Vedanta Desika 111 part 10

Vedanta Desika -111




Part 10



Swamy Desikan in Tiruvahindipuram, composed many Tamil prabhandams as per the command of Lord Sri Devanathan.During his sleep in one night in Kancheepuram, Sri Devanathan appeared in his dream and asked him to return to Tiruvahindipuram. Swamy Desikan then composed Sri Deva Nayaka Panchasath in Sanskrit, Sri Achyutha Sathakam in Prakritham and Navamanimalai, Mummnanikkovai ,Panthu , Kazhal , Ammanai , Vusal, Yesal in Tamil. In Navamanimalai prabandham He states this fact as Mummnikkovai seriya serthu, pandhu, kazhal, ammanai, vusal, yesal, paravu nanmanilai yum sonnen . But Panthu , Kazhal , Ammanai , Vusal, yesal are not available to us now.In Mummnikkovai also only ten pasurams are available now. There is one more prabandam ' Paramadabangam' written on Swamy's observations of various philosophies , he has studied while he was in Tiruvahindipuram. In part 6 Devanayaka Panchasath and Achyutha Sathakam were briefed.

32.Para matha pangam



Paramatha Pangam is full of philosophies of various thoughts comparing to our Vishishtadwaita. In that he Prays Lord Sudarsana in the beginning and in end.

Swamy Desikan's Sri Sudarsana ashtagam and SriShodasayutha sthothram were discussed in brief in part 4. Para matha pangam, a rahasya grantham in manipravalam style is with 54 pasurams is also dedicated to Sri Sudarsana as Ezhilazhi iraivan and Sudarsanar, with praises on Thiruvazhiazhwan in the beginning and concluding pasurams. In the very first pasuram of this prabandham , Swamy Desikan prays Lord Sudarsana to bless him for his attempts to highlight our philosophy as superior one comparing to the other recently spread philosophies. He says the Lord Sri Sudarsana with only eight tools as enpadai enthi ninran in the beginning, but in the concluding pasuram his 16 hands with names of tools in each hand was well described.

The defects found in Madhyamika, yogasara,sauthranthika, vaibashika, Buddhism, jainism, adwaita, baskara- yadhava, vaiyakarna, gannatha, gauthama, mimamsaka, sankhya, yoga, pasupatha are outlined in the middle pasurams. As he has provided the most logical refutation of Buddha's doctrines ,the issue of Buddha as one of the Dasavatharams of Sriman Narayana does not arise. While Swamy Desikan stayed in Thiruvahindipuram for long period, some of the philosophers of other religious thoughts, came for a debate . Swami Desikan found the inconsistencies in all their theories and quoted them as veenartham vedantha varthai vilakkuvame and defeated them easily as they are not in accordance with Vedas. Swami Desikan's argument that our sampradayam is the only correct and the best siddhantam is excellent in this prabhandam. The glorifying features in pancharathra sastra in 43 rd pasuram as odhiya panchathramukavarai ozhukkuvame , and in 47th pasuram on saranagathy tatwam as naranarke adaikalamai nanuguvure are well explained in this. As written in the last lines in 51st pasuram Pinnadi parthu nadanthu perum padam eruvame , all srivaishnavas may follow the footsteps of our Swamy Desikan, and Sriman Narayana and receive the bountiful blessings.

33.Mummanikkovai

Swamy Desikan had a dream of Lord Sri Devanatha of Tiruvahindipuram to compose a prabhandam in Tamil on the essence of the four Vedas . Mummanikkovai is thus written by him as very first Tamil prabhandam with 30 pasurams. But only 10 pasurams set in the anthadhi style are available to us today, and the remaining , twenty Paasurams have been lost over time(luptham) . Three aspects of Aasiriyappa,, Venpa and Kattalaikkalitthurai are found in this 30 pasurams. This prabandam excels with Vyankhyartham , in which the words chosen have dhvani echoed,santhirasam, srungararasam , alankaram, adhbutha rasam, karunyam ,viram, serivu, and thelivu, and so praised as a three gems necklace ( mummani) of purana , sthothra,and manthra rathnams. Swamy Desikan is said to have composed Mummanikkovai following Nammazhwar's attempts to give the essence of Rig, Yajur,Athavana vedas, in his Divya prabhnadhams of Thiruviruttham, Thiruvasiriyam ,and Periya Thiruvandhathi .

In this Prabhandham , Swamy Desikan starts telling about Sri Hemambhujavalli Thayar in the first pasuram as She resides in the chest of Devanatha , who never leaves Her place of residence,in all incarnations and in many forms.She takes divine consort corresponding to the incarnation and follows Him.She stays as a resplendent rathna dheepam and removes all our dark cloud of Agnanam . She listens to the soulful cries of the suffering samsaris , recommending for forgiving their trespasses and thus destroys their karmas. She makes those , who sought refuge and shines as the Parama Daya Moorthy .In 4th pasuram of this prabhandam, uyarntha Nee Unnai yemmudan kalanthanai

Ayindhai Maa-naharil amarnthai yemakkai Swamy Desikan commends Devanathan's permanent residence in Tiruvahindipuram as He has blended with us to bless us and for us to have the nectarine experience of enjoying His limitless auspicious attributes is to be acclaimed much. The glories of Dasavatharam of the Lord as Mathsya, Koorma , Varaha , Narasimha , Vaamana , Parasurama ,Rama , Krishna ,so far and is going to take Kalki avatharam later to reduce the burden of the world is well narrated in this Paasuram .

Further encomiums in 8th pasuram as thunaivanum Neeye inai ilayathalin thuyyanum Neeye Seyyaluraithlin karanam Neeye Naarananathalin Karpaham Neeye Nall padham tarutalin Iraivanum Neeye kurai onru ilamayin inbhamum Neeye as"He is our fitting companion ,as there is no one to match Him. He is the purest One as Mahalakshmi resides on His chest without separation. He is the cause for this universe , as He is recognized by the Narayana sabdham.He is the wish granting Kalpaka tree as He bless us to perform nithya kaimkaryam.He is the Sarveswaran as He alone do not have any blemishes or deficiency. He is paramanandha swaroopan as He drive away all sorrows who seek His refuge". In tenth pasuram,Swamy Desikan's experience of Devanathan like Nammazhwar's divine experience with Sriman Narayana is revealed fully.

34. Navamani Malai

Navamanimalai is nine gems (paasurams )strung together in the form of a beautiful ornament (necklace)on glorious features of SriDevanatha of Tiruvahindhrapuram . Swamy named this as Navarathnamalai, . But as this has all the nine elements such as Vennba it is called as Navamanimalai . Whether it is NavaMani or Nava rathnam it is only the nine gems blessed as a treasure to us .As this is a rare one in Tamil poems, the word 'Nava which means' New ' is also apt to this prabhandam Navamanimalai.

The first pasuram is a sixteen lined verse in Four quartets . The glory of the Lord's sacred feet are is well described in this paasuram.Thirukkudanthai Srimad Andavan Swamigal in his lecture on Srimad Ramayanam humorously told Kambar's "Kaivannam angu kande kal vannam ingu kanden" the word 'kal vannam' is correct in the sense that he has described only one fourth (Kal in Tamil means 'one fourth' and' leg ').Swamy Desikan has described fully about this in His Navamani malai in the very first pasuram starting as oru mathi anbar ulam kavarnthana . Swamy Desikan says as the sacred lotus feet of Sri Devanathan , is true to devotees , gives pleasure to their minds ,and make them for complete meditation.The sacred feet then rise to a maximum size and contained all the worlds under them .Similar to that in all avatharams are done.

In the second Paasuram salutations to Dasavatharam in 20 lines is done .In pasuram 5 'irulum arulum tharum annal" is similar to lines in Gopala vimsathi 12th slokam as mama anthima prayane . Anjel enru arul in 7th pasuram is similar to'Ma sucha' in Srimad Bhagavath Gita. Anjal Anjal Anjal endru alikka vendum in pasuram 8 refers Gajendra Moksham episode.

Swamy Desikan concludes this as " Munthai marai mozhi vazhi mozhi nee yenru

Mukundhan arul thantha payan petren nane "as He has done composing Prabhandams on Srisookthis in line with meaning of ancient Vedas as per His command .



A Request

Swamy Desikan wrote both prose and poetry excellently. All his writings are precise, simple, well versed both in Sanskrit, Tamil, Prakritham in manipravala and pure grammatical language. Swamy Desikan is so powerful as a lion and his critics and

rivals would be forced to save themselves, by retracing their steps, submitting meekly and unquestionably to the overwhelmingly balanced, truthful and logical arguments.My attempt to write this article is like a person not knowing to swim, tries to take bath in a sea. So please bear with me for all omissions and commissions in this article.



To be continued ......



Arumbuliyur Jagannathan Rangarajan