Thuppul ammaan padamaamalare Part 1 - Swamy Deshikan Thirunakshat ram celebrations

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Swamy Deshikan Thiruvadigale Sharanam !!!

 

Srimath Vedanta Deshika Paduka Vaibhavam

 

Today Swamy adorns the Venugopala alankaram in the morning and enjoys Yaanai

vAhanam in the evening.

 

we shall in this posting and the next, enjoy the greatness of the Padukas of

our Lord Swamy Deshika.

 

Flowers indeed are your sandals that wither not in time

Resounding blissfully the aphorism of servitude to mime

Uphold they firmly the twin lotuses in a way so sublime

Bestow they the wealth of sound for all hearts to chime - 1

 

Our Swamy's sandals are indeed like the freshly blossomed lotus flowers.

These flowers would never wither in time, as they are full of sattva gunam.

These sandals bear on their crown the twin lotus feet of our Swamy Deshika

always. In doing so, they preach to this world the maxim of bhaagavatha

sheshatvam as told by Swamy Deshika in his Paduka Sahasram, Subhashita

paddhati - " adharIkRtopi mahatA .. pAdukA rAjyam "

 

This conveys the essence that - Even if one is looked down upon by the great

and pious bhagavathas, one should continue to be sub-servient to them.

Though the Padukas of Sri Rama were pressed and worn by Him they yet

preferred to stay at His feet with no moment of separation. As a result of

this the Padukas were bestowed with the throne of Ayodhya that even Sri Rama

was deprived of.

 

Swamy in his Paduka Sahasram says - " kalAsukAshtAmAtishtan bhUmne

sambandhinAmapi " - " One is bestowed with virtues by mere influence of people

having them " . The Ghanta used for Thiruvaradhanam stays near the feet of the

Lord at all times. The Lord's lotus feet possess the virtue of being the

savior of those who seek refuge in them. As such the virtue of protecting

the surrendered has naturally come to the Ghanta also. Our Swamy who is the

manifestation of this Ghanta, no doubt propagated this doctrine of

Sharanagati to one and all. The Lord effected Deshika avataram to preach the

shastram of prapatti. Thus the lotus feet of our Swamy have the same

potential as that of the Lord's feet. These lotus feet are indeed the final

resort to all those who seek knowledge and thereby emancipation from the

mire of this samsara. They have the power to bestow one with Supreme

knowledge by virtue of which one gains the eternal bliss of Paramapadam.

Such is the greatness of these lotus feet. Since these lotus feet are always

held in their grasp by the Padukas, their glories are higher than that of

our Swamy Himself.

 

The Padukas of our Swamy that stay at his feet at all times also have

imbibed this power from his lotus feet. Swamy Nayanaracharya celebrates this

fact in his Deshika vigraha dhyanam by saying that His sacred feet carry the

marks of the Lotus, the Conch and the Chakram, which is the characteristic

attribute of parama uttama acharyas. They have the virtue to make one a

Brahma-jnaani just be their mere touch. Disciples, who flock to seek

knowledge from our Swamy, prefer to surrender first at the lotus Padukas and

get the sambandham of these lotus Padukas. These Padukas bequeath those in

its shade with the wealth of supreme knowledge and infinite auspicious

virtues.

 

The usage 'wealth of sound...' is to be understood here properly. Sound here

implies the primordial one syllable Pranavam - the manifestation of the

entire supreme knowledge. This Pranavam is the essence of all Vedas and it

depicts the Para-brahman in his entire splendor. The Vedas are the only

authorities that show the Paraman with all his essential nature and

attributes. The essence of the Vedas is conveyed by the Pranavam. This is

indeed the beginning-less sound that envisions the Supreme soul Sriman

Narayana to seekers. This is indeed the same sound that emanates from the

hollow of a Ghanta. It implies to say that the sound of the bell is indeed

the reverberation of the Supreme truth. Swamy Deshika, who is the

manifestation of this Ghanta, bestows one with the wealth of this supreme

sound - the sound of Pranavam or infinite supreme knowledge that would ring

blissfully in the hearts of Jivans perennially.

 

Blessed were those who drank the nectar from your sandals

Stayed they impregnable as progenies born of lotus petals

Engulfing the myths and disdains with their worded tidals

Stood they bedecked in your woven finery as their bridals - 2

 

This verse glorifies the disciples of Swamy Deshika who are also extolled as

the Padukas of Swamy Deshika. They have the direct association with the twin

lotus feet of Swamy Deshika. Blessed indeed are these disciples who drank

and imbibed the essence directly from the lotus feet of Deshika. This

essence was none other than the stream of Srimath Rahasyatrayasaaram

comparable to the stream of the holy Ganga. They excelled and stood

embellished with sobriquets by their master, Swamy Deshika. They stayed

unbeatable and shone like lotus born. They were lotus-born as they were the

jnana santati of Swamy Deshika and had the direct association with the lotus

feet of Swamy Deshika.

 

They based their writings and elucidations on those of Swamy Deshika and

engulfed and drowned the mayavadins or adversaries and their likes

completely to establish the parama vaidika Srivaishnava sri sampradayam

irrefutably.

 

They considered the vicinity of the Padukas of Swamy Deshika as their final

goal of attainment or purushartham and would even not desire for moksham.

They had devata vishvasam towards Swamy and considered themselves wed to his

lotus feet. They chose to deck themselves with the Srisooktis of Swamy

Deshika as their bridals. Just as how Swamy Deshikan says -

" yatIshvarabhAratI rasabhareNa nItam vayaH " and " yatisArvabhouma vachasAM

Avrittibhir yauvanam " - They spent their whole lives by immersing themselves

in the nectarous works of Swamy Deshika and their youth was well spent

amidst the lively companionship of Swamy's magnums.

 

Bow we down to the twin lotuses, whose fragrance flies till the cosmic skies

Impart they wealth in its shade plunging the head high down the gloomy

trench - 3

 

This verse upholds the prabhavam or the greatness of the Padukas of our

Swamy Deshika. Oh Swami Deshika! We would prefer to place our bharam at your

lotus feet, whose fragrance is powerful enough to reach the cosmic skies. It

is indeed the fragrance of knowledge that captivates Jivans to free them

from the unending cycle of transmigration. Swamy who always stays close to

the Lord shares the common scent of Brahmagandham with Him. This scent is

also found emanating from Swamy's works. More importantly the works composed

on Swamy by his disciples continue to emanate the same scent of

Brahmagandham.

 

Swamy Deshika in his Paduka Sahasram Prabhava paddhati says - " unnatAnAM

avanatiH natAnAM yatra chonnatiH " - The twin sandals of Sri Ranganatha

awards a rise to those who have bend and bow to it, while they make the head

high tumble down and fall.

 

The same saying is quite apt when referred with the lotus sandals of our

Swamy too. Our Swamy's sandals bestow the wealth of knowledge to those who

have surrendered to them and to those who prefer to remain in its shade.

Those who have the audacity to lift their heads sky high with temerity are

sure to go down the aisle of nescience. They for sure are unpleasant

subjects of the Lord and of Ramanuja as rightly told by Prativadi

Bhayankaram Annan in his Saptatiratnamalika - " gurau vAdihamsAmbudArya

shishye ... vArtAhi tAdRigvidhAnA "

Those who are devotionless towards Vedanta Deshika, the noble disciple of

Vadihamsambudacharya are sure to become recipients of Yatiraja's unpleasant

grace. Being the unloved subjects of Yatiraja would make them far from the

merciful glances of the Lord. What to speak of mukti for such souls? "

 

Stood thy consort to your measure in virtues inherent

Stayed she ever in your servitude as sweetness in sugar

Anklets indeed she is who adorns your sandals pristine

Pray we for her benevolence to shower on us forever - 4

 

This verse celebrates the consort of Swamy Deshika, Thirumangai Kanakavalli

Nachiyaar as the manifestation of the sandals of Swamy Deshika.

 

She was in every way a worthy consort to Swamy Deshika. She stayed ever in

the servitude of Swamy Deshika as sweetness to be found in sugar but is

never be separated from it. Such was their inseparable association or

apruithak-siddha sambandham. The disciples of Swamy Deshika have prayed at

her feet eulogizing her as their mother and have sung about her inherent

virtues in their srisooktis. The Guru-parampara prabhavam composed by the

second Jeeyar and the third Jeeyar of Parakala matham have respectfully

acknowledged her as " samAnAtmagunasampanna dharmapatnI " and have placed her

on the same pedestal as Swamy Deshika in terms of auspicious and inherent

virtues.

 

She was like the anklets adorning the gem-studded sandals of our Swamy. The

jingles adorning the gem studded Padukas of Swamy rejoiced more than those

tied to the gem studded sandals of the Lord. It is natural for jingles to be

tied to bells and they enjoy a common association with each other. The

jingles in the sandals of our Swamy enjoyed this natural association, as our

Swamy is indeed the manifestation of the bell of the Lord of seven hills.

 

Swamy Deshika in his Paduka Sahasram, Prakirna paddhati celebrates Piraatti

to have assumed the role of the Lord's sandals during Nrusimhavataram -

" miktAMshukEsaravatI ... narasiMhamUrteH "

 

Here Piraatti is celebrated as the incarnation of the Lord's sandals and is

eulogized to be appropriate to the Lord in everyway. In a similar way our

mother Thirumangai Kanakavalli Nachiyaar is indeed the manifestation of the

anklets that adorn the lotus sandals of Swamy Deshika. We pray at her lotus

feet to shower her merciful benevolence on us always and to act as

purushakaram in making the benevolent grace of our Paramacharya Swamy

Deshika, to be on us forever and to make us worthy recipients of the wealth

of bhagavatha sheshatvam, jnanam and vairagyam from Swamy Deshika.

 

Thrust by his disciples into the trench of transgression

Came down a devout seeking deliverance and forgiveness

Partook he the water consecrated from thy feet like lotus

Begot he his wish transpiring from the murky gloom of sin - 5

 

This verse upholds the greatness of the Sripaada teertham of Swamy Deshika.

 

A devout Srivaishnava acharya by name Kandaadai Lakshmanacharya was once

passing through the maada veedhi of Arangam along with his disciples that on

looked the residence of Swamy Deshika. Swamy Deshika who was deeply

engrossed in his composition did not take notice of this. At this the

disciples of Lakshmanacharya were totally enraged and felt offended. They

performed the gruesome sin of bhaagavatha apacharam and manhandled Swamy

Deshika causing him physical damage. Swamy Deshika out of his bhaagavatha

sheshatvam came down to Lakshmanacharya and apologized for the unintended

transgression and left Arangam and went to Sathyakalam.

 

But, the fruits of the sin of the disciples found their way to the teacher.

Lakshmanacharya started suffering from some skin disorder and was left

progeny less. When Lakshmanacharya learnt that his disciples had caused

physical harm to Deshika and so the latter had left Arangam, he felt deeply

hurt and soon realized the reason for his ailment. He immediately along with

his wife left for Sathyakalam and fell at the feet of Swamy Deshika. Swamy

out of his parama karunyam welcomed his guest who stayed with him from that

day.

 

As an act of remorse for his sin, Lakshmanacharya partook the consecrated

water from the lotus feet of Swamy Deshika, everyday. Within a year he was

fully cured of all his ailments and was blessed with a son. Lakshmanacharya

named his son as Teertha Pillai for he was one who was born with the grace

of the Sripaada teertham of Swamy Deshika. Such is the greatness of the

Sripaada teertham of Swamy Deshika, for it has the capacity to deliver one

from the clutches of nescience and bestow him with the bliss of supreme

knowledge that would make him adopt the path of prapatti in due course and

attain the celestial abode of the Supreme Narayana.

 

Our Swamy, by means of his actions and teachings has preached that the most

gruesome of sins is bhaagavatha apacharam - sin towards the devotee of a

Lord. It is to be avoided at all costs. Swamy Deshikan in the Purushartha

Kaashtadhikaram of Srimath Rahasyatrayasaaram says " bhagavat sheshatvattin

ellainilam bhAgavathasheshatvam " - " The culmination of devotion towards the

Lord is devotion towards his devotees " . One should be watchful of his

actions for the fear of committing bhaagavatha apacharam. Bhagavad Ramanuja

when delivering his final sermons says that being in the servitude of

bhagavathas is the characteristic attribute of uttama Srivaishnavas. Swamy

Deshikan elaborating on the same objective says -

" jnAnAvalambakAH kechit kechit karmAvalambakAH | vayantu haridAsAnAM

pAdarakshAvalambakAH "

A few depend on their deeds while a few depend on their wisdom, while we

ever depend on the sandals of the devotees of the Lord of Sri. Such should

be the devotion towards fellow bhagavathas as shown by our Swamy.

 

To be continued...

 

mangaLam dEshikEndrAya mahanIya guNAya cha

chakravarththi tanUjAya sArvabhaumAya mangalam

 

vAzhi vyAkhyAmuddirak kai !!!

vEdAntasUri charaNau sharaNam prapadye !!!