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Daya/AnukampA , NammAzhwAr&Swami Desikan--Part 2

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • November 2, 1996 


Dear Members of the Prapatthi Group :

In the posting of October 29 , I referred to Swami Desikan's 
deep attachment to NammAzhwAr"s Thiruvaimozhi and how many of  
those sentiments expressed by the AzhwAr inspired Swami Desikan 
in his many works in general & Daya satakam in particular.

I will be following closely the Commentaries of Uttamur Swamigal
and that of Dr. V.N. Vedantha Desikan ( AzhwAr ThiruvuLLam ) as well
as the Sanskrit  works of Swami Desikan ( Dramidopanishad Saaram 
and Dramidopanishad Taatparya RatnAvaLi ) , MaNavALa Maamuni"s 
Thiruvaimozhi Nurrandhathi  & Azhagiya ManavALa PerumAL NayanAr's
Acharya Hrudayam . As I have indicated earlier , I have been deeply
impressed by the monumental work of Dr.V.N. Venkatanathan , my 
neighbor at Oppiliappan Koil Sannadhi Theru . 

I will refer first in an overview fashion the various references to the
Daya/Arunaa / Anukamopaa/Krupa/ Kshamaa of Sriman Narayana
in Thiruvaimozhi and indicate the appropriate echoes in the works of 
Swami Desikan that have connections to the above auspicious 
qualities of the Lord Of Thiruvenkatam eulogzed in Daya Satakam .
Thanks at the outset to Sriman Sudarshan for deflecting my thoughts 
in this direction . 

I will start off these postings with a salutation to 
Kuruhur Satakopan :

BHAKTHAAMRUTHAM VISWAJANAANUMODHANAM
SARVAARDHATAM SRI SATAKOPA VAANGMAYAM I
SAHASRA SAAKOPANISHAD SAMAAGAMAM
NAMAAMYAHAM DRAAVIDA VEDA SAAGARAM II 

***Thiruvaimozhi : The First Decad (Patthu )

Here AzhwAr sets the stage for the celebraton of the Kalyana
GuNAs of the Lord. Here, he points out that Sriman NarayaNa
is the supreme means (UpAyam ) for us. He is easy  to meditate 
and the GuNaanubhavam of the Lord is similar to that of tasting
nectar. He also dwells on the Mukunda or the Moksha Conferring
power of BhagavAn. 

In the very first verse, Azhwaar states that BhagavAn blesses us with 
Jnana-Bhakthi faculty to overcome the weakness of the intellect that
can lead us astray through doubts, confusions and arguments. He points out
that all chetanas  , Achetanas , Devas  and all else are Him and Him alone.
He is the indwelling soul , niyanthaa and ultimate source of the power of
all other Gods that people elect to worship . He asks us to surrender 
our  soul ( offer Prapatthi) to Him and secure Paramapadam .

In verse 1.2.5 & 6,  the upadesam of AzhwAr about the mercy of the Lord 
surfaces up first . He refers to the Aasritha Premam (Affection for those who 
seek refuge at His lotus feet ) and states unequivocally that He will 
show His MERCY to  ALL equally , once they become aligned with
Him through SaraNaagathi . AzhwAr refers to the concept of Sambhanda 
Jnaanam ( We are part of his splendour ) in his role as an Acharya 
and invites us to surrender unto Him and become the object of His Daya
through the practice of subservience (Seshatvam ) to Him..  

In Verse 1.10.8, Azhwaar celebrates the Daya quality of "Selva NaaraNan".
He indicates that Selva NaaraNan is an Avyaaja Suhruth ( One who does not
have a  specific reason to be our well wisher and friend ) . Azhwaar says :" His
is a 
masterly game. The Lord with abundant KlayaNa guNaas appears to have
striven ,day and night , to secure me -- Now , He has joined me inseparably.  
Unlike me who search for Him intermittently , He has sought me 
uninterruptedly. And so he has caught me " . This is His Sowseelya 
guNam and Daya guNam in action . He concludes this decad by 
stating that his effort to forget the Lord has conceded victory to
HIS effort to remain implanted in his memory. That is a direct 
result of His unique Dayaa svabhaavam .

The first 22 verses of Thiruvaimozhi is considered the essence of
the message of Vedas, Vedanthas ( Upanishads) . 
Sri RamAnujA , Swami Desikan and Kanchi Azhagiya ManavALa 
PerumAL Jeeyar  have used these verses as the basis for their works :

 Brahma Sutra Bhashyam, Dramidopanishad -- Taatparya RatnAvaLi 
and Sri Bhashya Dravida Aagama Aadhya Dasaka Dvandhva IykaKantyam .

His Kshamaa guNam is celebrated in decad  1.4 as  Nissesha Ahassahan
or the one who  through  His Kalyaana GuNam of Kshamaa forgives always
all of our tiring trespasses . He provides Sarvaanga Samslesham through His 
KalyANa guNam of Krupaa and makes the Azhwaar enjoy His sweet 
presence in every one of his limbs. His daya also results in His being 
AvyAja UdAran or who gives Himself without any particular reason.  

His Daya is celebrated more intensely in the subsequent decads by
NammAzhwAr . 

AzhwAr , Aacharyan Thiruvadigaleh SaraNam 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan