The points brought out are actually only from various commentaries of Poorva Acharyas and based on notes taken down during Kaalakshepams by great Acharyas and Scholars for over 35 to 40 years. If anything is stated correctly, the credit goes to them. I hope I have not strayed away from these.
Let me reiterate that the comments are NOT MY VIEWS but those of Acharyas whom I have followed faithfully.
What I have done, however, is to collate the same comments from different sources and for forcibly driving home the points, place them in scenarios that present day readers could readily relate to and in a parlance they would be familiar with in the present ethos.
This is because, our readers are drawn from different linguistic groups, different regions all over the world (in both hemispheres) and different religions (like Muslim, Christian and other faiths) some of them at least without any or with minimal exposure to Sanskrit or Tamil or the orthodox âParibhaashaisâ or âGrantha scriptsâ in which the original Vyaakhyaanams appear. It would be beyond their comprehension to appreciate the nuances of a puritan presentation of the comments contained in these Vyaakhyaanams and they need an easily understandable and recognizable medium.
My articles are based on -
(i) a study of notes scribbled in the 'inâcamera closed circuit' during Kalakshepams over 35 to 40 years from our Acharyas like H.H. the Jeeyar, Ahobila Mutt, Srirangam Srimad Andavan (Tirukkudantai) and Srimad Andavan Swami of Poundarika puram Ashramam (both in their Purvaashramam and after their Sannyasa Sweekaranam ) explaining the inner meanings,
(ii) the religious Pravachanams of scholars like Abhinava Desika Uttamur Swami, Srivtasaankaachariar, Santhana Gopalachariar, Tirukkallam Swami, Prathivaadi Bhayankaram Swami, Velukkudi Varadachariar Swami, Karappankadu Venkatachariar Swami and others
(iii)) the more open â ended Hari Katha Kalakshepams of Srirangam Sadagopachariar, Embar Vijyaraghavachariar, Annaswami Bhagavatar (with Chapplaakattai, Jalra, Harmonium / Tamboor, Assistant singer â Pinnpaattukkaarar et al) and
(iv) study in-depth commentaries of Vyaakhyaana Karthas quoted by the above Acharyas during discourses.
(v) Several books including the following:
1. âTiruppavaiâ â An English Commentary by Sri V.K.S.N Raghavan Reader, Dept. of Vaishnavism, University of Madras (with Sri Ranga Ramanujaâs Sanskrit commentary) published by Sri Visishtadvaita Pracharini Sabha (1986)
2. âGodha Sthuthiâ English Commentary by Sri K.P Rangaswami, I.A & A.S, and Sri M.K. Srinivasan Swami (now Editor, Nrisimhapriya, English) Published by Sri Vedanta
Desika Research Centre, Villivakkam, Chennai (1997)
3. âSri Godha Sthuthiâ â A Tamil commentary by Sri Seva Srinivasa Raghavachariar Swami, Published by Sri Vedanta Desika Research Centre, Villivakkam, Chennai (1997)
4. âSri Desika StOtra Maalaaâ by Sri V.N. Sri Rama Desikachariar Swami, Published by LIFO (1993)
5. âSri Desika StOtra Maalaaâ â A diglot translation and commentary by Dr. V.N. Vedanta Desikan Swami on Godha Sthuthi (in Tamil) Published by Srimad Andavan, Poundarikapuram Swami Asramam, Srirangam (2000)
6. âPrabhanda Rakshaiâ by Abhinava Desika Sri Uttamur Veeraraghavachariar Swami, published by Ubhaya Vedanta Granta Maalai (1986)
7. âNaachiyaar Tirumoozhiâ by Sri Paramahamsa Parivrajaka U. Ve. Kozhiyaalm Swami Sri Ranga Ramanuja Maha Desikan, (1997)
8. âTiruppaavai VyaakhyaanangaLâ by Sri Puttur Sri Krishnaswami Iyengar, Editor, Sri Vaishanava Sudarsanam, Puttur Agraharam, Trichy 17 (1991)
9. âGodhaa Sookti Sudaaswaadamâ by PerukkaraNai Saaragjna SirOmani Sri Chakravarthyaachaaria Maha Desikan Swami, Sri Desika Vidyaa Bhavanam, Chennai
10. âSri Andalâs Tiruppaavaiâ (including Upanishad Bhaashyakaarar Sriranga Ramanuja Swamiâs Sanskrit commentary, Sri Periya Parakaala Swamiâs Sanskrit commentary and Sri Ranganatha Swamiâs Manipravala Vyaakhyanams) published by Sri Natteri Kidaambi Vijayaraghavachariar Swami (Rtd. Administrative Officer, PWD, Madras (1996)
11. âGodha Sthuthiâ A commentary in Sanskrit by Sri T.S.S Sri Raghava Paatrachariar Swami
12. âGodha Sthuthiâ â A commentary in Tamil by Sri Kidambi M. Rajagopalachariar Swami
13. âGodha Sthuthiâ A commentary in Tamil by Sri Anbil V. Gopalachariar Swami.
(11, 12 and 13 published by Srimad Andavan, Poundarikapuram Swami Asramam, Srirangam in 2005)
14.âTirukkuDanthai Munivarin Tiruppavai ViLakkamâ being a compilation of lectures by Sri Tirukkudanthai Andavan of Periyasramam published by Shreya Publicities, Chennai 24 (2007)
15. âAndalâ by Sri Jaggu Sudarasanachariar, published by Rashtrottana Sahitya Trust, Bangalore 19 (1994)
16. âTiruppavaiâ published by Sri Lakshmi Saras Maruthi Trust, Ramakrishna Nagar, Pondicherry (Subanu- Margazhi)
17. âSri Andalâs Tiruppavaiâ - The Song of the maidensâ â by Shoba Ramasamy published by Thiruppavai Committee, Coimbatore.
18. Tiruppavaiâ by Sri Jagan Narayanan, Deputy Secretary (Retd), Ministry of Finance, Govt. of India, New Delhi (1986)
19. âConcepts of Sri Andalâs Tiruppavaiâ and âAndalâs Tiruppavaiâ by Dr. Chenni Padmanabhan M.D., Formerly Dean, Tirunelveli Medical College and Addl. Director,of Mediacal Education) published by R.P Publications, Mandaveli, Madras 600 028 (1995)
20. âNaachiyaaradu Azhagu NaDaiâ â A research by D. Loganayaki M.A. B.Ed. M.Phil published by Sri Ramanujar Pathippagam, Coimbatore (1999)
21. âVaaraNam Aayiramâ by Sri V.K.S.N. Raghavan, Professor, Dept. of Vaishnavism, University of Madras, (1995)
Hope this will clear similar misapprehensions and concerns in the minds of other readers.
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy