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ChithrabhAnu Kaarthikai Krishna Paksha EkAdasi, 
Hastha Nakshathram

SrI:

Dear BhakthAs:

Let us enjoy the fifth slOkam of Sri DEvanAyaka
PanchAsath today:

SlOkam V
*********
nirvisyamAna-vibhavam nigamOtthamAngai:
sthOthum kshamam mama cha DevapathE Bhavantham
gAva: piBhanthu gaNasa: kalasAmbhurAsim
kim tEna tarNaka ganas-thruNam aadhadhAnA:

Extended Meaning 
*****************
Oh DhaivanAyaka EmperumAnE ! The Upanishads relish in
talking about Your Vaibhavam. Even the lowliest one like me 
has the right to eulogize You. Therefore , adiyEn has commenced
my praise of You. As an example, those cows positioned near 
the milky ocean assemble in big groups and drink the milk from
that ocean heartily. It would not however be possible for 
the young calves to drink the same amount of milk their 
mothers drink from the abundant milky ocean . Hence, these 
calves consume only a small quantity of milk that is
appropriate for their digestive capabilities. There is no
harm that befalls these calves because of such limited 
consumption. In a similar manner, adiyEn attempts to 
praise You with my limited intellectual capabilities.
Thou who art saluted grandly by the Upanishads. 
This insignificant act of mine to praise You against 
the background of the magnificent salutations by
the Upanishaths is appropriate for one of my limited 
intellect. 

Additional Thoughts
********************
Swamy Desikan states here : " DEva PathE! nigama utthamAngai:
nirvisyamAna vibhavam Bhavantham sthOthum mama cha kashamam "

In previous slOkams , Swamy Desikan addressed the Lord of
ThiruvahIndhrapuram as " PhaNipura NaaTan , DEva adhinATan , 
Dhivishad niyanthu and VibhudhEswaran " to recognize Him as 
the Lord of DEvAs and Nithyasooris . In this slOkam , 
Swamy Desikan addresses the Lord as "DEva Pathi".

Swamy Desikan recognizes the Lord of ThiruvahIndhrapuram as 
the mighty One , whose glories are enjoyed by the Veda Siras
/upanishaths (nigama utthamAngai:). If Vedam(Nigama) is viewed as
a Purushan , then that Purushan's noblest limb (Utthama angam)
is Siras ( the head). Therefore , the Upanishads are saluted as
the Veda Siras or Nigama utthama angam . NigamAntha MahA Desikan
with authority based on His title as "NigamAntha " AchAryan
truly enjoys saluting the Lord of ThiruvahIndhrapuram
as " NigamOtthAngai: nirvisyamAna vibhavam".

Let us explore How these NigamAnthams/ Upanishaths 
eulogizing the Lord's Svaroopam and Vaibhavam joyously ? 

Upanishathic Salutations to Para Brahmam
*****************************************
Upanishaths recognize the Supreme person as "Brahman".
Upanishaths deal with the teaching of Brahma VidyA .
Upanishaths talk untiringly about the Vaibhavam of 
that Brahman.The Upanishaths equate that Brahman with
NaarayaNa and VishNu : MahA NaarayaNOpanishad celebrates
the Supreme principle(Brahman) as SrIman NaarayaNa and
directs us to surender to Him ; the fifth and the sixth
KhANDAs of SubalOpanishath gloriously salutes the Supermacy of
NaarAyaNa as Brahman. SubalOpanishad describes the SarIra-
SarIri relationships of the Brahman (SrIman NaarAyaNan)
with the Universe of sentients and insentients.It goes on 
to establish that SrIman NaarAyaNa is " the One , non-second 
Supreme Brahman , who is the antharyAmin (indweller) in
all other entities and that devotion towards Him alone 
is the way to attain Him ".

NaarAyaNa atharva ShirshOpanisath is another Upanishad 
which asserts the antharyAmithvam of Sriman NaarAyaNan
as Supreme Brahman like BrahadhAraNyam and expounds 
the glory of Moola manthram (AshtAksharam).It describes 
NaarAyaNa Parabrhmam as the abode of all auspicious 
qualities and free from any blemishes (Ubhaya Lingam).

The Upanishaths also salute that Brahman as 
"Satyam JN~Anam Anantham Brahma " (TaittirIyam ).
This is the lakshaNa vAkyam (definition ) of Brahman.

ThiruvahIndhrapuram's Lord: The Name as Sathyan 
************************************************
One of the names of ThiruvahIndrapuram DEvanAthan is
Sathyan . BrahadhAraNyaka Upanishad recognizes the Brahman 
as "Sathyasya Sathyam " or the Reality of the real. It explicitly 
states that the nAmadEyam of Brahman is "Satyasya Satyam"
implying that Brahman's svaroopam is never subject to
any kind of change ( nirvikAra Brahman).The ChAndhOgya
Upanishath also refers to the name of Brahman as "Satyam "
(tasya ha vaa yEtasya BrAhmaNo nAma Satyamithi: Ch.Up:VIII 3.4).

Sathya-Achyutha Tatthvam of the Lord of ThiruvahIndhrapuram
************************************************************
Lord DeavanAthan's choicest names are Satyan (natha Satyan/
True to those , who seek His refuge )and Achyuthan ( the One 
who never lets anyone down). Let us enjoy the chAndhOgya Upanishad's
intrepretation of the meaning of the word "Satyam" . This word
is made up of three syllables( Sat , ti and yam ). Dr.S.M.S. Chari's
comments are: " Sat" is immortal, "ti" is mortal and "yam" is that
which holds the immortal and mortal together(yamayathi: 
Ch.Up:VIII 3.5). This implies that Brahman is Satyam since
it holds together or controls both the sentient souls(sat)
and insentient entities(ti) . Satyam here stands for 
the dharma of Brahman... In the context of Brahman, 
Satyam /Satyan denotes the svaroopam of (the essential
nature of Brahman ) and also its distinguishing attributes".

The Lord as the Supreme Light (with RathnAngi!)
**********************************************
The Upanishads salute the Brahman as " JyOthishAm JyOthi:/
the light of lights " (Mundaka Upanishath )and Param JyOthi:/
the Supreme Light (ChAndhOgyam);BrahadhAraNyakam identifies 
this Supreme Light with Amrutham ( immortal rejuvenating nectar
principle). 

The Lord as Jn~Anam
********************
The Upanishaths salute this Brahman as JnAnam , PrajnAnam
and VigyAnam as a part of His being Jn~AnaguNakan, One who 
possesses knowledge as an attribute .He is adored as 
Sarvaj~nan ,PrAsAsitAran ( One has the power to command all ) 
and as SarvAdhAran (substratum of all created entities).

The Lord as Ananta
*******************
The Upanishaths (TaittirIyam) recognizes and salutes Brahman
as Ananta as a distinguishing characterestric and as essential
nature of Brahman. Ananta means that Brahman is infinite 
and omnipresent without being limited by space or time.
It is infinite with respect to its essential nature
(Svaroopa) and dharma . That Brahman standing at 
ThiruvhIndhrapuram as Satyan is eternal/nithya( Mundaka);
it is Vibhu(all pervasive) and sarvagatha (omnipresent)
as recognized by the same Mundaka upanishath. That Brahman
is "IsAvAsyamidham Sarvam"(IsAvAsya Upanishad: all this 
universe is pervaded by the Supreme Lord <SrIman NaarAyanan).

The Lord as Aanandham
**********************
The Upanishaths also slaute Brahman as the Bliss principle
(Aanandam).He is saluted as "Aanandamaya AthmA ". ChAndhOgyam
attests that Brahman is Joy/Aanandham ( kam Brahma).TaittirIyam
salutes this Brahman as Rasa:"rasO vai Sah" (Aanandam /infinite 
Bliss). The pinnacle of this aananda-related tribute is the one ,
which salutes Brahman as "Sath-chith-aananada " , where Sath,
Chith and aananda refers to Brahman as the absolute being(Sath) ,
the absolute consciousness(chith) and absolute bliss (aananda).
Dr.S.M.S. Chari emphasizes that these three terms (sath-chith-
aananda) denote the very svaroopam of Brahman and not as
essential attributes (guNAs). 
The Lord free from all hEyams(defects)
***************************************
Upanishaths salute this Brahman as free from inauspicious
attributes ( hEya guNa rahithan).That Brahman is recognized
as the BhUtha yONi or the source of the Universe and banishes
any concept of Brahman being considered as nirvisEsha Brahman.

The Lord as Isvaran
********************
Upanishaths elaborately salute Brahman as the Isvaran , 
the Supreme Ruler and as Purushan or the Supreme Personal
God . BrahadhAraNyakam salutes the Brahman as " SarvEshAm
bhUtAnAm adhipati: ). Swamy NigamAntha MahA Desikan salutes
in this context Lord of ThiruvahIndhrapuram as "Deva pathi:",
VibhudhEsvaran , Deva athinAthan and Dhivishd Niyanthu et al.
TaittirIya AaraNyakam salutes Brahman (Him) further as: 
"SarvEshAM bhUthAnAm RaajA".ChAndhOgyam salutes that Brahman
as "VaisvAnaran"/visvEshAm ayam nara:(the ruler of all souls).
SvEtasvathAra Upanishath recognizes this Brahman as the controller
of the whole world of the stationary and the moving ( vasI 
sarvasya lokasya sthAvarasya carasya cha ). The same Upanishath
prostrates before that Brahman with four more salutations:

1. IsvarANAm Paramam MahEswaram(Supreme Lord of all Gods)

2. DEvatAnAm Paramam Dhaivatham ( Lord DevanAthan , the Supreme 
deity of all dEvAs ).

3. PathinAm Paramam Pathim ( the Supreme Ruler of all Rulers).

4. na Tasya Kaschit Patirasti lOkE na cha IsitA ( "Nor is there any 
Ruler over Him ).

This is what Swamy VEdAntha Desikan meant , with the passage 
in the fifth slOkam of SrI DevanAyaka PanchAsath :

"DEvapathE! Nigama utthamAngai: nirvisyamaana Vibhavam
Bhavantham sthOthum mama cha Kshamam " 

Oh Lord ! You conferred on me the title of NigamAntha Desikan
(Nigama UtthamAnga Desikan); hence I have the fitness to
salute You in the manner shown by the Upanishaths. What
does it matter , if my efforts are feeble (kim tEna?).

Our Lord of ThiruvahIndhrapuram had to consent to
the Kavi ThArkika Simham's line of reasoning. 

Swamy NigamAntha MahA Desikan ThiruvadigaLE saraNam ,
SrI Taranga Mukha Nandini SamEtha SrI DEvanAyaka SwAminE nama:
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan/SaThakopan 




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