Sri Desika SthOthra MaalA : The Audio CD ROM release : Parts I-III
From the Bhakti List Archives
• July 31, 1999
Dear BhakthAs : Sriman Nadadur Madhavan announced recently the release of three audio CD ROMs that cover 18 of the 28 SthOthrams ; the remaining 10 sthOthrams have been recorded and should be ready for release around Sri Vaikunta EkAdasi day of this year. Altogether there will be six CD ROMs of high audio fidelity recitations recorded with great care and devotion in the most sampradhAyic way by two brothers from TamilnAdu . The two young Sri VaishNavA brothers are the grandsons of a devout BhagavathA by the name of PerumgaDamannUr U.Ve.Sriman ParthasArahty , who has studied deeply ubhaya VedAntham at the sacred feet of two Andavans (viz)., H.H. Aakkur Andavan and H.H. Thirukkudanthai Andavan . Sriman ParthasArathy taught his two grandsons -- Srimans ShyAmsundar SrinivAsan and VenaktanAthan Srinivasan-- the 28 sthOthrams of Swami Desikan , SthOthra Rathnam and ChthuslOki of AlavandhAr , Sristhavam of KurEsA and divya prabhandham at the tenderage of 5 to 9.AdiyEn met these gifted brothers for the first time at Sri RanganAthA Temple during the 600th anniversary celebration of the founding of the Ahoboila Matam last year .They helped adiyEn in my presentation on the Life and works of Swami Sri Desikan with recitations of the appropriate slOkAs from the sthOthrams that are closely connected to the different phases of life of our Kavi ThArkika Simham . The chaste Sanskrit pronunciation , the respectful sampradhAyic recitation , the sweetness of the voices and the blending of the two voices of the brothers into one made a lasting impression in adiyEn's mind at that time . One of the most beautiful experience was to hear Swami Desikan's Achyutha Sathakam being recited in PrAkrutham . Many of us will be hearing like adiyEn Prakruthic recitation of Achyuaya Sayayam for the first time in our lives . This is a rare and anubhavam-filled experience that captures the mood of Sri Venakata Naayaki(Swami Desikan ) and "her" overflowing love for "her" Naayakan, Sri Achyuthan (natha Satyan )of Thiruvaheendrapuram . All in all , it was a most thrilling experience to listen to the auspicious and beautiful sthOthrams recited in the ancient way that we hear at Thiruvahindrapuram during the annual PurattAsi SravaNa uthsavam for our Sarva Thanthra Svathrar , Swami Sri Desikan .The revered Jeeyar of Ahobila Matam is spending his ChAthurmAsyam at ThiruvahIndra- Puram this year to be close to both the divya dampathis of KshEthram and Swami Desikan . AdiyEn was dreaming at that time as to how wonderful it would be to capture the entire sthOthra MaalA of Swami Desikan for the benefit of all of us to get closer to these magnificient sthOthrams and learn to recite them with the correct pronunciations and stops. Few weeks later , I was thrilled to hear that Sriman Nadadur Madhavan of Sri RaamAnujA Mission of Srirangam Srimadh Andavan PeriyAsramam acquired high fidelity audio recording equipment and started to record the 28 sthOthrams of Swami NigamAntha MahA Desikan as recited by the two brothers . VaikuntavAsi U.Ve Sri KaNNan Iyengar Swamy , a distinguished Sri Vaishnavite Scholar in his own right guided the brothers and Sriman NadadUr Madhavan in realizing these recordings. The brothers live in New Jersey and work in New York City .They travelled to Virginia during many week ends to have the recordings done at Sri Madhavan's house /studio . It is a pity that U.Ve Sri KaNNan Swamy did not get to hear the completed recordings prior to being called to perform nithya Kaimkaryam at Parama Padham .Thereafter , Sri Madhavan asked adiyEn to review the content of the first three volumes of these CD ROMs as a ParisOdhakar. It was adiyEn's bhAgyam to be engaged in this kaimkaryam . AdiyEn's reward was the receiving of the first set of the three CD ROMs from the hands of the president of Sri RaamAnujA Mission , Sri PooNDI Vijayaraghavan on AchArya RaamAnujA's Thirunakshathram at New jersey VenakatEsA's temple . These recitations of the immortal slOkams of our GhantAvathAran (avathAram of the Koil MaNi of ThiruvEnkatam ) begins appropriately with the mangaLa dhvani of the big bells of the lord of Sapthagiri . Sriman Nadadur Madhavan gives a brief introduction to the Life and works of Swami Deikan , which is a result of significant research on his part . He also prefaces each of the slOkams with a short introduction to highlight the unique points about the individual sthOthrams . These introductions are followed by the recitations of the individual sthOthrams by the brothers in a masterly fashion .Each volume ends with the mangaLa dhvani of the bells peeling joyously from the top of the seven hills . The titles of each of the three CD ROMs have esthetically chosen color schemes and the sacred images of ArchA murthys eulogized in that CD ROM in addition to the images of Swami Desikan and AchArya RaamAnujA . These images of the ArchA mUrthys are a delight to the eye and mind. The set of CD ROMs will be a wonderful addition to the AchArya RaamAnujA multimedia CD ROM awaiting release in a month's time . As Sriman Nadadur Madhavan observed in his introduction, about Swami Desikan "no framework in words can do justice to this towering personality , the wide range of his knowledge and the burning faith of his simple life".The sthOthrams are a very significant part of the monumental contributions of the towering intellect of Our NigamAntha MahA Desikan . As Sri Madhavan observed in the context of the avathAram of Swami Sri VedAntha Desikan , his day of appearnce on this earth and his ascent to Sri Vaikuntam to join the divya dampathis coincided with the days of birth of the First AzhwAr and the return to Parama padham of the last AzhwAr ". These are no coincidences. AdiyEn appeals to all the BhakthAs in all sincerity to acquire these CD ROMs and use it for introducing the beauty and auspiciousness of the sthOthrams to youngsters to grow their Bhakthi in our sampradhAyam and sanAthan dharmam with Nigama ParimaLam . Please contact Sri Madhavan at the above address to acquire copies of these rare recordings for Yourself and Your families . AdiyEn will conclude this posting with Swami Desikan's quintissential upadEsam housed at the end of his Chillarai Rahasyam named " Tattva sandhEsam " : sathvasthAn nibrutham prasAdhaya sathAm vrutthim vyavasthApaya thrasya BrahmavidhAgasthruNamiva thraivargikAn bhAvaya I nithyE sEshiNi nikshipan nija Bharam sarvamsakhE SrisakhE dharmam dhAraya chAthakasya kusalin dhArAdharaikAnthina: II (meaning): Conduct yourself in a manner that pleases the SaathvikAs.Perform your duties to Saadhus (AchAryAs) to perfection . Stay in fear of commititng apachAram to Brahmavidhs . Stay away from those , who engage in material pleasures and consider them as equivalent in value to blades of grass. Have MahA viswAsam in Sriman NaarAyanan , who is eternal Isvaran with parama dayai to forgive our despicable trespasses.Place at the feet of the Divya Dampathis the protection of your aathmA through SvarUpa, Bhara and Phala SamarpaNam in the manner taught by ancient AchAryAs of our paramparai. After the Bhara SamarpaNam , stay in this world awaiting the Lord's call to His parama padham like a Chathaka Pakshi waiting for the water from the rainy clouds alone. Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam , Daasan , Oppiliappan koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan
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