Sri RanganAtha PaadukhA Sahasram(RPS ) : Part 13--ParAga Paddhathi

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Dear Members of the Prapatthi Group :

 

In this posting , we will cover the ParAga paddhathi of RPS.

There are 30 slokams in this Paddhathi . ParAga means the pollen of

a flower or a speck of dust. Swami Desikan composed thirty

verses to celebrate in this section the mystery and the holiness

of the specks of dust (RENU ) associated with the Lord's PadhukhAs .

This paddhathi reminds me of Thondaradipodi AzhwAr , who

named himself as the dust of the feet of the BhagavathAs

or BhakthAngri ReNu .

 

In the first verse , Sawmi Desikan blesses us and invokes the sacred

dust associated with the sanchAram of the PadhukhAs of PadmanAbhA

to protect us . The slokam is as follows :

 

paanthu va: PadmanAbhasya padhukhA keli pAmsava: I

AhalyA deha nirmANa paryAya paramANava: II

 

(Meaning ) : May the specks of dust associated with PadmanAbhA's

padhukhAs protect You ! They were the ones that reconstructed AhalyA's

body into its original form .

 

(Background ) :When Rama traveleld on his novel journey to SiddhAsramam

with sage ViswAmitrA , the dust specks from his paadhukhAs subdivided

into atomic particles and reconstructed AhalyA's body in the form

of a stone back to that of the human form as the beautiful wife

of sage GautamA . Her curse was removed by the holy dust specks

associated with the Lord's PaadhukhAs .

 

In the second verse , Swami Desikan points out that the dust

particles associated with the Lord's fast moving paadukhAs

have the capacity to cleanse the minds of agitated people

just as the soap nut powder ( Powder from the kathakA nut )

cleanses the muddy water and soiled clothes.

 

In the fourth slokam , Swami states that discriminating people

(Vivekis ) smear the dust particles ( ParAgAs) associated with

the PadhukhAs on their children to drive away the malevolent spirit

of egotism . They repeat this act many times to make sure that

their egotism is completely banished . Swami Desikan explains

that they take this action at a tender age of the child

to ward off any onset of egotism as the child grows up .

 

In the fifth slokam , Swami Desikan mentions that the dhig paalakAs

( Lords of the 8 directions ) wear with humility the dust particles of

the PadhukhAs on their heads prior to their battle engagements

with their foes. During the time of the battle , they do not wear any

protection for their heads . Sri Paadhukha ReNu protects them from

any harm during those occasions.

 

In the eigth slokam Swami Desikan is in a playful state of mind

and asks a question : " Asthu kim puna: idham rajasA teh

suddhasatvamayathA manujAnAm ? " . O PadhukhE !

What is this mystery ? Your Rajas removes RajO guNam

and makes one attain Suddha Satva maya state .Swami

uses the word " Rajas " in sledai ( Double meaning) .

Rajas means both the speck of particles as well as RajO

guNam , one of three GuNAs associated with Prakruthi .

By your RajO guNam ( particle state ) , People are cleansed

of their RajO guNam (passionate disposition )says Swami Desikan .

The inner meaning is that travel with the Lord during the UthsavA times

leads to contact with the dust associated with the PaadhukhAs

that carry Him , which in turn destroys their RajO and TamO guNams

and makes them full of Satthva GuNam .

 

In the tenth slokam , Swami states that The Lord travelling on the back

of His paadhukhAs during the times of festivities raises specks of dusts.

Those dust specks are worn as decoration by great scholars in

the parting lines of their foreheads (Vagidu ) like auspicious vermillion

(sindhUram ) . These dust particles affiliated with the PadhukhAs confer

rich Vedic wisdom and divine knowledge to those Scholars . Thus blessed ,

they sanctify the world by their presence.

 

Inthe fifteenth slokam , Swami says : " O PadhukhE ! Your Lord

is carried over many streets of Srirangam by you during the festival

times. The dust arising from such travels cover your body and you get

soiled . Paramasivan sees this and bows before you and

uses the upper portion of the elephant skin that He is wearing as

garment and brushes away all the accumulated dust specks and

offers His kaimkaryam to you this way .

 

In the seventeenth slokam , NigamAntha MahA Desikan reveals that

the power of the ParAgAs of PaadhukhAs can cure the SamsAric ills

as well as create an aversion to the worldly pleasures (VairAgyam ) .

He points out that VairAgyam results from the great love (Kaamam )

for the Lord like the Gopis for KrishNA and that state of detatchment

is facilitated by the power of the ParAgAs of the PaadhukhAs .

 

The ninteenth , twentieth and the twenty first slokams of this

Paddhathi deal with the prayer of Swami Desikan for the dust

of the PadhukhAs to fall on his body during his last moments on

this earth . In the ninteenth verse Swami appeals to the PadhukhAs

this way : " O PadhukhE ! at the time of my last moments on this earth,

you should help me with your power to lead RanganAtha quickly from

His Ranga VimAnam( Sanctum sanctorium ) and bring Him

to my bed side . Thrugh that act , you will be removing my sufferings

like placing green camphor ( Pacchai Karpooram) powder on my

tongue". Green camphor powder and sugar are placed in

a dying person's tongue moments before their death to arrest

the adverse flow of fluids that cause bitter taste in one's mouth .

 

In the twentieth verse , Swami points out that those who wear

the celebrated dusts of the PadhukhAs duirng their last moments

end up being celebrated by the Devas , who carry the feet of the

sanctified person on their own heads to display their veneration .

 

In the twenty first verse , Swami Desikan says : " O Compassionate

Mother PadhukhE ! O Madhava PadhukhE ! during my last moments ,

please rush to my side .Your quick steps to my bed side will raise a

cloud of dust , May I breathe that holy dust and derive comfort in my last

big breath ! Please come before my jeevan leaves the cage of my body

so that your sacred dust can be smeared over my Karma and JnAnendriyAs

to quell their agitations ". The inner meaning is that Swami Desikan

requests for the blessings of Kaimkaryam to the Lord"s PadhukhAs

( NammAzhwAr ) upto his last minute . The ParAgAs of the PadhukhAs

will cover the IndriyAs as well as the PadhukhAs . The coverage of the

IndriyAs will purify them. The departing PrANan will then wipe gratefully

the dusts that becloud the lustre of the PadhukhAs and restore them to their

pristine clarity. Thus the PrANan of Swami Desikan would have performed

the Kaimkaryam to the padhukhAs until its last moment .

 

In the previous slokams , Swami Desikan described the speed with which

the PadhukhAs rushed to its devotees durinng their last moments . In the 24th

slokam , he describes the haste with which the padhukhAs rush to destroy

the enemies of the Lord. He says : " O MaNi PadhukhE ! Your Lord blesses

His devotees in His subhAsrayam wearing the five weapons (viz)., the disc,

conch , knife , bow and mace . In that form , He receives the eulogies of

His BhakthAs. Why ? It is because the cloud of dust associated with your

lightning like movements to attack the enemies of the Lord takes away

their will for fighting. They get subdued instantaneously. Your Lord

does not have the opportunity to use any of His weapons. His devotees

see Him thus in this auspicious form wearing all His five weapons and

salute Him . This was made possible because of your intervention

and the power of your dust specks (ParAgAs ) .

 

Sri RanganAtha MaNi PaadhukhE ! Thubhyam Namo Nama:

Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan