SrI:
SrImathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namah:
SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |
vedAntAcArya-varyo me sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

May the glorious Venkatanatha, the greatest of teachers of Vedanta, and the
lion among poets and debaters, reside forever in my heart.

Dearest Srivaishnavas,
Let us continue to enjoy other granthas of Swamy Desikan in summary form:

Swamy Desikan has offered us 24 works in maNipravAlam, a sweet blend of
Tamil and Sanskrit. The 23rd work is Saarasaara which is an epitome of
Srimad Rahasyatrayasaaram.
RAHASYATRAYASAARAM: (24th work)

Sri Vedanta Desikan has written 32 Rahasyas, which contain the teachings of
the Upanishads about the Tattva, Hita and Purushaartha. Rahasyatrayasaara is
for the benefit of those who are not able to study the Vedic texts directly.

There is a rule in the saasthras that some ideas that are communicated to
all in public should be taught to those interested in them in private.
Hence, they are called Rahasyas and they have to be learnt from Acharyas.
Twenty eight of them are given the name of ChiilaRai Rahasyam; four are
Major Rahaysas namely Atthigiri MahAthmyam, Paramatha Bangam,
ParamapadasOpAnam and Rahasyatrayasaram. The last is the magnum opus among
the Rahasyas of Sri Vedanta Desikan.

Rahaysatraya is mainly intended by the Acharya to offer an elaborate
treatment of the three Rahasyas (moola manthra, Dwayam and Charama slOkam).
This work contains 32 chapters called AdhikAras. The number 32 is suggestive
of this work playing the role of 32 Brahma vidyas of the Upanishads. Every
chapter begins with a Sanskrit sloka on the matter treated in it followed by
its expansion in maNipravALam. A stanza in Tamil and a sloka in Sanskrit
mark the concluding portion of each chapter. The Acharya offers evidences
from Sanskrit sources to be followed by those from the AzhwAr’s prabandhas
in support of his arguments for and against certain problems. The passages
from the works of earlier Acharyas are frequently cited. It is needless to
remark that the Acharya has no equal through this work, not to speak of his
contributions made in other works on Sri vaishnavism.

Please refer to Sri Anbil Ramaswamy Swamin’s summary on Srimad
Rahasyatrayasaaram in Swamy Vedanta Desika web page
(http://swamydesika.tripod.com/srts.html#top )

I would like to reproduce what Prof. A Srinivasaraghavachariar writes about
this magnum opus in his book on The Life and works of Sri Vedantha Desika.

There is a chapter Guruparampara saram by name which is at the beginning,
separately as a prelude. It gives the succession of Acharyas which begins
with Paramaathman Sriman Narayanan as the first Acharyan. After giving the
names of Several Acharyas and their works, it edns with Sri Ramanuja who had
five Acharyas of whom Sri MahapoorNar (Periya Nambhi) is the one who
performed Pancha samskaaram to Sri Ramanjuar. There are four Acharyas in the
middle between Sri Ramanjua (1017- 1137) and Swamy Desikan (1268-1369)

This rahasya is classified into four heads:

1.Artha anusasana bhaga (Chapters 1 to 22) deals with the teaching of chief
doctrines
2.Sthireekara bhaga (Chapters 23 to 26) deals with the establishement of the
system of clarifying doubts and disputed points.
3.Padavakya yojana Bhaga (Chapter 27 to 29) deals with the interpretations
of the meaning of the three rahasyas in details.
4.Sampradya prakriya (Chapters 30 to 32) deals with the path of Spiritual
traditions.

1.Artha anusasana bhaga (chapter 1 to 22) is divided into three heads:

a. Tatva (chapters 1 to 6)
b. Hita (Chapters 7 to 12)
c. Purushartham (Chapters 13 to 22)

Tatva: The first two chapters are introductory. The hritage of the Jivaathma
and how he lost it, a parable how a prince became a huntsman and his rescue
by his acharyas, the determination of the greatness of the three mantras as
the best spiritual literature, the essence of what all should be known from
various ancient sources of knowledge. That there are countless matters to be
known need not defer our aspirant from losing hopes for futurity and that
the three rahasyas are alone to be known is stresses in the 2nd chapter.

Chapter 3 deals with the most important doctrine of Visishtadvaita. The
fourth chapter contains the treatment of arthapanchakam i.e the five things
to be learnt. The soul, matter and God constituting the Tattvatraya are
treated in fifth chapter. The truth about the Supreme Sriman Narayanan is
proved excellently in the sixth chapter.

Hita: Man should feel that he must get freedom from bondage i.e. the longing
for emancipation. This is explained in Chapter 7. It is necessary to
classify the qualified persons. This is mentioned in chapter 8. The ninth
chapter discusses the methods available for obtaining final release. Chapter
10 deals with the fitness of Self-surrender. The classification of its (self
surrender) accessories are given in Chapter 11 and in Chapter 12, observance
of self –surrender and accessories are dealt with.

Purushaartham: Chapter 13 deals with the one who has followed the
injunction. The recognition of the merits of the person in the proper stage
is dealt with in Chapter 14. Chapter 15 deals with the duties in the Post
prapatti (Self surrender) period. Our final goal and its extent form the
matter of Chapter 16. Chapter 17 deals with the scriptural ordinances and
Chapter 18 expiation for offenses. Chapter 19 deals with the suitable places
of residence. The categorical statement that a holy place is only that where
people repeat Sriman Narayana’s names and talk of and listen to the
narrations of Him is stressed here. The Chapter 20 describes the departure
of soul from the body and Chapter 21 the prescribed route. Full experience
of Bliss of Brahman is furnished in chapter 22.

Sthireekara Bhaga- (Chapters 23 to 26): Ch 22 and 24 contain a very
elaborate discussion on Brahman’s note in adopting the path of Self
surrender. These two chapters give the determination of the means already
existent and the determination of the means to be adopted. Restriction in
the power of means and the confirmation of powers are indicated in Ch 25
i.e. great status of one who has surrendered himself to the Almighty and to
hold the means in all stability.

Padavakya Yojana Bagha- (Chapters 27 to 29) The three rahasyas (moola
manthra, Dwaya and Charama sloka) receive a very detailed exposition in
these three chapters respectively.

Samparadya Parikriyaa- (Chapters 30 to 32) Chapter 30 deals with the Acharya
and his duties.
Chapter 31 – disciple and his duties and Chapter 32 is Conclusion.

A study of this Rahasya will equip a person with complete knowledge for
leading religious life here and attainment of Bliss hereafter.

The 25th work Guruparamaparsaaram stresses on the value of reciting the line
of preceptors. VirOdhaparihaaram, the 26th work clarifies the objections
that are likely to be raised against the Rahasyatrayasaram. Swamy imagined
what all could be thought of by us :-) and answered each and every doubt
that could occur in our minds.

Among the works of Manipravala kind, mention must be made of commentaries on
Yamunacharya’s SthOthra Rathnam. There is a commentary is called “anjali
vaibhavam”, which conveys the power of anjali (folding the palms together by
way of reverence particularly to God). The other commentary is called
munivAhanabhOgam, meaning enjoyment of him who had a muni (Saarangamuni) as
his vehicle. This refers to ThiruppANAzhwAr who was carried by an eminent
Brahmin called Lokasaarangamuni. The third commentary is known as
Madhurakavihrudhayam, on the dacad composed by Madhurakavi AzhwAr on
NammAzhwAr and this is not extant.

It is also said that Acharya wrote the NigamaparimaLa a commentary on
ThiruvAymozhi which is not extant.
HASTHIGIRI MAHATHMYAM: Hasthigiri Mahathmyam deals with the Greatness of
Lord Varadarajan (PeraruLALan) of Kanchi known as Sathyavratha kshEthra in
the Brahmanda Puranam. It is a unique composition of Sri Vedantha Desika
which is in the form of a musical episode about which he himself writes- it
is to be sung for the delectation of devout souls with emotion and sympathy.
Keeping time with cymbols in hands (Bhava, Ragha, and Taala) as laid down in
Bharatha Saasthra. Brahma (Four faced Brahma) the world creator wanted to
aswamEdha yaagam (Horse sacrifice) in order to realize God and meditate upon
Him. A divine voice advised him to choose the elphant hill (Hasthigiri) the
holiest of shrines for the altar and he acted upon it.

Lord Varadarajan appeared (rose) from the altar as a Blue hued fire and
accepted all the sacrificial oblations of Brahma and blessed him. Brahma
prayed that lord should continue to stay in the same form for all time to
come to bless the humanity. The fundamental tenet of Srivaishnavism that
Bhagawan Narayana is the Supreme deity to be worshipped as the Greatest
means and the Goal. Sri
Desikan gave it the name Meiviradhamaanmiyam which is also named
Sathyavratha KshEthra mahathmyam in colophon.


Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam
Regards
Namo narayana
dAsan
kavi-tArkika-simhAya kalyANa-guNa-SAline |
Srimate venkateSAya vedAntagurave namaH ||

Salutations to Sri Venkatesa, in whom all perfections reside, who is the
teacher of Vedanta and the lion among poets and debaters

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