devanayaka panchasat

You are here: SriPedia - ebooks - Vedanta Desikan - devanayaka panchasat
Second SlOkam of SrI DevanAyaka PanchAsath
*************************************

DEvAdhinATa KamalA-pruthanEsa-poorvAm
dhIpthAntharam VakuLabhUshaNa-nATa mukhyai:
RaamAnuja Prabruthibhi: paribhUshithAgrAm
gOpthreem jaganthi Gurupankthim aham prapadhyE

Extended Meaning
***************

Swamy Desikan offers here his deep salutations to
the SrI VaishNava Guru Paramparai . He addresses the Lord
of Thiruvainthai as DEva adhinATa ( The Emperor of all
the DEvAs)and His divine consort , HEmAbhjavalli ThAyAr
as "KamalA" next in the AchArya paramparai. From there on ,
Swamy Desikan continues with his salutations to the row of
AchAryAs starting with VishvaksEnar (PruthanEsar) , who is
third in the line of our AchAryaas . VishvaksEnar is followed by
Swamy NammAzhwAr with the eternally fragrant VakuLa garland
(VakuLa BhUshaNar) .

Swamy NaaTamuni of Kaattu MannAr KOil , who recived upadEsam
directly from Swamy nammAzhwAr at AzhwAr Thitunagari is saluted
next in the paramparai of AchAryAs . The continuing
paramaparai after Swamy NaaTamuni --UyyakkNDAr , MaNakkAL
Nampi , AaLavanthAr, Periya Nampi-- are referred to as
" NaaTa Mukhyai:"Tis row of AchAryAs starting from
Swamy NammAzhwAr and concluding with Periya Nampi
is recognized as the middle portion of our AchArya
Paramparai (Guru Pankthi). Sriya: Pathi ( Lord DEvanATan
Here ) ,His divine consort ( Kamala) and VishvaksEnar
are recognized as the head portion of this Guru Pankthi.
The final row of AchAryAs are occupied by SrI RaamAnujA
and HIs successors down to Swamy AppuLLAr , the AchAryan
of Swamy Desikan himself.

This AchArya paramparai without parallel lights up
the way in the surrounding darkness of SamsAram and
removes the ajn~Anam of SamsAris and leads them on
to SrI Vaikuntam via the archirAdhi maargam. Swamy
Desikan performs Prapatthi to this illustrious
AchArya paramaprai and prays for the successful
conclusion of this SrI Sookthi on Lord DEvanAyakan
of ThiruvahIndhrapuram.

Additional Thoughts
****************

Swamy Desikan visualizes the SrI VaishNava AchArya
Paramparai in three distinct rows. The Poorva bhAgam
(Front end) is constituted by the Lord , His divine consort (MahA
Lakshmi) and Her disciple , SrI VishvaksEnar .
The madhya (middle portion)shines with Swamy NammAzhwAr,
Naatha Muni, UyyakkoNDAr , MaNakkAl Nampi,AaLavanthAr
and Periya nampi. The concluding section starts with
AchArya RaamAnujA and proceeds further down to Swamy
Desikan's own AchAryan ( Swamy AppuLLAr). From AchArya
RaamAnujA , AchArya Paramparai for Swamy Desikan
proceeds along this divine path: ThirumadaipaLLi
AacchAn , KidAmpi RaamAnuja PiLLAn , KidAmpi
Ranga RaamAnujAcchAr , Swamy AppuLLAr .

This slOkam is a brilliant Guru ParamparA Vandhanam
by Swamy Desikan . This vandhanam has to be performed
first and foremost in any of our sacred activity .
AchAryan can not be considered as a mere human being
by us; AchAryan has to be considered and saluted as
the incarnation of our Lord Himself.

AchAryan is Moksha KaaraNam for us all . PerumAL is
the First AchAryan in our row of AchAryAs and it
concludes with our current (Prakrutham ) AchAryan
in this glorious row of AchAryAs.Swamy Desikan devotes
his attention to AchArya Vandhanam and elaborates on
the importance of salutations to Guru ParamparA in
the Guru ParampaparA Saaram chapter of SrImad
Rahasya Thraya Saaram :

Gurubhyas-tadh-gurubhyasccha namOvAkaam adhImahE
vruNImahE cha TathrAdhyou DampathI JagathAm Pathi:

(meaning): We offer our salutations to our own
AchAryan and His AchAryAs by reciting the Namas-sabdham
(Nama: yenRa sollai OthuhirOm ). Further ,We invoke
the SaraNya Dampathis as the means(UpAyam) and goal/
fruits (Phaan) of our Prapatthi.

EmperumAN Is the PraTamAchAryan (First among AchAryans)
**************************************************
In SrImad Rahasya Thraya Saaram's chapter on Guru ParamparA
Saaram, Swamy Desikan deals with the Tathtvams behind
EmperumAn's role as the First AchAryan and as an AchAryan
without an AchAryan . He struggles all the time from
time immemorial to lift us the Bhaddha Jeevans out of
the mire of SamsAram driven by His infinite DayA for us
through the following means and keeps at it:

1) Our PraTamAchAryan creates Brahma and instructs
him on the Four VedAs.

2) When those VedAs are stolen by the Asuraas from BrahmA ,
He incarnates as Lord HayagrIvan and recovers them and
gives them to His son , BrahmA.

3) He spreads Bhagavad Saasthrams to the world through BrahmA.

4) He blesses the sons of BrahmA --Sanath KumArar,Sanakar ,
Sanandhanar and sanAtanar--to create the granthams(Samhithais)
that would be beneficial to the world.

5) He protects further the VedAntha SampradhAyam from
haani by commanding Sages Naaradhar , ParAsarar , Sukhar,
Sounakar to create PurANams and other samhithais.

6) He enters into sage VyAsar (KrishNa DhvipAyanar) throuhg
anupravEsam and blesses them to create IthihAsams like
MahA BhAratham and fundamental VedAnthic texts like Brahma Soothram.

7) He incarnates as Hamsam , Mathsyam , HayagrIvan and as
Nara-NaarAYanan as well as GithAchAryan to instruct the world
on the Tatthva Trayams and MokshOpAyams .

8) He asserts that the Tatthvams /artha visEshams
revealed by Him as intrepreted by MahA Jn~Anis
Like BhIshmAchAryan are indeed correct .He bears
evidence to the correctness of their intrepretations.

9) He blesses us with the PaancharAthra Saasthram
revealed first by Him in Krutha Yugam after it
disappeared at the end of Krutha , DhvApara and
at the beginning of Kali Yugam.

10) He incarnated agian as the Ten AzhwArs ( Swamy
NammAzhwAr to Thirumangai) and blessed us the Veda Saaram
in Agasthya BhAshai so every one can access the VedArthams.

11) He created many AchAryans after the AzhwArs to protect
the Veda Maargam in the southern land nourished by CauvEri ,
TaamraparaNi and other scared rivers.

12) Our Lord as PrathamAchAryan continues to reminds us
that AzhwArs and AchAryAs are His avathArams.

This is the essence of the summary of the UpakArams
done for us by the Lord as the First among AchAryans
adiyEn is grateful to Dr.V.N.VedAntha Desikan Swamy for
the above summary.