Desika Sahasranama

Index

Incidents & Creation of Padhuka Sahasram

 (706) (PraNavam) RaaghavaabhudhayOthkrushta YaadhavAbhyudhaya pradhAya
nama:

 (Meaning ) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who blessed us with the Kaavyam
of YaadhavAbhyudyam , which is better than the RaamAbhyudhayam composed by
DiNDima Kavi .

(Commentary) : A well known poet by the name of DiNDiman gave his literary
work named RaamAbhyudhayam to Swamy Desikan and was full of praise for
his own kaavyam . Swamy Desikan browsed it and created his own kaavyam
dealing with the noble  charithtram of Lord Krishna in 24 sargams . When
DiNDima Kavi read it ,  prostrated before Swamy Desikan and apologized for
his
haughtiness and admitted that the title of Kavi-Taarkika Simham is only fit
for
Swamy  Desikan . The great Advaithin , Sri Appaya Dheekshithar admired
YaadhavAbhyudhayam so much that he wrote a scholarly commentary on
the Swamy's magnificent Kaavyam . Swamy Desikan introduced this kaavyam as
" KshEmatam Kaavya rathnam " ( The Kaavyam that blesses one with KshEmam) .

 (707) (PraNavam) SrIsEthu SaThakOpAdhi sEvaa santhushta maanasAya nama:

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who had a happy mind from
worshipping  at Sri Sethu and AzhwAr Thirunakari to offer His worship to
Lord Ramachandra and Swamy NammAzhwAr  respectively .

(Commenatary ) : From this Naamaa to the 720th Naamaa , Thirukkudanthai
Desikan salutes various incidents in Swamy Desikan's charithram . Swamy
Desikan
started from Srirangam for a Yaathraa to Sri Sethu (Site of the dam built by
Lord
Raamabhadran to reach Lanka ) , ThiruppullANi (Dharbha Sayanam and
Adhi JagannAtha  PerumAl , who gave Lord Raamachandra His own dhanus) ;
Swamy  stopped on the way at ThirumAlirum ChOlai , Sri Villiputthur
( for the MangaLAsAsanam of ANDAL & SamarpaNam of GodhA Sthuthi) and at
AzhwAr Thirunakari to perform MangaLAsAsanam for Swamy  NammAzhwAr;
Swamy continued  on to worship the EmperumAns at the Keralaa dhivya dEsams
( ThiruvaNN ParihAram , Thiruvanathapuram et al ). In the 6th act of
Sankalpa
SooryOdhayam , Swamy Desikan has included his tributes to the EmperumAns of
all the above dhivya dEsams that he visited  .

 (708) (PraNavam) ChOLa dEseeya bhagavath kshEthra sEvA rasAkulAya nama:

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who visited many dhivya dEsams of
ChOLa  country .

 (709) (PraNavam ) Hastheesa sEvAkulAthmanE nama:

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , whose mind was filled with joy
from the Sevai of the Lord of Hasthi Giri ( Lord VaradarAjan ) at
Kaanchipuram .

 (710) (PraNavam) NarEndhramadha sarpagnE nama:

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who destroyed the fearsome
snake belonging to the Snake charmer .

(Commentary ) : Once a professional snake handler challenged Swamy
Desikan to control his most poisonous snakes . Swamy drew some lines on
the ground and all but one  snake were unable to cross those lines and
approach Swamy Desikan to harm him . One big and fierce snake however
crossed the line and approached Swamy Desikan . Garuda Manthram was invoked
by
Swamy immediately . Garuda BhagavAn appeared and took away all the snakes
including the fierce one . This nAmaa refers to Swamy Desikan's destruction
of this fierce snake thru the help of His upAsanaa Moorthy , Garuda BhagavAn
.


 (711) (PraNavam) NarEndhra vandhithAya Nama:

(Meaning ) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who was thanked by
the grateful Snake handler , whose livelihood was restored by
the compassionate AchAryan .

(Commenatary ) : The worried snake charmer lost his livelihood , when
Garuda BhagavAn lifted away the offending snakes . He fell at Swamy's
feet and prayed for the restoration of his livelihood . Swamy recited
SrI Garuda PanchAsath and the pleased Garuda BhagavAn returned
the snakes . The Snake charmer saluted Swamy as Sarva Tantrar and
went away , It is also said that Swamy recited Garuda DaNDakam for
taking the snakes away and Garuda PanchAsath for the restoration of
the snakes .

(712) (PraNavam) Taarkshya-daNDakOtthama dhAthru dhiyE nama:

(Meaning) : Salutations to the AchAryan , who created the noble Garuda
DaNDakam , which yields mysterious phalans ( Vichithra sidhditha
Garuda DaNDakam ) .

 (713) (PraNavam) Punar VrushAdhri RangEsa sEvArTagamanOthsukAya nama:

(Meaning ) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who had great joy in revisiting
Thirumala and Srirangam . ( In the first visit to Thirumala , Swamy composed
DayA Sathakam and then he revisited Thirumala with links to his avathAram )
.

 (714) (PraNavam) AchAryaavah chArithra VaajivakthrAdhi dhaivathAya nama:

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who had Sri HayagrIva Bhagavan of
wonderous charithram as his aarAdhana Moorthy .

(Commentary ) : The reference here is to an incident  that happened near
ThirukkOvilUr , when Swamy had to rest at a Vaisyar's front porch for the
night . The merchant had a business in selling pea nuts (Kadalai) . Swamy
offered
pure water for Lord HayagrIvan as PrasAdhanm and fasted himself during
that night . In the middle of the night , the merchant ran to Swamy
Desikan's
side and stated that he could not control a beautiful white horse , which
was eating
up his inventory of pea nuts . Swamy recognized that it was Lord
HayagrIvan's
leelaa . Swamy asked the merchant to bring some milk and offered it to the
Lord ,
who drank it and disappeared . The merchant was amazed at this incredible
happening . That year , the fields of the VaishNava -Vasyar produced
huge amounts of ground nut crop and made the merchant recognized
the glory of Swamy  Desikan .

 (715) (PraNavam) VaradhAchArya JanakAya Nama:

(Meaning ) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who with Lord VaradarAjA's
anugraham became the father of a male child born on AavaNi RohiNi .

(Commentary) :Swamy performed NaamakaraNAdhi SamskArams and
trained that child to become a VaishNavite AchAryan in his own right .

 (716) (PraNavam) JeevithAkhilavishDapAya Nama:

(Meaning ) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who gladdened the hearts of
the people of the world through his many Sri Sookthis , anushtAnam and
the strengthening of Bhagavath RaamAnuja SiddhAntham with emphasis
on the observance of SaraNAgathy to the Dhivya Dampathis .

 (717) (PraNavam) HayAsya - poortha- theerTAhar- dhrushta lajjitha
vignakruthE  nama:

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who completed the srArddha dinam
with Lord HayagrIvan's help inspite of the obstacles created by ill wishers
and made them feel ashamed about their act .

(Commenatary ). It was the day of SrArdham ( death anniversary ) for Swamy
Desikan's father . Swamy had requested three Brahmin scholars to take part
in that important annual observance . The ill wishers of Swamy interfered
and made these Brahmins unfit to take part in the ceremony . Swamy Desikan
was left in the lurch . Swamy was unfazed . He performed specail aarAdhanam
for Lord HayagrIvan and followed it up with SrArddha hOmam and dEva-Pithru-
VishNu aavAhanam ( invocation ) . At  the end , three satisfied VaishNavAs
were seen leaving Swamy Desikan's house at the end of the SrArddha ceremony
by the watching ill wishers . They asked Swamy as to who these three
non-local
VaishNavars were , who took part in the SrArddham . Swamy explained to
the startled group of ill wishers that it was Lord HayagrIvan that took the
roles of DEva-Pithru-Vishnu  to complete the SrArddham ( TheerTa dinam ) .

 (718) ( PraNavam ) RrAthri nirvyUDa RangEsa  PaadharakshA sahasrakAya Nama:

(Meaning) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who completed the creation of
the 1000 slOkams of PadhukA sahasram in front of Lord RanganAtha during
the time span of one Yaamam of the night .

(Commentary ) : One day , a  jealous achAryan challenged Swamy Desikan to
compose 1000 slOkams in one night  to defend his title as " Kavi-Taarkika
Simham ".
This poet offered to create 1,000 slOkmas himself during the span of the
night .
Swamy Desikan spent the second Yaamam of the night ( 9 P.M to 12.00
Midnight )
in front of Lord RanganAtha and completed the composition of Sri RanganAtha
Paadhukaa Sahasram . The poet , who challenged Swamy Desikan could not go
beyond the composition of just three hundred slOkams and conceded defeat
and accepted Swamy Desikan as an avathAra VisEsham rightfully holding
the title of Kavi-Taarkika Simham .

 (719) (PraNavam) Paadharakshaa sahsrOktha PaadhukA-sEvakaabhidhAya Nama:

(Meaning ) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who has the title of "PaadhukA
SEvakar " referred to in his Kaavyam of PaadhukA Sahasram .

(Commentary ) : Swamy Desikan had many titles conferred on him during
his life time on earth . The one he was most fond of is the title of "
PaadhukA
Sevakan " of Lord RanganAtha .

 (720) (PraNavam) RangEsa dhattha KavitArkika-simhAbhidhAya Nama:

(Meaning ) : Salutations to that AchAryan , who was honored with the title
of "Kavi-Taarkuka Simham " by Lord RanganAtha Himself .

(Commentary ) : After composing the PaadhukA Sahasram in one Yaamam
of the night , Swamy Desikan presented it to the Lord at Srirangam next day.
Lord RanganAtha was so pleased with Swamy Desikan that He honored
Swamy  Desikan with the birudhu(honorific Title) of the Lion among Poets
and Logicians to remove any lingering doubts on the minds of People
about Swamy's exalted status .

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

Sri MalOla PaadhukA Sevaka  Sri VaNN SaThakOpa NaarAyaNa Yatheendhra
MahA DesikAya Nama: