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Experiencing Swami Desika - 37

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Praveena • September 4, 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:

As the time came towards the avathaara Poorthi of
Shri bAshyakarar, many of his sishyAs were upset
about the impending separation from their Acharya.

Truly, the sishyAs were perturbed that they will be
missing the greatest Acharya [won't we?].

More importantly, they were worried that there could be
none who could be so emphatic about Visistadvaitam.

Shri EmberumAnar knew their worries that he addressed a
collective meeting of his sishyAs and ordered them to
Visit his sishyA [blue-eyed?] Kongu pirAti in her house,
for their worries to be driven away. All sishyAs went
to Kongu pirAti's house and after accepting hospitality,
told her about the purpose of their visit.

She immediately went inside and brought two silk ropes
- one rope was red in colour while the other was white
in colour. She sat down in front of them.

Kongu pirAti uncombed her long hair and put them in front.
She removed the plats, applied perfumed oils and massaged
it. She then removed the knots and conditioned the hair.
Now she started combining the hair tresses, tied it and
then tightened it with the first red rope. She used
the other white rope to tighten further along the
red rope so that it could not be removed. Having done
this, she paid respects to the visiting sishyAs and bade
them farewell.

Thoroughly confused, the sishyAs narrated the whole episode
to Shri BhasyakArar and said that they could infer nothing
out of this.

Shri BhasyakArar smiled and explained the episode to them.
This lady was not an ordinary lady. The Veda dEvathai
herself had taken that form. Because Shri yatirAja had
established the correct meanings of the Vedas this lady
showed her gratitude and acted as a sishyAi in this form.
Her hero is the sarvEsvaran himself. The different sakhas
are her different parts. Her long tresses of hair is the
vEdAnta part.

The act of "uncombing her long hair" -
represents the other schools which rocked the Vedanta's.

The act of "applying perfumed oils on her hair and
massaging it" -
shows the research done by Shri yatirAjar to
find out the truths of the Vedanta.

The act of "removing the knots and conditioning it" -
refers to the arguments through which Shri yatirAjar
proved and established the concepts of our sampradaya,
while reprimanding the other doctrines.

The act of "combining the separated tresses of hair and
pinning it" -
symbolises that Veda dEvathai is relieved that the
true meanings are established and is saved from the
rocking by other schools.

The act of "tightening with the first red rope" -
refers to the philosophy that yatirAja systematised,
because it should not be spoilt by anybody in the future,
yatirAja wore the kAshAyam, became a sanyAsi and negated
the arguments of other schools by his Sri bAshyam and many
other granthams and thus established the sampradAyam.
The Veda dEvatai was now happy and comfortable with her
Lord Emberuman without any interruptions.

The act of "using the other white rope to tighten further
along the red rope so that it could not be removed " -
addresses to further allay the fears of the sishyAs.
yatirAjar said that he himself, would take an avatAr in
Kanchi(Thoopul) after some time.

The red and white rope, tied by Kongu pirAti, symbolises
the Sanyasam and gruhastAshrama respectively. GruhasAshrama
stage is where brahmachaaris and sanyasins are respected
and nourished with care. Shri Ramanuja says that he himself
will take up an avatAra in the gruhastAshrama and wear
white robes till the avataara poorthi.

He further ordained that during this avataara he shall,
through upadesas and grantas, offer the world more help.
Devotees will respect and revere the GruhastAshrama avataara
than the Sanyasa avataar and goes on to say that the
philosophy propounded and propagated will stay established.

Having listened to this explanation and announcement of his
next avataara, from emberumAnar, the sishyAs felt light and
delighted.

......to be continued!

yatirAjar tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi
4th Sep 1999