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Experiencing Swamy Desika -- #86


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 have dealt with two kAvyams in our earlier postings,
pAdukAsahasram and yAdavabhyudaya which exhibited
Swami's inaccessible eminence. There are three other kAvyams
of Swami viz. SrI Hamsa sandhesham, subhAshita nivi and
sankalpa sooryOdayam.

Hamsa sandhesham is a small devotional kAvyam. It contains 110
Slokas divided into two parts called Ashvasa => 60 + 50
Slokas.

When AnjanEya (siriya tiruvadi) arrived at Malyavan, and said
"kanDen Sitayai", he revealed that sIta's residence has been
located. Hanuman says that sIta was kept in the Asokavana at
Lanka by Ravana. And thus removed the worry of "where" Sita
was! This was not the end because the worry of not being near
was still existing.

SandEsham means ambassador. Because a Swan was sent
as a ambassador, it has become Hamsa sandEsham.
"HamsamukhEna prEshita AshvAsAsatta karma hamsasandEsha: !
ata yEva sargayO: AshvAsa yiti nAma !!" says Abhinava Desikan.
The word AshvAsa leads to two groupings. Separation is also named
as AshvAsa.

The first AshvAsam has 60 Slokas telling the route to the swan
to reach Lanka. The 2nd 50 Slokas deals with meeting sIta and
the message to be communicated to her.

Here, Swami Desika uses a swan to communicate rAmA's assurance
to sIta to release her from captivity. Rama hence chooses to send
a message through a swan. So, the swan is given the direction
for its journey!

Kanchi, Tirumalai, Tiruvellarai, Srirangam and Tirumalirumcholai
are described as places of visit to the swan. Swami describes Kanchi
alone in eleven Slokas and Tirumala in two unique Slokas. Swami
does not stop here.. He explains about the forests, the ocean
and the other regions lying around them. The first sixty Slokas
end here.

Lanka is described in the second part. The description further
includes the Asokavana, sIta and delivery of rAmA's message.

Towards the end, Swami has given us two Slokas.

The former mentions rAmA's killing of Ravana and his return
to Ayodhya with sIta and his Kingship there.

In the latter Sloka Swami has instructed us to study this best
gem Hamsa sandesa dealing with the life of sIta and rAmA!

This is a kAvya with a lot of Vedanta meanings. Swami himself
has mentioned this as Hamsa sandEsha ratnam!

This posting has been based on the write up of Vaduvur
Shri R. Veeraraghavan and from the book The Life and works of
Shri Nigamanta Maha Desikan by Prof A. Srinivasaraghavan.

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

...To be continued!

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi