Below are the details of E-books in English published by ‘Sri Nrusimha Seva Rasikan’ Sri Oppiliappan Koil Dr. V.Sadagopan on Swami Desikan’s Kaavya and Naataka Granthams.
Bhagavatas are requested to read these treasures and benefit.
Brief introduction to Swami Desikan’s Kaavya and Naataka Granthams are given below.
Kaavya Granthams :
1. SubhAshita neevi (Sundara Simham ebook # 76; 72 pages)
This is “didactic lyric” consisting of wise and aphoristic upadesams like the Neeti Satakam of Bhartruhari. It has 12 chapters. The first five chapters describe the mind set of unrighteous ones. The remaining seven chapters deal with the mental frame of the righteous ones. Swamy Desikan had a king by the name of Singa BhupAlan as his disciple. The king sought Swamy Desikan’s sadupadesams in the form of a neeti kaavyam for his benefit and for his citizen’s welfare. The compassionate AchAryan blessed the king with a Kaavyam contianing 144 slOkams. The depth of thought housed in some of these slOkams are such that they can be interpreted in more than twenty different ways. As a SadaachAryan, He left us his magnificent counsels to gain the divine wealth (dhaiveem sampat) that GeetAchAryan referred to.
2. YaadhavABudayam (Ahobilavalli ebook #43; 195 pages)
This Kaavyam is about the Vaibhavam of Lord Sri Krishna, the scion of the Yadhu race. The glory of KrishNAvatAram is retold by Swamy Desikan. The source for this Kaavyam is the dasama skandam ( 10th canto) of Srimad BhAgavatam. Desikan’s poetic skills are abundantly evident in this kaavyam. An advaitin, Sri Appayya Dikshitar was so enchanted by this kaavyam that he wrote a scholarly commentary on it and praised Swamy Desikan’s KrishNa bhakti and his extraordinary talents as an outstanding poet. Dr. Saroja Ramanujam of Chennai is the invited scholar to cover this mahaa kAvyam.
3. PaadhukA Sahasram (Sundarasimham ebook #25; Pages 699. 32 chapters)
This Kaavyam praises the vaibhavam of the Paadhukais of Lord Ranganatha. In VaishNavite traditon, Lord Ranganatha’s Paadhukais stand for Swamy NammAzhwAr. Sri Ranganatha PaadhukA Sahasram has 1008 slOkams that are housed in 32 chapters, each of which celebrate one or other aspect of the muitfacted glories of the Lord’s Paadhukais. The entire Paadhuka Sahasram was composed in the short time span of one yaamam of a night at Srirangam. Some of the chapters like Naadha Paddati with 100 slOkmas and SanchAra Paddhati with 60 slOkams are big in size, while we have many Paddhatis have 10 to 20 slOkams. This kaavyam of Swamy Desikan is considered as one of the most magnificent literary, philosophical and theological compositions in Sanskrit literature.
4. Hamsa Sandesam (Ahobilavalli ebook #88, Sri Hayagrivan ebooks #67 and #68; 321 pages)
This sandesa grantham is about Lord Ramachandra’s sending a message through a raaja Hamsam to His Devi, SitA PirAtti, who was languishing in the prison of the evil king of Lanka, RaavaNan. It is patterned after KaaLidAsA’s Mega sandEsam, where an Yakshan sends his message through the clouds traveling to the city of his beloved and describes his sorrow over separation from her. Hamsa sandesam has both poetic majesty as well as philosophical messages in the form of rahasyArthams. Swamy Desikan establishes the glories of archAvatArams in this Kaavyam and demonstrates his intimate knowledge of the geography of BhArata DEsam as He instructs the Raaja Hamsam about the flight routes to be taken by it to reach Lankapuri from its home in the northern part of India and deliver the message of the Lord to His devi. The messenger that Lord Ramachandran chose is a Hamsam, which in VaishNavite tradition represents an AchAryan.
Naataka Grantham :
5.Sankalpa SooryOdhayam (Ahobilavalli ebook#79 and Sri Hayagrivan ebook #104. Pages 148)
This is an allegorical drama created by Swamy Desikan as His response to the challenge by an advaitin with the name of KrishNa Misra. The advaitin had created an allegorical play in six chapters named “PrabhOdha ChandrOdhayam” hailing advaitic doctrines. Krishna Misra challenged Swamy Desikan to match the beauty of his composition. Swamy Deskan responded in a fitting manner and distilled the essence of VisishtAdvaidic doctrines in the ten acts of His naatakam named Sanklapa SooryOdhayam. In His work, Swamy Desikan emphasized that the Supreme Power of the divine will (Bhagavat Sankalpam) is an essential requirement to gain Moksha Siddhi. Swamy Desikan also drew attention to the important role of AchAryan in interceding with the Lord to obtain His divine grace on behalf of the jeevans yearning freedom from the samsAric afflictions. This naataka grantham is a sva paksha prakAsanam to bring out the uniqueness of Tattva-Hita-PurushArthams in VisishtAdvaita darsanam and a sound nirasanam (critique and rejection) of the doctrines of Para Mata Tattvams. The characters of this naatakam are not actors and actresses but virtues and vices associated with the human condition. The central figure in this naatakam is Purushan or Man; both the divine and demonic forces contend for the prize of the Purushan who discovers the supreme power of the divine will and the key role played by AchAryAs in samsAris gaining Moksham through their intercession with the Lord. This Naatakam has a mixture of padhyams (poems) and gadhyams (prose). Swamy Desikan shows His mastery over both Sanskrit and PrAkrutam in this naatakam.
How to get these E-Books ?
Bhagavatas can access these treasures from Swami’s portal www.sadagopan.org
By registering at the above site, bhagavatas can access Swami Desikan’s Kaavya and Naataka Granthams.
Courtesy: Sri Veeravalli Raghunathan
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