Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram --RekhA paddathi ( 27th chapter )

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Dear Divya MaNi paadhukhA DaasAs :

 

The 27th paddhathi of RPS is known as the RekhA paadhathi

(RP ) .This has ten verses that salute the divine markings ( lines )

found on the surface of the PaadhukhAs . Sri RanganAthA's

holy feet rest on the PaadhukhAs and the auspicious lines

and patterns found on the sole of his feet get transferred as

imprints on the upper surface of the paadhukhAs . Swami

Desikan salutes these divine markings that are associated

with the Lord of all universes .

 

Slokam 1 of RP / Slokam 811 of RPS

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soochayanthim svarEkhAbi: anAlEkya Sarasvatheem I

alEkaneeya sowndharyAm aasrayE Sowri paadhukhAm II

 

I surrender unto the Lord's paadhukhAs bearing the lines

and patterns made by their intersections , which are of

indescribable beauty. Through these beautiful lines ,

PaadhukhAs denote the unwritten VedAs .

 

Swami Desikan refers to the VedAs as AnAlEkyA Sarasvathee

to remind us that they are learnt through oral tradition instead

of reading a text and learning from that . The lines on the paadhukhAs

are suggested as the code markings for the VedAs that can

not be written for purposes of learning . Swami Desikan salutes the

beauty of these majestic paadhukhAs with the auspicious markings

as ones , whose beauty can not be described in writing .

Their beauty can only be experienced by the eye .

 

Swami Desikan suggests that the RekhAs are not alphabets or words ,

but are discrete codes for the VedAs . When those , who have learnt

VedAs through adhyayanam look at these RekhAs , they are immediately

remided of the different sections of the VedAs .

 

Slokam 2 of RP/ Slokam 812 of RPS

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O PaadhukhE ! You carry on your surface all the RekhAs that

are found on your Lord's sacred feet . In addiiton , you carry

other lines not seen on your Lord's holy feet . They are

from the scratches made by the crowns of the DevAs , when they

prostrate before you .Through these extra rekhAs contributed by the

DevAs , you assert your soverignity over the DevAs .

 

The inner meaning is that the AzhwArs and the AachAryAs are

emperors of all the worlds as a result of their limitless devotion

to PerumAL . Therefore , the DevAs salute them .

 

Slokam 3 of RP/ Slokam 813 of RPS

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O MaNi paadhukhE ! You have all of the lines from your

Lord's holy feet that are associated with His status as

the Lord of both the Nithya and the LeelA vibhuthis . You have

additional lines on your surface caused by the prostrations

of the DevAs. By having even more RekhAs than your Lord ,

you appear to excel Him as the soverign of the two vibhuthis.

 

Slokam 4 of RP / Slokam 814 of RPS

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Here , Swami Desikan recognizes the extra lines on the surface

of the PaadhukhAs as " Sowri paadha paribhoga LakshaNam "

(i-e) the symbols of the enjoyment of the paadhukhAs by the

Lord's lotus feet .

 

Swami Desikan says : " O PaadhukhE ! You are the mistress of

your Lord. When I see the extra lines on you arising from

the scratchings of the gems of the DevA's crowns having

the form of fishes (Rathna Makari ) , I am reminded that

they arose form the love play between you and your Lord.

They seem to be the marks of love play between both of you .

 

Slokam 5 of RP/ Slokam 815 of RPS

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The scratchings on the paadhukhAs caused by the makara

rathnam on the crowns of the DevAs have a special effect on

the humans , who receive the paadhukhAs on their heads

with devotion . Swami Desikan says in this context : O Paadhukhas

of the Lord , who destroyed NarakAsurA ! When you are placed on

the heads of your devotees , the extra lines on you caused by

the scratchings of the crown gems ( Makuta Rathna UllEka RekhA )

ERASE the inauspicious lines carved by BrahmA (Niyathi vilikithAnAm

dhurlibhi ) at the time of their birth . As a result , their sins are removed

and they become blessed to perform service to your Lord ( Kaimkarya/

SevA samopatham saadhayathri ) .

 

The inner meaning is that those , who surrender unto

a sadhAchAryan have the blessings of erasure of their

inauspicious Brahma Libhis .

 

Slokam 6 of RP/ Slokam 816 of RPS

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O PaadhukhE ! VedAs and aagamAs state that the Lord's

holy feet have the marks of umbrella , flag , lotus , disc ,

conch and others to denote His role as the Lord of the two

vibhuthis . It is not easy for us to see those rekhAs on your

Lord's feet . We can however see the imprints of the above

rekhAs on your surface resulting from the contact of your Lord's

feet on you . We then infer that what we see originated from

your Lord's feet . You make it possible for us to see these

holy rekhAs associated with your Lord's feet , which are otherwise

impossible to see directly .

 

The inner meaning is that the AzhwArs and AachAryAs have

JnAnam , satya sankalpam , daya , forbearance and other

KalyANa guNAs . When we experience these suguNAs of

the AchAryAs , we recognize that the Lord has all these

auspicious qualities . How else are we going to see and

experience the Lord's auspicious guNAs directly ?

 

Slokma 7 of RP/ Slokam 817 of RPS

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snAthA padhAvani ! chiram paribhujya mukthA

paadhEna RanganrupathE : subha lakshaNEna I

rekhAnrairnava navai : upsObhasE tvam

samskAra chandana vilEpana pangalagnai : II

 

O PaadhukhE ! You are given the ceremonial bath and sandal

paste is applied over your surface before uniting you with your

Lord's feet . At that time , the lines and marks of your Lord's feet

get imprinted on the wet sandal paste . Thus a duplicate set of

lines and marks are seen on the surface of the wet sandal paste,

which appear as reflections of the ones permanently marked

on your dry surface. You shine with both sets of lines and

symbols of the Lord's sacred feet .

 

The reference here is to the statements in Thiruvaimozhi ,

where NammAzhwAr says that the TuLasi fragrance has

entered into him as a result of his enjoyment of the Lord .

The other reference is that the firstset of RekhAs are the

Arya Vedams and the second set of RekhAs are

the TamiL vedams , which are a reflection of the latter .

 

Slokam 8 of RP/ Slokam 818 of RPS

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O PaadhukhE ! Your glory is indeed superior to that

of your Lord in that many , many lines are formed

everyday by the crowned heads of the DevAs , when they

prostrate before you . These new lines are added by the dEvAs ,

who have aspects of divinity themselves . Through these

extra and abundant lines , you surpass your Lord in glory .

 

The inner meaning is that the DevAs like IndrA , BrahmA

do not lose their desire for Eisvaryam . They do not have the

driving desire to worship the Lord at Paramapadham . The

AzhwArs and the AachAryAs consider the superior positions

of BrahmA and IndrA as being equivalent in value to a blade

of grass and discard them in preference to Nithya Kaimkaryam

to the Lord in Sri Vaikuntam . Therefore , the astonished BrahmA

and DevAs salute the AzhwArs( SatAri Suri ) .

 

Slokam 9 of RP/ Slokam 819 of RPS

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O PaadhukhE ! As the dear mistress of your Lord ,

you carry the special decorative marks ( Pathra lathA

visEshAn vahasi ) . They are similar to the patterns

formed on the women's bodies with vermillion by their

lovers. Those patterns of vermillion disappear however with

time . The rays and patterns formed by your Lord on the other

hand formed by His love play are seen permanently on your

surface and attest to the everlasting love that He has for you ..

 

Slokam 10 of RP/ Slokam 820 of RPS

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RekhApadhEsatasthvam prasamayithum PraLaya viplavasankAm I

vahsi MadhjithpadAvani ! manyE nigamasya mAthrukAlEkyam II

 

O PaadhukhAs of HayagreevA , who destroyed Madhu and KaitabhA !

At the time of universal deluge , when every one worries whether the

VedAs will disappear , you show that you are preserving and protecting

the VedAs through your RekhAs . Normally , VedAs can not be written .

However , on your body , they become symbolically represented as

RekhAs written in a condensed form " .

 

PaadhukhAs are NammAzhwAr . He seems to carry Thiruvaimozhi

or Tamil Vedam in the form of lines on the paadhukhAs to protect

them and preserve them forever. Thiruvaimozhi is the essence of

the Sanskritic Vedam . Thus , both the Aryan Vedam in Sanskrit

and the Tamil Vedam in Dramida BhAshA are preserved by the

PaadhukhAs through the rekhAs on their surfaces .

 

Sri RangarAja maNi paadhukhE ! Thubhyam nama :

Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Oppiliappan Kovil VaradAchAri Sadagopan