Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
The Staff
When we are queried as to what items the Lord holds in His hand, we might
immediately list out the Discus, the Conch and the Mace, for He is the "Shankha
Chakra GadA pANi". We might also remember the SArngam or bow as an
afterthought. Most of us would however omit an important item, which adorns the
Lord's right hand- the Regal Staff or SengOl. The Staff, which is usually held
by all Kings of note, is an indicator of their power and control. When ordinary
Kings, whose writ extends over limited land masses, hold a staff, shouldn't the
Lord, who is the Emperor of all Emperors ("RAjAdhi RAja:sarvEshAm")? He does,
says Sri AndAl- "SenkOludaya Tiruvaranga SelvanAr". The RangarAjA is the Lord
of this entire Universe and others, and as such holds a regal staff stylishly
in His hand, as an indicator of His Paratvam. It is not only at Srirangam that
we see this-at Thiruneermalai too, to mention but one, the Lord sports the
SenkOl.
When Emperuman came down to the world as the kapata VAmana, He was loathe to
let go of this SenkOl, and transformed it into the palAsa dandam that all
brahmachAris are supposed to hold at all times. With the staff and water jug
(kamandalu) in one hand and an umbrella in the other, the diminutive Emperuman
made such a bewitching sight that everyone, from exalted dEvatAs to
hard-hearted asurAs, wanted to take Him into their arms and shower endearments
on Him.
It is not only Emperuman who holds a SengOl-His Prime Minister and
Cmmander-in-Chief, Sri Vishvaksena too holds a staff in his hand. Like the
Conductor of an orchestra, Sri SenApati Azhwan too conducts the affairs of the
Cosmos with mere waves of his staff, says Swami Desikan-"yat vEtra shikhara
spandE visvam Etat vyavastthitam".
We are fond of saying that Acharyas are superior to Emperuman. Perhaps as a
token of this conviction, our Sampradaya endows all its YatIsvarAs with not
one, but three staffs, tied together and called the Tridandam. This is an
important feature that distinguishes Sri Vaishnava YativarAs from sanyAsIs of
other persuasions-others sport an Eka (single) dandam. To whatever denomination
the Yati might belong, the Tridandam is his inseparable companion, never to be
forsaken in life. This practice has its roots Dharma Shastras and has been
scrupulously adhered to by all YatIsvarAs of our Sampradaya, right from Sri
Alavandar to the venerated present day Acharyas belonging to the fourth
Ashrama, that of renunciation. The TolkAppiam, the earliest Tamil work
available, speaks about "MukkOl bhagavar", obviously referring to Sri Vaishnava
SanyAsIs. The importance of the Tridandam is thus clear from not only sectarian
literature but ancient and secular writings also.
The DhAtee Panchakam, said to have been authored by Sri KoorattAzhwan or an
equally distinguished disciple, describes the greatness of the Tridandam held
by Sri Ramanuja, in the following sloka-
"PAshanda shanda giri khandana vajra dandA:
pracchanna bouddha makarAlaya mantha dandA:
VEdAnta sAra sukha darsana deepa dandA:
RAmAnujasya vilasanti munE: tridandA:"
The Tridandam held by the Bhashyakara is not a mere collection of three sticks.
It is verily the VajrAyudham capable of cutting through bohemians and nihilists
who stand strong and invincible like mountains. It is a drill churning and
drying up the deep waters of advaitic philosophy. It is verily the guiding
light for all those interested in imbibing the true purport of VEdAnta Shastra.
The next sloka too extolls the glory of Sri Ramanuja's Tridandam-
"ChArithrOddhAra dandam, chatura na pathAlankriyA kEtu dandam
SadvidyA deepa dandam, sakala kali kathA samhatE: kAla dandam
Trayyanta Alamba dandam, tribhuvana vijaya cchatra souvarna dandam
DhattE Ramanujarya: prati kathaka shirO vajra dandam tridandam"
The Tridandam held aloft by Sri Ramanuja forms the supporting staff for the
Shruti. The Shruti is likened to a creeper and Sri Ramanuja's tridandam to the
tree around which it twines itself for support. This brings out the yeomen
service of the Bhashyakara in condemning the misinterpretations of Veda vakyas
by various opposing schools of thought and providing it a strong base and
support by furnishing correct and plausible purports, in tune with the Veda
PurushA's tiruvuLlam. The Tridandam is also held aloft as a gesture of victory
over prativAdis the world over, whose heads (signifying their viewpoints) are
severed by the Tridandam with as much ease as the Vajrayudha of Indra.
Swami Desikan says that Sri Vishvaksena himself was born into this world as
YatirAja. And the nitya suri's staff, which is inseparable from him, took
avatara as Sri Ramanuja's Tridanda-"VishvaksEnO Yatipati: abhoot, Vetra sAra
Tridanda:"
While painting an enthralling picture of the Bhashyakara's handsome tirumEni,
Swami Desikan pays tribute to the ever-present Tridandam adorning the former's
hand-
"upaveetinam oordhva pundravantam trijagat punya phalam tridanda hastam"
Here, by an appropriate alignment of the words, we can derive the meaning that
the Tridandam resplendent in Yatiraja's hand is the result of the combined
penance and prayer of the three worlds-"trijagat punya phalam". Another Acharya
says that the Tridandam imparts matchless splendour to the hand of Sri
Lakshmana Muni-"danda traya ujjvala karam". Sri MudaliyAndAn, the poorvAshrama
nephew of Sri Ramanuja was considered so close to and inseparable from his
uncle that he was verily called Yatiraja's Tridandam, just as Sri Koorattazhwan
came to be known as his "pavithram".
Now let's see what exactly the Tridandam signifies, according to Manu, who is
hailed by none other than the glorious Shruti, as a Universal Benefactor-" yat
vai kincha Manu: avadat tat bhEshajam". The twelfth chapter of the Manu Smriti
has a wealth of information on the subject. The three components of the
Tridandam represent respectively the resolution to control speech, mind and the
body.
Speech control implies that the sanyasi eschews all untruth, abuse and insults
to the Lord and His votaries, the Bhagavatas. Self-praise or boasting, blessing
sishyAs by word, telling tales and secular speech incompatible with the exalted
Ashrama, are all included in the above.
Control of the mind enjoins upon the Yativara to focus his thoughts only on the
Lord and His auspicious attributes, sishyAs and their spiritual welfare,
meditation on the Rahasyatrayam (AshtAksharam, Dvayam and CharamaslOkam) along
with its enthralling purport etc. Though the mind is as difficult to control as
the wind ("VAyOriva sudurgraham"), the SanyAsi is supposed to keep his mind off
all unwanted thoughts, by filling his mind with Bhagavat guna anubhavam.
Control of the body refers to adoption of appropriate food habits and
observance of fasting on requisite occasions, engaging the limbs and other
parts of the body in Bhagavat kainkaryam, etc. In short, YativarAs should
eschew inappropriate conduct as outlined by Sri Thirumangai Mannan-"nenjinAl
ninaitthum vAyinAl mozhindum needi allAdana seidum".
Kullooka Bhatta, in commenting upon the aforesaid sloka of Manu, avers that the
aforesaid purports of the Tridandam should be strictly followed by SanyAsis, if
they are to reap the real stature and fruits of renunciation, and mere sporting
of three staffs would not make a person a real Yativara- "na tu danda traya
dhAraNa mAtrENa TridandI iti uchyatE".
Such is the glory of the Tridandam, which is said to be the Yati's closest
friend and constant companion, as is evident from the mantra for picking it
up-"sakhA mE gOpAya". Its significance can be gauged by the fact that it is the
only outward symbol, apart from the ochre robe, which sets the Sanyasi apart
from others.
Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana
Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
Dasan, sadagopan
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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