Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya: (Na Deivam Desikatparam)

SRI:
SRI VEDANTHA DESIKA VIDYA

(Na Deivam Desikatparam)
Sri Vedantha Desika Era.745- Nandana-Purattasi-Aippasi
VOL.No.4
OCTOBER 2012
No.4
Seerondru Thuppul Thiruvenkadamudaiyan Paarondrachonna pazhamozhiyul - Orondru Thane amaiyatho thaaraniyil vaazhvarkku Vanera ppomalavum vazhvu. -Pillai Lokachariyar
Editor : T.C.Shrinivaasan M.A.B.L

Editor&Publisher:
T.C.Shrinivaasan. M.A.B.L.
CONTENTS
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1.Sri Rangarajastava Sri.U.Ve.V.N.Gopaladesikachar swamy Sri Vedantha Desika Vidhya 2.Sri Bhagavatam Sri V.K.Ramanujachari Trust, 7/16,Second Main 3.Minor Rahasyas of Swami Road, A.V.M. Avenue, Desika-Rahasya Navaneetam Virugampakkam, Dr.M.K.Srinivasan Swamy Chennai-600 092 4.Daya Satakam Pritned by: D.Ramaswamy Iyengar Swami N.Amirthalingam 5.Satadusani Saraswathi Jaya Achagam R.Kesava Iyengar 19/2 Subramaniya Street 6. The Conception of Amsa in Saidapet,Chennai-600 015 Visishtadvaita Prof K.Seshadri Annual Sub Rs. 250 7. Sri-The Universal Mother Local cheques, DDs, MO Urupattur D.Soundararajan infavour of Sri Vedantha 8. Swami Sri Vedanta Desika Desika Vidhya Trust, Praveena Anand 7/16, Second Main Rd, A.V.M.Avenue,Ch-600 092 THIRUVONA NANNALMALAR Ph: 9444903721 Email: hayagreeva_tcs@yahoo.com
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Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya
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R RAGARJASTAVA
SRI U.VE.V.N.GOPALADESIKACHARIAR SWAMY, OPPILIAPPAN KOVIL
Tptraymaindavapukariy nimajjya nirvpayit's mi yasy & abhysato' pmaghamaranin (40) candrassudhddhititamavapa && The moon obtained (regained) his quality of having nectarlike cool rays, by its contact with the holy waters of the Chandra Pukarini. I will also bathe in this holy tank and get over the three kinds of heat in the samsra. Bhaar continues elogising Chandra Pukarini in this verse also. Daka had the 27 stars, Aswini, Bharani etc., as his 27 daughters. He gave all his daughters in marraige to the moon-god. Perhaps even in days of yore, it was the habit of the husband to shower extreme affection on one of the wifes, neglecting others. Dasaratha was mad after his youngest wife Kaikeyi, neglecting the senior ones, Kausalya and Sumitra.The moon-god Chandra was no exception. He doted on Rohini, completely neglecting the other 26 wives (stars).The aggrieved star-wives went and complained to their father Daka about Chandra's brazen partiality towards Rohini. As a father, Daksa got offended by Chandra's brazenness and instantly cursed his son-in-law. The offence of partiality towards one of the wives was considered a serious one. The story of Kaisikapuranam is well known. Nampduvan was proceeding on a Dvadasi day in the month of Krthikai, to the temple at Tirukkurungudi, when he was interSri Vedantha Desika Vidya
cepted by a Brahmarakhs who wanted to devour him, to satisfy his hunger. Nampuvan requested the rakas to allow him to go to the temple and sing the glory of theLord, standing outside the temple; which he was regularly observing as a vow. He promised to return afterwards and offer himself to the rkas. He swore on several counts. One of them was that if he did not return, he would undergo the central punishment that awaited one, who having married two wives, was shouring partiality towards one of them, neglecting the other. So, Daka cursed the moon-god that he will be afflicted with an incurable disease, for showering affection on Rohini alone, ignoring the other 26 star-wives. Suffering from the dreadful disease, the moon-god came to rragam, bathed in the holy tank and worshipped Lord Ragantha. The ocean of mercy that He is, the Lord took pity on Chandra and cured his disease. Chandra regained his bright,cool, nectar-like pleasing rays. And the holy tank itself is since named after him, as Chandra Pukarini. ""I will also bathe in the cool, refreshing waters of the holy tank; and get rid of not only my body heat, but also the three deadly heats of samsra'' exclaims Bhaar. The three serious heats of samsara are:(1) Adhytmika-Ills pertaining to the body, like cold, fever, head-ache etc., Ills pertaining to the mind like lust, hatred, fear, anger etc., (2) dhibhautikas-Injuries caused by other people like enemies, by snake, scorpion etc., (3) dhidaivika-injuries caused by acts of God like thunder, lightning, tsunami etc., (contd)
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R BHGAVATAM
By Diwan Bahadur Vaikuntavasi Sri. U.Ve. V.K.Ramanujacharya Swamy SECTION III
VISARGA (Sk. II, Ch. V and IX, and Sk. III, Ch. VI, VIII to X, XII and XX) 11. (i) We now go to visrga. The live bhtas and the other tatvas in the centre were unable to do any work by themselves. The devatas in charge of them praised Bhagavn. (Sk. III, Ch. V, v. 37-50.) The praise will be found in Appendix (I). Bhagavn then entered them in various ways. In the mixture each element has an independent existence. But in the other this is not the ease. (Ibid.,Ch.VI,v.2 and3.) The tatvas thus mixed and compounded appeared in the form of a lotus bud in the naval of Bhagavn, who floated in the water envelope. In this Bhagavn entered as also Brahm, who was to be the ruler of the universe to come. (Ibid., Ch.VIII,v.13-15.) It took a thousand years for the lotus bud to grow in size and to fully develop. During all this time Brahm and the tms, that were to take birth in the universe, dwelt in it. (ibid., Ch.VI,v.6.) (ii) Brahm then came forth and looking all around, saw no one other than himself. He thought that the lotus flower should have come forth from some cause; and in search of it, he went down through the stalk of the lotus flower into the water envelope and looked for a long time. Failing in this attempt, he came up and sat on his seat. (ibid, Ch. VIII,v.16-21). He considered how he should create the world but did not perceive it. (Sk. II, Ch. IX, v. 5.) He then heard the word tapa, tapa in the air which means do tapas (meditation). (Ibid.v.6.) He looked all around to see from whom the word came, but found no one. (Ibid v.7.) He made tapas for one thousand divine years. (Ibid.v.8.) Bhagavn then showed him His own world known as vaikunha.1 Brahm was greatly pleased and being directed to create the world, he requested Bhagavn to impart
to him such knowledge as would help him in that work; that he might do the work with due diligence; that he might not be touched with the charge of partiality, when he should create differences in the world according to the karms of the various individuals and that hemight not be intoxi cated with the thought that he was the creator of the world. (Sk.II.Ch.IX, V.28 and 29.) Bhagavn then imparted to him instruction which is referred to in para 3. . (iii) As instructed by Bhagavn, Brahm made tapas for another thousand divine years. The lotus flower was His body2 and it is known as the brahma-ada as being His body and as being in the form of an egg. It is of the shape of a human body consisting of a head, trunk and limbs. It separated into three parts: one consisting of Himself and the tms, who were to be the enjoyers; the second consisting of the five bhts from which the bodies of the tms and the objects of their enjoyment were to be formed, and the third consisting of the tms' instruments. The last was subdivided into eleven groups. The minds formed the first group. Each class of senses of perception and each class of senses of action formed a separate group. (Sk.III, Ch. VI, V.9). Each of the groups was located in the parts of Brahm 's body corresponding to the body of a human being. Thus the senses of sight were located in the eyes; the senses of smell in the nose; the senses of hearing in the ears; the senses of taste and speech in the tongue and mouth; the senses of action in the hands; the senses of sexual union and excretion in the sex organ and the anus; the senses of locomotion
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This vaikunha world is beyond the world ofrnatter with the three guas. It
consists of a shining substance with satva alone as its quality. The other qualities,
rajas and tamas, are not found therein and time does not work in it. There is
nothing higher than this. It is free from grief, delusion and fear. Everything remains as it is, unless it is changed by the will of Bhagavn or of His servants. (Sk. II, Ch. IX, v. 9 and 10.) v. 11-16 describe the appearance of Bhagavn.
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The lotus flower is the body of Brahm as he supports and controls it and
uses it for his purpose, i.e., creation; and a body is what is supported and controlled by an intelligent being for his own purpose. It is also the body of Bhagavn as He supports, controls and uses it for creation through Brahm. Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya
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in the feet ;and the minds in the heart. (Sk. II, Ch. VI, V.1-10.) (iv) A further differentiation took place as follows. The seven elements, vlz., skin, flesh, blood, medas (membrane covering an organ of the body), majjah (fluid within the spinal column), bones and semenwere formed from the three bhatas, earth, water and fire; and with these, the bodies of dimes were formed. (Sk.II, Ch. X, V. 3.) Their instruments with the controlling devatas came forth from the body of Brahm and entered corresponding places in their bodies1 as shown below: (Sk. III, Ch. VI, V. 12 to 26.) Instrument Sense of speech Sense of taste Sense of smell Sense of sight Sense of touch Controlling Devat Agni (fire) Varua Avins Sun Vyu Place of Location Mouth Tlu Nose Eye Skin Work done by Each Speech Perception of taste Perception of smell Perception of shape and colour The perception of heat and cold and of hardness and softness Perception of sound
In the bodies thus prepared, the tms were made to enter. This is the creation of the tms.3 (V) There were ten steps in this creation. (1) creation of mahat, (2) of ahamkra, (3) of the five bhttas, (4) of the minds, (5) of the ten classes of senses, (6) the formation of the brahma-aa; these are known
of tms ' instruments were located; Verses 19 to 33 of Ch. X of the same skanda describe their issuing forth from that body; Verses 12 to 26 of Sk. III, Ch. VI, say in what parts of the tms ' body each set of instruments was located. The first point will be found in para 11 (iii) and the third in para 11-(iv). The second point being a repetition of the information contained in the other two points has been omitted. The same organ, viz., the mind, performs four functions, and receives four names; and in each function it is controlled by a separate devat. lt was stated towards the close of para 11 (1) that Bhagavn entered into the lotus bud, which became the brahma-aa. He is therefore present in the body of every arms and in the tma himself. The body is as much the body of Bhagavn, as it is of the atma. For as the tma supports and controls it, Bhagavn also supports and controls it. For the same reason the tma is also the body of Bhagavn. The possession of bodies in this manner does not make Him liable to suffering, as the possession of a body does in the case of the tma. The tmas are under the control of Bhagavn, who issues commands and has the power to punish for disobedience. The tmas therefore become liable to punishment if they disobey. But Bhagavn is under no one's control. He is Himself Isvara, the All-ruler and He cannot do any karma in the sense of action bringing on suffering. He can be said to be bound and to suder only indirectly through the tma. It is He, who by His wonderful power makes an tma suffer, when he confounds himself with the body. The properties of matter are not in the tma, as the changes brought about in the reflections of the moon on a sheet of moving water are not in the moon. This misconception of thetma that he is the body will slowly disappear by the grace of Bhagavn if he does every action as His worship, and meditates on Him with love as the unpleasant perceptions of a dreamer come to an end, when he wakes up.These effects are produced by hearing the relation of Bhagavn's noble deeds. Why should there be any doubt when one feels intense love for the dust of His lotus like feet? This furnishes another reason forBhagavn's not being liable to any suffering ; for he, that removes the suffering of another, must himself be free from it. A prisoner in chains cannot release his fellow prisoners. (Sk. III, Ch. VII,v.9 to14.) . 7 Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya October -2012
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Sense of hearing Sense of sexual union
Directions
Ear
Prajpatis
Sense of excretion Mitra Sense of action Indra Sense of locomotion Vishu Manas2 The moon Buddhi Brahm, the husband of Sarasvati Rudra Prajpati
Sex organ Pleasure of sexual Intercourse Anus Excretion Hands Action Feet Locomotion Heart Analysis and synthesis do Forming attachments
Ahankri Chitta
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do do
Misperception of the tm as the body. Perception of a thing as it is.

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Verses 1 to 10 of Sk. II, Ch. VI state in "What part of Brahmcs body the groups
as prkta (creation); (7) creation of the vegetable kingdomdom, (8) of the animal kingdom, (9) of the human race, and (10) of the deva order. The last four are known as vaikita creation. (Sk.III,Ch.X,v.13-17 and 26.) 12. (i) Visarga, ie., the creation of the various orders of living beings. This takes place on the same plan in every kalpa. (Sk. II, Ch. X, v. 46.) It will therefore be sufficient to state how this creation was made in the present kalpa. At the beginning Brahm found that the worlds bh, bhuvar and svar, were submerged in water. The first step was to drink in the water.1 (Sk. III, Ch. X,V. 6.)He then considered how he might create the three worlds (Ibid, V.7) and meditated upon Bhagavn. (Ch. VIII, V. 21.) He then saw in his heart Bhagavn seated on Anantha.(v. 22.) Brahm then praised Bhagavn in verses 1 to 25 of Ch. IX. This will be found in. Appendix I. Bhagavn said "Do not yield to depression; make efforts to create. What you desire has been already arranged for by Me. Do tapas again and meditate on Me. With these you will clearly see in your heart the three worlds as they were before. You will see Me pervading yourself and the three worlds, and the three worlds in Me. When one thus sees Me dwelling in all beings, as fire is in a piece of wood, he abandons his depression. In addition, he should also see himself, i.e., the tm as divested of the material body with its instruments, and as resting on Me. When all his senses are stilled, and he sees Bhagavn, all his sufferings will vanish, He will then be released from bondage. You have now to create numerous beings in accordance with their past karms; but this will not affect your mind; for, you will have my blessing with you, and though you will be engaged in this work, the quality rajas, will not bind you. You have already had several proofs of my blessing. You know me who cannot be known by embodied beings; you perceive that I am connected as their controller with the bhtas, the senses, their three qualities and the tms. Also you saw Me outside of yourself, when you
Reference is made to this drinking of the water in Sk. III, Oh. XIII, v. 1 to 2, following verse 16. Brahma said, ''The water was previously drunk by me, and the earth was put in her place ; I created all beings, the devas, asuras, pitis, human beings, beasts, birds, creeping animals, vegetables, serpents, and other things high and low. Yet the earth is again submerged in water.'' Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya
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wished to know Me, and searched going down through the stalk of the lotus flower into the water below; and you have praised Me dwelling on the stories of My deeds and have done tapas. I am pleased with this praise of yours. I impart to you the knowledge of the veda with which create as in the previous kalpa all the beings that have rested upon me. With these words Bhagavan disappeared.(Sk. III, Ch. IX, v. 29 to 39 and 43.) Brahm carried out Bhagavns directions. (ii) The first order of living beings created by Brahma under the command of Bhagavan was the vegetable kingdom, consisting of trees forming the lords of the forests, trees bearing flowers and fruits, shrubs, herbs and creepers. Among these should be included also as the sixth variety those that are required only for the skin like the plantain and the bamboo. Next came the creation of beasts consisting of the beasts that roam on land, the birds that ily in the air and the fish that swim in the sea. The beasts that roam on land are divided into 3 groups (1)those that like the cow and goat have split hooves, (2) those that like the horse and the ass have unsplit hooves, and (3) those that like the dog and the fox have five claws in their feet. This order of beings is full of the quality tamas, and cannot distinguish between the past, the present and the future; they perceive with their sense of smell, and feel pleasure and pain that are present, but cannot look beyond them.(Sk.III, Ch. X, v. 19 to 24.) Then came the creation of human beings, who are full of the quality mjas, and do karma; they regard what is really pain as pleasure. Lastly came the creation of the devs, which consists of eight classes, viz., (1) the devs, and pitis, (2) asuras, (3) Yakshas and rkshasas, (4) gandharvs and apsaras, (5) Siddhas, (6)chraas, (7) bhtas, prethas and pichas, and (8) vidydharas, kinnaras and kimpurashas. (ibid., 25 to 28.) 13. The devas1 were created by Brahm, when he shone brightly; and they came from his face turned to the east. The devas are therefore
The original refers to creation by Brahm remaining in particular bodies, to his rejecting them and to their being taken up by the several groups of devas. The commentary explains that the word "body' should beunderstood to mean a particular mood or state of mind. Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya 1
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bright beings and are powerful in the day. The pitis and sdhyas were created, when Brahm felt himself strong. They are worshipped by men with offerings, when they desire strength. The asuras were created from the back of Brahm, and they are powerful during sandhya, i.e., the time between the departing day and the coming night. They are addicted to the pleasure of sex union. The yakshas and rkshasas were created, when Brahm was overpowered by the quality tamas. These classes therefore show this quality prominently, and are powerful during nights. When Brahm laughed, enjoying the beauty of his own person, the gandharvas and apsaras came forth from him. The siddhas and vidydharas were made, when Brahm thought of the power of making oneself imperceptible. These classes have therefore the power of disappearing at their will. The kinnaras and kimpurushas came from Brahm's shadows; they sing every morning the praises of Brahm each together with his wife. When he was indolent, the bhtas, pretas and pichas came forth from him, and when he lay down and was angry, the great snakes like Takshaka. (Ski. III, Ch. XX, V. 18, 19, 22, 23, 37, 38, 40, 42-48.) 14. Kumara Srishti Brahm meditated upon Bhagavn, and when his mind became pure thereby, four sons came out of him, named, Sanakca, Sananda, Santana and Sanathkmara. The father directed them to propagate the human race. But as they liked Bhagavn alone, they declined. The father became angry, and could not control his anger, even though he tried to do so. In this state, Rudra came out of him from between the eye brows. Brahm directed Rudra to multiply the human race. He complied with this command; but those, whom he created, were full of the quality tamas, and began to devour things around them. Brahm then said ""Enough; go and do tapas on Bhagavn. Then came out of Brahma nine prajpatis from whom the World was filled and also Nrada. The names of the nine prajpatis were, Marchi, Atri, Artgiras, Pulastya, Palaha, Krata, Vaishtha, Bhigu and Daksha. (Sk. III, Oh. XII, v. 4 to 7, 15 to 18 and 21 to 22.) Two others came out from Brahm, viz., Dharma and. Kardama. (Ibid., V. 25 and 27.)1 (contd)
1 The original states the places in Brahm's body from which these persons came forth. Many other things are said to have been created by Him. These details are omitted as unnecessary.
Minor Rahasys of Svmi Deika

Rahasya-Navantam
(Dr. M K Srinivasan, Chennai)
The Charamasloka
It was already seen in the earlier commentary on the Dvayamantra that this mantra carries more detailed explanations on the three realities, the seeds of which are found in the Ashtksharamantra. Now, there is a similar link between the Dvaya-mantra and the third esoteric mantra, viz. the Charamasloka. The Dvayamantra exposits the highest means for liberation, i.e., surrender (saranagati); the Charamasloka explains more clearly the basic concepts of surrender such as who are competent to adopt it; the act of surrender is a stand alone means without requiring any other supplementary act and the immeasurable greatness of the act. Further, the Charamasloka expounds the requirements of the person who surrenders, the duty of the Lord who protects and the post-surrender duties of the aspirant for liberation (mumukshu). The person who proposes to surrender to Bhagavan for liberation should first have a discriminatory attitude and approach to life. This is brought out in verse 38 of the Tirumlai of Tondaradippodi ~var and says, "Such a person should completely give up his craving for earthly pleasures. He should clearly understand the nature of his soul and that pure and devoted service to the Lord is what is expected of him. He should withdraw the
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focus of his senses from external objects and turn them inwards. He should seek refuge at the Feet of Bhagavan. He should divest himself of the concept of "I' and "mine'. He should avoid all other efforts towards liberation. Humorously, the ~var suggests that such a person is no better than a confirmed idler and that perhaps Bhagavan prefers to have such idlers at His doorsteps! The aspirant should spell out his urgent need for liberation by saying before Bhagavan, I have sought refuge at Your Feet. Please accept me and utter the words, "Do not fear.' (vide Tirucchandaviruttam 92). Such are the duties prescribed for the mumukshu before surrender. Next, Bhagavan, the Protector, also has some duties and commitments. He has to eradicate all the fruits of the past actions, both good and bad, of the aspirant, as they are hindrances to liberation. Svmi Namm~var says in his Tiruvymo~i (8.10.9) that "He who carries the five weapons alone can eliminate my dreadful sins'. How He does it is interestingly brought out through a simile. In the Mahabhrata war, Bhagavan exchanged places with Arjuna and served as the latter's Charioteer whereas, in the fitness of things, it was Bhagavan who should have occupied the higher seat in the chariot, with Arjuna being seated in a lower position and driving the chariot. But what Krishna did in the war was to guide and assist Arjuna to achieve his goal of victory over his enemies, the Kauravas. Similarly, in the case of the mumukshu, Bhagavan stands at a lower level than the aspirant and accepts, on His shoulders, all the bundles of sins of the latter. Then, after having taken up the burden of the aspirant's sins and wiping them off, He raises the purified aspirant to His own level. What an astute way of helping the aspirant! Bhagavan is the only competant
authority who can perform this jugglery, says Svmi Namm~var in the psuram quoted earlier. Coming back to the aspirant, post-surrender, he is now a totally different person. Bhagavan has taken over the deleterious effects of the aspirant's earlier actions and the latter is now in a purified state. Only, he is still enmeshed in the world and is likely to sin again. He should therefore guard himself against such trends and tendencies. First, he should entertain a feeling of comfort, a feeling of relief in his mind at the eradication of his past sins. God has taken over the roles of a father, a mother and a compassionate master and has stabilized his rocky past. He can look forward to a sedate and stable future and should no longer grieve over the past (refer Tirucchandaviruttam 115). Further, as nl sings in her Tiruppvai, he should become a complete devotee of the Lord to the exclusion of all other desires and activities. He should engage himself in serving Bhagavan in all manners and as an end in itself, not looking for rewards for such a service; Bhagavan's pleasure is itself the reward. The service rendered should conform to the scriptural injunctions and in the traditional path chalked out by elders. Let us now docket the explanations given above in the format of the Charamasloka. The first half of the sloka, viz. "sarvadharmn parityajyamm kam saranam vraja', which means having left other means, have recourse only to me through surrender, denotes the duties of the aspirant before surrender. The phrase "aham tvm sarvappebhyo mokshayishymi ', which means "I will extricate you from all sins and lead you to liberation', outlines
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the duties and actions of the Lord. Lastly, the phrase "maa suchah' enjoins on the aspirant, during the post-surrender period, the prospect of a burdenless and worriless life, awaiting liberation. Besides conveying these ideas, the Charamasloka also brings out (i) the way in which Bhagavan guides the seeker of refuge to adopt the means for the highest goal, (ii) the steps taken by Bhagavan to grant the wishes of the aspirant, namely the removal of his sins, and (iii) the state of freedom from fear and sorrow that envelops the aspirant after surrender, giving him ample time and opportunities to serve Bhagavan to his heart's content and according to the sastras, till he leaves his physical body and starts serving Him in r Vaikuha. What is significant but not so apparent in all the three is that there is no limitation whatsoever, such as time and place, to the protection Lord, the act of surrender and the fruits accruing from such an act. Once this kernel of truth is understood, it will be seen that all the literature about surrender are but explanations of this fact or mere repetitions. Svmi Deika concludes this treatise with a Tamil psuram and two Sanskrit verses. First, the Tamil psuram conveys the following ideas. ""We have given up the thought that we are the masters of ourselves, that the burden of saving ourselves (from further births) is our own to bear or that the fruits of our actions are for our own benefit. We have entrusted all these three factors to the limitless Bhagavan. We are free from illusions and wrong notions about ourselves and the world. We are now convinced that Bhagavan, with His ever-present Consort Sri, is both the Means and the End. We have understood the inner meaning of Bhagavan Krishna's
message to Arjuna while driving the chariot in the Mahbhrata war, i.e. "this surrender is for your welfare'. Hereafter, come what may, we will not grieve or repent. Even while living in this mortal world, we are no less than the ever-free souls of the immortal world.'' In the first Sanskrit verse, Svmi Deika says that ""he wrote this treatise by churning the three esoteric mantras with the churn and rope in the form of devotion to the preceptors and brought out nine topics for contemplation, just as a housemaid would churn a pot of curds with a rod and string and bring out butter, which is sweet and fit for an enjoyable swallow. In the second verse, he utters an invocation to Lord rnivasa of the Tiruvenkatam Hills in the following manner. "May the defects of the Kaliyuga vanish! May joyful, legitimate pleasures flow in full measure! May hosts of meritorious acts rise at all places! May righteous conduct prevail among people! May the Vnkata Hills shine in ever-increasing glow! May devotees throng around, sing and worship Bhagavan! May the splendour of the Hills abide for all times to come!' Individual letters of reminders are sent to subscribers. Kindly renew your subscription on receipt of letter. If any one doesnot renew ever after receipt of the letter, further issues will be stopped for them. To avoid break in continuous receipt of issues, please renew and relax.
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DAYAA SATAKAM
OF SWAMI SRI VEDANTA DESIKA ENGLISH COMMENTARY BY VAIKUNTAVASI. SRI. D. RAMASWAMY IYENGAR
.4.
Anucara aktydi gum agresara bhodha viraitlkam | svdhna vagir svaya prabhut pramaymi daym ||(11)
I swear by Daya, who has Shakti and other attributes (of the Lord) as her retinue (followers) who has her path lighted (illuminated) by Gnana going ahead, who wields full sway over Vrishagireesa (Lord Sreenivasa) and who is by herself immense and immeasurable.
No sooner than the Poet said that he was going to praise Daya
Devi, we find Dayadevi herself sallying forth. This sloka describes Dayadevi as starting out in all glory in response, as it were, to the poet's desire to praise her, expressed in the previous verse. Even before one full sloka is uttered in her praise, she descends and condescends to show herself. Her saulabhya or easy accessibility is apparent from this. Those who have seen processions of the Lords in Temples will have noticed how the Lord is preceded by several paraphernalia and followed by others. Here the poet describes Gnana as preceding Daya and the other attrobutes, Shakti, Bala etc., as following her. Six attributes or gunas are usually associated with the term "Bhagavan." They are gnana, bala, aisvarya, veerya, shakti and tejas. Out of them Desika speaks of gnana as going before Daya, and the other five as following in her wake. As is the case with all uprekshas (poetical fancies) of Desika, a very great truth underlines this poetic description of Dayadevi's procession. Knowledge must go in front and indicate where Daya is to function. In so functioning, Daya is backed up by the other five attributes without whose support the protection afforded by Daya will not be complete or effective. So they are described as anucharaas or followers. Daya is itself an attribute of the Lord. As we shall see later, Desika postulates the supremacy of Daya over all His other numerous attributes. In this sloka, the chief six attributes (shad-gunas) are shown as helping Daya in her mission of bringing relief, redress, and redempSri Vedantha Desika Vidya
From the 11th sloka to the 20th, the metre employed is what
is known as Geeti. This, like the well known Aarya, is a metre regulated not by syllables or aksharaas, but by maatraas or syllabic instants. A change of the metre for every ten slokas studiedly employed by a poet is an indication to the readers that there is a change of topic with every change of metre. For the ten decads of this Stotra proper, the ten topics of Dramidopanishad (Nammalwar's Tiruvaimozhi) as summarised by Desika himself in his Dramidopa nishad Saaram and Dramidopanishad Taatparya Ratnaavali have been adopted as the topics. Accordingly, " Sevaa Yogyatwam" was the topic of the first decad. Sevaa Yogayatwam means worhsip-worthiness. God is Sevaa Yogyaa because He has Tirumalai as His abode, because He is sought after by Acharyas, Alwars and Maharishis, because He is served by Vishvaksena, and surrounded by Sri Devi, Bhoodevi and Neela Devi and because He is himself an ocean of grace, mercy, compa ssion and sympathy towards all. The topic of the second decad is anti-bhogyatwa or the eexceedingly enjoyable quality of God. The slokas of this decad while dealling with the greatness of Daya, each in its own way, are collectively calculated to emphasise how God is sweet and enjoyable to His devotees. Praise of Dayaa-a quality of God-is really praise of the Dayaa-van the possessor of Daya.
Second Decad. Introduction.
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tion, to suffering humanity. 'Aaloka.' means light, lustre, brightness. Here that brightness is brought about by gnana which is described as going in front of Daya. When great personages walk in public, an attendant holding a torch or a lamp shows the way in front, often also exclaiming, 'This way', 'This way.' By referring to Daya as "Svaadheena-vrishagireesaa" the poet shows to us how completely Lord Srinivasa is under Daya's sway or control. Her purpose is so noble and is so much after the Lord's own heart that He, so to say, surrenders Himself unto her. The manner and the measure in which He does so is the theme of several later sloka. This surrender is born not out of fear or subordination, but out of a spirit of harmony (Aikarasya) in regard to the object in view. Lest one should think that the greatness of Daya is entirely due to her being the consort of the Lord, the poet adds, "svayam prabhootam" conveying to us thereby that by herself she is immense and supreme. The word pramaanayaami in this sloka is not easy to understand. Pramana is authority and hence validity. The poet evidently intends to establish the validity of Daya. This terms has also been taken to mean a 'measure.' In that view we have to take it that Desika says that in singing this Stotra in her praise he is really attempting to measure the immeasurable. Another meaning, if permissible, will also be very apt. Till Desika wrote the Dayaasataka there was no textual authority postulating the supremacy of Daya. It may not be exaggerated claim to make that for the prameya (object of knowledge) of Daya, Daya Sataka is the pramana (authority).
Anjanagiri (Lord Srinivasa) you revive and restore me to a life from a state of stupor into which I was plunged by my sins which are powerful enough to devour at one gulp all the virtuous deeds of the entire world.
From this sloka onwards the Poet addresses Daya and all the
slokas are couched in the second person. Desika in this sloka says with a great sense of thankfulness that while he had swooned away under the vast load of his sins, Daya took pity on him and restored him to consciousness. To the devout, living in sin with no thought for God, is death. From that state Daya redeems human souls. Most modestly, Desika refers to himself as one such, so redeemed and restored to life. Sanjeevanam means giving life. The heavy load of sin smothers one's own existence and brings about a state akin to death. Just as some famous oshadhis (herbs) bring back to life those who are almost dead, Daya revives us. The sins committed by us must be felt by us to be big enough to devour, or to use a slightly different metaphor, consume, all the good deeds done by all else throughout the whole world. Mushindhaya signifies sipping from one's own first or palm and swallowing in one gulp, as Sage Agasthya did with the seven seas. Our sins are so vast that they can devour and reduce to nothing all the sukrita (good deeds) and all the sucharita (good conduct) of the whole world taken together. They reduce us to a state akin to death, and yet from that state of moorchana or stupor, we are revived by Daya. There is a paata or reading for this sloka in which sanjeevayatu takes the place of sanjeevayati. In that paata the meaning is 'May Daya revive me.' Daya is referred to in this sloka as anjanagirinaatha ranjanee which means one who delights Anjanagirinaatha (Srinivasa). It may be that it is because she is so dear to the Lord that she is able to infuse life into our dead and dormant selves. Or it may be that she is so very dear to the Lord because she gives us life.
Apil nikhila lka sucharitamutindhaya durita mrchanjutam | Sanjvayati daye mm anjanagirintha ranjan bhavat || (12)
Daya Devi ! Acting in a manner very pleasing to the Lord of
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This sloka is regarded as a great Mantra. Acharyas have prescribed its aavritti to their disciples as a panacea for several ills that beset in their progress, material or spiritual.
r Vednta Deika's
Bhagavati Daye! bhavaty Vriagirinthe samplute tunge | Apratighamajjannm hastlambo madghasm mrigyaha || (13)
Glorious Dayadevi! When even the high and lofty Lord of Vrishagiri floats in the flood caused by you, my sins which inescapably get drowned will have to seek in vain for a helping hand to come to their rescue. (and lift them up).
atada
Vaikunavsi r U.V. R. Kava Iyengr Swmy.
The Ninth Vaada establishes the ineligibility of nirvisesha advaitins for disputation as they do not admit the truth (Paramarthya) of pramanas, which according to them are ilusory (mithya). Pramanaa-perception inference and words (Vaada) according to them, have for their field the world of difference which are all illusions and have their operation in that field. Hence their untruth and illusory nature. According to visishta advaitins unless both parties to a dispute admit certain pramanas as authentic and binding on them, no disputation can at all take place. Propositions and oppositions must be shown ttoohave their support in Pramanas, and the dispute must proceed on the basis of and in strict accordance with Pramanas. Pramanas must therefore be true and accepted as true and binding on both parties. If pramanas themselves lack verity and authenticity no dispute can at all arise much less can be carried on to a final conclusion. In disputations, Pramanas have their full play and operate in all their invoilable verity and veracity. A denial of verity and veratcity to pramanas entails ineligibility for disputation. Hence the incompetency of nirvisesha advaitins, according to visishta advaitins, for disputation. The conclusion(siddhanta) portion of this vada is not available. Its purport can be gathered from the other works of the author. Two explanations are offered for its non-availability. One explanation is that the very topic which denies to nirvisesha advaitins any competency for disputation cannot admit of a disputative treatment thereof with an opponent to attack (nirvisesha
While in the preceding sloka the Poet dealt with his having
been rescued and revived, in this he talks about the submerging (and consequent extinction) of his sins. Daya is likened to a flood, an analogy in which the poet revels often in the course of this Stotra. It is such a big and huge flood that it sweeps even the high-placed Lord off His feet. This sloka shows that the re-vivification brought about by Daya as mentioned in the previous sloka is the effect of the extinction of our sins. Appratighamajjana refers to a submerging that cannot be warded off. Before Daya, sins cannot help perishing. Sins produce adverse effect on us, because of the Lord punishing us for them. But when the Lord Himself is drenched by Daya, He pardons all our sins and so, by failing to have effect,-in the only way they can ever have any effect,-they perish. The Lord is Tunga or high-placed, lofty. If one at a great height is submerged what is to be said of others who are in the lower levels? They inescapably get drowned. That is the fate which overtakes our sins, since the flood level of Daya is sufficient to engulf the lofty Lord Himself. Hastaalamba is lending a helping hand. The punishing mood of the Lord being banished by the intervention of Daya, sins get no quarter and so are spoken of as getting drowned. (contd)
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advaitin) and a proposition to refute. Hence the non-disputative character of the vada. The other explanation is that the conclusion portion is lost. The Tenth Vada is devoted to a refutation of the nirvisesha advaitins' view of particularless self-luminosity of knowledge. The Vada opens with the declaration: ""Knowledge which is luminous in itself shining in the differentiation of its abode and object is boldly stated (by nirvisesha advaitins) to be devoid of particularity and experienced as such and that is Brahman. That statement is a muddle of contradictions and headache to Vedas.'' That statement of theirs is elaborately examined in this vada and refuted as untenable. The visishta advaitins hold that Brahman is the abode of knowledge and not bare knowledge, that knowledge inheres in Brahman as its asraya (abode) and adhara (support) and shines as the abiding characteristic of Brahman. It is at once its characteristic and is itself characterised by its harmonious relation as much to subsequent as to object. Differenceless self lumonosity is, according to visishta advaitins, sheer repugnancy. To postulate one subject-object-differenceless self-luminosity as nirvisesha advaitins do would, according to visishta advaitins, reduce the whole universe of creation and experience in all the richness and freshness of its variety and magnificence to mere empirical configuurattions and phemeral apparitions of space-time illusion destined to devastation on the awakening produced by the monistic texts from the torpor of difference-duplicity illusion. Hence the characterisation by Vedanta Desika of this view of nirvisesha advaitins as 'headache'to Vedas. The visishta advaitins' interpretation of the monistic texts has already been explained above. To predicate an undifferentiated self-luminousness of knowledge without any abode or object at all is according to visishta advaitins, to deny knowledge itself. Knowledge is as much a constituent as a characteristic of Brahman. It is dharmibhuta
(essential) as well as dharmabhuta (characteristic). Brahman is the abode of knowledge. Brahman is the object of knowledge. Hence the absence of subject-object conflict. Knowers experience their knowledge thus: ""This is my knowledge'', whatever be the quality or the quantity of that knowledge. There is no such experie nce of any knower as ""I am knowledge'', in the sense of the entity "I' being wholly identical with and nothing other than the knowledge itself in negation of the abode and the object of the knowledge. Knowledge, if it is to be a knowledge, must be a knowledge of something or of some one and to some one, when alone there would be illumination as expressed or implied by the word "gnana' (knowledge). There would be no knowledge without a knower to know and an object to be known. It is a fact of experience and not a trick of duplicity. It is only when there is a knower to know and an object whether a person or a thing to be known person, same or different, which illumination is alone knowledge. Otherwise there would be no illumination at all, no knowledge at all. ""To be all eye is only to be all blind.'' Hence the criticism of Ramanuja and Vedanta Desika that the view of nirvisesha advaitins that Brahman is one particularless knowledge (gnana) would only make Brahman a compeer of jada (nonsentient). The experience ""I am happy today'' is a knowledge of the entity. "I' shining in its experience of happiness to-day. It is in truth an experience of the states and conditions of the entity "I'. In that experience the subject "I' is the object of experience and that experience is the experience of its state of happiness to-day, which is different from the experience of its state of unhappiness yesterday. The entity "I' does not cease to be the subject because of its being the object of experience. There is no subject-object contradiction at all. It is a knowledge of an illumination of the states and conditions of the entity "I'. Self-luminosity is accordingly luminative of the abode and the object and negative of particularlessness.
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THE CONCEPTION OF AMSA IN VISISHTADVAITA

(Prof. K.SESHADRI.)
The article seeks to discuss the significance of Ramanujas

exposition of the section known as the Amsadhikarana in the Brahma Sutra (II 3-42 to 52). The opening sutra in the Section describes the Jiva as an amsa, that is as forming a part of the Brahman. This description is not merely borne out, but rendered necessary, by the diversity of declarations in the Sruti on the nature of the Brahman (Nanavya padesat) There are upanisad-vakyas that reveal difference (Bheda) as well as non-difference (abheda) as characterising the Brahman in realation to the individual self. There are also corresponding sutras that declare the teaching of the scriptures to be difference as well as non-difference. Vaakyas like Prthagatmanamperritaramca matva and sa-Karanam-Karanadhi-pa-dhipah of the Svetasvatara upanisad emphasise difference. The first speaks of the individual self as different from that, which actuates it or impels it to act, while the second speaks of the Brahman as the Karana and as the lord of that, which rules the senses, implying that the senses, what rules the senses, and the overlord, who rules the ruler of the senses, must be quite different from one another. On the other hand, vakyas like Tattvamasi of the Chandogya upanishad meaning that thou art, and ayamatma-Brahman, of the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad meaning "this self is the Brahman"clearly emphasise nondifference. Similarly, one can easily see the contrast between a sutra like Tadananyatvam-arambhana-sabdadibhyah (2-1-15) which declare ananyatva or abheda and one like adhikamtu-bheda-nirdesat (2-1-22) or bheda-vyapadesat (1-3-5) which expresses bheda or difference. In his commentary on the first sutra in the Amsadhi karana Ramanuja indicates that the conception of amsa, if correctly
interpreted, would render both these types of apparently incompatible declarations equally significant and valid (amsatvehyubhayam-mukhyam bhavati). This conception is nothing foreign to the scriptures. Mantra and Smritis, no less than the Upanisads, adopt this idea in expressing the nature of the Brahman in relation to the individual selves as well as the world as a whole, padosya visva bhutani, tripadasyamrtam divi is the mantra-varna and mamai vamsi-Jivabhutah-sanathanah is the smrti text of the Bhagavad Gita; and these say that the individual selves are an eternal part of the Brahman. Thus Ramanuja maintains that the jivatman is an amsa of the Brahman, who is the Paramapurusha and in doing so he claims that the Visishtadvaitic interpretation of the amsa-amsi relation steers clear of either extremes, of and exclusive exphasis on the category of difference or a similar emphasis on that of identity. This does not mean that he accepts the third category of advaita is not the same as bheda-bheda. The essence of Visishtadvaita is the Sarira-sariri-bhava, a conception based on the analogy of body-soul relation. Ramanuja rejects absolute identity as well as absolute difference, because there are both difference and identity characterising the relation of the sarira to identity-in-difference may be a partial aspect of the sarira sarira relation, it is not adequate in itself to bring out the full significance of that relation. Ramanujas Visishtadvaita is not a specific kind of identity-in-difference, but the category of identityin-difference is a specific feature of Ramanujas conception. If the individual self is an amsa, and if amsa stands for a part, it follows that there must be differences as well as identity between the individual self and the Brahman, which is the whole to which the individual self belongs as a part. But here part means not part of the extension of something, not part in the sense of a piece or a Khanda. If the individual self were part of the Brahman in this sense all the defects and imperfections found in the individual self would belong also to the Brahman, But the Brahman is perfect and its nature does not admit of its being divided in the sense, in which an extended, spatial object could be divided. The srutis not only reveal the spotless perfection of the Brahman, but also express its
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indivisible unity and wholeness. By amsa Ramanuja means and integral attribute, an inseparable property or character (visesana), implying a necessary dependence of the part on the whole, or of the attribute on the substance. An inseparable property or character of an object belongs to the object, and forms part of it. The object is nore than the properties or attributes, that are rightly described as belonging to it. It is in this sense of belonging.1 The notion of belonging has not only an ontological, but also a moral and spiritual, significance in visistadvaita. that the Jiva is an amsa of the Brahman and hence a part of the Brahman. The part and the whole, though difference, are inseparate aprthaksiddha2 is more than Ayuta Siddha of the Naiyayika and related in such a manner that the whole, while retaining its identity and wholeness unaffected is all the same in every part. The jiva is not a mode of Brahman, for that would imply a real limitations of an upadhi is construed as real or as unreal, the idea of reflection is as unacceptable to Ramanuja as that of a real limitation. According to Advaita the jiva is no other than the Brahman-in-associate-with-ajnana; and if the jiva is to be recognised as an amsa, advaita has no alternative to arguing that, of the pure Brahman (free from all taint of ajnana) the Jiva, that is the same Brahman under the shadow of ajnana, is an amsa. The ajnana is generally regarded as a mithya, and hence the association with it and the consequence of the association that is jivahood, are also mithya. But there are a few who, while holding that the Jiva is no other than the Brahman-in-association-with-an upadhi, argue that the upahi is real. But this is no inprovement, according to Ramanuja, so far as the nature of the jivaatman is concerned. The upadhi may be real; but the impossible idea persists unrectyified of the self-same-Brahman -though described in different contexts differently as associated of unassociated (upahita Brahman or Anupahita Brahman)-being both an amsa and amsin.
The notion of ""belonging'' has not only an ontological, but also a moral and spiritual, significance in visitdvaita. 2. ""aprthaksiddha'' is more than ""Ayuta Siddha'' of the Naiyyika. Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya
1
The Brahman in Ramanujas philosophy is Visista Brahman. The philosophy is Visistadvaita, not in the sense of a qualified monism, not in the sense that the Advaita is qualified, but, more appropriately because the Brahman, which is advitiya or one without a second, is Visista Brahman. The entire world of sentient and non-sentient beings forms part of the Sarira of the Brahman. Ramanuja has shown how the sutra, Prakasadivattu-naivam-parah (II-3-45) brings out in full the Visistadvaitic implications of the amsa amsi relation between the Jiva and the Brahman. This relation, the Sutra emphasises, does in no way render the Brahman, who is the amsin liable to bear the defects and limitations of its amsa. The sutra also illustrates this point. The sun, which is the sources of all light, illumines other objects by its rays reaching far and wide. The sun is ever in association with prakasa or radiance. The attribute of radiance belongs to it as a necessary, inseparate amsa. Hence the sun is a Visista vastu. It is one, though it is qualified by the attribute of prakasa, which belongs to it as an amsa, who see here, does not touch the amsin. For instance, prakasa is the quality of spreading itself (as the rays) over other objects scattered for and wide, while the sun itself as a heavenly body is confined to its seat and to its course. Similarly, the attribute or visesana of cowness which belongs to all cows is as such permanent and changeless for all time and existence, while individual cows their specific qualities, limitations, defects or merits come into being and pass away 3. Other illustrations like master and servant, fire and spark,waves and the sea are seen to be inadequate against the back ground of Visistadvaita. The first of these emphasises that the jiva is different from, and has a separate existence apart from, the Brahman. The others not guarantee that the defects of the one do not touchOther illustrations like master and servant, fire and spark, waves and the sea are seen to be inadequate against the back-ground of Visitdvaita. The first of these emphasises that the Jva is different from, and has a separate existence apart from the Brahman. The others do not guarantee that the defects of the one do not touch the other. Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya
3
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the other. The Jiva, says Ramanuja, being a part of the Sarira of the Brahman stands in a necessary, irrevocable relation to it as amsa to amsin. Although the Brahman which is Visista Brahman is one, there is a difference within this one Being between amsa and amsin, and the defects or dosas of the former do not affect the latter. Nothing in Visistadvaita can be characterised as bare being. All objects are visista-vastus. Beings is always qualified. This is true of the supreme Brahman, as well. The attributes or visesanas of an object are rightly regarded as parts of the object, which is the whole. But the whole is no mere sum of parts. An aggregare of visesanas does not constitute the whole. In this sense although every object is a whole possessing parts, no object is a mere sum of parts. This is not abstract metaphysics. Physicists tell us that what constitute the nucleus of an atom are not merely proton and neutron, but a plus, a packing fraction, in each particle energy withing the nucleus. There is a similar plus in molecules, binding the atoms together in each molecule, called the valency bonds. We know that molecules are the constituents of the various elements, but the scientists tell us that there is a plus even there, known as the inter-molecular force, which keeps the molecules in their position. I this plus which we have called the intergrating principle. The binding energy is the integrating principle in the nucleus of the atom; the valency bonds constitute the integrating principle in the molecule, and the intermolecular force acts as the integrating principle in the element. Thus even at the subtlest levels the necessity for an integrating pronciple is obvious. It is present and operates at all levels and in all objects, big or small, and it is that which preserves the integrity of the universe as a whole. What is spoken of as the whole id really the integrating principle that makes the sum a whole. The physical body we know is a whole of parts, but the integrity of the body is due to an dinner pronciple, which sustains the body, and keeps its integrity as a whole. That a dead body seases to be a whole id evident for, the fact that it must, necessarily disintegrate. What sustains the body is the soul. What gives individuality to it is also the soul. The
whole the soul, and the soul is the self. The moral meaning of visistavaita lies at onece in the discrimination (viveka) between body and soul, as well as in the conviction and constant awareness of their inseparable union. Knowing the atman to be that, which is distinct from the body knowing it also as eternal, keeping the mind balanced and inperturbable under the vicissitudes of pleasure and pain, gain and loss, victory and defeat, free from all desire for rewardthus does Ramanuja describe the way to sinlessness in his Gita-bhasya (II 38) When one is firmly rooted inthe conviction that one is as amsa of the Brahman (dependent on and subordinate to the Brahman as body is to soul) and endeavours to live in accordance with this conviction, the pattern of ones life becomes a pattern of the good life. The self, which is the soul is also the source, for what is extended and manifest in the gross state has its unmanifest being in its subtle state at its source. this according to Visistadvaita is not only true of teh individual selves but of the whole cosmos. The Brahman being the source of the Universe has the Universe always as its sarira. The significance of the view that the Universe is sarira can be appreciated adequetely, only of we grasp the place of analogical thinking in matters pertaining to the trans-empirical-both inthe gross, manifest, state of the created noverse and in the subtel, unmanifest state of the uncreated or reabsorbed universe. Creation is a transition from the state of the Sukshma-cit-acit-Visista Brahman to that of Sthula-cit-acit-Visista Brahman, the Brahman being throughout visista. The upanisads declare that the Brahman is not only the origin and source of all being but also the goal and consummation of all becoming. The Atman, which is the source is also the goal. All things seeking their ultimate goal seek their soul, and return to their source; all things as parts seek to become the whole, or to realise their nature as the whole, which is what self-realisation means. This, perhaps, does not sound like pure visistadvaita. If so, there has imperceptibly been somewhere a point of departure. May I suggest that that is the meeting point for the different schools of Vedanta ?
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SRI The Universal Mother

(Sri. U.Ve. Uruppattur. D. .Soundararajan, Chennai.) In Ahirputhanya Samhitha, Sri Rudra says that Emperu mans Ichcha sakthi is Sri Mahalakshmi and Kriya sakthi is Sudarsana Azhvar. This Sri Mahalakshmi i.e. Ichcha sakthi resides in the chest of Sri Emperuman and called Vishnu Pathni. She is dependent on Emperuman. She takes refuge on Emperuman. She is " Seshee'' to all "Jeevathmas'' and also " achits". She is "seshaboothai to Emperuman.( this is ekova seshithvam). This sakthi is inseparable from Emperuman. She is having perma nant relation with Emperuman. All these mention that She is called Shri. She is called Padma when She is having Prakruthi, kaalam (time) and purushakara duly adorning lotus garland. She is called Vishnu Sakthi when She is having ability, skill, strength, courage, excellence, etc of her husband. She is called Kundalini as She shrinks from Her Form(shape, body). She is called Anaha tha, as She could not be known/identified through mind, word etc. She is called Gowri because She is full of happiness and also She intrudes and resides as subtlety(Sooksmam) in the manthras with sudhdha sathva guna. She is called Athithi when She is not dependant on Her husband. She is called Mahi when She is having a large form beyond imagination and also She gives all punyas. She is called Anaahatha seershani as Her greatSri Vedantha Desika Vidya
ness and glory are beyond any limit. She is called Jagath Prana as She stops breathing with Her abundent Gjana(suppre ssion of breath). She is called Manthra matha, as She is having fine and excellent Form. She is called Gayathri as She protects those who pray Her. She is called Prakruth as She creates all including worlds through Herself. She is called Maathaa as She intrudes and lives in everything. She is called Shiva as She looks after the welfare of all. She is called Dharuni as She is liked by one and all. She is called Dhara as She helps to cross samsara. She is called Sathya as she never changes herform/identity and fully relate to Sathyam. She is called Santha by vidvans. She is called Mohini as She clears delusion. She is called Ita as She is always in the Yajgna to receive havis. She is called Rathi. She is called Visruthi by Janis ( intellectuals). She is called Sarasvathi as She gives memory power (also Sarayanthi). She is called Mahabaalaaas She is having enormous tejas. She is having countless Naamas( above mentioned are very few only)as seen from Vedas and Sastras, (giving different meanings to Her names). She is leaning with Emperuman. As majestic as ocean, as great/huge as sky, as most powerful rays of sun, as cool as moon. She is pervading fully and completely with Emperuman. She is Sakthi She is Narayani. She is Divya Ahirputhanya samhitha continues to describe Sri Mahalakshmis glory as above. Ahirputhanya Samhitha further says: Chitrasekharan @ Chitrasenan was the son of Uparisaran famous king of Bathravati. His valour was beyond limit. He conque red the entire world. There was ferocious war between him
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wanted to get the anugraha of Shiva to defeat this Asura and for which he proceeded to Kailasam. In the sky, his chariot could not go further and stopped. With the advice of Kubera the king came to know that it was Sri Mahalakshmis place and that he should go and pray her. Accordingly the king went to the Parvatha ( mountain) where he saw Sri Mahalakshmi and took Her Thirumanjana theer ththa and praised Her with words of salutation. Hey, Mother, you reside in sooshumna an excellent place in Sri Vaikuntam, surrounded by Nithya sooris. They praise you. You are called Jaya. You protect those who come to you requesting shelter/ refuge. Your fame is very sacred. You are called Sathi. You are called Suneethi. You are Kumari. You are always praised by Sidhdhas, yakshas, Vidyatharas. Indra is praising you always. You are the meaning of Prana va. You are Manthra Swaroopini. You are Pranava Swaroopini All gnaanis are always meditating on you. You are head of all Vedas. Vedas could not describe your glory, because your glory is beyond description. Indra after these stotras get the anugraha of Sri Mahalakshmi. The name of Lakshmi denoted by Sri gives six important meanings( Already explained-but stressed now ) i.e. shriyathe, shrayathe, shrunothi, shravayathi, shrunathi, srinathi. 1. Sri Mahalakshmi clears all our doshas and convert us , as loved one by Emperuman. 2. Sri Mahalakshmi takes refuge with Emperuman always. She is always giving refuge to us. 3. She always acts as suitable with Her excellence, to take refuge by us.
4. She hears our sorrows with utmost patient, sitting in the lotus. 5. She tells our sorrows to Emperuman, in a way that His heart/mind melts while hearing these. 6.She reminds Emperuman about what He said to Her to protect us. She is word (Emperuman is the meaning of that word). She is Dharma (Emperuman is justice to this dharma or guiding principles to dharma). She is the sound of Svaaha (Emperuman is the meaning of this sound). Hitherto, we saw the different meanings of Sri and also its glory, excellence etc. Thaiththreeyam-Seekshavalli says: Mathru devo bhava, Pithru devo bhava Acharya devo bhava, Athithi devo bhava i.e. Treat Mother as God, treat Father as God, treat Acharyan as God, treat Guest as God (simplest meaning known to all). But there is deep and different meaning in these. If you say Mathru devo bhava", remember Sri Maha lakshmi as Akhila jagan maatharam, asmin maatharam. If you say pithru devo bhava remember Emperuman ( Boothanam avyaya Pitha-Sahasranamam) says as He is the everlasting Father to the entire Universe. If you say acharya devo bhava, remember the acharya who initiated to manthrobadesamsof all manthras, who taught Grantha Sathushtyam through Kalakshepam and who changed you as prapanna. If you say Athithi devo bhava, remember bhagavathas. In short, you should show affection and bakthi to mahalakshmi, Emperuman, Acharya, Bhagavathas. Amongst these four, Maha lakshmis krupa is most important and that is why, Seeksha valli says Mathru devo bhava first, followed by pithru devo bhava etc.
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A jeevathma gets relationship with a Sathacharyan with the krupa (Nirhethukakrupa) of Emperuman. Whereas a jeevathma gets the dasya and divine relationship with Emperu man by the krupa of Periya Piratti-Purushakara boothai. This benefit-everlasdting benefit accrues through the purushakara act of Periya Piratti. The greatness and glory of Swaroopa roopa gunas of Mahalakshmi surpass those of Emperuman. Sita ( Mahalakshmi) when She was in ashoka Vana pardoned and protected Raakshsis who gave all sorts distress, hindrance, etc to Her, even without any request from them. But, Emperuman as Sri Rama , pardoned Kakasura, "Vibhishana when they surrendered and prayed for protection. Emperuman gets the supremacy because of Mahalakshmi (sradhdhayaa devo devathva muchnuthe ). In Aaraayirappadi, beauty because of Her, all qualities because of Her, excellence, greatness honour because of Her, simplicity, luster, etc because of Her, infact, if proved, all qualities are there because of Her to Emperuman. Thirumazhisai Azhvar says:-Apaanga bhooyamso yathupari parambrahma thatha bhooth. Who is Parabrahmam? Most of the kataksha veeksha nam of Mahalakshmi fall on Empeuman. That is why Emperu man is Parabrahmam. There are sookthas which praise the glory of Mahalakshmi i.e. Sradda sooktham, Metha sooktham, Athithi sooktham, Vaak sooktham besides Sri sooktham. Sri Lakshmi thanthram is a part of Pancharaatra sastra. This exposes the glory, excellence, greatness, etc of Mahalakshmi to Indra by Maha lakshmi Herself. This thanthram contains 50 adyaayaas (chapters). In the last adyaayaa, Mahalakshmi explains the great ness and fame of Sri Sooktham.
Swami Sri Vedanta Desika

(An easy study to Understand) Smt. Praveena Anand, Chennai.
I Swami Desikan is the outstanding sishya of Bhagavad Ramanuja.He is a conglomeration of all virtues and no vices besides being a philosopher and a poet. Above all, he is an ardent devotee of Sriya Pathi. He had absolute mastery of arts and all his works reflect deep understanding and great knowledge. Lord Sri Ranganatha was so pleased with Swami Desikars knowledge, his teachings and works that the Lord conferred the title Vedantacharya and what more, Lords consort Mahalakshmi conferred the title Sarva Tantra Svatantra. Swami Desikars immense knowledge helped establish Vedanta in firm basis. He propounded our sampradaya in no uncertain terms and defeated other doctrines with ease. Swami Desikar established the greatness of Shri Ramanujas philosophy, thus: Yathipathi matham sarvathastapayithva Swami Desikar translated his abundant knowledge in to innumerable works and also wrote commentaries on the works of our great masters. His works are the greatest treasure for millions of generations and we can easily refer him as the greatest Vallal. There was one Appayya Dikshitar - who on his own merit was great Advaitan and a critic. On reading the works of Swami, and immersing in its charm and Swamis reasoning, Appayya Dikshitar
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conferred the title Kavi Tarkika Simha - the Lion among poets on Swami. Appayya Dikshitar praised him as follows: Itham Vichintyas Sarvatra Bhaavaah Santhi Padhe Padhe | Kavi Taarkika Simhasya Kavyeshu Lalitheswapi || Appayya Dikshitar was moved by the poetic excellence of SwamiDesikar. He experienced Kavitarkika Simhams excellence, even in a soft and simple composition. Swami went on to work more and more and in an attempt to bring out the truths expounded in Upanishads, Gita and Brahma Sutras, Swami Desikar wrote independent works like Nyaya Siddhanjanam, Tattva Mukta Kalapa and Nyaya parishuddhi. Even for Swami Desikan, there were many who held different Views, in those days. Shri Bharadwaja Srinivasacharya had been holding different and rather opposite views compared that to Swami. Shri Bharadwaja Srinivasacharya had not even visited or met Swami but still carried on his different opinions that dangerously trekked on creating apacharams to Swami. Later, Shri Bharadwaja Srinivasacharya happened to read Nyaya Parishuddhi. This grantham made him realise the greatness of Swami Desika. Thus wrote Shri Bharadwaja Srinivasacharya: Yethat samayan aham Vimatya Mathi Bhedam Vivasha prapattyamana: Swam Avanchayam Anja sadhya deivath Nigamantharya Nibhanthathaprabuttaha!! In the above he confesses that he had a prejudice on Swami based on listening to others and felt bad that he did apacharam to Swami Desikan. He went on to add, that it is nave to think that he can do apacharam to Swami - as any apacharam aimed at Swami
is actually aparacharam on himself. He expressed relief that his life did not end with that Dosham to Swami. II Our Swami Desikars original name was Venkatanatha. When Venkatanatha was just five years old, Sri Appullar took him to Sri Bhashya Kalakshepam being rendered by Shri Nadadur Ammal. Swami was looking his best, as usual with his divine grace. Swami was also sporting a Rakudi on his head. Swamis beauty impressed Shri Nadadur Ammal who stopped the discourse to bless the kid. Shri Nadadur Ammal forgot the context of his discourse when he wanted to resume. Our five year old Venkatanatha was quick to remind Shri Nadadur Ammal the context of Sri Bashyam. Shri Nadadur Ammal was impressed by this child prodigy and hence blessed Venkatanatha thus: Pratisthapita -Vedantah Prati-kshipta-bahirmatha bhuyas-trai-vidya-maanyas-tvam buri kalyana-bhajanam. Realising the divinity in our Swami, Shri Nadadur Ammal directed Venkatanatha to establish Vedanta on a firm basis and to refute the doctrines of opponents. He also blessed Venkatanatha that he will be held in great esteem by scholars well-versed in the three Vedas and further ordained that our Swami be a recipient of all auspicious things. Blessed in such a way, our Swami maintained these instructions and worked to fulfill the directions of Shri Nadadur Ammal to the greatest extent. This sloka [the blessing of Nadadur Ammal] is seen in Act II of Sankalpa Suryodaya of Swami Desikar. Swami uses the same sloka as a blessing to an young disciple when he sets out to establish the supremacy of Visistadvaita over other schools of thought. So, how did Venkatanatha become Swami Desika and what does Desika mean?
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III So, why is it that Venkatanatha is being addressed as Desika? What does Desika mean? Well, Desika usually refers to an Acharya. This could be one who orders, guides or an advisor. In Sanskrit, the term DE refers to Devanugraham; SI refers to Sishyanugraham and KA refers to Karuna. When these three letters are combined it results in DESIKA. This is reflected in the following Sloka: Devanu graha Dharidvaath Sishyaanugraha Kaaranath Karunaamayaroopathvath Desika: kathyathe Bhootai: No wonder that the term Desika is always used to refer our Swami only. If you look for meanings for Desika in Tamil, you get the following: a king, a beautiful person, a Guru, one who teaches Vedas, father etc. Only our Swami can fit all these definitions. Swami Desika is an allencompassing personality-he is the best. More importantly, he emanates the right waves. Swami is a vedantin among vedantins; a vidvan among vidvans; poet among poets; an acharya among acharyas; an avatar among avatars; a perfect personality and on the whole the greatest ! Our Lords parathvam are characterised by six gunas, viz., Gnana, Sakthi, Bala, Iswarya, Veerya and Thejas. Gnana of Swami Desikar is clear from Sarvagnyathvam Thatva mukta kalape. Our Swami produced Padhukasahasram in one Yaama, which shows his Shakthi, we see our Swamis Balam when he refutes the doctrines of opponents. We can very clearly see the Richness when Swami establishes Vedanta on a firm basis Vishesha vitparishadheshu natha Vidhaktha khoshti samaranganeshu Jigheeshatho me Kavitarkikendran... By these, Veerya and Thejas can be observed. Isnt it true that we enjoy our Lord in our Swami?! Not only that, our Swami brings out the Desika in all those who surrender.
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IV Shri Pillai Lokaachaarya announced thus: Seeronru Tooppul Tiruvenkata mudaiyan Par onra chonna pazhamozhiyul ! OronRu thane Amaiyado Dharaniyil Vazhvorkku Vanerap Pomalavum Vazhvu !! A single statement of the great Acharya, Tooppul Tiuvenkadamudaiyan (Our Swami), uttered for the benefit of humanity, is enough for a person who desires to ascend up to the Heavens and this will itself lift him/her up to desired goals. It is very clear that our Swami Desikar was an abode of knowledge; a person of Vairagya; establisher of Vedanta on a firm basis; master of all arts, crafts and artefacts; establisher of Shri Bhagavad Ramanujas philosophy; Lion of both poets and logicians. Swami, as Adiyal had mentioned in the first posting, is the true Vallal. Swami has given the humanity enormous amount of works so that all Jivatmas can realise the Paramatma and surrender to Sriya Pathi. Our Swami has given us Sthotra granthas Kavya granthas nataka granthas vedantha granthas vyakyana granthas anushtana granthas rahasya granthas and tamil prabhandams Swami used Sanskrit, Tamil & Prakritam to build his works and he gave as much as 124 grantas. Swamis works are extensive and exhaustive. Swami has given us simple to complex renderings. Take, Gopala Vimshati-for example. This looks simpler when compared to Srimad Rahasyathraya Saaram or Paadhuka Sahasram for that matter. However, there is no doubt each one of them is a rare gem that needs extreme care and devotion in handling and understanding. Swami, has provided us opportunity to go closer to our lord by including Bheedakshara in his works. A special mention needs to be made as to how our Swami brought in the Paadukaa Sahasram. Swami wrote Padukasahasram in just one yaama. However it is Ramanujas teachings. Swami Desika has furnished all the technical 39 Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya October -2012 details on our sampradaya with matchless insight and precision. Our Swami was the greatest acharya yet he was a humility
interesting to note that each verse has abundance of meanings, which may take us years and years to comprehend and fully enjoy. Swami Desikas works make us learn, understand and enjoy Baghavad Anubhavam. Above all Swamis works stress the importance of Nyasa thereby help us reach the abode of Sriya Pathi to perform eternal Kaimkaryam. Swamis works - while emphasising Parathvam - uses the authority of the Vedas, Ithihasas, Puranas and strong logic to support our Sampradaya. Swami exposes the defects of the other schools of thought and his establishment of Visistadvaita is complete. Swami consolidated the philosophy of Visistadvaita based on Bhagavad Ramanujas teachings. Swami Desika has furnished all the technical details on our sampradaya with matchless insight and precision. Our Swami was the greatest acharya yet he was a humility personified. Swami with all his unparalleled qualities was the most devout disciple. His Acharya Bhakti too is unparalleled. V Swamis humility is beyond compare. As we saw already Swami was named Vedanthacharya by Sriya Pathi. Swami Desika himself says: Visvasmin nama-rupani anuvihitavata tena devena dattam Vedantacharya-samjnam avahita bahuvit-sartham anvarthayami!! - Adikarana Saravali The supreme lord Sri Ranganatha, who created the forms and gave the names to all the things in the universe, conferred on me this appellation Venkatacharya, and here is an attempt of mine to make that title significant and meaningful by writing this poem Adhikaarana saraavali (the garland of essentials of the adhikaaranas, which is a Digest of the teachings of Brahma sutras). Swami continued to work relentlessly to establish our Sampradaya. Swami Desika wanted to do justice to the title conferred by Sri Ranganatha. He did not want Our Lord to be blamed by anybody for having
given such great titles to undeserving personalities and hence strived to ensure that he stood to the expectations and directions of our Lord. Swami Desika would be the only one who would have been conferred a title and then worked for it. Swami had the greatest blessing from our lord Sriya Pathi and had paripoorana Lakshmi kataksham. In the first part of the Sloka below Swami says that the whole world called him as Vedantha vaariyan. Ven periya virithirai neer vaiyatthulle Vedaantha vaariyan endriiyambha ninroam naam periyom allom; naam nandum theedhum namakku uraipparular endru naaduvome In the second part of the paasuram Swami says that he is still a humble person and would approach elders who are there to tell us what is right and whats wrong. Swami Desika emphasises on Bhagavata Kaimkaryam in his Purushartha kasthadikaram. Swami says it is not enough if we do Bagavad kaimkaryam we must do Bhagavata kaimkaryam. Swami was categorical in stating that Bhagavata Kaimkaryam is of utmost importance - even higher than Bagavat Kaimkaryam. Swami was convinced that Bagavat Kataksham can be obtained by doing Bhaga vata Kaimkaryam itself. Shatrugnalwar and Madhurakavi alwar did only Bhagavata kaimkaryam and had complete Bhagavad katak sham. It is difficult to comprehend our Swamis over whelming devotion to Shri Ramanuja. In fact, Swami repents not having been a direct sishya of Shri Ramanuja. Swami felt that his works on Padhuka Devi attributes to accomplishment of his Janma. Here, Swami refers Paduka to Shri Nammalvar and has written 1000 paasurams on Shri Nammalvar. Swami Desika spoke on Nammalvar, but isnt it exciting to note that Nammalvar has also mentioned about Swami Desika?!
VI lets see what Shri Suka had told in Srimad Bhagavatham : Kalau khalu bhavishyanti Narayanaparayanah Kvachit Kvachit
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mahabhagah Dramideshu ca bhurisah !! Tamraparani nadi yatra Krtamala Payasvini Kaveri ca maha-bhaga Pratici ca Mahanadi !! Bhagavatham 11.5.38, 39 Great souls devoted to Bhagavan Narayana will be born during Kaliyuga. These saints will be born in great numbers in the fertile tamil country, watered by sacred rivers like Tamaraparani, Krta-mala (Vaigai), palar, Kaveri as well as those that flow westward. All of us know that Nammalvar was born in Thirukkurugur on the banks of the river Tamaraparani. It is hence clear that Shri Suka during the purana Kala itself has mentioned about Shri Nammalwars avatara, in Kali Yuga. Namal war in turn has mentioned about Bhasyakarar and Thirumangai Alwar in Thiruvaimoyi. And what more,the same Nammalwar in Thiruvirutthaam mentions about Swami Desika. In stanza starting with Naanilam vaaykkondu, he says vekkaavudhu, am poon theniLanjolaiyap paaladhu ep paalaikkum semaththathe ! In the third and fourth lines of the above pasuram Nammazhwar mentions about Thiruvekaa and Thiruthankaa (thooppul), where Poigaialwar and Swami desikan were born respectively. Poigaialwar was the first Azhwar avathaaram (Aippasi Thiruvonam) and Swami Desika was last Acharya avathaaram (Puraataasi Thiruvonam). If we count from Aippasi, Purattaasi is the last month. This shows that it is only good that is going to happen to all because of them eppaalaikkum Semaathhe Our Kulapathi addresses Swami Desika as a person from Thoopul who will help every body by giving them all time well being. Our Poorvacharyars vyakyanam for eppaalaikkum Semaathhe, is that Swami Desika proved Nammalwars words true by giving us the Saranagathy thatvam. Because of our Thoopul pillai, Thoopul is always capable of giving well being eppaalaikkum Semaathhe! Swami Desikas Saranagathy thatvam is a sure, straight forward and simple path to reach Perumals Thiruvadi. This is due to our wonderful lineage i.e.Guruparampara!
SRI VEDANTA DESIKA

SRI.T.RAJAGOPALACHARIAR
THIRUVONA NANNAL MALAR SRI VEDANTA DESIKA ERA 745 NANDANA PURATTASI SRAAVAN OCTOBER 2012
SRI VEDANTHA DESIKA VIDYA 7/16 SECOND MAIN ROAD A.V.M.AVENUE CHENNAI-600092
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SAMARPPAN
History is always prejudicial against great men and events. It has never revealed its laps during all these centuries. It has left it to the motivated, self centred imaginations of persons who repeatedly write and rewrite history, to their diction. As it is not always truely depicted, it seems it did not have any authority and men never learn from history, with the result society suffers frequently, again and again. Historians of Vaishnavism also had their prides and prejudices. Insignificant creatures are magnified into holy mountains and celebra ted, whereas real heroes were dumped and sidelined. There are prejudices, some personal, some historical and some more for the sheer vanity of prejudice. Several great sons of Sri Vaishnavism have suffered at the hands of those who tried to create history by writing fanciful stories, anecdotes and events about great people and thereby really tarnished their real image and the purpose of their advent. One Such is Sri Vedanta Desika.We can see, there is no better intellectual than Sri Desika among the Sri Vaishnava Scholars right from Nammal war to yester years and there is no other humanitarian who stabilised and established the doctrine of surrender which alone could be a solace to common man. An intellectural collossus with a great heart.Still he was not given the due credit. Theories and events were planted in pages of so called history to sideline him in the real history. One such is his role in the reinstallation of Sri Ranganatha at Srirangam. The author Sri.T. Rajagopalachariar suggests a solution to the question of discrepency in dates between Sri Desika's demise and the return of Ranganatha. And there may be more studies on it. We have pleasure in placing this article as our Samarppan on the occassion of Desika Jayanti at the lotus feet of Divya Dampathi. .....T.C.Shrinivaasan. Editor
SRI VEDANTA DESIKA

BY Sri. T.Rajagopala chariar
The spread of Vaishnavism in South India after the days of Ramanuja cannot be adequately dealt with in the short space of an article or two.The literature that has come down to us since Ramanujas days, and which, though not available largely to the general Sanskritknowing public, is gradually seeing the light of day in important publications here and there. On the practical side the characteristics of the sect, distinguishing it from the rest of the people, became accentuated in course of time, and an amount of exclusiveness and onesidedness became the symbol of the class, which cannot but be deplored in its own interests. The spread of Saivism by the advocacy of erudite Sanskrit scholars was a simultaneous feature of these days which has to be taken into account in estimating the cause of this exclusiveness. We have also to mention that a schism of an important nature arose among the followers of Ramauja in Southern India, a couple of centuries after Ramanujas death which has only more fully developed itself as days have gone by, and has not contributed, as may be expected, either to enhance the true religious or moral progress of the community as a whole, or to secure the increased
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respect of the communities around towards the dogmas and prac tices of the Vaishnavas as a class. It is only necessary to add that we are confining ourselves here to the spread of Vaishnavism in South India,leaving it to a future article to give some account of the prominent features of Vaishnavism as it has developed in Northern India. The legitimate successor of Ramanuja in his character as head of the Vaishnavite community is said to be Kurukesa, a disciple of Ramanuja, referred to already as the author of a commentary on the Tiruvoymozhi. Another of his pupils, Pranatartihara of the Atreya Gotra, was a beloved nephew of Ramanuja himself, and a great scholar.He had the sole charge of the preparation of Ramanujas daily food, a function which, as Ramanuja was a sanyasin, could not be discharged by any one indiscriminately. In course of time this Pranatartihara had a great-grandson Ramanuja or Appullar by name. Varada Vishnu Acharya was another of Ramanujas pupils whose grand son Varadacharya became a learned scholar. The latter studied under one Vishnuchitta, a Solia Brahmin, pupil of Kurukesa, and the author of a learned cornmentary on the Vishnupurana, the well-known work of Parasara, besides other works. Vishnuchitta lived about the early part of the thirteenth centuary A.D., a fact accidentally corroborated by a statement of his in his Vishnuparana commentary* that at the time of his composition the forty-fourth century of the Kaliyuga was progressing. Under Varadacharya whose work Talwasara is now extant, and who was popularly known as Nadadur Ammal, studied the Atreya Ramanuja already mentioned. Many other eminent men studied under him, one of whom may be specially named
P.169,L14. Madras Telugu Edition of the Vishnupurana with two commentaries masters notes,
*
here. This was Sudarsana Bhatta, a great-grandson of Kuresa, Ramanujas disciple and friend. This scholar composed various works that have come down to us: the Srutaprakasika, a commen tary on the Sri Bhashya, modestly named a transcript of his but of considerable learning and polemic ability, a commentary on the Upanishads, another on the Vedartha Sangraha of Ramanuja, a commentary on the Sri Bhagavata called Sukapakshiya* and many others. One day, in the lecture-hall of Varadacharya, Atreya Ramanuja made his appearance accompanied by a young ad attractive boy, whom he introduced as his nephew. This was the future Vedanta Desika, ** then about five years of age, if the story is to be believed. The boy was called Venkatanatha, and gave even at that time, evidence of his precocity by reciting, in answer to a doubt, the passage last touched upon in the lecture which had temporarily stopped on the advent of the boy. Varadacharya is said to have been impressed by his powers of retention and intelligence, and to have blessed him in a neat and prophetic Sanskrit verse.*** The boy as he grew up was duly instructed by his uncle in all the usual learning of the Vaishnava scholars. He early impressed his contemporaries with his greatness, and a belief grew up, based on the dreams of his parents, that he was an avatar of the God of Tirupati,
*
Our authority for this statement is Manavalamahamunigal, scholor and
saint, a very reliable authority in the matter of references; see page 10 of his commentary on the Tatwatarya of Pillai Lokacharya, Tamil Edition.
**
Vedanta Desika or (Vedantacharya) lit. Teacher of Vedanta, though originally
a title, has practically become by general use the proper name of his scholar, and hence is frequently used in this article instead of Venkatanatha, his real name.
***utprekhyate bhudhafanairoopapattibhoomna I ghantaa hare samamjanishta yadaatmaneti II

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and that his birth was inspired by the Deity sending out his Ghanta or bell for the purpose. This belief was rife even duringthe life of Venkatanatha, as we see a reference to it in his allegorical drama, the Sankalpa Suryoda, * to be subsequently mentioned. Venkatanatha, it may be mentioned, was born at Tuppul, a suburb of Conjeevaram about the month of September in the year 1268 A.D. His father was Ananthasuri, and his mother Totaramma, sister of Atreya Ramanuja mentioned already. The boy is said to have been born after a visit of the parents to Tirupati and to have therefore been called by the name of the God of that place. Duly instructed by Ramanuja his uncle, the young man became very learned and exemplary in his conduct and was looked upon as the coming leader of the Vaishnava community. After spending some years at Kanchi, his native place, Venkatanatha travelled south and took up his residence at Tiruvahindrapuram, near Cuddalore, for some years. His great ability in composition and disputation acquired for him the title of Kavi Tarkika simha, lion of poets and logicians. His skill in all arts and handicrafts obtained for him the title of Sarvatantra Svatantra or expert in all arts, and later on, the title of Vedantacharya or Vedanta Desika was bestowed on him in admiration of his wonderful ability and powers of exposition in the Vedanta. To this day, the site of his house at Tiruvahindrapuram is pointed out as evidence of his stay there, and an old, but wellpreserved well still exists which he is said to have built with his own hands to satisfy an importunate artisan who objected to his title of universal expert. Vedanta Desika composed many works at Tiruvahindrapuram, chiefly stotras or bymns of praise on the Deities of the place. One of them is Achyutta Sataka in Prakrit, in *Pratishtaapitavedaanta: pratikshiptabhahirmata: I bhooyastrevidhyaamaanstvam bhoorikalyaanabhaajanam II
a highly difficult style, whose affinity with the spoken dialects of the time remains to be investigated. A Tamil work of his the Paramata Bhanga is an able and exhaustive review of all known philosophies and systems, about 16 in number, somewhat on the plan of Madhavacharyas Saravadarsana Sangraha, but not, like that work, a mere statement of the doctrines, but a condensed and learned refutation of the tenets of every system other than the Vasishtadwaita. It is practically a summary in Tamil of the vast learning contained in the authors Sanskrit works and is useful to those who are not special students of the latter. The Gopalavimsati is a popular Sanskrit hymn of 20 stanzas, in perhaps the sweetest language that this learned writer ever employed, on Sri Krishna and his early exploits. Venkatanatha now returned to Kanchi and spent his time there in instruction and composition. With his usual facility, he composed various hymns on the Deities of that place, the most important of which is the Varadaraja Panchasat, on the God at Kanchi, which is a work of considerable merit.Every stanza, as may be expected, bears the impress of his vast learning and deep piety. He also composed here Nyasadasaka, a short work on Prapatti, the doctrine of surrender, which Vedanta Desika elaborated in numerous later works. He further composed various works in Tamil verse and prose, embodying in easy language the substance of his teachings for the edification of those devoid of Sanskrit learning. Vedanta Desika now started on his inevitable northern tour. He first visited Tirupati, where he composed and dedicated to the God the work called Dayasataka, a hundred and odd stanzas, in long and resounding metres of various kinds, rather harsh in style and obscure in the expression of thought, a combination frequently pervading his more elaborate works, especially of the earlier period.
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From Tirupati, Vedanta Desika proceeded northwards and travelled, we are told, through the site of Vijianagar. Vidyaranya, the sanyasin and future Prime Minister of the Vijianagar Kings, had not yet begun his political career. The two met, we are told, and great scholars as both of them were, though of different schools, must have appreciated each other very fully. From Vijianagar, Desika proceeded north to Muttra and Brindavan, and returning, came to Benares passing through Ayodhya on his way. From Benares he turned south-east and followed the usual route of the pilgrims to the eastern coast at Puri or Purushotamam. Thence be turned south, via Sri Kurmam, Ahobilam and Tirupati, and reached Kanchi duly, after a prolonged tour of some years. While at Kanchi, we are told, the great Vidyaranya, now a Minister of influence at Vijianagar, sent a message to Vedanta Desika who was reputedly poor, that he could introduce him to royal patronage, if so desired. The reply of Vedanta Desika was short and complete. He cared not for riches or for the favour of kings. His aims and ideals were quite otherwise. The reply was in the form of 5 stanzas, now preserved, which breathe his independence and utter callousness to the charms of wealth. Even if the fact of the message is not historical, we have evidence that Vidyaranya was acquainted with the others works, as certain verses of Vedanta Desika extracted in Madhavas Saravadarsana Sangraha * conclu sively show. Vijianagar was founded about 1335 and Vedanta Desika may be taken to have been in his fifties during the period of his tour. Vedanta Desika had now a call from Srirangam where the leading scholor, Sudarsana, above mentioned, was getting old, and the Doctrines of Vaishavism badly wanted a defender, learned and powerful. Desika gladly c omplied, and proceeding to Srirangam
*
rich with the holiest associations as the scene of the labours of Ramanuja and his predecessors, took up his residence there. He how entered upon a vigorous career of instructions and further composition, and produced a number of scholarly and philosophical works, expounding the Visistadwaita doctrines and combating the views of other schools. He is said to have expounded the Sri Bhashya 30 times and on the 28th occasion of his lectures, composed a work called Tatwatika, a lengthy commentary on the Sri Bhashya, a part of which only is now available. He also wrote the Tatparya Chandrika, a simple and extensive commentary on the Gita Bhashya. Three controversial works were next composed, namely Satadushuni, Tatvammukta kalapa, and Nyaya Sidhanjana. The first is a work of a hundred objections to the Adwaitic views; the second contains, in over 500 verses of flowing metre, a development of the doctrines of the Visishtadwaitic system with refutations of the views of others; while the third is a text book of general philosophy in prose from the Visishtadwaitic point of view. Vedanta Desika also composed two other important works, one of them the Seswara mimamsa, being a direct commentary on the Sutras of Jaimini, where the author tries to show that Jaimini accepted the existence of the Deity, which he is generally supposed not to have done; and the other, the Adhikarana-saravali, a series of Sanskrit verses in long metre summarising the discussions on the various topics of the Vedanta Sutras. The language of this latter work is simple and clear and shows the great facility which the author possessed in metrical composition on philosophical subjects. The last philosophical work which the author composed is a Tamil Text-book on the Visishtadwaita system and especially the doctrine of Prapatti, named the Rahasyrtrayasara.
pp 51 and 58 of the Calcutta Edition of Jibananda. 50

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It must be mentioned that Vedanta Desika whose works exceed a hundred in number and are in Sanskrit and Tamil on a variety of topics from Geography to Silpa, or the practical arts, was a poet of no mean order. He has composed a long and interesting poem, Yadavabhyudaya, in 21 cantos, on the life of Sri Krishna, Sankalpa suryo daya, an allegorical drama in 10 Acts where Love and Hate and Discrimination, and Ignorance are the dramatis personae, a small poem, called Hamsa sandesa, in imitation of Kalidasas Meghaduta, but sufficiently original in conception and delineation, a curious poetical work in very simple language on the sandals of God, Paduka-Sahasra by name, and a didactic work of 144 stanzas in his most difficult style, called the Subhashitanivi. All the above works and a number of others in Sanskrit and Tamil were composed by him during his residence at Srirangam where he spent many years of life. His learning and piety, his abso lute unselfishness and meekness of character ensured the love of his followers and the respect even of those who differed from his views. His early years were perhaps characterized by an aggressive confidence in his own views and a certain distinct vigour in the expression of them. In later days, he became meek and kind to all and avoided disputations where he could not hope to convince. He created enemies, no doubt, among those Vaishna vaites, who followed other teachers and found differences in the views expounded by him. Such people tried to harass him in various ways. Vedanta Desika however received their insults with meekness and subservience, and tried to unarm hatred and jealousy as far as he could. We have reason to state that the schism in views among the followers of Ramanuja referred to before, commenced about this time and that the teachers, who advocated other views from those of Vedanta Desika, differed from him chiefly in their view of the nature and
condition of Prapatti or the secret doctrine of surrender to God. Pillai Lokacharya and Peria Achan Pillai were the leading exponents of these views and they have composed works of great learning and ability, mostly in Sanskritised Tamil, indicating fully their views. A pupil in the second generation of the former of these was the great Manavala Mahamuni, a sanyasin of extreme South India, who is the recognized head of the Tengalai sect of the Ramanujiyas, as Sri Vedanta Desika is of the Vadagalai sect. Various differences in practice and doctines cropped up between these sects, which have become sharper as time passed, and now divides the community into two factions between whom reconciliation seems to be out of the question. We believe however that, even in the days of Manvala Mahamuni, the split was yet a narrow one and we are glad to note that Manavala Mahamni himself appreciated Vedanta Desikas meri ts as he quotes him more than once with approval and usually describes him by the appellation of abhiyukta which means a respected and reliable author of ones own school. The doctrinal differences between the schools are trivial and are not much appreciated; but we must suppose that the innate love of parading differences is a characteristic of degeneracy in all systems founded on the soundest bases and Vaishavism has not escaped the general fate of religious doctrines dogmatically carried to excessive detail. It is only a matter of melancholy satisfaction that few practical religions have preser ved themselves unsullied by unseemly disputes and schisms as time advances and the inspiration of the original founder ceases to be felt. wer We now propose to give some account of out authors allegorical drama, Sankalpa Suryodays, mentioned already. Passionplays and mystery-plays are well-known in Europe, but seem to be confined to the incidents in the life of Jesus Christ. In Sanskrit
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literature there are but three principal works * which are dramas of this allegorical nature as far as we know. One of them and possibly the earliest of them is the Prabodha Chandrodaya, The rise of the moon of knowledge, by Krishnamisra, who is statede to have lived about the end of the eleventh century. ** Of this work, Professor Macdonell says*** that it is one of the most remarkable products of Indian literature. Though an allegorical play of theologicophilosophical import in which only abstract notions and symbolical figures act as persons, it is full of dramatic power and vigour. It aims at glorifying orthodox Brahminism in the Vaishnava sense just as the allegorical plays of the Spanish poet Calderon were intended to exalt the Catholic faith.'' * The learned scholar's opinion that Prabodha Chandrodaya is a Vaishnava play is accurate, as the express purpose of the play is to exalt the Adwaita faith which cannot be usually identified with Vaishavism. The play is, however, of moderate proportions in fairly simple style, and the lightness of touch and the humour displayed in exhibiting the practical contrasts among the followers of various tenets show the great dramatic power of the author in fitting for the stage a drama on an abstract subject. The Sankalpa Suryodaya or The Rise of the Sun of Divine Will of Vedanta Desika is a work on the same lines and with a similar purpose, to do for the Vaishtadwaita what Krishnamisra had done for the Adwaita. Vedanta Desikas purpose is to exhibit dramtically the toils and troubles of the human soul before it obtains an insight into Divine Truth, the difficulties in its
* Chitanya Chandrodaya of Karnapura, in addition to the two we are now mentioning.
**
His alleged personal interview with Vedanta Desika must, Vide page 250 Vol II Imperial Gazetter, Indian Empire. 54
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if this date is correct, be only a myth.

***
path of progress to liberation created by passions like Love and Hate, the saving power of Divine grace at every step of this progress, and the final triumph of the soul over its enemies. The author writes in a serious style, except in some Acts where there is room for humour, and the language is sublime and generally neither harsh nor obscure. The play is rather long and some portions could well have been curtailed, but Sanskrit dramatists, except perhaps Kaildasa, do not do justice to the sense of proportion, and even Bhavabhuti is a sinner in this respect. It has, however, been acted in India and the plot is so contrived that there is enough of action. The readers, if not the audiences, interest is kept up by sufficient variety of sentiments, though the dominating sentiment is main tained by the author to be Santi Rasa or Quietism. The hero is King Viveka or Discrimination, and his Queen is Sumati or Wisdom. In their purpose to free the Purusha or Soul from the bondage of Karma, these are opposed by the whole set of passions of which Mahamoha or Deep Ignorance is the head. The latter is supported by Kama (Love), Krodha, (Anger), Darpa (Pride), Dambha ( Vanity), and so on. In Act I, after the prologue, Kama and his followers are introduced and some of the finest verses of our author describe his vauntings and threats against the Purusha. In Act II, the author depicts a controversy on the stage in which the spiritual adviser of Viveka and a pupil of his, intended to present Sri Ramanuja and our author respectively, discuss the situation and are confronted with opponents of various schools whom they dispose of by argumentation, easily enough. In Acts III and IV, the characters Attachment, Hate, Jealousy, etc., are introduced and their activity among men is detailed. In Act V, Pride surveys the world from China to Peru and finds no spot on earth where he is
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not in favour. We have here many humorous passages-at-arms between Pride,Vanity and Deceit, and the poet has succeeded in giving a realistic touch to these abstract notions by the fecundity of his imagination and the felicity of the situations introduced. Much satirical power is displayed in these Acts in exposing the abuses of various classes of society in Northern and Southern India, and the poet must have laughed in his sleeves when he made Darpa (Pride) rebuke Dambha (Vanity) thus:- You fool, I simply abstain from kicking you on the head, out of respect for your Brahminhood. Know you not that the great Tondaimandala is my native country and the famous suburb of Little Kanchi is my place of residence. The head of my family is (daily) adored by King Skanda and I am famous for the number of my Sishyas (pupils or followers) all over the world. You despicable, old frog-in-the well,* you alone are ignorant of my powers of irresistible argument and have probably neither seen nor heard of Me. It may be surmised that the Skanda Bhupala of this passage refers to some lingering Pallava Chief who continued to live in Kanchi, after the Pallava power had been crushed by the Cholas; for Skandavarman is a frequent name in the dynastic list of that family. In another place, our author makes Dambha (Vanity) say that he visited the precincts of the residence of Brahma in the Satyaloka, when the Great Creator rushed out of his palace to receive him, and , after washing duly his own hands seven times to remove all possible impurity, procured himself the arghya water, as a mark of deep respect. The reference to the frequent washing of the hands is a satiric touch that will come home to most people acquainted with Vaishnavas, who have carried ceremonial purity to the length of a science. The Act ends
*
A well-known Indian epithet applief to ignorant stay-at-
home boor, unaware of the outside world and its news.

with a humorous description of the noon-day sun in words that compare him to a glutton flying from one pleasure to another and are appropriately put in the mouth of a follower of Mahamoha, the counterfoil to King Viveka. In Act VI, is described an aerial voyage of King Viveka and his charioteer Reason when all India is surveyed and places of interest to the Vaishnavite pilgrim are depicted. The object of the party was to seek out a quiet place for Samadhi or meditation, and the perfectly sane conclusion is reached that, after all, surroundings are secondary, and the real seat of contemplation is ones own heart, wherever one may live, the seat of ones moral and religious sense and the abode of the Supreme Self. In Act VII , Viveka strives to fix the wandering thoughts of his charge, the Purusha, on some definite form of the Deity, to help concentration and secure victory over his enemies. Act VIII, describes a stage-warfare between the party of Viveka and the opposite party, and concludes with the final victory of the former. The Purusha now undisturbed by conflict enters on meditation (Act IX) and finally, with the help of Vishnu-Bhakti or devotion to Vishnu surrenders himself to God and obtains final liberation (Act X). Thus King Viveka accomplishes fully the purpose that he set before himself. The Author concludes in the happiest style of his later days with a prayer that the Great Vasudeva may accept his work as he is the real author of the play and the Audience for the same. To return to Vedanta Desika, after years of simple and retired life spent in instructing his followers, and occasional tours to sacred shrines, Vedanta Desika closed his career about 1369 A.D., having lived the full life of a hundred years and a little more, with vigour and activity. He left a son, Varadacharya by name, who became a great teacher and was the author of various works, and a sanyasin disciple, Brahma Tantra Swatantra Jiyar, who became an equally
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famous man and is considered to be the founder of the Parakala Mutt at Mysore.Vedanta Desikas further descendants are not known to fame, but this able writer and teacher lives in his works and is further worshipped in images in all the principal Vishnu shrines of South India, with an assiduity which will perhaps bear greater fruit if used in the study of his voluminous and edifying works An event, of great importance to South India politically, occurred during Vedanta Desikas life, which we have purposely refrained from referring to till now, and which requires a brief mention, before we conclude. About 1310 A.D., Malik Kafur, a General of the Delhi Emperor Alaudin, undertook an invasion into the Dekkan with a large army. He speedily reduced the kingdoms of Warrangal and Dwarasamudra, and pushed south up to the extremity of the Peninsule, spreading devastation, and plundering everywhere. In 1312 or according to some accounts, 1326 A.D., an army of Muhammadans invaded Srirangam and pillaged the temple and city. The Vaishnavas of the city anticipated this, however, and removed the copper image of the Deity to Madura, just in time to save it from spoliation. The conquering army massacred a large number (12000, according to one account) of Vaishnavas, and left the place in ruins. The inner shrine of the temple had however been blocked up from view, and so, it is said, escaped destruction. From this time for a period of nearly forty years, the districts of Trichinopoly and Madura, were under the rule of Muhammadan Deputies, subject to the Delhi Emperor. About 1351 A.D., the Vijianagar King Bukka I, having established a stable Hindu kingdom on the banks of the Tungabhadra, commenced to conquer the southern portions of the country recently occupied by Muhammadan Generals. He succeeded through
Kampanna Odayar, his son and General, in conquering the greater part of the southern country and bringing it under Vijianagar rule. Kampanna, who established himself at Madura, was greatly assisted, in his wars by one Gopannarya, a Brahmin and a warrior. Gopanna was the Governor of Gingee, in North Arcot, which had fallen into the hands of the Vijianagar Dynasty. We have stated above that about 1326 A.D., the idol of the Srirangam God had to be taken out to Madura to escape the fury of the Muhammadan invaders. The God was gradually taken to Tirupati and worshipped duly there. When Kampanna completed his conquests in the south, Gopanna, who was no doubt a devout Vaishnavite, thought it a suitable opportunity to restore the idol to Srirangam. He brought it out from Tirupati and kept it at Gingee for a time. He then took it to Srirangam and restored it to its proper place in the shrine and directed the usual festival (which had ceased) to be commenced in connection with the idol. This fact is recorded in an inscription on the eastern wall of the temple in the form of two Sanskrit slokas, * of nearly identical meaning and the verses are preceded by the chronogram Bandhupriye Sakabde which means In the Saka year 1293, i.e., A.D., 1371. A tamil work Kovilolugu is responsible for the details of the account, and the same is also mentioned, without dates, in the Tamil Vadagali Guruparampara, as it is called, a work of about the end of the fifteenth century, which we have largely utilized in our articles. Vedanta Desika, it would seem, escaped the general massacre, being hidden by a mass of dead bodies, and betook himself with his followers to Mysore. He spent several years there and then went to Satyamangalam in Coimbatore.
* Vide Epigraphica Indica, Vol. VI p. 330
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Here, in sore grief at his separation from the precincts of Srirangam, he composed the hymn Abhiti-Stava or the hymn to expel danger. He makes reference in this work to the invasion of Muhammadans and to the cessation of worship at Srirangam, and lamenting over this great grief of his in his old age when his head has become fully grey, prays to God to expel his enemies and return to his seat. In due time he heard, we are told, of the conquests of Gopanna and the return of the God, and himself hurried to Srirangam to enjoy the happy turn of the tide in favour of the Hindus. It is said that the first of the verses inscribed on the wall was composed by him. The Guruparampara above mentioned further narrates that Desika lived some years after this event, built or repaired the Chidambaram Govindaraja Temple with the help of Gopannarya referred to already, and, composed the Rahasyatrayasara mentioned already, and certain other works, and finally died in the Karthikai month of the year Soumya which corresponds to November, 1369, A.D. The correctness of the last date is vouched for by other accounts, also of a traditional nature, and could not be disputed. It will be seen that in the above account the date of Saka year 1293 or 1371 A.D., for the actual restoration of the idol to Srirangam does not fit in for if Desika died in 1369, he could not compose the verse of the inscription in 1371. This is a discrepancy which has to be got over. Dr.Hultxsch in the "Epigraphica Indica" (vol. vi.p.323) points out another difficulty. It is that if Vedanta Desika lived in 1371, he could not have been born in 1269, in the Sukla year as stated in the Guruparampara; for according to him a life of 100 years and more is a great improbability and the date of birth must therefore, he says, be a 'a pure invention.' This is perhaps a small matter. We have reason to think that the age of 100 years
and upwards is not necessarily false, as exceptional people in those times, as well as now, lived long. Their spare diet, pure habits and high intellectuality seem to have prolonged their lives, as otherwise many reliable accounts, some of them almost conemporary, have to be treated as spurious. But even supposing that Vedanta Desika was born a couple of decades later, there is a great agreement in all accounts that he lived to see 1369 A.D. and hence, he could not have lived to see the restoration if it really took place in 1371. Therefore, we may conclude that the story of his authorship of the verse is apocryphal and must be rejected. But there is a difficulty. If the restoration of the God was in the time of Varadachariar, Vedanta Desika's son, there was no special motive as far as we could see, in anticipating it as the account does not in any way connect Desika with the actual achievement of the restoration, except perhaps to show that his prayer had immediate effect. We would therefore suggest that the actual restoration of the idol was some years before the death of Vedanta Desika in 1369 A.D., say about 1364 or 1365. There is nothing improbable in this, as Kampannas activities by way of conquest commenced in 1361-62, (p. 325 vi. Epigraphica Indica) and he is said to have made some repairs at Srirangam, so that the inscription may have been engraved on the wall on the date mentioned, the actual restoration and consecration having occurred a few years before. The inscription barely recording two verses of identical meaning with a date in chronogram prefixed to them, does not look as if it was put up under the superintendence of Gopanna or of the authorities of the temple for the purpose of celebrating the restoration. We miss the full commencement, usual in inscriptions, expressing the cyclic year, month, and day of the event, intended to be recorded; and the purposeless repetition of
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the same facts in two successive verses, seems to justify the conclusion that memorial verses already in existence were simply engraved in an unauthorized manner with the date of engraving prefixed by the sculptor. No doubt, it may be said that the Kovil olugu account goes into great detail and gives the same date, Saka 1293. We reply that the narrative is simply a late reproduction of the apparent purport of the inscriptions and that it is inaccurate in at least two particulars, one being the date of the invasion where it errs by about 100 years as pointed out in the foot-note, and the other, that Saka 1293, whether taken as current or expired, cannot correspond, under any circumstances, to the 17th Vikasi (Solar) of the year Paritapi, as stated in the Kovilolugu and in some later account evidently based upon it. We have professor Kielhorns authority that the 2nd tithi of the bright half of the month Chaitra of the year Paritapi corresponded to the 7th March 1372 A.D, and was in Saka samvat 1294 expired. * Hence it is impossible to rely on the year Paritapi or even the previous year, Viirodhikrit, which would correspond to Saka 1293, expired, as the date of the actual return of the idol to Srirangam. It should also be noted that, according to the verses, the victory over the Turushkas was after the bringing of the God to Gingee, which might have taken place any time after 1361 A.D., when Kampannas activities in th south seem to have commenced or even befoethat date. We are, therefore, probably nearer the truth in conjecturing that Desika returned to Srirengam soon after the restoration of the idol, in about 1364 or 1365 A.D., and lived a few more years only, i.e., till November 1369 or the year Soumya, the year of his death as preserved in the Guru
* See No.15 of the list of inscriptions at p.326 of E.I.Vol.vi.
Parampara Prabhava, the work of the third Brahma Tantra Jiyar, probably not much later than the end of the fifteenth century. In confirmation of an earlier date than 1371, herein suggested for the actual restoration of the idol to Srirangam, we would also refer to the Yatindra pravana Vaibhavam of Pillai Lokarya Jiyar, Madras Edition, 1907, at p. 25 where the events stated above are also narrated and the Verse I of the inscription is quoted as composed by an Abhiyukta evidently referring to Vedanta Desika. The writer then states that the restoration was in the Saka year Bahupriye, which is a chronogram for 1283 Saka or 1361, A.D. If this is the correct reading and not Bandhupriye as the inscription has it, the date of the composition of this verse and that of the restoration must be that year, rather than the later years 1364 or 1365, as suggested in the preceding paragraphs. As Chronograms, besides serving their purpose, were usually made to mean something appropriate, Bahurpiye, beloved of the many would be a more suitable name for the year in which such an important event took place than Bandhupriya loved by relations. The tradition as to the year being Paritapi is however repeated in this work also, a year which does not fit in with any suggested Saka year, as we have explained already, but was about the date of Malik Kafurs invasion, which may have been the cause of the confusion. Concluded. (The above article is a part of the book titled The Vaishnavite Reformers of South India- Critical Sketches of their Lives and Writings by Sri.T.Rajagopalachariar and published by G.A.Natesan &Co, Sunkurama Chetty St Chennai in 1909-Exactly one Hundred years before.)
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Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya: (Na Deivam Desikatparam)

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SRI VEDANTHA DESIKA VIDYA

Editor : T.C.Shrinivaasan M.A.B.L

Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya

Sense of hearing Sense of sexual union

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Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya

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Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya

Second Decad. Introduction.

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The article seeks to discuss the significance of Ramanujas

SRI The Universal Mother

Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya

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***utprekhyate bhudhafanairoopapattibhoomna I ghantaa hare samamjanishta yadaatmaneti II

Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya

pp 51 and 58 of the Calcutta Edition of Jibananda. 50

Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya

if this date is correct, be only a myth.

Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya

A well-known Indian epithet applief to ignorant stay-at-

home boor, unaware of the outside world and its news.

Sri Vedantha Desika Vidya

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