S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 3

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Sri Nrisimha Priya

A N AU T H O R I S E D PU B L I C A T I O N OF ¹ R I A H O B I L A M A T H A M

H. H. 45th J¤yar of ¹r¤ Ahobila Ma°ham H.H. 46 th Jiyar of

Founder ¹r¤ N¨siïhapriy¢ (E) Sri Ahobila Ma°ham
H.H. ¹r¤ Lak¾m¤ N¨si¼ha H.H. ¹r¤va´ ¹a°hakopa
Divya P¢duk¢ Sëvaka ¹r¤va´ ¹a°hakopa ¹r¤ Ra¬gn¢tha Yat¤ndra
¹r¤ N¢r¢ya´a Yat¤ndra M¢h¢deºikan M¢h¢deºikan

Ahobile G¢ru²aºaila madhye The English edition of Sri

Nrisimhapriya not only
k¨p¢vaº¢t kalpita sannidh¢nam / brings to its readers the
Lak¾my¢ sam¢li¬gita v¢ma bh¢gam wisdom of Vaishnavite
Lak¾m¤N¨si¼ham ºara´am prapadye // tenets every month, but also
serves as a link between Sri
N¢r¢ya´a yat¤ndrasya k¨pay¢''¬gilar¢gin¢m / Matham and its disciples.
Sukhabodh¢ya tattv¢n¢m patrikeyam prakaºyate // We confer our benediction
upon Sri Nrisimhapriya
¹r¤N¨si¼hapriy¢ hye¾¢ pratigeham sad¢ vaset / (English) for achieving a
Pa°hith¨´¢m ca lok¢n¢m karotu N¨harirhitam // spectacular increase in
readership and for its
The English Monthly Edition of Sri Nrisimhapriya is being readers to acquire spiritual
published for the benefit of those who are better placed wisdom and enlightenment.
to understand the Vedantic truths through the medium It would give us pleasure to
of English. May this magazine have a glorious growth see all devotees patronize
and shine in the homes of the countless devotees of Lord this spiritual journal by
Sri Lakshmi Nrisimha! May the Lord shower His benign
blessings on all those who read it!
becoming subscribers.
4 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 5

CONTENTS
Sri Nrisimha Priya ¡c¢ryopadeºam | 7
Editorial | 11
Owner:
H.H. J¤yar of ¹r¤ Ahobila Ma°ham 66th Tirunak¾atra Patrika of HH | 19
Managing Editor Pa®c¢¬ga Sa¬graham | 23
Dr. T.G. Ramamurthi
Sa¬kalpams | 26
Editor
Sri K. Sadagopa Iyengar News from ¹r¤ Sannidhi | 27
Editorial Advisors
Dr. S. Padmanabhacharya, Srikaryam Swami
¹r¤ Ved¢nta Deºikotsava Vaibhav¢ni of
Dr. V.K.S.N. Raghavan Pi¶¶aip¢kkam ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar (Part 4) | 31
Publisher & Printer
Sri J.S. Vasan
¡div¨k¾am: The Primordial Tree | 35
Wrapper Design & Layout Samprad¢ya Quiz | 40
S. Parthasarathy
Serials
DTP
Sri S. Parthasarathy ¹r¤ra¬gam R¢jagopura Nirm¢´a Kainkaryam | 41
Sri N. Govindarajan
Viºi¾°¢dvaita (Part VI) | 45
Front Office
Subscriptions / Bhagavad Gu´a Darpa´am | 51
Matrimonial Advertisements
Sri R. Srinivasan Viºi¾°¢dvaita for You and Me | 57
Sri S. Achuthan
Matrimonials | 54
Sri V.R. Sridharan
Features
Enquiry, Sales Office & Regd. Office
No. 30, Venkatesa Agraharam, The Magnificent Minstrel of T¢llap¢kka (Part 2) | 63
Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004.
Tel : 2461 1540, 2461 4402 ¡zhv¢rs and ¹r¤ N¨si¼ha Part II | 73
E-mail : nrisimhapriya@gmail.com
The Ultimate Goal - Puru¾¢rtha K¢¾°ha | 78
Printed at
M/s. Versatile Prints & Packs Predictions | 81
Triplicane, Chennai - 600 005
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6 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 7

¡C¡RYOPADE¹AM
(Golden words of our glorious ¡c¢rya, H.H. ¹r¤va´ ¹a°hakopa ¹r¤
Ra¬gan¢tha Yat¤ndra Mah¢deºik¢ª)
Translation: K. Sadagopa Iyengar
1. ¹r¤ R¢m¢nuja N¦tãand¢di

Nindra va´ keertiyum nee¶ punalum

niãai Vë¬ka°a poã
Kundãamum Vaikunda n¢²um
kulaviya P¢ãka²alum
unthanakku etthanai inbam tarum
un inai malar t¢¶
enthanakkum adu
Ir¢m¢nusa! Ivai eendaru¶ë (76)
¹r¤ Amudan¢r pictures ¹r¤ R¢m¢nuja
contemplating blessing Amudan¢r and
makes clear to the ¡c¢rya what he really
needs. The hills of Tiruvë¬ka°am are of
undying fame and rich with water
words Van keerthi tell us that the
resources. The eternal Vedas (praised
eulogising of Tiruvë¬ka°am is capable of
as niãkkum N¢nmaãai in Tiruv¢ymozhi),
conferring, on those who do not seek
especially the §g Veda, extoll the holiness
puerile boons, all things auspicious, right
of Venka°am and exhort the devotee to
from an inclination towards the Lord to
go there—girim gaccha. It is with this in
the ultimate fruit of divine service
mind that ¹r¤ Amudan¢r too eulogises
(kai¬karyam). ¹r¤ Tirumazhisai Pir¢n too
Tiruvë¬ka°am as of nindra keerthi or
tells us that praising Tiruvë¬ka°am is
eternal fame.
capable of inducing in us the penchant
Apart from fame, Tiruvë¬ka°am is the for service to the Lord and conferring
abode of pristine natural beauty. The on us the eligibility for Liberation:
8 |
Veãpendãu Vë¬ka°am p¢²inën vee²¢kki
Niãkkindãën nindãu ninaikkindãën –
kaãkkindãa
N¦l valaiyil pa°°irunda n¦l¢°°i kë¶van¢r
K¢l valaiyil pa°°irundën k¢´.
Considering the Lord’s standing
posture at Tirumala, Amudan¢r talks
about nindãa keertti, as he is about to
speak of the seated and supine states of
Emperum¢n at Vaiku´°ham and P¢ãka²al
in the next lines. We should enjoy here
the lines of ¹r¤ Tiruma¬gai Mannan, who
finds the standing posture of the Lord
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
extremely enjoyable and considers
Tirumala as common to both the eternal
world of ¹r¤ Vaiku´°ham (Nitya Vibh¦ti)
and the perishable ones below (Leela
Vibh¦ti). ¡zhv¢r portrays Him verily as
¹r¤ K¨¾´a, who danced with wanton at
Tiruv¢ipp¢di and eulogises the Lord
variously: Vë¬ka°attu ¢²u koottanukku
indãu a²imai tozhil poo´²¢yë, Mandãa
mara koott¢²i magizhnd¢y, Va²a
Tiruvë¬ka°am mëya maind¢! etc. In saying
nindãa va´ keerthi, ¹r¤ Amudan¢r’s mind
mulls over the words of ¹r¤ Namm¢zhv¢r
too: malai mël th¢n nindãu en manatthu¶
irund¢nai nilai përkkal ¢g¢mai
nicchittirundënë.
The words nee¶ punalum too are a
reflection of ¹r¤ Namm¢zhv¢r’s v¢r punal
andan aruvi Va²a Tiruvë¬ka²attu endai
and ¹r¤ Kaliyan’s aruvi neer Vë¬ka°am.
Amudan¢r also hints at the various holy
waters at Tirumala like the Sv¢mi
Pushkarini, through the reference to
Va²a Vë¬ka°a Poã Kundãam. All these
references highlight the capability of cool
Tirumala and its waters to eliminate both
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
our bodily heat and that of Sa¼s¢ra.
Tirumala, which is the embodiment of
Emperum¢n, is capable of destroying all
our sin, as the Pur¢na tells us: sarva
p¢p¢ni vëm pr¢huª kataª tat d¢ha ucyate
(In the word Vë¬ka°am, Vëm refers to
the baggage of sins, while kata refers to
the burning off of such sins). Thus
Vë¬ka°am is known as such because it
protects us by eliminating all our sins.
It is this Tirumala, ¹r¤ Vaiku´°ham
(where the Lord is adulated by Nitya
S¦ris) and the Milky Ocean
(Tirupp¢ãka²al – where He reclines ever
ready to offer protection to the
distressed) which afford boundless
pleasure to ¹r¤ R¢m¢nuja. However,
Amudan¢r says that this enthrallment
experienced by R¢m¢nuja from these
abodes of the Lord is derived by
Amudan¢r from a single source, viz., ¹r¤
R¢m¢nuja’s beautiful lotus feet, which
are matchless and pleasurable to wear
on the head like a soft flower. For
Amudan¢r, whether it is Vë¬ka°am, ¹r¤
Vaiku´°ham or Tirupp¢ãka²al, everything
pleasurable and holy is represented by
¹r¤ R¢m¢nuja’s divine feet, which alone
he seeks from the ¡c¢rya. This is borne
out by the following verse, which equates
the ¡c¢rya’s holy feet to Vaiku´°ham,
Tirupp¢rka²al, Dw¢raka, etc., in
enjoyability and holiness, for one who
has been blessed with the priceless
treasure of Bharany¢sam by the ¡c¢rya:-
| 9
Yenaiva guru´¢ yasya
Ny¢sa vidy¢ pradeeyate /
Tasya Vaiku´°ha Dugd¢bdhiª
Dv¢rak¢ª sarva eva saª //
2. §g Veda ¡hnikam
The next item on the ¡hnikam or daily
routine consists of Sv¢dhy¢yam, which
includes perusal of Itih¢s¢s and Pur¢´as
like ¹r¤mad R¢m¢ya´a, performing
Ved¢dhyayanam, teaching disciples, etc.
It is also important to engage in secular
activities for taking care of the family.
Elders and ¹¢stras have indicated that if
we have a regular employment, we should
finish our spiritual routine accordingly
and engage thereafter in worldly
activities. Neglect of the family and
activities therefor would also entail sin.
The scripture permits the householder
to engage in certain types of secular
activities (those permitted by ¹¢stras) for
protecting the family, without incurring
any sin.
When the evening approaches, we
should wash the feet, perform ¡camanam
twice, Mantra sn¢nam and M¢nasa
sn¢nam, two more ¡camanams and then
engage in S¢yam Sandhy¢vandanam. The
procedure has already been elaborated.
This should be followed by
Agnihotram for who perform it regularly
(¡hit¢gni). Aup¢sanam should be
performed thereafter. Those who do not
10 |
perform Agnihotram should perform at
least Aup¢sanam. These days, there are
only a few who perform Aup¢sanam daily.
Dharma ¹¢stras dwell in considerable
detail on the glories of Aup¢sanam and
the need for its daily performance.
We should then go to the Perum¢l
Sannidhi, recite stotras like ¹r¤ Vi¾´u
Sahasran¢ma stotra, offer Arghyam,
P¢dyam, etc. to the Lord and offer to
Him the food prepared for dinner.
Thereafter, Vaiºvadevam should be
performed with this food (annam). The
¡sval¢yana S¦trak¢ra has clarified that
Balikara´am should be performed during
the evening Vaiºvadevam omitting the
Pa®ca Mah¢ Yaj®as (atha s¢yam pr¢taª
siddhasya havi¾asya juhuy¢t), which is
confirmed by the G¢rgya N¢r¢ya´a V¨tti,
Anukrama´ik¢ and the commentary to
the ¡ºval¢yana G¨hya Sootra known as
Kantha Bhooshanam, as also in the
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
Saccaritra Sudh¢nidhi. The need for
performance of Balikara´am during the
evening Vaiºvadevam too is brought out
by the following verse:
R¢tr¢vapi sad¢
Vaiºvadevam ca balikarma ca /
Vin¢ Pa®ca Mah¢ Yaj®¢n
atitheenapi poojayet //
While the number of §g Vedis is small,
those who fully adhere to the prescribed
rituals like Vaiºvadevam is still less. It is
also noted that some §g Vedis have been
performing Vaiºvadevam as prescribed
in the ¡pasthamba S¦tram, which is not
correct. Our poorvashrama elders have
recorded the §g Veda Vaiºvadeva
procedure on palm leaves 150 years ago
and have been adhering to the procedure
impeccably. We should hence perform
Balikara´am in the evening too,
beginning the Bhoota Bali with Soory¢ya
Sv¢ha (as indicated in the morning
Vaiºvadevam) and reciting the following verse:
Ye bhoot¢ª pracaranti naktam
balim iccanti vitutasya pre¾y¢ª /
Tebhyo balim pu¾°i k¢mo dad¢mi
mayi pu¾°im pu¾°i patim dad¢tu sv¢h¢ //
Vaiºvadevam can be concluded with
¡camanam, followed by intake of dinner.
If we have time, we can continue our
Adhyayanam in the first part (y¢mam) of
the night. Thereafter, Sv¢dhy¢yam should
be concluded with S¢tvika Ty¢ga.

S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 11

Dear Readers,

IAL The Tirunak¾atram of

OR ¹r¤man N¢thamuni falls on Ani

DIT Anusham. It is this Acharya

E TE who was the protagonist of the

NO
¹r¤ Vaishnava Sampradaya in
the present Kaliyuga, after ¹r¤
Namm¢zhv¢r, says Sv¢mi
Deºika - N¢thopaj®am prav¨ttam.
The greatest contribution of ¹r¤
N¢thamuni is the recovery of
the sacred Divya Prabandha,
which had vanished from
currency, and their re-propagation, set to lilting musical tunes. The emotional
outpourings of eminent devotees, whose overflowing devotion found an outlet in
nectarine compositions in sweet Tamil, are collectively known to us as the Divya
Prabandha. What exactly are the glories of this wonderful body of knowledge, which
prompted ¹r¤ N¢thamuni’s untiring efforts to recover these songs and to gift them
to posterity? Sv¢mi Deºika summarises these in his inimitable words thus: Par¢ºara
prabandh¢dapi Ved¢nta rahasya vaisadya hetu bhootaiª sadyaª Param¢tmani citta
ranjakatamaiª sarvopajeevyaiª upab¨hmanaiª.

r¤ Deºika tells us that the hymns Here are the beautiful lines of I®jime²u

¹ of Divya Prabandha are capable of

inducing in us the divine
experience of the Lord immediately upon
recital and have a greater capability to
clarify esoteric Vedantic formulations,
than the works of Par¢ºara Maharshi (¹r¤
Vi¾´u Pur¢´a), etc. ¹r¤ Deºika goes on
to say that he himself, the master of
logic and ¹¢stras, could get a better
appreciation of crucial Vedic texts, only
with the aid of ¡zhv¢rs’ outpourings.
¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar in this regard:-
Sarvatantra Svatantrar¢na thamakkum
Ny¢ya upabrahman¢ntara¬ga¶¢lë
arivarid¢na Ved¢nta bh¢gamum …
thamm¢le ko´²¢²a petãa ¹r¤ sooktiga¶¢l
samsaya viparyay¢digalara visadam
¢cchudo … apprabandhanga¶¢l th¢m
petãa upak¢ra atisayattai lokatth¢r aãiya
anusandhikkir¢r.
The preeminence of these poems can
be easily understood from their being
12 |
equated with the mighty, eternal and
venerated Vedas and called “Dr¢vi²a
Vedam”, for the following reasons:
1. The ¹ruti is couched in language
that is not easily comprehensible to the
common man, and sometimes even to
the scholar. It is full of allegories and
often adopts a circuitous narrative style.
In comparison, the Prabandhas are
composed in chaste but simple Tamil,
which the layman can easily understand,
appreciate and imbibe. Poorv¢c¢ryas have
confirmed that many passages of the ¹ruti
have become crystal clear to them, only
after a perusal of the Prabandhas- Seyya
Tamizh m¢laiga¶ n¢m te¶iya ùdi, te¶iy¢da
maãai nilanga¶ te¶igindãomë says Sv¢mi
Deºika.
2. Many passages in the ¹ruti are not
categorical while identifying the
Parabrahman, and to the untutored
student, it would appear as though the
Vedas advocate worship of different
deities for different purposes. Though
¹r¤man N¢r¢ya´a is held to be the
Ultimate in the N¢r¢ya´a Anuvaka and
elsewhere, there are any number of
passages which are equivocal, prima
facie, though the mutual consistency of
all Vedic passages can be established with
the aid of Meem¢msa, Vy¢kara´a, Ny¢ya
and other Ved¢¬gas. The Prabandhas,
however, are categorical that the
Parabrahman is none other than ¹r¤man
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
N¢r¢ya´a (a sample is the Ondãum
dëvum decad of Tiruv¢imozhi) and that
irrespective of the object to be achieved,
it is only He who is to be worshipped
(unn¢l all¢l y¢var¢lum onãum kuãai
vë´²ën).
3. The Vedas prescribe numerous
sacrifices aimed at propitiating various
deities for the attainment of diverse
objectives — we have the Jyoti¾°oma,
Putrak¢me¾°i, the Aºvamedha, and
numerous other Yaj®as mentioned in the
Aºvamedha Prasna of the third A¾°aka.
The Divya Prabandhas, on the other
hand, have the spiritual emancipation of
everybody as their sole objective.
4. The ¹ruti, even after a search
spanning countless millennia, is unable
to fathom the Lord’s greatness and
admits as much – ‘Yato v¢co nivartante,
apr¢pya manas¢ saha.’ To this day, this
position is reflected in the Veda p¢r¢ya´a
gho¾°i following the Lord, when He
embarks on a ceremonial procession
(tiruveedi puãapp¢²u).
While the Prabandhas too cannot be
said to have a true measure of the Lord’s
magnificence, they at least reflect the
true state of affairs by categorizing His
greatness as beyond comprehension, as
indicated by the following Tiruv¢imozhi
phrases - iãai nilai u´arvaridu, opp¢r mikk¢rai
i¶aiy¢ya M¢m¢ya!, ellaiyil j®¢nattan,
uyarvaãa uyar nalam u²aiyavan, etc.
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
5. While enumerating the strategies
to be adopted for liberation, the Vedas
catalogue no less than 32 Brahma Vidyas,
most of them beyond the capabilities of
frail mortals like us. The Prabandhas,
however, talk mostly of the easiest of
the path to paradise-Prapatti (¹ara´¢gati),
thereby bringing Liberation within the
ambit of even the lowliest of the lowly.
6. The Vedas are like the Government
Gazette (Prabhu Samhita) - they are
couched in the language of commandments,
such as ‘Satyam vada’ (Though shalt
speak the truth) Dharmam cara (Though
shalt follow the path of righteousness),
Sv¢dhy¢y¢t m¢ pramadaª (Never give
up learning) etc., and demand implicit
obedience, brooking no argument.
Prabandhas, on the other hand, reflect
the same ideas in much softer
terminology, as the ¡zhv¢rs, many of
them having gone through the
reformation process themselves,
understand our constraints and
compulsions much better and speak to
us in the language of love and tolerance,
as a mother would to her errant child.
7. Much more than the bland ¹ruti,
the Divya Prabandhas afford us the
unalloyed pleasure of experiencing the
Lord, with an explicit enumeration of
His auspicious attributes and moving
narratives of His various pastimes
enacted during Avat¢ras.
| 13
8. Though the Vedas have been
commented upon by various scholars like
S¢yana and Bha°°a Bh¢skara to the latter
day Maxmuller, these commentaries have
not served to enhance, embroider or
embellish the original content (nor is it
possible for anyone to do so in respect
of the immaculate, eternal and
blemishless ¹ruti). Perhaps the
commentators, while not lacking in
erudition, were not inspired by intense
devotion, which denied them the insights
required to transform these works into
true reflectors of the Vedic Spirit. Though
there are commentaries on the ten
principal Upanishads by ¹r¤
Ra¬gar¢m¢nuja Muni, capable of
producing a divine experience through a
focus of the Lord’s auspicious attributes,
these cover only a microscopic portion
of the vast ¹ruti.
In contrast, the Divya Prabandhas in
general and Tiruv¢ymozhi in particular,
have been blessed with an alluring array
of commentaries, one vying with the other
in depth of emotion and searching spirit.
The ¡ã¢yirappa²i of ¹r¤ Tirukkurugai
Pir¢n Pi¶¶¢n, the Onbadin¢yirappa²i of
¹r¤ Na®jeeyar, the Panneer¢yirappa²i of
¹r¤ V¢dikesari Azhagia Ma´av¢¶a Jeeyar,
the Irupattun¢l¢yirappa²i of ¹r¤
Periav¢cch¢n Pi¶¶ai, the Ee²u
Muppatth¢r¢yirappa²i of ¹r¤ Nampi¶¶ai,
the Nigama Parimala in seventy four
14 |
thousand granthas (unfortunately not
extant now), the Drami²opani¾ad S¢ram
and the Drami²opani¾ad T¢tparya
Ratn¢vali, all by Sv¢mi Deºika, the
Padinenn¢yirappa²i of ¹r¤ Periya
Parak¢la Sv¢mi, the Irupattun¢l¢yirappa²i
of ¹r¤ S¢k¾¢t Sv¢mi – all these
commentaries form an invaluable
compendium, a priceless treasure,
mirroring the ¡zhv¢rs’ minds with
startling clarity and adding allure to the
enchanting original. If the Divya
Prabandhas cumulatively constitute a
glittering diamond, these commentaries
form the scintillating golden setting
therefor.
9. While the study of the Vedas has
been circumscribed by eligibility criteria
and is limited to Br¢hmanas, K¾atriyas
and Vaisyas, the Divya Prabandhas can
be accessed and enjoyed by all,
irrespective of caste, creed, colour, sex,
race, etc. The only prerequisite is a
desire to partake of the nectar of divine
attributes — sarvopajeevyaiª as Sv¢mi
Deºika says.
10. When it comes to eulogizing
Goddess ¹r¤, the Vedas are not very
explicit, though the ¹r¤ S¦kta, ¹raddh¢
Sukta and a few other texts do pay Her
generous tribute. However, since She is
inseparable from the Lord, the ¹ruti does
not often speak of Her separately. It is
our P¦rv¢c¢ryas’ conclusion that
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
wherever Vedas extol Emperum¢n’s
greatness, they include Pir¢°°i too by
implication—Emperum¢nai sonna
i²ame¬gum Pir¢°°iyai sollitth¢m atthanai,
said ¹r¤ R¢m¢nuja. ¹r¤ Bha°°ar confirms
this – tat antarbh¢v¢t na p¨thak abhidatte
tv¢m ¹rutirapi (¹r¤ Gu´aratna Koºa).
However, Divya Prabandhas speak
warmly and unequivocally of the Divine
Consort’s magnificence – Kola
Tirum¢maga¶, Poovin misai na¬gai,
Unakkërrkum Kùla malar P¢vai etc. In
fact, most of the time, when referring to
Emperum¢n, ¡zhv¢rs allude to Him only
with reference to His inseparable
relationship with His Consort, and make
it clear that the soul has to surrender
itself to the Divine Couple (not merely
the Lord) and that all service is to be
performed to the Divine Couple. Pr¢pya
vëlaiyù²u kainkarya vëlaiyù²u v¢siyara
oru mithunamë uddeºyam says ¹r¤
Nampi¶¶ai too.
The aforesaid arguments are not
aimed at undermining the sanctity or
magnificence of the Vedas, which are after
all the Eternal Guidebook unsullied by
human authorship, the Primary Pram¢´a,
to which the ¡zhv¢rs themselves pay rich
tributes (Su²ar migu Surudi).
Thus, our haloed Samprad¢ya would
appear to have been blessed with two
luminous eyes-the Vedas in Sanskrit and
the Divya Prabandhas in lilting Tamizh.
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
That our Poorv¢c¢ryas regarded these
two bodies of knowledge with equal
reverence is clear from ¹r¤ Ved¢nt¢c¢rya
(Master of the Vedic essence-Sv¢mi
Deºika) proudly proclaiming himself to
be Chandamigu Tamizh maãaiyùn,
and from numerous conceptual
formulations of ¹r¤ R¢m¢nuja (in his ¹r¤
Bh¢¾ya, ¹r¤ G¤t¢ Bh¢¾ya, ¹r¤ Ved¢rtha
Sa¬graha, etc.) very obviously founded
on ¡zhv¢r ¹reesooktis. These two
sources of wisdom form the Lord’s eyes
too-this appears to be implied in ¹r¤
¡´²¢¶’s description, Thi¬ga¶um
¡dityanum ezund¢rpùl a¬gan ira´²um.
Perhaps the Sun-like eye represents the
¹ruti with its blazing brilliance, eliminating
the gloom of ignorance, while the lunar
one signifies the Tamizh Maãai with its
soft, mellifluous rhymes creating waves
of bliss in the heart.
Whoever named these songs
collectively as ‘Divya Prabandha’ never
said a truer word, for they are truly
divine. Their divinity can be ascribed to
the following reasons –
1. Divine Content - These are
compositions having the Lord and His
attributes as their sole subject, untainted
by praise of frail mortals. There is
absolutely no nara stuti in these
Prabandhas (en n¢vil inkavi y¢n
oruvarkkum ko²ukkilën – ¹r¤
Namm¢zhv¢r). In the decad beginning
| 15
with Sonn¢l virùdham idu, ¡zhv¢r makes
it crystal clear that while praising human
beings can bestow on us puerile,
ephemeral pleasures (Cittãinbam) it is
only the Lord’s praises which can confer
upon us everlasting bliss (andamil
përinbam).
2. Divine Composers – The ¡zhv¢rs
are the Lord’s own incarnations
(abhinava Daº¢vat¢ram in the words of
Sv¢mi Deºikan), sent to the earth to
reform errant humanity. When the Lord
found that His own ten avat¢ras had
failed to have the desired impact on the
defiant mortals, He tried next to transform
them by taking birth as human beings
who were apparently part of the errant
humanity. Thus the outpourings of these
divine beings, devoid of any mistakes
(due to Bhrama) or motivated misguidance
(Vipralambham), richly deserve the
sobriquet ‘Divya Prabandham’.
3. These Prabandhas, though
attributed to various ¡zhv¢rs, are in
reality the Lord’s own compositions. This
is clear from ¹r¤ Namm¢zhv¢r’s repeated
assertion that it was Emperum¢n Himself
who composed these verses – Pa´´¢r
p¢²al in kaviga¶ y¢n¢y tannai t¢n p¢²i,
en ne®jattu¶¶irindu i¬gu irum Tamizh nool
ivai mozhindu, etc. This being the case,
the Prabandhas can be nothing but
divine.
16 |
‘Divya Prabandham’ is therefore an
extremely apt epithet for these songs
celestial.
The greatness of any work is measured
under three parameters –
Vakt¨ Vailak¾a´yam (the Author’s
greatness) Vi¾aya Vailak¾a´yam (the
importance of the subject matter) and
Srot¨ Vailak¾a´yam (the distinction of
the audience, to whom the work is
addressed). The Divya Prabandhas score
high on all these parameters-the
greatness of the ¡zhv¢rs, who are the
composers, is beyond question. Similarly,
there can be no better subject, for the
Lord and His magnificent attributes form
the exclusive matter for these paeans of
praise. As for the target audience, it
comprises of mundane mortals like us.
Even if one were to search all the worlds,
one wouldn’t find a class of people in
crying need of and better suited to receive
these pearls of wisdom (anutthamam
p¢tram idam day¢y¢ª as ¹r¤ ¡¶avand¢r
puts it.).
We hear that during the times of Sv¢mi
Deºika, there were objections to the recital
of Divya Prabandhas and the conduct of
Adhyayanotsavam in ¹r¤rangam, on the
ground that these were not in Sanskrit,
but composed in an alien (mleccha)
tongue, which the Vedas specifically
prohibit. This argument was strongly
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
condemned by ¹r¤ Deºika, who pointed
out the M¢tsya Pur¢´a text, which speaks
of a King becoming a sinner by extraditing
a subject for the ‘offence’ of singing the
Lord’s praise in an alien language.
Further, such restrictions regarding
speaking only in Sanskrit apply only
during the performance of Yaj®as, says
the Mah¢ Bh¢¾yak¢ra – Yaj®e karmani
niyamaª anyatra aniyama: ¹r¤mad
Bh¢gavata Pur¢´a too confirms that
language is a mere vehicle for singing
the Lord’s praise and it doesn’t really
matter which language is employed for
the purpose. In fact, it goes to the extent
of saying that such stotras, even if they
contain numerous mistakes, will confer
all things auspicious on the author,
reciter and listener.
The way Prabandhas are now recited
in temples is no doubt sweet on the ears,
but these emotional outpourings were
meant to be sung, not merely recited. In
fact, when we listen to eminent Vidv¢ns
elaborating these p¢surams in appropriate
ragas, we are transported to a world of
bliss. From all accounts, Divya
Prabandhas were indeed sung, set to
tunes appropriate to the emotional
content of each p¢suram and to lilting
beats. ¹r¤ N¢thamuni appears to have
set the prabandhas to evocative music
and popularized their recital through his
disciples. Sv¢mi Deºika confirms this –
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
T¢¶am vazha¬gi Tamizh maãai innisai
tanda va¶¶al. The Lord’s preference to
songs vis-à-vis prose is evident in His
declaration Ved¢n¢m S¢ma Vedo’smi-
he would appear to prefer the S¢ma Veda,
with its uplifting music, to the prosaic
recital of the other Vedas. Similarly, there
is no doubt that it would please
Emperum¢n infinitely if we were to render
Divya Prabandhas in musical tones, rather
than recite them blandly in a prosaic
fashion.
The greatness of Dr¢vi²a Veda is
beyond description or narration. What is
| 17
said of Sv¢mi Deºika’s Sreesooktis is
equally true of ¡zhv¢rs’ too – ørondãu
t¢në amay¢dù t¢ra´iyil v¢zhv¢rkku v¢nëra
pùma¶avum v¢zhvu. It is not necessary
that one should imbibe all the four
thousand and odd verses, if it is beyond
one’s capability-one emotive decad, one
evocative p¢suram or even a single
moving line of a p¢suram would be
adequate to afford us infinite enjoyment.
To reiterate, this glorification of the
Divya Prabandhas is definitely not at the
cost of the Vedas, which are the primary
and eternal sources of wisdom, with the
Lord Himself as its propagator at the
time of each episode of Creation (Yo
Brahm¢nam vidadh¢ti poorvam, yo vai
Ved¢mºca prahi´oti tasmai). ¡zhv¢rs
themselves are extremely generous in
their praise of Vedas and Vaidikas,
adulatory references to whom abound in
the Divya Prabandhas.
18 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

Due to the lockdown imposed by the government, our presses are not
functional. Hence, despite our best efforts, we are unable to bring out a
print edition and are publishing this month's journal in digital form. We
intend ensuring wide circulation of the pdf edition through Facebook/
Whatsapp groups.
We hope subscribers would appreciate the situation and continue to
extend their valuable patronage.

MISSION STATEMENT
This Journal seeks to expound and explain ¹r¤ Deºika Samprad¢ya in
simple English, so as to attract the attention of the youth and others,
whether familiar or not with this tradition. Essays published herein shall
conform to our tradition, while not being offensive to any other tradition.

¹r¤ Ahobila Ma°ham, Mysore

The Mysore branch of Ahobila Ma°ham is pleased to inform that beginning
from the auspicious Ug¢di day 13th April 2021, weekly Stotra P¢r¢ya´am
group was started. The group meets every Tuesday evening 7 PM at Ma°ham
and after chanting of a few Sv¢mi Deºikan Stotras (¹r¤ Stuthi, God¢ Stuti,
Hayagreeva stotram and K¢m¢sika A¾°akam) program concludes with
Ma¬gal¢rathi, Teertham, ¹r¤ ¹a°h¢ri and pras¢da viniyogam to assembled
devotees. Unfortunately, due to COVID situation, the physical gathering at
Ma°ham has been suspended temporarily from 27th April till the lockdown is
fully lifted. However, to continue the chanting uninterrupted, on-line chanting
was started and taking advantage of the total lockdown, the weekly event has
now become a daily event. The response has been very good with more than
60 families joining daily from 7 PM ( https://meet.google.com/iia-hnkc-
xkp?hs=224 ). Children are encouraged to chant and it is heartening to note
that children chant very nicely, including some staying overseas.
On 27th April, Sv¢thi Thiruma®janam and Homam were conducted with
limited participants due to COVID.
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 19
20 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 21
22 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 23

Pa®c¢¬ga Sa¬graham
By Pazhaveri Villivalam ¹r¤ Lak¾m¤ N¨si¼h¢c¢rya Sw¢mi,
¡r¢dhakar, ¡sth¢na Vidv¢n, ¹r¤ Sannidhi
Plava Samvatsara¼, Uttar¢ya´am, Vasanta-Gr¤¾ma ¨tu,
Vaik¢si-¡ni (§¾abha-Mithuna) M¢sam June 2021
2021 Plava
June Vaik¢si Day Tithi Nak¾atram Remarks
01 18 Tuesday ½a¾°i 02.21 Avi°°am Tirunak¾atram of
Saptami tithi 39.11 HH 27th ¹r¤mad
Azhagiyasi¬gar
02 19 Wednesday Saptami Sathayam
01.09 40.31
A¾°ami tithi
03 20 Thursday A¾°ami P¦ra°°¢di
01.09 43.06
Navami tithi
04 21 Friday Navami Uttira°°¢di
02.28 46.54
Daºami tithi
05 22 Saturday Daºami Revati
05.02 51.47
Ek¢daºi tithi
06 23 Sunday Ek¢daºi Aºvini Sarva Ek¢daºi
08.38 57.34
Dv¢daºi tithi
07 24 Monday Dv¢daºi Bhara´i Mah¢prado¾am
13.02 60.00 Tirunak¾atram of
Trayodaºi HH 39th ¹r¤mad
tithi Azhagiyasi¬gar
08 25 Tuesday Trayodaºi Bhara´i
17.50 03.49
Caturdaºi tithi
09 26 Wednesday Caturdaºi K¨ttikai Bodh¢yana
22.45 10.17 Am¢v¢syai
Atithi
24 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
June Vaik¢si Day Tithi Nak¾atram Remarks
10 27 Thursday Am¢v¢sya Rohi´i Am¢v¢syai
27.23 16.30
11 28 Friday ¹ukla M¨gaº¤r¾am
Prathamai 22.09
31.21
12 29 Saturday Dvit¤yai Tiruv¢dirai
34.20 26.52
13 30 Sunday T¨t¤yai Punarvasu
36.09 30.29
14 31 Monday Caturthi Pu¾yam
36.43 32.53
¡ni
15 01 Tuesday Pa®cami ¡yilyam Mithuna Ravi
35.58 34.01 08.35 (09.24 am)
S¦nya tithi ½a²aº¤thi
16 02 Wednesday ½a¾°i Magham
34.01 33.57 S¦nya tithi
17 03 Thursday Saptami P¦ram
30.58 32.48
18 04 Friday A¾°ami Uttiram
27.00 30.43
19 05 Saturday Navami Hastam
22.16 27.54
Navami-Daºami
tithi-dvayam
20 06 Sunday Daºami Chittirai
16.55 24.28
Ek¢daºi tithi
21 07 Monday Ek¢daºi Sv¢ti Tirunak¾atram of
11.06 20.36 ¹r¤ Periy¢zhv¢r
Dv¢daºi tithi Sarva Ek¢daºi
22 08 Tuesday Dv¢daºi Viº¢kham Mah¢prado¾am
05.02 16.32
Trayodaºi
tithi 53.52
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 25

June ¡ni Day Tithi Nak¾atram Remarks

23 09 Wednesday Caturdaºi Anu¾am Tirunak¾atram of
52.54 12.27 ¹r¤man N¢thamuniga¶
24 10 Thursday Paur´ami Ke°°ai
47.20 08.33
25 11 Friday K¨¾´a M¦lam
Prathamai 05.06
42.15
26 12 Saturday Dvit¤yai P¦r¢²am
37.50 02.09
Uttir¢²am
57.46
27 13 Sunday T¨t¤yai ¹rava´am
34.18 58.42
28 14 Monday Caturthi Avi°°am
31.48 58.34
29 15 Tuesday Pa®cami Sathayam
30.29 59.39
30 16 Wednesday ½a¾°i Pura°°¢di
30.24 60.00

News from Branches

Kumbakonam: 9 A/c Rooms & 4 Non A/c Rooms are available in this Math.
Functions like Brahmopadesam, Seemantham, Abdapoorthi, Satabishekam etc.
can be done here. Cars & Autos are arranged on request. 0435 2403383
Tiruvallikeni: The ¹r¤ Ma°ham premises at Tiruvallikë´i has a large hall and space
for performing auspicious functions like ¡yu¾ya Homam, Upanayanam,
S¤mantam, Niºcayat¢rtam, ½a¾°iyabdhap¦rti etc. Rooms are also available
for performing other vedic rituals. For further details, please contact: 044 -
28441866, V¢dy¢r ¹r¤ Tiruve¶¶iya¬gu²i Venka°eºan 09840700303.
Working Hours
8.30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 5 p.m. to 8.30 p.m.
26 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

SANKALPAMS
Am¢v¢syai 10 th June 2021 Thursday Vaik¢si 27 th Am¢v¢syai 27.23
Rohi´i 16.30 Dh¨ti 7.11 N¢gavam 27.23
Plava n¢ma sa¼vatsare Uttar¢ya´e Vasanta ¨tau §¾abha m¢se K¨¾´a pak¾e
Am¢v¢sy¢y¢m pu´ya tithau Guru v¢sara Rohi´i nak¾atra yukt¢y¢m Dh¨ti yoga
N¢gava kara´a (¹r¤ Vi¾´u yoga ¹r¤ Vi¾´u kara´a ¹ubha yoga ¹ubha kara´a) eva¬gu´a
viºe¾e´a viºi¾°¢y¢m asy¢m Am¢v¢sy¢y¢m pu´ya tithau Darºa sr¢ddha pratinidhi tila
tarpa´am kari¾ye

Mithuna Sa¬krama´am (¡ni m¢sa piãappu) 15 th June 2021 Tuesday ¡ni

1 st Pa®cami 35.58 ¡yilyam 34.01 Vy¢gh¢tam 04.03 Bhavam 6.35
P¢lavam 29.22 Mithuna Ravi 8.35 (9.24 AM) ½a²aº¤ti
Plava n¢ma sa¼vatsare Uttar¢ya´e Gr¤¾ma ¨tau Mithuna m¢se ¹ukla pak¾e
Pa®camy¢m pu´ya tithau Bhouma v¢sara ¡ºle¾a nak¾atra yukt¢y¢m Vy¢gh¢ta yoga
P¢lava kara´a (¹r¤ Vi¾´u yoga ¹r¤ Vi¾´u kara´a ¹ubha yoga ¹ubha kara´a) eva¬gu´a
viºe¾e´a viºi¾°¢y¢m asy¢m Pa®camy¢m pu´ya tithau Mithuna sa¬krama´a sr¢ddha
pratinidhi tila tarpa´am kari¾ye

Madur¢ntakam Sanskrit College

Please read the correct Website Address
as:
http://mkmsanskritcollege.org
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 27

News from ¹r¤ Sannidhi

24.4.21 On the occasion of Dv¢daºi,

K¢°aka p¢r¢ya´am was performed.
P¢duk¢r¢dhanam took place and HH
distributed ¹r¤ P¢da teerttham to
devotees. In the evening, Prado¾a
¢r¢dhanam was performed with usual
devotion.

26.4.21 ¹r¤ M¢lolan enjoyed the

Sv¢ti tiruma®janam, due tomorrow, today
itself. HH participated in the
Ijy¢r¢dhanam and himself performed the
snapana tiruma®janam to ¹r¤ M¢lolan.
27.4.21 Today is the golden day
prak¨tam ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar accepted
the ochre robes (Chittirai Sv¢ti) in 2009.
Today being Pour´ami, HH had tirumu²i
vilakkam after abhigamana ¢r¢dhanam.
Special bhak¾anams were submitted to
28 |
¹r¤ M¢lolan during Ijy¢r¢dhanam, with
HH performing the ma¬gala h¢rati.
Emperum¢ns of several divyadeºams like
Tiruva¶¶¦r had sent their garlands,
apparel, etc. to bless HH on the occasion
of his ¡ºrama sveek¢ram. This was
followed by a sumptuous tadeey¢r¢dhanam.
At Va²uv¦r, ¹r¤ Chakravarti
Tirumagan, with ¹r¤ S¤t¢ Pir¢°°i and I¶aiya
Perum¢¶, after riding replendantly in a
chariot as part of the Brahmotsavam,
visited ¹r¤ Ma°ham, where tiruv¢r¢dhanam
was performed and due honours
conferred on ¹r¤ ¡diva´ ¹a°hakopa
Yat¤ndra Mah¢deºikan and the 41 st
¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar, who are present
at the ma°ham in arccha form.
28.4.21 Isaiyan¦r ¡r¢dhakar Sv¢mi,
on the occasion of his tirunak¾atram,
submitted contributions for ¹r¤ M¢lolan
to be offered special bhak¾anams during
all the three ¢r¢dhanams.
Vi²¢y¢tãi utsavam commenced for ¹r¤
V¤rar¢ghava Perum¢¶ at Tiruva¶¶¦r,
following the Chaitra Brahmotsavam.
7.5.21 On the occasion of Ek¢daºi,
¹r¤ M¢lolan lent His ears to p¢r¢ya´am
of Acchidram and Aºvamedham.
8.5.21 Poorv¢c¢rya P¢duk¢r¢dhanam
and distribution of ¹r¤P¢da Teertham by
HH were the highlights of this Dv¢daºi
day, apart from K¢°aka p¢r¢ya´am.
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
9.5.21 After due ¢r¢dhanams in the
morning, Prado¾a ¢r¢dhanam, which is
very special for ¹r¤ N¨si¼ha, was
performed by HH in the evening, with a
ma¬gala h¢rati.
18.5.21 P¢r¢ya´am for the
¢r¢dhanam of Villvialam ¹r¤mad
Azhagiyasi¬gar was commenced by
prak¨tam ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar during
abhigamanam, with numerous Sv¢mis
participating in the p¢r¢ya´am.
20.5.21 The annual ¢r¢dhanam of
Villivalam ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar was
observed today, with Periya Sattãumuãai
during abhigamana ¢r¢dhanam, with
¡zhv¢r ¡c¢rya Sambh¢vana and performance
of ¢r¢dhanam for the p¢duk¢s of
Villivalam ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar by
prak¨tam ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar. In his
anugraha bh¢¾anam, HH recalled the
sterling qualities of Villivalam ¹r¤mad
Azhagiyasi¬gar in detail, chronicling his
contributions to the development of ¹r¤
Sannidhi and his undying love for ¹r¤
M¢lolan. ¡r¢dhana kainkaryam was
performed as stipulated, separately.
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 29

22.5.21 Vasantotsavam is being

celebrated at ¡sth¢nam at Tiruva¶¶¦r for
¹r¤ V¤rar¢ghava Sv¢mi, today being the
5th day thereof, with teertthav¢ri.
23.5.21 Ek¢daºi. Veda, Divya
Prabandha p¢r¢ya´ams were commenced
by ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar during
Abhigamana ¢r¢dhanam, as part of the
three-day celebrations on account of ¹r¤
Namm¢zhv¢r’s tirunak¾atram falling on
Vaik¢si Viº¢kham.
24.5.2021 As instructed by HH
¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar, ¹r¤
LakshmiN¨isi¼ha, Sudarºana,
Dhanvantari Mah¢yaj®am was performed
at ¹r¤ Ahobila Ma°ham, Tiruva¶¶¦r, for
universal welfare. Today is also the
glorious day HH prak¨tam ¹r¤mad At 5pm, HH performed p¢r¢ya´am
Azhagiyasi¬gar ascended the spiritual of ¹r¤ N¨si¼h¢vat¢ra gha°°am and
throne of ¹r¤ Ahobila Ma°ham. Prado¾a delivered a scintillating anugraha
¢r¢dhanam was performed as usual in bh¢¾anam on the various auspicious
the evening, with HH performing mangal attributes of ¹r¤ N¨si¼ha, on the occasion
h¢rati and with distribution of special of ¹r¤ N¨si¼ha Jayanti. HH performed
pras¢dams offered to ¹r¤ M¢lolan. ¹r¤ N¨si¼ha Jayanti ¢r¢dhanam, during
25.5.21 ¹r¤ Namm¢zhv¢r’s which special offerings were made to ¹r¤
tirunak¾atram was celebrated with M¢lolan. After gho¾°i, S¢tãumuãai and
devotional fervour, with the conclusion teerttham, p¢ra´ai took place, as is
of the three day Veda, Divya Prabanda customary on the occasion.
p¢r¢ya´am. ¹r¤ Premkum¢r and Smt. (with inputs from Pullamboothangudi
Vijayalakshmi contributed funds for the ¹r¤ Bh¢shyam Sv¢mi, ¹r¤ Sannidhi
same. Kainkaryam)

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¹r¤va´ ¹a°hakopa ¹r¤ Par¢¬kuºa Yat¤ndra Mah¢deºikan

(Please see rare picture of HH on the inner cover)
This Azhagiyasi¬gar incarnated at R¢jamann¢rkovil (Mann¢rgu²i) on Vaik¢si
Bhara´i. He belonged to the Uruppa°°¦r Chakravarthi lineage. He ascended the
spiritual throne of ¹r¤ Ahobila Ma°ham as the 39th Pontiff in Saumya year
Vaik¢si (21st May 1909). In his poorv¢ºramam, Sv¢mi was popularly known as
Vy¢kara´am Ra¬g¢ch¢rya Sv¢mi. As per the direction of the Thirukku²antai
Azhagiyasi¬gar (38th pattam), he took to ascetic order at ¹r¤ N¨si¼hapuram.
After ascending the simh¢sanam of ¹r¤ Sannidhi, this Azhagiyasi¬gar performed
ma¬ga¶¢º¢sanam of Emperum¢n at Pu¶¶amb¦damku²i and ¡dan¦r and proceeded
to Mann¢rgu²i, where he stayed for long, performing Ma¬ga¶¢º¢sanam of ¹r¤
Rajagopalan. He renovated the Ma°ham at Mann¢rgu²i. This Azhagiyasi¬gar
got a Silver Ma´²apam made for ¹r¤ Lak¾m¤n¨simhan. The walls of the northern
prak¢ram of Thiruva¶¶¦r Veerar¢ghava´ sannidhi were constructed during the
time of this Azhagiyasi¬gar. HH stayed at Mann¢rgu²i, blessing disciples with
pa®ca sa¼sk¢ram, bharany¢sam and grantha k¢lak¾epams.
A few years later, the health of HH deteriorated. He directed ¹r¤ U. Ve.
Vidva´ Ve¬ka°a K¨¾´am¢c¢rya Sv¢mi, popularly known as K¢rukkuricchi
Ayyam¢c¢riya, to take to ascetic order. This Sv¢mi possessed all the qualities
required to head the ¹r¤ Sannidhi ¡sth¢nam with impeccable knowledge of the
samprad¢yam and expertise in rendering Ubhaya Ved¢nta discourses. He was
given the tirun¢mam of ¹r¤ Ra¬gan¢tha ¹a°hakopa Yat¤ndra Mah¢deºikan and
took to the ascetic order in the year Pram¢thi, Chittirai, ¹ukla pak¾a A¾°ami
tithi, on Pu¾ya nak¾atram. The two Azhagiyasi¬gars together were performing
¢r¢dhanam to ¹r¤ Lak¾m¤n¨si¼han for some time. The health of the 39th ¹r¤mad
Azhagiyasi¬gar deteriorated fast and he ascended to Paramapadam on
20.5.1915 (R¢k¾asa, Vaik¢si ¹ukla Saptami), after a reign of 6 years. His
B¨nd¢va´am is in Mann¢rgu²i.
Here is his taniyan:
¹r¤ V¤rar¢ghava Yat¤ndra pad¢bja bh¨¬gam
¹r¤mad ¹a°h¢ri Yativarya k¨p¢tta bodham /
¹r¤ ¹r¤niv¢sa ¹a°hajit Yatidhurya v¤k¾¢ p¢tram
Par¢¬kusa Yat¤ndra gurum bhaj¢maª //

S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
¹r¤ Ved¢nta Deºikotsava Vaibhav¢ni
of Pi¶¶aip¢kkam ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar (Part-4)
Pura°°¢si Thiruvonam
S¡TâUMUâAI UTSAVAM
¹lokas 21-26 cover the ascent and
descent of Sv¢mi Deºikan over the steps
leading to Lord Hayagr¤van’s sannidhi
for Ma¬ga¶¢º¢sanam and the Periya
S¢tãumuãai on the hill.
The Pura°°¢si utsavam for Sv¢mi
Deºikan at Thiruvaheendrapuram reaches
a crescendo on his Janma nakshtram
(Pura°°¢si Srava´am) day. This Utsavam
is called S¢tãumuãai utsavam. The day
resounds with the majestic tones of the
¹r¤ Sooktis of Sv¢mi Deºikan, as He
ascends and descends the Ou¾adha Giri
for Ma¬ga¶¢º¢sanam of Lord Hayagr¤van.
| 31
Oppiliyappan Koil ¹r¤ Sadagopan, USA
¹LOKAM-21
Pura°°¢si Srava´am
Vedant¢rya tvadeeyodaya ºubha divasaª
suprabhatodya devaª
Brahm¢dy¢ª Brahmaºaile Hayavadana
ºubh¢º¢san¢ya svarante |
D¢sa padasrit¢sca svah¨daya vidh¨te
sooktivarge vivak¾¢m
¡sth¢ya dvarisanti dh¨tamiha gamanam
jaitram a¬geekuru¾va ||
Meaning:
Oh Ved¢nt¢c¢rya! This is the dawn of
this auspicious day of Your
Tirunak¾atram. Brahma and the other
Devas are rushing to attend Your
32 |
Ma¬ga¶¢º¢sanam of
Lord Hayagr¤van
(Hayavadana-
ºubh¢s¢san¢ya) at
His abode in Brahma
¹ailam (Ou¾adha
giri). Your devotees
are waiting at Your
doorstep to recite
Your ¹r¤ Sooktis that
they have memorized very well. The
ºi¾yas seek their ¡c¢rya’s a p p r o v a l
f o r ascending, marking his Vijaya Y¢tra
(gamanam jaitram a¬geekuru¾va).
¹LOKAM-22
Sv¢mi Deºikan’s Ascent and eka
Pee°h¢sanam with Lord Hayagr¤van
Ittham sampr¢rthitaª ¹r¤ ¹ruti ¹ikhara guruª
sordhvapu´²raª subhoo¾aª
S¢dyaprasth¢ya devaiª stuta nija birudo
Brahmaºail¢dhiroo²aª |
V¢geeºa v¢samantaª bahir amara sabh¢
kalpam adhyak¾ayan dr¢k
pr¢d¢k¾i´yena gatv¢ Hayavadanamapi
kv¢pi deºe avat¢sthe ||
Meaning:
When prayed to thus (Ittham
sampr¢rthitaª) for celebrating His
Tirunak¾atram, Sv¢mi Deºikan (¹ruti
¹ikhara guruª) adorned Himself with
the twelve ¥rdhva Pu´²rams, lovely
apparel and ornaments and started
quickly on the journey up the hill. He
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
was honored during this ascent by the
assembled Devas, who recited his titles
and hailed him with greetings of ‘Jaya
Vijayee Bhava’. He arrived at the top of
the hill (Brahma ¹ailam), where Lord
Hayagr¤van has His shrine. There, He
created an assemblage of deities inside
and outside the Sannidhi of the Lord in
his role as an Adhyak¾ar (leader),
circumambulated the shrine (pr¢d¢k¾i´yena
gatv¢) and after that sat (avat¢sthe) next
to His Lord on the same divine seat
(eka Pee°ham) (Hayavadanamapi kv¢pi
deºe avat¢sthe).
¹LOKAM-23
Sv¢mi’s Beauty
Soyam kim divyam T¢rk¾yaª Pha´ipati nagareem
p¢tukamovar¦²haª
V¢geeº¢ Devata v¢? Adbhutanunurakhila
lokan¢rha avateer´a |
Lok¢n¢m bh¢gya pa¬ktiª parinativasato
labdha m¦rtiª kime¾¢
Devesasya am¨taughetvakalahi tanuj¢
Mohinee Mohinee v¢? ||
The Gho¾°i assembled in front of Lord
Hayagr¤van’s sannidhi was baffled by the
most beautiful form of Sv¢mi Deºikan,
as He sat next to His Lord. People
wondered: Is He the divine Garu²an from
Paramapadam (Soyam kim divyam
T¢rk¾yaª)? Has He descended on
Thiruvayindai to protect it from any
danger (Pha´ipati nagareem p¢tuk¢mo
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
avar¦²haª kim)? Is He perhaps the Lord
of Speech (Vageeº¢ Devata v¢)? Has
He incarnated in this beautiful body so
that it can be enjoyed by one and all?
Has Mohini, who pacified the fighting
Devas and the Asuras during the time of
the distribution of the nectar on the
shores of the milky ocean incarnated as
this Deity? Has the combined good
fortune of the people of the world
embodied itself in this enchanting form
before us (Lok¢n¢m bh¢gya pankti:
parinativasato labdham¦rtiª kime¾¢)?
¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi´gar uses many
comparisons with entities of beauty to
celebrate the divine handsomeness of
Sv¢mi Deºikan seated next to His Lord
on his birthday.
¹LOKAM-24
Glory of Gho¾°i at Ou¾adhagiri
Ittham sambhr¢nta cet¢ª budha pari¾ad iyam
dr¢gudeer´e sughosheª
God¢ g¢th¢vas¢ne Hayamukha
samupasth¢na sevotka e¾aª |
| 33
¡c¢ryoheeti matv¢ savidham upagat¢
c¢mar¢dyaiª sapary¢m
¡tanv¢na tameva prathita guruvaram
sevate sma anime¾am ||
Thus, the assembly of scholars (budha
pari¾ad) was bewildered by the multiple
levels of beauty of Sv¢mi Deºikan. The
clamour from the followers subsided in
anticipation of the start of the Sattãumuãai.
The concluding stage of Thirupp¢vai
S¢ttãu Muãai (Goda g¢th¢ avas¢ne) was
reached. Sv¢mi Deºikan was eager to
perform Ma¬ga¶¢º¢sanam of His Lord
(Hayamukha samupasth¢na sevokta
e¾aª) and came to the front. The Gho¾°i
also approached Sv¢mi Deºikan with fans
in hands (c¢mar¢dyaiª sapary¢m) to
serve their ¡c¢rya. The members of the
Gho¾°i drank in the beauty of Sv¢mi
Deºikan without blinking their eyes.
¹LOKAM-25
Gho¾°i Bahum¢nam
S¦rissopi svakeeyam Hayavadhana nutim
T¢rk¾ya pa®ch¢sad¢dim
D¢s¢n adhy¢pya bhak¾yaiª vividha phalayutaiª
tarpayan arpitaiª svaiª
Pa®c¢ºat p¢°hadh¢ree vijitajavatay¢
p¢da svapiy¢tam
Vidvad b¨nd¢padeºam vibhudha saritam
¢pl¢vayan sampratasthe ||
Next, Sv¢mi Deºikan taught His
devotees (D¢s¢n adhy¢pya) the Garu²a
Pa®c¢ºat and Garu²a Da´²akam
34 |
composed by Him, presented them with
the many kinds of fruits and victuals
offered to Him and made them happy
with the distribution of pras¢dam
(bhak¾yaiª vividha phalayutaiª tarpayan
arpitaiª svaiª). Sv¢mi immersed the
assembled scholars in the majestic
Pa®c¢ºat stotram recitation and made
them resemble a flowing river of delighted
scholars (p¢da sev¢bhiyatam vidvad
b¨ndap¢deºam ¢pl¢vayan sampratasthe)
and thereafter, Sv¢mi started His descent
from the Brahm¢dri.
¹LOKAM-26
Descent from Brahm¢dri
Brahmadres sovar¦hya prathita n¨pativat
klupta gho¾°ee vibh¢gam
Bhakt¢n sammodayan san Pha´ipati purar¢°
sadma veetheeª pareetya |
Devech¢dhyak¾am etya svak¨ta nuti ganaiª
ma´gal¢s¢sti poorvam
Hem¢bj¢n R¢ghav¢deen stutibhiª abhinuvan
Lak¾m¢´aryam vavande ||
As indicated in the previous ¹lokam,
Sv¢mi Deºikan concluded the recitation
of the stutis at the Brahm¢dri and
descended. Like a great king (prathita
n¨pativat), he was accompanied by many
competent Gho¾°is (k¶pta Gho¾°hee
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
vibh¢gam) reciting his Prabandhams and
other works. The assembled citizens and
visitors were filled with joy to hear these
recitations as Sv¢mi descended from the
hill and went around the shrine of His
Lord (Pha´ipati-purar¢° sadma veetheeª
pareetya) to reach the sannidhi of ¹r¤
Devan¢than. There, Sv¢mi Deºikan
performed Ma¬ga¶¢º¢sanam with the
stotras he had composed on the Lord
(¹r¤ Devan¢yaka Pa®c¢ºat and ¹r¤ Acyuta
¹atakam). He proceeded next to the
shrines of ¹r¤ Hem¢bjavalli and ¹r¤ R¢ma
and arrived thereafter at the Sannidhi of
¡c¢rya R¢m¢nuja who was very pleased
to see his disciple, who followed his path
in Paramata Bhangam and honoured
Sv¢mi Deºikan through aru¶app¢²u,
drenching him with merciful glances.
– to be continued
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
¡div¨k¾am: The Primordial Tree
Mukk¦r ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar’s Aru¶mozhi
Translation: Smt. Jayashree Ramanujam, Singapore
lders enlighten us based on the
E scriptures that the compassionate
Bhagav¢n has given us the
opportunity to be born as humans on
this earth. How can we avoid wasting
this birth and cross the samsaric ocean
to reach the other eternal shore of
Vaiku´°ham? We should ensure we cross
this sea when we are physically fit.
I have weighed all the matters stated
in the scriptures and have given their
essence for a better understanding. Those
who have not heard about this can peruse
this thoroughly for their benefit. Those
who are already aware of it can read this
for pleasure.
We shall take the banyan tree as an
example. It grows in one place, develops
into a huge entity consisting of roots,
aerial roots, branches, leaves and fruits,
and decays over a period. The tree has
both inner and outer bark, many
branches and deep holes. Birds enjoy by
eating its fruits and nesting on it. Let us
explore further.
| 35
Bhagav¢n preached to Arjuna in Gita
that this physical body is similar to that
of a huge banyan tree. This matter is
explained well through Devaki’s
pregnancy. When Krishna dwelt in
Devaki’s body, her body was considered
similar to that of a tree where two birds,
the Param¢tm¢ and Jeev¢tma reside
together. This can be understood better
through the following ºloka.
Ek¢yano’sou dviphalaª trimoolaª
cat¦rasaª pa®cavidhaª ¾a²¢tm¢ |
Sapta tvak a¾°avi°apo nav¢k¾aª
daºacchad¤ dvikhago hy¢div¨k¾aª ||
(¹r¤mad Bh¢gavatam, 10-2-27)
Ek¢yana: This physical body emerged
through a prime source, similar to the
banyan tree originating from a place.
Dviphala: There are both joys and
sorrows prevalent in this universe.
36 |
Trim¦la: This physical tree (body)
has three roots, viz., Sattva, Tamas and
Rajas.
Cat¦rasa: This physical tree
undergoes four stages viz., B¢lyam
(infancy), Kaum¢ram (adolescence),
Yauvanam (youth) and, Jar¢ (old age).
Pa®caºipha: This physical tree has
five aerial roots: space, water, air, fire,
and earth.
½a²¢tm¢: This physical tree consists
of a subtle body and later when it reaches
five different stages like the heavens,
(dyuloka), parjanya (rains), P¨thv¤
(earth), man and woman through the
Dhoom¢di m¢rga (darker route) and
thereby acquires a physical body. Since
the stage of the soul before taking a
birth is also considered as one of the
stages, there are six positions for a soul.
Sapta tvak: This tree has seven skins
called as tvak, carma (skin), m¢msa
(flesh), rakta (blood), sn¢v¢, asti (bone)
and majj¡ (marrow).
A¾°avi°apa: This physical tree has
eight branches, i.e., two hands, two legs,
forearms, forelegs, chest, and head, to
render eight-fold prostration (s¢¾°¢¬ga
pra´¢ma,).
Nav¢k¾a: This body has nine holes
comprising the eyes, ears, nose, mouth
and excretory organs.
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
Daºaºcada: This physical tree has
ten leaves and tender sprouts; they are
the five physical senses (karmendriya)
and five mental senses (J®¢nendriya).
The Devas chanted that there are two
birds, the Param¢tma and Jeev¢tma,
residing in this ancient physical tree.
Why is importance given to this human
form? Virtue (pu´yam) can be earned
only through this human form. Travelling
to sacred places is possible only because
of this body. Charity and donating for a
noble cause is possible only if you have
a body. Wisdom can be acquired only
through the human form. Distinguishing
between right and wrong is possible with
the human intellect. Listening to sacred
advice (upadeºam), chanting the Vedas
and Divya Prabandham, learning the
scriptures, knowing about the primordial
Lord ¹r¤man N¢r¢ya´a and His eternal
abode, all these are possible only through
the human body. Performing Bhakti Yoga
or Prapatti to attain the feet of the Lord
is also possible only through the medium
of the human body.
Thus there is no greater birth than
that of a human being on this earth. If
we do not earn the required merit
(pu´yam) in this birth, we would end up
being born again and again endlessly.
One should realize about true nature
(tattva) strategy (hita) and objective
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
(puru¾¢rtha). Param¢tma, Jeev¢tma and
non-sentients come under Tatva. Bhakti
and Prapatti yogas are the means.
Salvation is Puru¾artha.
Having realized the true nature of the
self, one should choose the appropriate
means to attain eternity and the bliss of
rendering eternal service to the Supreme
Lord. I shall state what you should do in
this regard: do read carefully.
This physical body should be nurtured
well by adopting hygienic standards. The
senses should be reined in and the focus
should be on spiritual matters. One should
not stuff oneself with food, should sleep
in moderation, without sleeping too much
or too little. One should practise solitude
and try to follow the prescriptions of the
Bhagavad G¤t¢.
As this body is Ek¢yana, so is the
Jeev¢tma; it should also be totally devoted
to one God. Likewise, the Jeev¢tma
should strive to become dviphala and so
on. After accomplishing this, one gets
salvation at the opportune time.
Please do not question as to how all
the traits that come with the physical
body can be transferred to the Jeev¢tma
in attaining eternal bliss. It is not possible
to transfer such traits, but those traits
that are crucial for salvation are to be
absorbed by the Jeeva. I shall explain
such subtleties.
| 37
Ekayana: This body should be made
to surrender with absolute faith at the
divine feet of an ¡c¢rya. He has the
power to induce the spark of wisdom to
attain salvation. That master will impart
the required knowledge and preach the
esoteric meanings. He will teach the
Prapanna to be absolutely devoted to
one supreme God ¹r¤man N¢r¢ya´a who
is the primordial cause of all creation,
protection and destruction. He is the one
who accepts our surrender, punishes our
trespasses and grants liberation.
Dviphala: The preceptor makes the
disciple understand the greatness of both
the Lord and His devotees and preaches
about Lord Lak¾m¤ Narasi¼ha and his
adorable devotee Prahl¢da, thereby
making the disciple enjoy both the fruits.
Trimoola: The ¡c¢rya briefly chants
the A¾°¢k¾ara mantra after the Jeevan
performs ºara´¢gati, to denote that the
Jeevan is the eternal servant of Lord
¹r¤man N¢r¢ya´a alone. The fruit of this
surrender is to gain a berth in Vaiku´°ham
to perform eternal service to ¹r¤man
N¢r¢ya´a. The ¡c¢rya quotes the
Carama ¹loka, which instructs us to simply
surrender and leave the rest unto
Perum¢¶, who destroys all our sins and
take us to His abode. The ¡c¢rya also
instructs us to chant the three mantras
(Rahasyatrayam) that are pivotal to
attaining Mok¾a and protects his disciple.
38 |
Cat¦rasa: An ¡c¢rya ensures that the
wisdom earned by a disciple through
association with the ¡c¢rya is further
sustained and expanded by preaching
about the Vedic essence that talks about
the lofty nature of a mother, father,
preceptor, and a guest. He makes one
experience the joys of serving one’s
parents, preceptor and guests. As a
result, he ensures that such a person is
appreciated by Lord and others.
Pa®caºipa: The Primordial Lord
Lak¾m¤k¢nta, whom we get to enjoy after
attaining salvation, is endowed with all
auspicious qualities. He is our master
and we are His servants. He is
omnipresent, omniscient, and ever
blissful. To attain such supreme bliss,
one has to choose either Bhakti yoga or
Prapatti yoga.
Our sins are a deterrent to our
salvation, as we have transgressed during
our countless births. We have lived
against the ordains of Bhagav¢n, thereby
accumulating a huge baggage of sins.
The preceptor preaches the five subtle
matters that grant us clarity. He makes
the disciple leave one, remember three
and practice one. The disciple gains
knowledge about Artha Pa®caka.
½a²¢tama: The ¡c¢rya creates a
desire for attaining salvation, he makes
the disciple perform ºara´¢gati to win
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
the Lord’s grace and through that, attain
salvation. He preaches the six essential
steps to be followed during and after the
performance of ºara´¢gati. As the Jeevan
does not have any refuge other than
¹r¤man N¢r¢ya´a, the ¡c¢rya performs
¢tma nik¾epam (bhara-samarpa´am) with
its six elements on behalf of the
surrendering soul and ensures that the
disciple becomes a ¾a²¢tm¢.
Saptatvak: It is not enough that one
has devotion to the Lord alone or one
possesses devotion towards His devotees
alone. One who aspires for eternity
should posses the trait of being a devotee
of ¹r¤man N¢r¢ya´a and also a devotee
of the Lord’s devotee. One should wear
the seven-fold protection of servitude to
the hierarchy of seven layers of devotees,
as stated in the Mukunda M¢l¢ verse:
Tvad bh¨tya bh¨tya paric¢raka bh¨tya
bh¨tya bh¨tyasya bh¨tya iti m¢m smara
lokan¢tha. The ¡c¢rya instills such a faith
in the disciple to make him a saptatvak.
Ashtavitapa: The ¡c¢rya preaches
about the greatness of Veda p¢r¢ya´am,
Divya Prabandham, ¹r¤ Bh¢¾yam, ¹r¤ G¤t¢
Bh¢¾yam, ¹r¤mad Rahasyatrayas¢ram,
¹r¤mad Bhagavad Vi¾ayam, ¹r¤
Gadyatrayam, and ¹r¤ Vi¾´u Sahasran¢ma
stotram. He ensures that the disciple
learns and recites these eight gems. He
thus makes the disciple stay firm with
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 39

these eight branches that grant good ¹r¤ Mah¢lak¾m¤ and ¹r¤man N¢r¢ya´a.
fortune. Veda Ved¢nta, Itih¢sa, S¢tvika Pur¢´as,
Nav¢ksha: The ¡c¢rya preaches the Divya Prabandham, etc. eulogize their
significance of nine different types of supreme glories. I shall state a couple of
devotion to Bhagav¢n. A Jeevan must them.
faithfully remember that the soul always Goddess ¹r¤ Mah¢lak¾m¤ and Lord
belongs to the Supreme Lord, so ¹r¤man N¢r¢ya´a are the parents of all
rendering service to the Lord is innate Jeevas on this earth irrespective of their
to the soul. The ¡c¢rya grants us nine religion, faith, actions, gender, orthodoxy,
different visions to render nine type of wisdom, etc. They are our protectors
devotion to Bhagav¢n: since infinity. They grant us the fruits
¹rava´am keertana¼ Vi¾´oª depending on our actions. Even those
smara´am p¢da sevana¼ who do not believe in them are protected
Arcana¼ vandana¼ d¢sya¼ by them unconditionally. They are the
sakhyam atma nivedanam | sole grantors of salvation. Those who
Iti pu¼s¢rpit¢ Vi¾´au realize and surrender unto them are
bhaktiºcet nava lak¾a´¢ ||
This ºloka talks about the nine types
of devotion one must strive for.
Daºaºada: The ¡c¢rya preaches the
importance of daily austerities like
Sandhy¢vandana, Aup¢sana,
Abhigamana, Up¢d¢na, Madhy¢hnika,
Ijy¢r¢dhana, Sv¢dhy¢ya, S¢yam Sandhy¢,
S¢yam aup¢sana, and Yoga and stresses
that the disciple should not skip them
out of laziness. These are termed as ten
sprouts that a disciple should perform.
Such a Jeev¢tama is eternal and the
personification of knowledge.
There are two birds residing in the
Kalpav¨k¾a tree, naturally endowed with
wisdom. These two birds are the supreme
40 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

granted an equal stature of supreme bliss.
These two supreme birds are seated
happily on the kalpav¨k¾a tree known as
Jeev¢tma. The ¡c¢rya provides clarity
through scriptures so that the disciple
dose not forget about the divine couple
¹r¤ Mah¢lak¾m¤ and ¹r¤man N¢r¢ya´a.
The ºrutis stand as eloquent proof that
the soul belongs to ¹r¤man N¢r¢ya´a.
Hence please do not waste this
precious human birth, nurture sattvic
traits through a balanced diet and cleanse
the soul through an ¡c¢rya. Perform
noble deeds to receive the affection of
God and be blessed with the abundant
and auspicious fruits thereof.

Samprad¢ya Quiz
1. Which incarnation of the Lord, though not included in the principal ten, is
glorified by ¡zhv¢rs and ¡c¢ryas?
2. What are the unique characteristics of the Swan, as a bird?
3. The ¡zhv¢rs who have eulogised the
Ha¼s¢vat¢ra are:
4. What was the state of the world before
the Ha¼s¢vat¢ra?
5. What was the principal mission of the
Ha¼s¢vat¢ra?
6. Is any other purpose attributed to the
Ha¼s¢vat¢ra?
7. Who were the beneficiaries of the Lord’s
teaching in the Ha¼s¢vat¢ra?
8. Which ¡c¢rya authored an exquisite
work in which ¹r¤ R¢ma sends a swan as
a comforting messenger to the distressed
S¤t¢ Devi at La¬k¢?
9. Apart from the bird and the Lord, does
the term Ha¼sa denote anyone else?
10. Is there any other connection between
¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gars and Swans?
(Answers on page 44)
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 41

¹r¤ra¬gam R¢jagopura
Nirm¢´a Kai¬karyam
Aru¶mozhis of Mukk¦r ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar

Translators: Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan and

Jayashree Murali Desikachari

Avani/August 1980
Adya me saphalam janma
jeevitam ca sujeevitam /
Yad gopurasya samv¨ddhim
h¨¾y¢mi Ra¬ginaª //
I am writing this Aru¶mozhi to make
you aware of a delightful situation.
Tirukku²andai ¡´²avan saw the rising
southern gopuram and declared joyously,
“The first floor work might be completed
before the start of sa¬kalpam this year.
I will help with the commencement of
the second tier right away. Even if the
sa¬kalpa venue is Tirukku²andai, I will
travel to ¹r¤ra¬gam to take part. Since
Gopura kai¬karyam is important, it is
fine to interrupt the c¢turm¢sya
sa¬kalpam observance for this purpose. bricks and returned to Tirukku²andai for
There will be no do¾am. Whatever it costs the start of the c¢turm¢sya sa¬kalpam.
to build the second storey, it does not The owner of The Hindu Newspaper
matter. I will take care of all expenses. I has sent Rs.10,000 through
will buy the sand, cement and steel Thirukka¶¶am ¡sth¢na Vidv¢n. Bombay
wires”. He gave the advances for the resident ¹r¤ P.N. K¨¾´am¢c¢ri is working
42 |
on raising funds for the third floor
through the Setjis there.
Visiting ladies say that they are telling
their husbands and friends as
well as other relatives that similar to
taking loans to celebrate marriages and
other auspicious events, we should even
borrow and contribute to the Gopura
kai¬karyam. “The opportunity for
accumulating merit by participating in
gopuram construction will not arise again.
When we talk like this, our relatives and
friends think about the Gopuram, the
people working on it and the eighty five
year-old ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar watching
this scene with a smile, unmindful of the
stress on him. He is mobilizing the funds
for construction without let. We should
also make appropriate contributions. We
should not delay.” Saying thus, the ladies
arrive with whatever funds that they could
raise and present them to me.
One devotee had a dream in which
¹r¤ Lak¾m¤N¨si¼han appeared and
commanded him not to sleep: “My
devotee and worshipper is suffering.
Assemble from all the others whom you
know more than what you normally can
and send that for the gopura
kai¬karyam”. That devotee arrived here,
took the book of receipts and is sending
me the funds. During these times, he
writes that he is like the squirrel that
helped ¹r¤ R¢ma in building the Setu.
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
The purpose of writing all these is
not merely to raise the funds for building
the Gopuram. I am not a collector of
funds. This kai¬karyam for Sri
Ra¬gan¢yik¢ sameta ¹r¤ Ra¬gan¢than
and the one who incarnated from the
pillar is actually being performed by those
who assemble the needed funds. I spend
what they send with closed eyes. ¹r¤mans
keep sending at the command of the
Lord. As a friend of these ¹r¤mans, I
keep spending.
The construction work is proceeding
briskly. On the day of completion of the
Vidvat sadas this year, the day of my
tirunak¾atram, ¡vani Hastam, I am
planning to have the honororiums/
sambh¢vanai for the attending Vidv¢ns
on the first storey of the Gopuram, to be
followed by the function for the
commencement of the second floor, right
there in presence of the Temple
authorities. Pandakk¢l muh¦rta utsavam
is being planned on that day. I am pleased
to share these plans with you all. Those
who can attend and enjoy will accumulate
pu´yam. The Lord says: “Vicitr¢ deha
sampattiª £ºvar¢ya niveditum ”.
Bhagav¢n blesses us with this wonderful
body. Its principal purpose is for use in
the Lord’s service.
Thus, we can use all our limbs in the
body, worship the Lord and receive His
blessings. Similarly, we can use all
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 43

auspicious income that we earn through
this body for Bhagavad kai¬karyams,
acquire pu´yam and enjoy comfort in all
the worlds.
Similarly using the mind, speech and
the body, we can place the ¡tma at the
lotus feet of our Lord and perform
bharany¢sam. Such a jeeva will reach
the eternal, indestructible, bliss-filled ¹r¤
Vaiku´°ham and enjoy incomparable joy
there like the Nitya S¦ris and Mukta
jeevas in a limitless manner and gain
freedom from entering the Karma bh¦mi
ever again. We can also engage in the
South Gopura kainkaryam in all manner,
observe Prapatti and ascend to the
beautiful ¹r¤ Vaiku´°ham and enjoy bliss
there. There is no need to write about
this for those who are aware of such
good fortune awaiting us. All the others
should make an effort and become objects
of the Lord’s purifying glances.

Subham

Obituary - P¢pp¢¬ku¶am ¹r¤ R¢ghavan

We regret to record the ascent to Paramapadam of P¢pp¢¬ku¶am ¹r¤ R¢ghavan
Sv¢ami, advocate and Administrative Officer of ¹r¤ Ved¢nta Deºikar Devasth¢nam
at Mylapore. He had his sam¢ºraya´am from
Mukk¦r ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar and bharany¢sam
from Villivalam ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar. Sv¢mi
rendered yeoman service as the legal advisor of
Tirumala Tirupati Devasth¢nam, a member of their
T.Nagar temple committee, member of ¹r¤ Ahobila
Ma°ham Tirumala Management Committee, a
member of the Central Committee appointed by
Villivalam ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar and as the legal
advisor of ¹r¤ Ahobila Mutt and Pou´²ar¤kapuram
¹r¤mad ¡´²avan ¡ºramam. He was of significant
assistance in the construction of Villivalam ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar's b¨nd¢vanam
and performed several kainkaryams to the Mutt and to Tiruva¶¶¦r V¤rar¢ghavan,
to whom he was devoted. His passing is indeed a loss to the Mutt. We convey
our condolences to the bereaved family.
44 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

Answers to Sampradaya Quiz

1. The Hamsa Avat¢ra, where the Lord took the form of a swan.
2. It is reputed to be capable of separating and imbibing milk alone, from a
mixture of water and milk. It is a bird of eminently S¢tvic nature, thriving in clean
environments and is considered a symbol of wisdom.
3. ¹r¤ Periy¢zhv¢r and ¹r¤ Tiruma¬gai Mannan.
4. The entire universe was enveloped in gloom, both physically and in the sense
of lacking knowledge—mun ivvëzhulagum u´arvindãi iru¶ miga (¹r¤ Tiruma¬gai
Mannan).
5. The restoration of Vedas to Brahma—Annam¢i andãu aru maãai payandavan
(¹r¤ Tiruma¬gai Mannan).
6. Yes, ¹r¤mad Bh¢gavatam has a different version, in which the Lord enlightens
not Brahma, but his sons.
7. When Brahma’s sons Sanaka, Sanandana, San¢tana, and Sanatkum¢ra queried
him about the nuances of Yoga, the clueless Brahma meditated upon the Lord for
guidance. Emperum¢n appeared before them as a Divine Swan and elucidated the
secrets of Yoga.
8. Sv¢mi Deºikan - Ha¼sa Sandeºam
9. Yes, certain types of ascetics (as for instance ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gars) are
known as ParamaHa¼sas, as they symbolise wisdom and disseminate spiritual
intelligence.
10. Yes, ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gars wear a signet ring known as the Ha¼sa Mudra,
with an swan engraved on it, gifted by ¹r¤ Namm¢zhv¢r to ¹r¤ ¡diva´ ¹a°hakopa
Sv¢mi in recognition of the invaluable services rendered at Tirukkurug¦r, in restoring
the Vai¾´avite mien of the temple and in rescuing ¹r¤ Namm¢zhv¢r’s idol from the
T¢mrapar´i river, where it had been consigned by people of an alien faith.

S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
SERIALS
VI¹I½¯¡DVAITA (Part VI)
(Pan-organismal Monism)
Vaiku´°hav¢si Pudukko°°ai ¹r¤ A. ¹r¤niv¢sar¢ghav¢c¢rya Sv¢mi
Cetana: (ii) MUKTA (Freed soul)
We shall begin this topic with a well-
known parable that illustrates the true
nature and condition of the Baddha J¤va,
who is to become the Mukta or Freed
Soul.
Once, a certain king went a-hunting
to the forest accompanied by his queen
and his infant prince. There, the king
and the queen were much absorbed in
sport and did not notice that the child
had strayed away from the tent. They
were not able to trace the child and so
returned to the city with a heavy heart.
The child lost in the forest was too young
to realize and express that he was the
prince of the country and was wandering
about helplessly. A hunter who came that
way saw the boy alone and took him
home. He grew up in the hamlet along
with other children, spoke their language
as if it were his own, ate their food and
lived their life. Thus, having been brought
up as a hunter’s child, the boy found
his good and evil, his joys and sorrows
in gruesome things entirely different from
enjoyments befitting a prince. A few years
later, some sages happened to see the
| 45
boy in the company of hunters. They
were struck by the noble bearing and
appearance of the boy, not commonly
found in hunters. From enquiry and close
observation of the marks of royalty on
him, they concluded he must be the prince
lost in the forest years before. They
approached him when he was alone and
explained to him his true nature and the
circumstances that had brought him
there. The boy listened to their words
and was slowly weaned away from the
company of the hunters. The sages gave
him an education and training suited to
a prince; and by their own example and
precept, they made him give up the food
and company of the hunters and created
in him a desire for a cleaner and better
way of life. They sent word to the
sorrowing king that his son was alive
and in a fit condition to be taken back.
They informed the boy also that his
father, the king of the country, was eager
to see him. When the kind sages took
the boy and restored him to the king,
both the prince and the king were happy
at their unexpected union after a long
time.
46 |
Let us turn now to the story of the J¤va.
The J¤va has a close relationship with
the Param¢tma. He is described in the
¹¢stras as the ‘Son’, ‘Disciple’ and
‘Servant’ of God, and as having a place
in the bosom of Param¢tma like the
Kaustubha gem. But somehow, he forgets
his divine home and heritage like the
prince in the parable, wanders in the
world, identifies himself with the body
and subjects himself to the hardships of
gestation, birth, old age and death. He
becomes a prey to all the afflictions the
flesh is heir to, which are of three kinds
1) ¡dhy¢tmika or bodily sufferings like
pain, disease etc. 2) ¡dhiboutika or
sufferings caused by other beings and
3) ¡dhidaivika or those caused by divine
agency like rain, thunder, fire etc. He
forfeits the state of God-bliss, his rightful
heritage, and is much in the same state
as a boat struggling in the midst of a
turbulent ocean, beaten by the furious
and unending waves of afflictions and
sorrows.
But the Param¢tma will not leave the
J¤va to sink and perish. He is ever
watchful and is on the lookout for an
opportunity to rescue and restore him
to his rightful place. He out of His Grace
sends some pious and holy men for the
redemption of the erring J¤vas. The pious
men are themselves sympathetic and so
go about this work with fervour and
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
enthusiasm. They consider the good of
J¤vas as their own and in an absolutely
disinterested manner, teach them the true
nature of the body, ¡tma and Param¢tma
and create in them a dislike for the trivial
and evanescent pleasures of the world
and a longing for the attainment of the
Param¢tma and the enjoyment of the
supreme and eternal bliss. The men, who
do the work of God for the redemption
of the J¤vas, are the ¡c¢ryas who have a
unique place in religious literature. It is
stated in the ¹¢stras that a person gets
an ¡c¢rya as a result of good deeds
done by him in previous birth. God’s
benevolence, good deeds done by
chance, the gracious glance of God,
freedom from hate, willingness to learn
and conversation with good men-these
are six causes that lead to the acquisition
of an ¡c¢rya. The ¡c¢ryas reveal to the
J¤vas the intimate relation existing
between them and N¢r¢ya´a, the Lord
of Lak¾mi, who is the Lord and Ruler of
the entire Universe. They try earnestly
to help the J¤vas attain the Lord and feel
that their attainment of the glory of
Mok¾a would give them as much delight
as the sovereignty of Vaiku´°ha and of
the whole earth. With the help of words,
neither excessive nor defective, the
¡c¢ryas desire to remove the ignorance,
doubts and erroneous notions of the
J¤vas. They teach them the true nature
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
of God, soul and body. The body is not
the ¡tma, but it belongs to it. The body
exists and acts for the benefit of the
¡tma who controls it. The ¡tma is not
£ºvara or Param¢tma, but only a mode
or inseparable attribute of Param¢tma.
Param¢tma is the ¡tma of all ¡tmas and
also of the non-sentient objects. The
relationship between £ºvara on the one
hand and the world of sentient beings
and non-sentient beings on the other is
the same as that between the soul and
the body and this is known as
¹areer¢tmabh¢va Sambandha (body-soul-
relationship). This is the most important
and unique doctrine of Viºi¾°¢dvaita.
From the teachings of the ¡c¢ryas,
the J¤va acquires a knowledge of the
true nature of enjoyment or experience
in this world as well as in Svarga and
also of release from that bondage. The
J¤vas also learn about the means for
attaining Sa¼s¢ra and Mok¾a so that they
can reject the former and accept the latter.
They get to know the routes by which
the ¡tmas travel to their destined abodes
and about the obstacles that stand in the
way of salvation. They also learn that
the attainment of ¹r¤man N¢r¢ya´a in
¹r¤ Vaiku´°ha and service to Him are
the highest end to be achieved.
When a person acquires, by the Grace
of the ¡c¢ryas, a knowledge of the things
detailed above, he becomes averse to
| 47
earthly pleasures which always end in
pain and longs for eternal Bliss and
freedom from the trammels of Sa¼s¢ra.
Such a person is called a Mumuk¾u or
one desirous of release. Then he adopts
the means for Mok¾a viz., Bhakti Yoga
or Prapatti according to his equipment
or capacity and as a result of it he
becomes free from Sa¼s¢ra and attains
Salvation, when he is called Mukta or
Freed Soul.
We shall now see how the Baddha
becomes Mukta as it has been described
in the Kau¾¤taki Upanishad, Vaiku´°ha
Gadya of ¹r¤ R¢m¢nuja and Paramapada
Sop¢nam of ¹r¤ Ved¢nta Deºika. However
sinful the Baddha-J¤va may be, there does
come a time in his career in the Universe
when Destiny in the form of Divine Grace
comes to him in an unexpected manner.
God confers His blessings on him when
he is in his mother’s womb and also
when he takes birth. Later He comes to
him in the form of ¡c¢ryas. They
consecrate his body by imprinting on it
the symbol of God’s feet and lift him
from the depths of the world by
extending the hand of knowledge of the
¹¢stras. Thus the J¤va is rescued from
the abyss of ‘I-ness and My-ness’ i.e.,
the false notions that ‘I am the master’
and ‘all things are mine’. He realizes
that Lakshmi and N¢r¢ya´a are the two
Paramount Deities and service to them
48 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

is the highest end to be achieved.

Consequently he gives up his attachment
to the earthly pleasures which are
enjoyed by the senses and to the joy of
¡tma which is trivial, though endless.
He comes to the conclusion that
excepting Lakshmi and N¢r¢ya´a no one
can save him; and in proper time and at
the earliest opportunity he surrenders
himself at Their feet and seeks Their
protection. He prays to Them that they
out of Their Grace, should save him and
cut asunder the deep root of the powerful
Karma that has been holding him under
control from time immemorial. He makes
an appeal that he should no longer be
allowed to be confused by Avidy¢ Then the J¤va begins his spiritual
(nescience), tempted by K¢ma (desire) journey in the embrace of God, Who
and confined by Karma, but should be lives in the heart. He passes through the
lifted out of the wheel of Sa¼s¢ra Brahmarandhra which is the main gate
(worldly life). of the body known as Brahmapura, and
As the Divya Dampatis (Lakshmi and which is illumined for him by the in-
N¢r¢ya´a) have mercifully taken upon dwelling Param¢tma (H¢rda). The J¤va
Themselves the responsibility of emerges from the body and soars
protecting him, the J¤va is now free from gloriously to the world of eternal beauty
all burden of saving himself, free from and bliss by the straight and radiant path
all fear of evil, and free from any doubt of gods. He is escorted by Celestial
about the attainment of fruit. He eagerly Guides or ¡tiv¢hikas and passes through
awaits the time of departure from the a beautiful opening in the centre of the
body when all the Karmas will abandon Sphere of the Sun. The making of a
him without a murmur. As the final single Mukta is a cosmic event and the
moment arrives, God lovingly confers on gods hail the entry of the finite self into
him a vision of Himself and makes the the infinite and sing his praise. On the
J¤va think of Him. way, at every stage of the spiritual
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 49

journey, he is welcomed and honoured
by the cosmic Gods like Agni, V¢yu,
Varu´a, Indra and Brahma in their
respective regions. He soars higher and
higher and goes beyond the universe in
Egg-form.
The j¤va escorted by the Ambassador
of Eternity, Am¢nava at last enters and
crosses by his will the River of
Immortality, Viraj¢ by name, which marks
the boundary line or the transition
between the empirical sphere of Karma
and the transcendental sphere of
Brahman. The waters of Viraj¢ are cool,
clear and gentle as God’s Mercy and are
eternally flowing. By plunging into it the
J¤va is purified and perfected; he goes
to the other shore and enters his own
Home of Param¢tma where there is light
without night or nescience. Now he is
literally the Freed Soul. What the Mukta
experiences thereafter is, in the words
of ¹r¤ Ved¢nta Deºika, a wonder that
defies all description in words.
Our ¡zhv¢rs and ¡c¢ryas who came
to this world as messengers of God
blessed by Him with divine vision have
in their works bequeathed to us a vivid
description of the spiritual enjoyments
of Muktas in the World of Eternal
Splendour. In the light of what they have
left behind we shall, in the next section,
try to have a glimpse of these wonderful
experiences of the Muktas.

Obituary - Përa¬giyur ¹r¤ P¢rthas¢rathy Sv¢mi

¹r¤ P¢rthas¢rathy Sv¢mi, who had been performing
kainkaryam at the LakshmiNrisimhan shrine in Tiruva¶¶¦r
V¤rar¢ghavan Sannidhi pr¢k¢ram for the last 65 years
and took care of ¹r¤ R¢ghavan’s pariva°°ams, attained
¡c¢ryan tiruva²i at Tiruva¶¶¦r on 17.5.21. Sv¢mi had
undergone Ved¢dhyayanam at Madur¢ntakam and
Tiruva¶¶¦r p¢°haº¢las and was blessed with sam¢ºraya´am
by Devan¢rvi¶¢gam ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar and
bharasamarpa´am by Villivalam ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar.
A regular participant in Veda p¢r¢ya´a kainkaryam to ¹r¤
V¤rar¢ghavan, Sv¢mi was the recipient of the grace of the 43rd, 44th, 45th and
46th Azhagiyasi¬gars. We convey our condolences to the bereaved family.
50 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

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S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
SERIALS
Bhagavad Gu´a Darpa´am
¹r¤ Vi¾´u Sahasran¢ma Stotra Bh¢¾yam
e are now enjoying the
W 34 th Verse of the Vi¾´u
Sahasran¢ma Stotra. Sv¢mi
Par¢ºara Bha°°ar has interpreted N¢mas
301 to 314 as referring to the
Va°apatraºayee avat¢ra of the Lord or
the incarnation as a charming child on
the banyan leaf.
Name 313:
Nahu¾aª – One who binds (all j¤vas
by His M¢ya).
|| Om Nahu¾¢ya Namaª ||
Tath¢ Swam¢yay¢ j¤v¢´ nahyati
badhn¢ti iti Nahu¾aª
The Lord binds all the Souls with the
rope of His M¢ya. M¢ya here refers to
Primordial matter. ¹wëtaºvatara
Upanishad says,
M¢y¢¼ tu Prak¨ti¼ vidy¢t
m¢yina¼ca Mahëºvaram |
Tasy¢vayava bh¦taistu
vy¢pta¼ sarvam ida¼ jagat ||
You shall know M¢ya to be the force
of nature. Further, the master of M¢ya
is the Creator. This whole universe is
| 51
- SRI SRINIDHI K PARTHASARATHI
occupied by those whom He has created
and that are His members.
The Lord says in the Bhagavad G¤t¢,
Daiv¤ hyë¾¢ gu´amay¤
mama m¢y¢ dura°yay¢ /
M¢mëva yë prapadyante
m¢y¢m ët¢m taranti të //
My divine energy or M¢y¢, consisting
of the three modes of nature viz. sattva,
rajas and tamas, is very difficult to
overcome. However, those who
surrender to me cross over it easily.
¹ri ¹a¬kara explains this name thus :
yatonahyati bh¦t¢ni m¢yay¢ ataª
Nahu¾aª —the Lord is the confounder
of beings through His deceptive powers.
Kunti makes a reference to this aspect
of the Lord when she says,
M¢y¢ javanik¢cchanna
majn¢dhokshajam avyayam /
Na lak¾yase moo²a
drus¢naton¢°yadharo yath¢ //
For human beings who are not
evolved, the eternal Lord is covered by
the curtain of illusion and is invisible.
52 |
He is like an actor dressed for playing
the part.
M¢y¢ also means ¢ºcarya cë¾°ita or
the wondrous deeds of the Lord, where
He displays both His paratva and
ºoulabhya, Supremacy and Accessibility.
¹r¤ Baladeva Vidy¢bh¦¾a´a and ¹r¤
R¢dh¢k¨¾´a ¹¢stri say that the Lord binds
all beings through His beauty and
ºoulabhya.
¡´²¢¶ referes to the Lord as M¢yan
in the 5 th verse of the Tirupp¢vai.
Namm¢zhv¢r further explains this thus:
Piãandav¢rum va¶arndav¢rum
periya Bh¢ratam kai ºeydu
Aivarkku tira¬ga¶ k¢°°iyi°°u
ºeydupùna m¢yanga¶um
The Lord displayed His wondorous
deeds throughout His avat¢ra. At birth,
the Lord exhibited both His transcendental
form and that of an ordinary infant i.e.,
His paratva and His ºoulabhya.
He gave Devaki a glimpse of His divine
form upon birth, but transformed Himself
into an ordinary infant at the Her request.
From then on, every leela He performed
was extremely enthralling and attracted
the Gopis to Him.
The R¢sa kree²a was the most
nectarine experience provided by the Lord
to the Gopis, where He completely
captivated them and accorded them
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
supreme bliss. On the full moon night of
the autumn season, the Lord attracted
the Gopis to Him by the melody of His
flute after invoking His Yoga m¢ya.
Bhagav¢napi t¢r¢tr¤ª
ºaradottphulla mallik¢ /
V¤k¾arantum manaºcakrë
yogam¢y¢ up¢ºritaª //
The Lord’s beauty enchanted the
people of Vraja and He bound them with
it. He showered upon them a nectarine
rain and transcendental bliss, in response
to their pure love. When the Lord
impersonated the cowherd boys and the
calves of Vraja during the Brahma
mohanaleela, this aspect was abundantly
felt by the mothers of the boys. ¹r¤man
N¢r¢ya´eeyam (7-41) beautifully
describes the Gopis completing their daily
activities very early in the morning just
to have a glimpse of K¨¾´a.
G¨hë¾u të komala r¦pah¢s¢
mitahkath¢ sankulitaª kamanyaª /
V¨ttë¾u k¨tyë¾u bhavan nir¤k¾a
sam¢gataª pratyaham atyanandan //
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
¹r¤ Satyadevo Vasishtha interprets this
name to mean that the Lord controls all
beings and hence He is known as
Nahu¾aª. His binding of the entire world
is like the different parts of the body
which are bound appropriately so that
they function as a unit. So also, the
different planets are bound together so
that there is order.
Name 314.
V¨¾aª – He who showers ethical
benefits to the j¤vas
|| Om V¨¾¢ya Namaª ||
Sa ëv¢m¨topamay¢ swak¢nty¢ v¢c¢ ca
s¢garasya udar¢tana sr¢ntam ¢sv¢saya´
si®cati iti V¨¾aª
The Lord by His nectarine loveliness
and speech revives His devotees who
come to him exhausted by their journey
in the ocean of Sa¼s¢ra. He removes
their sorrow by the shower of His kindness
and sympathy.
The Vana parva of the ¹r¤man
Mah¢bh¢ratha 188-94 says,
Tato M¢m abrav¤t B¢laª
saª padmanibha lochanaª /
¹r¤vatsa dh¢r¤ dyutim¢n
v¢ky¢n ºruti sukh¢vaham /
J¢n¢mi tv¢m parisr¢ntam
tad¢ visrama k¢¬k¾i´am //
M¢rka´²eya, who was bestowed the
divine vision of the deluge, recollected
| 53
the words of the infant on the banyan
leaf. The child with lotus-like eyes and
effulgence, adorned with ¹r¤vatsa mark
on His chest, spoke thus. “I know that
you are tired and you want to rest”.
Sagarasyodarë nityam
vasanam¨ta r¦pay¢
Swadeha k¢nty¢ v¢ch¢pi
samyak ¢sv¢sayan muhuª
Bahuºaª si®cati tu yaª
v¨¾aª sa paripatyatë
Hence V¨¾aª means one who drenches
those who are scorched by the heat of
sa¼s¢ra with His coolness.
The word is derived from the root
v¨¾, meaning to drench or to shower.
He showers whatever is sought by His
devotees and is hence V¨¾aª. ¹ri¹a¬kara
interprets the name from this angle:
k¢m¢n¢m var¾an¢t V¨¾aª.
He substantiates his perception with
the following verse from the ¹¢nti Parva
(330.23) of the Mah¢bh¢ratha:
V¨¾o hi bhagav¢n dharmaª
sm¨to lokë¾u Bh¢rata |
Naigan°uka pad¢khy¢naiª
viddhi m¢m V¨¾a ityuta ||
“O Arjuna! V¨¾a is explained by the
dictionaries and also known in this world
as Dharma. Hence know me as V¨¾a!”
Thus, V¨¾a and Dharma are synonyms
and V¨¾a can also refer to one who is
the embodiment of Dharma.

54 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

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 55
¹r¤ N¨si¼ha Jayanti Utsavam

¹r¤ Ahobilam ¹r¤ Ahobila Mutt, Bangalore

¹r¤ Ahobila Mutt, Hyderabad

¹r¤ Ahobila Mutt, Cudappah

¹r¤ Ahobila Mutt, Vaduvur

56

¹r¤ Lak¾m¤N¨si¼ha Sudarºana

Dhanvantari Homam
¹r¤ Ahobila Mutt, Tiruva¶¶¦r
Sv¢ti, ¹r¤ Ahobila Mutt,
¹r¤ Perumb¦d¦r

Villivalam ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasi¬gar ¡r¢dhanam

¹r¤ Ahobila Mutt, Selaiyur
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
SERIALS
Viºi¾°¢dvaita for
You and Me
Part V: ¹ara´¢gati – The Science of Surrender
Summary of the previous discussion

The second dimension of Pir¢°°i’s
role in our ¹ara´¢gati is stoutly
supported by the scriptures.

The Vedas, Sm¨tis, Pur¢´as and
P¢®caratra texts all consistently tell
us that Pir¢°°i gives us succour from
the pangs of sa¼s¢ra. They concur
that the Lord, along with Pir¢°°i who
is a manifestation of the Lord’s
compassion, is our means to release.

Our ¡c¢ryas also echo this opinion.
¹r¤ Par¢ºara Bha°°ar eloquently praises
both the roles that Pir¢°°i plays in the
process of our seeking mok¾a.
****
A race for the title of the greatest
protector
¹r¤ Par¢ºara Bha°°ar describes the
second dimension of Pir¢°°i’s role by
reminding us of episodes from the ¹r¤mad
R¢m¢ya´a:
| 57
- SRI MUKUNDAN DEVARAJAN
M¢tar Maithili r¢k¾asistvayi
tavaiava ¢rdr¢par¢dhaª tvaya
Rak¾anty¢ Pavan¢tmaj¢t laghutar¢
R¢masya gho¾°i k¨t¢
¹r¤gu´a Ratnakoºaª – 50
The first of these episodes comes from
the beautiful Sundara K¢´²a of ¹r¤mad
R¢m¢ya´a. Pir¢°°i, in the form of S¤t¢,
was held prisoner in Aºoka Vana. Whilst
there, R¢va´a had placed a number of
r¢k¾asis to guard S¤t¢, and to be his
representatives in goading S¤t¢ to change
Her mind and agree to marry R¢va´a.
In doing so, these r¢k¾asis, as was their
nature, threatened and tortured S¤t¢1 in
1
In our sampradayic literature, it is
the practice to refer to S¤t¢ Devi as
‘Pir¢°°i’. When we discuss episodes from
¹r¤mad R¢m¢ya´a, we will therefore use
these terms interchangeably, while noting
that the usage our ¡c¢ryas have
preferred is that of ‘Pir¢°°i’.
58 |
the hope that this would make Her
accede to their master’s request. Perhaps
the r¢k¾asis felt that ever so slowly, they
would be able to change S¤t¢’s mind –
but this hope of theirs was shattered
when Hanum¢n reached La¬k¢ as ¹r¤
R¢ma’s envoy. As Hanum¢n came to
Aºoka Vana in search of S¤t¢, he observed
the r¢k¾asis mercilessly torturing Pir¢°°i
and Pir¢°°i weeping in sorrow for Her
Lord to come and rescue Her. It was
then that Hanum¢n resolved that when
the time came, he would finish these
r¢k¾asis off, as a fitting retribution for
their sins. Even as this scene unfolded
before Hanum¢n’s eyes, one of the
r¢k¾asis, Trija°a by name, who was asleep
until then, awoke with a start and
narrated a rather disturbing dream that
she had just had. In her dream, R¢ma
and Lak¾ma´a had attacked La¬k¢,
managed to effortlessly defeat R¢va´a
and were seething with rage to punish
the r¢k¾asis who had tortured S¤t¢.
Trembling with fear, the wise Trija°a
spoke the following words: ‘R¢ghav¢d
hi bhayam ghoram rak¾¢nam upasthitam’
(¹r¤mad R¢m¢ya´a 5-27-44).
These words, despite being spoken
by a r¢k¾asi who was part of the team of
Pir¢°°i’s tormentors, in a way forms the
basis of the second dimension of Pir¢°°i’s
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
role in our ¹ara´¢gati – and is hence
poignant. Trija°a lamented that the plight
of the rakshasas was a uniquely
unfortunate one. ¹r¤ R¢ma was renowned
as a saranagata vatsala (one who protects
anyone seeking succour) – and in normal
circumstances, the assumption would
have been that He would be the protector
for everyone including the r¢k¾asas.
However, because of their transgressions
to S¤t¢, they were likely to lose any chance
to win the Lord’s favour. Unfortunately,
said Trija°a, their terrible fear (ghoram
bhayam) had come from the very R¢ghava
who was the world’s saviour (‘R¢ghavad
hi’). Indeed, when seen through this
angle, the r¢k¾asas had an unenviable
and pitiable position.
Pir¢°°i to the rescue
In the same breath that Trija°a
described the seemingly hopeless position
of her ilk, she declared that they need
not fear because they readily had a
solution on their hands:
Pra´ip¢ta prasanna hi
Maithili Jank¢tmaj¢ |
Alam e¾¢ paritr¢tum
r¢k¾asyo mahato bhay¢t ||
¹r¤mad R¢m¢ya´a 5-27-44, 45
Trija°a had understood Pir¢°°i’s
nature, and explained to her fellow
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
r¢k¾asis that Pir¢tti was one who is easily
pleased by those who seek refuge in Her
feet in an act of ¹ara´¢gati. On the face
of things, this could of course be
interpreted as being a reference to the
first dimension of Pir¢°°i’s role in
¹ara´¢gati. Pir¢°°i is indeed the epitome
of approachability, which places Her
uniquely in the position of someone who
can convince the Lord to accept our
¹ara´¢gati.
On closer inspection, it becomes clear
that this statement of Trija°a makes quite
a different point. Remember that the
context was Trija°a’s lament that ¹r¤
R¢ma was unlikely to be the one who
| 59
would protect them from danger. In fact,
He was the source of their danger.
Therefore they were forced to look for
someone to protect them from the wrath
of the Lord.
Trija°a quells any doubt that could
arise in our minds with the second part
of her statement. She says that in order
to be protected from this danger, Pir¢°°i
was quite enough (e¾¢ alam) – meaning
that even if the Lord were to want to
finish them off, Pir¢°°i Herself would be
able to protect them all. This makes it
amply clear that what Trija°a is referring
to is the second dimension of Pir¢°°i’s
role: as someone who accepts our raksha
bhara (the responsibility of protection
against the ills of sa¼s¢ra). Such was
the faith of Trija°a in Pir¢°°i’s prowess.
What happened next perhaps lies at the
heart of our understanding of Pir¢°°i’s
role in our ¹ara´¢gati and indeed our
appreciation of Pir¢°°i Herself.
What happened next...
After having made this declaration
about S¤t¢ being their only hope for
succour, one would have expected all
the r¢k¾asis to make a beeline to Her,
beg for her forgiveness and ask
to be protected when the time came.
We however see no meaningful, explicit
60 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

reference to such an act of ¹ara´¢gati.

Trija°a went to the extent of saying
Abhiyachama Vaidehim etad hi mama
rochate (¹r¤mad R¢m¢ya´a 5-58-87)
She rallies the r¢k¾asis together and
says, “Come let us seek S¤t¢’s feet –
that is what I would like us to do.” But
there the matter ends.
After his return from La¬k¢, Hanum¢n
went on to narrate this episode to
J¢mbav¢n and the others in his party
who were eagerly waiting to hear what
happened on the other side of the ocean.
In this narration, Hanum¢n explains what
happened next. Even as the r¢k¾asis were
discussing their plight and Trija°a made
her appeal to seek Pir¢°°i’s feet, Pir¢°°i Even though it was Trija°a relating what
Herself came forward and made a happened in her dream, S¤t¢ thought of
declaration of Her own. V¢lm¤ki the dream as a sign of hope. She was
Bhagav¢n describes Pir¢°°i’s statement bashful, yet full of love for the r¢k¾asis,
in the following beautiful, somewhat despite the pain they had inflicted on
famous words: her all these months. Therefore, without
Tataª sa hr¤mati b¢l¢ being asked, Pir¢tti spontaneously
bharturvijaya harshit¢ | announced – ‘If what you have seen in
Avochad yadi tad tathyam your dreams were to come true, do not
bhaveyam ºara´am hi vaª || worry. I will be the one who will protect
¹r¤mad R¢m¢ya´a 5-58-89,90 you’.
The way Hanum¢n described it, it was Even if one were to say that Trija°a
as though S¤t¢ had overheard the had expressed an interest in seeking
conversation among the r¢k¾asis and Her Pir¢°°i’s feet – the fact remains that she
immediate reaction was one of jubilation. did not, and neither did any of the other
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
r¢k¾asis. Despite this, Pir¢tti sprang to
Her feet and declared Her commitment
to their protection.
As he described his own exploits in
La¬k¢, Hanum¢n in fact refers to this
conversation between the r¢k¾asis and
Pir¢°°i as the one that helped him realize
that the lady in sorrow sitting in the
Aºoka Vana was indeed his master’s
consort – the one he had been looking
for all over La¬k¢. V¢lm¤ki Bhagav¢n
deftly places the above momentous words
of Pir¢°°i in the context of this description
of Hanum¢n’s – as if to tell us that the
way to identify Pir¢°°i is through Her
unconditional love for Her children.
Living up to the commitment
Much later, after the war with R¢va´a
had been won, ¹r¤ R¢ma sent Hanum¢n
with a message to the Aºoka Vana. This
time it was not a dream. ¹r¤ R¢ma was in
fact victorious – which obviously meant
that the scenario the r¢k¾asis had earlier
feared had in fact come true. And sure
enough, after having given Pir¢°°i the
Lord’s message of victory, Hanum¢n
wanted to punish the r¢k¾asis for their
sins – so he sought of S¤t¢’s permission
to put them to death. Pir¢°°i’s reply to
Hanum¢n is yet another of those famous
verses from ¹r¤mad R¢m¢ya´a:
| 61
P¢p¢nam v¢ ºubh¢nam v¢
vadh¢rh¢nam Plava¬gama |
K¢ryam karu´¢m ¢ryena
na kaºcit na apar¢dhyati ||
¹r¤mad R¢m¢ya´a 6-113-46, 47
Exactly as She had promised, Pir¢°°i
rejected Hanum¢n’s plea and declared
in no uncertain terms that he was not to
harm the r¢k¾asis. Pir¢°°i reasoned with
him that it was all a matter of perception.
In the Lord’s view, these r¢k¾asis could
be seen as sinners (p¢p¢nam) for having
tormented His beloved wife; and for the
same reason Hanum¢n could view them
as worthy of being killed (vadh¢rh¢nam).
However, Pir¢°°i said – in Her view, they
were faultless (subh¢nam). After all, they
were carrying out the orders of their
master R¢va´a. They did not torment
S¤t¢ out of their own volition. Thus,
Pir¢°°i not only made a declaration to
protect these r¢k¾asis who perhaps did
not have the gumption to seek Her feet,
but also lived up to that promise and
protected them from Hanum¢n when the
time came.
¹r¤ Par¢ºara Bha°°ar refers to this
indescribable compassion of Pir¢°°i’s
when he makes a comparison between
the Divine Couple and their ways of
protecting the universe.
(to be continued)
62 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

Obituary- Mah¢mahop¢dy¢ya Mann¢rgu²i

¹r¤ U.Ve. R¢jagop¢lach¢ryar Sv¢mi
Just as we are going to press, we have received
the extremely sad news of the ascent to
Paramapadam of ¹r¤ Ahobila Ma°ham ¡sth¢na
Vidv¢n, Mah¢mahop¢dhy¢ya, Ved¢nta Viº¢rada,
Poorvottara Tantra V¢caspati, Deºika Darºana
Choo²¢ma´i, ¹r¤ U.Ve. Mann¢rgu²i R¢jagop¢l¢c¢rya
Sv¢mi, at 1.30 a.m. on the night of 28.5.21.
To say that it is an irreparable loss to the entire ¹r¤
Vai¾´ava Samprad¢ya would be an understatement. Sv¢mi had spent his entire
life in complying with the first and foremost directive of Bhagavad R¢m¢nuja to
his disciples—¹r¤ Bh¢¾yattai v¢sittu pravarttipittal. Thousands are the ¹r¤
Vai¾´avas who have benefited from Sv¢mi’s k¢lak¾epams, which covered the
entire gamut of the four principal texts of our Samprad¢ya-¹r¤ Bh¢¾yam, Bhagavad
Vi¾ayam, ¹r¤ G¤t¢ Bh¢¾yam and ¹r¤mad Rahasyatraya S¢ram.
While this is just to inform readers, we shall submit a detailed tribute to Sv¢mi
in our next issue.
Obituary - Prof. Lakshmi Th¢th¢ch¢r Sv¢mi
Prof. Lakshmi Th¢th¢ch¢r Sv¢mi, 85, of Melukote,
attained ¡ch¢ryan tiruva²i on 15-5-2021. A scholar
of renown, he strove hard to establish the Academy
of Sanskrit Research at Melukote. He also taught
at several universities and colleges, contributed
significantly to academic research through numerous
publications and seminars and was a key player in
several institutions devoted to Sanskrit and research. He was honoured by the
President of India for scholarship in Sanskrit and conferred the coveted
Mah¢mahop¢dhy¢ya title. He was an expert Carnatic musician and had also
acted as ¹r¤ R¢m¢nuja in the film R¢m¢nuj¢ch¢rya by G.V. Iyer. He was closely
associated with ¹r¤ Ahobila Mutt, Mysore. His passing is an irreparable loss not
only to the ¹r¤vai¾´ava Samprad¢ya but also to the entire world of academia
and spirituality.
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 63

The Magnificent Minstrel of T¢llap¢kka

(Part 2)
¹r¤ Adviteeya Dixit

(As is well-known, T¢¶¶ap¢ka ¹r¤ Annam¢c¢rya, the composer of thousands of

beautiful songs on the Lord of the Seven Hills, was an ardent devotee of ¹r¤ ¡diva´
¹a°hakopa Sv¢mi. The Bard’s vardhanti is regularly attended by the Jeeyars of ¹r¤
Ahobila Mutt. We bring you in this article an account of the glorious life and times
of ¹r¤ Annam¢charya.)

Seeking the refuge of ¹r¤ ¡di Va´

¹a°hakopa Sv¢mi:
At the age of sixteen, an important
event occurred in Annamayya’s life that
led him to live a life dedicated to the
service of the Supreme Lord. While it is
well known that Annamayya sought refuge
at the lotus feet of ¹r¤ ¡di Va´ ¹a°hakopa
Sv¢mi, it is important to see what set the
stage for this divine meeting between
the ¡c¢rya and the disciple.
So states the AJC-
The Lord (manifested in his dream
and) spoke-
“Those who are adept in the
quintessential tenets of the veda-
ved¢nta, the doctrine that is to be known,
they are renowned as authorities in the
doctrine. By clearly understanding the
truth that “You alone (O Lord) are
present in all entities in ‘Deha-Dehi
Bh¢va’”, then relinquishing all other
thoughts or anxieties, do remain as one
who has entrusted all burdens unto Me!
By this you shall attain all auspiciousness,
O sinless one!”
Thus, appearing to Annam¢c¢rya in a
dream, Lord Ve¬ka°eºwara instructed the
quintessential tenets of the Supreme
truth to him- the same teaching that
constitutes the central purport of the
Ved¢nta. The Lord instructed him to first
comprehend the ‘Deha-Dehi Bh¢va’, that
too only by instruction from a preceptor
64 |
who had correctly comprehended the
quintessential import of the Veda-
Ved¢nta.
This heart of the whole ¹¢stra- the
‘Deha-Deh¤ Bh¢va’ or ‘¹ar¤ra-¹ar¤ri
Bh¢va’ has been completely and
flawlessly reconciled by ¡c¢rya R¢m¢nuja
while he re-systematized the ancient
doctrine and expounded the
quintessential teachings of the Veda-
Ved¢nta. In his elaborate commentary
on the ¹¢r¤rika Sutras, ¡c¢rya R¢m¢nuja
reconciled seemingly contradictory
scriptural concepts to arrive at a flawless
conclusion in the form of a doctrine which
came to be called R¢m¢nuja-Ma°ham.
The crux of this doctrine is the
reconciliation of the Abheda ¹ruti and
Bheda ¹ruti texts with the help of the
‘Antary¢mi Br¢hmana’ and other texts,
which reveal that - All non-sentient
objects and also the entirety of sentient
individual selves are ensouled by the
Supreme Brahman. Thus, the Supreme
Brahman is revealed to possess a ‘Deha-
Deh¤ Bh¢va’ or ‘¹ar¤ra-¹ar¤ri Bh¢va’ with
the entire universe.
Indeed, ¡c¢rya R¢m¢nuja himself
summarizes the essence of his doctrine
so beautifully in the ma¬gala ºloka of
Ved¢nta S¢ra as follows:
“We bow (in surrender) to that Lord
Vishnu who is verily the ¡tma (inner-
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
soul) for the ¹ar¤ra (body) constituted
by the multitude and entirety of all
insentient objects and sentient individual
selves, who is an ocean of (auspicious
qualities like) blemishlessness and bliss;
and who is inseparably united with
Goddess ¹r¤!”
This ‘¹ar¤ra-¹ar¤ri Bh¢va’ is called the
‘pradh¢na pratitantram’ – ‘Principal
distinguishing doctrinal tenet’ of
R¢m¢nuja Siddh¢nta. This flawless
understanding of the heart of the Ved¢nta
is unique to the system of R¢m¢nuja.
Lord Ve¬ka°eºwara appeared in the
dream of Annamayya and introduced
Annamayya into the doctrine of ‘Deha-
Deh¤’ or the ‘¹ar¤ra-¹ar¤ri’ concept and
thereby alluded to the flawless philosophy
propounded by ¹r¤ R¢m¢nuj¢c¢rya. In
accordance with this command of Lord
Ve¬ka°eºwara communicated in a dream,
desire arose in Annam¢c¢rya’s heart to
study this ‘¹ar¤ra-¹ar¤ri’ doctrine of ¹ri
Bh¢¾yak¢ra. Further, the Lord had also
instructed him to seek the refuge of an
authority in the Veda-Ved¢nta.
Annam¢c¢rya was well aware that such
an authority could only be an ¡c¢rya
who himself was duly initiated into the
doctrine by means of a ‘Sat-Samprad¢ya’
or traditional succession of preceptors.
During those days, in the holiest of
holy towns revered by supreme devotees-
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
the town of Ahobilam, there lived a great
exponent of the doctrine of
R¢m¢nuj¢c¢rya, serving humbly the lotus
feet of Lord M¢lola Narasi¼ha.
“People considered him to be a
second manifestation of sage Vy¢sa, or
a descent of sage ¹uka, or perhaps even
a reappearance of sage Pu´²ar¤ka! He
became celebrated as the foremost among
the ‘Yatis’ or ascetics. Wise and great
kings bowed down in deep reverence at
his lotus feet. And this Yati, by initiating
those devotees into the ‘A¾°¢k¾ar¤’ ‘eight
syllable’ mantra, also blessed them with
eight kinds of wealth, eight kinds of
enjoyment, renown in all the eight
directions- all these and more, in a
superabundant manner!”
This Yati was none other than the
divine ‘Va´ ¹a°h¢ri’, or ‘Va´-¹a°hakopa
Muni’, or ¹ri ¡di Va´ ¹a°hakopa Sv¢mi.
The work ‘V¢santik¢ Pari´ayam’ of
¹ri ¹r¤ Va´ ¹a°hakopa ¹a°hakopa
Yat¤ndra Mah¢desikan, the seventh J¤yar
of Ahobila Ma°ham (Nirv¢ham 1513 –
1522 C.E.), gives the aforesaid
wonderful description of ¹ri ¡di Va´
¹a°hakopa Sv¢mi.
Indeed, the AJC states of ¹r¤ ¹a°hakopa
Muni-
Lord N¨si¼ha of Ahobalam, the
Supreme Lord of all, Himself appeared
| 65
in the form of a Guru and bestowed to
¹r¤ ¹a°hakopa muni – the mantras, the
triple staff, the deity of Lord Narasi¼ha,
the ºa¬ka-cakra mudras and other such
insignia.
¹r¤ ¹a°hakopa muni imbibed the Divya-
Samprad¢ya (divine tradition) of
Ve¬ka°¢c¢rya - who himself worshipped
¹r¤ Hari in the form of Hayagreeva,
became renowned as ‘Sarvatantra
swatantra’ and ‘Ved¢nta Deºika’ upon
this earth!
This passage from AJC, a 16th century
work, clarifies the following important
aspects-
1) Lord Narasi¼ha had himself
appeared in the form of a Guru to initiate
¹r¤ ¡di Va´ ¹a°hakopan into Sanny¢sa,
by bestowing the appropriate mantras
and the insignia, along with a deity of
Himself. This is also reminiscent of the
famous verse:
Auspiciousness unto that ¹a°hakopa,
to whom Lord Narasi¼ha of Ahobilam
Himself bestowed the “Pre¾a mantra”
by taking the form of an ascetic!”
2) ¡di Va´ ¹a°hakopa J¤yar had
imbibed the divine tradition of Sv¢mi
Ve¬ka°an¢tha, who was also bestowed
with the title of ‘Ved¢nta Deºika’ and
‘Sarvatantra swatantra’.
Annamayya, hearing of the greatness
66 |
of this Guru, went to Ahobilam and
sought refuge at his lotus feet. The
compassionate ¡c¢rya accepted him as
a disciple. Annam¢c¢rya imbibed the
doctrine of R¢m¢nuja according to the
‘Deºika Divya Samprad¢yam’ directly
from ¡di Va´ ¹a°hakopa J¤yar.
So states the AJC regarding the
relationship between these two divine
souls- ¡di Va´ ¹a°hakopa J¤yar and
Annamayya:
At the feet of that ¹a°hakopa muni,
Annamayya studied the entirety of the
Ved¢nta.
By the grace of his Guru, the worship
of Lord Hari with unhindered brilliance,
service to Lord Hari, composing
sankeertanas upon Lord Hari, thoughts
upon Lord Hari, recollection and
remembrance of Lord Hari, incessant
meditation upon Lord Hari- all these
became the entirety of enjoyments for
him.
Having thus imbibed the glorious
doctrine of R¢m¢nuja from his ¡c¢rya,
Annamayya adhered to the same and
propagated it. While the entire host of
the floral offerings of his Sa¬k¤rtanas
bears the fragrance of the doctrine of
Viºi¾°¢dvaita, there are a few wherein he
explicitly highlights the principles of the
doctrine. Here is one example- Vi¾´u²u
okka²e viºv¢tmaku²u Vai¾´avame
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
sarvambunu (Vishnu alone is the inner-
self of the entire universe! Everything is
of Vi¾´u alone!)
Parameshti seyu Brahm¢´²a
º¨¾°iyu harunilonisa¼hara ºakti
paragaga nindruni parip¢lanamunu
arasichooda ¹r¤ Hari mahim¢ (The
creation of the cosmos by Brahma, the
power of dissolution possesed by ¹iva,
the acclaimed rulership of Indra, if
correctly appraised, are all ¹r¤ Hari’s
glories!)
Yila pancha bhootamulalo
gunamulu ala navagrahavanih¢ramulu
talakonu k¢latraya dharmambunu
alaraga N¢r¢yanuni mahimale (The
qualities exisiting in the five elements,
the movements of the nine planets, the
occurance of the order of the three
durations of time,all these shine forth as
N¢r¢ya´a’s glories!)
Antata galam¢y¢ vil¢samulu ponta
Paramapada bhogamulu mantukunekkina
mari samastamunu yintayu ¹r¤ Ve¬ka°esu
mahimale (The sport of maya which
exisits everywhere, so also, the blissful
experiences at ‘Parama-pada’; All that
is supremely great, and so also
everything, in entirety is but ¹r¤
Ve¬ka°e¾a’s glory! Copper plate # 171,
N¢ta R¢ga)
The ‘pradh¢na pratitantram’ –
‘Principal distinguishing doctrinal tenet’
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
of R¢m¢nuja Siddh¢nta is also made
explicit in several Sa¬k¤rtanas. Here are
a few examples, in short –
¡tanibo pogademu ¢tani
saranantimi ¢tade sarva jeevula
antary¢mi (Him alone we praise! To
Him alone we surrender! He alone is
the ‘antary¢mi’ in all beings!)
Posage ninniti d¢ne puttinchi
rakshi®chinatti asankhy¢tudu ¹r¤
Venka°¢drisudu (Being Himself the
creator and protector of all these,
unfathomably infinite is this Lord of ¹r¤
Ve¬ka°¢dri! Copper plate # 197,
R¢makriya R¢ga.
Sarvesvarude saranyamu
nirv¢hakudinnitag¢na (The Lord of
all is our sole refuge! Because He is the
controller of all, is He not!)
Baludevatalaku Brahm¢dulakunu
jalaja n¢bhude saranyamu
Alarina Brahm¢ndamavisinan¢dunu
nilipe n¢tadinnitig¢na
(For the numerous demigods and for
Brahma and others, the lotus-naveled
Lord is sole refuge! Because, during the
time of destruction of the universe, He
protects everything in entierty! Is it not!)
You alone are the sole support of
everything! Knowing You is knowing
everything else!
| 67
For those seekers of Brahman who
wish to realize You, this is the only way!
In You are the rivers, the fires; in
You are the host of sentient and non
sentient entities!
In You are the Vedas and ¹¢stras;
and also the primordial eternal sound!
In You alone is everything! Worshipping
You gives satisfaction to all!
O Lord of Lakshmi, ¹r¤ Ve¬ka°eºwara!
For ¹r¤ Vai¾´avas, this alone is the
philosophy!
- Copper plate # 239, Bauli R¢ga
Further, several compositions of
Annamayy¢ indicate his intimate
relationship with ¡c¢rya ¡di Va´
¹a°hakopan. We would like to share here
a few of these as examples.
Annamayya received initiation into the
Supreme ‘Ve¬ka°eºwara’ Mantra from
his Guru:
This is the medicine sought by those
who know the Veda,
This is the medicine that has no
beginning or end!
This is the medicine that is available
atop the Ve¬ka°¢dri hill,
Behold! This is the very medicine
bestowed by my Guru!
- Copper plate # 1, Desaksi R¢ga
68 |
And again-
“All mantras indeed give rise to this,
like butter, I obtained the Ve¬ka°e¾a
Mantra!
This which can protect me, and
bestowed by my guru, is the Ve¬ka°e¾a
mantra, which is soothing like
moonlight!”
- Copper plate # 375, Lalita R¢ga
Annamayya received initiation into the
art of composing Sa¬k¤rtanas from his
¡c¢rya ¡di Va´ ¹a°hakopa Sv¢mi:
The Supreme ‘¹r¤ Ve¬ka°apati
Sa¬keertana’ is verily a subtle secret
bestowed by my Guru in an appropriate
manner!
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
This is the truth accepted by the
meritorious ones previously,
- Copper plate # 246, Lalita R¢ga
Annamayya was taught the path of
¹ara´¢gati by ¡di Va´ ¹a°hakopa Sv¢mi:
Kaivalyamunaku gadu deruvai nadi
¢vala nee ¹aran¢gatiye
¹r¤ Ve¬ka°esvara cheppe m¢ gurudu
m¢vadda nide nee mantramepo
The only way to mok¾a is by
performing ºara´¢gati unto You! This is
what my Guru instructed me, O ¹r¤
Ve¬ka°e¾a! And indeed I am blessed with
Your mantra!
- Copper plate # 295, Telugukambodi
R¢ga
Annamayya partook the ¹ri P¢da
T¤rtham of his ¡c¢rya ¡di Va´ ¹a°hakopa
Sv¢mi and was also initiated into the
deep inner purport of the Dvaya Mantra
by him. The ¡c¢rya also made the Lord
manifest in the heart of Annamayya—
J®¢na yaj®a meegati mok¾a s¢dhanamu,
n¢n¢rtthamulu nine nadape m¢ gurudu
(‘This is how Jnana-yagna leads to
attainment of Moksha!’, Saying thus, my
Guru conducted these procedures
yesterday!).
Here is another grateful
acknowledgement of ¹r¤ ¡diva´
¹a°hakopa Sv¢mi’s stellar role in
imparting wisdom to Annamayya-
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
Alari dehemaneti y¢ga s¢lalona
baluvai yajn¢na pusuvu bandhichi
Kalasi vair¢gya pukattula gosi kosi
velaya jn¢na agnilo velice m¢ gurudu
In the sacrificial hall of the material
body, having tied up the large animal
called ‘ignorance’, then cutting it
repeatedly with the knife called
‘dispassion’, my Guru offered it into the
sacrifical fire called ‘knowledge’!
The glory of ¹r¤ ¡diva´ ¹a°hakopa
Sv¢mi and his ¹r¤p¢da Teertha and his
conduct of Vedic sacrifices is brought
out thus:
Mokkudu Vaishnavulanemuni
sabh¢ goodapetti
Chokkudu Sripada Teertha Soma
p¢namu ninchi
Chakkaga sankeerta S¢ma g¢namu
chesi
Yikkuvato yajnamu seyinchebo m¢
Gurudu
By gathering all the worshipful
Vai¾´avas, he organized a ‘Muni-sabha’,
then offering the ‘¹r¤ P¢da Teertha’
verily as the ‘Soma-Pana’,and having
beautifully rendered the Sa¬keertanas as
‘S¢ma Gana’, he conducted the sacrifice
in the prescribed manner, my Guru!
¹r¤ ¡diva´ ¹a°hakopa Sv¢mi’s
having blessed Annamayya with
deeksha is recorded thus:
| 69
Tadeeya Guru pras¢dapu purod¢sam
icchi koda deera Dvayamanukundalambulu
vetti
Yedalo ¹r¤ Ve¬ka°esu nitu pratyakshamu
chese yidivo svaroopa deeksha yicchenu
m¢ Gurudu
Offering the pras¢da of Guru and
tadeey¢s as ‘Purodasa’,placing the
‘Dvaya Mantra’ as an adorment for my
ears, and then making Lord ¹r¤
Ve¬ka°eºwara manifest verily within the
heart,in this manner he bestowed the
‘svaroopa deeksha’ to me, my Guru!
- Copper plate # 136, Dhanyasi
R¢ga
Reminiscent of ¹r¤ Alavandar’s prayer
to the Lord to emancipate him,
considering the glories of his grandfather
¹r¤ Nathamuni (Pit¢maham Nathamunim
vilokya praseeda madvrittam achintayitva),
¹r¤ Annamayya too prays to ¹r¤
Ve¬ka°eºwara for forgiveness, asking Him
to keep in mind his Guru, ¹r¤ ¡diva´
¹a°hakopa Sv¢mi’s flawless conduct:
Annit¢ n¢ venkati apar¢dha
memigall¢
Manninchi n¢ Guru joochi
m¢navay¢a
Minnita ¹r¤ Ve¬ka°esa meedipanu
lemigall¢
Ninnu joochukoni nannu neeve
yelavay¢
70 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

Whatever sins of mine are behind me, Puttugulu gelichi ninnu bonduta
seeing my Guru, O Lord do forgive me! kup¢yamu ate nee roopamaina
O ¹r¤ Ve¬ka°esa, in all future endeavors Acharyude
of mine, seeing Yourself, O Lord do rule
Yitte ¹r¤ Ve¬ka°esa yinnitiki
over me! Copper plate # 105,
nup¢yamu mattule R¢m¢nuja
Salangan¢ta R¢ga.
matamu chekonute
¹ara´¢gati, which ¹r¤ Annamayya
The means to overcome the cycle of
performed at the lotus feet of ¹r¤
Ve¬ka°eºwara at the behest of ¹r¤ ¡diva´ births and reach You, is through my
¹a°hakopa Sv¢mi, is glorified thus: ¡c¢rya, who is verily Your embodiment!
So also, ¹r¤ Ve¬ka°e¾a, the only means
Danditoda nee m¢y¢ d¢teyandu for all this is accepting the matchless
kup¢yamu ‘R¢m¢nuja Matham’! (We will attain this
Nindu nidh¢namaina nee pai
only if You bestow!) Copper plate # 169,
bhakte
Devagandhari R¢ga. (to be continued)
Andanunna k¢m¢dula nanachuta
kup¢yamu
Kondavanti nee moorti gori
sarananute
The means to cross Your great maya,
is by the wealth of ‘Bhakti’ for You! The
means to erase all the desires and evils
that are near us, is by performance of
‘¹ara´¢gati’ unto Your mountainous
Archa!
Ettayin¢ jesuko ika nee chittamu
nannu patticce m¢ Gurudu nee
p¢dalu viduvanu (Do what You want
with me, and verily as You please! My
Guru made me hold Your feet! I will not
let go!)
¹r¤ ¡diva´ ¹a°hakopa Sv¢mi is
praised as the very embodiment of ¹r¤ Lak¾m¤N¢r¢ya´a Perum¢l,
¹r¤ Ve¬ka°eºwara and the means to Tirukka¶¶am
be rid of Sa¼s¢ra: after Samprok¾a´am
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 71
72 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

Sri Malolan Educational Trust

List of donors who contributed Rs.1,000 and above to Sri Ahobila Mutt
Sanskrit Veda Prabanda Sastra Patasala and Oriental High School, Madurantakam
(From 01.04.2021 to 30.04.2021)
Name Amount Name Amount
Sri Natteri M Sudharsan 1001.00 Sri Lakshminarayanan 6000.00
Sri L. Narayanan Raghavan 5000.00 Sri Rajesh Mukundan 7500.00
Sri A. Chandramouli 2000.00 Sri S. Lakshminarasimhan 2000.00
Sri T.V. Ranganathan 1001.00 Sri N. Parthasarathy 1001.00
Smt. Usha Ravikumar 1001.00 Sri Suresh Sarangan 2000.00
Sri R. Maniappan 8000.00 Smt. Vanita Lakshminarasimhan 8000.00
Sri A. Kalyanaraman 3000.00 Smt. Bamini Srikrishna 4000.00
Sri P.S. Seshadri Seethalakshmi 1001.00 Sri C.R. Vasanthan 1001.00
Sri P.T. Santhanagopalan 1001.00 Smt. Hema Srinivasan 2001.00
Sri N. Veeraraghavan 1000.00 Sri N. Parthasarathy 5000.00
Sri R. Padmanabha Iyengar 2000.00 Sri V. Sridharan 5001.00
Sri A.R. Tilak 1001.00 Sri S. Sundarrajan 5001.00
Sri S. Ramanujam 5000.00 Sri R. Narayanan 1001.00
Sri S. Prabhakar 7500.00 Sri M.S. Parthasarathy 100000.00
Sri K. Sridharan 2000.00 Smt. Radha Sampathkumar 1117.00
Sri R. Sridharan 6000.00 Thooppul Sri Venkatachary Vasudevan 5000.00
Sri P.M. Narasimhan 1008.00 Smt. Chitra Rangamani 1000.00
Sri K.R. Sridharan 10000.00 Sri R. Suresh Kannan 1000.00
Sri R. Varadhan 2000.00 Sri C. Balaji 10000.00
Sri Sowmyalakshminarayanan 5000.00 Sri V. Raghavan 1000.00

M/s. Shobha Padam Challani Foundation contributed provisions

worth Rs.18,560/- for April month to the Hostel

÷©Ø£i øP[Pº¯zvÀ £[S öPõÒÍ Â¸®¦÷Áõº u[PÒ Põ÷\õø»ø¯ Sri Malolan

Educational Trust GßÓ ö£¯›À 30, öÁ[P÷h\ AUµíõµ®, ©°»õ¨§º, ö\ßøÚ–4, /
S.A.S. College 53, é¢{v öu¸, ©xµõ¢uP®, ÿ©hzvØS Aݨ¦©õÖ ¨µõºzvUQ÷Ù®.
OnlineÀ Aݨ£ ¸®¦÷Áõº A/c No.: 10311654844, A/c Type: SB, Bank: SBI, Branch:
Adyar, IFS Code: SBIN0001115 ö\¾zvÂmk E-mail : acsmcas@gmail.com¾® Phone
Nos. 9677496601 /8072707469 AÁ]¯® öu›¯¨£kzuÄ®. 80G Á›Â»US® Esk.
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 73

¡zhv¢rs and ¹r¤ N¨si¼ha Part II

Dr. V.K.S.N. Raghavan

(9) Namm¢zhvar’s When the infant Prahl¢da replied to

Tiruv¢ymozhi, 2.8.9:- his father Hira´ya [when the latter asked
E¬gumu¶an Ka´´an endãa his son, “where is Hari?”], “He is every-
maganaik k¢yndu where, this Lord with beautiful eyes!”
I¬gillaiy¢l endãu Immediately Hira´ya retorted angrily,
Ira´iyan too´ pu²aippa swearing “He is not here” in his palace
A¬gu appozhudë pillar; so saying, he smashed the pillar.
avan v¤yat tùndãiya, en Lo and behold, there at once emerged
Si¬gappir¢n perumai the Man-lion form of ¹r¤ N¨si¼ha; (¹r¤
¢r¢yum seermaittë. ¹a°hakopa exclaims:- “en si¬gappir¢n”—
my leonine Lord); He manifested there
instantly; who indeed can measure His
(¹r¤ N¨si¼ha’s) greatness?
[Notes: Compare (i) the oft-repeated
¹r¤ N¨si¼ha-dhy¢naºloka by ¹r¤ ¡diva´
¹a°hakopa-Yateendra:-

Yasy¢bhavad bhakta jan¢rtti hantuª

Pit¨tvam anye¾vavic¢rya toor´am /
Stambhe’(a)vat¢ras tam ananya labhyam,
Lak¾meeN¨si¼ham ºara´am prapadye //
(ii) Compare Parip¢²al song:-
“Pirungal¢dan pala pala pi´ipa²a” —
Tamil “Va²asol-tiribu” grammatical
transcription of Sanskrit Prahl¢da is
Pirungal¢da.
74 |
(iii) Actually Prahl¢da says,
“Urvy¢masti, udake¾uc¢sti tvayyasti
mayyastica” - rendered by Kavi
Chakravartti Kamban as:-
S¢´ilumu¶an ùr tanmaianuvinaic sata
koori°°a,
Ko´inumu¶an M¢mëru kundãinum u¶an,
Munnindãa
Too´ilum u¶an nee mun sonna sollinum
u¶an].
(10) Tiruv¢ymozhi, 9.4.7:-
¡gam sër Narasi¬gamad¢gi, ùr
¡gam va¶¶ugir¢l pi¶and¢n urai
M¢gaVaikundam k¢´badarku, en
manam
Ekam ennum ir¢ppagal indãiyë.
(Namm¢zhv¢r exclaims:-) For the sake
of slaying Hira´ya, the supreme Lord
took the form of the Man-lion; and then
He broke the demon’s chest into two
through His sharp and bright nails; to
see Him (N¨si¼ha) alone, my mind
yearns through night and day.
[Notes:-
(i) cf. Dhvany¢loka-Ma¬galaºloka of
¡nandavardhana:-
Svecch¢ keºarinaª svaccha-
svacch¢y¢-ay¢sitendavaª /
Tr¢yant¢mvo Madhuripoª
Prapannarttic-chido nakh¢ª //
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
(As the Lord took His N¨si¼ha Avat¢ra
at His own divine will, His nails shone
white like thousands of full-moons; may
those nails of N¨si¼ha protect you all,
for they remove the miseries of
prapannas (ardent devotees); of course,
in His Hayagreeva Avat¢ra, He has slain
both Madhu and Kai°abha.
(ii) cf. ¹r¤ Lak¾m¤ N¨si¼han
A²aikkalappattu:-
I¬gu¶an angu¶an allan
endãu uraikkak koo²¢më
E¬gumu¶an en Ka´´an
endãuraitta tan maganai
Ku¬gumam pùl sivanda ka´´an
kuru°°u avu´an udaitti°°a
Sanga´i too´ pi¶anda pir¢n
sadir a²iyai a²aindënë.]
(11). Tiruv¢ymozhi, 7.4.6 :-
Pùzhdu melinda pun sekkaril
v¢ntisai
Soozhum ezhundu udirap punal¢,
malai
Keezhdu pi¶anda si¬gam ottad¢l,
Appan
¡zh tuyar seydu asurarai kollum¢ãë.
(¹r¤ Nam¢zhv¢r proclaims) When my
father (the supreme Lord) came in the
form of ¹r¤ N¨si¼ha (Man-Lion), it was
the evening twilight (sunset time); He
came, He saw and He conquered; He
smashed the chest and the whole body
of Hira´ya to smithereens; Hira´ya’s
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 75

blood spewed high like a fountain from Man-lion form, bisected the broad chest
a huge and lofty mountain; it was as of the most cruel Hira´yan with His sharp
though a roaring victorious Lion had and bright claws; later, siding with the
blasted a huge mountain rock. P¢´²avas in battle, through His blowing
[Notes: Cf. PeriyaTirumozhi 11.4.4.:- of the conch, He terrorised the hearts of
Ta¶aiyavizh kùdaim¢lai irup¢l taya¬ga… Kauravas; residing in my heart, He has
A¶avezhavemmai mikka ariy¢gi andãu, composed this sweet thousand-versed
bhariyùn… Tamil Tiruv¢ymozhi, having showered
Va¶aiyugir ¢¶i moymbin… ugir¢l…peru His divine grace on me; Our supreme
neeril mummai peridë. Lord N¨si¼ha will certainly shower His
grace on all of us.
In the days of yore, the Lord came as
a gorgeous Man-lion; His garlands of (13). Tiruv¢ymozhi, 2.6.6:-
flowers and gems swung wildly on either Unnai cindai seydu seydu
side; His glowing red, round eyes were un ne²u m¢ mozhi isai p¢²iy¢di, en
bulging; then the haughty king Hira´ya’s Munnait teevinaiga¶
reign of terror ended. With sharp and muzhu vër arindanan, y¢n
piercing curved claws, ¹r¤ N¨si¼ha tore Unnai cindaiyin¢l igazhnda
asunder the broad chest of the mighty Ira´iyan agal m¢rvam kee´²a, en
Hira´yakaºipu. The blood that spewed Munnai Ko¶ariyë!
then was three times bigger than the flood Mu²iy¢dadu en enakkë?
of deluge waters.]
(12) Namm¢zhv¢r’sTiruv¢ymozhi,
10.6.4
En ne®jattu¶¶irundu i¬girum
Tamizh nool ivai mozhindu
Vanne®jattu Ira´iyanai
m¢rvu i²anda V¢°°¢°ã¢n
Manna®ja Bh¢ratattu
P¢´²avarkk¢ pa²ai to°°¢n
Nanne®jae! Namperum¢n
namakkaru¶ t¢n seyv¢në.
(¹r¤ Namm¢zhv¢r sings :-) Oh my
good heart! Lord of Tiruv¢°°¢ãu, in the
76 |
(¹r¤ ¹a°hakopa exclaims :-) Inasmuch
as I am (i) constantly meditating on you
alone, (ii) singing and dancing for the
divine hymns about You and You alone,
I have washed off all my past and present
sins all at once; You have long ago cleft
the broad chest of Hira´yakaºipu— who
had nothing but the most evil of thoughts
and the most hateful of words for You
— taking the divine form of Narasi¼ha-
Man-Lion. Oh Lord Lakshmi N¨si¼ha!
Having attained Your divine grace, is
there anything impossible for me!
[Notes:- Cf. Silappadhik¢ram
“Madangal¢y M¢ratt¢y! M¢yamo,
marutkaitte (Oh Lord, you took the Man-
lion form and killed the demon Hira´ya;
what a wonder!)].
(14.) Tiruv¢ymozhi, 9.4.7:-
Ugandë unnai u¶¶um en u¶¶attu,
agamp¢l
Agant¢n amarndë i²a¬ko´²a Amal¢!
Migum d¢navan m¢rvagalam irukoor¢
Nagand¢y! Narasi¬gamad¢ya uruvë!
(¹r¤ Namm¢zhv¢r addresses the Lord:)
Oh N¨si¼ha! You are free from all
blemishes; however, You are residing in
my mind steadfastly; i.e., You have so
much love for me that You do not stir
out of my heart; in ¹r¤ N¨si¼ha Avat¢ra
You had the invincible sharp nails which
tore asunder the chest of Hira´yakaºipu;
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
my heart rejoices in meditating on You
alone.
[Notes (i) Cf. ¹r¤ DeºikaPrabandham-
Navama´im¢lai, 2:-
Makaram va¶arum a¶avil pauvam
a²aiya uttãalaittanai
Va²ivu kama°am ena amarndu
giritanai dharittannai
Maliyum asuran uram i²andu
Vasudhaiyai peyarttanai
Valiko¶ avu´an u²al pi¶andu
madalai meykkudittanai…
(ii) Cf. ¹r¤ Rangan¢tha P¢duk¢
Sahasram, 846:-
Mukt¢msukesaravatee
sthira vajra damshtr¢
Prahl¢da sampad anuroopa
Hira´ya bhed¢ /
Moorttiª ¹riyo bhavasi
M¢dhava p¢da rakshe!
N¢thasyanoonam ucit¢
Narasi¼ha moortteª //
¹r¤ Ved¢nta Deºika describes the figure
of P¢duk¢devi as befitting the consort of
¹r¤ N¨si¼h¢vat¢ra. The sandals of the
Lord have the manes (kesara) in the
form of bright pearl-like rays; she is
adorned with permanent diamond gems
that resemble the Lord’s sharp teeth;
she makes her devotees (like Prahl¢da)
joyful by defeating their enemies (splitting
Hira´ya’s chest); so, she fully resembles
Narasi¼ha’s enchanting huge and form.
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 77

(15). Tiruv¢ymozhi, 7.6.11:-
Pukka Ariyuruv¢y
avu´an u²al kee´²u uganda
Cakkara selvan tannai
Kurugoor ¹a°hakopan sonna
Mikka ùr¢yirattu¶
ivai pattum vall¢r avarai
Tokkup pall¢´²u isaittu
kavari seyvar ëzhaiyarë.
(Sv¢mi Namm¢zhv¢r proclaims:-) This
unparalleled Tiruv¢ymozhi of thousand
songs has been composed by
Tirukurugoor ¹a°hakopa on the greatness
of Lord Mah¢ Vi¾´u, who has the mighty
discus, who became overjoyed on
protecting Prahl¢da after splitting the body
of Hira´ya -in His N¨si¼ha-avat¢ra; the
great celestial damsels (Nityasooris of
¹r¤ Vaiku´°ham) will eulogise and fan
those devotees who chant these ten songs
beginning with “P¢maru moovulagam…”
forming part of Tiruv¢ymozhi.
[Notes:- (i)Avu´an u²al kee´²uganda
– cf. Magha’s ¹iºup¢lavadha I.47:-
Sat¢cchat¢ bhinna ghanena bibhrat¢
N¨si¼ha! Saimheematanum tanum tvay¢ /
Samugdha k¢nt¢ stana sanga bha¬guraiª
Urovid¢ram praticaskare nakhaiª //
(Sage N¢rada speaks to Lord K¨¾´a
thus:-) When you came as N¨si¼ha with
fiery manes, you slayed Hira´ya with
your sharp nails; however, you became
soft towards your consort Goddess
Lak¾m¤ and embraced her tightly; what a
wonder!]. (to be continued…)

Obituary- ¹r¤ Sampathkum¢ra Bha°°ar

Sv¢mi, Melukote
An authority on P¢®car¢tra ¡gama and a long-
standing servitor of ¹r¤ Tirun¢r¢ya´an of Melukote,
¹r¤ Sampathkum¢ra Bha°°ar Sv¢mi attained ¡c¢ryan
Tiruva²i at Melukote, at the age of 99, having been
in the Lord’s service since 16. He was awarded the
title Kai¬karya ¹r¤man for his long and devoted service
as the principal Bha°°ar in charge of the Moolavar
Sannidhi at Tirun¢r¢ya´apuram. Steeped in
traditional learning, Sv¢mi was the epitome of
devotion. His passing is indeed a loss to the ¹r¤
Vai¾´ava Samprad¢ya.
78 |
The Ultimate Goal – Puru¾¢rtha K¢¾°ha
r¤ Bh¢¾yak¢ra issued five decrees
¹ to his principal disciples before
shedding his mortal coils. These
were the duties they were to carry out
depending upon their capabilities. The
last duty was for those who were not
capable of teaching ¹r¤ Bh¢¾ya, Bhagavad
Vi¾aya etc. - i.e., to take refuge at the
feet of a ¹r¤ Vai¾´ava who would accept
them as his (¹r¤ Vai¾´ava’s) own. That
is bh¢gavata ºe¾atvam, being a dependent
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
Dr. S. Sundar Rajan, Trichy
of an ardent devotee. This is considered
as the purusartha k¢shtta i.e. the ultimate
goal.
At the end of the 16th chapter of his
¹r¤mad Rahasyatrayas¢ra – Puru¾¢rtha
K¢¾°¢dhik¢ra, Sv¢mi Deºika summarizes
the whole content in a pithy ºloka, thus -
N¢the nast¨´am anyad anyadapi v¢
tannabhi n¢leekinee
N¢leeka sp¨haneeya saurabha muc¢
v¢c¢ na yac¢mahe
Suddh¢n¢ntu labhemahi sthira dhiy¢m
suddh¢nta siddh¢ntin¢m
Muktaiºvarya dina prabh¢ta samay¢
sattim prasattim muhuª.
The imports of this ºloka, from the
commentary (¹r¤ S¢rabhodin¤) on
¹r¤mad Rahasyatrayas¢ra by HH
Paramahamsety¢di I®jime²u ¹r¤mad
Azhagiyasi¬gar are given below.
N¢the – our Lord, Bhagav¢n. Other
than our steadfast love for Him
engendered by adopting the means
(ºara´¢gati), we consider wealth, sons
and animals (cows etc.) in this world as
mere straw – t¨´a. We consider equally
lowly the extraordinary bounties of
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
Brahma, ¹iva etc. anyat - or, the
enjoyment of one’s own soul i.e.,
kaivalya, anyat – or, even mok¾a which
is far superior to kaivalya.
The opinion here is that after adopting
the proper means (ºara´¢gati) to attain
liberation, even that does not need to be
yearned for; Or, api - even, the position
of Bhagav¢n and the enjoyment of
Supreme Bliss like Him; Or, va – also,
enjoying all the aforementioned together.
tann¢bhi – that navel of Bhagav¢n
Himself; n¢leeka – the lotus on which
the four-faced Brahma originated, from
n¢leekinee – group of lotuses;
sp¨haneeya – that which is much desired;
saurabha – fragrance; muc¢ – that which
is spread; The lotus arising from the
navel of Bhagav¢n is the birth place of
the four-faced Brahma and is associated
with him as he is seated there. So it has,
devat¢ntara sambandham, association
with a deity other than Bhagav¢n. Hence,
paramaik¢ntis, i.e. those supreme
devotees who are devoted solely to
Bhagav¢n, disregard it totally as it is of
no use to them. v¢c¢ – speech or prayers
used to plead for attaining goals as per
our inherent nature (i.e. a goal like
mok¾a); the speech of these supreme
devotees has the fragrance which is
desired by that lotus in Bhagav¢n’s navel.
na y¢c¢mahe – will not be used to pray
for other mundane goals.
| 79
So what is it that you desire? ¹r¤ Sv¢mi
Deºika says – suddh¢n¢m – the pure
ones without sinful desires; sthiradhiy¢m
– those with steadfast minds who do not
have the five doubts that are the foes of
absolute faith and who consider only
Bhagav¢n as the sure means and goal.
Suddh¢nta siddhantin¢m - suddh¢ntam
– very chaste women of the inner
quarters (wives); their siddh¢nta –
philosophy or behavior of total chastity
and fidelity. That is, supreme devotees,
paramaik¢ntis, are like these women: they
are totally subservient to Bhagav¢n and
derive pleasure from service to Him
alone.
Muktaiºvarya - the prosperity of those
who have been liberated, i.e. total bliss
of experiencing Bhagav¢n; This
muktaiºvarya is considered to be like a
day, high noon actually. The day break
i.e. the dawn is prabh¢ta samay¢sattim,
which is the time in this world after doing
prapatti (unconditional surrender at the
sacred feet of ¹r¤man N¢r¢ya´a) and
before getting mok¾a (salvation, release
from the cycle of rebirths). It is hinted
that mok¾a will be obtained soon by the
grace of paramaik¢ntis. But the essential
point is that it is the grace of paramaik¢ntis
that is prayed for on its own, rather than
the mok¾a which can be obtained by that
grace. Hence it was hailed as the dawn
prior to the noon of salvation. prasattim
80 |
– that grace or reward; muhur labhemahi
– we want to obtain repeatedly.
[The gist of what ¹r¤ Sv¢mi Deºika
states is - for us, who have done prapatti,
it is the grace of and service to the
supreme devotees of Bhagav¢n that is
more important than 1. wealth,
progenies, cows etc in this world; 2.
prosperity of Brahma, Rudra etc. in the
higher worlds; 3. kaivalya; 4. mok¾a;
5. Bhagav¢n Himself; 6. the Supreme
Bliss of Bhagav¢n. By our inherent
nature, we will not ask for any of these
with our speech (that has a fragrance
desired by the lotus which arises from
Bhagav¢n’s navel), other than the grace
of paramaik¢ntis who are suddh¢nta
siddh¢ntis. This, we will do again and
again. Service to the supreme devotees
who are not devoted to anyone else
except Bhagav¢n and obtaining their grace
is the main puru¾¢rtha, goal, of our lives
as we wait for mok¾a after doing prapatti.
This service and grace are like the
daybreak that precedes the noon of
salvation, mok¾a.]
Abhinava Deºika ¹r¤ Uttamur
Veerar¢ghav¢cariar has elaborated on the
8 th centum of ¹r¤ Namm¢zhv¢r’s
Tiruv¢imozhi in his Tamizh commentary
called Prabandha Raksha. In that he states
that ¹r¤ S¢kh¾¢t Sv¢mi was of the opinion
that the aforementioned ºloka of ¹r¤
Sv¢mi Deºika crystallizes the purports of
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1
the p¢surams of “Ne²um¢rkku a²imai”
(10th decad of the 8th centum of ¹r¤
Namm¢zhv¢r’s Thiruv¢imozhi). He has
given a brief introduction to each of the
p¢surams (11) in this decad, as follows.
1. It is the result of my past sins that
I have been compelled to state that -
ruling over the three worlds is far inferior
to service at the blessed feet of the
servants of Bhagav¢n. Alas! Does this
invalid comparison need to be articulated
at all?
2. Just like the prosperity of ruling
over the three worlds is inconsequential,
experiencing kaivalya (singly or together)
too is the same, compared to serving
the bh¢gavatas. That I have to discuss
this is because of my past sins.
3. ¡zhv¢r then opines that even
service to Bhagav¢n is nothing, compared
to service to His ardent devotees.
4. Service to Bhagav¢n’s devotees is
because of their ardent devotion to Him.
As service and love to Bhagav¢n
increases, so will devotion to His
devotees.
5. Even if service using any of the 3
agencies (mind, speech and limbs) cannot
be done, congregating with Bh¢gavatas
and enjoying the experiences of the sweet
hymns on Bhagav¢n is in itself a peerless
service.
(continued on page 88)
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 81

Predictions - June - 2021 : Sri A.M. Rajagopalan

A special note: A little more than a month back, three members of a family near
Karur had symptoms of “CORONA”. A member of that family approached me, with
their horoscopes, asking for an effective “Parih¢ram”.
After studying the horoscopes, I suggested to them daily to recite collectively
“¹r¤ N¨si¼ha Prappatti” 24 times in the morning and evening, keeping a small
quantity of water (Teertham) in front, in a silver or copper vessel. After the
recitation is over, the Teertham should be distributed to the members of the family,
as medicine. They accepted the suggestion with absolute faith and left. After several
weeks, they informed me over telephone that the entire family observed the
“Parih¢ram” and as a result, all the three recovered fully from the dreaded disease.
So, instead of fearing the epidemic, with all its consequences-some real and
many imaginary-daily recitation of “¹r¤ N¨si¼ha Prapatti” keeping a small quantity
of water in front and taking a few drops of that will act as a “Super Preventive
Power” against Corona.
Copies of this Powerful ¹loka can be had from: “Sri Nrisimha Priya” “Deºika
Bhavanam” Mylapore, Chennai: 600 004. Phone: (044) - 2461 1540 / 2461 4402

A Aries - Mesham - GP Mars Asvini, Bharani and Krittik¢ (1st P¢da)

Favourable dates: June: 1-3; 7-9; 13-16; 20, 21, 25-27.

Mars, Mercury and Venus are very favourable. Jupiter in his adhic¢ra movement
will do small favours. Income is adequate to meet your essential expenses, without
any difficulty. Health will be quite all right. Marriage proposals will drag on due to
unexpected problems and misunderstandings and vascillation on the part of the
bride or groom, as the case may be. General atmosphere in the family will be quite
cordial. Since R¢hu is in the last lap of his journey in Rishabham and is slowly
approaching your Janma R¢si, you may be subjected to psychological anxiety and
concern about corona epidemic. However, taking into account the favourable aspects
of other planets, including Mars, the lord of your R¢si, there is no need for such
fears. Professionals will find the atmosphere in the office quite cordial and
82 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

co-operative. However, workload and responsibilities will increase, without adequate

recognition or reward for the same. Unemployed people will succeed in getting an
alternate job. Business men will thrive despite covid restrictions. Financial resources
are very helpful and market conditions favourable. However, this month is not
congenial for new ventures and investments. Women in charge of managing the
family will experience a problem-free month. Planets that control and influence
education are placed in auspicious positions, indicating satisfactory progress for
students. Candr¢¾°amam dates: June: 22 nd Morning upto 24 th Morning.
Parih¢ram: Reciting “¹r¤ Garuda Dandakam” will ward off the effects of R¢hu, who
stands at your doors now.

B Taurus-Rishabham-GP Venus Krittik¢ (2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th P¢das), Rohini and

Mrigasirsham (1st, 2nd P¢das) Favourable dates: June: 3-5; 11-13;
17-23; 27-29.

Venus, the lord of your R¢si, and Jupiter are very helpful. Although Jupiter is in
Kumbha R¢si, he will bestow the auspicious effects of being in Makaram. Our
ancient astrological scriptures clearly states that “Retro” and “Adhic¢ra” transit
changes do not affect Jupiter. He is the only planet who enjoys this unique privilege.
Financially, you will be quite comfortable during the entire month. However, the
psychological strain due to domestic problems, a setback in your own health and
misunderstanding with close relatives and neighbours demand patience and tact on
your part; otherwise, you will be subjected to tension. This month is conducive for
matrimonial efforts. A little more care and caution during your travels will help to
maintain your health. Court cases, property disputes, if any will progress in your
favour. People in service will have to face the indifferent attitude of superiors, which
in turn will create a sense of frustration in your day-to-day duties. It is advisable to
be flexible instead of becoming emotional. Market conditions become rather dull and
business turnover records a slight downward trend for those engaged in trade or
industry. Women are advised to take special case of their health – particularly in the
existing conditions. Students will do well in their studies. Their memory powers are
at a high level, due to the auspicious aspects of Mercury and other related planets.
Candr¢¾°amam dates: June: 3-5; 11-13; 18-23; 27-29. Parih¢ram: Morning:
Reading ¹r¤mad Sundara K¢´²am. Evening: Reciting ¹r¤ Vi¾´u Sahasran¢mam.
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 83

C Gemini-Mithunam-GP Mercury Mrigasirsham (3rd, 4th P¢das), Tiruv¢dirai, Punarp¦sam

(1-3 P¢das) Favourable Dates: 1; 2-6-10; 14-16; 20-23; 29, 30

Income and expenditure will be almost equal to each other. Anxiety and concern
regarding the 2nd wave of Corona will haunt your mind, due to the transit positions
of Sun, Mars and R¢hu. This month is not favourable to take important decisions
on family matters. Court cases, if any, will continue by adjournments. Professionals
will find the attitude of higher-ups helpful, although workload continues to be too
heavy to manage. Those who lost their jobs due to present abnormal conditions will
succeed in getting a new one, which however will not be up to their expectation.
Slow but steady progress continues for those in industry and trade. Market conditions
improve in stages, despite the surge in the epidemic. New ventures can be tried with
limited investments. Women are advised to be a little more flexible, avoiding emotional
reaction in their day-to-day relationships with close relatives at home. For students,
the entire month is progressive and problem-free. Candr¢¾°amam dates: June:
From 26th afternoon up to 28th evening. Parih¢ram: Recitation of “¹r¤ Stuti” of
Swami Deºikan will be highly effective. Women should read at least a single chapter
from “¹r¤mad Bh¢gavatam”. The effect will be amazing.

D Cancer - Katakam - GP Moon Punarp¦sam (4th P¢da), P¦sam and Ayilyam

Favourable dates: June: 4-10; 14-17; 21-23; 27.
Except Saturn and Mars, most of the other major planets are highly favourable,
bestowing their benefits in their respective aspects of your life! Family environment
will be cordial and pleasant. A close relative of yours who might have been affected
by “Corona” recently will recover fully, giving you a lot of mental relief. Income is
good. If you try, you can effect some savings too. Planetary positions are highly
helpful to secure a good alliance, if you have a daughter or son of marriageable age.
A long-cherished desire to have your own house will get fulfilled, since Venus and
Jupiter are placed in rewarding zodiac tracks! Health will be normal. People in
service will feel disappointed and frustrated at the attitude of the management.
Change of department or transfer to a place against your liking is also possible,
since Saturn has slightly tilted unfavourably. However, since he is in his ruling sign
Makaram, your position will not be affected. Market conditions remain static. Business
turnover is steady. Financial institutions co-operate. Industrialists and business
84 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

people will not face any major problems, despite the surge in “Corona”. A worry-
free period for women born under this zodiac sign. Mercury and other related
planets are favorably placed for students, promising them good progress in studies.
Candr¢¾°amam dates: June: From 1 to afternoon of 3rd. Again from 28th evening
upto 30th midnight. Parih¢ram: (1) On Saturdays, please light 3 “Parih¢ra Deepam”
in Gingelly oil in your Pooja Room. This is in addition to the regular “Kuthu
Vi¶akku”. (2) Recitation of “¹r¤ Mantra R¢ja Pada Stotram” on Lord ¹r¤ Lakshmi
N¨si¼ha will ward off the adverse effects of Saturn.

E Leo - Simham - GP Sun Magham, P¦ram and Uttiram (1st P¢da)

Favourable dates: June: 1-2; 6-9; 14-17; 21-23; 27, 30
The lord of your R¢si is favourably placed. Although Rishabham is an inimical sign,
as per the transit system of planets, Sun is placed in a highly helpful zodiac sign.
Health will be normal and good. You need not worry about the prevailing second
wave of corona. Saturn too is placed in an auspicious position. Mars, Venus and
Mercury are also moving in auspicious signs. However, Jupiter, who looks after
family goodness, is not of much help. Income will be just enough to manage the
family. Health of all family members will be satisfactory. Auspicious functions in the
family will result in considerable expenditure. Matrimonial efforts will face obstacles
and decision prolonged due to vacillation. Those in foreign countries will have an
opportunity to visit India despite the prevailing conditions. Traders and industrialists
thrive, with financial support from the central Government giving a thrust to their
plans. A highly helpful period for women, since Venus is transiting very auspicious
signs. Students maintain their progress in studies. Candr¢¾°amam dates: June:
From 3rd afternoon up to 5th late night. Parih¢ram: (1) Darshan of our present
¹r¤mad Azhagiyasingar and ¹r¤ M¢lola N¨si¼ha at Selayur Mutt are a highly effective
Parih¢ram that overcomes the dosham posed by Jupiter. (2) Performance of Sandhy¢
Vandanam thrice daily is a Parih¢ram which has no equal.

F Virgo-Kanya-GP Mercury Uttiram (2, 3, 4 P¢das), Hastam and Chittirai (1, 2 P¢das)
Favourable dates: Junes: 1-4; 9-11; 17-20; 24-26; 30.
Both favourable and unfavourable planets are poised with almost equal strength.
Income is adequate, placing you in a comfortable position. Minor Health Problems
will necessitate medication, since R¢hu has already covered 90 % of the zodiac
path Rishabham and is at the doors of the unhelpful 8th sign. Family environment
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 85

will be cordial. Related planets are well-placed to renew matrimonial proposals. A

visit to ¹r¤ Ahobila Mutt and darshan of our beloved ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasingar are
among the several benefits that await you in the course of this month. People in
service will find office atmosphere harmonious. Except occasional irritating instances
while dealing with higher officials, there is no need to worry. Profit and business
turnover are steady and stable for industrialists and businessmen. This is a highly
beneficial month for women. The unemployed will succeed in securing a decent job.
Close attention is necessary to your health-particularly during the third week.
Students will be able to maintain their progress. Candr¢¾°amam dates: June: from 5th
late night upto 8th afternoon. Parih¢ram: (1) Recitation of “¹r¤ Dhanvantari Stotram”
everyday- morning and evening- will be quite ideal. (2) For those who have the
facility, darshan of five great ¹r¤mad Azhagiasingars at “¹r¤ Pa®ca B¨nd¢vanam” (at
Narasimhapuram near Sw¢mimalai- Kumbakonam) will help to protect your normal health.

G Libra-Thula-GPVenus Chittirai(3rd,4thP¢das),Sv¢tiandVisakham(1st, 2nd, 3rd P¢das)

Favourable Dates: May 1-6, 10-16, 21-23, 27-29
Income is steady, since Venus, the lord of your R¢si, is in an auspicious track.
Saturn is not of much help, but will not harm your interests. Jupiter in his “Ardh¢¾°aka”
inclination, with Saturn and and R¢hu in the 8th, call for extra care on your health.
Please avoid going out often and mingling with crowds, as it may affect your health.
Marriage proposals should be postponed, since there is a possibility of making
wrong choices. Unexpected medical expenses will affect your resources. This will be
a month of physical and mental stress and strain. Professionals will find it difficult
to satisfy superiors. Minor misunderstandings with one of your co-workers will
cause tension and worry. Business people will have to work very hard to maintain
their sales and profit margin. A month of disturbed mind for women. Students will
find it difficult to concentrate on their studies. Candr¢¾°amam dates: June: From
8th afternoon up to 10th late night. Parih¢ram: (1) Fasting on Saturdays will be
ideal. (2) “¹r¤mad Sundara K¢´²a” p¢r¢ya´am in the morning and reciting “¹r¤
Mantra R¢ja Pada Stotram” on Lord ¹r¤ Lakshmi N¨si¼ha will be highly effective.

H Scorpio - Vrischikam - GP Mars Vis¢kham (4th P¢da), Anusham and Kettai

Favourable Dates: June: 4-6; 11-17; 21-23; 27-29.
Divine thoughts and spiritual inclinations will dominate your mind. A visit to ¹r¤
Ahobila Mutt and darshan of our beloved ¹r¤mad Azhagiyasingar are also possible,
86 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

as a result of Ketu in your Janma R¢si. Income will be just enough to manage the
family. Matrimonial efforts will drag on, without any progress. Family atmosphere
will be normal. Wife’s health needs a little more care, since R¢hu is in the 7th sign.
Professionals will have a good time in the office, since Saturn is favorably placed.
Some may get an elevation in position. Those working in foreign countries will get
an opportunity to visit their motherland. Market conditions are profitable for
industrialists and businessmen. Major planets are well-placed for women. Students
maintain their progress, without any hindrances. Candr¢¾°amam dates: June:
from 10th late night, up to 13th forenoon. Parih¢ram: (1) Reading a few chapters
from “¹r¤mad Bh¢gavatam” will be the right Parih¢ram. (2) Reciting 108 or 1008
“¹r¤ R¢ma Namam” daily, both in the morning and evening.

I Sagittarius - Dhanus - GP Jupiter M¦lam; P¦r¢dam & Uthir¢dam (1st P¢da)

Favourable dates: June: 1-3; 7-10; 16-19; 24-27; 30.
Jupiter takes adequate care of your financial requirements. Auspicious functions will
help a pleasant atmosphere to prevail in the family. Health remains normal. Related
planets are favourable to success in your matrimonial efforts. Change of residence
is also indicated for many. Office-going professionals will experience a problem-free
atmosphere at the workspot. For businessmen, profit records a steady upward trend
despite the second wave of corona pandemic. A worry-free and pleasant month for
women. Students will achieve significant progress in studies. Candr¢¾°amam dates:
June from 13th forenoon up to 15th night. Parih¢ram: You are on the last lap of
7 ½ years Saturn. Lighting a Gingelly oil lamp for 24 Saturdays in the evening in
your pooja room will help. Reciting of “¹r¤ Raksho Bhuvana Lakshmi N¨si¼ha
Stotram” daily will also help. This Stotram was composed by ¹ani Bhagav¢n himself
on Lord ¹r¤ N¨si¼ha.

J Capricorn-Makaram-GP Saturn Uttir¢dam (2nd, 3rd, 4th P¢das) Tiruvonam and

Avittam (1st, 2nd P¢da) Favourable Dates: June: 1; 2; 6-10; 14,
18-20; 24-27; 30.
This is a month of mixed results. Although income is good, you will not be able to
save due to heavy expenses. A set back in health will need treatment and cause
expenses. Domestic atmosphere will be disturbed due to various family problems.
Minor misunderstandings among close relatives will affect the otherwise cordial
environment in the house. People in service must exercise restraint while dealing
S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1 | 87

with superior officers, as otherwise, they will find themselves in trouble! Business
turnover is affected for those in trade and industry, due to the present spurt in
corona pandemic. Women may be subjected to emotional stress. A normal month
for students. Candr¢¾°amam Dates: June: from 15th night up to 17th mid night.
Parih¢ram: Recitation of ¹r¤ Dhanwantari Stotram in the morning and ¹r¤ Vi¾´u
Sahasran¢mam in the evening are the best remedy, without equal.

K
Aquarius-Kumbham-GP Saturn Avittam (3rd, 4th P¢das), Sathayam and
Poorattadi: Favourable dates: June: 3-5; 10-16; 21-23; 28 & 29.

You are now in the initial phase of 7 ½ year Sani. However, you need not be
excessively worried on this score, because Kumbham is Saturn’s own ruling sign.
However, frequent travels and family responsibilities will drain your energy. Excessive
expenses will drain your savings. Marriage proposals will succeed. Health problems
will raise their head now and then, but will not be of a serious nature. Professionals
will have to face irritating situations while dealing with immediate superiors, calling
for a little more flexibility on your part. Despite the challenges imposed by corona’s
second wave, trade and industry will be able to maintain their turnover and profit.
Women should diplomatically avoid interference by women friends in their personal
and family matters. Students should avoid undesirable friends. Candr¢¾°amam
dates: June: From midnight of 17 up to 19th late night. Parih¢ram: Darshan of
Nava Tirupati in Tirunelveli district will be an appropriate Parih¢ram. Those who
are unable to do this should light an oil lamp at a nearby Vi¾´u temple on 24
Saturday evenings.

L Pisces - Meenam - GP Jupiter P¦ratt¢di (4th P¢da), Uttiratt¢di and Revati

Favourable dates: June: 1-3; 10-17; 23-25; 30
You are now at one of the luckiest times of your life. Income increases. Many will
go in for their own house. If you have a son or daughter awaiting marriage, “Varan”
will knock at your door. Health will be quite normal during the entire month and
domestic conditions peaceful and cordial. Depending on the respective birth horoscope,
many women will be blessed with a child. Professionals will get their long–awaited
promotion. Unemployed “Meena” R¢si people will get a decent job. A highly
progressive and successful month for women – both housewives and employed.
Mercury “Vidy¢ K¢raka” planet is positioned very favourably for students, who will
88 | S R I N R I S I M H A P R I YA - J U N E 2 0 2 1

shine very well in their studies. Candr¢¾°amam dates: June: From 19th late night
up to 22nd morning. Parih¢ram: Recitation of “Day¢ ºatakam” and performing
“M¢nasika Pooja” for Lord ¹r¤nivasa every day, after morning bath is a “Parih¢ram”
with tremendous power.

The Ultimate Goal – Puru¾¢rtha K¢¾°ha

(continued from page 80)

6. The suzerainty of Bhagav¢n is not 10. ¡zhv¢r wants to belong to the

equal to the skill or devotion of poets
who offer nectarine bliss to the devotees,
by means of their hymns on Him.
7. There are two types of services to
Bhagav¢n that affect service to
bh¢gavatas. One - in this world, it
nurtures it and in Paramapadam it
attenuates it. ¡zhv¢r does not want the
latter.
8. It is enough if I interact with
bh¢gavatas who enjoy Bhagav¢n’s form
clearly. Even if I cannot interact with
them, looking at them is enough.
Otherwise, staying in the same place is
enough, says ¡zhv¢r.
9. Even if I cannot stay with all of
them, staying with just one bh¢gavata or
being considered as his dependent is
enough for me.
lineage of disciples and preceptors of
bh¢gavatas and also to the lineage of
their sons and grandsons.
11. Those who recite this
thiruv¢imozhi will be blessed by marrying
into families of ardent devotees and by
belonging to clans of servants of servants
of bh¢gavatas.
Thus, it can be seen that Sv¢mi Deºika
emulated ¹r¤ Bh¢¾yak¢ra, who followed
¹r¤ Namm¢zhv¢r’s instructions faithfully.
¡zhv¢rs and ¡c¢ryas have reiterated
that the ultimate purpose of human life
is unselfish service to the ardent devotees
of ¹r¤man N¢r¢ya´a. This is called
Puru¾¢rtha K¢¾°ha.

Printed & Published by J.S. Vasan at 30, Venkatesa Agraharam, Mylapore, Chennai - 600 004 on
behalf of Jeer of Ahobila Mutt and printed at M/s. Versatile Prints & Packs,
3/9-A, Thangavel Vaithiyar Street, Triplicane, Chennai - 600 005. Editor: T.G. Ramamurthi
Volume : 9
Issue : 6 E-mail: srinarasimhapriya@gmail.com