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Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram(RSP) : Sri Sudarshan's note.

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • February 23, 1997 


Dear Members of the Prapatthi Group : 

I am delighted and priveleged  to write about RPS for number of reasons :

(1) This Kavyam is a master piece of Swami Desikan 
      Just as Rahasya traya Saaram is the magnum opus for the
      understanding of the three great RahasyAs of Sri Vaishnavism . 

      I continue to be amazed and thrilled by the greatness of 
      the penetrating intellect , poetic skills and the genius of our great
      Acharya  in the choice of the words , group of words and the  
      the extraordinary fluency of thoughts structured along important 
      mula granthams so dear to us such as Thiruvaimozhi and Srimadh 
      RamayaNam to mention a  few. No wonder the other great  genius ,
      MaNavALa Maamuni saluted Swami Desikan as the Abhiyukthar.
      
      I am least qualified to take on the role of a critic of the works 
      of the Sri Sookthis of Swami Desikan . I am only expressing 
      the effect they have on me . By association with his Sri Sookthis,
      I feel that a portion of my life is well spent amidst all the "chaos" . 
         
(2) it is very helpful for my Aathma Suddhi , while running around 
     chasing the worldly affairs , which  all of us have to do as a part
     of modern day life and  as a part of the drama that we have to take
     part in the series called " Udhara Nimmittham Bahu krutha Vesham "
     and still keep some "sanity " through links with the works of our
     SadAchAryAs .  Even here , our compassionate AcharyA has included
     slokams in the different paddhathis of RPS to address our worldly
     " bheethis ", so very well explained by our Sri Sudarshan in his valued 
      postings on Parama Padha ShobhAna . For instance , there are slokAs 
      in RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram that can be recited to
     gain the blessings of Sri RanganAthA to advance oneself in professional
     life, gain succes in educational endeavours and a host of other wishes 
     with appropriate sankalpam and japam of these particular slokams .
     With appropriate yanthrams drawn in the form of kolams or on
     copper plates , one could experience the power  of the Slokams ,
     which are nothing but manthrams blessed by the Divya Dampathis 
     of Srirangam and composed by Swami Desikan in a short portion 
     of onegreat  night at Srirangam .

(3) Inputs like the one today from Sriman Sudarshan inspires me to share 
      what little I know. Even if a few bhakthAs like Sri Sudarshan read 
      and get inspired to go after the original works , I feel fulfilled in
      my kaimkaryam .  

(4) Finally , Sriman K.G.KrishNan , the son-in-law of 
      Uttamoor SwamigaL has indicated his firm interest to
      release the English version of RPS that is shaping up as postings 
      on our list. Until the Naadha Paddhathi , I posted only the summaries 
      of earlier paddhathis and included illustrative slokas from those
Paddhathis.
      When I reached the stage of Naadha Paadhathi , I could not resist the
      temptation to understand each of  the slokams offered by Swami Desikan
      like fresh and fragrant lotus blossoms at the sacred feet of the Lord of
Srirangam .
      I decided to include the traditional intrepretations of this kavyam from 
      the two Acharya paramparais : Uttamoor SwamigaL and Srirangam 
      Aandavan . I am pleased to know that great scholars of our SampradhAyam 
      such as Vangipuram Navaneetham Sri Vedantha Desikan of Oppiliappan 
      Koil and ThevanArviLAgam Sri S. PadmanAbhan 
      (the author of the monograph on Parasara Bhattar) and  a nephew of the
43rd
      Jeeyar of Ahobila Matam would help to edit this manuscript and release it
      as one of the publications of VishishtAdhvaitA Research Center in 1997 
       or when ever the SaraNyan sees fit to bless  this Kaimkaryam . 

Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
Oppiliappan koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan     

Thanks to all of you for  sharing the experience of this journey to get a small
glimpse of the deep meanings embedded in the MahA Kaavyam , 
Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram .

V.Sadagopan