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Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00131 Nov 2003

 
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SrI:
SrImathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namah:
SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |
vedAntAcArya-varyo me sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

May the glorious Venkatanatha, the greatest of teachers of Vedanta, and the 
lion among poets and debaters, reside forever in my heart.

Dearest Srivaishnavas,
Let us continue to enjoy the sthOthra granthas of Swamy Desikan [in 
alphabetical order]- Today is the last of SthOthra granthas in albhabetical 
order- Yatiraja-Saptati -(Seventy on the ascetic-king)

    This is a Stotra on Acarya Sri Ramanuja(the ascetic-king) in seventy 
+four verses. Sri Vedanta Desika begins this hymn with salutations to the 
chief propounders of the Doctorine of Vaishnavism from Bhagavan, the first 
Acarya up to Sri Mahapurna(Peria-nambi) the direct Acarya of Sri Ramanuja. A 
study of the stotra will reveal the unparrelled devotion of Sri Desika to 
the Acarya in general and to Sri Ramanuja in particular. The writing of the 
stotra is based to a great extent on verses of Iraamaa-nuja-nootrantaadi, a 
Tamil poem composed by Tiru-arangattu-amudanaar. He was a direct disciple of 
Sri Ramanuja to whom he submitted it for his approval and publication. Sri 
Ramanuja read it fully, and was much pleased with the correctness of the 
ideas and devotion to the Acarya (12). On the suggestion of other 
comtemporary Srivaishnava Acaryas, he gave it a place in the Divya 
Prabhandha of the Alwars. Just as the Kanninun-siruttambu, the poem of 
Madhura Kavi Alwar on Nammalwar, was included as the last prabhandha of the 
first thousand, Ramanuja-nootrandadi was added as the last prabandha in the 
fourth thousand known as Iyarppaa.

   On the basis of that work, Sri Desika states that Sri Ramanuja was an 
incarnation of the five weapons of Bhagavan Vishnu(12), of Vishvaksena(32), 
and Dattatrya (63) who was himself an incarnation of Bhagavan with crimson 
garment and tridanda. Though the popular tradition is that Sri Ramanuja is 
an incarnation of Adisesha, it is not mentioned in the Stotra, Sri Ramanuja 
is described as shining with the insignia prescribed by the SAstras for a 
Sannyasin- the Sacred Thread (Yajnopaveeta), the vertical and upright 
caste-marks on the body(oordhva-pundra), the triple-staff(tri-danda), the 
crimson garment(kaasaaya vastra) and the tuft of hair on the head(sikhaa ).

   The Stotra describes the greatness of Sri Ramanuja and his works, his 
contribution to the welfare of the world(39,56),the propagation of the 
philosophy of Visishtadvaita and Vaishnavism, and the refutation of the 
other systems of philosophy. He also praises the good fortune of those who 
have chosen Ramanuja as the Acarya. Sri Ramanuja, the Yati-raja (the ascetic 
king) is pre-eminent as the mountain from which flow the streams of right 
knowledge; he is the cool tree that affords rest for those who are tired by 
their journey in the path of birth and death; he is the morning sun that 
dispels the night-like illusion of the perverted intellects and the full 
moon for the surging tide of the sea of the Vedas.

    Sri Vedanta Desika states that he made an intensive study of the several 
schools of thoughts like Buddhism of Buddha, Jainism of Jina, Sankhya of 
Kapila, Vaiseshika of Kanada, Yoga of Brahma, Paasupata of Siva, 
Bhaatta-mata of Kumarila Bhatta, Advaita of Sankara and Bhedabheda of Yadava 
and Bhaskara. They gave me knowledge. I received enlightenment and devotion 
to God only by the works of Sri Ramanuja-Vedanta Sara. Vedanta deepa and Sri 
Bhashya (the commentaries on the Brahma Sutras), Gita-Bhashya, Vedartha 
Sangraha(a digest of the Upanishads) and the three Gadyas (Saranagatii, Sri 
Ranga and Vaikunta). The devotion of Sri Desika can be seen by the thirty 
epithets by which he addresses Sri Ramanuja in the Stotra.

For a verse by verse translation, please click here:
http://members.tripod.com/~sriramanujar/yathiraja_sapthathi.html [Translated 
to English by Sri U.Ve. V.N Vedanta Desikan - (from Tamil Commentary by 
Villivalam Sri U. Ve. Narayanacharya Swamy) as appeared in Sri Nrusimhapriya 
in mid 90s)

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Namo narayana
dAsan
kavi-tArkika-simhAya kalyANa-guNa-SAline |
Srimate venkateSAya vedAntagurave namaH ||

Salutations to Sri Venkatesa, in whom all perfections reside, who is the 
teacher of Vedanta and the lion among poets and debaters

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