Sri Ranganatha PaadhukhA Sahasram: MukthA Paddhathi--Chapter 18--Part 1

[Guest guest]

Dear Devotees of Sri RanganAtha Divya MaNi PaadhukhAs :

 

Swami Desikan uses 50 verses to dwell on the beauty

of the Pearls adorning the MaNi PaadhukhAs of the Lord

of Srirangam . We will select 10 verses of this Paddhathi to

enjoy Swami Deesikan's tribute to the radiant pearls embedded

in the PaadhukhAs .

 

Slokam 1 :

 

BhaddhAnAm yathra nityAnAm mukthAnAmeesvarasya cha I

prathyaksham sesha seshithvam saa mE sidhdyathu PaadhukhA II

 

Here , Swami Desikan refers to the first among the three principles

elaborated by VaishNavite tradition (viz) ., Chethanam . The other two

are Achethanam (inanimate ) and Iswaran ( the supreme Lord ) .

 

The first doctrine, chethanam is divided further into three subcategories:

Bhaddha ( bound ) , muktha (liberated ) and Nitya (eternally freed personages

serving the Lord intimately ) . NityAs are also known as Nityasuris .

 

All the chethanAs and AchethanAs are created by Iswaran and disappear

in Him at the time of the great dissolution of the Universes (MahA PraLayam ) .

Hence , Iswaran is recognized as " Seshi " or Ucchishtam in

the Vedic terminology . Everything , the inorganic and the organic , is

reborn from Him after the dissolution including the disciplines of

divine knowledge , the sense organs , the vital realm ,

the blissful realm and all categories of human beings.

 

Whatever that is generated by IswarA (Seshi ) that has finite

life time be it in years or aeons is known as SeshA . The relationship

between IswarA (Seshi ) and His creation (SeshA ) is known

as Sesha-Seshi Bhavam .

 

In the first verse of the MukthA paddhathi , Swami Desikan summarizes

the relationship between the Seshi ( Iswaran ) and the chethanam

( Baddha , Muktha and Nitya Jeevans ) . He says : " May the Lord's

PaadhukhAs , which demonstrate vividly the Sesha-Seshi principle

become the object of my meditation " . He hints that the Bhaddha ,

Muktha and Nitya Jeevans are incorporated into the Lord's PaadhukhAs

and become visible there as the many kinds of pearls . PadhukhA is

SeshA to Sri RanganAthA , the Seshi . Pearls on the paadhukhAs are

SeshA to the paadhukhAs that assume the role of Seshi in this context.

 

Swami Desikan skillfully reminds us of the two kinds of Sesha-Seshi

relationship through this prayer to the Lord's PaadhukhAs . One kind

of relationship is that between Lord and the PaadhukhAs and the other is

between the PaadhukhAs ( NammAzhwAr ) and the pearls (Chethanams ) .

 

The three kinds of jeevans place the Lord's PaadhukhAs with reverence

on their heads . AzhwAr's paasurams are also recognized here as the pearls .

 

Slokam 4 :

 

adhivishNu padham parispuranthi

nava mukthAmaNi nirmala prakAsA : I

paripushyasi mangaLAni pumsAm

prathipacchandra kalEva PaadhukhE ! Tvam II

 

Prathipath chandran is the new disc of the moon

seen on the first day after AmAvasyai ( Prathamai

chandran ) . VishNu padham means AakAsam as well

besides the Lord's holy feet . Swami Desikan uses these

two words to indicate that great auspiciousness results to

those , who meditate on the pearls adorning the Lord's

PadhukhAs . He compares the radiant pearls of the PaadhukhAs

to the first day moon of Sukla Paksham , which is considered to

confer auspiciousness on those , who see it.

 

Swami Desikan says : " O PaadhukhE ! You stay at the holy feet of your Lord

and carry the white lustre of your blemishles pearls. During this time,

you appear like the pratipath chandra kalA , which confers auspiciousness

on all those , who see it. That chandra kalA appears to have taken its

residence permanently on you as the pearls to confer auspiciousness

on those , who worship you " .

 

Slokam 14 :

 

samAsrithAnAm anagAm visuddhim

thrAsavyapAyam cha vithanvathi tvam I

saayujyam aapAdhayasi svakeeyai :

mukthApalair Maadhava PaadhukhE ! na: II

 

O Maadhava PaadhukhE ! For those , who sought refuge in you ,

you confer the boon of possessing the likeness of you . As a

result , they become sinless , blemishles , fearless and perfect

just like you . They attain thus the type of Moksham known as

Saayujyam .

 

The word Visuddhi here refers to being free of defects (blemishless) .

The word Thraasa VyApayam signifies fearlessnes (i-e) freedom from

chipping in the case of pearls and gems .

 

The pearls stand for the pasurams of the AzhwAr. They are blemishless

and remove the fear of samsAric suffering . Those who recite them and

reflect on them attain all sorts of auspiciousness and become like the AzhwAr

and AachAryAs .

 

Slokam 18 :

 

avaimi RangEswara paadharakshE !

mukthApalAni tvayi nisthulAni I

tEnaiva kalpAnthara tArakANAm

upthAni bheejAni jagadh vidhAthrA II

 

O RanganAtha PaadhukhE ! I consider your pearls on you as

the seedlings planted by the Lord Himself for the growth of

the stars of the next kalpam ( Time unit ) .

 

The inner meaning is that the lustre of the stars

(pearls/AzhwAr's paasurams ) are clearly visible at night

to people so far away from them on this earth . Similarly ,

the meaning (the radiance and divine lustre)

of the AzhwAr 's paasurams (pearls ) are understood

without difficulty even by the simplest of people .

 

Slokam 20 :

 

LakshmeevihAra rasikEna padhAvani ! tvam

rakshAvidhou BhagavathA jagathO niyukthA I

sattvam tadharhamiva darsayasi prabhootham

mukthA mayuka nkarENa visruthvarENa II

 

O PaadhukhE ! Your Lord is interested in sporting with

His consort, MahA Lakshmi . He appoints you as the protector

of the universe . You inturn spread righteousness (Sattva GuNaa)

on the earth so that your Lord does not need to leave His consort's

side to punish the wicked ones known for their display of

RajO and TamO guNAs .

 

Swami Desikan compares the lustre of the pearls on PaadhukhAs

to the spreading of the sattva guNA in this universe.

 

Slokam 22 :

 

thrayyanth harmyatala varNa sudhAyithEna

jyOthsnA vikalpitha ruchA maNipAdhukhE ! tvam

mukthAmayee Murabhidhangri sarOja bhAjAm

varNEna tEh samayaseeva sadhAm avarNam II

 

In this slokam , Swami Desikan touches on an important doctrine

on offering of SaraNAgathi at the Lord's sacred feet . This doctrine

establishes that one should not approach the Lord's holy feet

for SaraNAgathi without first approaching the paadhukhAs ; similarly,

one should not surrender unto the Lord directly without going through

one's own AchAryA . Swami Desikan reminds us that the PaadhukhAs

are none other than NammAzhwAr , the AachArya of AachAryAs . The

obstacles to Aathma samarpaNam (SaraNAgathi ) are removed by

the PaadhukhAs through its lustre associated with its pearls .

 

Swami Desikan says : " O PaadhukhE ! Your thick row of pearls

resemble the radiance of the moon's rays and shine on the upper floors

of the mansions of VedAs . The white brilliance of your pearls imparts

its whiteness to the walls of VedAnthA , just as white plaster provides its

lustre to theordinary walls of the mansion . Through the white radiance

of your pearls , you remove the defects and discolorations of the people ,

who surrender at the lotus feet of your Lord " .

 

Slokam 27 :

 

nisseema pankha malinam hrudhayam madheeyam

Naathasya RangavasathE : adhirOdumicchO : I

maathastavaiva sahasaa maNipaadharakshE !

mukthAvamsava: spatika sowdhatulAm nayanthi II

 

O Gem-bedecked PaadhukhE ! O Mother ! You remove all the limitless

dirt and blemishes in my mind through the radiant rays from your

pearls and transform my mind into a sparkling crystal palace.

Your help purifies my mind and transforms it into a crystal palace

fit for the residence of your Lord .

 

Slokam 30 :

 

RangEsa paadha nakachandra sudhAnulEpam

samprApya siddhaguLikA iva taavakeenA : I

samsAra samjvarajushAm maNipaadharakshE !

samjeevanAya jagathAm prabhavanthi mukthA : II

 

O MaNi paadhukhE ! When the limbs of the human beings

of the world are daubed with the unguent formed by the admixture

of your pearl's cool lustre with that of the nectar-like lustre of

your Lord's toe nails , their samsAric ills are banished once and

for all . This extraordinary unguent becomes a sure cure to the fever

caused by worldly afflictions .

 

Slokam 35 :

 

yEh naama kEpi bhavatheem vinayAvanamrai :

utthamsayanthi kruthina: kshaNamutthamAgai : I

icchanthi RanganrupathE : maNipaadharakshE !

tvanmowkthikowga niyathAmiha tEh visuddhim II

 

O RangarAja PaadhukhE ! Those lucky ones , who prostrate before you

and receive you even for a second on their heads as an ornament

desire for a status that is equal in holiness and pristine state of the

pearls adorning you . They wish to experience this blissful state right

here on this earth .

 

The inner meaning of this slokam is that one who offers

his salutations to a sadAchAryA develop a desire not to

part with their company so that they can reach an exalted status

similar to that of the AachAryAs .

 

Slokam 41 :

 

bhuvanamidhamasEsham bibrathO Rangabharthu :

padha kamalamidham tEh paadhukhE !dhArayanthyA: I

chiraviharaNakedhAth sambhruthAnAm bhajanthi

sramajalakaNikAnAm sampadham mowkthikAni II

 

O PaadhukhE ! You are carrying the Lord for a long time on

your back .The tiredness arising from that marathon and

mighty effort seems to show up as the swaet drops on your

surface ( pearls ) . It is no surprise that your gigantic effort in

carrying the holy feet of your Lord , who bears all the universes

inside Him produces the fatigue that leads to the formation

of those sweat drops (pearls ) on your person .

 

Sri RanganAtha Divya MaNi PaadhukhE ! Thubhyam nama :

Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan