Paramaarttha sthuthi is a sthOthra in ten slokas on Lord Vijayaraghavan in  the shrine, Thirupputkuzhi by name. It is very near Kanchipuram. Thirumangai AzhwAr refers to this Lord by name of pOr eRu in Tamil, pOr- war; yERu- the best of valorous. Swamy Desikan translates the name used by AzhwAr in Sanskrit addressing the Lord as raNa pungava, Aahava pungava, and Samara pungava. raNa, Aahava and Samara are synonymns for the war and pungava means valorous. The shrine takes its name from the tank there [puL- bird; kuzhi- tank]. There is a small shrine for jataayu – the eagle – on the eastern bank
of the tank.

It is stated that Sri Rama in his archaa incarnation as Vijaya raghavan, bathed in the Jataayu pushkariNI [jatatu lotus pond] and performed the funeral obsequies for Jataayu, who did great service {kaimkaryam) to Sri Rama even at the expense of his own life in his efforts to rescue SitA from the hands of Ravana. When Jatayu fell down in a helpless mood while Ravana cut Jayaatyu’s both wings, SitA immediately rushed and passed her soothing hand over the wounds in his body which was a tremendous relief to Jataayu. Valmiki uses the words “parishvajya janakaathmajaa- SitA embraced Jataayu considering that he was her own father Janaka and that she was his (Jataayu’s) daughter.

Accoding to Vaalmeeki Ramayana, this episode takes place in Panchavadi. Sri Rama , realizing the dedicated service of Jataayu, bathes in GodhAvari and performs the funeral obsequies to the dead bird as a son would do for his deceased father. Even Dasaratha the real father of Rama did not have the fortune of the funeral obsequies being performed by Rama as he was not there beside Dasaratha, when Dasaratha died. In Vaishnavite parlance, Jataayu is designated as Periya Udayaar [the greater parent].

Having all this in mind, Swamy Desika writes this sthOthra. In Sloka 7, - if a person turns his face away from the four Purushaartthas [dharma, arttha, kaama, mOksha], dedicates his life in the service to the Lord, he becomes the recipient of all fruits. Jataayu the eagle is an example of this.

avadheerya chathur vidham pumarttham bhavadharThE viniyuktha jeevitha: san |
labjhathE bavatha: phalaani janthu: nikhilAnyathra nidharsanam jataayu: ||

Jataayu lived in Panchavatee looking after the comforts of Sri Rama and Sri Sita and served them at the cost of his life. He got many benefits which even great sages rarely obtained. More than he had the warm hug of Sita as a father in his last moments and him passing away uttering the name of SitA Ram in his lips and a direct vision of Sri Rama by the physical eyes when his life ebbed away. He had also the unique distinction of having the Supreme Lord Himself performing the funeral obsequies.

The Jataayu episode and especially his supreme service at the cost of his life which occurred in ThrEthaa yuga during Rama’s period had left such a deep impression in the Lord’s mind, that he seems to have been thinking of it always. He desired to go thorugh it ocne again and that for blessing the great saints like Thirumangai AzhwAr and the People of the South India in the distant Kali yuga. So Sri Rama in vibhava incarnation became Sri Vijayaraghava in archa avatharam; Sri SitA became Kanakavalli Thaayaar; and GodhAvari became Jataayu PushkariNI; Panchavatee became Thirupputkuzhi; and Jataayu the eagle. The whole episode was re-enacted and it has been suggested briefly by Kaliyan- ThirumangaiAzhwAr in his PAsuram and portrayed by Swamy Desikan [Kaliyan urai kudi koNda karutthudaiyOn- Swamy Desikan].in this sthOthra Paramaarttha sthuthi.

Acharya Swamy Desikan himself has become a father and gives birth to a daughter namely, the sthuthi [a word in feminine gender- Sanskrit]. Swamy Desikan writes in his tenth sloka:

This charming [ramanayee] daughter [Paramaarttha sthuthi] was born of Sri Venkatesa, the pure minded Bhaktha, by the grace of the most valorous in the war [raNa pungava]. She [the sthOthra] is fit to be accepted daily and treated with kindness [aadaraNeeya bhaavya] by all prapannas [those who have performed Saranagathi] devoid of jealousy.

vimalaasaya vEnkatEsa janma ramaNeeya raNa pungava prasaadhaath |
anasooyubi rAdharENa baavya paramaarttha sthuthiranvaham prapannai: ||

May the glorious Venkatanatha, the greatest of teachers of Vedanta, and the lion among poets and debaters, reside forever in my heart.

Let us continue to enjoy the sthOthra granthas of Swamy Desikan [in alphabetical order]

Raghu-Vira-Gadya -The hero in the Raghu’s dynasty (in prose)  This Stotra in prose is popularly known as Raghu-vira gadya; though Sri Desika gives it the name of Mahaa-Vira Vaibhava (the glory of the great Hero). This describes in brief the various episodes in the life of Sri Rama as narrated in the great epic Valmiki-Ramayana in all the seven Kaandas. This is in the form of ninety-five direct addresses in poetic prose to Sri Rama portraying Him as a Maha-vira in various ways as Dharma-vira, Daana-vira, Daya-vira, Yuddha-vira and SaraNya-vira as exhibited by his various lovable and charming qualities.The stotra is a pleasing composition because of its rhythm and harmony’ figures of speech like metaphor and
simile addresses short and long and sweet sounds and hard syllables.

The ninety-five addresses describe the story of the Seven kaandas as follows;
1.Bala-kaanda 1-20
2.Ayodhya-kaanda 21-25
3.Aranya-kaanda 29-41
4.Kishkinda-kaanda 42-46
5.Sundara kaanda 47
6.Yuddha-kaanda 48-77
7.Uttara-kaanda 78-95

These addresses glorify the various qualities of Rama. The Lord in Vaikunta coming down to this world at the request of the gods to dispel their sufferings, born as the son of Dasaratha and Kausalya. His respectful obedience to preceptors like Vasishta and Visvamita and to sages like Bharadwaja and Valmiki, his love for all irrespective of their hunter-woman Sabari, birds like Jatayu and Kakasura, monkeys like Hanuman and Sugriva, always being wedded to truth, offering protection to those who seek refuge even once, treating Sugriva and Vibhishana as His equal, and studiously discharging the duties of a king and observing closely the rites prescribed for a Kshatriya and householder, listening as one of the audience to the verses of the Epic Ramayana of Valmiki, sung by lava and Kusa and finally taking with Him to Sri Vaikunta all the Jivas, moving and non-moving who had the good fortune to be born ay Ayodhya when He was in this world.

There are only three verses in this composition of poetic prose, one at the beginning and two at the end. The first sloka hails Sri Rama and Sita as the Divine Couple, Bhagavan and Lakshmi. Bhagavan is the resplendent Sun on Paramapada (Sri Vaikunta) and Sita is the effulgent lustre whose manifestation brings about the destruction of the darkness (i.e. fear) of those who surrender themselves at Their feet seeking refuge.

By the first of last two slokas, Sri Vedanta Desika pays homage to Sri Rama, the house-holder (grhasta) associated with Sita, the house wife, both of whom shine with their progeny-the four-faced Brahma, the son, Siva, the grandson and other deities as other children.

By the last sloka which is the colophon, Acarya Sri Desika, the lion amongst poets and logicians pays a compliment to his composition,Maha-vira-vaibhavam that it is pregnant with deep and precious thoughts clothed in words hard and smooth and concludes with an appeal to men of wisdom to read it which is an infallible recipe that dispels the fears of the mortal world.

May the glorious Venkatanatha, the greatest of teachers of Vedanta, and the lion among poets and debaters, reside forever in my heart.

Saranagati Deepika -The light of Self-surrender

Saranagati-Deepika is a Hymn in 59 verses in which the greatness of  Saranagati which has its basis on the Vedas and Upanishads, Paancaraatra,  Vaikaanasa Aagamas, Epics and Puraanas, the songs of the Alwars and the  writings of the Acharyas is described in a brief, but clear manner. Though  it is not in praise of any particular deity (arcaa) like Bhagavad dhyaana  Sopana on Sri Ranganatha, or Devanaayaka pancaasat on Devanatha, Sri Sruti or Goda Stuti, it may be considered the magnum opus of all his stotras even as Sri Desika’s Rahasyatrya-saara is considered the magnum opus of all his works.

Saranagati-Deepika (the Torch of self-surrender) is glowing with the  effulgence of the Lamp-like (Supreme Deity)-Deepaprakaasa-Saranaa-gati-saara as the colophon says. Deepa-prakaasa (Villakoli) is the name of the Bhagavan in the shrine Tiru-t-tangaa(Himavana-Sisira-upavana) which is almost in the centre of a circle of holy shrines in and around Kanchi  shrines which have been sanctified by the Hymns of the Alwars.

Though Sri Vedanta Desika was an incarnation of the holy bell of Tirumala Lord Venkateswara, he had, like all human beings an attachment to this shrine since it was closely adjacent to Toopul, his place of birth. It is said that the Bhagavan had installed themselves in the holy shrines around Kanchi to bless Sri Vedanta Desika who was to be born there in the thirteenth century for the benefit of the world. Swamy Sri Desika also expresses his gratitude to those gods by visiting the shrines in pilgrimage one after the other and singing their glory. The doctrine of Saranaagati described in Saranaagati- Deepika stotra can be
applied to any Bhagavan in any Temple or Shrine and hence its importance.

Sri Vedanta Desika begins the stotra with the declaration that he has inherited the knowledge and practice of Saranagati though a hierarchy in which Ramanuja, Vishnu-cittar of Tiruvellarai, Vatsya Varadaraja of Nadaadur and Aatreya Ramanuja(Appullaar) are important Acharyas and disciples.

1. First mention is made to God Deepa-Prakaasa(Villakkoli Emberuman) the Arcaa-form in Tiruttangaa(Himavana) near Vegavati River and then

2. to the manifestation and greatness of Lakshmi.

3. Bhagavan’s qualities six in Paratva and one Saulabhya (easy accessibility) in all His incarnations.

4. Prapatti, its greatness and accessories,

5. life of a Prapanna in the post-prapatti period of his life

6. Departure of Prapanna from the final body, movement through the path of Arciraadi and the attainment of Moksha and supreme bliss.

7. The seven defects in the enjoyment of possessions in worldly life.

8. The auto-biographical touch in the concluding section (Sloka 41 to 59) expressing great devotion and praying for help.

Sloka 30(Dattaah prajaah etc.) contains the essential doctrines of Sri Vaishnavism.

 The Jiva is the essential bride;

Paramaatma is the eternal bridegroom.

The Acaarya offers the bride in wedding to the bridegroom (as King janaka gives  Sita to Rama). The bridegroom takes the bride by the hand (paani-grahana ritual in marriage). Service to the Lord with love and devotion is the Maangalyatantu the auspicious yellow thread tied around the neck of the bride by the bridegroom which adores the wedded wife with a living husband all her life and which she preserves with great care and love. So this stotra, Saranaagati-Deepikaa is worthy of frequent recitation and constant meditation.