in the Post

prapatti (Self surrender) period. Our final goal and its extent form the

matter of Chapter 16. Chapter 17 deals with the scriptural ordinances and

Chapter 18 expiation for offenses. Chapter 19 deals with the suitable places

of residence. The categorical statement that a holy place is only that where

people repeat Sriman Narayana’s names and talk of and listen to the

narrations of Him is stressed here. The Chapter 20 describes the departure

of soul from the body and Chapter 21 the prescribed route. Full experience

of Bliss of Brahman is furnished in chapter 22.

 

Sthireekara Bhaga- (Chapters 23 to 26): Ch 22 and 24 contain a very

elaborate discussion on Brahman’s note in adopting the path of Self

surrender. These two chapters give the determination of the means already

existent and the determination of the means to be adopted. Restriction in

the power of means and the confirmation of powers are indicated in Ch 25

i.e. great status of one who has surrendered himself to the Almighty and to

hold the means in all stability.

 

Padavakya Yojana Bagha- (Chapters 27 to 29) The three rahasyas (moola

manthra, Dwaya and Charama sloka) receive a very detailed exposition in

these three chapters respectively.

 

Samparadya Parikriyaa- (Chapters 30 to 32) Chapter 30 deals with the Acharya

and his duties.

Chapter 31 – disciple and his duties and Chapter 32 is Conclusion.

 

A study of this Rahasya will equip a person with complete knowledge for

leading religious life here and attainment of Bliss hereafter.

 

The 25th work Guruparamaparsaaram stresses on the value of reciting the line

of preceptors. VirOdhaparihaaram, the 26th work clarifies the objections

that are likely to be raised against the Rahasyatrayasaram. Swamy imagined

what all could be thought of by us :-) and answered each and every doubt

that could occur in our minds.

 

Among the works of Manipravala kind, mention must be made of commentaries on

Yamunacharya’s SthOthra Rathnam. There is a commentary is called “anjali

vaibhavam”, which conveys the power of anjali (folding the palms together by

way of reverence particularly to God). The other commentary is called

munivAhanabhOgam, meaning enjoyment of him who had a muni (Saarangamuni) as

his vehicle. This refers to ThiruppANAzhwAr who was carried by an eminent

Brahmin called Lokasaarangamuni. The third commentary is known as

Madhurakavihrudhayam, on the dacad composed by Madhurakavi AzhwAr on

NammAzhwAr and this is not extant.

 

It is also said that Acharya wrote the NigamaparimaLa a commentary on

ThiruvAymozhi which is not extant.

HASTHIGIRI MAHATHMYAM: Hasthigiri Mahathmyam deals with the Greatness of

Lord Varadarajan (PeraruLALan) of Kanchi known as Sathyavratha kshEthra in

the Brahmanda Puranam. It is a unique composition of Sri Vedantha Desika

which is in the form of a musical episode about which he himself writes- it

is to be sung for the delectation of devout souls with emotion and sympathy.

Keeping time with cymbols in hands (Bhava, Ragha, and Taala) as laid down in

Bharatha Saasthra. Brahma (Four faced Brahma) the world creator wanted to

aswamEdha yaagam (Horse sacrifice) in order to realize God and meditate upon

Him. A divine voice advised him to choose the elphant hill (Hasthigiri) the

holiest of shrines for the altar and he acted upon it.

 

Lord Varadarajan appeared (rose) from the altar as a Blue hued fire and

accepted all the sacrificial oblations of Brahma and blessed him. Brahma

prayed that lord should continue to stay in the same form for all time to

come to bless the humanity. The fundamental tenet of Srivaishnavism that

Bhagawan Narayana is the Supreme deity to be worshipped as the Greatest

means and the Goal. Sri

Desikan gave it the name Meiviradhamaanmiyam which is also named

Sathyavratha KshEthra mahathmyam in colophon.

 

 

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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