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Slokam 9
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Today , adiyEn will cover the Ninth slOkam
of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan
pays tribute to the Lord ViLakkoLi PerumAL as
the PrathamAchAryan in the AchArya Paramparai:
DhIpAvabhAsa Dayayaa vidhi-poorvam-yEthath
viswam vidhAya nigamAnapi dhatthavantham
SishyAyithA: SaraNayanthi mumukshavas-ThvAm
Aadhyam Gurum GuruparamparayA-adhigamyam
(Meaning): Oh DhIpa PrakAsa PrabhO! Out of Your
svAbhAvika compassion (DayA) , You created BrahmA
first. Then , You performed upadEsam on the VedAs
for Your son, BrahmA . After that You created
this entire world (prapancham) through Your son.
Whenever we examine the Achaarya paramparai that
blesses us with Jn~AnOpadEsam for us , You shine
there on the top as the First AchAryan fit for
performing SaraNAgathi. Those who seek mOksha siddhi
(Mumukshus) become Your disciples (sishyAs) and
perform Prapathti at Your sacred Thiruvadi.
Comments on the SlOkam
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"Aaadhyam Gurum ThvAM Mumukshava: sishyAyithA:
SaraNayanthi" is the key passage of this slOkam .
In the first slOkam of SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai,
Swamy Desikan paid tribute to " YathIsvara-MahAnasa
SampradhAyam " . Here Swamy Desikan identified
himself as belonging to the AchArya paramparai of
YathirAjar and His sishyar , MadaipaLLi AacchAn .
He paid tribute to that sampradhAyam as "Maanyam "
or that which is fit for high adoration inview of
its unique vaibhavam. This sampradhAyam emphasizes
that SaraNAgathi UpAyam is the most appropriate one
for gaining MokshAnugraham . Swamy Desikan invited
every one to come look at this lofty sampradhAyam
( Iha pasyanthu) and understand its significance
and origin in this First slOkam .
In the second slOkam , Swamy Desikan identified
this object of SaraNAgathy as " adhvithIyam Dhaivatham"
or the matchless Para Devathai understood through
Upanishads (VedAntha vEdhyam ) and full of
spontaneous DayA for the ChEthanams ( nirvyAja
nirbhara dayA-bharitham). In the third slOkam ,
Sawmy Desikan described the Sriya: Pathithvam of that
Supreme Being at ThiruttaNkA and revealed that
Sriman NaarAyaNan in the archa form here is
readily influenced by the utterance of prapatthi
Vaakhyams ( SaraNa Ukthi vasyam Bhavatham). In
the sixth slOkm aof this sthOthram , Swamy Desikan
saluted the Swamithvam , Sriya: Pathithvam ,
JagadhAdharathvam of DhIpa PrakAsan and recognized
Him as the PurushOtthaman .In the Eighth slOkam ,
Swamy Desikan reminded us of the glory of DhIpa PrakAsan
as ShadguNya Vigrahan and saluted those six PradhAna
GuNams of the Lord as " thE GuNa shaDgam Aadhyam ".
In this ninth slOkam , Swamy Desikan identifies
the Lord as the First among AchAryaas (Aadhyam)in
the AchArya paramparai and states that those who seek
Moksham (Mumukshava:) perform SaraNAgathi at His Sacred
Feet as His sishyans( Aadhyam Gurum ThvAm Mumukshava:
SishyAyithA: SaraNayanthi).
Our Lord is the Aadhya Guru or the First of all
Gurus . The celebration of the AchArya paramparai
is very important for us. Starting from SaakshAth
AchAryan , it ascends up to yahti Raajar ,Swamy NammAzhwAr ,
VishvaksEnar, Periya PirAtti and ends with
the First AchAryan , The Lord. This AchArya
ParamparAnusandhAnam ( Rememberance and celebration
of this AchArya paramparai starting from Sriman
NaarayaNan is a daily anushtAnam (Nithya Karma )
for us.That is why we perform the daily anusandhAnam :
LakshmInATa SamArambhAm NaaTa-Yaamuna MahdyamAm
asmathAchArya ParyanthAm vandhE Guru-paramparAm
This slOkma clearly states that our AchArya paramparai
starts with Sriya: Pathi and proceeds all the way down
to one's present AchAryan . Therefore , Our Lord
is the Adhya Guru or PraTamAchAryan in the Guru
Paramparai.
Rahasya AamnAya Sruthi places emphasis on knowing
about the AchArya paramparai for one who seeks Moksham
as revealed by Swamy Desikan in SrImath Rahasya Thraya
Saaram:
" sa cha Aachaarya VamsO Jn~Eya:
AchAryANAm asou asou ithyAbhagavattha:"
This rahasyam says : " We should pay reverence to
one's AchArya , know about his AchAryan and that
AchAryan's Achaaryan all the way upto BhagavAn ,
who is the primordial or the First AchAryan in
the unbroken chain of AchAryaas (Aadhya Guru).
Swamy Desikan refers briefly to the 11 ways in which
BhagavAn (SrI DhIpa PrakAsan ) helps to maintain
the VedAntha sampradhAyam . In the first chapter of
Srimath Rahasya Thraya Saaram , Swamy Desikan has
discussed in detail the eleven UpakArams of the Lord
for the growth ofthe VedAntha SampradhAyam.
He has also pointed out that the two correct ways for
GuruparamparAnusandhAnam in the context of recognition
of the Lord as PrathamAchAryan in the Guru Paramparai:
(1) AvarOhana Kramam: When One recieves UpadEsam on
RahasyArTams from One's AchAryan and when one instructs
others on them , One has to begin the salutations from
BhagavAn as the Aaadhya Guruu and progress all the way
down to One's own AchAryan.
(2)AarOhana Kramam: When One reflects on the RahasyArthams ,
One should ascend from One's AchAryan ( Yeenuyir
TanthaLitthavarai SaraNam pukku) and progress upwards
all the way to BhagavAn .
In both ways , the Mumukshu places the central emphasis
on the Lord as the PradhAna or the foremost Guru in
the AachArya paramparai.
Swamy Desikan saluted SrI DhIpa PrakAsan in this ninth
slOkam as the Adhya Guru sought by the Mumukshus for
their aathma nivEdhanam and referred to His upakArams
to sustain and grow the VedAntha SampradhAyam.