Swamy Deshikan and the eight languages he knew !!!

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Swamy Deshikan Thiruvadigale Sharanam !!!

 

It has been quoted many times that Swamy Deshikan composed Stotrams,

Kavyams, Rahasyams, Prabandhams etc in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Tamil. But, it

is a lesser known fact that he knew more languages than this. In fact Swamy

Deshikan knew eight languages !!! They are -

 

Sanskrita

Prakrita

Tamizh

Mahaaraashtri

Maagadhi

Shuraseni

Laata

Gauda

 

Swamy Deshikan himself mentions this in the second act of his allegorical

drama "Sankalpa Suryodayam".

Swamy Deshikan weaves himself into the role of "Shishya" and Bhagavad

Ramanuja into the role of "Guru" in the second act of this drama.

 

Quote -

" shiShyaH - bhagavAn ! itaH prasAryatAm druShtiH -

mahArAStrIm, mAgadhIm, shaurasenIm, lATIm, gauDImitthamanyAdRushIm cha |

angIkurvantyAgamIkrutya dattAm hAsyAm bhAShAm hanta buddhArhadAdyaiH ||

 

aham tvasheShabhAShAvedI tattadabhyastabhAShyApi

tArkikAnetAnpratikShepsyAmi |

vadanti hi pishAchAnAm pishAchabhAShayaivottaram deyAmiti | "

 

(Free translation)

Shishya (addressing Ramanuja) - Bhagavan ! Could you kindly shed your divine

glance here,

Having accepted Mahaaraashtri, Maagadhi, Shuraseni, Laata, Gauda and other

languages, they have authored their shastraic works.

I, who is a knower of all these langauges, shall deal with them in their own

language and shall befittingly refute their philosophies, just as they say

'Speak to a demon in its own language'.

 

Sri Prativadi Bhayankaram Annan, who composed the famous 'Saptati ratna

maalika' on Swamy Deshikan glorifies Swamy Deshikan's mastery over languages

in the 44th shlokam.

He says -

" ananyasAdhAraNachAturI cha kAvyAdiShu brahmavidagraNItvam |

tathAShTabhAShAkavitApaTutvam sankalpasUryodayadRushyamasya || "

 

" Swamy Deshikan the possessor of unmatched poetic intellect and the

greatest Brahmavit (knower of Brahman). His mastery over eight languages

could well be seen in the scene from his sankalpa suryodayam"

 

jayathi nigamachUdAdhEshikedhro dayALuh

jayathi sumathisEvyA shobhanA thasya sUkthih |

jayathi shubhaguNam tham shIlayan sUrisamghO

jayathi vasumathI sA thasya samchAraDhanyA ||

(shlokam - 165 of Vedanta Deshika Vaibhava Prakashika - by Chandamarutam

Doddayacharya)

 

vAzhi vyAkhyAmuddirak kai !!!