Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Dikshitendra Navaratnamalika of Mahamahopadhyaya, Sri Mannargudi Raju Sastrigal.

Dikshitendra Navaratnamalika of Mahamahopadhyaya, Sri Mannargudi Raju Sastrigal.

This is a wonderful Stotra on Dikshitendra by one of His own illustrious descendants, Sri Tyagaraja Dikshitar or Mannargudi Raju Sastrigal, reverently referred to as Mannargudi Periyava. 

Sri Raju Sastrigal was a Nityagnohotri and a great scholar of the Vedas, Shrautam and the Sastras. He has described the intellectual prowess of Dikshitendra in this Stotra. Here is a summary of the contents of Dikshitendra Navaratnamalika:

Shloka 1: The greatness of His works 

Shloka 2: His repute as a Mimamsaka-murdhanya (foremost among the philosophers of Purva Mimamsa Sastra), and in attacking Madhvacharya's philosophy.

Shloka 3: An allusion to the Maharashtrian Sannyasi who came seeking for Dikshitendra from a distant land and implored Him to contribute to Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada's school of Vedanta. The greatness of Dikshitendra's commentaries in Advaita-- Nyayarakshamani and Kalpataru Parimala, as muktiprada-granthas. His contribution to the Sri Vaishnava school of Vedanta by writing a commentary on the Brahmasutras purely from the view of Vishishtadvaita Vedanta.

Shloka 4: Dikshitendra's writing a commentary on the Brahmasutras purely from the view of Dvaita Vedanta in spite of Him being a staunch Advaitin who laboured hard to defend Shankaracharya's philosophy from the Madhva attacks.

Shloka 5: A fervent prayer to Dikshitendra to save oneself from Samsara.

Shloka 6: His treatment of Srikanthacharya's school of Sivadvaita Vedanta

Shloka 7: Scholars' praise for Dikshitendra as a Sarvajna, and the blessings received by Sri Nilakantha Dikshitar from Him.

Shloka 8: Dikshitendra's great accomplishments during His Avatara such as-- the composition of a hundred works, observance of Nityagnihotram, and others.

Shloka 9: The importance of expressing gratitude towards Dikshitendra who protected the path of Siva-bhakti just as Sri Shankara Bhagavatpada protected the path of Advaita Vedanta.

Shloka 10: Phalastuti.

No comments:

Post a Comment