Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram : Chapter 24 --Dvandhva Paddhathi : Part 1

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Dear Devotees of Divya maNi PaadhukhAs of the Lord :

 

Swami Desikan is now at the two thirds level of completion

of his magnum opus of a kaavyam as he races towards

the dawn to complete the 1008 slokams of RPS . In this

paddhathi named Dvandhva Paddhathi (DP) , he salutes the Lord's

pair of sandals , which are always united with each other. There are

twenty slokams in this paddhathi . He compares the inseparable

paadhukhAs to other mithunams or pair of objects that are always

seen together .

 

Slokam 1 of DP/ Slokam 761 of RPS

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prapadhyE paadhukhA rupam praNavasya KalAdvayam I

Otham mithamidham yasmin ananthasyApi tathpadham II

 

Here , Swami Desikan describes the two letters of the PraNavam

( OM ) associated with the Lord and His consort as the pair of

PaadhukhAs . He declares : I salute the PraNavam (OM ) made up

of "O " for Otham and "M " for Mitam , which has taken the form of the

two paadhukhAs .

 

Swami Suggests that the pair of PaadhukhAs are inseparable just

as the Lord represented by "A " and His consort represented by

the Letter "U " to form the KalAdvayam , "O " ( A+U) . Just as the Lord

and His consort are an inseparable pair , the two paadhukhAs are

also an inseparable pair . When the letter "O " joins with the letter

"M" , representing the jeevan , then the full significance of Pranavam

shines forth .

 

Slokam 2 of DP

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May the pair of paadhukhAs representing compassion and

forbearance of the Lord intent on protecting all sentient and

insentient beings confer auspiciousness on me.

 

AnukampA (Compassion ) and KshamA (Forbearance ) are

the pair of KalyANa GuNaas that the Lord evokes to protect

the ChethanAs and AchEthanAs .

 

Slokam 3 of DP

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O Gem-studded PaadhukhE ! Both of you have joined together as

a pair to protect those , who worship you from any dangers to them

from the DevAs or Human beings . As a united pair , You are the shield

against dangers facing the devotees of your Lord. One of you take care of

the dangers form the DevAs and the other from the fellow human beings .

Swami states that they are the PrathikAram for the Daiva MaanusheeNAM

VipathA :

 

The inner meaning is that there is no fear of dangers from either humans

or DevAs for those , who seek the sacred feet of a SadAchArya .

 

Slokam 5 of DP

*****************

 

Here Swami Desikan compares the two paadhukhAs to the sacred

disc (Sudarsanam ) and the Conch ( Paanchajanyam ) . He says :

" The disc and the conch on the hands of the Lord have transformed

into two paadhukhAs . Just as the disc through its brilliant lustre and

the conch through its terrifying sound destroy the enemies of the Lord 's

devotees , both of you (paadhukhAs ) destroy the enemies of those , who

worship you .

 

The inner meaning is that the SevA to the sadAcharyan and listening

to their upadesams for guidance remove all kinds of dangers .

 

Slokam 6 of DP/Slokam 766 of RPS

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O Madhusudana Paadhukhas ! Both of you serve as divinity ( Daivatham )

and prowess( Pourusham / human exertion ) for us , who do not

follow the rules of SaasthrAs (divine injunctions ) and who are lazy to

take any effort to reach the Lord . We have no accumulated righteousness

(DharmA ) through the performance of good deeds sanctioned

by the SaasthrAs . We are thus short in DharmA and effort .

For such destitute and impoverished ones like us , You have become

Daivatham and pourusham and have saved us.

 

Slokam 7 of DP/Slokam 767 of RPS

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O Gem-studded PaadhukhE ! What will happen to us , who have

committed so many offenses and trespassed your Lord's commands,

if both you and the two consorts of the Lord (Bhu Devi and Sri Devi )

do not join together to recommend us to the Lord and plead for us ?

 

The inner meaning is that the SadAchArya brings the trespassers of

SaasthrAs to the Lord and the consorts of the Lord intercede and plead

for fogivenness to save the jeevans . The other suggestion of Swami

Desikan is that the Lord may rush to the side of the suffering jeevans

on the paadhukhAs , but will not save them unless His consorts plead

for mercy on behalf of the jeevans . Thus , both the paadhukhAs and

the two consorts act in tandem to rescue the aparAdhi jeevans .

 

Slokam 8 of DP / Slokam 768 of RPS

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O PaadhukhE ! You are attached to the holy feet of the Lord ,

who is the enemy of samsArA . I consider your union

as the coming together of the two Brahma VidhyAs , ParA and AparA .

 

Apara VidhyA is the knowledge acquired through AchAryA's

mercy and recitation of VedAs and the study of VedAngAs ;

Para VidhyA is true knowledge obtained through meditation thereafter

and resultant God realization . Mundaka Upanishad and VishNu purANam

deal with these two VidhyAs .

 

Slokams 9 of DP /Slokams 769 of RPS

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Here , Swami Desikan compares the pair

of paadhukhAs to a chakravAka couple. He suggests that

the paadhukhAs resting at the feet of the Lord at night are

like the pair of ChakravAkA birds known for their fidelity .

Swami Desikan suggests that the male and female pair

of birds have taken refuge at the Lord's feet to overcome the

curse that they were exposed to during RamAvathAram .

 

There is a legend that RamachandrA cursed a few objects

during the time of His intense suffering over the separation

from His beloved SitA . These curses are : (1) the chakravAkA

couple should not become united together at night (2) the mother

nightingale(Kuyil) should not raise their children (3) The bee should not

touch the champakA flower (4) The snake should choose the sandalwood

tree as its preferred residence (5) The snakes should thrive on

ingesting air (6) there should be a blemish on the moon .

 

Against this background , Swami Desikan suggests that the paadhukhA

pair appear like the ChakravAkA pair that has fallen at the feet of

RangarAman to get rid of the curse that had befallen on them .

 

Slokam 10 of DP/ Slokam 770 of RPS

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mAnayAmi jagatha: tamOpahE

Maadhavasya maNipaadhukhE! yuvAm I

dakshiNOtthara gathikramOchithE

paddhathi iva mayuka maalina : II

 

O Gem-Studded PaadhukhAs of MaadhavA ! You are like

the DakshinAyaNam (Winter Solistice ) and UttarAyaNam

(Summer Solistice ) periods of the Sun's movement . Like

the Sun removes the darkness during its travels during the

two ayanAs , you (PaadhukhAs ) also remove the darkness

of spiritual ignorance . Your steps are like the steps taken

by the Sun during its two solistices .

 

(To be concluded in Part 2 )