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Experiencing Swamy Desika -- #77


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"!!

In one of our earlier postings we saw swami's description about
thiruvEnkatamudayAn's compassion in dayAsatakam. The only other
satakam of Swami Desika is Achyuta Satakam!

Achyuta Satakam is the only stotra of Swami Desika in Prakritam
language. We have already seen Swami taking a role of a nAyikA.
Here, Swami's intense love to our Lord, makes Swami to even
talk in the language of a nAyikA - hence Prakritam.

The very first word of the first Sloka in Achyuta Satakam is "namata".
Thus, in the opening Sloka itself Swami instructs us to pay obeisance.
Generally it is Swami who pays salutations at the beginning of the
stotras, but here Swami wants us to prostrate to Lord Achyuta.

Having instructed us to be devoted to Lord Achyuta, Swami describes
the love of our Lord towards his true devotees.

"Alagathy tava caranau achyuta vidhinApyarcanAcaritA!
yaikAnti prayuktA sheshAmiva swayam shirasA pratigruhNAsi tAm!!"

-- Achyuta Satakam (57)

Swami says that even the puja offered to Lord by Brahma reaches
only Lords foot. (We saw this in our posting on dEhaleesa stuti).
But true to our Lords sowlabyam, He accepts the puja performed
by his dear devotees on his head like a seshavastra.

A person becomes a dear to Lord when he strictly adheres to the
Sastras, does bagavat/ bAgavata kainkaryam and leads a life of
a paramaikAntin. The Lord is both the means and the goal for
such devotees. The objective of every act performed by a
paramaikAntin is Bagavad preetyartam. Praramaikantins do not seek
refuge in anya devatas for any material benefits - in fact
they do not even request material benefits from our Lord. All their
request circle around Lords dayA for Bagavad/ bAgavada kainkaryam!
They have a lot of vairAgyam and keep themselves from all material
attachments. So, the Lord Himself enables them to attain Him who
is otherwise unattainable.

Our Lord holds these devotees in such a high esteem that the puja
and offerings of such devotees are received by our Lord on His head
like a seshavastra !!! Our Lord is fond of them and is always
with them.

Seshavastra is a cloth tied around the head of a devotee before he
receives the Sri Satari by His head. Swami says, our Lord receives
the puja offered by Paramaikantins with bent head as if He
is receiving the seshavastra.

Imagine Lord bending His head to receive the prayers of a
devotee ... Our Lord's sowlabyam is unmatched !!!

Our Lord reserves this honour only for Paramaikantins.
How Lucky are we -

"....ninrullEnaippetrananmai ivvulaginil yAr peruvAr ..."!!!


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

...To be continued!

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi