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SrimatE Raamaanujaaya Namaha //
SrimatE Nigamaanta Mahaa Desikaaya Namaha //
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya/
SrIman! SrI Ranga Sriyam anubadravam anudhinam Samvardhaya//
KAvEri VardhathAm kAlE, kAlE varshathu vAsava: /
SrI RanganAthO jayathu Sri Ranga Sri cha VardhathAm// ================================================================
SRI RANGA SRI VOL 03 / ISSUE 17 dated 14th February 2002 ===============================================================
EDITORIAL:
Dear Bhagavatas:
Due to some problem with the LAN, I could not access the Internet during the past week. Hence, this could not be posted earlier nor could messages from members be approved.


IN THIS ISSUE:
1. ?TIRUVENKATAMUDAIYANUM AZHWAARGAL ANUBHAVAMUM?
PART 11: Swami Desika?s Anubhavams (Continued)
Excerpts from talk delivered by Anbil Ramaswamy during the Tirunakshatram Mahotsavam of Tiruvenkatamudaiyan and Swami Vedanta Desikan celebrated jointly by ?Swami Desika Darsana Satsangam?, ?Sri Ramanuja Mission? and the Hindu Cultural Society (HCS), Buffalo, New York on 29th September 2001. This also marked the 5th Anniversary of ?Swami Desika Darsana Satsangam? and the 1st Anniversary of ?Sri Ranga Sri? Electronic journal.


Though Swami Desika is NOT an Azhwar, no write up on TiruvenkaTam udaiyaan will be complete without our enjoying some of the Anubhavams of Swami Desika through his-
- ?Dayaa Sathakam? on the Quality of mercy of TiruvenkaTamudaiyaan
- Some slokas from ?Hamsa SandEsam? and
- The Paasuram from his magnum opus, ?Srimad Rahasya Traya Saaram?
With this, we conclude this series. Please favor us with your feedback.


2. ?DASAAVATAARA STOTRAM OF SWAMI DESIKA-
PART 12: ?SRI KALKI AVATARAM? - (Anbil Ramaswamy)

3. BOOK REVIEW OF ?VEDANTA DESIKAR VAIBHAVAM? ?
A Collection of ?SRAVANA UPANYAASAMS? of Desika Bhakta Ratnam Sri SEVA SWAMIGAL and compiled by Srimathi Hema Rajagopalan & Sri G.R.Srinivasan and published by Sri Vedanta Desika Research Centre, No. 10 (Old # 2) Lakshmipuram II Street, Villivakkam, Chennai ? 600 049 (Phone # 626 8481) Priced; US $ 5/= only
==============================================================
WE REPEAT OUR STANDING REQUEST:
The issues have been archived for public view at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/srirangasri
IF you are satisfied with the quality and contents of ?Sri Ranga Sri?:
Tell your friends to join by sending an email to
"SriRangaSri-Subscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
IF not: Tell us, as to how we may improve.
Dasoham
Anbil Ramaswamy,
Editor & Publisher, ?Sri Ranga Sri?
======================================================================
1. ?TIRUVENKATAMUDAIYANUM AZHWAARGAL ANUBHAVAMUM?
PART 11: Swami Desika?s Anubhavams (Continued)
Excerpts from talk delivered by Anbil Ramaswamy during the Tirunakshatram Mahotsavam of Tiruvenkatamudaiyan and Swami Vedanta Desikan celebrated jointly by ?Swami Desika Darsana Satsangam?, ?Sri Ramanuja Mission? and the Hindu Cultural Society (HCS), Buffalo, New York on 29th September 2001


Though Swami Desika is NOT an Azhwar, no write up on TiruvenkaTam udaiyaan will be complete without our enjoying the Anubhavams of Swami Desika through his-
- ?Dayaa Sathakam? on the ?Quality of mercy? of TiruvenkaTamudaiyaan
- Some slokas from ?Hamsa SandEsam? and
- The Paasuram from his magnum opus, ?Srimad Rahasya Traya Saaram?
- With this, we conclude this series. Please favor us with your feedback.
===============================================================
FROM DAYAA SATHAKAM: (CONTD)
(DayA Sathakam SlOkam-29)
mayi thishTathi dushkrithAnAm pradhAnE
mitha dOshAn itharAn vichintvathee tvam /
aparAdhagaNair ApoorNa kukshi:
kamalA kAntha dayE katham bhavithree //


Meaning
"Oh! DayA DEvi!
You have such a big stomach (kukshi) with insatiable hunger.
Unless it is fed properly, you will be starving.

What is your food?
The sins of Jivas are your favorite food.

There is none in the world who can provide you enough of this food than
myself because I am the foremost among sinners. You will not find another equal to me in this respect.


When I am here capable of filling your belly to saturation, why run after and chase others who cannot provide you even a fraction of the food I can give?

If you leave me and resort to others, only you will be fated to starve.
I am sorry for you!"
Comment:
Another ingenious way to bring out his own naichya and the supremacy of DayA DEvi all at once!
------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Daya Sathakam SlOkam 33)
phalavitharaNadhksham pakshapAthAnabahigjnam
praguNam anuvidhEyam prApya padmA sahAyam /
mahathi guNa samAjE mAnapoorvam dayE tvam
prathi vadhasi yathArham pApmanAm mAmakAnAm //


Meaning
"Oh! DayA DEvi!

In the case brought against me, TiruvEnkaTamuDaiyAn presides over the court.

The bench includes Periya PirAtti. My sins are the prosecutors, who demand severe punishment for me.

The other qualities of the Lord like GnAna, Sakti, Veerya, Tejas etc are the Jurors listening intently to the arguments to help the judge in meting out justice
- Which inevitably means sure penalty for me.


On my side, you appeared as Defense attorney.
With your clever arguments, you demolished the allegations of the prosecution.


Finally, you cited from saastras (the Lord's Law books) that all my sins had been already pardoned and wiped out when I did 'SaraNaagathi'.

Thus, you secured me freedom.
I do not know how to admire you!"

Comment:
This court scene was very vividly described in the Tele- Upanyasam of Srimad Andavan of Poundarikapuram Ashramam sometime ago.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FROM HAMSA SANDESAM:
Let us now enjoy a few slokas of Swami Desika from his ?Hamsa SandEsa?
Addressing the swan messenger, Swami describes how the TiruvEnkata Mountain is comparable to Adisesha.
------------------------------------------------------------------
1.
VishNOr vaasaath avani vahanaath bhakta ratnair sirObhi:
SEshas Saakshaath ayam iti janai: samyak unneeyamaana: /
Abhrair yukthO laghubhir achiraath muktha nirmOga kalpai:
AgrE bhaavO tad anunayanE ranjayan anjanaadri: //


Meaning:
?Oh! Swan! As you proceed further, you will see the great TiruvenkaTa Mountain. It is known as SEshaachalam> Do you know why?
- Like Adisesha, this mountain also does all kainkaryams to the Lord, In the milky ocean, Adisesha becomes His seat; This mountain is also His seat when He came down to earth to bless the world.
- Like Adisesha who bears the earth with his thousand hoods, this mountain bears not only the Lord who bears the world but also all the Jivas residing here.
- Like Adisesha who is reputed to be adorned with glittering precious gems on his hoods, this mountain also shines with innumerable minerals and ores, which illuminate the surroundings.
- Like the skin just shed by the great serpent, thin and white clouds crawl around its peak.
- It is also called Anjana Mountain because, like collyrium, it imparts certain coolness to the mind and eyes of the onlookers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.
tatraarooDai: mahathi manujai: svarghibi: cha sraavatheerNai:
satvOnmEshaadh vyapagathamithas sthaarathamyaadi bhEdai: /
saadhaaraNyaath phala pariNatEsankasO badhyamaanaam
sakhyaa kaamam madhu vijayinas tvam cha kuryaath saparyaam //


Here Swami Desika describes how TiruvenkaTa Mountain is a great leveler. He says-
- The crowds that go up the mountain consists of great Saatviks, those governed by RajOguNa and ThamO guNa drawn from different backgrounds and different stages of spiritual evolution. Not only humans, but also the celestials descend down from their high pedestal of Svarga to mingle with the rest. All of them shed their differences and become one in uttering the name of TiruvenkaTamudaiyaan.
- The Lord also does not make a distinction as between them in granting His bounteous benevolence.
- All their sins get incinerated and all become purified without exception.
- For this reason, even Lord Siva joins them in offering his prayers.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
3.
In the following Sloka, Swami describes how not only the sentient beings but also the insentient creations join in this joint worship.


SthOkOn magna spuritha phulinaam tvan nivaasEscha yeva
Drakshsyaaraath kanaka mukharaam dakshiNaa manjanaadraih /
Aasannaanaam vana viTapinaam veechi hasthai: prassonaa
Nyarchyaa hEthO roopa harathiyaa noonam ardhEndhu moulE: //

Meaning:
?Oh! Swan! There is river called ?SvarNamukhi? on the south of the mountain. Several mounds rise above the flowing waters of the river. Do you know why?
- It is only to offer Swans (Hamsams) like you a place to rest and reaffirm their contact you.
- Not only for you, but also for Acharyas who are also called swans. They take bath in the river, sit on these mounds for performing their Nitya anushTaanams. It is also for gaining contact with these Acharyas that the mounds show up like this.
- According to Vaishnava Sampradayam, womenfolk do not perform these anushTaanams, and Bhagavad Araadhanam directly. By collecting and offering the articles like flowers, sandal paste etc., they help their Yajamaana in performing these. So also, the river (being considered as feminine) cannot flow up to the Sanctum Sanctorum of TiruvenkaTam udaiyaan to do this Araadhana. So, they help with flowers etc. falling form the tress in the forest with their waves as their hands (alaikkarangaL) to Lord Siva who is a great VishnNu bhakta to perform his anushTaanams. When nature itself does her part in this kainkaryam, Oh! Swan! You also do your little bit of kainkaryam before you leave TiruvenkaTam to proceed further?
------------------------------------------------------------------------ FROM SRIMAD RAHASYA TRAYA SAARAM:
In Sthaana VisEsha Adhikaaram, Swami Desika has beautifully summarized the glory of TiruvenkaTam Mountain thus:


KaNNan aDiyiNai emakkuk kaaTTum verpuk
Kadu vinaiyar iru vinaiyum kaDiyum Verputh
ThiNNam idhu veeDu enna thigazhum verputh
TheLindha perum theerthangaL seritha verpup
PuNNiyathin pugal idhu ena pugazhum verpup
Ponnulagil bhOgam ellaam puNarkkum verpu
ViNNavarum maNNavarum virumbhum verpu
VenkaTa verpena viLangum vEda verpE.
Meaning:
- This is the mountain that shows us the way to the pair of lotus feet of the Lord.
- This is the mountain that banishes the strong pair of sins (Sanchitha and Praarabda) that refuse to go.
- This is the mountain that stands confirmed as the ultimate refuge for us.
- This is the mountain filled with bodies of water of crystal clear and cool waters.
- This is the mountain that is renowned as verily the abode of all spiritual merit.
- This is the mountain that lets us enjoy here itself all the bliss that are the exclusive domain of the golden city of God?s own country.
- This is the mountain to which both the celestials and the terrestrials love to flock.
- This is the mountain of Vedas personified known as TiruvenkaTam mountain.
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With this, we conclude the postings on this series
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2. ?DASAAVATAARA STOTRAM OF SWAMI DESIKA-
PART 12: ?SRI KALKI AVATARAM? - (Anbil Ramaswamy)
-------------------------------------------------------------
SLOKAM 11
Bhavinyaa dasayaa bhavan iha bhava dvamsaaya na: kalpathaam
Kalkee vishNuyasa: sutha: kali kathaa kaalushya koolankasha: /
Nis sesha kashtaha kanTakE kshithi thalE dharaa jaloughair dhruvam
Dharmam kaartha yugam prarOhayathi yath nistrimsa dhaaraadhara: //


MEANING:
?The Lord who presents Himself to us now in Archaa form is sure to reappear later on in the form of Kalki, being born as the son of a Brahmin called VishNuyasas. To put an end to the present calamitous Yuga, with a blazing sword on hand and riding a horse, He will exterminate all evil, re-establish Dharma and make the golden age spring forth again as if watered by His compassion. May He get rid of our pangs of Samsaara?


BACKGROUND STORY:
As his is the apocalyptic incarnation, no background story is available. Yet, this is the only Avataaram described by Swami Desika with some detail like the name of Lord?s father as ?VishNuyasas?.


COMMENTS:
KALKI AVATAR (The Apocalyptic Redeemer)
1. The Avataras mentioned earlier happened in the earlier yugas. This Avataara is expected to take place at the fag end of Kaliyuga. The present Yuga is KALIYUGA.


2. After Lord Krishna?s ascent to Paramapadam at the end of Dvapra Yuga, evil forces started raise their ugly head. Vishnu Puraana gives a graphic account of how evil forces would attain supremacy and virtuous people would suffer.

3. We are said to be in the 5102nd year (as of 2001-2002) out of the total of 432,000 years of the KALIYUGA. The Kali Yuga is said to come to and end after 426,898 years. During this period, the evil forces would progressively gain control and destroy all good ones by the time Kaliyuga comes to a close.

4. BRAHMA is believed to have told NARADA about all the Avatars including the apocalyptic KALKI AVATAR.

5. According to Puranas, when the evil becomes unbearable, Lord Vishnu will be born in a village called 'SAMBALAM' on the banks of Ganges as the son of a Brahmin couple called VISHNUYASAS and SUMATHI.

6. He will be riding a white horse called ?kalkam (karkam) and wielding a sharp sword will traverse the entire Universe in three nights weeding out all evil forces and establishing a Krita yuga back again -thus being the harbinger of the 'Golden Age' on earth.

7. May the Lord who now appears to us in Archaa form and who is going to take this form of Kalki put an end to our cycle of births and deaths in Samsaara.

8. Kalikathaa kaalushya koolankasha: refers to the destruction of evil

9. Dharmam Kaarthayugam refers to the establishment and revival of Dharma

10. ?Nistrimsa dhaaraadhara:? is suggestive of the gushing waters of Ganga (also known as ?Tripathaka? due to its fanning and flowing out as Ganga proper, Jamuna and the subterranean Saraswathi rivers)

11. Swami Vedanta Desika describes him as 'KALKAVAHANA DASA KALKIN', meaning ?Kakin seen as riding on the horse named Kalka?.
The leelas mentioned in this are horse riding, sward wielding etc.
======================================================================
3. BOOK REVIEW OF ?VEDANTA DESIKAR VAIBHAVAM? ?
A Collection of ?SRAVANA UPANYAASAMS? of Desika Bhakta Ratnam Sri SEVA SWAMIGAL and compiled by Srimathi Hema Rajagopalan & Sri G.R.Srinivasan and published by Sri Vedanta Desika Research Centre,
No. 10 (Old # 2) Lakshmipuram II Street, Villivakkam, Chennai ? 600 049 (Phone # 626 8481) Priced; US $ 5/= only
----------------------------------------------------------------
ON SRI SEVA SWAMI;
We invite your kind attention to our tribute to Sri Seva Swami under the title ?Triple Tragedy? archived at Sri Ranga Sri archives at Sl. 187 dated
8th May 2001.


HIS LECTURES:
He fearlessly exposed faulty practices but was extremely polite in doing so. There was no celebration concerning Swami Desika without his presence. He used to bring out newer explanations and revolutionary interpretations of Swami Desika?s works that would not have occurred to many Desika Bhaktas. His admirers would throng to his lectures to learn such gems of extraordinary value.


To the innumerable services he rendered to Desika Sampradayam, he added in his last days, a series of monthly lectures called ?SravaNa Dina Upanyaasams? to commemorate Swami Desika?s Tirunakshatram- ?SrvaNa?.
The lectures used to be held mostly at the residences of devotees, because he believed that the message of Desika should be taken to the doorsteps of every Srivaishnava home. These lectures were a happy blend of being comprehensive yet concise at the same time, thought provoking and thoroughly edifying at once.


COMPILATION:
These were faithfully recorded by Dr Hema Rajagopalan on tape and subsequently personally got approved by Swami himself before publishing. A couple of English translations by Sri G.R. Srinivasan are also included.


A few samples of the titles will show how the Swami has brought to light the multidimensional aspects of Swami Desika in his own inimitable style.
- Swami Desika - The Poet
- Swami Desika ? The Guardian of faith
- Swami Desika ? The Incomparable
- Swami Desika ? The Kalyana Purusha
- Swami Desika ? The Saarvabhouman
- Swami Desika ? The Sarva Tantra Svatantrar
- Swami Desika ? The ?Vedantaachaarya
- Swami Desika?s Tamizh
- Swami Desika?s ?Vaishnava Dinasari?
- Kaliyanum Thooppul Kaavalanum
- Swami Desika?s Paadukaa Sahasram
The book is a treasure to be in every Srivaishnava home as a guide to the appreciation of Swami Desika?s works. The book containing 128 pages of valuable material is moderately priced at US $ 5/= only. Copies can be had from the publishers. The publishers have provided a few copies for sale. You may contact Ramanbil@xxxx for your copy.
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