 |
| Srimad Appayya Dikshitar |
The honorific term Dikshitendra, without any adjective, connoted Sri Appayya Dikshitar only and none else. After Sri Sankara, the world has not seen a genius - a Yogi, Bhakta and scholar like Sri Appayya. We find the following quotation in Sivarahasya in support of the statement that Sri Sankaracharya was an incarnation of Lord Siva:
चतुर्भि: सह शिस्यैस्तु शंकरोऽवतरिष्यति
Chaturbhi Saha Sishyaisthu Sankarovatarishyati.
(With four disciples Sri Sankara will incarnate).
Even so, in the case of Dikshitar also, we find in the same scriptural text:
दीक्षितोपि भवेत कशचितच शैवसछानदोगयावंसज
(With four disciples Sri Sankara will incarnate).
Even so, in the case of Dikshitar also, we find in the same scriptural text:
दीक्षितोपि भवेत कशचितच शैवसछानदोगयावंसज
Dikshitopi Bhavet Kashchitch Chaivaschandogyavamsaja.
No one has expounded Sri Sankara’s philosophy so correctly and with the same force and emphasis as Sri Appayya has done. Sri Appayya has fully conveyed to the readers the thoughts of Sri Sankara in his inexhaustible commentaries on the Brahma Sutras and other Advaitic texts. Those who study Appayya Dikshitar’s works in their original Sanskrit version will agree with this statement. Appayya Dikshitar held an impartial view on other religions and philosophies.
Appayya was very intelligent. He was a master logician. He was well-versed in grammar, metaphysics and other sciences. He was a master in all branches of learning. His exposition of Vedanta was unique. He cleared the doubts of all. His name and fame spread far and wide. The Rajas of Thanjavur, Kalahasti and Tirupati invited him. He was offered “Kanakabhisheka” by Chinnabomma, Raja of Vellore and was honored with the unique epithet Dikshitendra and is considered to have been an incarnation of Lord Siva.
Appayya was very intelligent. He was a master logician. He was well-versed in grammar, metaphysics and other sciences. He was a master in all branches of learning. His exposition of Vedanta was unique. He cleared the doubts of all. His name and fame spread far and wide. The Rajas of Thanjavur, Kalahasti and Tirupati invited him. He was offered “Kanakabhisheka” by Chinnabomma, Raja of Vellore and was honored with the unique epithet Dikshitendra and is considered to have been an incarnation of Lord Siva.
Works of Appayya Dikshitar
Appayya Dikshitar is the author of more than a hundred and four works, representative of all branches of knowledge in the Sanskrit language and literature. All the schools of vedanta have drawn unique and unrivalled authority and support from his works.
Some of his most famous works are Shivarka manidipika, Nyayarakshamani, Siddhanta leshasangraha, Parimala, Chaturmata sarasangraha, Yadavabhyudaya vyakhya, Varadarajastava and Kuvalayananda. His stotras are simple, popular and effective, for example, Margabandhu stotram, Durgachandrakala stuti, Apitakuchamba stava, Harihara abheda stuti. Other works include Sadhana Panchaka and Sviarkamani Dipika.
Some of his most famous works are Shivarka manidipika, Nyayarakshamani, Siddhanta leshasangraha, Parimala, Chaturmata sarasangraha, Yadavabhyudaya vyakhya, Varadarajastava and Kuvalayananda. His stotras are simple, popular and effective, for example, Margabandhu stotram, Durgachandrakala stuti, Apitakuchamba stava, Harihara abheda stuti. Other works include Sadhana Panchaka and Sviarkamani Dipika.
Appayya on Education (विद्या)
अक्षराणि परीक्ष्यंतामंबराडंबरेण किं ।
शंभुरंबरहीनोपि सर्वज्ञः किं न कथ्यते ॥
Translation: Let us examine the education (wisdom) of a person. What good are the clothes and ornaments? Isn't Lord Shiva known to be Sarvajna (Omniscient or know-all) in spite of not wearing any clothes?
Agni in his right hand
Chinnabomma, Raja of Vellore, invited Appayya and Acchan Dikshitar to his capital after the death of Rangaraja, who was the Chief Pundit of the State. Srinivasa Thathachari, the Dewan, had great dislike for the worshippers of Lord Siva. He censured the devotees of Lord Siva. Appayya praised the Siva Lilas and the glory of Lord Siva. Thathachari was jealous of Appayya and told the king one day that Appayya was disrespectful to the devotees who came to him and he was blessing them with his left hand! The King asked Appayya when he came to the court next day, what was the reason?
Appayya told to bring one portrait of the king and when it was brought, he blessed it with his right hand. The portrait caught fire and was burnt immediately. Then, Appayya explained: I have always been meditating on Siva within my Heart, by keeping my right palm on my chest. Siva is Effulgence and so the right palm had gained the heat of my penance and meditation. "When I bless someone with my right palm, they get burnt with that heat, if they are not spiritually mature." The king understood the implication and kept quiet without any further discussion.
Prarabda
Once when king Chinnabomma visited Appayya, he was suffering from high fever. Appayya transferred his disease to a deer-skin asana and it commenced to shiver with fever. Appayya then explained.. disease and suffering are unavoidable for all who took birth due to prarabda. Whenever required, I transfer my fever to this deer skin and do my job and take it back later. Raja pleaded with Dikshitar to take medical treatment but he turned down and said prarabda should be experienced. Raja was struck with intense amazement on the tapas of Appayya.
Sivaswarupa
Once Appayya’s wife, admirers and pupils requested him to show his real Svarupa. Appayya agreed. He sat on Siddhasana and entered into Samadhi suddenly. A lustrous Purusha, Lord Siva Himself, rose from the body of Appayya. He was adorned with Rudraksha and Vibhuti and bore various divine weapons.
Temple and Pilgrimage
Appayya constructed a temple in Adayapalam and installed Kalakanteswara for his daily worship. He went on a pilgrimage and visited Nandi Hills, Madhyarjuna, Panchanadam (Thiruvaiyaru), Madurai, Rameswaram, Sivagangai, Jambukeswaram, Srirangam, Swetharanyam, Kancheepuram, Kashi, Vedaranyam, Mathrubhuteswaram, Chidambaram, Viruddhachalam, Tiruvannamalai, Virinchipuram and other places.
Sivasayujyam
Sri Appayya spent his last days at Chidambaram. Living in 'Gnanaprakasa' ashram, Thiruvalangadu at Kutthalam near Mayiladuthurai, he came every day for Nataraja’s dharsan. He was seventy three years when he left his mortal coil. A story handed over by tradition among the Dikshitars of the temple of Nataraja, that on Chaitra Purnima day of the Margasirsha month, Appayya was seen to pass over the Panchakshara steps rather unusually and to the wonder of the spectators, to vanish into the idol of Lord Nataraja. The news was soon abroad that Sri Dikshita has passed away at his residence. Appayya attained oneness with Lord Nataraja of Chidambaram.
The last words of Sri Dikshitar are remembered in the form of a verse:
“I am happy to die at Chidambaram which is a most holy place. My sons are learned and cultured. They have done some scholarly work. I am full of years and have no desires to be fulfilled. My only wish is to reach the lotus feet of Lord Shiva.”
Immediately the vision of the ruddy light of the raised foot of Nataraja dancing in the golden hall rose before his mental eye and while he described the wonder with gushing joy in a half verse his eyes closed.
His sons completed the unfinished verse declaring:
"The great soul reached the final beatitude at the conclusion of the teeming darkness of the night of samsara infested with frightful nightmares".
The Pancha Sivalingas worshiped by Appayya Dikshitar along with his famous works was inherited by his great grandson Sri Neelakanda Diskshitar.
“I am happy to die at Chidambaram which is a most holy place. My sons are learned and cultured. They have done some scholarly work. I am full of years and have no desires to be fulfilled. My only wish is to reach the lotus feet of Lord Shiva.”
Immediately the vision of the ruddy light of the raised foot of Nataraja dancing in the golden hall rose before his mental eye and while he described the wonder with gushing joy in a half verse his eyes closed.
His sons completed the unfinished verse declaring:
"The great soul reached the final beatitude at the conclusion of the teeming darkness of the night of samsara infested with frightful nightmares".
The Pancha Sivalingas worshiped by Appayya Dikshitar along with his famous works was inherited by his great grandson Sri Neelakanda Diskshitar.
Appayya’s contemporaries
Sri Ratnaketa Dikshitar, Sarva Bhauma Kavi, Thathacharya, Samarapungava Dikshitar, Narasimhaswami, Doddayacharya, Vijayeendra, Vyasa Bhatta, Parasara Bhatta, Varanandi, Bhattoji, Nilakanta Dikshitar (grandson of Appayya’s brother), Guru Rama Kavi, Govinda Dikshitar, Narayana Adhwari, Rajachudamani Dikshitar, Atiratra Yajva, Veeraraghava or Balakavi, Girvana Yogindra (Mantra Guru of Nilakanta Dikshitar), Venkateswara Makhi, etc., were all contemporaries of Appayya.
Forthcoming posts: Atmarpanastuti - An Introduction, followed by Atmarpanastuti (50 slokas), will be organized into one verse per post in Devanagiri with transliteration and meaning in Tamil and English.
Forthcoming posts: Atmarpanastuti - An Introduction, followed by Atmarpanastuti (50 slokas), will be organized into one verse per post in Devanagiri with transliteration and meaning in Tamil and English.
http://www.sivanandaonline.org
http://www.kamakoti.org
http://www.shaivam.org
http://www.arunachala-ramana.org
http://www.karnatik.com
No comments:
Post a Comment