Dear Swami Desika
BhakthAs:
SlOkams 27-34 cover
the sacred bath ( Thirumanjanam) for Swamy Desikan after His descent
from Oushada Giri and the various MangaLa-AsAsanams at the Sannidhis
starting from Lord DevanAthan and concluding with that of
AchArya RaamAnuja.
During the night of
PurattAsi SravaNam , AzhwArs' aruliccheyal
SaaRRumuRai took
place(SlOkam 30).In SlOkam 33, the night time Veethi PuRappAdu &
Hamsadhvaja
avarOhaNam are
described .The next day , Boat( teppam) utsavam on Garuda nadhi takes place
and is described by Srimad Azhagiya Singar.
SlOkam
27:Thirumanjanam
Swamy Desikan travels after AchArya RaamAnuja
MangaLa-AsASanam on a golden palanquin and arrives at the Four pillar
Mantapam for Thirumajanam with waters from Garuda Nadhi
.
saptatyA samstutOyam
yatipati-tatulam svAnuroopam svaSishyam
svam paksham
sthApayantam
suBahumatimimam kAnchana-AndhOLikAyAm
ArOpyaamOdhamAna:parigata-viSikham sannidhim
neeyamAnam
theeram
taarkshyapagAyA:
snapayitumanayat
theerthavaryam suteertham
(meaning): Swamy Desikan eulogized
YathirAjar and made AchArya RaamAnujA's ThiruvuLLam very happy with the
samarpaNam of his YatirAja spatati(saptatyA
samstutOayam
Yatipati)
.AchArya RaamAnujA
placed His sishyan on a golden
palanquin ( Kaanchana AndhOLikA)in recognition
of his many profound kaimkaryams to defeat Paramatha
Vaadhins and protect thereby the illustrious Sri VaishNava
darSanam following His own path
( svam paksham sthApayantam ) .
The golden pallakku arrived on the bank of Garuda nadhi and the
archakAs consecrated the water from Garuda nadhi for the Thirumanjana
utsavam
( theeram Taarkshya-pagAyA: snapayitum anayat theerthavaryam
sutheertham).
SlOkam 28:
Thirumanjanam
tatrAsou chandanAktO
visamanija-mukhE chandrasAmyAsahatvAt
gandhasnAnacchalEna
svaniDila-tilkacchAdhanEcchurvibhAti
ityEkEanyE tu
gandhasnapanamiha GurO: lOkadhrugpAta Bibyat
HemABjAngaraSami
prakaramaya-
sudhAmanjanam jAnatE
hi
(Meaning): Now the Thirumanjanam for
Swamy Desikan takes place with Garuda nadhi water.The stage of Sandal paste
abhishEkam is reached . The lustre of Chandran is now defeated by the mukaha
kAnti of Swamy Desikan.Some say that Swamy has now hid himself under the
cool glances of HemABhjavalli( Cool sandhana-abhishEkam) so that no
evil eye is cast on him ( lOkadhrugpAta Bhibhyam)
and he is deeply immersed in the nectar of the assembly of the
auspicious glances of ThAyAr( HemABhjAnga raSmi
prakaramaya-sudhAmanjanam ).
Others say that Swamy uses the
occasion of SantanAbhishEkam to hide the bright tilakm on His forehead.The
face of AchAryan became unequal to ( superior to) chandran thru the sandal paste
abhishEkam (chandrasadhrusamAna mukham santana
snAnatthinAl visamam AayiRRu).
SlOkam 29 : avabruta
snAnam
Srimad RaamAnujArya
pratithamatasunirdhAriNE sArvabhouma:
sOayam
hEyEvEtiRaamAnujapadha-
yugalee dhAsavaryA:
tamEnam
sarvE
bhaktyAbhishinjan svayamapi
sukhadhai
sUridhAsyAdhi krutyai:
sUrErjanmOtsavAntAvabhruta
krutimishAt
TaarkshryanadhYO-dhatheerthE
(Meaning): Swamy Desikan is
an illustrious AchArya Saarvabouman in reinforcing SrI Bhagavad
RaamAnuja darsanam
(Srimadh
RAmAnujArya prathita mata sunirdhAriNE
SArvabhouma:)
and the many sishyAs of AchArya
RaamAnuja wonder whether Swamy Desikan is an aparAvatAram( another
incarnation) of their revered BhAshyakArar.These sishyAs out of
their immense devotion for Swamy Desikan expressed their reverence for Him
thru the vyAjam (excuse) of avabruta snAnam with Garuda river waters ( SarvE bhaktya
abhyashinjan
sUrEr-janma utsava- anta avabruta
krutimishAt Taarkshya nadhyOga
theerthE).
SlOkam 30: PurattAsi
SravaNam night & aruliccheyal sARRumuRai
theerthAdhutteerya
satyam sadanamupagatO DeSikO-alankrutAnga:
dEvESAsvAdha-siddhAmrutarasa-
bharitam
bhakshya-bhOjyAdhi-jAtam
AasvAdhya SrI SaThAri
pramukha munigirAmutsavEvyApitAnAm
samyak SrAvyAvasAnE
BudhagaNa
kathitai:saisha
tOtushyatE sma
(Meaning): TheerthavAri was over.
The archakAs and the ghOshti came out of the waters of the river.Thereafter
, Swamy Desikan returned to His asthAnam with special decorations ( theerthAt uttheerya satyam sadanam upAgatO
DeSikO-alankruta-anga:)
There He partook nectarine
bhakshya-bhOjanams offered earlier to Lord DevanAthan
( dEvESAsvAdha-siddhAmrutarasa bharitam bhakshya-bhOjyAdhijAtam).
After that , Swamy Desikan
listened to the AzhwAr Sri sooktis from the devotees (AasvAdhya SrI SaThAri pramukha muni girAm) , who
took part in the janmOtsavam ( utsavE vyApitAnAm)
.The scholars of AzhwAr SrI sooktis took over now and Swamy
enjoyed the discussion
on the intricate
VaakyArthams of dhivya prabhandhams by the many Jn~Anis of
Thiruvaheendhrapuram
(samyak
SrAvyaavasAnE Bhudha gaNa kathitai: saisha tOtushyatE sma).
SlOkam 31:The
Happiness of the Dhivya Dampatis over the JanmOtsavam for Their
son
hE SrImann DevanAtha!
Sruti-sikhara gurUttamsa janmOtsavAnAm
vrudhyai kluptam na
vAhOtsavamimanubhUyaisha santOshamApa
dEveechApatya trushDyA
pramudhita hrudhayA bhUshitAnga: bhavantam
dhrushDvA
pushpEshukODi pratitamakhiladhruk pAtabheetyA-
vruNOt
kim?
(Meaning): Srimann DevanAtha! You
enjoyed with delight the nine day long JanmOtsavam for VedAnta Desikan
intended for the growth of His future JanmOtsavams at Your dhivya
dEsam. Your dear consort was equally delighted and with
eyes filled with joy looked at You decorated with all kinds
of AabharaNams and flower garlands (DEveechApatya trushDyA pramudhita hrudhayA bhushitAnga:
bhavantam) . Did She hasten to cover Your sacred face with crores of
glances emanating from Her eyes as floral arrows to form a curtain to
protect Your charming Thirumukha manDalam from the ills causable by any
evil eyes (dhrushDvA pushpEshu kODi pratitam akhiladhruk
paatha-bheetyA vruNoth Kim ? ) .Thus ThAyAr and PerumAL enjoyed Their
son's JanmOtsavam on that
vikhAri year.
SlOkam 32: BhAgyam of
the citizens of Thiruvaheendhrapuram
ahO bhAgyam ahO
bhAgyam
AheendhrapuravAsina:
DampatyO: DesikAkhyam
yadhapatyam bhAti nissamam
(Meaning):The residents of
Thiruvayindhai are truly fortunate ones . Here they have the sevai of Swamy
Desikan , who is the son of the dhivya dampathis . The divine couple are
"permanent residents ( sthira vaasis) " of this dhivya dEsam , while Swamy
Desikan joined them for a specific period at Their dhivya dEsam .
They honored him as Their own child ( like the Srirangam dampathis
handled infant ParAsara Bhattar ) and blessed Him with many special
anugrahams and made Him shine with great lustre as the great
VedAntAchAryan ( DampatyO: DeSikAkhyam yadapatyam bhAti
nissamam).
SlOkam 33: Hamsa
dhvaja avarOhaNam on the night of SaaRRumuRai
DampatyOrbhAgyabhuta:
Sruti-Sikharaguru:sveeyajanmOtsavAntE
veethim sarvAm
pareetya svanilaya-vilasat Hamsachihna-dhvajAgrAt
dhAsairvAsOavarOpya
pramudhita hrudhai: vEdapArAyaNOktai:
bhEjE smrAnanABjO
hrudhi nihita
surESAngripadham
svasadhma
(Meaning): Swamy Desikan is One, who
was the object of the special grace of the
Dampathis of
Thiruvaheendhrapuram
( DampatyO:
bhAgya bhUta:). Swamy Desikan ( Sruti sikhara
Guru:) of such distinction travelled on all the rAja veethis of
Thiruvayindhai ( veetheem sarvAm pareetya) on the
last day of His JanmOtsavam(sveeya JanmOtsava-antE)
and brought down the Hamsa mudhrai bearing dhvajam ( flag) from
the flag post through His dhAsa vargams. He was joyous over
the avarOhaNam of the flag signalling the Joyous conclusion of the
celebrations.He travelled to His home (sva-nilayam) on the river road accompanied by Veda
PaarAyaNa GhOshti and with a pleasant smile on His face(smErAnanam) , while engaged in dhyAnam of
the lotus feet of Lord DevanAthan ( hrudhi nihita
SurESAngri padhamam)
.
slOkam 34 : Boat
festival in Garuda Nadhi on the 11th day
SwAmin kim
TaarkshanadhyAm plavamahasamayE sarpamEkam gruheetvA
nyasAngrim tatphaNAgrE
karadhrutabhujaga: KrishNavarshmA vibhAsi
KaaliBdhdhyAm
kAliyAkhyE PhaNini-krutapadham KrishNamastOshamAdhyam
tadhroopaprAptirEshA
na tu Garudanadhi sarpa ityEsha vakti
(Meaning): Swamin ! During the boat(
theppam) festival on Garuda nadhi on the eleventh day of Your utsavam , You
bless us with the sevai of yours as KaaLinga- nardhana
KrishNan holding the tail of that snake and placing Your
feet on its head( sarpamEkam gruheetvA nyasyAngrim
tatphaNAgrE karadhruta bhujaka: KrishNavarshmA vibhAsi).This serpent
is not an ordinary snake found in Garuda nadhi but the famous snake ,
KaaLiyan on whose head You danced as KrishNa roopi
in the pond formed by YamunA river.
SlOkams 35 to 38
describe the blissful dOlOtsavam anubhavams of Srimad PiLLaipAkkam
Azhagiyasingar for Lord DEvanAthan , SrI Raghuveeran ,
SrI HemAbhjavalli and
Swamy Desikan on the VidAyERRi day following our AchAryan's JanmOtsavam
at Thiruvayindhai .
(To Be continued )
Daasan ,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan