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From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • January 26, 1997 


Dear Members of the Bhakthi Group :

Sri KrishNa Kalale's posting on his meeting with
his Acharya , the present Jeeyar of Ahobila Mutt was indeed
a moving one. The follow ups on that posting from Sri Vijay 
Srinivasan and Sri Sudarshan relating to Nirvedam brought 
the memories of Saint ThyagarajA and Swami Desikan 
as great BhakthAs going through this SanchAri Bahvam 
known as Nirvedam during their SadhaNAs . 

Swami Desikan in his Sri Ranganatha PadhukhA sahasram has 
devoted the entire 31st Paddhathi to the subject of Nirvedham 
and has named this Paddhathi as Nirvedha Paddhathi .This is 
the penultimate Paddhathi . Until now , he was enjoying the 
Maanasa SaakshAthkAram of the PadhukhAs and thier anantha
KlayANa guNAs . That ended suddenly and Swami Desikan 
cried aloud in the Nirveda Paddhathi just as NammazhwAr 
(SatAri Suri ) cried aloud , when the Maanasa Samslesham with 
the Lord came to an end ; similar is the experience of Thirumangai 
as ParakAla Naayaki in the ThirupullaNi paasurams. In the Oppiliappan 
Paasurams , Thirumangai cries about his SamsAric sorrows and begs
the Lord in a state of Nirvedham : AandAi unai kANpathOr aruLenukku
ArulithyEl , vendEn manai vazhkaiyai ViNNahar mEyavanE " .This bhaktha 
sanchAri Bahvam (moods ) of despondency , dejection and desolation is 
a stage in one's SadhAnA with the help of a SadAcharyan. Let me list the
sanchAri BhavAs of a BhakthA  as per Dr. V.Raghavan :

1.Autsukhyam (Longing) for the Lord's /AcharyA's sannidhi
(Constant company ) ; Darsanam ( Seeing Him and getting His 
KataakshAnugraham ) ; Kirtana ( Eulogising Him ) ;
SravaNA ( Listening to His glory ) ; SambhAshaNA ( Conversing
with Him ) ; SevanA ( Serving Him ).

2. NirvedhA ( Dejection/Despondency on not being able to
    have any one of the above blessings )

3. Atma GarhaNa & NaichyAnusandhAna ( Self-depreciation 
and recounting of one's short comings ).The example is provided 
by Saint Thyagaraja in his Gowlai pancha ratnam ( Dudukugala ) . 

4. Amarsha , Rosa, RoshOkthi ( Anger , Remonstrance and 
grievance at the Lord for notresponding to appeals ).

5. VitarkA ( Doubt , Cogitation )

6. SraddhA , ViswAsA ( Faith and assurance of help to be received 
    from the Lord )

7. NarmA ( Playful liberty with the Lord through praise, prayer 
    or remonstrance )

8. Sva-Yogya -KathanA ( Statement of one's claims and Qualifications
     for receiving the Lord's mercy )

9. Bhaktha SodhanA ( Trails and tribulations experienced )

10 . Manasa SambhodhnA ( exhortation to the mind )

11. MangaLAsAsanA ( Pronouncing blessing on the Lord 
      out of affection and devotion like PeriyAzhwAr "s Pallaandu 
      and St.ThyagarAja's Bhairavi Krithi , Raksha PettarE  )

12. Kruthaj~natA ( Expression of gratitude for the conferral 
      of the fruits of Prapatthi . The example is that of another 
Bhairavi Krithi of St. ThyagaraajA entitled yEnAdi nOmu palamu ).

Daasyam ,  Archanam are considered as 
the Bhakthi PrakaarAs . The higher states of Bhakthi like 
Tanmayathvam or Taadaatmya Sakthi ( Feeling of oneness 
with the Lord ) is the highest state of Bhagavadh Anubhavam 
that the AzhwArs experienced and poured out in their Paasurams
for our benefit.  Autsukhyam and Nirvedham are indeed  the first
two steps in this well travelled road of the BhakthAs with 
SadhAcharya Anugraham .

V.Sadagopan