Re: Swamy Desikan's work on Thiruppaanaazhwaar

From the Bhakti List Archives

• September 25, 2001


At 01:49 PM 9/25/01 -0000, you wrote:
>
>Respected learned scholars of the list ,
>
>Adiyen heard that swamy desikan has composed a work on 
>Thiruppaanaazhwaar called "Munivaahana vijayam". Adiyen is not sure 
>whether the name is correct. Pl. correct me. Does anyone have this 
>work as an electronic copy. If so pl. help adiyen be sending it.
>
>
>Adiyen Ramanuja Dasan
>
>Narayanan

Dear Sri Narayanan:

You are referring to the classical commentary of
Swamy Desikan on AmalanAdhipirAn , the dhivya prabhandham of 
ThiruppANAzhwAr , where he enjoyed the dhivya
Soundharyam and DhivyAthma GuNams of Lord RanganAthA 
after travelling on the back of Loka Saaranga Muni 
at the command of the Lord . Swamy Desikan's reverence for 
ThiruppANar led to his  salutation of this AzhwAr as 
PaaNN PerumAL. This is a MaNipravALa Grantham and is 
considered as the 28th rahasya Grantham of Swamy Desikan.
He saluted elsewhere in this grantham , ThiruppANar 
as 'YENN PAANAN" (My PaaNan ).He described there 
as to who this PaaNan , the object of his adoration is:

" Aadhi MaRai yena Ongum ArangatthuLLE
  AruL Aarum Kadalaik kaNdavan Yenn PaaNan "

Here Swamy Desikan refers to ThiruppANar as 
the One , who saw and enjoyed the krupA Saagaram 
(Ocean of Mercy) , Lord RanganAthan inside the 
primordial PraNavAkAra VimAnam at Srirangam. 

With great pride , Swamy Desikan identified 
ThiruppAnar as " my PaaNan ". He sums up the import of
ThiruppANa Nathan's Prbhandham as the seed of of all
fruits of VedAntham  elaborated by Vedic scholars
( Vediyar viritthu uraikkum ViLaivukkellAm ithu 
Vidhai aahum ). 

At the beginning of this Rahasya grantham ,
Swamy Desikan expresses his desire to comment on 
the AmalanAdhipiran with great control of senses
for the benefit of BhaagavathOtthamAs:

vyachikhyAsathi BhakthyA Viraktha-thOshayA VenaktEsa Kavi:
Mudhitha Mukundha vilOkana MunivAhana Sukavi sookthim imAm

(Meaning): The poet with the name of VenkatEsan wishes to
comment with indhriya nigraham ( with Rigorous control over 
his sense organs) on the Sri Sookthi of the great poet 
ThiruppANar , who travelled on the back of Loka Saaranga 
Muni as his vaahanam and who was eager to enjoy 
the soundharyam of the Lord of Srirangam , whose heart 
delights in seeing His Bhakthan. 

In a companion Taniyan celebrating his BhAgyam , Swamy
Desikan comments that he is rid of all sins by understanding
the inner meaning of AmalanAdhipirAn :

PaavaLarum Tanmizh maRayin PayanE KaNDu
  PaaNN PerumAL PaadiyathOr paadal patthil
Kaavalanum KaNavanumaai kalanthu ninRa 
  KaraNanaik KarutthuRa naam kaNDa pinpu
kOvalanum kOmAnum aanavannAL 
  Kuravi puNar kOviyar tamm kuRippE kONDu
sEvaludan piriyAtha pEdai pOl sErnthu
 thee vinayOr tanimai yellAm thIrnthOm naamE 

(Meaning): ThiruppAnar's dhivya Prabhandham 
in the form of Tamizh Vedam has the quintessence of 
ancient Vedams. This Prabhandham is the one sung by 
PaaNa Naathan and is revered as  AmalanAdhipirAn . 
The ten paasurams of this Prabhandham are matchless 
in their glory. We have studied and etched their meanings 
in our mind and comprehended the Lord as the Sarva Rakshakan , 
Loka Naayakan and Sarva KaaraNan . After that delectable 
experience ,we have the matchless status of the Gopis , 
who were united with Lord KrishNa during RaasakrIdai 
and felt as the female bird that never leaves the side of 
its male companion . 

Towards the end of the Muni Vaahana BhOgam , Swamy Desikan
pays tribute his AchAryAs and performs Saathvika Thyagam :

KaaNpanavum uraippanavum maRRu onRu inRik-
  KaNNanayE kaNDuraithtu kadiya kaathal
PaNN PerumAL aruL seytha paadal patthum
  Pazha MaRayin poruLenRu paravuhinrOm
veeNN periya viri thirai neer vyatthuLLE
  VedAntha Vaariyan yenRu iyampa ninROm 
NaaNN periyOm allOm Naam nanRum theethum
  NamakkuraippAr uLar yenRu naaduvOmE

(Meaning): ThiruppANar is the One , who saw 
KaNNan in every thing and in every thing
he heard and sang about KaNNan with great 
love in his ten paasurams and bequeathed them
to us . We celebrate those ten paasurams 
of PaaNa Naathan as the essence of the timeless
Vedams .In this wide world girdled by the Oceans
with broad waves and loved by one and all , we have 
been blessed to be praised by Lord RanganAthan as 
the VedAntha AchAryan .We have no ego (ahankaaram ) 
and we will always seek the Thiruvadi of AchAryAs , 
who instruct us on the good (nallavai)and bad (thIyavai). 

Swamy Desikna concludes this Rahasya Grantham 
with the following mangaLa SlOkam :

Muni Vaahana BhOgOyam mukthaiswarya rasOpama:
krupayA RanganAthasya krutArTayathu na: sadhA 

(Meaning): This Rahasya grantham Of Muni Vaahana BhOgam 
is equivalent to the BrahmAnandham enjoyed by the Muktha
Jeevans in Sri Vaikuntam. May study of this rahasya grantham
make us kruthArtaas ( the ones who have achieved the purpose
of their lives) always with the ThiruvaruL of Lord RanganAthan. 

Sri RanganAthO Jayathi
AzhwAr , Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan 
            

  


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