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Experiencing Swamy Desika -- #20


SrI:
Shrimate Shri Lakshmi Nrusimha Parabrahmane Namaha:
Shrimate Shri Seetha Ramachandra Parabrahmane Namaha:
Shrimate Shri Ramanujaya Namaha:
Shrimate Nigamantha Maha Desikaya Namaha:
Shrimate Shrivan Satagopa Shri Narayana Yateendra Mahadesikaya Namaha:

We saw what Swami Desika has written,
on Perialvar. In the same Athikaarasangiragam,
Swami Desika mentions about Shri Nathamuni thus:

kaaLam valampuriyanna naRkaathaladiyavarkkuth
thaaLam vazhankith thamizhmaRai innisai thantha vaLLal
mooLunthavan^eRi mootiya naathamunikazhalE
naaLunthozhuthozhuvOm namakkaarn^ikarn^aanilaththE.

Swami Desikan sings the glory of Shri Nathamunigal
and in the above mentioned pasuram, Swami says:

Shri Nathamunigal blessed us with the Tamizh Marai -
the naalaayira divya prabandam - set to various raaga
thaalam. Swami further states that Shri Nathamunigal's
lotus feet is our only refuge. Swami is proud and
thunders that since we have the divya Prabandam given
by Shri Nathamunigal there is none equal to us.
"...namakku aar nigar indha naanilatthE".

Adiyal, for one, felt that hearts melt when we recite
"...namakku aar nigar indha naanilatthE".
Shri Nathamuni thiruvadigale saranam.

Now, that equates to PeriyAzhwAr's "...ninnuLLEnaai
peRRa nanmai indha vulagil yaar peruvaar?"

Shri Nathamunigal was a great scholar and a pro
in yoga sastras. He used to perform kaimkarya
to Mannanar - the presiding deity of
Shri Nathamunigal's birth place.

One fine day, Shri Nathamuni heard a group
of Shri Vaishnava pilgrims reciting the paasuram
"Aaraa amudhe...". This verse ended with stating
that "these ten pasurams of Nammalvar - out of
the thousand - are much sweeter than the melody
of the flute". This phrase caught the imagination
of Shri Nathamunigal.

Shri Nathamunigal spent considerable time and put
in tremendous efforts to learn the divine pasurams.
With total devotion, Shri Nathamunigal recited the
eleven pasurams of Shri Madhurakavi Alvar's -
Kanninun Siruthambu - a whopping 12,000 times.

On completing 12,000 times of recitation,
Shri Nathamunigal was blessed with the vision of
a life time and what a sight it was! It was like
Koti soorya pragasam. Shri Nammalvar was pleased
with Shri Nathamunigal's devotion and gave him
all the Divya Prabhanda pasurams.

Shri Nathamunigal made the best use of the treasure
that was given. Shri Nathamunigal tuned Deva Ganas
on the pasurams and taught them to his disciples.

...To be continued!

Nathamunigal tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi