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Nyasa Tilakam ----Part 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • September 28, 1996 


Dear Members of the Prapatthi Group :

We will start  the reflections on Swami 
Desikan's Nyasa Tilakam in the traditional manner
with the salutations by his disciple and son , 
Sri Kumara Varadacharya, who wrote a commentary on
his acharya and father's work  :

SRIMAAN VEDASIRO GURU : BAHAGAVATHA : SRI VENKATAADHRISITHU :
GHANTAATHMAA NA PARAM TADHAATANAJANAANANDAYANNAATHMANAA I
ADHYAAPI SVAPADHAAMBHUJAIKA RASIKAANAANANDHAYAN VAIBHAVAM 
PANTHAANAM PARIPAATHI BHURI KRUPAYAA PARYAAYA SALLAPATHA : II

The great Desika Bhaktha , Late Sri D.Ramaswamy Iyengar 
has translated the above verse this way in his commentary on 
Nyasa Tilakam:

" That repository of all auspiciousness , Vedantha Desika,
who is the incarnation of the Bell (Ghanta) of the Lord of 
Venkataadhri --not only did he delight the people of his
times by his person and personality , but even today  he continues to be 
a source of delight to those rasikas  who are unflinchingly attached 
to his lotus feet -- and by his abundant grace gives the feeling
of personal presence , almost speaks , so to say ." 

How  true is the testimony of the loyal son and disciple !
Swami Desikan casts his majestic shadow across seven 
centuries and comforts us under the shade of that giant
presence . 

Nyasa Dasakam is one of those master pieces given to us
by the Most merciful Swami . His genius as a poet and his 
skills in succinctly stating the essence of Prapatthi are 
abundantly clear in this work .As Sri D.Ramaswamy Iyengar
describes , " In its metaphysical aspect , Nyasa Tilaka like 
SaraNagathi Deepika  is a poetic rendering of the salient 
features of Saranaagathi as laid down in the Srimad 
Rahasyatrayasaara , with the difference , that while 
Saranaagathi Deepika is an epitome of Rahasyatrayasaara , 
Nyaasa Tilaka concerns itself more with the mentality that 
should prevail in the Post-Prapatthi period . The importance of 
Nyasa Tilakam ot Prapanna can not be overestimated. " Here 
Sri D.R .Iyengar refers to the significance of Kumara Varadarya"s
singling out this work of his father for writing his commentary 
among all other works.

This work consists of 32 slokas in 8 different poetic  metres:
Anushtup(2); sikarinI (4); Vasanthatilakaa (4) ; Saardhoola Vikriditham (9);
Nathkutakam (2); Mandhaakranthaa(3) ; Sragdharaa (5); 
Maalini (3) . Like number of other works contained in 32 
sections  to be consistent with the count of  32 Upanishadic Brahma vidyas,
Nyasa Tilakam shines with Upanishadic truths. 

Sri Ranganatha is the object of Prapatthi for Swami here.
In Nyasa Dasaka  and Nyasa Vimsathi and Tamil 
work, Adaikkalappatthu , he surrended to Lord Varadaraja of
Kanchi. IN Saranagathi Deepika , he offered his Saranagathi to
Lord Dipa Prakaasan of his own agrahaaram in Tuppul .

It has been told that a study of Nyasa Tilakam is essential to
remove our doubts about the efficacy of Saranagathi . Let us
offer our salutation to Swami Desikan, the master intrepreter 
of Saranagathi saastra prior to studying this important work.

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan 


This work