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Experiencing Swami Desika - 13

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Praveena • June 18, 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:

Rivers form a very important aspect in our
Sri Vaishnava Tradition. The "Koil" -
Srirangam Shri Ranganathaswamy Koil - is
situated on the banks of Kaveri and Kollidam
rivers. The basic duties of a Sri Vaishnava
are supposed to be performed on the river banks.

Our Swami Desikan, in Subhasita Nivi, has done
extensive comparison of the river flow &
human behaviour.

Some humans who take up bad behaviour are generally
born in noble families [like the rivers that spring
from high mountains], but follow a mean path because
of sins [like rivers flowing down-stream].

Rivers tend to take torturous path as humans
take crooked decisions and humans tend to show
indifference towards the good-natured. This is
compared to river water making, even areas uneven
and making uneven areas even.

The bad elements are compared by our Swami to the
river flow in other aspects where one transgresses
the virtuous path for gain as overflowing rivers
change course and cause distructions, breaking
dams and banks.

Swami Desika records in Daya Sataka too, some
significance to riverflow:

Aseshavighnasmanam-anikesvaram-asreye!
Srimatah Karunambhodhau Siksasrota ivotthitam !!

-- Daya shatakam 5

As tributaries branch out of oceans, there are branches
to our Lord's ocean of Daya. Our lord's daya includes,
preaching, 'bug fixing' and even punishment. It is
interesting to note our Swami's view that our Lord's
Punishment is also a form of daya - "thiruthip panikolvan..."
Our Lord does not punish for the Jiva to suffer, instead
our Lord punishes to rectify the error and take the
Jiva into his abode.

It is astonishing to note that our Swami had found
and established this Daya of our Lord and I am
bewildered to praise either the Lord's Daya or our
Swami's knowledge that establishes our Lord's Daya.

Our Lord has assigned the function of Preaching the
sampradaya to Shri Vishvaksena - the Senai Mudaliar or
the Commander-in-chief. Shri Vishvaksena metes out
punishment to wrong-doers and helps them change as
desired by our Sriya Pathi. This goes to prove that
punishment to Jivas is part of our Lord's Daya.
Shri Vishvaksena clears all obstacles and protects the
good Jivas and hence it is our samparadaya to offer
the Aradhana to Shri Vishvaksena.

Our Swami in his Daya Satakam salutes Shri Vishvaksena
and no wonder Daya Satakam makes a wonderful reading.

...To be continued!

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi
18th Jun 1999