Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram (RPS ) : Part 14.7

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Dear Memebrs of the Prapatthi Group :

 

In this posting , I will cover verses 41 to 45

of the Naadha Paddhathi of RPS .

 

Verse 41/ slokam 421 of RPS

 

Here Swami Sri Desikan addresses the Lord's PaadhukhAs

as PadhAvani or the sandals that protect the Lord"s lotus feet .

This slokam is as follows :

 

prAya: padhAvani ! vibhO: praNathArthi hanthu :

prasthAna mangaLavidhou prathamOdhyathAni I

tvacchinjithAni sapadhi svayamArabhnthE

kalOchithAn kanaka kaahaLa sanka naadhAn II

 

(Meaning ) : O PaadhukhE ! As a part of the celebrations of

your Lord"s mission to protect the righteous , you yourself

generate the sounds of His golden conch and Thirucchinnam

(KaahaLa Vaadhyam ) at the appropriate times prescribed by

the AagamAs for them .

 

Earlier , Swami Sri Desikan pointed out that the PaadhukhA

naadham is distinct and precedes the sound of the Lord"s conch ,

when the Lord starts on his missions. Here he points out that

the PaadhukhA naadham transforms itself into the sounds of

the Conch and the long horn known as Thirucchinnam later .

 

The inner meaning of this slokam is that the recitation of

NammAzhwAr's paasuram in the traditional manner will

let the reciter experience their unique sweetness , which exceeds

the pleasure of listening to the eighteen musical instruments

used in the Lord"s Kaimkaryam .

 

Verse 42/RPS Slokam 422

 

O PaadhukhAs of the Lord ! When your Lord travels with you ,

the scholars of Saama Vedam eulogize your glories

revealed by the other three Vedaas . One wonders whether on

those occasions , you are instructing them on how to recite the

beautiful Saama Vedic passages . Through the melodious Naadham

associated with the movement of the gems decorating your body ,

you seem to be giving them instructions on Sama Vedic recitation.

 

The inner meaning here is that NammAzhwAr composed the 1,000 plus

verses of Thiruvaimozhi expressly for the use of those , who wanted

to sing about the vaibhavam of Sriman NaarAyaNA .

 

Verse 43/RPS slokam 423

 

O MaNi PaadharakshE of the Lord ! On the streets of Srirangam ,

the sweet naadham arising from the gems and bells decorating

you sound like the sacred Veda manthrAs to the ears of the ladies

of Srirangam . They are so thrilled by the sweet experience of

listening to your Naadham that they swoon and fall down . The inner

meaning of this slokam is that those , who are reciting NammAzhwAr's

Thiruvaimozhi paasurams are so absorbed in experiencing the joy of that

act that they do not even get out of their homes to offer worship to

the Lord of Srirangam , who is passing in front of their house . They are too

deeply immersed in the experience of tasting the sweetness of

the paasurams that they become oblivious to events happening

around them .

 

Verse 44/RPS Slokam 424

 

O PaadhukhE ! occasionally your Lord leaves His servants

behind and decides on visiting the inner chambers of His

consorts suddenly and quickly . At those times , you hasten to

transport your Lord to His desired destination. The consorts hear the

approaching sound of their Lord through your sweet naadham and

relate that to your recitation of the secret texts of the upanishad of

conjugal desire (MadanOpanishad/ ManmathOpanishad ) .

 

The Lord's visit is aakasmikam or unscheduled . The consorts

are plesantly surprised and happy over the unexpected visit of

their Lord on the back of the sweet sounding PaadhukhAs .

The inner meaning of this verse is that those , who are familiar

with the enjoyment of the Bhaavam of the paasurams of NammAzhwAr's

Thiruvaimozhi experience indescribable pleasure , when they

have the blessings of the unexpectd darsanam of the Lord .

 

Verse 45/RPS slokam 425

 

Here Swami Sri Desikan compares the sweet naadham

(Manju Naadham ) of the PaadhukhAs to that of the charming

song sung by a hunter intent on capturing a deer in the forest .

He says : " O PaadhukhE ! When the people of Srirangam hear

your sweet sound at the times of the Lord's bhavani on the streets

of His city , they drop every thing that they were doing and rush

to offer their homages to Him . Your sweet naadham at those times

resemble the hunter's calls (songs ) to attract first and then catch

the various animals in their nets. Your sweet sound resembling the

songs of the hunter captures the eyes , ears , feet and the other limbs

of the populace of Srirangam . Just as the hunter attracts the roaming

deer of the forest to the site , where he has set a trap for them ( a pit

covered with a false cover ) , your naadham (AzhwAr's Thiruvaimozhi )

deflects the Indriyams of the citizens of Srirangam from acts not

prscribed by the saasthrAs and "captures " them and engages them

in aanukoolya Sankalpam (acts permitted by the saasthrAs

that please the Lord ). Such is the power of your Sunaadham ! ".

 

Sri RanganAtha MaNi PaadhukE ! Thubhyam NamO nama :

Swami Sri Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan