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Ramanuja List Archive: Message 00018 Apr 2003

 
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Respected Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan,
While there is internal evcidence in Sri Vedanta
Desika's works of his familiarity with Sri Peryavachan
Pillai[he descries him as Abhiyukta, the most
distinguished], there is no evidence of his having
been initiated by the latter.
About Amalanadipiran, Sri PBA Swamy has written that
according to a tradition, Sri Desika was initially
indifferent to Tiruppanazhwar[owing to his caste], but
was commanded in his dream by Sri Ranganatha to honour
the Azhwar. In obedience to the command, Sri Desika
wrote a commentary on Amaladipiran and called it
Munivahana Bodham, to signify that the Brahmin
Lokasaranga carried the Azhwar on his shoulders.
Further, Sri PBA Swamy has written that Sri Desika
alludes to his change of heart by writing,
"Na'n' priyo'm allo'm na'm nandr'um ti'dum
namakkuraippa'r ul'ar endru na'duvo'me"
[We are not very great. There are people who can tell
us what is good and what is bad. Let us seek their
guidance.]
However,there are people who do not accept this
tradition as authentic. According to them, the verse,
Na'n periyo'm allo'm, was written in humility[naicya],
which was an accepted figure of speech in ancient
writings and does not refer to any incident.
As far as I can recall, there is no tradition of Sri
Desika having written Lokacharya Stuti. If anything,
Sri Desika was not well disposed to Sri Pillai
Lokacharya.He has written,
"Iti mandaih idam proktam"
[Thus speak fools]
"Granthagnaih apaha'syam tad"
[That is laughable to learned people]
He has also questioned the interpretation of
"Caran'au"[feet]in Dwaya as referring to both Sriman
Narayana and Lakshmi, by stating,
"Caran'a'viva s'abda'rthah Srimad s'abda virodhatah"
[To say that the word, Srimad, refers to Lakshmi also
means that four feet are contemplated, of Sriman
Narayana and Laksmmi. The word, C'aran'au, is in dual
number[dwivac'ana] and can refer to only two feet. The
interpretation of Srimad is thefore contradictory to
the meaning og C'aran'au]
What may be clear is that Sri Desika did not see eye
to eye with Sri Pillai Lokacharya. It is not probable
that he would have composed a Stuti on Sri Pillai
Lokacharya.
In traditions associated with Sri Desika, there are
the following claims:
1. Paduka Sahasram was written in one night on a
challenge by Sri Azhagiya Manavala Jeeyar, who failed
to compose his Padakamala sahsram. 
2. Sri Desika, dissatisfied with
misinterpretations[apa'rtham]of other commentators,
wrote Nigama Parimalam as a complete commentary on
Divya prabandham. 
3. Sri Desika was humiliated by offer of Teertham on
Ekadasi, was let down on a S'ra'ddham day and was
greeted under an arch of shoes on his way 
All these stories are rightly discounted as fanciful.
It may be wise to dismiss Lokacarya Stuti also in the
same way.
Adiyen,TCASrinivasaramanujan

{Moderator's note:

re: lOkAchArya pancAsath, there are people who believe that it
was written by srI. vEdAnta dEsika, and they reason from the
verses themselves. According to them it is not only plausible 
but also probable. Also, srI vEdAnta dEsika is definitely
associated with the rAmAnuja sampradAyam as we follow.
I think only those traditions that claim exclusivity with
svAmi vEdAnta dEsika claim the fanciful stories that srI.
srInivAsa rAmAnujan mentions above with respect to disrespect
shown to srI vEdAnta dEsika.

adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan,
varadhan
}




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