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Sri Raamaanujar and Swami Desikan

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sampath Rengarajan • April 23, 1996 


 I wanted to present the follwoing in the absence of Sri SadagOpan (if
available
he would do much eloquent service for Sri Raamanujar by writing on him). These
3 slOkams that swami Desikan delivered on Sri Raamnujar, are presented with
meanings on this day (eve of 24 April in India), Sri Raamujaas birth day, and
pray to our poorvaavhaaryaaL that our minds are set clear (like snow white) and
that we serve our achaaryaaLS of the present time in his lineage as advised by
Sri Raamanujar.

1. Sri Raamujaa's ability in debate:

Those who preach meanings for vedaantham to suit the whims and fancies of their
mind and those who will do so in the directions their mind will wander, are
haidukarkaL'S. Sri Raamaanuja served the role of (an elephant that is wild and
forceful in Tamil known as "matha yaanai") mad elephant and crushed such
plantain (trunk i ein tamil "vaazhai thaNdu") gardens of philosphies that were
raised by such haidukarkaL'S arguments. Those of us who are following his Sri
sukthis will never ever think of such improper philosphies and actions promoted
by such haidukarkaL'S.


aaraNa nool vazhich sevvai yazhiththidu maithukark kOr
vaaraNa maayavar vaathak kathalikaN maayththapiraa
nEraNi keerththi yiraamaanusa muni yinnuraisEr
seeraNi sinthaiyinOn chinthiyOm inith theevinaiyE

athikaara saankiraham - 4 - Swami Desikan


haidukarkaL : Those who leave the prominent meaning of the vedaas (veddaantham)
and instead seek "reasoning" (haiduka) for everything and finally miss the
prominent and core meanings of vedaas.

2. Sri Raamujaa's clarity in deabte (kuRRamaRRa thanmai)
Two persons are discussing on tha banks of a poygai or tank.

A: One of the Swan (Annam) that lives here didnot drink the homey from the
Lotus in this tank. Neither it was walking with strides similar to such
beautiful women. What is cause for this sadness of such Annam or Swan ?

B:
I know. Since it lost its speciality, it is feeling sad.

A:
what is that ? can you explain ?

B:
Annam's tounge can separate water and milk and since it lost such ability to
do any more such it is worried as such.

A:
why is that ? It was Brahma Devan who gave this swan this special ability. How
come this is lost now ?

B:
Let me tell you now. All the "muradars" (roughians - due to their arrogant ways
of demanding arguments thinking that their sidhdhaantham was the only real one)
came to argue with Sri Bashyakaarar so often. Sri Baashyakaarar made unfaulted
arguments with them and won them in such debates. After such debates they were
very much convinced with him and his philosphies. (Was the mindset of the then
pira mathaththars very advanced or matured that they know to accept the truth
when told ?). Sri Baashyakaara also roared that he will not back up and is
ready to face any more arguments. Such roaring was similar grow Emperumaanaar's
pugazh or fame similar to the pure white color of the changam the counch. Such
fane expanded exponentially all around the world and all the material object
that were spread in this material world changed and appeared pure white in
color (antharyaamim). Hence the sakthi or ability of Annam to separate the milk
and water was rendered useless sa everything looked milk white. Since Annam was
special only becuse of using this ability, and after losing such ability this
annam is worried and looking sad. Such Unfaluted (ie kuRRa maRRa - The
speciality of his vaadam or argument was such that it was void of "salam", a
type of kuRRam or fault one may cause in debates). Such fame of ethiraajat
should live for ever.


alarntha vambu yaththi runthu  thEna runthi yinnaka
lalku laara saintha daintha nadaiko Laatha thanamenO
nalantha virntha thaala thenko naavin veeRi zhanthathaa
naava Nanku naathar thantha naavin veeRi zhanthathen
salantha virinthu vaathu seytu saadi mooNda miNdaraich
sarivi lEnenakka naiththu raiththa vEthi raasartham
valantha rungai naaya naarva Laikki saintha keerththiyaal
vaari paala thaama thenRu maasil vaazhi vazhiyE

Amritha swaathini - 33 -Swami Desikan



3: Sri Raamujaas sidhdhaantham and the commonality with aazhwaar's paasurams:


thEsamelaa mukanthidavE perumpoo thoorir
siththiraiyi laathirai naaL vanthu thOnRik
kaasinimEl vaathiyarai venRa rangar
kathiyaaka  vaazhntharuLu mEthiraasaamun
poosurarkOn Riruvarangath thamutha naarun
ponnadimE lanthaathi yaakap pORRip
pEsiya naR kaliththuRai nooR Rettup paatum
"pizhaiyaRavE" yenak karuL sey pENi neeyE

Sri Baashyakaara was born in sriperumputhoor the then thoNdai naadu, on
siththirai month thiruvaathirai star (today) for the welfare of the human race,
As per his niyamanam, thiruvarangaththamudanaar, served sri kooraththaazhwaan
as his sishyan and also delivered the "thodarbu" that sri baashyakaarar and
aazhwaar's paasurams in "kattaLaik kalith thuRai" (a type of poem) in anthaathi
meter with 108 paasurams. I pray that Such special nool or slOkam be
"understood clearly" and prayed upon.


Sri Raamaanujar thirvadikaLE saraNam
swami Desikan thirvadikaLE saraNam
Sampath Rengarajan