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Swamy Deshikan and the eight languages he knew !!!

From the Bhakti List Archives

Balaji CG • November 4, 2001 


Swamy Deshikan Thiruvadigale Sharanam !!!

It has been quoted many times that Swamy Deshikan composed Stotrams,
Kavyams, Rahasyams, Prabandhams etc in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Tamil. But, it
is a lesser known fact that he knew more languages than this. In fact Swamy
Deshikan knew eight languages !!! They are -

Sanskrita
Prakrita
Tamizh
Mahaaraashtri
Maagadhi
Shuraseni
Laata
Gauda

Swamy Deshikan himself mentions this in the second act of his allegorical
drama "Sankalpa Suryodayam".
Swamy Deshikan weaves himself into the role of "Shishya" and Bhagavad
Ramanuja into the role of "Guru" in the second act of this drama.

Quote - 
" shiShyaH - bhagavAn ! itaH prasAryatAm druShtiH -
  mahArAStrIm, mAgadhIm, shaurasenIm, lATIm, gauDImitthamanyAdRushIm cha |
  angIkurvantyAgamIkrutya dattAm hAsyAm bhAShAm hanta buddhArhadAdyaiH ||

  aham tvasheShabhAShAvedI tattadabhyastabhAShyApi
tArkikAnetAnpratikShepsyAmi |
  vadanti hi pishAchAnAm pishAchabhAShayaivottaram deyAmiti | "

(Free translation)
Shishya (addressing Ramanuja) - Bhagavan ! Could you kindly shed your divine
glance here,
Having accepted Mahaaraashtri, Maagadhi, Shuraseni, Laata, Gauda and other
languages, they have authored their shastraic works.
I, who is a knower of all these langauges, shall deal with them in their own
language and shall befittingly refute their philosophies, just as they say
'Speak to a demon in its own language'.

Sri Prativadi Bhayankaram Annan, who composed the famous 'Saptati ratna
maalika' on Swamy Deshikan glorifies Swamy Deshikan's mastery over languages
in the 44th shlokam.
He says -
" ananyasAdhAraNachAturI cha kAvyAdiShu brahmavidagraNItvam |
  tathAShTabhAShAkavitApaTutvam sankalpasUryodayadRushyamasya || "

" Swamy Deshikan the possessor of unmatched poetic intellect and the
greatest Brahmavit (knower of Brahman). His mastery over eight languages
could well be seen in the scene from his sankalpa suryodayam"

jayathi nigamachUdAdhEshikedhro dayALuh
jayathi sumathisEvyA shobhanA thasya sUkthih |
jayathi shubhaguNam tham shIlayan sUrisamghO
jayathi vasumathI sA thasya samchAraDhanyA ||
(shlokam - 165 of Vedanta Deshika Vaibhava Prakashika - by Chandamarutam
Doddayacharya)

vAzhi vyAkhyAmuddirak kai !!!


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