saranagati deepika

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Slokam 19
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Today , adiyEn will cover the nineteenth slOkam 
of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan
instructs us that there is no other God , who is fit to
perform SaraNAgathy than SrIman NaarAyaNan ( ArchA
Moorthy , SrI ViLakkoLi PerumAL). He performs upadesam
for us on the Parathvam of SrIman NaarAyaNan just as
PeriyAzhwAr established earlier at Madhurai . There AzhwArhad 
the Darsana soubhAgyam of the Lord and performed MangaLAsAsanam
for the Dhivya Dampathis through ThiruppallANDu:

Kaasi-Vruka-Andhaka-sarAsana-BhANa-GangA--
sambhUthi-naamakruthi-samvadhana-aadhyudhanthai:
svOkthayambharIsha bhaya sApamukhaisccha Sambhum
Tvannignam IkshitavathAm iha Ka: SaraNya:

--SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 19

(Meaning):Oh ViLakkoLi PerumAnE ! There are many 
things we learn from the study of the purANams 
dealing with the incidents related to Kaasi Raajan , 
VrukAsuran , AndhakAsuran , Siva"s bow , BhANasuran,
GangA , SivA's own word and AmbharIsha charithram . 
The most important tatthvam we learn from the study of 
these episodes is that Lord SivA is Your most devoted
Bhakthan . When we comprehend their relationship , we
come to the conclusion that there is no one , who is
equal to or greatr than You among Gods for conferring 
the bliss of Moksham through the anushtAnam of Prapatthi.

Additional Comments:
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The rhetorical question that Swamy Desikan poses is:
" Thvath nignam IkshithavathAm Iha Ka: SaraNya:?" 
For those , who understand clearly that Lord Sivan ,
the Sarvaj~nan , is dhAsa bhUthan to You as He Himself
states in Manthra Raaja padha SthOthram , who else is
there as the object of their SaraNAgathi. There is no one.
Thou art the Sarva LOka SaraNyan. Thou art the Moksham--
granting Mukundhan. BrahmA and Sivan , Indhran and
others got their visEsha SthAnams by performing 
AarAdhanam to SrIman NaarAyaNa and hold on to their 
positions for finite time. Brahma performed AarAdhanam
for SrIman NaarAyaNan for thousand crores of Yugams to
attain his status as the creator of the three worlds 
according to KuNDatarOpAkyAnam referred to in MahA BhAratham .
Lord Sivan is said to have performed a visEsha
Yaagam (SarvamEdha Yaagam ) to relaize his lofty
position ( BhAratham Saanthi parvam: 8-37 and 20.12):

MahAdEva: sarvamEdhE MahAthmA 
huthvaa-aathmAnam dEva dEvO BhabhUva
visvAn lOkAn vyApya vishtabhya keerthyA
virAjathE dhyuthimAn KrutthivAsa:

--MahA BhAratham: 20.12 

(Meaning): The Great One revered as MahA Devan /Sivan
performed the sarvamEdha Yaagam , where He offered Himself 
as Havis and became the greatest among DevAs. He shines
brilliantly in all the worlds with His Jn~Anam , took on 
eight kinds of radiant forms (Ashta Moorthy) and became
renowned (keerthimAn , DhyutimAn virAjathE). 

>From BrahmA downwards , all are under the influence of
their karmAs (Karma VasyA:) . This fact makes one 
conclude that there is no one fit for SaraNAgathy and 
aathma rakshaNam than VaasudEvan( ithi mathvA virakthasya, 
VAASUDEVA: PARAA GATHI:/Bhagavatham: 11.19.18 ).

In the conversation between BrahmA , the Father and 
Sivan , His son , BrahmA says :

tavaantharAthmA Mama cha yE chAnyE dEhi-sam~jithA: 
sarvEshAm SaakshibhUthOsou na grAhya: kEnachin kvachith
--BhAratham : Saanthi parvam

(meaning): Brahma-RudrAdhikaLs are sEshans to SrIman NaarAyaNan.
He is the antharAthmA (indweller) to You and Me as well as
witness for all of our deeds. His mysteries are not fully 
understood by anyone at any time.

Even the Sarvaj~nan , Rudra-Sivan states in his famous
tribute to SrIman NaarAyaNan that all aathmAs are 
daasa bhUthans to Lord SrIman NaarAyaNan and therefore ,
he(Sivan) is worshipping Him (SrIman NaarAyaNan ) as His
daasa bhUthan :

DaasabhUthA: svatha-sarvE hyAthmAna: ParamAthmana:
athO-ahamapi tE daasa ithi mathvA namAmyaham
--Manthra Raaja padha SthOthram : 12

Sivan has no ajnAnam or samsayam (doubt) about who he is
and what his realtionship to the Lord is . The PurAnic episodes
confirm their sEsha-sEshi , daasa-Swami relationships 
and clarifies the need to understand that SrIman NaarAyaNan
(SrI DhIpa PrakAsan as the ArchAvathAran at ThirutthaNkA )
is the prApyam and upEyam thru the upAyam of SaraNAgathy.