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PART VII: Swamy Desikan's Taathparya RathnAvaLi:Fourth SlOkam

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Sadagopan • December 18, 2001 


Dec 18, 2001: " Ongi UlahaLantha Utthaman " ThiruppAvai Dinam

ANDAL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
                 
SrI:

Dear RasikAs of Swamy NammAzhwAr's dhivya prabhandhams:

On this Third ThiruppAavi day , adiyEn will continue with 
the Fourth SlOkam of DTR:

BhAshAgIthi: prasasthA Bhagavathi vachanAth rAjavacchOpachArAth
Saa chAgasthya-prasUthAthvithi parijagruhE bhUmikA-bhEdha-yOgyA
yatthath kruthyam SruthInAm munigaNa vihithai:sEthihAsai: PurANai:
tathrAsou sathvaseegna:SaThapaTana MunE:SamhithA SaarvabhoumI

(Meaning): Swamy NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi is supremely
auspicious samhithai in Tamizh , a language sanctified by
the renowned Vedic Rishi , Agasthyar , who had his home
in the southern region of Bhaaratha Desam . Agasthya Muni
created grammar for Tamizh and made it sacred for eulogizing 
BhagavAn by those , who had no familiarity with Sanskrit 
(Deva Bhaashai) or who were not adhikAris for learning
Sanskritic Vedam . Swamy NammazhwAr out of compassion 
for those , who either did not know Sanskrit or disqualified to
learn Vedams , transformed for their benefit the quintessence of
Vedic and Upansishadic doctrines into his Tamizh paasurams 
(Vedam Tamizh seytha Maaran).

There are many pramANams for the use of language 
other than Sanskrit for the eulogy of the Lord 
and His KalyANa GuNams.The situation is similar to
the case , where the citizens of a kingdom praise
their king(RaajA) through their own languages. Therefore for 
eulogizing the  RaajAthi-Raajan (BhagavAn) , it is appropraite
for those , who can not use Sanskrit to offer their
salutaions in their own languages . It is only for Vaidhika
Kaaryams that Sanskrit alone has be used as ordianed by
AchArya RaamAnujA. For all other adhyAdhmic pursuits , 
languages like Tamizh blessed by Sage Agasthyar 
can be used without hesitation. 

Just as IthihAsams and Saathvika PurANams assist 
VedAs in intrepreting the dcotrines housed in latter ,
Swamy NammAzhwAr's paasurams serve to focus 
on the doctrines adumbrated in the Vedams .
ItihAsams , PurANams and ThiruvAimozhi may not 
be Svathanthra PramANams like Vedams ,but  they help 
the Vedic doctrines to reach out to the many , who can not
access the Vedams. Likewise , Swamy NammAzhwAr's dhivya 
prabhandhams make it easy for one and all to
benefit from the comprehension of Vedic doctrines 
such as Tatthva Thrayams,Tatthva-Hitha-PurushArthams , 
arTa Panchakam and SaraNAgathi  in Agastrhya BhAshai 
and help to develop them as Mumukshus (those who seek 
Moksham ) and instruct them about SaraNAgathi 
as the unfailing means to gain Moksha Siddhi.

Swamy Desikan has won the debates at Srirangam and
Kaanchi with those who did not accept dhivya prabhandhams
set in Tamizh language as suitable for worship.
The opponents insisted that the Tamizh language 
is not as sacred (apabramsam ) as the Deva bhAshai of 
Sanskrit and therefore the Tamizh Paasurams of AzhwArs
should not be recited at Temple Uthsavams and
SaaRRumuRais during Bhagavath AarAdhanam.Swamy
Desikan refuted soundly all these views in debates and
established the legitimacy of AzhwAr Paasurams 
in worship of Sriman NaarAyaNan. Kaanchi VaradarAja
PerumAL was so pleased with the defense of Swamy
Desikan that He homored the kaimkaryam performed by
His dear devotee with the present of one of His twin 
Thirucchinna Vaadhyams used during His PuRappAdu.
Even today , only one Thirucchinnam is used in front of 
Lord VaradarAjan at Kaanchi during His uthsavams .
Swamy Desikan thanked the Lord for His precious gift 
and eulogized in Tamizh the significance of Thirucchinna 
Vaadhya dhvani and its connection to PraNava Naadham .

Such is the glory of the Paasurams of AzhwArs 
set in Tamizh language ! Thiru Adhyayana Uthsavam
gives us all opportunity to celebrate these Tamizh Marais
during the sacred month of Maarghazhi.

Please join the other BhakthAs during this occasion
and have sathsangam!

Sri RanganAyaki SamEtha Sri RanganAtha ParabrahmaNE Nama: 
Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VardAchAri SaThakOpan 



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