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Experiencing Swami Desika - 31

From the Bhakti List Archives

Praveena • July 28, 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:

A pearl chain has continuous pearls on both sides. Both these
join with a common bigger pearl. Similarly ,
Shri yatirAja is the bigger pearl in our chain of Acharyas.
Our elders have reverently referred the Acharyas before
Shri yatirAja to be the "Thirumudi Sammandam" while
the Acharyas after Shri yatirAja are referred to as
"Thiruvadi Sammandam".

It is interesting to know about BhavishyatachArya.
Shri Madhurakavi Alvar wanted to make an archA vigrahA
of Shri Nammalvar. On completion, to his surprise, the
end product was the Archa vigrahA of Shri Ramanuja.
Shri Madhurakavi Alvar in his dream learnt that
the divine personality figuring in the vigrahA would
be the future Acharya as prophesied by Shri Nammalvar.

Shri Nathamunigal was also shown this archA vigrahA
of Shri Ramanuja when he reinstated the Divya prabandam.

Thus, Shri Ramanuja's worship began long before his
physical advent on earth!

All the Acharyas have sung praises on Shri yatirAja
and what more!? Our Vishistadvaita sampradaya
is referred as "EmperumAnAr darishanam"!

Shri Ramanuja is also addressed as yatirAja, udayavar and
emberumAnAr. Swami Desikan has complete devotion on
Shri yatirAja and has used around 30 epithets to address
this Acharya.

Swami Desika's devotion, admiration and respect for
Shri yatirAja is boundless and Swami used to feel very
hard that he could not get the bAgyam of being the
direct disciple of Shri yAtirAja. Swami addressed his
longing through his "Sankalpa Suryodaya". In this,
Swami creates two characters, that of an Acharya and
his disciple and likens the Acharya to be Shri Ramanuja
and he himself as the disciple. Swami stages the
"Sankalpa Suryodaya" to get indirect blessings from
Shri Ramanuja.

We saw that Shri Nadadur Ammal blessed our Swami
stating that Swami will establish the supremacy
of Visistadvaita. Swami portrays the same event
as a scene in the "Sankalpa Suryodaya", where he
gets blessed by Shri Ramanuja.

"Pratisthapita -Vedantah
Prati-kshipta-bahirmatha
bhuyas-trai-vidya-maanyas-tvam
buri kalyana-bhajanam."

The above mentioned Sloka depicts the blessing of
Shri Nadadur Ammal received by Swami. [This is seen
in Act II of Sankalpa Suryodaya of Swami Desikan.]

Swami exclaims his devotion to Shri Ramanuja, thus:

"...SiddAntA na samindate yatipativaragranTAnusanDAyini"

-- Yatiraja saptati (61)

"I will not even look at faiths other than Shri Ramanuja"

"YttIshvara saraswatI surabhitAshayAnAm satAm
vahAmi charanambhujam praNati shalinA MoulinA !
tadanyamata durmada jwalita chetasAm vAdinam
shirassu nihitam mayA padamadashiNam lakshyatAm !!"

-- Yatiraja saptati (41)

Swami Desika's dedication and devotion to Shri Ramanuja
was so great that Swami was even prepared to bear the
feet of those whose intellect was filled with the
fragrance of the amritam flowing from the lips
of Ramanuja, his head lowered.

Swami does not stop here. Swami was very particular that
people should not be misguided by wrong interpretations.
Swami's concern for humanity on the whole is so great,
that Swami says, the world can see that he will never
hesitate to place his left foot on the heads of those
who contests Shri Ramanuja's philosophy. This clearly
establishes that Swami had almost taken a vow to declare
the supremacy of Visistadvaita over other schools.


......to be continued!

yatirAjar tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi
28th Jul 1999