Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram(RPS) : Naadha Paddhathi--part 14.10

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the Prapatthi group :

 

I will cover the 51st Verse of RPS today .

 

Verse 51/RPS Slokam 431

 

dAkshinyam athra NIYATHAM NIYATHAA sudhAsmin

ithyudhgathO NIYATHAM Achyutha paadarakshE I

pratyeka samsritha padha sthutayE bhavathyO:

sangarsha vaadha iva madhya maNi praNAdha: II

 

NammZhwAr declared through one of his Thiruvaimozhi

paasurams that the Leela Vibhoothi is preferrable to

Nitya Vibhoothi in Sri VaikunTam because the Archa

of the Lord at Srirangam was so captivating. Swami

Desikan takes this statement o fSatAri Suri as cue for this verse

and salutes the two lotus feet of the Lord and the respective

paadhukhAs adorning them .Swami Desikan chooses the

Achyutha Naamam to address the Lord here . He is probably

reminded of the Natha Satyan of Thiruvaheendrapuram , whose

celebrated name is ACHYUTHAN .

 

Swami Desikan uses the name Achyuthan deliberately to suggest that

Sri RanganAthan NEVER abandons his asritha janams . He goes on then

to state that the Lord never abandons the right paadhukhA for the

left and vice-versa and how both adorning his two feet are complimentary

in their functionality. Inspite of this or may be because of this , each

PaadhukhA according to our AchArya brags about a special relationship

with the foot it serves . The disputatious debate about their relative

superiority seems to come out as the sweet Naadham from

the gems embedded in the PaadhukhAs ( BhavathyO:

madhya maNi praNAdha: ) .

 

Swami Desikan states : " O Achyutha PaadhukhAs ! You prefer to

praise the foot that you are serving. You the right (DakshiNa )

paadhukhA claim that you have exclusivity (special priveleges)

because of your unique quality of DaakshiNyam ( generosity , compassion

and ease of access to the Lord , salugai ). You , the left PaadhukhA

rightfully claim that Amrutham (Nectar) arose from you exclusively

and that nectar is used to bathe the jeevans to bless them with

Moksham . This vociferous and distinct debate seems to transform

into the sweet naadham that emanates from both of you , when you

transport Your Lord during His travels ."

It is generally believed that GangA with the power of

nectar (Mrutha sanjeevini ) arose first from the Lord's

left feet , when it was washed by Brahma in

Satya Lokam during TrivikrAvathAram .

 

The playful use of the word Niyatham or its variation niyathA thrice

in this verse is pleasing to experience. Swami is focusing on each of the

PaadhukhAs that adorn one or the other foot uniquely ( Pratyeka

Samsritha pada : ) . PaadhukhAs are engaged in eulogising

their particular foot . Athra DaakshiNyam asthi . Here on the right foot ,

DaakshiNyam ( Cleverness , bending to the aasrithA's wish ) has

taken residence. Swami says further that DaakshiNyam is defenitely

there (Niyatham asthi ) . Asmin sudhA niyathA ( Here on the left foot ,

the divine nectar is unmistakably (NiyathA ) present . Both of you

quarrel (Samgarsha Vaadha : ) over your individual superiority

always ( Niyatham ) . The left foot and the associated PaadhukhA

suggests Nitya Vibhoothi ( Sri VaikunTam ) and the right foot

and the PaadhukhA adorning it suggests Leela Vibhoothi

(Srirangam ) . Thus both the PaadhukhAs are linked to

the lotus feet of the Ubhaya Vibhoothi nAthan ,

Sri Achyutha , Aravindha CharaNa, Chandra PushkaraNi

Thata Sesha Saayee, Sri RanganAthan .

 

Sri RanganAtha MaNi PaadhukhE ! Thubhyam NamO Nama:

AzhwAr , Acharyan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan