You are here: SriPedia - ebooks - Vedanta Desikan - Saranagati Deepika
Slokam 30
*********
Today , adiyEn will cover the Thirtieth slOkam
of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan
refers to the importance of Bhagavatha kaimkaryam
for a Prapannan :
dhatthA: prajA janakavath Tava dEsikEndhrai:
pathyA abhinandhya BhvathA pariNIyamAnA:
madhyE athAm mahitha-bhOga-visEsha-siddhyai
maangalyasUthramiva Bhibrathi kinkarathvam
--SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 30
Meaning:
********
Oh DhIpa PrakAsA! When the father of a girl performs
kanyA dhAnam , the boy accepts the girl with great joy.
The married girl wears and protects the Maangalya soothram
( Taali charadu) placed around her neck with great care for
recieving many auspiciousness from her wedded husband.
Similarly , the AchAryAs places the jeevAthmAs at Your
sacred feet. You accept those jeevans , which have performed
that anushtAnam of Prapatthi with great happiness. The prapannAs
keep thinking about the aanandham that they are going to enjoy
at Your Supreme abode after casting aside their bodies here .
They use the time in between life on earth and the life at
Sri Vaikuntam and lead an auspicious life here by spending
their times on this earth performing kaimakryams to Your
BhAgavathAs.This act of theirs is equal to the wedded wife
of a woman , where she protects her Maangalya Soothram with
reverence.
Additional Comments :
**********************
"prajA: Tava DesikEndhrai: Tava DhadhatthA:"
The great AchAryAs present the chEthanams to
You like the father giving his daughter away to
a boy in marriage (KanyA DhAnam)." PathyA BhavathA
prajA: abhinandhya pariNIyamAnA:). As the Lord of
the chEthanams , You , My Lord accept the offered
chEthanams with joy as a man accepts a kanyA given
to him by her father . The husband ties the Maangalya
Soothram around the neck of the wife .The wife treasures
and protects that Maangalya Soothram in anticipation of
the many soubhAgyams that she will recieve during Her wedded
life. Similarly , the PrapannAs after aathma samarpaNam
by their AchAryAs spend their post-prapatthi life on
earth performing kaimkaryam to Your BhAgavathAs
( madhyE SathAm kinkarathvam Bhibrathi).
This slOkam has been elaborated upon by Swamy Desikan
in the Utthara KruthyAdhikAram and PurushArtha-kaashtAdhikAram
of SrImath Rahasya Thraya Saaram .
Swamy Desikan instructs us that there are six things
that a Prapannan should enact and reject with the full
power of his mind , speech and body during his post-prapathti
period:
To be rejected: (1)The desire for the perishable pleasures of
the world (2) dwelling on one's superiority (3) Bhaagavatha
apachAram .
To be remembered and practised: (1)the upakAram of
AchAryan from the time of His first glance (katAksham )
(2)recitation of Dhvayam (3)the Kaimkaryam to BhagavAn,
His BhaagavathAs and one's AchAryan.
SadAchArya sambhandham enables the kaimkaryam to
BhagavAn and His BhAgavathAs.Swamy Desikan says
in this context: " Suddhai: prasrumara -mahAmOdha
smEraprasoonasamai: kramai: paribhunjathE". After
their prapatthi anushtAnam , the prapannAs engage in
BhAgavatha Kaimkaryams imbued with Saathvika thyAgam
and are immersed in sweet and fragrant waves of aanandham.
He instructs us that a prapannan should perform kaimkaryam
to the BhaagavathAs as though he is performing kaimkaryams
to the Lord.
BhAgavatha Kaimkaryam is the boundary of Bhagavath
Kaimkaryam . BhagavAn is immensely pleased with
the kaimkaryam done by Prapannan to His BhaagavathAs.
There are many pramANams given by Swamy Desikan
for the Utthara Kruthyam (Observances after Prapatthi)
of Prapannan to please the Lord in PurushArtha KaashtAdhikAram
of Srimath Rahasya Thraya Saaram :
PaadhmOttharam(29.81): Of all AarAdhanams , the AarAdhanam
to VishNu is the best; even bettter than that is
the aaarAdhanam of His BhAgavathAs.
MahA BhArahtam( Aasva--116.23): Our Lord's words:I have
great affection for those , who revere my BhaagavathAs.
Therefore , You must worship my BhAgavathAs.
MahA BhAratham(Aasva--104.9):Our Lord's words: Those who are
devoid of worship of other dEvathAs and have reverence for
My BhagavathAs are My true devotees.
ThiruppANAzhwAr: " adiyArkku yennai-aadpauttha Vimalan"
( The Lord of Srirangam , who has blessed me to be a servant
of His BhaagavathAs).
PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi(4.4.10):
"KesavA ! PurudOtthamA! KiLarsOthiyAi! KuraLA ! yenRu
pEsuvAr adiyArkaL yenthammai vikavum peRuvArkaLE"
( Those BhagavathAs who recite with joy our Lord's
names have the power to sell us ; We are their indentured
servants).
BhAgavathAs are saluted by Swamy Desikan as SuddhAntha--
SiddhAnthnis. They observe their paathivrathyam (kaRpu)
like the women of the inner chambers ( antha: pura peNNmaNikaL,
Padi thANDA PathnikaL). They are of firm mind about their
unshakable devotion to their Lord and to Him alone(sTira
dhiyA:):
"suddhAnAm tu labhEmahi sTiradhiyAm suddhAntha-siddhAnthinAm
mukthaisvarya dhina prabhAtha samayAsatthim prasatthim muhu:"
Srimath rahasya Thrya Saaram: PurushArTa Kaashtai concluding slOkam
(meaning): They ( the BhaagavathAs) are parisuddhAs ( pure in
speech, mind and body) and are of firmness of mind in devotion to
their Lord just as the ladies of the inner chamber are to their Lord.
For prapannAs , worshipping BhaagavathAs of the Lord here is like
the aruNOdhayam (dawn) compared to the noon of ParipoorNa
Bhagavadh anubhavam at SrI Vaikuntam after the shedding of
the physical body .
Additional PramANams celebrating the greatness of Bhaagavatha
Kaimkaryam are:
Swamy NammAzhwAr : ThiruvAimozhi 3.7 " Payilum SudaroLi "
Paasurams ( Paramanai payilum ThiruvudayOr yemmAyALum
ParamarE). BhagavathAs are TadhIyAs of the Lord and
their worship is TadhIyArAdahanam.
Swamy NammAzhwAr : ThiruvAimozhi: 8.10 NedumARkkadaimai
Paasurams , where Swamy SaThakOpan celebrates the worship of
BhaagavathAs. This set of ten paasurams are recognized as
the "KaNNinuNN SiRutthAmpu " of ThiruvAimozhi. Here , Swamy
NammAzhwAr celebrates BhAgavatha sEshathvam ( serving as
servants to BhagavAn's selfless devotees ). "avanadiyAr
SiRumaa manisarAi yennai aaNDAr ingE tiriyavE" is one
of the famous passages from this decad.SaThakOpa Muni
points out that TadhIyAs or BhaagavathAs of the Lord
should be considered not only as BhOgyam , Svaroopam
but also Lakshyam for PrapannAs.
Thirumangai Mannan's ThirucchERai Paasurams : Periya
Thirumozhi 7.4 decad .
ThirukkaNNapuram Paauram: Periya Thirumozhi 8.10.3
" uRRathum unn adiyArkkuadaimai".
In summary, for those , who have performed Prapatthi,
the most recommended and important anushtAnam is service
to the Lord's BhAgavathAs ( paramaikAnthis)prior to
their ascent to SrI Vaikuntam at the end of their
earthly existence .