Copy of: Sri Gopala Vimsathi of Swami Desikan: Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Prapatthi group:

Thanks to Sri Mani , we are once again

connected . I am forwarding a translation and

commentary on Swami Desikan's

Gopala Vimsathi in connection with the

celebration of Sri Jayanthi/Janmashtami

( September 5). Sri M.Rangaswamy 's

excellent posting stimulated me to undertake this

plesant task.

 

The first three parts of the translation were

prepared before the Bhakthi list was reactivated.

The mailing list here was generated from the

addresses that I had.Some of you would get

duplicate copies now. Please do not mind this .

Thanks.

 

Swami Desikan's birthday falls on Sep 23.

I am planning to translate his master piece ,

Raghu Veera Gadhyam for the occasion .

 

May the Divine Couple's blessings be

with every member of this group as we

start our efforts after a brief interval.

 

V.Sadagopan

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DATE: 9/5/96 10:20 PM

 

RE: Copy of: Sri Gopala Vimsathi of Swami Desikan: Part 1

 

Dear Memebrs of the Prapatti Group :

 

Today is the birthday of our Lord Krishna

(Sri Jayanthi ). On this Simha SraavaNa month

(AavaNi ), when Ashtami of Krishna Paksham

is united with the constellation RohiNi , our Lord

was born . Swami Desikan composed 20 verses

in praise of him and prayed that he should be blessed with

thoughts exclusively about HIM during his final moments (Anthima

Smrithi ) on this earth. Swami composed these twenty

verses , when he was overcome by the beauty of the

Archa Murthy of Sri Rajagopalan in the Divya Desam

at Thiruvahindrapuram . The Sanskrit name for twenty is

Vimsathi and hence these twenty verses in praise of

Sri Gopala is celebrated as Sri Gopala Vimsathi. For

more than 700 years, these verses have been sung

prior to Sri Vaishnava TadhiyAraadhanams ( Group

partaking of food presented to the Lord earlier ) to

seek the Lord's blessings and during the occasion of

marriages to confer the blessings of the Lord on the

bride and the bridegroom .

 

Swami Desikan paints a word picture of the incomparable

beauty of Sri Gopalan , describes the structure of His

mantram and affectionately recalls the many mischievous deeds

performed by Bala Gopalan in Gokulam and BrindhAvanam

to the utter delight of the humans and the celestial beings.

 

Sri Gopala Vimsathi must have been very dear to Swami

Desikan as indicated by his inclusion of the twelfth verse

of this stotram in his esoteric master piece known as

Sankalpa Suryodhayam. There, he depicts Narada descending

from heaven singing joyously the above verse during his journey

to meet Purushan and initiate him into the Maha Mantram of the Lord .

 

On this Krishna Jayanthi day, the Archa Murthy of Rajagopalan

is taken in procession around the streets of Thiruvahindrapuram and

Sri Gopala Vimsathi slokams of our Acharya is recited . May our thoughts

be blessed with the delectable experience of Swami Desikan ! I salute

Sri Vedantha Desikan prior to attempting to provide an English

translation to these bhakthi-laden verses dedicated to Sri Rukmii

Satyabhama Sametha Raja Venugopalan .

 

Verse 1:

 

Vandeh Brindhaavanacharam Vallavee Janavallabham I

Jayanthisambhavam DhAma Vaijayanthee VibhushaNam II

 

I salute that divine effulgence named Gopala , who was born

on this Sri Jayanthi day and roamed in the forests of Brindhaavanam

wearing the unfading garland made of wild flowers of the forest

known as Vaijayanthi MaalA . This garland was his charactrestric decoration.

He enchanted the Gopis of Brindhavanam . I salute this illustrious

Jyothi .

 

Verse 2 :

 

Vaacham NujAnkarasikAm PrasameekshaMaaNa:

VakthrAravidha Vinivesitha Paanchajanya : I

VarNatrikoNaruchireh Vara PuNdareekeh

Bhaddhaasano Jayathi Vallava Chakravarthee II

 

The Lord of the cowherds, Sri Gopala is seated on

a Yantra in the shape of a eight-petalled lotus .

Inside that Yantra is yet another yantra in the shape of

a triangle.Gopala Upasakas seat him at the center of this

inner triangle and enjoy His illustrious beauty . On His lap ,

they find Saraswathi , the Goddess of learning. He blesses Her

with His auspicious glances .

 

He has on His lotus lips the conch known as Panchajanyam ,

whose sound is that of the holy Pranavam symbolizing the essence

of the Vedas.( His devotees meditate on Him in this manner

and recieve His blessings ).