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abhinava dEsika- SrI UttamUr Swamy Divya Charitham-18

From the Bhakti List Archives

Madhavakkannan V • January 23, 2002 


SrI:
Sri Padmavathi Sametha Srinivasa Parabrahmane Namaha.
Sri Perundhevi Sametha Devadhiraja Parabrahmane Namaha.
SrimathE Bhagavad Ramanujaya Namaha:
SrimathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namaha:
Srimate Rangaramanuja Maha Desikaya Namaha.
Srimate  Abhinava Desika Vatsya Satchakravarti Uttamur SRI
VIRARAGHAVARYA MAHA DESIKAYA NAMAHA

SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |
vedAntAcArya-varyome sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

Thanian (Invocatory verse on Sri UttamUr swamy written by
Swamy's AchAryan Sri Kozhiyalam Swamy himself)

adbhutam yasya vikrAntam vEda vIthI ViSOdhanE |
aparam nigamAntAryam prapadyE vIrarAghavam ||

[Article in Tamil by SrI PayyampADi VEnkatavaradAchArya SwAmi; English write 
up (based on Tamil) by SrI R.VenkatAchAri (SohattUr- Vankipuram -Oppiliappan 
Sannidhi), a disciple of SrI UtthamUr SwAmi. Appeared in the souvenir 
released during the SatAbhishEkam (80th birth anniversary) of SrI UtthamUr 
swAmi on 10th Feb, 1977]

KALASHEPA KRAMA :

Before starting the Kalashepa, he wanted to explain to the
prospective Sishyas, the proper and correct method of conducting a
Vedanta Kalakshepa Goshti which he would insist on following, He said:

In many places, leading pundits have started Upanyasas on the platforms and 
people are so much accustomed to hearing them, lecture
on Itihasas and Puranas; with the result, the tendency for looking
into the granthas had vanished.  They sincerely felt that there might
not be much to learn from the books as the leading pundits gave them
the essence.  But they forget theat the Upanyasakas had before them
the task of pleasing a varied audience and so could not tell the
correct meaning in full.  They had to hide certain truths and had to
tell many things in a subtle way to please the audience, containing
many Sidhantins.  The next day the audience would forget all that they heard 
and go about as usual fully ignorant of our Sampradaya.  Only if he studied 
the original granthas word by word, the intricate truths could be learnt and 
retained in oneÂ’s mind.  It was ordained by great Acharyas that a Prapanna 
should study the four granthas, called Grandtha Chatushtaya. Under the feet 
of a qualified Acharya.  They are, Sri Bhashya, Gita Bhashya, Tiruvoimozhi, 
and Srimad Rahasya Traya Sara of Swamy Desikan. The Pramanas very clearly 
say,  Acharyaddhaiva Vidya Sadhishtam Prapat” - meaning that the correct 
meaning and truths could be learnt only by learning before an Acharya, with 
the book in hand, which is the age-old method of learning Vedanta.  Sri 
Nigamanta Guru also said “Gurubahyaha Tadgurubhyascha” meaning that the 
Sishyas should, not only worship his immediate Acharya but also all the 
other Praacharyas in that Acharya Parampara.  We have seen that the Acharya 
Parampara for all the four granthas are different.  So it becomes necessary 
that if one grantha is taken up for Kalakshepa; only that Parampara should 
be worshipped.

Upanishads say that the Acharya Parampara upto Sriman Narayana, who is the 
Pratamacharya, should be worshipped.  We have agreed that one could have 
different Acharyas for both Pancha Samskara and Bharanyasa.  In the same way 
different Acharya Paramparas for different granthas should be accepted.  Sri 
Bhashyakara had different Achayas for Tiruvoimozhi and for other granthas.  
We could also do according to the accepted method.  I had agreed to conduct 
and accept you as Sishyas in the Kalakshepa - Acharya Parampara through 
which I gained my knowledge.  As we have many Acharya Paramparas in our 
Sampradaya, it is quite wrong to think that a sishya from one Acharya 
Parampara should not recite the names of the Acharyas from a different 
Parampara.

Also, one need not abandon his original Parampara, Sampradaya and Kulachara. 
  Only at the time of attending the Kalakshepa of a particular grantha, the 
concerned Acharya Parampara should be worshipped.  This is very important as 
this was followed by all the leading Acharyas.  Apart from that, 
Srivaishnavas who want to attend my Kalakshepa, should have their Snaanam, 
perform the Sandhyavandana and adhere to the accepted code of dress in our 
Sampradaya.  In short, they should have not only Deha Sudhi but also Manas 
Sudhi, with complete faith and regard for the Acharya and his Parampara.  
Finally, none should come late for the Kalakshepa, as the recital of the 
Tanians in the beginning and at the end is most important.  So also, none 
should leave in the middle, except in special circumstances, and that too 
with prior intimation.

On hearing the above, the assembled Astikas agreed to abide by the
above conditions and assured that it would not be difficult for them,
as they were used to following dress and other regulations and rules
in the schools and colleges they attended.  The Goshti was progressing for 
more than a year.  Once some of the sishyas mentioned this Sampradaya method 
of the Kalakshepa Goshti method of the and the
advice given by our Swami at the beginning, to Srimad Azhagiasingar of 
Devanaravilagam.  It seems, he very much appreciated the good fortune of 
those of his sishyas who had the privilege to attend the Kalakshepa under 
Our Swami and that it would be absolutely necessary to follow his advice and 
instructions.  He said that it would not amount to their leaving the 
Parampara.  They then came straight to Our Swami and told what Srimad 
Alagiasingar had told them.  Thus Our Swami was successful in forming a 
Kalakshepa Goshti consisting of Sishyas from different Sampradayas and 
different Acharya Parampara and achieved the -Sarva Sampradaya Aikarasyam.  
On hearing the starting of the Rahasya Traya Sara Kalakshepa, Srimad 
Alagiasingar of Injimedu sent enough copies of his commentary called 
“Sarabodhini” for the use of the members of the Goshti.

The Kalakshepa Goshti was thus flourishing from 1954 upto this day, on all 
days except of course on Anadhyayana days, covering not only the Grantha 
Catushtaya but also the Upanishads, Minor Rahasyas, Stotras, Prabandams, 
etc. and not only in the mornings but also in the evenings and afternoons, 
wherever permitted.

ACHARYANUGHRAHA – The Birth of a Tanian:

Some sishyas from the Kalakshepa Goshti, while visiting Sidhasramam at 
Perumal Koil, paid their homage to Sri Swami and told him about the 
wonderful progress of the Kalakshepa  Goshti.  Sri Swami was pleased and 
asked them what Tanian they were using.  They said that they were reciting 
the name only and when they requested Our Swami to teach them his Tanian he 
replied that the Tanian which was used in Tirupati could not be remembered 
and for the time being it would be enough if they should not set a bad 
convention of abandoning the Tanian in such a correct Sampradaya Kalakshepa 
Goshti.  He then said that he would give them a Tanian, which would contain 
the greatness of his Kulam, Vidya and Acharya Parampara, and the same should 
be recited every day.  He also said that he would give a short Tanian, 
similar to Sri DesikaÂ’s Tanian which would bring out clearly that he was the 
Abhinava Avatara of Sri Desika himself.  In fact the first part of the short 
Tanian would be the same as the first part of the sloka which he used in his 
book “Parapaksha Nirakriti”.  He insisted that the Tanian should be recited 
without fail in the Kalakshepa.  He said that he was telling so much only 
because he alone knew the genius and the value of Our Swami and that he was 
not praising unnecessarily which was never his habit.

The Tanian was as follows:

adbhutam yasya vikrAntam vEda vIthI ViSOdhanE |
aparam nigamAntAryam prapadyE vIrarAghavam ||

The sishyas were very much pleased at the simplicity and the great
meaning it contained and came rushing to Madras to give the happy news to 
Our Swami.  Our Swami felt that this is the highest blessings a Sishya could 
get from his Acharya and agreed to obey the commands of his Revered Acharya.
AChAryan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Namo Narayana
aDiyEn dAsan

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