A. The author of both the works is Swami Desikar.
Thirucchinnams is a ceremonial mangala Vaadhyam used to announce Lord Varadarajas Porappadu for the utsavam and his progression through the routes of travel assigned for the utsavams. Swamy desikar spent his youth in teepul Kanchi and attended many utsavams of sri vardaraj perumal. He was thrilled to hear the naadam generated by the pair of Thirucchinams which served as an important purpose in the utsavam of the lord of Kanchi.
At one time Swamy desikar was pained to witness a dispute at Kanchi. The dispute cantered around the appropriateness of reciting the Divya Prabandham of the Alwars in front of Lord Vardaraja during his utsavams. The protesting groups objected to the non sacredness of the compositions of the alwars since a number of them were not born as Brahmins and averted that the Tamil Prabandhams did not have the same level of sacredness as that of Sanskrit Vedas.
Swamy Desikar volunteered to debate the protestors and won debating that the vedic doctrines, are the central topic of the works of the alwars. He quoted chapters and Vedas form the Sanskrit Vedas and Upanishads and related them to the works of the alwars. Lord Vardaraja was very pleased with the devotion and ordered through the acharyas that one of the thiruchinnams used in the utsavam should be presented to Swamy Desikar as sambhavanam reward for the service rendered.
When one hears the sound of the thirucchinnams at the temple utsavams one cannot help admire the majesty and the sacredness of the mangala vadhyam. When Swamy Desikar heard the naadam of the Thirucchinams at the vahana mantapams and the Raja veedhis of the Lord Vardaraja he was overcome with the sound and what it symbolized. That vaadhyaams through its high pitched notes announced the porapaadu and sancharam of the lord who is the object of description of the Ashtaksharam, Dhvayam and Charma Slokas. The naadyam of thiruchinnams reminded him of the arrival of the Lord, who is also the object of celebration by the arya Vedas and the tamil Vedas. It was a type of Hecheerikai to alert the Vardaraja Bhaktas to get ready to greet the Lord, the veda paathipaadhyam and to receive blessings. The association of the Naadams of thirucchinams with these blessed thoughts made Swamy Desikar compose a Tamil Prabhandam called thirucchinamalai. He thanked Lord vardaraja for honouring him with one of the two Thirucchinams and placed the new composition at the lotus feet of the lord of Hastigiri who is known for his affection for the sruthis of the alwars.
The first six paasurams of the prabhandam deal with the essence of Thirumantharam the seventh covers the meaning of dvaya and the 8th and 9th instruct us on the quintessence of Charma slokas. The 10th paasuram pays tribute to the vaibhavam of Lord Vardaraja. The final paasurams reveals that only those who discard carnal desires in favour of uninterrupted bhagvath bhakti can enjoy this delectable prabhandham.
Lord Vardaraja is the one who creates all the sentient and insentients through the power of his sankalpam alone. He is the one who created the Brahma Deva in the lotus that arose out of his naval. He is the one who transformed into the Panchabhutams, Bhumi , Jalam, agani, vaayu and aakasham and yet is not touched by their doshams. He is forever pure, one who accepts the kainkaryam offered by the nityasuris who are at his supreme abode, he is the one with exceptional beauty who churned the milky ocean and distributed the nectar to the devas. He is the one who protects the earth with his grace. He is the matchless vardaraja who grants all the boons that his devout bhaktas seek. This magnificent Vardaraja has now arrived in our midst, as indicated by the thirucchinam vadyams, so that we could enjoy him with our eyes here at Kanchipuram.
Lord Vardaraja is the supreme being, who protected the Vedas during the time of Maha Pralaya from destruction and performed upadesaham on them for Brahma deva during the time of Nimithika Srushti. He is the one who protected the Dharma Marga from destruction and took many avatarams to provide protection. He is never separated from Thayaar and stands as arthaswaroopa while his divine consort stays as sabda swaroopa. He is the Lord who blessed the Maharishis to create dharma sasthrams. Ithihasams and puranas as upabrahama nama to elaborate on the meaning and clarity of the Vedas. He is the benevolent krupa sagara who revealed bhakti yoga and prapathi yoga as a means of moksham through his shastrams Sharanagathi etc. Our lord of such Vaibhavam as a protector of veda dharma marga vaidhika has now arrived amidst us as inferred from the vadhams of the thirucchinams.
The third pasuram gives upanishadhic and sampradayam that has to be followed.
The fourth pasuram captures the meaning of nama shabdam in the astakshara mantram.
The fifth pasuram deals with the significance of Narayana shabdam Ulahallum ulle vaithu umizhandhar vandar.
The sixth pasuram deals with the naarayanaa shabdam.
The seventh pasuram deals with the glorious dwaya manthram which is like a staff during our wandering on the earth prior to reaching the supreme abode.
The eighth pasuram deals with charma sloka. The ninth pasuram is a glorious tribute to the lords avatarams as sri Krishna. The tenth pasuram expresses the gratitude to swamy desikar on the darshnam of Lord Vardaraja embodying the three srivaishnava rahasyas, moola manthram, dvaya mantram and charma sloka.
The eleventh paasuram is the phala shruti. Swamy desikar states that our poorva acharyas were intensely familiar with the essence of the meaning of the three rahasyas. He sang about those meanings in Thirucchinamalai and pronounced that the verses when sung would be like nectar in the samsara.
Nyasa Dasakam
This Hymn in 10 verses summarises the things to be done by one who surrenders himself to God. The word Nyasa is synonymous with prapati, sharanagati, nikshapa and tyaga, bharasamarpana etc. whole hearted surrender at the feet of the Lord is said to be more efficacious than bhakti (loving Devotion) One has to entrust his entire responsibility with the Lord through ones preceptor. This act is also figuratively described as the marriage between the individual soul and god. Effected by the preceptor.
Vedanta Desika brings out the important aspects of prapathi in this short hymn such as the five accessories of prapathi , the three types of tyaga called sattvika tyaga, Kartavikta tyaga ascribing all agency to god, mamta tyaga dedicating the act to the Lord alone and phala tyaga ascribing the fruit of the act also to the Lord etc. This hymn too was composed by Sri Desika reflecting his own surrender to Lord Vardaraja of Kanchi.
Myself, the responsibility of taking care of me and similarly the fruit of protecting me do not belong to me. They are all of the Lord of sri. Thinking in this manner the wise man should place himself at the feet of the Lord. Or sriman Narayana. I the helpless one am doing things favourable to you and avoiding others which are unfavourable to you. I am placing the burden of my protection with you. Preceded by prayer and great faith
The master of his own accord will place me in himself for his own sake through the awareness about him granted by himself. Me who am subservient under his control and free from all responsibility being his own burden.
O Consort of sri, gran tor of desired boons, I have surrendered to you. At the end of this body you yourself should lead me to your feet.
Make me your eternal servant with mind firm in being your subordinate with the sole purpose of attaining you and as devoid of doing acts which are forbidden and which are calculated to yield desired results.
O bhagavan please engage me always in flawless services to you who are always accompanied by consort, ornaments and weapons.
O varada you yourself accept me and all that belongs to me. Consisting of the sentient and non sentient as tools of your own service.
O abode of compassion I am to be protected by you alone so you yourself should wipe out my past sins and prevent me from committing further sins.
O Divine Lord remover of the distress of those who bow down forgiving every thing, my doing things forbidden and not doing things ought to be done.
The consort of sri has himself made me entrust the responsibility of protecting me to himself with the five prescribed accessories and there fore here in this world I am absolutely free from all burden.
The Nyasa dasakam is the only work of Sri Vedanta Desikam where he has not put a signature in the work. This clearly goes to prove that he has surrendered himself to the lord and what benefit or name should he call his own work. This magnificent surrender is proof enough that this great work can belong to sri Vedanta desikar.
Both the Thirucchinamalai and Nyasa Dasakam clearly spell out the independence of the Paramathma and the dependence of the Jivathma.
It is by the grace of the Paramathma that one i.e. Jivathma attains the lotus feet of the Paramathma.
Both the works are as if Sri Vedanta Desikar is in constant dialogue with Lord Vardaraja and both clearly go to prove the immense love and affection Sri Vedanta Desikar has to LordVardaraja.
Truly marvellous works he seems to enjoy every thing connected with the Lord. And his love for the lord goes to such extent that he ultimately surrenders at the lotus feet giving up every thing with no thought of what has to happen to him. Yes he has surrendered completely that there is no need for thought any more. Blessed are we who are able to even read these works.
