ChithrabhAnu, Adi 18 ( PatinettAm Perukku Dinam) Sukla Paksha Dasami, KritthikA Nakshathram , Aug 3,2002) SrI: Dear BhakthAs: Today , adiyEn will cover the Fifty Ninth and the last slOkam of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan lets us know as to what motivated him to compose SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai, a moving prayer to Lord DhIpaprakAsan and SrI Maragathavalli ThAyar . Usually , Swamy Desikan's sthuthis like AzhwAr's decads in Dhivya Prapandham would be in the form of a Phala Sruthi that points out the soubhAgyams that the reciters of these powerful SrI Sookthis will gain. Here, it is a different ending. The focus is on the origin of this SrI Sookthi dealing with the most important upAya anushtAnam : The Observance of SaraNagathy in all its essential aspects as established by the VedAs and Sath SampradhAyam. Swamy Desikan uses slEdai (double entendre) in this slOkam most evocatively : SnEhOpapanna vishaya sva-dasA-visEshAth bhooyas-tamisra-samaneem bhuvi VenkatEsa: dhivyAm sthuthim niramimeetha sathAm niyOgAth DhIpaprakAsa SaraNAgathi DhipikAkhyam ---SrI SaraNAgathi DhipIkai : 59th SlOkam Meaning: ******** Oh ViLakkoLI EmperumAnE! The VedAnthAchAryan with the naamam of VenkatEsan composed this SrI Sookthi named SaraNAgathi DhIpikai about You (DhIpa PrakAsan) following the command of great BhAgavathAs. In this SrI Sookthi, the Svaroopam and the SvabhAvam of You , who has parama Vaathsalyam to chEthanams , are explained in great detail. Therefore , this Sthithi is bound to banish the darkness associated with the false and viparItha Jn~Anam of the people of the World. Additional Comments: ******************** Swamy Desikan has compared this magnificent sthOthram to a radiant (jaajwalya) dhIpam. A DhIpam has oil, wick and drives away the darkness and provides lustre.Using the double meaning of the words SnEha, DasA, tamisra- samanI and prakAsa (dhIpikaa), Swamy Desikan connects to the different aspects of a DhIpam (lamp) such as oil, wick , darkness removal and the prakAsam . This divine Sthuthi (Dhivya sthuthi)is revered as SaraNAgathi DhIpikai ( SaraNAgathi DhIpikAkhyam ). The object of this Sthuthi is Lord DhIpa PrakAsan. The author is VenkatEsa Kavi (Swamy Desikan ). The mood behind this composition and the SamarpaNam is one of great affection to the Lord ( SnEha Upapannam). The slOkams of this sthuthi removes the darkness of ajn~Anam ( Tamisra samanam) of the people of the world. The special approaches housed in the study to comprehend the SvarUpam and SvabhAvam of the Lord of ThirutthaNkA/ Thoopul is described by Swamy Desikan as " Sva dasA VisEsham ". This sthuthi was composed at the request and command of the Parama BhaagavathAs of the Lord ( DhIpa PrakAsa SaraNAgathi DhIpikAkhyam dhivyam sthuthim SATHAAM NIYOGAATH NIRAMIMEETHA). THE DOUBLE MEANINGS HERE ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. snEha Upapanna : (created )with great affection or the Lamp having the oil as a fuel. 2. vishaya: the sthuthi about the Lord of ThirutthaNkA or the vase containing the oil 3. sva-dasA visEshAth : through the different and special methods used in the composition or through the reminder of the wick soaked in the oil of the Lamp 4. tamisra samanIm: that which can remove the dark overlay of ajn~Anam or that which can banish physical darkness and illumiate the space around the lamp . The clear reference is to the First Paasurams of Mudal AzhwArs , who experienced the Lord through Para Bhakthi, Para Jn~Anam and Parama Bhakthi. In his SrI DehaLisa Sthuthi , Swamy Desikan referred to the Mudhal AzhwArs experiencing the Lord in their heart space (HrudhayAkAsam) with their two eyes of SvAdhyAyam (Vedam ) and Yogam by lighting a lamp ( dhIpEna kenachith--the 6th slOkam of DehaLIsa Sthuthi). Swamy Desikan saluted the DhIpam and its PrakAsam at ThiruttaNkA in a way similar to that of the Mudhal AzhwArs and explained the SaraNAgathi Tatthvam and its anushtAanam to banish ajn~Anam and to gain mOksham. Let us enjoy the light that the Mudahal AzhwArs lit in the context of this 59th slOakm. Poygai AzhwAr stated in His first Paasuram of Mudhal ThiruvandhAthi: " The whole world is the bowl.The seas all constitute the ghee, for the flame and lamp of the hot-ray sun to light up my Jn~Anam. With this lamp of Jn~Anam , I composed a garland of verses to the sacred feet of the Lord--". BhUthatthAzhwAr described the lamp that he lit this way: " I have now lit a lamp for Lord NaarAyaNa by composing Jn~Anam-laden verses . This is a service at His holy feet. For this lamp , the bowl (container) is my love of the Lord; the ghee (fuel) is my craze to see Him and enjoy Him; the wick (for this lamp) is my heart that had melted in the pleasure of doting on Him. The flame of the lamp is my aathmA , which has virtually melted with Parabhakthi evoked in it--". Pey Azhwaar concludes this extraordinary anubhavam of seeing the Lord with His parama Bhakthi and declares that it is a great day , when he and his fellow AzhwArs saw the Lord with Periya PirAtti with the light of the lamp that they had lit with affection (snEha Upapanna DhIpa PrakAsEna dhrushtam ). The three AzhwArs described in their 300 paasurams the Svaroopam and the SvabhAvam of the Sarva Loka SaraNyan and performed SaraNAgathi to Him . Swamy Desikan followed that path and performed MangaLAsAsanam for SrI Maragathavalli samEtha SrI DhIpa PrakAsan of his avathAra sthalam. Swamy Desikan lit his own lamp and helped us to use it to drive away all nescience and develop Svaroopa Jn~Anam to gain Moksham through SaraNAgathi. Such is the glory of the SrI Sookthi , SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai. Let us recite these slOkams and reflect on their meanings ! Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam , Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan P.S: Today is the Subha Dinam of PathinettAm Perukku. This kaimakryam to post a series of articles about SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai to raise funds for the Nithya AarAdhanam of Swamy Desikan at ThUppul and the Dhivya Dampathis of ThirutthaNkA has been completed with our AchArya Saarvabhouman's (Swamy Desikan's)anugraham. Swamy Desikan's janma Nakshathram is PurattAsi KEttai ( October 11) . This is the same AvathAra dinam of Thirumalai SrInivAsan ( Lord VenkatEsan) , whose GantAvathAram is Swamy Desikan. Please continue to support the NithyArAdhana Kaimkaryam core funds for ThirutthaNkA Dhivya Dampathis and Swamy Desikan and let us pray for their blessings to reach the target of 20 Laks of rupees. We have to add another 7 laks of rupees. Please donate generously from now until Oct 11, 2002 in a spirit of reverence to the MahOpakAram done by Swamy Desikan to intrepret SaraNAgathi Saasthram for our Ujjeevanam. NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa , NaarAyaNa
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