You are here: SriPedia - ebooks - Vedanta Desikan - Experiencing Swami Desikan

Index - Articles: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 108

Experiencing Swamy Desika -- #91


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 yesterday's posting we had a glimpse of Swami Desika's
KrishnAnubavam. Swami enjoys our Lord's bAla leela's and
at the same time speaks of the greatness of our Lord in
the following Sloka.

"nikatEshu nishAmayAmi nityam nighamAntairaradhunApi mrugyamANam !
yamalArjunadrushtabAlakElim yamunAsAshikayauvanam yuvAnam !!"

-- Gopala Vimshati (8)

Swami Desika describes Lord Krishna as 'nighamAntairaradhunApi
mrugyamANam' (i.e.) 'being searched for even now by the Vedas'
or 'beyond the comprehension of the Vedas'. Upanishads are not
able to explain even one KalyAna guna of the Lord completely
and are stuck at the very beginning!

With all the above mentioned greatness our kutty kannan
revealed His sowlabyam by pulling himself around with the
mortar as a respect to his mothers words. Our Lord also
exhibited his paratvam by granting sApa vimochanam to two
yakshas. These Yakshas had enjoyed the bAla leelas of our
Lord when they were trees. Not being contented with that
they stayed there for some more time even after they got
back their original forms and were immersed in the leelas.
The river yamuna also had the bAgyam to see all the leelas
of Kannan.

Swami states this Greatest Lord is seen by his side
all the time => niketesu nisamayami nithyam!

There are several works of Swami Desika which expatiate on
the Lord being out of reach of even the Vedas.

In the very first Sloka of KaamaasikAstakam, Swami says that
supreme Lord who is unreachable and incomprehensible is found
to reside to the south of Vegavati river (vegavatyAsca
dakshinam). Upanishads reveal Him as the supreme deity having
the sun, the moon and fire as his three eyes and having the
body of a man and the head of a Lion with over hanging manes
=> Nara simha - (Man lion).

Kaamasikaa is the translation in Sanskrit by Swami Desika of
the tamil word Velukkai ( Vel - irukkai). Two meanings are
given for this word - Vel = kama, irukkai = Sitting posture;
and vel = as he likes, irukkai = being seated.

In KaamaasikAstakam Swami has given an extremely moving and
profound declaration of the Lord's dedication to protection
of those who have taken refuge.

"tvayi rakshati rakshakaihi kimanyai:
tvayi cA rakshakai: kimanyai: !
ithi nishcita dhi: srayAmi nityam
nrhare vegavatI tatAsrayam tvAm !!"

Swami Desika has described his total dependence on Lord for his
safety.

Swami resolves to serve Lord Narasimha who resides on the banks
of river Vegavati.

Swami makes an emphatic declaration - "when you are there to
save me why indeed should I seek other gods? And should you
decide not to save me, who else will dare intercede?"

These four lines briefs us the concept of saranagathy. Swami
makes a resolution with determined mind. Immense faith or
mahAvisvAsam is of highest importance for the performance of
Prapatti and this has been emphasised here.

Swami with utmost faith and confidence declares that if our
Lord decides to protect us nobody can stop it and if the Lord
Himself decides not to protect us then there is nobody to
protect us. When we know this truth we have no option but to
wholeheartedly seek refuge in our Lord and become a recipient
of Lords dayA!!!


This compilation is based on the inputs from "SrI KaamaasikAstakam"
by sEva Swami, published by Sri Vedanta Desika Research centre and
from Shri A. Srinivasaraghavan's "The Life and Works of
Sri Nigamanta Maha Desikan".


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

...To be continued!


dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi