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Re: No No !! Number One Divya dEsam - Srirangam

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muralidhar rangaswamy • August 25, 1998 


Dear Bhaktas,

Sri Mani is absolutely correct in pointing out that it is Pillai 
Lokacharya who transported the Utsava Murthy of Lord Ranganatha 
to Satyamangalam. Sri Mani also rightly noted that Swami Desikan was 
entrusted with the task of protecting Srutaprakashika (a commentary 
on the Sri Bhashya) and taking care of the sons of Sri Sudarshana 
Suri, who met a tragic end during the Muslim invasion. 
Thanks to Sri Mani for catching the error in my note. 

Namo Narayana,

Muralidhar Rangaswamy




>From mani@shell3.ba.best.com Fri Aug 21 18:41:25 1998
>Received: (from mani@localhost)
>	by shell3.ba.best.com (8.9.0/8.9.0/best.sh) id SAA29693;
>	Fri, 21 Aug 1998 18:41:06 -0700 (PDT)
>Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 18:41:06 -0700 (PDT)
>From: Mani Varadarajan 
>Message-Id: <199808220141.SAA29693@shell3.ba.best.com>
>To: bhakti@lists.best.com, rangaswamy_m@hotmail.com
>Subject: Re: No No !! Number One Divya dEsam - Srirangam
>In-Reply-To: <199808212057.NAA17445@lists1.best.com>
>
>> If Swami 
>> Desikan (an Avataram of Lord Srinivasa) had not safely transported 
the 
>> idol of Ranganatha to Satyamangalam, there would be nothing left of 
our 
>> Sampradayam in Srirangam to talk about. 
>
>Dear Murali,
>
>Is there a historical reference for this? Sri Vedanta Desika
>is known to have left Srirangam during the Muslim invasion
>with Sudarsana Suri's two sons and the manuscript of Suri's
>"SrutaprakASika".  It was Pillai Lokacharya who fled with
>namperumaaL, the Srirangam utsava mUrti.  With a small party
>of kinkara-s, Sri Lokacharya traveled with namperumaaL until
>a village called jyOtishkudi, where due to old age and 
>exhaustion he died and permanently attained the Lord's feet.
>
>From here, namperumaaL was taken eventually to Tirumalai
>and was installed in the "ranga maNTapa", which is on the left
>side near the dhvaja-stambha as one proceeds for sEvai of
>Lord Srinivasa.  namperumaaL's presence here is what 
>transformed Tirumalai fully into an authentic Sri Vaishnava
>kOyil -- only after He graced the malai was there regular
>recitation of the Divya Prabandham and performance of
>grand utsavams in the Pancaratra style.  Previously, the
>priests of Tirumalai, who follow the Vaikhanasa Agama for
>their temple rituals, did not encourage or engage in 
>pArAyaNa of the Divya Prabandham.
>
>Sri Desika traveled with the two sons of Sudarsana Suri
>to satyamangaLam.  After spending some time here, it is
>recorded that he went to tirunArAyaNapuram and was there
>[please correct me if I am wrong] until he received news
>that a Vijayanagara general had defeated the Muslims and
>that Srirangam had been liberated.  This was at least 30 to
>40 years later, and I am sure Desika traveled around in
>the intervening years, visiting other Divya Desams. It is
>said that he also visited North Indian kshetras.
>
>Upon receiving word of Srirangam's liberation, Desika returned
>to see his beloved Ranganatha restored to His rightful spot.
>There is a sloka composed by Desikar that is inscribed on the
>walls of the Srirangam temple commemorating the reconsecration
>of Srirangam after its liberation.
>
>So, Desika played a vital role in protecting the sampradAya
>during these terrible times, and was present for Ranganatha's
>return. But it was Sri Lokacharya, from what I have read, who
>personally whisked away namperumaaL to safety.  Yet again a
>wonderful division of labor by our ancient acharyas!
>
>Mani
>
>
>
>
>
>


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