Om Shri Gurubhyo Namah !
The suffix is not meant as a wanton and casual counter to what our friend
Shri Sadogopan has elaborated. It is only thru the divine intervention of
the Divya dampathis of Parakalamutt that this writer came across a few
scattered gems and persons associated with that Great Acharya Shri
Nathamuni.
For those who are in and around Chennai you may get in touch with Shri
Deskichar the son of Illusterious Yogi, Shri Krishnamacharya, who lived
close to 101 years solely by his yogic powers and practices. This writer
is fortunate to have such an extraordinary Acharya as his Guru.
Shri Krishnamacharya was one of those highly orthodox ShriVaishnaivaite
associated with the the ancient Parakalamutt. In his youth Shri
Krishnamacharya underwent some mystical experiences, prominent among them
being his swooning at Thirualwarnagari when he apparently met a stranger
who is believed to be none other than the Sage Nathamuni. The gist of the
Yoga Rahasya was revealed to Shri Krishnamarchaya who later mastered the
Sastras, the precribed studies, underwent spiritual practices in the
Himalayas and subsequently became a full fledged Yoga-cum-Vedic teacher.
Some of Sage Nathamuni's works this writer believes may perhaps be in
possession of Shri Krishnamacharya's family. You may also contact his other
son Shri Bhashyam settled in France. One is not sure about his contact
details.
One of Shri Krishnamacharya's favourite study was the perfection of the
Sandhyavandanam. Shri Krishnamacharya also happens to be the Guru of the
world famous Yogi Shri BKS Iyengar. More details and background
information may be gleaned by contacting his son Shri Desikchar.
This writer would be more than willing to gather a like-minded support
group and touch base with Shri Desikachar and his family.
Shri Krishnavagesa yetendra abhyam !samprapta chakrangan bhashyacharam !
Shrinutnarange samarpitaswam
Shri Krishnamaryam Guruvaryam medhe Virodhe Kartike Mase,
Ksatatara kritodayam yogacharyam Krishnamaryam
Guruvaryam bhaja Shri Gurubhyo namaha
Harihi OM !
Om tat sat
Tat tvam asi
__/\__
Ram (022) 24910492 ext. 3019
Message of the month :"Over 75% of our body is H2O,i.e. Oxygen and
Hydrogen. Therefore, we are just a mass of gas"
sadagopaniyengar
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tiruvenkatam@yaho Subject: [t'venkatam] The Lost
Treasure
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10/11/05 09:14 AM
Please respond to
tiruvenkatam
Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
The Lost Treasures
A wealthy philanthropist built a palatial Dharmasaala (rest house) at
Srirangam, with the lofty purpose of accommodating all wayfarers who came
to worship Sri Rangaraja. The choultry provided all facilities for
pilgrims, with comfortable rooms to stay in, facilities for performing
daily ablutions and sumptuous food at appropriate intervals. All those who
stayed at the Dharmasaala were extremely grateful to the generous donor,
who, in turn, was pleased beyond measure at the opportunity for service to
the Lord’s devotees. Word of this munificence and convenience spread and
the Dharmasaala became the favourite destination of all pilgrims to
Srirangam. Countless were those who benefited from its conveniences.
The philanthropist grew old and entrusted the management of the choultry
to his progeny, who too carried on their father’s work sincerely. In time
and in tune with the general decline in standards of ethics and Dharma,
the management of the rest house became progressively indifferent, with
the successors of the philanthropist showing less and less inclination for
altruistic activities, resulting in the vast Dharmasala falling gradually
into disrepair and becoming dysfunctional. And one sad day, the last
pillar supporting the once-magnificent columns fell, marking the closure
of an institution that had served thousands in its hay day. As if waiting
for the event, a building promoter moved in and constructed an
impressively ugly block of match-box-like tenements, where there once
stood the magnificent Dharmasala. Thus was lost to posterity a veritable
treasure house.
This narration is neither fable nor fairy-tale, but a true-life story
which has happened with deplorable regularity, not only at Srirangam, but
at many other holy places. Buildings in ruins, with washed-out sign boards
hanging askew and bearing the barely-visible name of some charity or the
other, are a common sight at almost all Divyadesams.
While this is one aspect of our losing bequeathed treasures due to
indifference and inattention, there is another and more precious genre of
heirlooms which we may well have lost forever. And what is more, most of
us haven’t even realised the magnitude of the loss and continue to wallow
in blissful ignorance about its enormity.
The immaculate Vedas and their explanatory manuals like the Itihaasas,
Puranas, Dharma Shastras, etc. are glorious guidebooks designed to pilot
us safely through the mine-field of Samsara and to reach us safely at the
portals of Paradise. These works of worship, propagated by the Lord
Himself or His chosen messengers—Maharshis, Sages and Acharyas-- have been
handed down from generation to generation, serving as a bright beacon to
all those floundering in the interminable gloom of Samsara. They function
too as guideposts amidst the thorny and confusing mundane maze, steering
us in the right direction whenever we are confronted by bewildering
crossroads of choice. It is these which form the most precious treasure
bequeathed to us by our elders, the most valuable of heirlooms which
generations of our forebears have protected, preserved, propagated and
passed on, for the benefit of posterity.
Due to inadvertence and indifference, already we have suffered quite a
heavy and irreparable loss, by way of disappearance of portions of
Shastras, particularly Vedas, from currency. For instance, the Atharva
Veda was all but lost a few decades ago and it is only due to the
enthusiastic and energetic efforts of a few Mahatmas that there is now a
healthy rejuvenation in its study. Even now, students and exponents of
this fourth among Vedas are to be found in a small number in Gujarat,
though it is slowly spreading to other places.
Though Vedas are reputed to be beyond numbers (“Anantaa vai Vedaa:”),we
understand from Scriptures that there were no less than 1180 Shaakhas of
the Shruti extant in the not too distant past, each with its own Samhita,
Aaranyaka and Upanishad components. And all these Shakhas had their own
votaries, engaged in study, propagation and preservation of the Vedas.
However, what we have now is pitifully small in comparison.
We know of the Taittireeya Shakha, with the Taittireeya Samhita,
Taittireeya Braahmanam and the Taittireeya Upanisad, all of which have
been remarkably well preserved. However, granting that the Upanishad
generally forms the concluding part of a particular Veda Shakha, many of
the Upanishads we have now, must have been part of independent Shakhas,
though not a trace remains of the rest. The Kousheetaki Upanishad, for
instance, is the sole remnant of the Saankaayana Shakha, which must have
been a wide-ranging and voluminous body of Vedic wisdom. Though the
Katopanishad is still extant, its Aaranyakam is nowhere to be found. The
loss we have thus suffered is incalculable and irreparable. What we have
lost are not mere books, but treasure houses of wisdom.
Coming to more recent times, within the last thousand years, we have
managed to lose many more precious heirlooms. Sri Nathamuni was the first
protagonist of our Visishtaadvaita Sampradaya (“Naathopagyam pravrittam”)
in this Kali Yuga. By all accounts, he is reputed to have been a
repository of pure devotion, selflessness, vairaagyam and other sterling
virtues, endowed with divine vision. Though he is remembered for all these
accomplishments, the moment we hear his holy name, what springs to our
mind is his wonderful and painstaking compilation of the Naalayira Divya
Prabandam, which had, by his time, almost vanished from currency. He also
set them to music and arranged for their recital at various temples. Had
it not been for this great Acharya and his Herculean efforts, we would
have lost the priceless treasure of Aruliccheyal, the ecstatical
outpourings of enlightened Azhwars.
It is therefore extremely ironical that Sri Nathamuni’s own great works,
Yoga Rahasyamand Nyaaya Tattvam, are no longer available to us. The former
was a treatise on Yoga, while the latter was a voluminous work involving
interpretation of the Nyaaya Shastra according to Visishtaadvaitic tenets,
criticising the Gautama Nyaaya Sutras in the process. We learn of these
great works, only from copious references thereto by Swami Desikan in his
various works like Nyaaya Siddhaanjanam and Nyaaya Parisuddhi. According
to Sri Sudarsana Bhattar, Sri Ramanuja too, in his Sri Bhashya, has quoted
briefly from Nyaaya Tattvam.
Another great loss Srivaishnavas have suffered is the disappearance of Sri
Alavandar’s path-breaking works Maha Purusha Nirnayam (establishing the
supremacy of Sriman Narayana) and Kashmira Agama Praamaanyam, which is
said to validate the Pancharatra Agama and its Vedic source, the Ekaayana
Shakha. That these works definitely existed, is again to be derived only
from Swami Desikan’s references and quotes. Our sense of loss is further
compounded when we learn that Sri Yamunacharya’s Siddhi Trayam (consisting
of the Atma Siddhi, Isvara Siddhi and Samvit Siddhi) too is available only
in portions. To quote Dr.M.Narasimhachary, “It is a matter of regret that
all these three Siddhis suffer from gaps and the extant text is only a
fragment of an originally larger work”.
We come next to the works of Swami Desikan, the most prolific author among
Srivaishnava Acharyas. While it is indeed our good fortune that the major
portion of Sri Venkatanatha’s works is remarkably well preserved, it is
simultaneously a matter of deep regret that several of his works too have
been lost. Sri Vedanta Desikan is reputed to have composed a magnificent
and voluminous commentary on Tiruvaimozhi, named “Nigama Parimalam”, and
another Tamizh work by name “Tirumudi Adaivu”, which are no longer extant.
A similar commentary on Kanninunsirutthaambu, aptly named “Madhurakavi
Hridayam”, is also no longer available, which fate is shared by a host of
Tamizh Prabandams of Swami, titled “Pandu, Kazhal, Ammaanai, Oosal and
Esal”, apparently addressed to Sri Deivanayakan of Tiruvaheendrapuram. “
Steyaa Avirodham”, a work justifying Sri Tirumangai Mannan’s unorthodox
ways of fund-raising for good causes, is also lost, as also “Adhikarana
Darpanam”. Only portions of Tattva Teeka (an elaborate commentary on Sri
Bhashyam) are available, as also of the “Sata Dooshani”.
We hear too that Vyaakhyaana Chakkravartthi Sri Periyavaacchaan Pillai’s
commentary on Periyaazhwar Tirumozhi is partially lost.
This, then, is a brief Status Paper on the priceless treasures of ancient
and unmatched wisdom that we have lost over the centuries.
In this context, we have to remember with gratitude Mahtamas who toiled
hard and spent whole lifetimes in searching for, restoring, editing and
publishing rare works of Acharyas. They were not endowed with unlimited
supply of funds nor had an army of supporters. Yet, with a missionary zeal
for the protection and preservation of Poorvacharya Sreesooktis, they
sacrificed their all to ensure that whatever works were available did not
meet the same fate as the ones lost. Two haloed names that spring to our
mind in this regard are Tarkaarnava Abhinavadesika Uttamur Sri
Veeraraghavacharya Swamy and Prativaadi Bhayankaram Sri Annangaracharya
Swamy of Kanchi. Though both were prolific writers, they displayed greater
enthusiasm in publishing works of Poorvacharyas than their own. The
constant and continuing efforts of Sri Puttur Krishnamacharya Swamy too
merit special mention in this regard. The good work of institutions like
the Sanskrit Academy of Melkote (who have brought out critical editions of
Sri Bhashyam with various commentaries) also deserves great appreciation
and encouragement.
Though these Mahatmas’ contribution is matchless, we can still endeavour
to emulate them to the extent possible, in identifying works of both
Poorvacharyas and later ones, for preservation. Many of these works are
still unpublished, especially numerous ones of various Srimad
Azhagiasingars who adorned the ascetic throne of Sri Ahobila Mutt and are
currently available in the form of manuscripts, many on palm leaves and
similar perishable material. I am sure similar works by distinguished
Acharyas of Srimad Andavan Ashramam and Sri Parakala Matam also exist, in
similar need of preservation and publication. Since use of paper for
composition in our religious institutions is less than a century old,
earlier works must be on Taala Patram or Panai Olai, likely to
disintegrate anytime due to their age and disappear forever from our
midst.
Even in respect of published works, though we come across quotes from
several old and hoary works like the commentary of Sri Govindaraja on
Srimad Ramayanam, that of Sri Veeraraghavacharya on Srimad Bhagavatam, the
commentaries on Srimad Rahasyatrayasaram like Sri Saaraasvaadini of Sri
Tirukkudandai Desikan and Sri Saarabodhini (of Injimedu Srimad
Azhagiasingar) and that of Sri Mahamahopaadhyaaya Chetlur Swami, we rarely
get to set eyes on them. These works need to be reprinted.
Against this rather bleak background of partial and total loss of the
accumulated fonts of wisdom, the recent efforts by inspired individuals to
identify, catalogue, preserve and publish hitherto unpublished manuscripts
of Acharyas, deserve all appreciation, encouragement and support. With the
advanced digital technology now available, scanning or even typing out
these works from their originals on palm leaf or ancient paper should be
possible, which would be the first step in preservation. Once the works
are available in electronic form, the possibilities are endless.
Most of these works may be in Sanskrit, many of them may be on esoteric or
subtle points of Shastra not of immediate interest to the common
man—despite all this, what we have to remember is that they emanated from
erudite and enlightened Acharyas who composed these works not as personal
memorabilia, but out of a fervent desire to inform and educate us. They
are works of devotion which would guide us on the right path by their mere
presence in our home. (My late, revered father, apart from his other
sterling qualities and deep attachment to Srimad Ramayanam, was an
acknowledged authority both on shorthand and Shakespeare. Though I have
regrettably not inherited his enthusiasm for either, I still preserve his
books as their very sight reminds me of him and his devotion. Similarly,
works of our Acharyas too inspire us by their very presence and sight,
even if we are unable to profit from their wisdom immediately.) Once these
original works are preserved, translations to benefit the scholar and
layman alike, could be attempted.
As Srivaishnavas, it is hence our sacred duty to ensure that these
bequests are properly appreciated, treated with the veneration they
deserve, protected against the ravages of distortion and loss and
preserved in all their pristine purity, so that the generations that
follow would also benefit from the ageless wisdom.
What are the ways in which we can help?
We can search sincerely for such old and published/unpublished works of
the aforesaid kind, existing in our own library/those of institutions and
individuals likely to have such books or palm leaf manuscripts and make
them available to those who have undertaken the onerous task of converting
them into e-format.
Those among us who have the technical expertise can help in the above
process by offering consultancy/active participation.
Once the stage for publication comes, we can financially support the
printing of one or more works of Acharyas.
We can spread the word among our relatives/acquaintances about the need
for the entire endeavour and make them aware of the crying need for
preserving our heirlooms.
There can be no better tribute to Sri Hayagriva, who holds a book in His
hand, than to help in protecting works on religion and spirituality. And
the venerated authors of the unpublished manuscripts would definitely be
gladdened at their works getting published at long last, benefiting the
entire Vaishnavite community.
Come, let us help in this holy mission!
Sriamte Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri
Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:
dasan, sadagopan
Namo VenkateshAya namah:
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