Sri Ranganatha PaadukhA sahasram(RPS ) : Part 14.16

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Dear Members of the Prapatthi Group :

 

I will cover Verses 91 to 95 ( RPS Slokams 471-475 )

in this posting .

 

Verse 91 of Naadha Paddhathi(NP) / Slokam 471

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Swami Desikan explains to the PaadhukhAs about

the effect of their madhura Naadham on him .

He says that the Naadham raised by the inner gems

of the PaadhukhAs is not only a delight to the ears

(Sruthi Subhagam ) , but it is also the supporting

pole ( Kozhu Kombhu ) for the creeper of J~nAnam

( samvitthE : upagnam ) .

 

Swami Desikan says : " O Madhusudhana PaadhukhE !

The Naadham evoked by the gems inside you enhances

one's wisdom ( discriminatory knowledge ) . It also serves

as a preface to the Upanishads . It is a delight to the ears.

Hearing your Naadham again and again , delectable words

with the sweetnes of ripe grapes rush to me , when I engage

in composing verses in praise of you .The unsurpassed

auspicious qualities associated with your naadham explains

my ability to engage in this task successfully " .

 

The inner meaning is that the creeper of J~nanam

will not grow well , if it does not attach itself to the

support pole of Swami NammAzhwAr's divya Sookthis.

The speech (Vaak ) of one , who hears the meanings

of Thiruvaimozhi from a MahAn with Bhakthi will be sweet

like nectar .

 

Verse 92 of NP/Slokam 472 of RPS

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Swami Desikan addresses the Padhukhas of the Lord

who gladdens the hearts of Sriranga Vaasis as " Ranga-

Kshithi RamaNa paadhAvani " . He recognizes that the

graceful movement of the PadhukhAs and the Naadham

generated during their sanchArams captivates every one .

He goes on to say that the novel and varied steps of

the PaadhAvanis make the gems inside collide with

one another and create an indescribable , sweet Naadham .

The AchArya prays for that life-giving nectar associated with

that Naadham to enter his mind and cause the ecstasy ,

which will inspire him to compose additional verses

eulogising the glories of the paadhukhAs .

 

Swami describes the novel steps of the Paadhukhas

-- gaja gathi , simha gathi , sarpa gathi --as sports (vilasaa:) .

Those novel and rivetingly engaging steps seem to buy off

the minds of the onlookers ( nikhila jana: chEthAmsi kreeNantha: ) .

The diverse gems inside the PaadhukhAs respond correspondingly

to these sanchaarAs and genarate a sweet sound , Gal, Gal,

Jal , Jal , ( vividhA : vilutath antharmaNisilA gaLathkArm karothi ) .

Those delightful sounds are just the exterior manifestations of the

internal flood of nectar that flows through the tubes of the sanchArams

by the PaadhukhAs . Swami Desikan prays for the ready and fond

recollection of the sweet sanchaara-janitha naadham in his mind.

 

The inner meaning is that the hearing of the meanings of the

divya sookthis of Swami NammAzhwar from mahAns melts

the minds of the listeners without fail . Even the hard-hearted

ones do not become an exception to that experience. The sookthis

of AzhwAr are not just paasurams , but are tubes brimming with

the flow of sweet nectar and hence one should meditate on

the meanings of his paasurams wiht bhakthi .

 

Verse 93 of NP / slokam 473 of RPS

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Swami Desikan has a wonderful way of saluting

the PaadhukhAs of the Lord of Srirangam . In the previous

verse, he saluted them as " Ranga Kshithi RamaNa paadhavani " .

Here , he salutes them as " PadmAramaNa padha trAyiNi ".

He addresses them here as the PaadhukhAs of the Lord ,

who makes the heart of Lakshmi elated .

 

Swami praises the Naadham of the PaadhukhAs as delectable

to the ears and as the one that settles the true meaning of

the different vedic passages . He requests the paadhukhAs

to bless him through its naadham to realize the true knowledge

leading to Moksham . He prays for the growth of his Bhakthi to

the PaadhukhAs ( SatAri Suri ). Swami prays further for single-minded

bhakthi to the PaadhukhAs and to stay away from the haughty rich .

He compares the haughty man bloated with pride about his

generosity to an arrogant man standing by the seaside

during grahaNa kaalam and giving a paltry dhaanam to a Brahmin

with a snarl . Swami Desikan prays to the paadhukhAs

for the blessings of being far away from such adhama purushAs

pretending to be uttama adhikhAris. Swami implies that the

blossoming of desire for the tasting of the Divya Sookthis

of SatAri Suri will drive away one's desire for paltry rewards

in this world .

 

Verse 94 of NP/ sloakm 474 of RPS

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The benefits obtained from the hearing of the naadham

of the holy paadhukhAs are described here . Swami says :

" O PaadhukhE ! Those who hear with affection your naadham

do not hear the sound of the bells tied to the neck of the buffalo

carrying Yama . They do not need to tremble over the thought

of their sins. Such is the glory of your naadham that keeps Yama far

away from them and brings the Lord closer them and ahead of Yama .

 

The inner meaning is that the people , who learn the meanings

of the Divya Sookthis of Swami NammAzhwAr develop deep bhakthi

to Sriman NaarAyaNA . Yama never approaches such bhakthAs

of the Lord . Hence they are saved from the torments of Yama .

 

Verse 95/Slokam 475 of RPS

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Here , Swami Desikan focuses on the steps

of the Lotus feet of the Lord ( padha kamala

vikrAnthi ) during the time of measuring the

universe with three steps asTrivikramA .

The PaadhAvani ( the paadhukhAs ) grew then with the

growing feet of the Lord and generated an incrreasingly

plesant naadham announcing the engagement of the Lord's

lotus feet in the avathAra kaaryam (i-e) saving the Devaas

from the injustices of Maha Bali .

 

Swami Desikan says : O Ranganaatha PaadhukhE !

During the occasion of Maha Bali's injustice

to the DevAs , you participated in the incidents of TrivikramAvathAram.

You grew with your Lord's Lotus foot and shot upward

into the sky. When the left foot of the Lord speeded up

wqith explosive velocity , Devaas were not sure as to

what was happeing . Your Lord's foot adorned by you

arrived then at Satya Lokam , the home of BrahmA .

At that time , Brahma washed with great reverence

your Lord's sacred foot as well as yourself firmly attached

to that left foot . He used hte waters from his hand vessel

(Kamandalu ) . There was not enough water however

to wash the growing foot . Dharma DevatA came to the rescue

of the bewildered Brahma and took the form of water in the

hand vessel to make up for the deficit experienced by BrahmA .

Even before that help of Dharma DevA arrived , The naadham emanating

from the rapid upward sanchAram of your Lord"s left foot

spread all over the universe and removed the fears of

the DevAs about Maha Bali permanently . Swami Desikan

suggests here that the DevAs comprehended the bhaktha rakshaNa

activity of the Lord , even before seeing the flow of AkAsa GangA

through the clues given by the Naadham of the sacred PaadhukhAs

of the Lord .

 

Sri RanganAtha Divya MaNI Paadhukh E! Thubhyam namO nama:

Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan