I am blessed to begin this blog series on Sri Varadarajastava, a set of Sanskrit poems composed by the renowned poet scholar Sri. Appayya Dikshita of the 16th century CE. I am blessed to know Dr. H.V. Nagaraja Rao of Mysore, a remarkable scholar who can speak in Sanskrit, English and Kannada on any topic of Indian culture and Sanskrit literature. His translation into Kannada of the Sri Varadaraja Stava was published in 1997 by Sudharma Prakashana, Mysore.
I have just taken permission from Dr. H. V. Nagaraja rao for doing this translation into English..
In every post, I intend to reproduce the original in Kannada as displayed below and give my English translation along with some Sanskrit grammar notes.
This is an act of piety for me towards Kanchi Sri Varadarajaswami, Mysore, and Dr. H.V. Nagaraja Rao. I seek all blessings.
Whatever follows is a translation of the Kannada book.
Introduction
To read the Kannada text, click here (it will open in a separate window).
From this point, I shall use diacritical marks to avoid ambiguity.
Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita
Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita was a "Mahā-Puruṣa", a renowned scholar revered and honoured by many kings and pundits for his expert commentaries, exalted poetic works, and indisputable mastery of the scriptures. He lived in the latter half of the 16th century CE. Born under the Bhaāradvāja Gotra to Śrī Raṅgarājadhvarī, he was hailed even as an "incarnation of Bhagavān Śiva" by many. Śrī Nīlakaṅṭha Dīkṣita, a later descendant of the same family, mentions this specifically in his work, "Nīlakaṅṭhavijaya Campū" :
श्रीकण्ठोऽवततार यस्य वपुषा कल्यात्मनेवाच्युतः ।
श्रीमानप्पयदीक्षितः स जयति श्रीकण्ठविद्यागुरुः ॥
T: "The infallible Bhagavān Śiva (the blue-necked one) incarnated physically as Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita in Kali Yuga, whom I hail here as my Vidyā-Guru (spiritual preceptor)."
Solid evidence exists that Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita was provided patronage and protection by the feudal chief Cennabomma who served under the king Venkatapatirāya (when Vijayanagara line was in decline).
Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita's Works
Apparently,Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita lived for 72 years. He has himself stated in one of his poems,
चिदम्बरमिदं पुरं प्रथितमेव पुण्यस्थलम्
सुताश्च विनयोज्ज्वलाः सुकृतयश्च कास्चित् कृताः ।
वयांसि मम सप्ततेरुपरि नैव भोगे स्पृहा
न किञ्चिदहमर्थये शिवपदं दिदृक्षे परम् ॥
T: "This is the well-known holy centre, Cidambaram, and I am bestowed with sons who are well-mannered and bright, having done good works themsleves. At my age beyond seventy years, I have no attraction for worldly pleasures, and having obtained the vision of the supreme feet of Bhagavān Śiva, I ask for nothing more."
His brother's grandson Nīlakaṅṭha Dīkṣita in his work, "Śiva-līlārṇava" - a major work, states, " द्वा सप्ततिं प्राप्य समाः सम्बन्धान् शतं व्यधादप्पय्यदीक्षितेन्द्रः T: "By his ripe age of seventy-two years, the glorious scholar Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita had composed more than a hundred works." It is thus beyond dispute that Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita was a profound scholar and author of over a hundred distinguished works. By virtue of his incomparable scholarship in Vedānta, Mīmāmsa, Alaṅkāra, Vyākaraṇa and other areas, he was victorious in many scholarly debates. Indeed, scholars all over the country vied with one another to claim his acquaintance and his tutelage. This has been stated in "Śiva-līlārṇava" (first sarga) by Nīlakaṅṭha Dīkṣita:
यं विद्म इति यद्ग्रन्थानभ्यस्यामोऽखिलानिति।
यस्य शिष्याः स्म इति च विकत्थन्ते विपश्चितः ॥
T; "Scholars pride themselves on knowing Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita and as having studied all his works as his students."
We notice in the concluding Puṣpikās of Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita's works and also other works of Nīlakaṅṭha Dīkṣita that he had authored over a hundred works. His principal works were:
- In Alaṅkāra Śāstra: Kuvalayānanda, Citramīmāmsa, and Vṛttivārttika.
- In Vedānta: Kalpataruparimala, Siddhāntaleśa Saṅgraha, Nayamanjari, and Nyāyarakṣāmaṅi.
- in Mīmāmsa: Vidhirasāyana.
- In Śaiva Siddhānta: Śivārkamaṇidīpikā.
- In Vyākaraṇa: Vādanakṣtramālā.
Apart from these, he has composed many stotras and commentaries. His commentary on Vedānta Deśika's Yādavābhyudaya is scholarly and emotive. Indeed, the ability to understand Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita's works has been the acid test to distinguish a scholar from an ignoramus. This was stated by Bhaṭṭojī Dīkṣita:
अप्पय्यदीक्षितेन्द्रान् अशेषविद्यागुरुनहं वन्दे।
यत्कृतिबोधबोधौ विद्वदविद्वद् विभाजकोपाधी ॥
T: "I bow down to the great scholar and teacher of exhaustive knowledge, Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita. Indeed, the way one was able to study and absorb his works was a distinguishing test to separate the scholars from non-scholars."
Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita was a follower of Advaita and had equal reverence for both Śiva and Viṣṇu. There was no room for debate on who was greater- Śiva or Viṣṇu - in his mind.
विष्णोर्वा शङ्करो व श्रुतिशिखरगिरामस्तु तात्पर्यभूमिः ।
नास्माकं तत्र वादः प्रसरति किमपि स्पष्टमद्वैतभाजाम् ॥
T: 'For us true Advaitins, there arises no argument as to who is greater - Viṣṇu or Śiva, as our decisive reference is the loftiest aphorisms of Vedānta." (ref.: Śivārkamaṇidīpikā).
वरदराजस्त्वः Varadarajastava
The city of Kāñcī is one of the most ancient of Indian cities and a centre ofBhāratīya culture. On the bank of Vegavatī (Vaigai) river, this city is in Tamil Nadu. Several Tamil works centre around Kāñcī. Once the capital of Pallavas, this city is the abode (great temples) of Śiva (Ekāmreśvara), Viṣṇu (Varadarāja), and Śakti (Kāmākṣī) . Being the headquarters of the Kanchi Kamakoti Peetham, it is a centre of pilgrimage and education. Even today, thousands throng to Kāñcī for a Darshan of Śrī Varadarāja Svāmī. Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita has composed a hundred verses in Vasantatilaka metre to extol Śrī Varadarāja Svāmī and thus received unstinted grace from the Lord for his work.
The language of this Stotra is lucid and full of literary adornments. Nevertheless, some of the verses contain abstruse Vedāntic concepts that challenge the understanding of even scholars. Perhaps for this reason, Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita has himself offered an explanatory commentary on this work.
The verses of Varadarājastava have been referenced in his works, Vṛttivārttika and Kuvalayānanda. Hence this work preceded them perhaps. It is plausible that the commentary, with quotes from Kuvalayānanda, was written much later than the original poetic work. The various discussions on Alaṅkāra Śāstra (a specific branch of learning in Saṃskṛta syntax and poetic adornments) showcase Śrī Appayya Dīkṣita's mastery of these subjects.
This book (Dr H.V. Nagaraja Rao's translation) has been written to enable Kannada speakers to appreciate its lucidity, poetic beauty and lofty content and thereby worship Lord Varadarāja with devotion and receive the Lord's grace. Hence, even the Saṃskṛta verses have been printed in Kannada script. We hope great devotees will welcome this work.
Yours deferentially,
H. V. Nagaraja Rao
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