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SAtvika AhamkAram 4.01: I, AM THE LION!

From the Bhakti List Archives

Ramanbil • November 21, 1999 


SwAmi VedAnta Desika's "Naichya AnusanthAnam"
and "SAtvika AhamkAram"
(as gleaned from his StOtras)
Part 4. SAtvika AhamkAram
(Anbil Ramaswamy)
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SAtvika AhamkAram 4.01: I, AM THE LION!
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VAgartha siddhi hEthOh paTatha
Hayagriva samsthuthim bhakthyA /
Kavi thArkika kEsariNA
VEnkaTanAthEna virachithAm yEthAm //
(Hayagriva StOtram Slokam 33)

Meaning
"Oh! AasthikAs!
Be it known to all that here I am, VenkaTAnAthan, known as verily the lion to 
those who profess to be poets and disputants (yuktivAdhis). 

I have composed this Hayagriva StOtram.

If you aspire to acquire true knowledge of the eternal realities - 
Read again and again this StOtram with devotion"

Comment:
"VAgartha" denotes both "Vak" (Speech) and "Artha" (Meaning)
In other words, both "form" and "substance." 
An empty word without its meaning is worthless and 
there can be no meaning without a word in the first place.

MahAkavi kALidAsa commenced his "Raghuvamsam" with the words "VagarthAviva 
Sampruktou." SwAmi Desika who has a high regard for kALidAsa as a poet, 
concludes this StOtra with the very same words.

In SlOkam 28, SwAmi prayed to Lord Hayagriva to occupy the tip of his tongue 
as His "SimhAsanam" meaning the "Lion throne" 
(JihvAgra simhAsana abhyuyEyah).

In this SlOka, he calls himself "kavi thArkika kEsari"- the tip of whose 
tongue had indeed become the "simhAsana" of the Lord as can be seen in the 
powerful expressions permeating all his compositions and which constitute not 
only excellence in poetic beauty but also convey forceful ideas charged with 
layers and layers of inner meanings.

Srimad RAmAyaNa PArAyaNa upakrama  SlOka reads-
Thad upagatha samAsa sandhi yOgam 
sama madhurOpanathArtha vAkhya bhaddham /
raghuvara charitham muni praNeetham 
dasa sirasas cha vadham nisAmayadvam //
meaning-
"The words, their alliteration. their conjunction (samAsa sandhi yOgam) 
together with their appropriate meanings (sama madhurOpanArtha vAkhya 
bhaddham) vied with each other to find place in the inimitable kAvyam (epic) 
of Aadhi kavi VAlmiki, when he composed his story of Raghuvara"

When we read the works of this master-poet, MahAkavi SwAmi DEsikan, we find 
how these apply aptly to his works as well providing ample proof to the fact 
that Lord Hayagrivan has indeed conferred on him His "ParipoorNa kaTAksham" 
as SwAmi had prayed for.

He was "Simham" not only in this aspect but also a "Simham" to the herd of 
behemoths roaming about in the garb of poets and disputants. (kavis and 
thArkikas)
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To follow: SAtvika AhamkAram 4.02:
"DO YOU NEED NAME & FAME? 
HERE IS THE MAGIC FORMULA! 
COME! TAKE IT AND COVER YOURSELF WITH GLORY!"
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