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Experiencing Swamy Desika -- #57


SrI:
Shrimate Shri Lakshmi Nrusimha Parabrahmane Namaha:
Shrimate Shri Seetha Ramachandra Parabrahmane Namaha:
Shrimate Shri Ramanujaya Namaha:
Shrimate Nigamantha Maha Desikaya Namaha:
Shrimate Shrivan Satagopa Shri Narayana Yateendra Mahadesikaya Namaha:

"SrimAn VenaktanAthArya: kavithArkika kEsarI!
VedAnthAchArya varyO mE sannidhatthAM sadhA hrudhi"!!

In Shri Alavandar's description of the kalyAna gunas
of Sriya:pathi, 'stira:' falls next.

A person without any confusions is 'stira:'.
Swami Desika states that it is imperative for
an AchArya to have absolute clarity of thought -
devoid of confusions. As we all know our Swami
was a personification of clarity.

With this clarity of thought Swami Desika
systematised the Doctrine of Prapatti - self surrender.
KavitArkikasimham declared that this greatest
act of self surrender was available to one and all
and is a direct means for liberation.
Swami emphatically states the significance of
Prapatti - loud and clear! This itself is enough to
show his 'stiradiyam'.

Swami Desika estalished Prapatti also as a distinct
anushtAnam like samAsrayanam. Swami Desika has based
the validity on the words of the Lord and poorvaacharyas
like Shri AlavandAr and Shri BAshyakArar.

The concept of Prapatti has been instructed by Lord
Krishna himself in the charama Sloka.

Swami took untiring efforts to save us. All through
his life Swami was hence bent upon establishing Prapatti
as a separate and direct method for liberation.

This is evident from Swami's works. All the works of
Swami, be it in Sanskrit, prAkrutam or tamil will
have its central theme as Prapatti, saranAgathy
or nyAsa.

Swami Desika states that Shri Ramanuja's saranAgathy
gadyam" supports the stand on Prapatti. In this gadyam
we see Shri Ramanuja in the peak of his Bhakthi, speaking
of saranAgathy which he performs at the feet of
Lord Sri RanganAtha.

Brahmavidya's are of different types. These are
based on the invocation of the direct attributes of
Sriya:pathi. These are listed by Sage Veda Vyasa in
his Brahmasootra. Swami gave NyAsa an appropriate
place among the Brahma Vidyas. Swami Desika clarifies
that during Prapatti a Prapanna invokes the dayA of
Sriya:pathi and hence Prapatti is a separate and
direct Vidya.

We have yet another poorvAcharya who has dealt with
the concept of Prapatti, Shri nadAdur ammal's
Prapanna PArijata. Shri NadAdur ammal is the
praacharya of Swami Desika.

All the ideas expressed in this work is supported by
pramAnas. In fact there are a lot of quotations
incorporated in this work from different sources
like Visvaksenasamhita, words of Shri Suka, words of
Bhagavan Vyasa, our Lords own words, quotes from
PancharAtra Agamas etc. This is truly a fore runner of
Srimad Rahasya-traya-Saram of Swami Desika.

NyAsa, as mentioned has been the central theme of all
Swami's works. However the following works hold
saranAgathy as the main topic itself.

Adaikalapattu in Tamil;

sillarai rAhasyam and rahasya Traya saram;
These are in manipravAlam.

Nikshepa RAksha in Sanskrit;

Out of the twenty eight stotras of Swami Desika, the
following four stotras focus entirely on Saranagathy:

Nyasa Dasaka;
Nyasa Vimsati;
Nyasa vimsati and
saranagathy Deepika.

Swami Desika was thus extremely firm 'stira:' in the
concept of Prapatti and is  justly eulogised as the
"Ocean from which the science of Prapatti has sprung"
- prapadana kalA janma jaladhi:!

"Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!
SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama !!"

...To be continued!

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi