Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Experiencing Swami Desika - 40

From the Bhakti List Archives

Praveena • September 28, 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:

"SrimAn VenaktanAthArya: kavithArkika kEsarI!
VedAnthAchArya varyO mE sannidhatthAM sadhA hrudhi"!!


Shri Prativadi Bhayankaram Annan, a disciple of Shri
Kumara Varadarya, had his living during the times of
Swami Desikan - something like a Junior contemporary.
In saptati ratna mAlikA, Shri Prativadi Bhayankaram Annan
gives us a brief of Swami's birth, education and
other basic details.

"putro anantarya sure, purusa sama gunah pundarikaksa yastuh
pautroh totarabhikyA sruta-varajanani-garbha varasi candra: !
visvamitranvavaya varada guru pita Vadi hamsa ambuvahat
acaryat apta sastro varada guru matah sarva tantraavatantra:!!"

-- saptati ratna mAlikA

Swami Desika belonged to visvAmitra gOtra. Swami
was the grand son of Shri PundarIkAksha and
the son of Shri Anantha soori. Smt Totaramba, was
a gem among mothers from whose womb Swami came out
like a moon that comes out of the ocean. Swami had the
blessings of Shri nadAdur ammal. Swami learnt all
the sastras from Shri Appullar. Swami was the father
of Shri Kumara Varadarya Nainaracharya. Swami was
endowed with all auspicious qualities and in that
respect equaled our Lord. Swami was a master of
all sciences - "Sarva Tantra Svatantra".

Swami Desika was extremely happy in belonging to
vishvAmitra gOtra. This is evident in Sri Sankalpa
Sooryadayam.

All of us know that the gAyathri mantram is
a very important mantram among other mantras.
Shri visvAmitra has done the pravachanam for
a part of this mantra - gAyathri siras.

Our Lord has taken a vow that a saranAgatha has
to be protected under any circumstance. It looks like
sage vishvAmitra also lived by this in the trisangu
episode where he sacrificed all his tapO balam.
Sage visvAmitra enjoyed the paramapurusha with his
divine eyes in Srimad rAmAyanam thus:

"aham vEtti MahAtmAnam ...rAmam sathya parAkramam."

Sage visvAmitra did the greatest kaimkaryam of
getting pirAtti and perumal married!

Swami Desika is hence extremely happy to have taken
his avatara in this great gotram.

Swami Desika proudly states,

"AnyEntrakam buvana manyat anintrakam
kartum shamE kavi aboot ayamAn vavAye !
janmatvidIyam rishibi: katitamyata: sA
devi cha vishvajanajI yat ananyagOtrA!!"

By the Eshvaratvam of uniting PirAtti and perumal,
and by the aspect of practicing saranAgathy, we
can even say that Swami Desika confirms the path
of sage visvAmitra.

"Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!
SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama" !!"

.......To be continued!


dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi
29th Sep 1999