Dear Swami Desika
BhakthAs:
Eighth Day Utsavam:
Flower Garden(Nandha Vana) utsavam
SlOkam
18:
adhyOdhyanOtsavEna
pramadhanubhav-
AchAryavaryEti kaiscchit
,
samprArthyAneeta yEsha:
svayamiha
charaNavuddharan yAti yAnE
,
aTrAmOtsavEna
pramadhamanubhav-
AchAryavaryEti
chAnyai:,
sampratyAneeta
yEsha:
svadhruta-SaradhanUrAmabhUta:
prayAti
(Meaning ): Today's utsavam takes place
in the flower garden of Lord DevanAthan . Some say that the great AchAryan is
brought here to enjoy himself among the various flowers and beautiful
objects of the garden . Others wish him a great joy during his stay at the garden . Our AchAryan
arrives here in Raama Vesham carrying the bow and arrow ( svadhruta Sara dhanU: RaamabhUthO prayAti
)
Ninth Day Morning Utsavam:Car Utsavam
SlOkam
19
hE vEdAntagurO raTahm praviSa
tE rathyAngaNam
bhUshaya ,
sveeyAn
dhAsajanAn pramOdhaya
sadhA
pratarthinassoonaya ,
dhanyAsmO
vayamadhya tE rathavaram
karshanta
utkaNDayA ,
rathyaishApyanukrushyatE atra
guruNA dhivyam
ratham Bhibhrati
(Meaning): Oh VedAntAchArya !
Please ascend on this Chariot ( ratham) . Please adorn these veethis
intended for the travel of this chariot . Please make us all , your dhAsa
Janams, joyous with your travel on these veethis . We have become blessed to
pull your chariot today. This chariot is also pulled with yourself adorning it
.
This is the prayer by Sawmy
Desikan's Bhaktha kOtis requesting Him to ascend the chariot , adorn the
rAja veethis thru travel on them and make the hearts of the sishya janams
happy at the sight of His dhivya sEvai on the ratham : " hE vEdAnta gurO! ratham praviSa , tE rathyAngaNam
bhUshaya , sveeyAn dhaasa janam pramOdhaya . tE rathavaram karshanta :
vayam adhya dhanyAsmO ".
Ninth day ratha utsavam
(Continued):
SlOkam
20
ittham samprAthyamAna: Srutisikhara-guru: dhAsavargENa
sadhyO,
rathyAyAm syandhanarathO
jaDithi
parigatasyandhanAsthAnamApa
,
SrutyantE
yacchareeram rathamiti tath
rutam
tadhratheeyatva gAthAm,
tadhvaddhEhee
Bahiyan dhrutagruha-
bhajanam
kAnshatheetyarthadarsee
(Meaning ): Swamy Desikan
acceded to the prayers of His dhaasa vargam and ascended the chariot and sat
on the throne there . The scholars competent in
Srutis rememebered about the
KaDopanishad mantram as they enjoyed the sEvai of Swami Desikan on the ratham.
That mantram instructs us to know the Self as the Master ofthe
chariot , and know the body as the chariot itself. It asks us
to know the intellect to be the charioteer and the mind as the reins
( AathmAnam rathinam viddhi Sareeram rathamEva tu
,
Buddhim tu
sArathim viddhi mana: pragrahamEva
cha--KatOpanishad:3.3)
The scholars are reminded that
Swami
Desikan as the dEhi controlling
the chariot with the reins of his mind .
(To Be continued )
Daasan ,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan