Friday, September 22, 2023

Appaya dikshitar's last days

Courtesy: https://krishnaseshadri.wordpress.com/2023/09/20/merging-into-the-pada-padma/


Sri #AppayyaDikshitar was spending his last days in #chidambaram getting a daily darshan of ananda #nataraja. He sensed that his end was near. His family was near him and in particular his brothers grandson the 12 year old nilakanta (to be the famous nilakanta deekshita). To his family who ask him share his thoughts he says:

The city of chidambaram is a famous holy place

चिदंबरमिदं पुरं प्रथिमेव पुण्य स्थलं

You my children shine forth with your humility

सुतश्च विनायोज्वला: 

I too have rendered a few good works

सुकृतश्च कृतश्च कश्चित् कृताः।

My age is over seventy

वयांसि मम सप्तेरुपरि

I have no desire for (worldly) pleasures

नैव भोगे स्पृहा

I ask for nothing else

न किञ्चिदहमर्थये 

(except) to see the feet of the supreme shiva

शिवपदं दिदृक्षे पदं।।

Following this he breaks out in to this last shloka

Manifest is the lotus feet (that dances in the) golden sabha

आभाति हाटकसभानटपादपद्म

in its efflugence it has risen like the sun in my mind

ज्योतिर्मयो मनसि मे तरुणारुणोऽयम्।

And he speaks no more

The 12 year old nilakanta understands the experience of his grandfather and adds two lines to complete the shloka

Definitely this night that is samsara with the pishachas of birth old age suffering and death has ended because the sun has risen

नूनं जरामरणघोरपिशाचकीर्णा

संसार मोहरजनी वार्तां प्रयाता ।।

It is said that as this unfolded on that chitra pournami day the #deekshitars at the chit sabha saw a vision of sri appayya deekshitar walk up the #panchakshara steps enter the sanctum and merge with #nataraja

No comments:

Post a Comment