Vichitra Veena?- A Tribute to Swami Desika
Sri Sadagopan Iyengar, Coimbatore, Srikaryam Swami of ?Sri Ranga Sri?
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Vichitra Veena
There are a number of musical instruments?we have the Veena, the Violin, the
Flute, the Guitar, the Nadaswaram, the YAzh of yore, percussion instruments
like the Mridangam, the Tabla, the KanjirA, etc. Though each connoisseur of
music has his own favorite among these and each instrument is unique in the
melody it produces, yet, one of these is much ?more complete? than the
others. It is the most comprehensive musical instrument, is quite ancient
and requires utmost care in its playing. It has a graceful and majestic look
and generates the best of strains, which are manna to the music lover?s ear.
This beautiful and melodious instrument is the Veena. Doesn?t the name
itself sound short, sweet and musical? There would perhaps be none amongst
us who has not heard the sweet strains of this instrument, some time or the
other: and all fair-minded music-lovers would be unanimous in their high
opinion of the Veena?s magnificent stature and melodious nature.
The Veena has the distinction of being (perhaps) the only musical instrument
to find a mention in the Vedas. ?BrAhmaNou Veena vAdinou gAyEta? says the
Shruti, referring to Brahmins playing the instrument. It is no mean honor
for the Veena to find a place in the exalted Shruti vAkyAs and indicates its
ancient and exalted place, in its class. The Goddess of Learning Saraswati,
(who derives her wisdom and glory from Sri Hayagriva) is always picturized
with a Veena in her hand??MANickya VeenAm upalAlayantIm?.
And Sage Narada, the pre-eminent among Vishnu-bhaktAs, goes about singing
the Lord?s praise, to the accompaniment of the melodious strains of the
Veena. Srimad Ramayana also mentions the Veena, telling us that the sweet
verses of the epic could be played on the instrument. The ChAndOgya
Upanishad glorifies the Veena by indicating that all that is played on the
instrument is indeed in praise of the Lord.
There is thus no dispute about the greatness and glory of the Veena. This
piece, however, is not about Veenas in general?the subject is a Special
Veena, unheard of anywhere, strange and splendorous?A Vichitra Veena. This
Veena is not an inanimate instrument, but an extremely vocal one, having
produced thousands of sweet and singular strains, over a century. This
particular Veena is extremely dear to the Lord and His Consort, so much so
that the only player, who ever handled this instrument, is the Lord Himself.
Untainted by the touch of human hands, this Veena produced delightful and
divine melodies, dexterously played by the fingers of the Parabrahmam
itself.
In his glorious work, Sri DayA Shatakam, which has inspired and moved
countless devotees over several centuries, Swami Desikan refers to this
Vichitra Veena?
?VEdantA DEsika padE vinivEsya bAlam, dEvo DayA Shatakam Etat avAdayan mam
vaihArikENa vidhinA samayE griheetam VeenA visEsham iva VEnkata shaila
Natha:?
In this beautiful slokam, Swami Desikan tells us that the magnificent
Stotram of DayA Shatakam was not his own composition, but that of the Lord
Himself. The Master VaiNika that He is, the Lord produced the sweet and
singular melodies of the Stotram, using Swami Desikan as the Veena.
Following in the footsteps of Sri Nammazhwar, who ascribed the composition
of Tiruvaimozhi to the Lord Himself (?paNNAr pAdal in kavigaL yAnAi tannai
tAn pAdi?), Swami Desikan too submits the entire credit for the composition
of the DayA Shatakam at the Lord?s lotus feet, considering himself to be a
mere instrument, used by Emperuman to bring out His own melodies.
Not a single word or phrase of Tooppul Pillai is redundant or bereft of
significant purport. Here too, his comparison of the Veena to himself is
extremely suggestive. When we consider the matter, we come up with the
following similarities between the venerated Acharya and the versatile
instrument.
1. Comprehensiveness ?
As we saw above, the Veena is the most comprehensive
of musical instruments. While other such devices need separate accompaniment
and beat, the Veena has an in-built string for keeping beat, setting it
apart in its class. It is perhaps the only musical instrument where
?layam?(?TALam?) aspect is also taken care of.
Similarly, Swami Desikan was the sole repository of all attributes essential
in an Acharya. This is evident from the honorific, ?Vedanta Desikan?,
conferred upon him by Sri Ranganatha. The fact that only this Acharya has
been called ?Desikan?, (which is a synonym for an Acharya par excellence)
is proof positive that Swami Desikan is the most complete Acharya ever born
or to be born.
2. Vaidikatvam ?
As indicated above, the Veena could be termed a ?Vaidika? instrument in many
ways. It merits quite a few mentions in the Vedas, and specifically in the
ChAndOgya Upanishad too.
Swami Desikan too is a Vaidika of the first order, never deviating even a
little from the dicta of the Shruti. If, till today, our Sampradaya
flourishes unchallenged, it is due in no small measure to the firm Vedic
foundation on which Swami Desikan re-established our Sampradaya, which was
facing stiff challenges from opposing faiths.
3. Melody -
There is really no parallel to the sweet strains of the Veena, as any
connoisseur of music would attest. The strings of the Veena
emit such soulful and haunting melodies that no other instrument can hold a
candle to it.
Swami Desikan?s incredibly sweet and nectarine verses by far exceed any
melody that can be created by any instrument, including the Veena.
4. The Tirumala Connection ?
Till date, Tiruvenkatamudayan adorns Himself with a Veena,
apparently playing it with élan, during BrahmOtsavam. The
sight of the Lord resplendent with a gem-studded Veena in His hands, is a
sight for jaded eyes.
Swami Desikan too enjoys an extremely close connection with Tirumalayappan.
The Acharya is acclaimed to be an incarnation of Srinivasa?s Bell. It is
Srinivasa, whose single magnificent trait of Daya brought forth a veritable
flood of a hundred verses from Swami Desikan. Further, the Acharya was born
on the concluding day of the Lord?s Brahmotsavam at Tirumala, under the
aphorism of TiruvONam, the star very dear to Emeperuman. To cap it all,
Swami?s given name was ?Venkatanathan?.
5. Good Looks ?
The Veena is extremely graceful and beautiful to look at, with two symmetrical
pot-like structures on either side.
The descriptions of Swami Desikan that we find in ?Vedanta Desika Vigraha
DhyAnam?(of Sri Kumara Varadacharya) make us wonder whether Sri Valmiki
might have addressed to the Acharya, the same accolade that he did to Sri
Rama, viz., ?PumsAm drishti chitta apahAriNam? (one who makes even males
crazy with his beauty).
6. The Strings ?
The Veena has four strings stretched taught between the two bridges on the top,
by playing on which delightful melodies are
produced.
All of Swami Desikan?s works too are founded firmly in the four Vedas, so
much so that all his compositions bear the fragrance of the Shruti??nigama
parimaLam?
7. Darling of Saraswati ?
The Mahakavi says that Sri Saraswati lovingly totes a Veena in her
hands??MANickya VeenAm upalAlayantIm?. In fact, it is impossible to see a
picture of the Goddess of Learning, without a Veena adorning her hands.
If we take ?Saraswati? to mean wonderful wisdom and scholarship (which is an
alternate meaning for the word), we find that all wisdom and scholarship
found a repository for themselves in Swami Desikan, making the Acharya an
apple of the eye for all Shastras and Scriptural Wisdom.
8. The Support ?
To enable it to rest evenly on the ground and to enable production of
melody, the Veena has on its either side, beautiful pot-like
structures. So too, for Swami Desikan, the two branches of Vedanta, viz.,
Samskrita Vedanta and DrAvida Vedanta, formed the twin bases on which his
entire citadel of Samrpradayic philosophy was built.
9. ?As the player, so the music??
While in the hands of the expert player, the Veena produces extremely sweet
strains, all an inexpert exponent can coax out of the instrument by strumming
are ?apaswaram? or jarring notes.
Similarly, Swami Desikan, prompted by the Lord Himself, produced eminent
works of devotion and dogma. However, his opponents evoked from him harsh
and humbling responses, in the form of polemic works.
10. Kainkaryam to Ranganatha ?
The Veena enjoys the unique privilege of being played both in the morning to
wake up the Lord of Srirangam and in the night, to put Him to sleep. No other
musical instrument is favoured with such an honour, at Srirangam. Its service
to this Lord is hence extraordinary.
Swami Desikan?s kainkaryam to Aranganagarappan too is unique and
unparalleled in the history of devotional literature. His composition of a
thousand slOkAs in praise of the Lord?s pAdukAs, his Abheetistavam praying
for early return of the Lord to Srirangam after being spirited away from
harm?s way due to the Muslim invasion, his NyAsa Tilakam, the Bhagavat
DhyAna SOpAnam offering close competition to TiruppANAzhwar in the
mouth-watering description of the Lord?s boundless beauty?all these stotras
stand eloquent testimony to Swami Desikan?s extremely close association and
myriad kainkaryams to Sri Ranganatha.
It is this ?Vichitra Veena? which we remember with gratitude and devotion,
on this holy day of PurattAsi ShravaNam. But for the magnificent melodies of
this glorious Acharya, our Sampradaya would never have survived the
onslaught of persuasive but poisonous faiths. If, after seven long
centuries, the strains from this Vichitra Veena continue to enthral, entice
and enchant us, need we say more about Swami Desikan and his glory?
SWAMI DESIKAN - A TRIBUTE?
Sri Sadagopan Iyengar, Coimbatore
SWAMI DESIKAN-THE PACIFIST
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The uniqueness of our Sampradaya arises from the exalted Acharyas who adorn the Guruparampara. We can be justifiably proud of Acharyas like Sri Nathamuni, Sri Alavandar, Sri Ramanuja, Sri PiLLAn, Sri Azhwan, Sri Bhattar, Swami Desikan et al, who were unparalleled in their devotion to the Lord and their concern for the upliftment of mankind through their enlightening teachings.
In the garland of Guruparampara commencing with Sri Nathamuni and upto Swami Desikan, Sri Ramanuja is likened to the dazzling centrepiece ("mahatI gurupankti hAra yashti:..nibaddha nAyaka Sri:"). If the Guruparampara garland were extended to our own present Acharyas, then Swami Desikan would easily become the Splendorous centrepiece of the beautiful necklace. This is not to belittle the greatness of Sri Bhashyakara in any way, nor would Swami Desikan be pleased at all with such ativAdAs. However, if truth were told, the contribution of Swami Desikan to the protection and preservation of our Sampradaya is indeed incomparable.
The Vedas, the sole repository of spiritual knowledge, had been engulfed by sorrow due to misinterpretation and neglect. The Smritis, which paraphrased the Vedas, were subjected to disobedience and disrespect by ignorant people. The ItihAsAs and PurANAs, which have guided mankind through the ages, had lost their credibility with the disbelieving multitudes. The world fell into the trap of those who claim everything to be illusory and non-existent.
It was in such a scenario that the Lord sent His Bell to the earth, as Sri VenkatanAtha, to restore the magnificence, credibility and glory of the Scriptures, to wean people away from the destructive path they were treading and to show them the right royal way to Liberation. The following sloka brings this out-
"VEdE sanjAta khEdE munijana vachanE prApta nitya avamAnE
sankeerNE sarva varNE sati tad anuguNE nishpramANE purANE
MAyAvAdE samodE ; kali kalusha vasAt soonya vAdE vivAdE
Dharma trANAya yo abhoot sa jayatu bhagavAn VishNu ghantA avatAra:"
The esoteric secrets relating to the Prapatti marga were carefully preserved and shared with the select few only, till the times of Sri Ramanuja. It was the Bhashyakara who opened the doors of such knowledge to one and all, so that the maximum people could adopt this path to emancipation. However, as with any newly unveiled formulation, there were doubts galore in the procedure to be followed for Sharanagati, its form, its efficacy vis a vis other popular strategies for liberation, etc.
It was Swami Desikan who codified the Sharanagati Shastra, defended it vociferously against the onslaught of critics who felt that the simplicity of the stratagem was hardly commensurate with the magnificence of its professed target. Where was Bhakti Yoga, with its emphasis on continuous, assiduous and long-drawn curriculum spread over several births and where Prapatti, capable of momentary performance? How could anyone affirm that both led to the same destination of Paramapadam? Where was the scriptural authority for this upAya? And, when the Lord declares that He Himself is both the upAya (means) and the upEya (target to be attained), where is the question of our adopting a separate strategy for mOksha? Who is the person qualified to perform sharanagati and what are its prerequisites? What proof do we have of its efficacy? What role does the Piratti play in all this? Is She a mere ornamental adjunct to the Paramapurusha or is She capable of releasing souls from bondage on Her own?
These and innumerable other questions cropped up, to which varied answers were furnished, creating utter confusion in the minds of devotees uninformed about the philosophical foundations of our Sampradaya.
Then came Swami Desikan, blessed at a young age by Sri Hayagriva, the Lord of Knowledge and Sri GarutmAn, the personification of VedAs. Little wonder then, that Swami Desikan was able not only to find authoritative answers to the aforesaid questions based on the Scriptures (especially the PrastAna trayam) and the tenets of PoorvAchAryAs, but also establish them on a solid and invincible foundation of logic, all presented through the sugar-coated medium of beautiful poetry and bewitching prose.
Swami Desikan was a veritable master of logic ("TArkika Simham"). We know the power of logic: - in the hands of an expert, it could be used to prove or disprove anything under the Sun. In the wrong hands, this would be a very dangerous tool, for it could be employed to confer legitimacy to preposterous premises. It stands to the credit of Swami Desikan that despite being an incomparable logician capable of blazing his own trail and bulldozing all opposition, he never strayed from the beaten path traversed by Poorvacharyas and always stayed within the narrow confines of the pramANAs.
Tooppul Pillai's obsession with Prapatti and his anxiety that every single soul in this vast universe should attain liberation by adopting this simple upAya , find expression in his numerous stotras, kAvyAs, dramas, commentaries and polemical works. In all his works, whatever be the subject on hand, the theme of Sharanagati runs as a constant undercurrent, so that the perusal of any one composition would endow us with comprehensive knowledge of Prapatti and its modalities. This is what prompted a grateful beneficiary from exclaiming
" Seer ondru Toppul TiruvEngadamudayAn
PAr ondra chonna pazhamozhiyuL
Or ondru tAnE amayAdO
TAraNiyil vAzhvArkku vAn Era pOmaLavum vAzhvu"
The vast range of the Acharya's works and the ability of each of them to bestow the entire gamut of material and spiritual gains on the devotee, is brought out by the following Saptati Ratna MAlikA sloka-
"Para:shatam vApi para:sahasram Sri Venkatacharya kritA: prabandhA:
tatra alam Eka: khalu bhukti muktyO: kArtsnyEna ka: tAn gaNayEt samastAn".
This world has never been grateful enough towards its major benefactors. Instances are legion, of Preceptors being persecuted. Sri Ramanuja was harassed by Kulothunga ChOzha and forced into exile and long separation from his beloved Lord of Srirangam. Sri KoorattAzwan lost his eyes for the protection of the Sampradaya, while Sri Periya Nambi lost his life. Sri Sudarsana Bhattar and Sri Pillai LokAchArya gave up their lives in the defence of the Lord against the Muslim invaders.
Similarly, Swami Desikan too suffered a lot of persecution at the hands of his detractors, who could not endure his spreading name and fame as the sole repository of all branches of SAmpradAyic knowledge-Sri Bhashyam, Bhagavat Vishayam, Rahasya granthAs and others.
Swami's doorstep was festooned with footwear, so that it would hit his head as soon he came out. On the day of his father's annual ceremony, obstacles were created by ensuring the absence of those identified for nimantraNam (BrAhmaNArttham). When he was seated on the veranda of his house at Srirangam, immersed in the composition of one of his works, misguided sishyAs of an Acharyapurusha who was passing by manhandled Swami Desikan for not rising up in respect. He was challenged to a debate by anyone and everyone, at the drop of a hat. People insisted that he prove his title as "Sarvatantrasvatantra:" by constructing a well and by sculpting his own image. A magician was sent to induce a stomach ailment in the Acharya. He was offered PuLihOra and Pongal as bhagavat prasAdam, at the Sannidhi on an Ekadasi day. His sobriquet "Kavi Simham" was put to test by challenging him to compose a thousand slokas overnight, a tall order by any standards.
It is not these acts of persecution per se, but Sri Venkatanatha's measured and pacifist responses that impress us. He accepted the footwear of detractors as "BhAgavata pAdukAs" and objects of veneration. The perpetrators of this dastardly act were put to shame instantly, for having tried to offend the great soul. His father's shrAddham went off uninterrupted with the Lords of three divyadesams officiating as bhOktAs, in the place of the original invitees. He accepted challenge after challenge, whether it be to his scholarship or prowess in all fields. He constructed a beautiful well at Tiruvahindrapuram, which is functional till date for all to see. He composed the magnificent Paduka Sahasram, a thousand verses on the limited subject of the Lord's sandals, well within the time limit set for the composition, while his challenger was able to cobble together hardly one-tenth of the number of slokas that Swami Desikan could.
The point to be taken here is that, irrespective of the provocation, the Acharya's responses were always pacifist and self-effacing, demonstrative of his desire to shun the evil of BhAgavata apachArA in any form. And he displayed exceptional equanimity in the face of praise or pillorying. Swami Desikan never reacted emotionally to detractors, but instead gave them measured, inoffensive responses based on logic and reason.
Swami's prasishya Sri PrativAdi Bhayankaram Annan finds nothing strange in the Acharya being defamed, when there were people out to abuse even Sri Rama and Sri Krishna, and likens the detractors of Swami Desikan to the followers of Ravana and Sisupala-
"Sarvatantra dhoorvahasya Venaktesa dheemata:
kurvatE avamAnanAm tu kEchana adhunOdhbhavA:
Hanta hanta Rama Krishna dooshaNa abhidhAyinAm
Kinnu chitram atra Cchaidya Ravana anusAriNAm"
Swani Desikan's vaibhavam is so vast and extensive that it would fill volumes. While it is impossible to contain his greatness in such few words as these, yet adiyen thought it worthwhile making a small attempt. While this piece may not tell anybody anything new, adiyen would consider it to have served its purpose, if it prompts a thought or two on the great Acharya, the likes of whom the world has never seen nor is likely to see.
"TrayyantArttha! Bhavat pAda pankEruha jushAm satAm
Svayam mayi sadA bhooyAt anugraha paramparA".
(From" Sri PrArtthanAshtakam" by Sri KumAra VaradAchArya).
"TERROR STRIKES SWAMI DESIKA!"
(Anbil Ramaswamy
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You may ask: ?What? Was Swami Desika afraid? His credentials do not suggest this.
Answer: Yes. Even the Lion was struck by terror as shown at the end of this write up.
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FIRST, HIS CREDENTIALS:
1. ?KAVI TAARKIKA SIMHAM? AND ?KAVI TAARKIKA KESARI?: His Tanians repeatedly refer to him as these. He was indeed Lion-King among the poets and logicians.
It was the great Advaitic critic Appayya Dikshitar who, wonderstruck by the ineffable charm of his poetry and irrefragable power of reason and conferred on him the title of 'Kavi Tarkika Simham'. He praised him thus: ?Itham Vichintyas Sarvatra Bhaavaah Santhi Padhe Padhe? Kavi Taarkika Simhasya Kavyeshu Lalitheswapi? meaning "Even in the simple and soft compositions of this Lion of both poets and logicians, there are poetic excellence evident at every step and indeed in every word"
As a ?KAVI?, he excelled even Mahakavi Kalidasa, for whom he had very high regard. He ennobled his poetry through philosophy and embellished his philosophy through his poetry. To do him justice, it would be necessary to quote all his works. The only specimen of his masterpiece is simply ALL that he wrote.
As a ?TAARKIKA?, he was as searchingly critical as he was sympathetically tolerant.
2. ?VEDANTA DESIKA?: Periya PerumaaL Himself conferred this title on Swami, when he defeated the Mayaavaadins at Sri Rangam at the request of Sudarsana Bhattar.
3. ?SARVA TANTRA SWATANTRAR?: Periya Piraatti conferred this title. He was, indeed, a master of all arts, crafts and artifacts. His works reveal his intimate knowledge of almost all arts and sciences known to human intelligence.
4. ?NIGAMAANTA NAYAKA SRI? Swami Desika hails Bhagavad Ramanuja as ?YathiraajEna nibaddha Naayaka Sree?, the central gem in the garland of Acharya Paramaparai. We can boldly say that among the Post - Ramanuja Acharyas, Swami Desika shines as the central gem. It would not be a hyperbole to hail him as ?NigamaathaaryEna nibaddha Naayaka Sree?.
A poet, philosopher and logician, he took upon himself the task of upholding the concepts preached by Bhagavad Ramanuja. It is because of him that 'Ramanuja Darsanam' came to be recognized by the world. Swami Vedanta Desika was the brightest star in the firmament of Visishtadvaita next only to Bhagavad Ramanuja.
If Naatha muni retrieved the holy collects, if Yaamuna muni propounded it, if Ramanuja muni expounded it, it was given to Vedanta Desika to systematize it almost to the form of a science. His works brim with philosophical grandeur, ethical excellence and aesthetic glory. No writer among the followers of Ramanuja fought for the rightful place for Divya Prabandhams, as did Swami Desika.
5. ?VEDANTAACHARYA?: As an Acharya, he preached only what he practiced and practiced what he preached. He synthesized in himself an inimitable moral fervor and an inspired spiritual insight.
6. ?JNAANA VAIRAAGHYA BHOOSHANAM?: The two qualities that Acharyas are required to possess are ?Jnaana? (knowledge) and ?Vairaaghya?. By age 20, he had excelled in all that a person ought to learn. His prolific compositions in pure Tamil, pure Sanskrit, Praakrit and ManipravaLa attest to his ?Jnaanam? while his reply to Vidyaranya in his ?Vairaaghya Panchakam? vouches for his detachment to worldly wealth.
7. ?ANUSHTATHA?: It is difficult to find such a harmonious blend - of Precept and Practice, of exalted thinking and simple living. . He was a saint par excellence though he remained a Grihasta throughout. He lived by ?Uncha vritthi?(begging for grains) as orthodox, ideal Brahmins are required to live.
7. ?RAMANUJA DAYA PAATRAM?: This expression used in his Tanian brings out how he was the recipient of the blessings of his Acharyas namely both AtrEya Ramanuja, his maternal uncle known as ?AppuLLaar? and Bhagavad Ramanuja.
We know that Bhagavad Ramanuja?s first command to Prapannas was to study and give discourses on ?Sri Bashyam?. Swami had himself admitted to have done this at least 30 times by the time he wrote his ?Sankalpa SooryOdayam?.
We know also that he lived long after this composition as he himself says - ?Yathi pravara bhaaratee rasa bharENa neetham vaya:? that he grew old - all the time enjoying the essence of Ramanuja?s words till the hairs on his head turned completely gray - ? prapulla palitham sira:? Surely, he would have expounded Sri Bashyam many more times and proved worthy of this title.
8. ?KALYAANA GUNA SALINE?: Do these make one great? Jnaana, Bhakti, Vairaaghya and AnushTaana - all will be only defects, if one did not have ?Atma GuNa Poorthi?. Such persons with all these but with no ?Atma GuNa poorthi? were despised as dangerous ?like the cobra carrying gems on its hood? ?MaNinaa Bhooshita sarpa:?
What is this ?Atma GuNa Pooorthi? that makes these qualities meaningful and the absence of which turns very qualities into defects?
Bhagavad Ramanuja has detailed them as the avoidance of ?Bhagavad Apachaaram?, ?Bhhagavata Apachaaram? and ?Asahya Apachaaram? by which he meant ?Achaarya Apachaaram?, (which he could not even think of and spell out). We know that Swami Desika would never ever be guilty of any of these, especially the first and the last.
AND, NOW ABOUT THE TERROR:
TERROR STRIKES SWAMI DESIKA!
But, even the Lion hearted Swami had one fear stalking him all the time. This is the fear of even unwittingly committing ?Bhaagavata Apachaaram?, which is considered to be more heinous than even ?Bhagavad Apachaaram? for which he himself has said in his ?Srimad Rahasya Traya Saaram? that there is no remedy. His biography provides ample testimony to this fear. We will mention just a few:
(1) BIRTH OF PADUKA SAHASRAM:
Azhagiya Manavaala Naayanaar, brother of Pillai Lokachaarya and our Swami went to worship Lord Ranganatha. The Naayanaar was captivated by the feet of the Lord and wanted to compose a Stotra of 1000 slokas praising the same. He challenged Swami to compose one similar to his own.
The Swami thought that if both were to write on the same subject, critics may try to evaluate the relative merits and if they found his own work turning out superior to that of Naayanaar, it might cause discomfiture in the mind of Naayanaar, a Bhaagavata. He wanted to avoid precisely this.
That is why, he politely said that the Divya Mani Paadukaas of the Lord were equally captivating and offered to compose a Stotram on the Sandals of the Lord. Before dawn the next day. The 1,000 verses of this epic is an example of literary excellence and lofty thoughts - a wonderful masterpiece of how a single subject like the sandals could be expressed in so many different ways and yet hold up the imagination and interest of the audience!
And, his challenger could not complete even a third of his work!
(2) GARLAND OF CHAPPALS!
Some jealous Bhaagavatas hung a string of Chappals at the entrance of Swami?s home. As he emerged from his house on his daily rounds for ?Uncha Vrithi?, (unaware of this), the Chappals hit his head. What would be the normal reaction of anyone in these circumstances? The impulse would be to feel insulted, to register angry protests and to scold those who had perpetrated such a heinous vandalism. But not so, with our Swami.
Swami was too terror stricken on the prospect of his committing ?Bhaagavata Apachaaram?, to do so. The Bhaagavatas who were waiting to watch his reaction were flabbergasted when Swami exclaimed in ecstasy:
?What baaghyam have I done to receive the Padukais of Bhaagavatas on my head??
(3) ?SABHAA BUJANGEE?
Kumara Nainachariar while referring to greatness of Swami calls him a ?Sabhaa Bujangee? ? One who is afraid of facing gatherings as one would fear ?snakes?. Why? Was he affected by ?Stage fright?? One on whose tongue rested Lord Hayagriva (adhyaaseena Turanga Vaktra vilasat Jihvaagra Simhaasana) and who was a ?Taarkika Simham? would never be afraid of any assembly.
Then what was his fear?
If he were to defeat the PaashaNDis in debate, as he was sure to do, they would be put to shame and may be feeling the ignominy of defeat in their mind. As he had ?Sva NishTaabijnaanam? (one who has realized his proper state or NishTa as a Prapanna) as detailed in Adhikara 14 of his Srimad Rahasya Traya Saaram, he was mortally afraid of hurting others? feelings. That is the reason why he shunned such gatherings that appeared to him as snakes.
(4) Several other instances can be cites as for example, his encounters with ?
- The Sculptor, who challenged him to make an idol of himself and failed to make a suitable PeeTam for it.
- The Snake charmer, who risked his livelihood by challenging Swami to control his snakes, which Swami did by reciting GaruDa DanDakam.
- The mason, who challenged Swami to construct a well with broken bricks and when Swami did a professional job at that.
- The magician, who made Swami?s tummy bloat with the water of a tank and when Swami let out the water making an aperture on a pillar.
- The miscreants who stealthily put golden coins in his ?Bikshaa paatram? to test his detachment and rectitude and when Swami threw them away as vermin.
- The miscreants who sent a Brahmachari for securing financial help for his wedding knowing full well that Swami was himself living in utter penury. And, Swami helped him to collect the gold coins showered by the grace of Thaayaar in response to his recital of ?Sri Sthuthi?.
- KandaaDai Lakshmanaachar who committed some apachaaram to Swami, suffered from serious ailment but apologized to Swami and got cured by taking the ?Sri Paada Theertham? of Swami and subsequently named his son as ?Theertha Pillai?
In all these cases, Swami could have been annoyed and ruffled. But, he exhibited utmost composure for fear of committing ?Bhaagavata Apachaaram?. Out of infinite compassion (sarva bhoota dayaa), he excused them wholeheartedly when they realized their wrongdoing and never ever entertained any ill feelings against those who tried to harm him.
Indeed, he exemplified the TirukkuraL dictum
?Innaa seithaarai oruthal avar naaNa nannayam seidu viDal?
It is this ?Atma GuNa poorthi? that makes Swami as outstandingly different.
Here was our Swami Desika, Saatveeka agrEsar and Achaarya Saarvaboumar with exemplary ?Atama GuNa poorthi?!
Where comes such another?
Let us consciously cultivate this ?fear of wrongdoing? in our daily chores. This will be the most fitting tribute we can offer to our peerless preceptor.
(In this connection, it is interesting to note that in his ?Abheeti Sthavam? for warding off fear, Swami says that even the fearless Lord Himself, who could do whatever he liked without anyone to question Him, had one fear - the fear of forfeiting the goodwill of his Prapannas. ?Tathaapi SaraNaagatha praNaya bhanga bheethO bhavaan?)
Swami Desika charaNou SaranNam PrapadhyE.
