----- Original Message ----- From: "Madhavakkannan V" <srivaishnavan@xxxxxxxxx> To: <srirangasri@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <malolan_net@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <acharya@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <nama-singapore@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <oppiliappan@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <parakalamatham@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <ramanujamission@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <desikasampradaya@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <bakthi-indonesia@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; <ramanuja@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Sunday, September 23, 2007 4:55 AM Subject: Swami Nigamantha Mahadesikan Thirunakshathram Special- Today Purattaasi SravaNam- Let us enjoy Acharyan's life and glories > SrI: > SrImathE Ramanujaya nama: > SrImathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya nama: > > Dearest all > > Today is the most auspicious day.. Purattaasi > ThiruvONam > > Thirunakshathram (Birthday) of Swami Desikan. Swami > Desikan - Acharya saarvabhouman- The peerless > preceptor (1268 CE- 1369 CE)Let us meditate on His > lotus feet today enjoying the glories of Swami to a > little extent. > > Acharyan is the dispeller of all sins. He removes the > darkness from our minds and removes ignorance. He > gives us new birth (vidya janmam); He is the Father > and the manthram (which He initiates us with) is the > Mother. This birth places us on the path which meads > us to an end to all future births and deaths. He > endows us with divine vision. He has infinite amount > of compassion towards us. He always is interested in > our welfare. On account of all of these, He is always > to be worshipped as the Lord Himself. One should never > harbour any feeling that he is doing a good return for > what Acharya has done by paying few dollars. It is > only as a token of our gratitude. > > First let us look briefly at the life of Swamy > Desikan. > > Born to Sri Anantasuri and Smt Totarambha at Thoopul, > a locality of Kanchi, he is believed to have been the > very incarnation of Lord Srinivasa's GaNTAmani (temple > Bell). He derived the name GaNTAvatharam in the > taniyan because of this. His intellectual brilliance > was discernable even from his childhood. Once as a > child of five years, he was taken to the august > religious assembly- Kaalakshepa Goshti- of Sri Nadadur > AmmAL by his maternal uncle Sri Appullar, who was > mainly responsible for his education in the religious > line. Sri Ammal and his disciples were so captivated > by the divine appearance of the little boy Desikan, > they were diverted for sometime and forgot what they > were discussing to trace. It was the little Boy > Desikan who came to their rescue by pointing out the > place of the discourse from where their attention was > diverted. They were all simply stupefied on seeing the > extraordinary intellect and brilliance of Swamy at > that age and Sri Ammal who was overwhelmed with joy, > and admiration blessed him for a great future where he > would succeed in establishing the philosophy of > Ramanuja and the previous Acharyas in an unassailable > position and in an unambiguous manner. > > Another intellectual feat of Sri Vedantha Desika was > his ability to give Sri Bashyam KaalakshEpams > twenty times before he was twenty years of age. > > His life was one of perfect austerity, vairagyam, and > deep devotion particularly to Archamoorthys enshrined > in Divya Desams similar to Thirumangai mannan. He had > a special and abiding devotion to the Lord Varadan of > Kanchi. Just like Sri Ramanuja, his ArAdhya Devatha, > the deity of his daily worship was Sri PeraruLALan. He > led a very simple life. He earned his livelihood by > taking alms from the devotees. The rice he gathered > like that was used for his food after offering to the > Lord. One day his wife found some gold coins in the > rice he got from the philanthropic public. Evidently, > some well intentioned person wanted to help Swamy > Desikan without his knowledge. As soon as this was > found out, Swamy Desikan threw the entire collection > of the day away on the street. This is an example of > his steadfast vairagya. Another instance of his strong > determination /renunciation can be seen when > Vidyaranyar, a royal vidwan at the court of early > Vijayanagar, once his class mate, hearing about Swamy > desikan languishing in penury and knowing his > extraordinary skills and intellectual talents sent a > message to him inviting him and asking to come to the > court of Vijayanagar king where he would be fittingly > honoured with riches. Swamy Desikan refused to go, > saying that he is not after wealth, adding that he was > already provided with the Greatest wealth bequeathed > to him by his grandfather (four faced Brahma), meaning > the Lord Varadan (atthigiri Varadan). This is conveyed > to his friend in the form of five slokas called > "Vairagya Panchakam:. > > He spent a good part of his time at Tiruvahindrapuram. > Lord Hayagrivan, the Lord of knowledge and learning > blessed him here. He composed "Hayagriva sthOthram: > here in praise of Lord Hayagrivan. He also composed > Achutha sathakam, in prakrit, Devanayaka panchasath, > in Sanskrit, mummaNikkOvai, Navarathnamaalai in Tamil > on Lord Devanathan of this Divya Desam. "nin > vadivazhagu maRvaathaar piRavaadhaarE.." -says Swamy. > He is said to have dug a well, chiseled an idol of his > and cone several wonders and miracles justifying > thereby his title "sarvathanthraswathanthrar", during > his stay here. After sometime, he retunred to Kanchi > and then later he proceeded to Srirangam (when invited > by Sri Pillailokchariar from Srirangam for debating > against Advaitins who had objected to recitation of > Tamil hymns(4000) at Srirangam temple). The titles of > "Vedantacharya", Kavitaarkika simham", were conferred > on him by Lord Ranganathan and Periya Piraatti > respectively at Srirangam where there was occasion for > him to refute theories and arguments of Advaitins > successfully and victoriously establishing the Parama > vaidika Visishtadvaita Srivaishnava sampradayam. > > Padhuka sahasram is yet another masterpiece of work > containing one thousand eight slokas eulogizing the > Padhukas (sandals) of Lord Ranganathan of Srirangam. > He completed the whole 1008 slokas in one yaamam > (about 3 hours),latter part of night. It is said that > this piece of extraordinary work was composed by him > (when challenged). > >>From Srirangam, he flew to Satyakalam, a place at > Karnataka fearing the muslims depredations. "abheeti > sthvam" on Lord Ranganathan, containing 29 slokas was > brought out here to ward off the fear and evil caused > by the muslim maruders. After the terror had subsided, > he returned to Srirangam to spend his last days. He > attained the lotus feet of Acharya on Karthigai day. > > His yadhavabhyudhayam, a maha kaavyam on Lord Krishna > was admired very much by the renowned advaita > philosopher Appayya DhIkshithar in the 16th century > A.D. He wrote a commentary also on this mahaakaavya as > a mark of appreciation. (but could not write more than > four slokas, as that itself immersed him and drowned > him with such a beauty and marvel, that he was simply > flabbergasted with its literary nicetry and stopped > after four slokas of this kaavyam, whose commentary > itself ran to pages.. > > In fact, it is simply a foolhardy experiment to > attempt to give a comprehensive picture on the life of > this AchArya saarvabhouman in this small post. Swamy > Desikan wrote original works on Sanskrit and also > commented upon the works of Ramanuja and Yamuna. He > wrote poems, religious works. He wrote 28 sthothrams. > A mere reading of the list of his works is > breathtaking. He wrote 18 works in Tamil, 29 works in > MaNipravALam ( a great mix of Tamil and Sanskrit). He > also wrote naataka grantham, rahasyagrantham etc. > > His aim in writing is more than one. > > Dr. V Varadachari says: > > Firstly, the system of unparalleled Great > VisishtAdvaita Srivaishnava SrI should be kept on a > firm basis and stronger footing. > > Secondly, the Nyaya tatvam of Sriman Nathamuni which > deals with the topics of Nyaya, Vaisheshika, > Meemaamsa, and treated in a manner to interpret the > doctrines in the light of the Vedantha system. > > Thirdly, Ramanuja's concepts and theories were > attacked by opponents relentlessly. The refutations > need to be answered, counter attacked and dismissed > then and there. > > Fourthly, the writers after SrI Ramanuja were not in a > position to evolve the metaphysical, logical theories > consistent with the teachings of Ramanuja. They > required to be given shape in the light of > Emperumaanaar's teachings. > > Fifthly, some of the Acharyas after Ramanuja did > excellent service to Srivaishnavam by their > expositions of Tamil 4000 Divya prabhandham of > AzhwArs, but could not establish their position in an > unshakable foundation. > > It only Swamy Vedantha Desikan who not only > established SrI Ramanuja sampradayam on firm footing > with his various works; also He repulsed the attacks > on the importance of Naalaayira Divya prabandham and > placed them on par with Vedas, as the fountain source > for the Vedantha system. > > SrI Vedantha Desika is the author of 120 works. His > style is inimitable for its depth of ideas, sweetness, > simplicity and ease; it is majestic, > sometimes tough. He was a great admirer of Adhikavi > Vaalmeeki and Kalidasa. His poetic work Hamsa > sandhEsam, though similar to Kalidasa's mEgasandhEsam, > is original in many respects. (we will see them in > detail later). Daya sathakam is a unique composition > wherein he personifies grace (Divine grace- daya), > without which Lord's other qualities are of little > value and help to suffering mankind- Swamy says. > AbhIthi sthavam is an invocation for the Lord's > protection from evil forces from both within and > without. His GodhA sthuthi is a piece of place of > great lyric beauty and merit and talks of Sri GodhA's > influence with the Lord through love and Desikan's > surrender to Her compassion. > > SthOthra granthas: > =============== > Hayagriva stOtram > dasaavataara stOtram > Bhagavath dhyaana sOpAnam > dayA sathakam > abheethi sthavam > vairAgya panchakam > Devanaayaka panchAsath > Gopala vimsathy > SrI Sthuthi > BhU sththi > GodhA sthuthi > nyAsa dhasakam > nyAsa vimsathy > nyAsa thilakam > saraNAgathi DIpikA > Achutha sayayam (achutha sathakam) > varadarAja panchAsath > ashtabhujaashtakam > kAmAsikaashtakam > vEgAsEthu sthOthram > paramartha sththi > dhEhaleesa sththi > Raguveera Gadyuam (mahA veera vaibhavam) > sudarsanaashtakam > shodasAyudha stOtram > Garuda dhaNdakam > Garuda panchAsath > yatirAja sapthati > > Tamil Prabandams > ================ > amrutha ranjani > adhikAra sangraham > amrutha swAdhini > paramapada sOpAnam > paramatha bhangam > mei viradha mAnmiyam > adaikkalappatthu > artha panchakam > SrI vaishNava dinasari > Thirucchinna maalai > panniru nAmam > thiru manthiracchurukku > dwayachurukku > charama sloka cchurukku > Gitaartha sangraham > mummaNikkOvai > nava maNi mAlai > pandhu (lost) > kazhal (lost) > ammAnai (lost) > oosal (lost) > Esal (lost) > Prabandha sAram > AhAra niyamam. > > VedAnta granthas > ================ > mImAmsA pAdukA > sEsvara mImAmsa > satha dhUshaNi > adhikaraNa sArAvaLi > tatva tIkA > nyAya parisuddhi > nyAya siddhAnjanam > tatvamuktha kalApam > nikshepa rakshA > sachcharitra rakshA > srI pAncharAthra rakshA > vAditraya kandanam > dramidOpanishad tAtparya rathnAvaLi > dramidOpanishad sAram > > BhAshya granthas (Commentaries) > ========================== > chatus slokI Bhashyam > SthOthra rathna Bhashyam > Rahasya rakshA > GitArtha sangraha rakshA > tAtparya chandrikA > IsAvAsyOpanishad BhAshyam > sarvArtha siddhi > adhikAraNa dharpaNam (lost) > > KAvya grantas: > ============== > hamsa sandesam > subhAshita nIvi > yAdhavAbyudayam > pAdukA sahasram (1008 verses) > > Rahasya granthas: > ================ > sampradAya parisuddhi > tatva-padhavi > rahasya padhavi > tatva navanItham > rahasya navanItham > tatva mAtruka > rahasya mAtruka > tatva sandEsam > rahasya sandEsam > rahasya sandEsa vivaraNam > tatva rathnAvaLi > tatva rathnAvali pratipAdya sangraham > rahasya rathnAvaLi > rahasya rathnAvaLi hrudayam > tatva traya suLakam > rahasya traya suLakam > abhaya pradAna sAram > rahasya sikAmaNi > anjali vaibhavam > pradhAna satakam > upakAra sangraham > sAra sangraham > munivAhana bhogam > madurakavi hrudayam (lost) > paramapada sOpAnam > paramatha bhangam > hasthigiri mAhAthmyam > SrImath Rahasya Traya Saram (MAGNUM OPUS) > SarA sAram > VirOdha parihAram > NigamaparimaLam (lost) > Tirumudiadaivu (lost) > > nAtaka grantam (Drama) > ============== > Sankalpa SooryOdhayam > > anushtAna grantams > ================= > Bhagavath-AarAdhana vidhi > > Even to read the above list will take so much time. > Swamy alone can compose so many works in one lifetime. > When we see /enjoy later these works individually > later, we will realize that what sweetness, depths, > literary values, rhythms, grammars, variety of > meanings they contain! How true are those words and > fully in accordance with Sri Ramanuja's works and > Vedas and saasthrAs! We will have to read to believe > it! > > Thoopul PiLLai ThiruvaDigaLE SaraNam > Regards > Acharya paadhaangri rENu: > narayanadAsan madhavakkannan > > > > > ____________________________________________________________________________________ > Need a vacation? Get great deals > to amazing places on Yahoo! Travel. > http://travel.yahoo.com/ > Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan http://www.sadagopan.org Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Oppiliappan/join (Yahoo! 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