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Experiencing Swamy Desika -- #61


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:

"SrimAn VenaktanAthArya: kavithArkika kEsarI!
VedAnthAchArya varyO mE sannidhatthAM sadhA hrudhi"!!

We saw that Our Lord's kalyAna gunas as exhibited
by Tooppul ThiruvEnkatamudayAn. Now, let us dwell with
the adjectives used by our Tooppul ThiruvEnkatamudayAn
on our Lords avatAra's.

When Swami Desika went to the dasAvatAra sannidhi in
Thiruvarangam, Swami had a darshan of our Lord's tirumEni
of all the ten avatArs and worshipped them.
In this stotra, Swami Desika has blessed us with the
mention of the divine leelas of the ten avatArs of
our Lord.

The stotra starts with the mention that it was
Lord Thiruvaranga who took these avatArams.
Swami Desika enjoys the ten avatAra's in a Sloka
for each. Swami Desika has compressed all the ten
avatArA's into one Sloka, using very significant
and appropriate adjectives for each.

In this Sloka we can enjoy Swami Desika's poetic
excellence, talents of summarising and Swami's unique
devotion.

"yichA mIna vihAra kacchapa mahApautrin yadrucchAharE
rakshAvAmana rOsharAma karunAkAkutstha hElAhalin !
krIdAvallava kalkavAhanadashAkalkinniti pratyaham
jalpanta: purushA: punanti bhuvanam punyaukapaNyApaNA: !!"

-- dashAvatAra stotram

In this Sloka Swami Desika uses an adjective for all
the ten avatAr's of our Lord.

During the pralaya kAla when an asura took off the Vedas
and got immersed into the waters, Our Lord took the
matsyAvatAram through his own sankalpam and hence
Swami refers to this avatAram as 'yichA mIna'!

Next when the dEvas and Asura's used the mantarA mountain
to churn the ocean, the Lord, as a sport came as kUrmAvatAram
hence 'vihAra kacchapa'!

When the Asura HiranyAkshan folded the worlds like
a mat the Lord appeared as the mighty varAhA avatAra
and protected the world. Swami addresses this huge
varAhaAvatAra as 'mahApautrin'

Lord NarasimhA's sowlabyam is evident here. Our Lord
made this avatAram just to make true the words of his
devotee, prakaladan. Our Lord appeared in the form of
Narasimha when no body expected hence the
adjective - 'yadrucchAharE'

Our Lord took the vAmana avatAram only to protect.
Our Lord having come as vAmanan during mahAbalI's yAgam
measured all the three worlds. By doing this the Lord
not only protected the three worlds but also protected
mahAbali, hence 'rakshAvAmana'.

'rOsharAma' was used by Swami because, Lord parasurAma
came to destroy the kshatriyA race from the world.

Lord rAmA is an embodiment of karunA towards saranAgathAs.
Hence Swami Desika address Lord Rama as 'karunAkAkutstha'.

Lord BalarAmA by means of his 'kalapai' did many leelAs
and so is addressed as "hElAhalin".

Our Lord appeared as Kannan in Ayar kulam and performed a
variety of exceptional leela's. Our Lord lifted govardana
and protected the people, the Lord showed his paratvam
in this avatAram. Swami hence empathetically addresses
KrishnA avatAram as 'krIdAvallava'

Kalki perumAL would ride on a white horse and would establish
Dharma. He would remove every body's trouble that are going
to come during kali hence Swami addresses him as
'kalkavAhanadashAkalkin'.

Swami Desika adds that these avatArA's of the Lord can be
equated to the shops where only punyA is stored. when a
one approaches a shop he can get what ever he wants.
Swami says that in the same way, if we approach these
punya purushas we can get a lot of good things, they
make their place of stay itself pure.

We are able to 'realise' that Swami is actually enjoying
"himself" when he defines "his" avatara's !!!

"Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!
SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama !!"

...To be continued!

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi