Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Experiencing Swami Desika - 24

From the Bhakti List Archives

Praveena • June 29, 1999 


SrI:
Shrimate Shri Lakshmi Nrusimha Parabrahmane Namaha:
Shrimate Shri Seetha Ramachandra Parabrahmane Namaha:
Shrimate Shri Ramanujaya Namaha:
Shrimate Nigamantha Maha Desikaya Namaha:
Shrimate Shrivan Satagopa Shri Narayana Yateendra Mahadesikaya Namaha:

Shri Manakkal Nambi was entrusted with the task of
finding Shri Yamunacharya. Shri Yamunacharya was
now having a royal status.

Shri Manakkal Nambi took the order's of his
Acharya as his primary objective in life and
took all efforts to search out for Shri Yamunacharya.
Shri Manakkal Nambi having located Shri Yamunacharya
did indirect service to him in order to gain an entry.

Shri Yamunacharya learnt about Sri Vaishnavam
and Divya Prabhandam from Shri Manakkal Nambi.

Shri Manakkal Nambi taught Yamunacharya the secrets
embedded in Bhagavad-Gita.

Shri Yamunacharya, having learnt the secrets of
Bhagavad-Gita from a SadAcharya, has given us the
essence of Gita in a nut shell in his
Gitarthasangraha ( 32 stanzas).

Swami Desika has also given us Gitarthasangraha.
Our swami has rendered nineteen works in tamil.
Gitarthasangraha, is the fifteenth work and contains
twenty one stanzas. This again gives the essence
of Gita all the eighteen chapters of Bhagavad-Gita.

Let us immerse ourselves into the first Sloka of
Shri Alavandar's Gitarthasangraha :

SvaDharma-jnana-vairAgya
sAdhyaBaktyekaGocaraha !
nArAyaNah param brahma
GiTaSastre samIritah !!

Swami DEsika has rendered the above Sloka in Tamil:

Karumamum jnanamum kondeyum kAdhaluk-KOrellakkendru
Arumarai uttchiyul Aadharitthodum Arum biramam
Thirumagaloodu varum thirumAl enru than uraithan
tharumamugandha dhananjayannukkavan sArathiye!!

This Sloka tells us the whole gist of Gita Sastra.

The subject matter of the Gita Sastra is Sriman Narayana,
Sriman Narayana is Para Brahman. Gita has been addressed
as Sastra because it speaks only the truth.

This highest Brahman - Sriman Narayana is attainable
by Bhakti alone [Bhakti eka Gochara],

meaning Lord Sriman Narayana comes within the range
of Bhakti alone or
Lord Sriman Narayana is both Upaya and Upeya.

Bhakti is attainable only by performing the duties
of ones own vArna and Asrama (Swadharma),

by the acquisition of true knowledge - the knowledge of
the seshatvam of the jiva,

and by Vairagya - turning away from allegence to
anything but the Lord.

All these are explained fully and clearly [Sameerita]

......To be continued!

AlavandAr tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi
29th Jun 1999

P.S: A few postings on Swami Desika could not be sent due
to "Bhakti Vocation". Since the idea was to post one mail per day,
Adiyal has posted only today's posting. However, the postings can
be sent as privately if requested.