Satvika AhamkAram 4. 10 :OH! ASTHIKAS! LET ME TELL YOU A SECRET!

From the Bhakti List Archives

• November 30, 1999


SwAmi VedAnta Desika's "NaichyAnusanthAnam"
and "SAtvika AhamkAram"
(as gleaned from his StOtras)
Part 4. SAtvika AhamkAram
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Dear Bhagavatas
Your kind attention is invited to the Introduction to this Part posted on 
21st November 99 to appreciate this posting better and in the proper 
perspective.
(Anbil Ramaswamy)
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Satvika AhamkAram 4. 10 : 
OH! ASTHIKAS! LET ME TELL YOU A SECRET!
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ukthya dhananjaya vibheeshaNa lakshyayA thE
prathyAyya lakshmaNa munEr bhavthA vitheerNam /
sruthvA varam tad anubhandha madha avalipthE
nityam praseedha bhagavan mayi ranganAtha //
(NyAsa Thilakam SlOkam 22)

Meaning
"Oh! Thiruvaranga PerumAnE!
I am intoxicated and proud with elation (madha avalipthE).
Do you know why?

1. I have secured the benign grace of my AchAryas like KiDAmbi AachAn, 
EngalAzhwAn, NaDadur AmmAL and AppuLLAr
(sruthvA varam tad anubhandha_

2. I know your promises made through VibheeshaNa in your AvatAra as Sri Rama 
and through Arjuna in your AvatAra as Sri KrishNa.
(ukthya dhananjaya vibheeshaNa lakshyayA thE)

3. I know how emphatically you reiterated and reinforced these promises to 
Sri BhAshyakArar as revealed in his Gadhyam.
(prathyAyya lakshmaNa munEr bhavthA vitheerNam)

4. And, most importantly, I have the invaluable connection with BhAshyakArar 
(Udaiyavar Sambandham), the AchArya Sarvabhouma who wrested from you the 
boons and I am aware of this fact too!

Tell me now. Can you deny me Moksham and get away with it?"
(nityam praseedha)

Comment
The boon is this:-

Granting Moksham to all those who do Prapatti either through BhAshyakArar or 
any AchArya of his lineage. 

The relevant words are-
"nitya kinkarO bhavishyasi"
"mA thE Bhooth athrasamsayah"
nis samsaya sukham aaswa"

SwAmi says that he has done Prapatti in terms of this boon and the Lord would 
certainly grant MOksha to him and also to all those who follow his footsteps.

Why does SwAmi use "dhananjaya" of DvApara yuga before referring to 
"VibheeshaNa" of the earlier TrethAyuga?

This is perhaps because the reassuring statement "mA Suchah" seems to have 
weighed with him in tune with "mA thE bhooth athra samsayah" and "nis samsaya 
sukham aaswa" mentioned above.

The word "nyAsa" means "SaraNAgathi" - Surrendering the burden of 
"Atma", "Atma rakshaNa bharam" and "Atma RakshaNa phalam" 
at the feet of the Lord.

This Thilakam is indeed the "Kasthuri Thilakam" for Lord RanganAtha!

There are 32 SlOkas in this StOtra which summarize the essence of the 32 
AdhikAras of SwAmi's magnum opus "Srimad Rahasya Traya Saram"

SwAmi seems to beckon us to share a secret with him. 

The secret is -
·  Recite this Thilakam -
·  You can get Sri BhashyakArar's Sambandham, as I did
·  By virtue of this, you will do SaranAgathi, as I did.
·  Once you do this you need not have any doubt about your gaining MOksham!"
What more reassurance do we need?
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