Sri Vedanta Desika Stotra Pancaratnam – set to music

Swami Desika – a pencil sketch by adiyen

The ‘Sri Vedanta Desika Stotra Pancaratnam’ which was composed by adiyen and shared earlier has now been set to music – composed and sung by Smt.Anusha Sreeram, accompanied on the violin by Sow.Hiranmayee Sreeram (our daughter). To suit the composition which is a pancaratnam, five ragas have been chosen. The ragas are suddha saveri, revathi, brindavani, valaji and hamsanadam – all five being audava ragas – ragas that have five notes!

The link to the audio is

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B5TNRFElGMV1d3Y3R18ybmNkQzQyNkF3bTJodDhJT2diQXc4

The link to the original post on ‘Sri Vedanta Desika Stotra Pancaratnam’ is as below:

Sri Vedanta Desika Stotra Pancaratnam – a stuti mentioning the names of Swami Desika’s 28 stotras

Dedicated to the divine thiruvadi of Kavitarkikasimham literally during our visit to Satyagala. My wife and daughter sang at the sannidhi of Swami Desika at Satyagala on 25th of April 2018. This picture is of the peepul tree (perhaps not the same tree, may be a new one planted in its place or an offshoot of the old one) on the banks of Kaveri under which Swami Desika is said to have done tapas during his 12 year stay in Satyagala.

SrImate NigamAnta MahAdesikAya namaH

Dr.Sreeram Jaganathan

Sri Vedanta Desika Stotra Pancaratnam – a stuti mentioning the names of Swami Desika’s 28 stotras

Swami Desika – a pencil sketch by adiyen

Adiyen, with pen names Nakula and Mukunda Padmanabha Dasa, has composed a poem titled ‘Sri Vedanta Desika Stotra Pancaratnam‘ that mentions the names of all the 28 stotras composed by Swami Desika. This follows the order as given in the book published by LIFCO. All the 28 names can be found, but in most places the names appear in an indirect manner in the poem. This is partly due to the limitations of rules of prosody and partly due to adiyen’s limited intellect as well. The chandas or meter of the poem is same as the famous one on Vinayaka – ‘mudaakaraatta modakam‘, made famous by M.S’s singing. Aidyen’s other compositions are made available in https://nakulasya-sughosha.blogspot.in/

Feedback on mistakes welcome!

This is only a first draft and I shall be revising it based on feedback and as and when adiyen’s pratibha improves!

The stuti is available in Tamil script in the link below. Meaning of the stuti in Tamil is also given verse by verse.

http://nakulasya-sughosha.blogspot.in/2018/04/blog-post.html

Latest version (11-04-2018)

श्रीवेदान्तदेशिकस्तोत्रपञ्चरत्नम् 

 

स्तवं हयाननस्य वै दशावतारसंस्तुतिं

समाधियोगकारिकामभीतये तथा स्तवम् ।

परश्शतं दयाकृते द्विपाद्रिराच्छतार्धकं

चकार यस्स देशिकस्सदा भजे हि तत्पदम् ॥ १ ॥

विरागभावपञ्चकं प्रपत्तिमार्गदीपिकां

यथोक्तकारिसंस्कृतिं गजेन्द्रमोक्षदस्तुतिम् ।

यथेष्टवासिगीतिकां स्तुतिं च पारमार्थिकां

चकार यस्स देशिकस्सदा भजे हि तत्पदम् ॥ २ ॥

सुराधिपाय चार्धकं शतं तथाच्युताय वै

असंस्कृते सुसंस्कृतं शतं यथेष्टसिद्धिदम् ।

स्तुतिं च गद्यरूपिकां महाकुटुम्बिवैभवं

चकार यस्स देशिकस्सदा भजे हि तत्पदम् ॥ ३ ॥

अहीरविंशतिं स्तुतिं सदेहलीशसंस्तुतिं

श्रियस्स्तुतिं भुवस्तथा पुनस्तदंशवन्दिकाम् ।

प्रपत्तिविस्तृतिस्तुतिं त्रिधा सुदर्शनाष्टकं

चकार यस्स देशिकस्सदा भजे हि तत्पदम् ॥ ४ ॥

सुदर्शनस्य षोडशायुधस्तुतिं महौषधिं

गरुत्मतश्च दण्डकं शतार्धकं स्तवं तथा ।

यतीन्द्रगीतिसप्ततिं गुरौ सुभक्तिदर्शिकां

चकार यस्स देशिकस्सदा भजे हि तत्पदम् ॥ ५ ॥

नकुलेन विधेयेन मुकुन्दपद्मनाभयोः ।

सर्वतन्त्रस्वतन्त्राय स्तुतिरियं समर्पिता ॥

  •  – नकुलः / मुकुन्दपद्मनाभदासः

श्रीमते निगमान्तमहादेशिकाय नमः ।

।। शुभं भूयात् ।।

Upanyasam by Dr.S.Padmanabhan – part 3

The Srikaryam of Sri Ahobila mutt, Dr.S.Padmanabhan, delivered an upanyasam on the topic ‘Adhikara Sangraham’ @ Sri Ahobila mutt, Triplicane on 07th of April as part of the 750th birth anniversary celebrations of Swami Desika. This is the third part on the same topic – Adhikarasangraham of Swami Desika. The recordings of the first two parts are available in the website. The link to the 3rd part is as below:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1oBSvdWFyFWY3J1W-CRQRaoE1HxvCqzNb

The ABC of SaReGaMa – part 1

Smt.Anusha Sreeram guiding her students during a chamber concert
Learning carnatic music becomes complete only when we know more about what we are learning. With that idea, I am trying to impart some theoretical knowledge to my students who learn carnatic violin from me. While I teach, I try to throw light on the insights of the classical music and also on the nuances of playing the violin. To impart many other aspects of music to my students I began recently to engage with them through group discussions on the aspects of violin and vocal music. I make sure opportunity is given to each student to show case their talent during the interactive sessions. The intention is to continue with these sessions on a monthly basis and try to educate them with whatever I have learnt from my own Gurus. This gives me an opportunity to learn as well – learning is a continuous process!
The first session was recorded and the recording is shared in the below link:
Any constructive feedback is welcome. The quality of the recording is a bit naive during the first session. It will be improved upon during the coming sessions.
Anusha Sreeram.

Saloon lessons

As I was offered a seat in a revolving chair one Wednesday early morning, I was reminded of my age-old working days in an IT company even as I was gazing at the mirror in front of me. The chair would have been high enough for a project manager to oversee his team leaders and team members working. But now I was alone and was about to be worked upon. ‘Hhhmmm’, began Chakrapani, the veteran old man,  trying to find his voice after gulping down a cup of coffee. ‘Kaapi saapidareengala aiya?’ he showed his hospitality as he would do every time I went to him. I politely refused his offer thinking if there was really enough left in the flask in his hand.

‘Mithuna raasi kaarargale’, beamed the astrologer in the television set who appears daily with a serene and smiling face raising the hopes of a million viewers perhaps, but with the same set of messages, yet carefully managing not to repeat the same on the following day. He also recommends a place of worship and a specific God to offer a puja for each astrological sign thereby raising the commercial prospects of the respective temples and their priests as well. ‘Tlick tlick’ went on the scissors in Chakrapani’s hand targeting the two month old beard that had spread wildly on my countenance. ‘Simha raasi kaarargale’, continued the astrologer after a commercial break filled with advertisements on undergarments during spiritual prime hours. Dropping his scissors suddenly and raising the TV volume with the remote, Chakrapani went in to a samadhi in with his eyes and ears wide open. When the astrologer harped on to wish the kanni raasikkaarargal, the TV’s volume was reduced a bit and Chakrapani’s went high. ‘Jayalalitha voda nakshatram thaan ennodathum – magam nakshatram simha rasi.

He then began his lessons on astrology to his only obedient student for the hour, who without much choice had to stay calm without any movement. The potential risk in being otherwise was too much. Chakrapani was one of the few hair dressers of the previous generation who partially met the requirements of vaidika customers, either in form only, or in function as well. Being in the form-er group, I was one of his regular clients. ‘Josyam theriyuma?’. I wondered how the daily repeated morning doses of astrology in various channels can make anybody an expert. All that one needs is patient and attentive hearing.  I said am not too much interested. ‘Enna raasi?’. ‘Kumba raasi’, I replied. ‘Poorattadhiya?’ he guessed my star with a masterly skill. ‘Romba nalla raasi. ithellaam pothu palan, kodiyila orutharukku thaan balikkum. avanga avanga jathakam eduthukittu poi kekkanum’. ‘nadakkarathu thaan nadakkum. Jnayitrukkizhamai varavendiya nee innaikku thaan vanthirukka. Innaikku thaan varanumnu vithichirukku. Yaaralayum maaththamudiyaathu’. He revealed his ideology of fatalism in life.

Finding a date for kshavaram is an arduous task for functional vaidikas. Even if one is a vaidika by form only, as I am, one has to be carefully away from the sight of other vaidikas as there is a chance of being confronted with expressions like ‘innaikku ashtami aache!’ etc when it is done on prohibited days. Sunday was a prathamai tithi and so I decided to go on Wednesday instead. But I had already informed Chakrapani that I would come on Sunday without verifying the tithi. Chakrapani had a good memory and he promptly quoted that as a testimony for his principle on fatalism in life. The Vedantin in me was rushing to talk about the individual will and a possibility to change one’s fate or karma with efforts but then he had a knife in his hand and I had a fear for my life in my mind.

‘Saami’ went on Chakrapani, ‘avanga avanga uzhaichu saapidanum. thaanam vaanga koodathu. namma uzhaichu aduthavangalukku kodukkanum. ithu thaan en kolgai vaazhkaila’. He recounted with pride how he had refused earlier two or three plates of food that was offered to him by autorickshaw drivers on the day or aruvathumoovar festival that just got over. Aruvathumoovar festival draws a huge crowd every year and leaves the roads badly crowded with half eaten food plates and crushed plastic cups with so many people eating to their capacity whatever is offered in the way. The auto drivers religiously collect money from their customers and feed the passers by with a sense of self-less (sponsored by others) social service. ‘Ethukku naan athai vaangi saapidanum. vendamnu sollitten. Naan uzhaichu paisa koduthu thaan saapiduven’. He then went on to criticize those people who subsisted on such offerings.

‘unga aalungale sai baba koil munnadi kothudathelaam vaangi saapidaraangale. nyayama? pillai kutti illayo illa ennnanu theriyala. irunthaalum ethukku antha maathiri seyyanum?’. This question slapped me on the face as I have always kept worrying about the growing number of old parents being left behind by their sons and daughters who proudly work for other countries and have settled down with colorful cards as their identities. Not all parents are fortunate enough to be capable of living on their own without stress though being supported financially. And there are others who earn and live in this country yet neglect their aged parents.

What is the community doing for this segment of people? The sight of an old Srivaishnavite, with bright urdhvapundram and clad in panchakacham, knocking the closed windows of cars and begging at the signals of C.P.Ramaswamy road on a daily basis brings restlessness in my mind. But then I distract myself with the thought about my helplessness to this bigger social evil that is staring at all of us! Well the problem could be on either sides – neglected kids go on to neglect their aged parents. What are we doing as a society to take care of the neglected elderly? Does every old person have the capability and vairagya like that of Chakrapani?

Dr. Sreeram Jaganathan