Sri Ranganatha PadhukhA Sahasram: Bahurathna Paddhathi Excerpts

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Dear BhakthAs of Satari Soori :

 

Bahurathna Paddhathi is the Sixteenth Paddhathi

of RPS, It has 50 slokams. In the previous Rathna

SaamAnya Paddhathi , Swami Desikan described in

general terms the effect of the many gems that adorn

the sandals (PaadhukhAs) of Sri RanganAthA . In this

Bahurathna Paddhathi , he talks specifically about these

many gems and the combined effect of each of them

( Rubies, Emerlads, Sapphires , Diamonds , Pearls)

on the others . I will translate and comment on 8 of

the fifty slokams of this paddhathi .

 

Slokam 2

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maNibhi: sitharakthapeetha krishNai:

bhavathi kaanchana PaadhukhE ! vichithrA : I

yugabheda vikalpitham MurArE :

Yugapath darsayatheeva varNabhedam II

 

O PaadhukhE ! Your surface has been embedded with

many colored , multi-splendoured gems . Among them are

black ornyx , Yellow tourmaline , white opal and red

padmaraagam . This suggests to me that you are hinting about

the four hues of the Lord preferred by Him in each of the four

YugAs . ( SastrAs state that PerumAL is white-hued in Krutha

yugam , red-hued in TrEthA Yugam , Yellow-hued in DvApara

Yugam and Black-hued in Kali Yugam ) .

 

Slokam 4 :

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sahasA vinivedhya saaparAdhAn

tvadhadeena svapaddhE Mukundha PaadhE I

aruNOpala saktha mowkthikasree:

smayamAnEva vibhaasi PaadhukhE ! tvam II

 

O Ranganatha PaadhukhE ! ( O NammAzhwAr ! ) ,

The lustre of the red rubies on you are reflected on

the white pearls next to them . When I enjoy that scene ,

I am reminded of the vision of the reflection of the white teeth

of the Lord falling on His red lips , when He smiles at

the time of accepting the pleading of the AchAryAs

on behalf of the erring jeevans .

 

The inner meaning is that AchAryAs present at the Lord's

feet their pleas for the protection of the jeevans that have

committed many aparAdhams . Their desire to engage in this act

of Sipaarisu (pleading ) is equated to the red color of the rubies .

They are joyous over performing these intercessions on

behalf of the jeevans . They praise the Lord at that time and

remind Him of His commitments to save the jeevans.

Those words of salutation dealing with the svabhAvam

of the Lord are equated to the white colored stones .

The AchAryas reflect on the anantha KalyANa guNAs

of the Lord before and after their intercessions . That

twin rememberances are connected to the lustre of the two rows

of teeth of the smiling Lord and their effulgence falling on

the desire (red colored lips ) and request of the AchAryAs .

 

Sokam 16 :

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sambhidhyamana maNividhruma mowkthikasree:

sairandhrikEva bhavathi maNi paadharakshE I

prasthouthi RanganrupathE: charaNAravindhE

kasthurikAgusruNa chandana pankacharchAm II

 

O Ranganatha PaadhukhE ! The blue sapphire , red coral

and white pearls are embedded in You . Their lustres

are reflected on the Lord's sacred feet. When I reflect

on that vision , it reminds me of the alankArams done

for the Lord's feet through the painting with Kasthuri ,

Vermillion (Kumkumam ) and sandal paste.

 

The inner meaning is that the Paasurams of SatakOpan

(SatAri Soori ) are beautiful and everlasting alankArams

( decorations ) for the lotus feet of Sri RanganAthA .

 

Slokam 21 :

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aasaktha vaasavasilA sakalAstvadheeyA :

PadmAsahAya padha rakshiNi ! padmarAgha:

prathyakshayanthi kamapi bramarAbhileenam

paadhAravindha makarantha rasa pravAham II

 

O RanganAtha PaadhukhE ! On your surface is embedded

side by side the blue sapphires and the red rubies . When I

reflect on that beautiful sight , I am reminded of the dark-hued

bee sitting still in a state of intense enjoyment on your lotus feet

as a result of the tasting of the nectar of honey that flowed from

your lotus feet .

 

Here , the reddish brown honey is equatd to the lustre of the rubies.

The blue lustre of the sapphires is connected to the dark blue hue

of the king bee sitting on the sacred lotus feet of the Lord .

 

The inner meaning is that SatakOpan enjoys the Lord and His

kalyANa guNAs with great delight . At those times , he is

intoxicated with that experience like a bee that has tasted

the sweet , fermented-honey from the lotus flower and

is sitting quitely enjoying that sweet experience .

 

Slokam 27

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deha dhyuthim prakatayanthi mahEndra neelA ;

SowrE : padhAmbhuja ruchim tava padmarAga : I

anyOnya labdha parabhagatayA thu ameeshAm

aabhathi kaanhti raparA maNi paadharakshE II

 

O Sri RangarAja PaadhukhE ! On you , the dark blue

Indraneela stones as well as the red padmaraaga

stones are embedded . The dark blue hue of Indraneelaa

stones remind me of the color of the Lord's feet. The red stones

remind me of the hue of the sole of those feet . When these

two lustres join together at the level of the Lord's feet , it is a most

delightful experience to enjoy their complimentarity and it

enhances one's bhagavadh anubhavam (anga Sowndharyam ).

 

The inner meaning is that some of the pasurams of

SatakOpa declare his joy over union with the Lord and the others

display his mood of sorrow over separation from Him. Both types

of paasurams are enjoyable in their own right , but the combined

enjoyment of the twin moods of SatakOpan is even more enjoyable.

 

Slokam 34

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SooryAthmajA harisilAmaNi pankthi lakshyAth

tvAm nithyam aasrithavathi maNi paadharakshE ! I

aadhou Janaardhana padhE kshaNamaatralagnAm

aasantha mowkthika ruchA hastheeva GangAm II

 

O MaNi PaddhukhE ! Both the Indraneela gem

and the white pearl embellish You . Their position

next to each other reminds me of the dark blue stone

(blue waters of YamunA ) laughing at the white pearl

( white waters of GangA river ) . YamunA seems to

laugh at the GangA over the thought that it is always

associated with the Lord's feet (at BrindhAvanam )

compared to GangA that was associated with the holy feet

of the Lord only for a short time during the TrivikramAvathAram .

 

The inner meaning is that the Lord has many BhakthAs , but

there is none equal to SatakOpan, who was engaged in

Bhagavadh anubhavam during every moment of his life.

 

Slokam 38:

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marataka harithAnghi medhurA padmarAgai :

abhinava jalabindhu vyaktha mukthApalasree: I

kalayasi padharakshE ! KrishNa megaprAchAth

kanakasaridhanoopE saadvalam sEndhrakOpam II

 

O RangarAja PaadhukhE ! The Lord travels around the

streets of Srirangam wearing you as the protection for His

feet. During those times of His sanchAram , the lustre from

the emeralds , rubies and pearls reflect on His feet . That

most enjoyable sight reminds me of the red insects (ruby-like pattu

poocchis ) of the rainy season coexisting with the white drops

of rain ( pearls) on the emerald green grassy banks of Cauveri .

 

Slokam 42

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marathaka ruchi patrA mowkthika smEra pushpA

sputakisalaya sobhA bhaasurai: padmarAgai : I

palamakhila mudhArA RanganAthasya PaadhE

kalayasi bhavathi na: kalpavalleeva kaachith II

 

O PaadhukhE ! When I have the darsanam of you ,

I am reminded of your presence at the Lord's feet

as a wish-yielding KalpakA creeper. You bless us

with all kinds of boons that we seek . The green emeralds

on you remind me of the green leaves of the KalpakA

creeper ; Your pearls remind me of the flowers

of the Kalpaka creeper ; Your rubies remind me of the

tender shoots of the divine creeper attached firmly to the Lord's

holy feet .

 

The inner meaning is that there will be no inauspiciousness

to those , who seek refuge at the feet of a SadAchAryan .

 

Sri RanganAtha Divya MaNi PaadhukhE ! Thubhyam Nama :

 

Oppiliappan koil varadAchAri Sadagopan