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SwAmi's Anguish- Posting - 6 (1.18 to 1.19) (Concluded)

From the Bhakti List Archives

Ramanbil • September 25, 1999 


SWAMI VEDANTA DESIKA'S
"NAICHYANUSANTHANAM" AND "SATVIKA THYAGAM "
(As gleaned from his StOtras) 
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PART I : SWAMI EXPRESSES HIS ANGUISH -
SwAmi's Anguish- Posting - 6 (1.18 to 1.19) (Concluded)
(Anbil Ramaswamy)
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IMPORTANT NOTE
[As already mentioned in the Introduction, the NaichyAnusanthAnam is 
applicable to us only and NOT to Swami Desika, we have to substitute 
ourselves wherever Swami Desika extrapolates these to himself] 
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1.18. "Is it an AparAdha to sing about you?"
 
 Yasya anubhAvam adhiganthum asaknuvanthah
 Muhyanthya abhanguradhiYo munisArvabhoumAh /
 Tasyaiva thE sththishu sAhasamasnuvAnah 
 kshanthavya yEsha bhavathA karisaila nAtha//
 (Sri VaradarAja PanchAsat SlOkam 2)

 Meaning
 "Oh! Lord of the Elephant mountain!
 When great munis like VyAsa and ParAsara whose knowledge leaves nothing 
beyond their comprehension find themselves unequal to the task of measuring 
your supremacy, I have ventured to do this with absolutely no claim for any 
knowledge. This is not only daring (sAhasa) but also constitutes a great 
offence (AparAdha) to you. Pray, please pardon me for this act beyond my 
capacity.

 Comment:
 This is the continuation of the sentiment expressed in DayA Sathakam 
slokam103 mentioned above.
 
 1.19. "I am only a lifeless lute"

vEdAnta dEsikapadHE vinivEsya bAlam
dEvO dayAsathakam yEtadavAdhayan mAm /
vaihArikENa vidhinA samayE gruheetham
veeNA visEshamiva vEnkaTa saila nAthah //
(DayA Sathakam SlOkam 103)

Meaning
"Oh! DayA Devi!
I am not competent to write this poem of Daya Sathakam on the mercy of Lord 
TiruvEnkaTamudaiyAn. The entire credit goes to Lord Srinivasa. He always 
takes pleasure in such sports like making me an instrument conferring on me 
the great honorific of "VedAntAchAryan". Having conferred this title, it had 
become his responsibility to justify this. Therefore, it is he who had 
brought out the Vedic truths through this work attributing its authorship to 
me. It is he who sang this DayA Sathakam making me his tool. 

When a veena vidwan plays his veena and raises soul stirring music, pleasing 
himself and the listeners all credit will go to the artist and not to the 
instrument. Similarly, all credit for this work belongs to 
TiruvEnkaTamudaiyAn and not to me who is just a lifeless instrument in his 
hands. 

Comment:
At last, SwAmi has found an alibi, as it were, by saying that it is the work 
of Lord VEnkaTAchalapathi like what Nammazhwar said in Tiruvoimozhi PAsuram 
that it was the Lord who sang Tiruvoimozhi making him an instrument.(ThAnAi 
thannaip Paadi.... etc)
This stanza also brings out the event in which Lord Sri RanganAtha conferred 
the title of VEdAntAchArya on VEnkaTanAtha.

(Part I: "SwAmi's Anguish" Concluded)
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Part II : "SwAmi Pleads"  will follow. 
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