Srimate
SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama: The Lost
Treasures A wealthy
philanthropist built a palatial Dharmasaala (rest house) at Srirangam, with the
lofty purpose of accommodating all wayfarers who came to worship Sri Rangaraja.
The choultry provided all facilities for pilgrims, with comfortable rooms to
stay in, facilities for performing daily ablutions and sumptuous food at
appropriate intervals. All those who stayed at the Dharmasaala were extremely
grateful to the generous donor, who, in turn, was pleased beyond measure at the
opportunity for service to the Lord?s devotees. Word of this munificence and
convenience spread and the Dharmasaala became the favourite destination of all
pilgrims to Srirangam. Countless were those who benefited from its
conveniences. The
philanthropist grew old and entrusted the management of the choultry to his
progeny, who too carried on their father?s work sincerely. In time and in tune
with the general decline in standards of ethics and Dharma, the management of
the rest house became progressively indifferent, with the successors of the
philanthropist showing less and less inclination for altruistic activities,
resulting in the vast Dharmasala falling gradually into disrepair and becoming
dysfunctional. And one sad day, the last pillar supporting the once-magnificent
columns fell, marking the closure of an institution that had served thousands in
its hay day. As if waiting for the
event, a building promoter moved in and constructed an impressively ugly block
of match-box-like tenements, where there once stood the magnificent Dharmasala.
Thus was lost to posterity a veritable treasure house.
This narration
is neither fable nor fairy-tale, but a true-life story which has happened with
deplorable regularity, not only at Srirangam, but at many other holy places.
Buildings in ruins, with washed-out sign boards hanging askew and bearing the
barely-visible name of some charity or the other, are a common sight at almost
all Divyadesams. While this is
one aspect of our losing bequeathed treasures due to indifference and
inattention, there is another and more precious genre of heirlooms which we may
well have lost forever. And what is more, most of us haven?t even realised the
magnitude of the loss and continue to wallow in blissful ignorance about its
enormity. The
immaculate Vedas and their explanatory manuals like the Itihaasas, Puranas,
Dharma Shastras, etc. are glorious guidebooks designed to pilot us safely
through the mine-field of Samsara and to reach us safely at the portals of
Due
to inadvertence and indifference, already we have suffered quite a heavy and
irreparable loss, by way of disappearance of portions of Shastras, particularly
Vedas, from currency. For instance, the Atharva Veda was all but lost a few
decades ago and it is only due to the enthusiastic and energetic efforts of a
few Mahatmas that there is now a healthy rejuvenation in its study. Even now,
students and exponents of this fourth among Vedas are to be found in a small
number in Though Vedas
are reputed to be beyond numbers (?Anantaa vai Vedaa:?),we understand from
Scriptures that there were no less than 1180 Shaakhas of the Shruti extant in
the not too distant past, each with its own Samhita, Aaranyaka and Upanishad
components. And all these Shakhas had their own votaries, engaged in study,
propagation and preservation of the Vedas. However, what we have now is
pitifully small in comparison. We know of the
Taittireeya Shakha, with the Taittireeya Samhita, Taittireeya Braahmanam and the
Taittireeya Upanisad, all of which have been remarkably well preserved. However,
granting that the Upanishad generally forms the concluding part of a particular
Veda Shakha, many of the Upanishads we have now, must have been part of
independent Shakhas, though not a trace remains of the rest. The Kousheetaki
Upanishad, for instance, is the sole remnant of the Saankaayana Shakha, which
must have been a wide-ranging and voluminous body of Vedic wisdom. Though the
Katopanishad is still extant, its Aaranyakam is nowhere to be found. The loss we
have thus suffered is incalculable and irreparable. What we have lost are not
mere books, but treasure houses of wisdom. Coming to more
recent times, within the last thousand years, we have managed to lose many more
precious heirlooms. Sri Nathamuni was the first protagonist of our
Visishtaadvaita Sampradaya (?Naathopagyam pravrittam?) in this Kali Yuga. By all
accounts, he is reputed to have been a repository of pure devotion,
selflessness, vairaagyam and other sterling virtues, endowed with divine vision.
Though he is remembered for all these accomplishments, the moment we hear his
holy name, what springs to our mind is his wonderful and painstaking compilation
of the Naalayira Divya Prabandam, which had, by his time, almost vanished from
currency. He also set them to music and arranged for their recital at various
temples. Had it not been for this great Acharya and his Herculean efforts, we
would have lost the priceless treasure of Aruliccheyal, the ecstatical
outpourings of enlightened Azhwars. It is therefore
extremely ironical that Sri Nathamuni?s own great
works, Yoga Rahasyam and Nyaaya
Tattvam, are no longer available to us. The former was a treatise on Yoga,
while the latter was a voluminous work involving interpretation of the Nyaaya
Shastra according to Visishtaadvaitic tenets, criticising the Gautama Nyaaya Sutras in the process. We learn of these
great works, only from copious references thereto by Swami Desikan in his
various works like Nyaaya
Siddhaanjanam and Nyaaya Parisuddhi. According to Sri Sudarsana
Bhattar, Sri Ramanuja too, in his Sri Bhashya, has quoted briefly from Nyaaya
Tattvam. Another great
loss Srivaishnavas have suffered is the disappearance of Sri Alavandar?s
path-breaking works Maha Purusha
Nirnayam (establishing the supremacy of Sriman Narayana) and Kashmira Agama Praamaanyam, which is
said to validate the Pancharatra Agama and its Vedic source, the Ekaayana
Shakha. That these works definitely existed, is again to be derived only from
Swami Desikan?s references and quotes. Our sense of loss is further compounded
when we learn that Sri Yamunacharya?s Siddhi Trayam (consisting of the Atma Siddhi, Isvara Siddhi and Samvit
Siddhi) too is available only in portions. To quote Dr.M.Narasimhachary, ?It
is a matter of regret that all these three Siddhis suffer from gaps and the extant
text is only a fragment of an originally larger
work?. We come next to
the works of Swami Desikan, the most prolific author among Srivaishnava
Acharyas. While it is indeed our good fortune that the major portion of Sri
Venkatanatha?s works is remarkably well preserved, it is simultaneously a matter
of deep regret that several of his works too have been lost. Sri Vedanta Desikan
is reputed to have composed a magnificent and voluminous commentary on
Tiruvaimozhi, named ?Nigama
Parimalam?, and another Tamizh work by name ?Tirumudi Adaivu?, which are no longer
extant. A similar commentary on Kanninunsirutthaambu, aptly named ?Madhurakavi Hridayam?, is also no longer
available, which fate is shared by a host of Tamizh Prabandams of Swami, titled
?Pandu, Kazhal, Ammaanai, Oosal and
Esal?, apparently addressed to Sri Deivanayakan of Tiruvaheendrapuram. ?Steyaa Avirodham?, a work justifying Sri
Tirumangai Mannan?s unorthodox ways of fund-raising for good causes, is also
lost, as also ?Adhikarana Darpanam?.
Only portions of Tattva Teeka (an
elaborate commentary on Sri Bhashyam)
are available, as also of the ?Sata
Dooshani?. We hear too
that Vyaakhyaana Chakkravartthi Sri Periyavaacchaan Pillai?s commentary on
Periyaazhwar Tirumozhi is partially lost. This, then, is
a brief Status Paper on the priceless treasures of ancient and unmatched wisdom
that we have lost over the centuries. In this
context, we have to remember with gratitude Mahtamas who toiled hard and spent
whole lifetimes in searching for, restoring, editing and publishing rare works
of Acharyas. They were not endowed with unlimited supply of funds nor had an
army of supporters. Yet, with a missionary zeal for the protection and
preservation of Poorvacharya Sreesooktis, they sacrificed their all to ensure
that whatever works were available did not meet the same fate as the ones lost.
Two haloed names that spring to our mind in this regard are Tarkaarnava
Abhinavadesika Uttamur Sri Veeraraghavacharya Swamy and Prativaadi Bhayankaram
Sri Annangaracharya Swamy of Kanchi. Though both were prolific writers, they
displayed greater enthusiasm in publishing works of Poorvacharyas than their
own. The constant and continuing efforts of Sri Puttur Krishnamacharya Swamy too
merit special mention in this regard. The good work of institutions like the
Sanskrit Academy of Melkote (who have brought out critical editions of Sri Bhashyam with various commentaries)
also deserves great appreciation and
encouragement. Though these
Mahatmas? contribution is matchless, we can still endeavour to emulate them to
the extent possible, in identifying works of both Poorvacharyas and later ones,
for preservation. Many of these works are still unpublished, especially numerous
ones of various Srimad Azhagiasingars who adorned the ascetic throne of Sri
Ahobila Mutt and are currently available in the form of manuscripts, many on
palm leaves and similar perishable material. I am sure similar works by
distinguished Acharyas of Srimad Andavan Ashramam and Sri Parakala Matam also
exist, in similar need of preservation and publication. Since use of paper for
composition in our religious institutions is less than a century old, earlier
works must be on Taala Patram or Panai Olai, likely to disintegrate
anytime due to their age and disappear forever from our
midst. Even in respect
of published works, though we come across quotes from several old and hoary
works like the commentary of Sri Govindaraja on Srimad Ramayanam, that of Sri
Veeraraghavacharya on Srimad Bhagavatam, the commentaries on Srimad
Rahasyatrayasaram like Sri
Saaraasvaadini of Sri Tirukkudandai Desikan and Sri Saarabodhini (of Injimedu Srimad
Azhagiasingar) and that of Sri Mahamahopaadhyaaya Chetlur Swami, we rarely get
to set eyes on them. These works need to be
reprinted. Against this
rather bleak background of partial and total loss of the accumulated fonts of
wisdom, the recent efforts by inspired individuals to identify, catalogue,
preserve and publish hitherto unpublished manuscripts of Acharyas, deserve all
appreciation, encouragement and support. With the advanced digital technology
now available, scanning or even typing out these works from their originals on
palm leaf or ancient paper should be possible, which would be the first step in
preservation. Once the works are available in electronic form, the possibilities
are endless. Most of these
works may be in Sanskrit, many of them may be on esoteric or subtle points of
Shastra not of immediate interest to the common man?despite all this, what we
have to remember is that they emanated from erudite and enlightened Acharyas who
composed these works not as personal memorabilia, but out of a fervent desire to
inform and educate us. They are works of devotion which would guide us on the
right path by their mere presence in our home. (My late, revered father, apart
from his other sterling qualities and deep attachment to Srimad Ramayanam, was
an acknowledged authority both on shorthand and Shakespeare. Though I have
regrettably not inherited his enthusiasm for either, I still preserve his books
as their very sight reminds me of him and his devotion. Similarly, works of our
Acharyas too inspire us by their very presence and sight, even if we are unable
to profit from their wisdom immediately.) Once these original works are
preserved, translations to benefit the scholar and layman alike, could be
attempted. As
Srivaishnavas, it is hence our sacred duty to ensure that these bequests are
properly appreciated, treated with the veneration they deserve, protected
against the ravages of distortion and loss and preserved in all their pristine
purity, so that the generations that follow would also benefit from the ageless
wisdom. What are the
ways in which we can help? We can search
sincerely for such old and published/unpublished works of the aforesaid kind,
existing in our own library/those of institutions and individuals likely to have
such books or palm leaf manuscripts and make them available to those who have
undertaken the onerous task of converting them into
e-format. Those among us
who have the technical expertise can help in the above process by offering
consultancy/active participation. Once the stage
for publication comes, we can financially support the printing of one or more
works of Acharyas. We can spread
the word among our relatives/acquaintances about the need for the entire
endeavour and make them aware of the crying need for preserving our heirlooms.
There can be no
better tribute to Sri Hayagriva, who holds a book in His hand, than to help in
protecting works on religion and spirituality. And the venerated authors of the
unpublished manuscripts would definitely be gladdened at their works getting
published at long last, benefiting the entire Vaishnavite
community. Come, let us
help in this holy mission! Sriamte Sri
LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra
Mahadesikaya nama: dasan,
sadagopan azhwAr emberumAnAr jeeyAr thiruvadigalE saranam YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS
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