2023-02-23 16:29:08 by ambuda-bot
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xii
Sastrigal of Mannargudi of revered memory, used
to go into raptures while worshipping Sri Raja-
gopala in His utsavas and that in his last days he
had Sri Bhagavatam read and expounded by the
late Paruthiyur Krishna Sastrigal of world-wide
fame to rivet his Dhyanam upon Sri Krishna.
That Dikshitar had a passionate love for Varada-
raja is evident from this stotra which is permeat-
ed by the deepest feeling. There is abundant proof
that the Poet's heart was stirred to its depths. The
auther with his characteristic thoroughness studied
all the Sthala Puranas and other literature about
the shrine and the local tirthas. His knowledge
of the local traditions is in no way less than that
of the Vaishnava Gurus who have sung of Deva-
raja. In fact his poem contains a wealth of details.
put to fine and sweet uses which we do not find
in the other poems on the same theme. Our poet
appears to have had in mind amongst others the
Vishnupadadikesanta stotra of Sri Sankara and
the Varadaraja Panchasat of Desikar. The first
sloka of this stotra is a very favourite sloka of the
author and is adopted by him as the Mangalasloka
of some of his great works such as the Nyaya-
rakshamani and the Kuvalayanandam. Although
he does not refer to Varada by name he appears to
have treated Mukunda as synonymous with Varada.
Sastrigal of Mannargudi of revered memory, used
to go into raptures while worshipping Sri Raja-
gopala in His utsavas and that in his last days he
had Sri Bhagavatam read and expounded by the
late Paruthiyur Krishna Sastrigal of world-wide
fame to rivet his Dhyanam upon Sri Krishna.
That Dikshitar had a passionate love for Varada-
raja is evident from this stotra which is permeat-
ed by the deepest feeling. There is abundant proof
that the Poet's heart was stirred to its depths. The
auther with his characteristic thoroughness studied
all the Sthala Puranas and other literature about
the shrine and the local tirthas. His knowledge
of the local traditions is in no way less than that
of the Vaishnava Gurus who have sung of Deva-
raja. In fact his poem contains a wealth of details.
put to fine and sweet uses which we do not find
in the other poems on the same theme. Our poet
appears to have had in mind amongst others the
Vishnupadadikesanta stotra of Sri Sankara and
the Varadaraja Panchasat of Desikar. The first
sloka of this stotra is a very favourite sloka of the
author and is adopted by him as the Mangalasloka
of some of his great works such as the Nyaya-
rakshamani and the Kuvalayanandam. Although
he does not refer to Varada by name he appears to
have treated Mukunda as synonymous with Varada.