Desika Sahasranama

Index

Introduction

In the Tamil year Vikrama (1700 C.E) , a boy was born to the great
VaishNavite scholar SrI KrishNa Soori at Royampettai , who will be revered
later as Apara Desikan ( the other incarnation of Swamy Desikan)becuase of
his extraordinary erudition in SaasthrAs and VedAnthA.His family is linked
to Matapalli AacchAn (Direct disciple of AchArya RaamAnujA), ApuLLAr
(maternal Uncle of Swamy Desikan and the Master poet , SrI VenkatAdhwari
(Author of the famous Lakshmi Sahasram and ViswaguNadarsa Champu). This
child was born on a PurattAsi PoorAdam day and will become one of the
greatest SrI VaishNavite AchAryAs. He was named Gopaladesika by his
parents.

Even in his teen years , this precocious child mastered Grantha
Chathushtayam (SrI BhAshyam, GitA BhAshyam , Bhagavath Vishayam and
Rahasya Thraya Saaram) from the illustrious SaakshAth Swamy ( VedAntha
RaamAnuja Muni, who is considered as SaakshAth RaamAnuja avathAram)).After
completing his studies , the young Gopala Desikan was instructed by his
AchAryan to settle down in Thirukkudanthai. 

By the time Gopala Desika turned thirty , flocks of sishyAs were attracted
to him . Three sanyAsis were his key disciples , who are considered
incarnations of Naatha Muni (VazutthUr Swamy), AaLavandhAr ( VazutthUr
Andavan) and SaakshAth Swamy ( SrIrangam Swamy). Because of his
scholarship in oral and written intrepretaions of SampradhAya Granthams ,
Gopala Desika came to be revered as Thirukkudanthai Desikan ( a name given
by Lord AarAvamudhan) and became the Munithraya SampradhAya
Pravarthakar(Patriarch of this SampradhAyam) . His lineage led on to the
growth of many AchArya Paramparais including SrIrangam SrImath Andavan and
PoundarIkapuram Andavan .Like Swamy Desikan , Thirukkudanthai Desikan
performed Unjavruthti and settled in a hut opposite Swamy Desikan Sannidhi
at Lord AravAmudhan's temple.

Among his many SrI Sookthis are: NikshEpa ChithAmaNi , an original work on
SaraNAgathy, a commentary on the magnum opus of Swamy Desikan (Rahasya
Thraya Saaram), bhAshyam on Tatthvatika of Swamy Desikan,Commentaries on
ThiruppallANDu of PeriyAzhwAr and KaNNinuNN SirutthAmpu of Madhura Kavi,
an Ahnika work dealing with the daily rituals for a SrI VaishNavan ,
AparyApthaamrutha DhyAna SOpAnam modeled after SrI Bhagavath DhyAna
SopAnam of Swamy Desikan and Sri JayanthyAdhi NirNayam ( the criteria for
selecting the days to observe Sri Jayanthi et al). Two days before his
ascent to Parama padham in 1782 C.E , Thirukkudanthai Desikan entered into
SanyAsAsramam and was given the name of AparyApthAmrutha Swamy by Lord
AarAvamudhan Himself.

One of the most important works of Thirukkudanthai Andavan is his divine
SrI Sookthi known as " SrI Desika dhivya sahasra Naama SthOthram ". This
sthothram has "rasa ganam " and arTa Pushti" and covers systematically the
life , Vaibhavam and the SrI Sookthis of Swamy Desikan.Thirukkudanthai
Andavan himself describes the power of reciting this Sahasra Naamam about
Swamy Desikan as " akhyaathi niraasi sarva sampath pradham" ( a sthOthram
which banishes nescience and confers on one the wealth of true Jn~Anam ).

The coverage includes the highlights of Satha DhUshaNi, Taathparya
Chandirikai (GeethA BhAshyam ),Tatthva Muktha Kalaapam ( Summary of our
SiddhAntham ), NikshEpa RakshA (Establishment of Prapatthi as The UpAyam
), Saccharithra RakshA ( The three aachArams of SrI vishNavAs :
Sankhu-chakra dhAraNam , Adornig of ThirumaNN and offering of food for the
Lord (Bhagavath Nivedhanam) , PaancharAthra rakshA , Gadhya thraya
BhAshyam , ChathusslOki BhAshyam , Sankalpa SooryOdhayam and SrImath
Rahasya Thraya Saaram and excerpts from ChillaRai Rahasyams.

It is this extraordinary Sahasra Naamam on Swamy Desikan created by
Thirukkudanthai Andavan and commented in Tamil by NavalpAkkam Dr.
V.VasudEvAcchAr under the command of HH ParavakOttai PoundarIkapuram
Andavan Swamy that adiyEn in collaboration with SrI C.G.Balaji of
Bangalore would focus on over the next few months. SrI Balaji will provide
the text and adiyEn would provide the meaning and the gloss on individual
naamAs following the insightful commentary by Dr.V.VaasudEvAcchAr Swamy of
NaavalpAkkam.

Pranamam

It is customary to offer one's praNAmams to Sudarsana BhagavAn prior to
any major effort . He is recognized as the Sankalpa Sakthi of Para
VaasudEvan. Swamy Desikan is said to have prayed to Sudarsana Bhagavan
before an important debate to defeat the proponents of other darsanams .
Due to the power of Sudarsana manthram , Swamy Desikan defeated the
contestants easily.  The SrI Sookthi of Para matha Bhangam arose in this
context .

At another time , Swamy Desikan composed an ashtakam and SthOthram on
Sudarsana Bhagavan (Sudarsana Ashtakam and ShOdasAyudha SthOthram ) to
drive away a fever epidemic that gripped the people of Thirupputkkuzhi . 

Let us offer our salutations to Lord Sudarsana with two slOkams of SrI
Sudarsana Sathakam of Sri Koora NaarAyaNa Jeeyar , a great Sudarsana
UpAsakar of AchArya RaamAnujA's time:

SoudarsanyujjihAnA disi vidhisi 
tiraskruthya Saavithrimarcchi:
bAhyA bAhyAndhakAra jatha-
jagadhadhankAra bhUmnA svadhAmnA I
dhO: kharjUdhUragarja dhvibhuga ripu-
vadhU kaNDa-vaikalya kalyA
jwAlA-jAjvalyamAnA vitharuthu
bhavathAm veepsayAabhIpthAni

--SlOkam 1 , Sri Sudarsana Sathakam

(meaning): May Lord SudarsanA , who banishes both the inner and outter
darkness of those who are tossed about in samsAric night fulfil all of
Your desires ! Lord Sudarsanan destroys the dark nescience with His
brilliant rays and pervades all the worlds with His lustre and makes the
rays of the Sun inferior to His radiance. With His valour , He makes
widows out of the asura ladies (kills the offending asuras ); His
matchless jwaalai (flames) shine without let . May those tongues of flames
surrounding the disc of Sudarsanan fulfil all of Your desired wishes
completely!

JyOthiscchUDAla-mouLis-thrinayana
vadhanas-shODasOtthunga bhAhu:
prathyAleeDEna thishtan praNava-
sasa dharAdhAra shaDkONa varthI
nissImEna svadhAmnA nikhilamapi
jagath kshEma-vannirmimANa:
bhUyAt soudarsanO va: prathipaDa 
parusha: pUrusha: pourushAya 

(Meaning): In the first of the 25 slOkams dealing with the description
(VarNanam) of Sudarsana Purushan , SrI Koora NaarAyaNa Jeeyar visualizes
the Aayudha Raajan: His upward flowing hair made up of radiant tongues of
flame ; He has three eyes as well as sixteen hands. He has the prathyAlIDa
poisture ( the right leg is bent and shortened , while the left leg is
stretched out in a walking manner ).  He is pegged in PraNavam and the
orbit of the Moon and stays inside the six cornered , intersecting
triangles .  With His matchless power, He protects all the worlds and
confers auspiciousness on them . May That Lord Sudarsanan , the terror of
asurAs and raakshasAs empower us always !

After His prayer to Lord Sudarsana , Swamy Desikan went on to defeat
sixteen rival systems to defend the doctrines of SrI VaishNavam. Through
54 exquisite verses , He refuted/demolished the theories of rival systems
in front of Lord Dhaiva Naayakan of ThiruvahIndhra- Puram . In the last
stanza of Paramatha Bhangam , Swamy Desikan saluted the sixteen weapons of
Lord Sudarsana for empowering Him to defeat the contestants soundly.

On the eve of starting the postings on SrI VedAntha Desika Dhivya Sahasra
Naamam , let us offer our own salutations to Lord Sudarsanan .

Jaya Jaya Sri Sudarsana , Jaya Jaya SrI Sudarsana ! 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

SrI MalOla PaadhukA Sevaka SrI NarAyaNa YahtIndhra
MahA DesikAya NamO Nama:

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan /SaThakOpan 

Dhyanam

shrIH
shrImate vakuLabhUShaNa mahAdeshikAya namaH
shrImate rAmAnujAya namaH
shrImate nigamAnta mahAdeshiKAya namaH

shrImadgopAlArya mahAdeshikaiH anugRihItam 
shrI deshika divya sahasranAma stotram

dhyAnam

akhilabhuvana-rakshA-sAdhanAyAvatIrNe 
kumati-kalivilAsadhvAnta-tigmAMshujAle .
niravadhikaruNAbdhaU vedachUDAgurau me
bhavatu paramabhaktiH shrInidhau venkateshe ..(1)

(meaning): May adiyEn's deep bhakthi grow at the sacred feet of SrI
VenkatEsan (Swamy Desikan) , who incarnated on this earth to protect all
the worlds and their beings.  He is the radiant Sun that banishes the
darkness of the night of kumathis ( deluded souls filled with nescience
and viparItha Jn~Anam).He destroys the false disputations of Veda Baahya
and Kudhrushti mathams that have advanced as the influence of Kali Yugam
expands.  He is the ocean of Mercy and is the VedAnthAchAryan.  He is the
SrI Nidhi ( Treasure of Veda-VedAntham).  May superior Bhakthi for this
AchArya Saarvabhouman grow in me ! 

asmad-deshika-tadgurUn shrutishirashchUDArya-rAmAnujau
rangeshaM raghupungavAnujaguruM shrImAn-natArtichChidam .
shrIrAmAnuja-pUrNayAmunamunIn rAmAravindekShaNau
nAtha-shrIshaThakopa-sainyaramaNa-shrI-shrIpatIn bhAvaye ..(2)

(meaning): adiyEn salutes my direct AchAryan (SaakshAth Swamy ) and His
AchArya paramaparai that goes upward from Swamy Desikan , ApuLLAr ,
AathrEya RangarAjar, AathrEya RaamAnujar, PraNathArTiharar (MadaipaLLI
AacchAn), Bhagavath RaamAnujar, Periya Nampi ,Swamy AaLavanthAr, MaNakkAl
Nampi, UyyakkoNDAr , NaaTa Muni , Swamy NammAzhwAr, Senai Mudali, Periya
PirAtti and EmperumAn. 

shrImat trayIshekharadeshikasya
nAmnAM sahasraM guNataH kriyAtaH .
prakhyAtamakhyAtinirAsi sarva -
saMpatpradaM sAdhumude tanoti ..(3)

(Meaning): This famous SahasranAmam on Swamy Desikan has ben composed with
reflections on his auspicious attributes and noble deeds. Recitation of
this sacred Sahasra Naamams of Swamy Desikan will remove one's aj~nAnam
and confer the supreme wealth of true Jn~Anam .adiyEn has composed this
sahasra nAmam for enhancing the joy of the Saadhu Janams.