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Experiencing Swami Desika - 41

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Praveena • October 10, 1999 


SrI:
Shrimate Shri Lakshmi Nrusimha Parabrahmane Namaha:
Shrimate Shri Seetha Ramachandra Parabrahmane Namaha:
Shrimate Shri Ramanujaya Namaha:
Shrimate Nigamantha Maha Desikaya Namaha:
Shrimate Shrivan Satagopa Shri Narayana Yateendra Mahadesikaya Namaha:

"SrimAn VenaktanAthArya: kavithArkika kEsarI!
VedAnthAchArya varyO mE sannidhatthAM sadhA hrudhi"!!


Shri Kumara Varadarya was Swami Desika's son.
He learnt all the meanings under Swami's thiruvadi
and was Swami's ardent disciple. At the peak of his
Bhakti, Shri Kumara Varadarya has shared all the
greatness of Swami as experienced by him. This
great work is in Tamil and is called Pillai Andhadhi.
It is interesting to note that a few paasurams in
this describe both Shri Ramanuja and Swami Desika.

Pillai Andhadhi communicates a few very important points
to us. Shri Kumara Varadarya says that

* We cannot survive unless we sing about the
  greatness of Swami Desika.

* Only the philosophy which has been analysed and
  arrived at can be a sAdhana.

* All our sins disappear when we sing the praise of
  Swami Desika and hold him in our heart.

* If we seek refuge in Swami Desika we will acquire
  all the auspicious qualities.

* There is no other upAyam, other than Swami Desika's
  blessings.

Shri Kumara Varadarya says in his Mangalasasana Hymn,
an euology on Swami Desika:

"anrivvulaginaiyAkki arum pOru nool virithu
ninru tan Nil pugal venkatamAmalai mayviyum pin
vendrip pugalttiruvEnkatanAta nennum kuruvAi
ninru nigayndumaN mEninra nOyka tavirttananE"

-- Pillai Andhadhi (5)

In times of yore, all the beings were like achetanAs.
The Lord with full sympathy, gave them the sarIram,
indriyAs etc. In addition to this, to prevent the
chetanAs from choosing the wrong track and to make
them follow the right path, Lord created the world
and revealed the Vedas and the Sastras pregnant
with noble ideas.

In spite of this the chetanAs did not come out of
their agjnana.

So, he installed himself with great love as
Lord VenkatEsA on the Venkata hills so that he can
be seen even through naked eyes.

In spite of all this the chetanAs did not correct
themselves and so were suffering in the samsAra.

Finally, in the Kali-yuga he took an avataara as
Thiru VenkatanAtha in Toopul, the Acharya endowed
with world wide reputation and dispelled all the
evils prevalent on earth!

Are we not reminded of the 41st paasuram of
Ramanuja nootrandadi - "manmisaiyOnikal...." ?


"Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!
SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama" !!"

.......To be continued!


dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi
10th Oct 1999