Vedanta Desika 111 part 5

Vedanta Desika -111




Part 5



Swamy Desikan in Kancheepuram



When Swami Desikan was in Kanchi,a magician confronted him. As the magician drank the water of a pond, Swamy Desikan's belly bulged filled with water and caused unbearable pain. Swamy Desikan just scratched with his fingernail a pillar nearby and all the water flowed out there from and His belly regained to normal then.The magician begged swamy to be excused and disappeared .Swami Desikan thanked him for helping in cleaning the streets of Kanchi without any effort .Swami Desikan , Amsam of Lord Srinivasa's divine ghantavatharam became master of all Sastras at the divine lotus feet of his Aacharya and maternal uncle Sri Appullar. He composed Vairagya Panchakam and Varadaraja panchasath stotrams stressing 'worship and glory of Sri Varadaraja (Hasthigiri), Vegaasethu stotram seeking Anugraham from Sri Sonnavannam perumal (Yadokthakari) , and Sarangathi deepika in establishing incarnation of Vilakkoliperumal (Deepaprakasar ) .



15.Vairagya Panchakam



Sri Vidhyaranya Theertha, a great scholar and minister in the court of Vijaya nagar empire,sent an invitation to Vedanta Desikan to visit the court of Vijaya Nagar. But Vedantha Desikan wrote the first verse of Vairgya Panchakam starting as Kshoni kona sathamsa balanakala which meant "The pride of kings who rule bits of this earth grows like the wildfire, But people, who praise them and think they are blessed. In reality service to god who is merciful , only give us all our wants."In that He cited an example of , Kuchela who met the Lord, just with fistful of pounded rice was able to become wealthy person.

Sri Vidhyaranya Theertha, then sent another invitation to Vedanta Desikan. The reply was only again in the next five verses which forms the full text of of Vairagya Panchakam. In this great work, he brings out the value he attaches for material wealth. He says his speech with fragrance of jasmine flowers which open in the evening are reserved for our great Lord and not for any king. Begging anybody for perishable wealth with hands held in salutation is not at all his preference. The last lines of Asthi me hasthi sailagre vasthu paitham aham as "I do not have any inherited wealth through his father ,Nor have I earned any wealth,wealth given by my ancestor and grandfather ,is my Lord,Who lives on the top of the Hasthi mountain' Lord Varadaraja' of Kanchipuram.

Thus Vedanta Desikan the incarnation of the bell of Lord Srinivasa, (Ghantavatharam ) may be called as Gnana bhushanam and Vairagya bhushanam as his composition of Vairâgya panchakam stresses on one guna of man ie. vairâgya.



16. Varadaraja Panchasath



Varadaraja Panchasath is a stotra of 51 slokas , sung in praise of Lord Sri Varadaraja of Kanchipuram. The essential doctrines of Vishishtadvatha philosophy are explained in brief in slokas 9 to 15. Then the five forms of SriMaha Vishnu as para rupa, vyuha, antrayami, vibhava avatharam and archa is well described in slokas 16 to 29. Sloka 23 which starts as bakthasya dhanava siso paripalanaya Swamy Desikan emphasise the presense of Lord Narasimha in every pillar akilam narasimha garpam excepting the pillar hit by Hiranyakasibhu's leg. This is in support of Prahlada's claim 'Engum ulan '(presense in every place ) for his father's question of "Engey ulan" (Where is his presense ) .

Sloka 30 is on prapatti at the Feet of Varadaraja . Slokas 31 to 41 is about the mentality of a prapanna in the post-prapatti period. The role of bhagavat kainkaryam in yielding the great pleasure that can eradicate all sorrow and the effects of karma is revealed to us in Slokam 41 . Even after reaching Sri vaikuntham the only desire that a muktathma will have is the desire to do kainkaryam to Him as sacchanda kinkara taya bhavatha krisa in Slokam 42 reveals Swamy Desikan's only aim was service to lord.

In sloka 43 thvam chetha praseedasi Vedanta desikan says to reside near perumal first, then to have bhakthi on Him, and gradually seek the love and affection of Bhagavathas, then the moksham can be obtained here itself in samsara . In sloka 49 Desika swears that if he is able to enjoy inceasingly the beauty of Lord Varadaraja which is beyond thought as vaikuntavase pi na me abilasha he will have no desire for life in Vaikuntha.

In this stotram, beauty of the lord , His various vahanas during uthsavam periods, tirumeni of archa murthy, with and without kavachams are well enumerated. Lord Varadaraja receives Mangalasasanam from Swamy Desikan on pournamikam (Chitra pournami ) , Saasthriyam (Vaikasi Visakham ) Sampradayam (Purattasi sravanam ) and this stotra is recited in full on these days. In daily nivedanam atleast one sloka in Varadaraja Panchadsath is recited. Important among them are Sloka 45 on purattasi sravanam, 46 on Ekantha seva , 47 on chitra pournami 48 on Garuda seva 49 during (Serthi) Swamy and lord meet 50 gajendra moksham . Thus most of the slokams are important in this.





17.Vega sethu Stotram



Vega sethu stotram is on Yathothakari or Sonna vannm Seyyum perumal in the temple in Kancheepuram .There are only 10 slokas with first slokam starting as Ekam vegavathi madhye hasthisaile sa drusyathe upayabala pavena svayam vyaktha para maha, which means as "HE, who is in Swayam vyaktha shetram in the middle of Vegavathi river , is like a dam that helps the devotees in crossing the Ocean of samsara .Swami Desikan calls as Jagadeka sethu and Vishnu sethu in slokas 3 and 4. In the last line of slokam 5 , bhagavan bhaktimatam yathoktakari and as bhakta anugantuh in Slokam 6, Swamy Desikan says as 'He is One who follows and forces to submit Himself to His devotees, and does whatever His devotees wishes Him to do. Also in Slokam 8 we have Him described as sarva jantoh Samayati paritapam - One who removes the sorrows of all beings. Slokas 2 to 4 and 7 refer to the Lord's puranic greatness as Vegasetu. Slokas 5 and 7 refer to both aspects. In conclusion, Swamy Desikan says ye padanthi janasthesham yathoktham guruthe hari; that worship of vegasethu perumaḷ is sure to obtain the wishes of the devotees, as well as getting moksham in accordance with Lord's declaration in His Rama and Krishna avatharams, as He will do as per devotee's wishes .





18.Saranagathi Deepika



Saranagati Deepika is "light of Self-surrender "in 59 slokas stressing the importance of Saranagathi tatwam based on vedas, agamas, upanishads, epics, Alwar and Acharyal's Arulicheyals.Deepa-prakaasa (Villakoli perumal is in the shrine Tiru-t-tangaa(Himavana-Sisira-upavana) in the centre of a circle of holy shrines in and around Kanchi temples.Swamy Desikan had, an attachment to this shrine since it was closely adjacent to Thoopul, his place of birth. It is said that the situation of many temples around Swamy Desikan's Thoopul is only Divine blessings who is to be born there in the thirteenth century for the benefit of the world. Importance of Saranagathy Deepika is felt because it applies to any God in any temple or shrine.

This stotram has aptly been named by Swami Desikan himself as Saranagathi Deepika, because this sthothra is a virtual torch to wipe out the obscurity in our minds and will show us the Saranagathi way,Just as the light from a lamp obliterates the darkness around . The importance of the six great primordial virtues (i.e.) Jnana, Bala, Aiswarya, Veerya, Sakthi and Tejas, which He alone possesses is said as 'Gnanam balam niyamatha kshamatha ksha viryam sakthischa teja ithi the guna shaga mathyam ' in slokam (8) .The salient features, different stages and methods of Bhakthi Yoga, its meaning ,constant meditation and devotion to God are described in slokas 21 to 25.

In sloka 30 Swamy Desikan compares Prapatti as marriage of the individual soul (jeevathma), the bride with Paramathma, the bridegroom. Acharya, who lead the soul into Prapatthi is the father. The Prapatti is kanyaadaanam. The serving the Lord after prapatti (uththara kruthyam) is like keeping the managalya charadu (thaali). After kanyadhanam by girl's father boy accepts her and then girl considering mangalyam as a great treasure seek many auspiciousness . Similarly Acharyas place jeevatmas at sacred feet of Lord. So he then accept with pleasure for their prabatti anushtanams and so prapannas feel happy over that as Mangalya soothram iva bibrathi kinkarathvam.

Prapatti, its greatness and accessories, life of a Prapanna in the post-prapatti period of his life, Departure of Prapanna from the final body , movement through the path of Arciraadi and the attainment of Moksha and supreme bliss, and defects in the enjoyment of possessions in worldly life are explained in detail in this stotram.It is well explained here in Prapathi ,as one should do only what HE likes. It is said that reciting this stotram will destroy the dense darkness of ignorance in the minds of the people and bestow them with the feet of the Lord. .

Note. This year I had an opportunity to worship Swamy Desikan on Purattasi Sravanam day in Kancheepuram temple. It was really a glorious memorable piriya vidai of not only to lord Varadaraja and Vedanta Desikan but to all devotees and Desikan adiyargal.



To be continued.....

Arumbuliyur Jagannathan Rangarajan