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Re: The Best arcA mUrti Discussion.

From the Bhakti List Archives

muralidhar rangaswamy • August 15, 1998 


Sri: 

SrimatE GopalArya MahadesikAya Namaha: 

Dear Bhaktas,

The debate on the foremost Divya Desham is getting increasingly 
fascinating with each passing day. Let me present a few more 
points in support of my favorite Perumal Tiruvenkatan.

(1)Daya has been glorified as an attribute of this Emperumaan alone.
   (Na DvitIyOsti Kaschit). Swami Desikan's 108 verses of the Daya 
   Shatakam and the Venkateshwara Suprabatham salutation "Sri    
Srinivasa JagadEka DayaIka SindhO". 
(2)His nature is to overlook the faults of his Bhaktas and bless them.
   (Bhavitam Srinivasasya Bhakta DoshEshvadarshanam). He is again 
   unparalleled in this regard.
(3) The logical foundation stone of Our Sampradayam was laid at 
    this Kshetram-composition of Sri Bhashyam by Sri Ramanujacharya. 
    The title Sri Bhasyam was itself accorded at this Kshetram
    It is well known that no construction can survive without a 
    rock-solid foundation. It is the Anugraham of this Emperumaan 
    alone which enabled our Sampradayam to flourish. But for this 
    there would be no Sampradayam to cherish!
(4) The only form Perumal to incarnate as an Acharya (Swami Desikan)      
and erect an impregnable fortress of logic in defense of our          
Sampradayam was the Lord of Seven Hills. Testimony in support of 
    this fact can be seen from the Desika Mangalam salutation             
"VenkateshAvatArOyam TadGhantAm ShrohavAdbhavE"
(5) Lord Srinivasa again demonstrated his love for his Parama             
Bhagavata, Sri Ramanujacharya, by incarnating himself (as 
    Swami Desikan) to reveal again the path of Sri Ramanujacharya. 
    Testimony in support of this fact is seen from the Desika Mangalam 
    salutation "Sri BhashyakAra PanthAnam AtmanA Darshitam Punaha".
(6) Swami Desikan has glorified the benevolent glances of Lord 
    Srinivasa as the panacea for absolving every individual of three 
    kinds of RuNams (Pitru RuNam, Rishi RuNam, and Deva RuNam).
    No other form of our Lord has been similarly glorified.             
Kulashekara Perumal in the fourth decad of Perumal Tirumozhi
    points out excellent ways of obtaining this blessing.
(7) The unifying train of thought of all the Azhwars, who sang the 
    glory of Lord Srinivasa, is that of SharaNagati to his Lotus feet
    -this has been described as the Upaya and UpEya for Moksham by        
Swami Desikan.  
(8) That the Lotus feet of Lord Srinivasa constitute the source as 
    well as the ultimate destination for Sri Vaishnavas can be seen 
    from the Guru Parampara salutation of Swami Desikan's Daya         
Shatakam (VigAhe Teertha BahulAm SheetalAm Guru Santatim
    Srinivasa DayAmbodhi: ParivAha Parampara) and from the opening 
    salutation of the Daya Shatakam.

Conclusion: Without the outstanding contributions of Sri Ramanujacharya, 
there would be no Sampradayam to follow or discuss on 
the Bhakti list for that matter. But for the colossus of Swami Desikan, 
in the words of Sri Appayya Dikshitar, "VishistAdvaitam would be easy 
fodder for ravaging Advaitins like cows grazing lush green pastures". 
The four Vadakalai Ashramams and organizations like SDDS owe their 
existence to Swami Desikan. The Lord of Seven Hills was responsible for 
the most significant contributions of these two outstanding Acharyas. 
There can be no VaishNavam without VishNu (Lord Srinivasa). 
Consequently, the Lord of Seven Hills reigns supreme! 

SridharAdi Nayakam SritApavargadAyakam 
SrigirIsha mitram AmbujEkshaNam VichakshaNam
SrinivAsam Adidevam Aksharam ParAtparam
NagarAd GirIshwaram NamAmi Venkateshwaram. 

VrishashailAdipatEva Daivatam Na: VrishabhAdrishwara Eva Daivatam Na:
PaNishailAdipatEva Daivatam Na: Bhagavan Venkata Eva Daivatam Na:
Sri Srinivasa Para Daiva Tam Na: Sri Srinivasa Kula Daivatam Na:
Sri Srinivasa Paramam Dhanam Na: Sri Srinivasa ParamAgatir Na:

Namo Narayana,

Muralidhar Rangaswamy




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