Guest guest Posted June 23, 1997 Report Share Posted June 23, 1997 Dear Devotees of Sri NammAzhwAr : I will cover the Slokams 841-850 of RPS ( PKP : 11-20) in this posting : Slokam 841 of RPS/ Slokam 11 of PKP ******************************************* sONOpalaisccharaNa rakshaNi ! samsrithEshu chayAhtmanA maratakEshu tavAvagAta : I anvathE sowrirabhitha : palapankthisobhini aatmAnamEva sayitham vatapatramadhyE II In the 717th slokam of RPS , Swami Desikan described the beautiful image of the Lord reflected on the paadhukhAs as vatapatra saayee or the child lying on a pupil leave and floating on the waters of praLayam . Here , he takes the analogy one step further and presents us the augmented image , where the rubies of the paadhukhAs join with the emerald gems . He says : " Oh , PaadhukhE ! Your red rubies surrounded by your emeralds give the appearance of your Lord resting as a child on the green leaf of a pupil tree demarcated by the rows of red fruits of pupil on all His four sides . Slokam 842 of RPS/ Slokam 12 of PKP ******************************************* speetham padAvani ! tava snapanArdhra murhtE : aasgaram tathamabhooth maNirasmi jaalam I leelOchitham Raghusuthasya sakyamAsan yAthooni yasya valayEna vivEshtithAni II Swami Desikan describes the wide envelope of the rays that emanated from the gems adorning the paadhukhAs at the time of its coronation in AyodhyA . He visualizes them as an expansive wet net in which the RakshasAs were caught so that RamachandrA can hunt them down easily . He says : " Oh PaadhukhE ! Your wet form after your sacred bath created a spreading envelope of bright rays arising from your gems . That appears like a vast and round fish net to catch the evil RakshasAs of LankhA , the target of your Lord's hunt " . Slokam 843 of RPS/ Slokam 13 of PKP ******************************************** rathnAmsubhistava tadhA maNipaadarakshE ! samrajyamAna vapushAm rajaneemukhEshu I aakasmikAgatham adarsi mahoushidhitvam sAkEtapattana sameeparuhAm dhrumANAm II Swami Desikan refers to special trees in the forest known as Mahoushadhis ( Yerivalli trees in Tamil ) . They light up in darkness due to the fluorescent properties of their leaves , branches and trunks . Swami compares the trees in and around AyOdhyA , which lit up in the night like the Mahoushadhi trees as a result of the red rays of the rubies from the paadhukhAs falling on them . Swami Desikan says : " Oh , MaNi PaadhukhE ! During the evening time after your sacred bath, your rubies send out brilliant red rays all around . Some of them fall on the trees of AyOdhyA and its suburbs . Those trees in turn absorb your red rays and take the appearance of the flourescent Mahoushadhi trees of the forest " . The inner meaning is that that even a foolish and uncaring person becomes a JnAni as a result of the mercy and compassionate upadesam of AzhwAr and the AchAryAs . Slokma 844 of RPS/ Slokam 14 of PKP ******************************************** RaamE vanam DasarathE cha divam prayAthE nirdhoothavisva timirA sahasA bhaboova I bhooyishtarathnakiraNA bhavathi RaghooNAm bhooya: prathApathanOdhaya poorvasandhyA II Swami Desikan states here that the world was engulfed in darkness and sorrow , when RamA was in exile and king DasarathA shook off his mortal coils . At that time , the red rays originating from the rubies on the PaadhukhAs served as the rays of the rising Sun at dawn and dispelled the enveloping darkness . He says : " Oh , PaadhukhE ! When your Lord was roaming the forest during His exile and His father DasarathA reached heaven , the kingdom of AyodhyA was plunged in deep sorrow and darkness. At that time , BharathA performed your coronation ceremony . The red rays of rubies adorning you shone forth during that occasion and served as the rays of rising Sun at dawn to dispell the gloom and darkness " . The inner meaning is that at the beginning of Kali Yugam , Sri KrishNa ParamAthmA ascended to Sri Vaikuntam as a result of completion of His avathAra Kaaryam . The world was steeped in darkness , when He departed for His abode. NammAzhwAr ( SATARI SURI ) was born " on the 47th day " after the advent of Kali Yugam. He served as the brilliant Sun at that time of his birth and drove away the darkness of the world and the AjnAnam of the people . Slokam 845 of RPS / Slokam 15 of PKP ******************************************** preethEna Devi ! vibhunA prathipaadhaneeyAm paadhAvani ! prathipadhOdhitha manjunAdham I vidhyAm vidhurbhagavatha: prathipAdhanArhAm pArAyaNAgama payOnidhi pAragAstvAm II In the previous verse, Swami Desikan described the PaadhukhAs as the dispeller of darkness of the night ( ajnAnam ) . Here, he describes them as the Upanishadic VidyA (i.e) , the clarity of a bright day. He says : " Oh , PaadhukhE ! You are the VidhyA that brings the Lord before us. You carry Him . During your sanchArams with Him , you raise melliflous naadham at each one of His steps. Those sacred sounds are like the manthrAs associated with the VidhyA ( Upanishadic wisdom ) to bring your Lord closer to us . You help us immensely this way . Through those manthrAs and the Bhakthi you stir in us , you become the Prapatthi VidhyA that helps us to secure the boon of Moksham from your Lord. Slokam 846 of RPS/ Slokam 16 of PKP ******************************************* mukthAmsu kesaravathee sthira vajra damshtrA PrahlAdha sampath anuroopa HiraNya BedhA I moorthi: SriyO bhavasi Maadhava PaadharakshE ! naathasya noonamuchithA Narasimha MoorthE : II Here Swami Desikan compares the PaadhukhAs to be the avatharam of MahA Lkashmi during Her Lord's appearance in HiraNyakasipu's palace pillar as Narasimha BhagavAn . Swami thinks about the pearl , adamantine stones ( a form of diamond ) and the gold housing them in the PaadhukhAs and his thoughts lead him then to NarasimhAvathAram . He considers the PaadhukhAs as MahA Lakshmi , who always appears with Her Lord in every one of His incarnations . In this context , Swami Desikan considers the PaadhukhAs as the Devi Of NarasimhA . He says : " Oh , Maadhava PaadhukhE ! Your rows of pearls remind me of the mane (pidari hairs ) of Lord NarasimhA . Your adamantine stones remind me of His cannine teeth ( Tetthu paRkaL/ DamshtrA ) . Your gold reminds me of the form cleaved by the outraged NarasimhA , when He tore apart HiraNyakasipu for mistreating the BhagavathA child , PrahlAdhA . When I think about all these similarities , You appear to me like MahA Lakshmi (with Lord NarasimhA ) , who took the form of a lioness to accompany Her Lord during His avathAram as NarasimhA . " Swami Desikan says that the PaadhukhA possesses the appropriate form of the consort of BhagavAn NarasimhA ( Tvam Narasimha MoorhtE : nAthasya uchithA Sriya : moorthi bhavasi ) . Slokam 847 of RPS/ Slokam 17 of PKP ******************************************* sambhAvayanthi kavaya: chathuraprachAram manjusvanAm mahitha mowthika pathraLAngeem I svAdheena sarvabhuvanAm maNipAdhukhE ! tvAm RangAdhirAja padha pankaja rAjahamseem II Swami Desikan compares the pair of PaadhukhAs to a pair of king swans resting at the lotus feet of the Lord of Srirangam. He points out that the beauty of the gait and the sweet sound generated from the sanchArams of the PaadhukhAs make them resemble the king swans in these attributes. Further , both the PaadhukhAs and the King Swans are lauded by poets; they also have in common the capability to travel around the world . PaadhukhAs of the Lord are celebrated for their beauty and holiness. Similarly , the other water birds celebrate the king swans resident on the lotus flowers for their startlingly beautiful white color and majesty . Based on these similarities , Swami Desikan concludes that the PaadhukhAs are a pair of king swans residing on the lotus feet of Lord RanganAthA . Swami Desikan says in this context : " Oh , maNi paadhukhE ! The all-knowing water birds see your rows of pearls and conclude that they are the feathers of the white swans ; they hear the sweet naadham you generate during your movements and conclude that they are equivalent to the naadham raised by the king swans , when they converse with each other. Putting two and two together , they recognize you as a pair of king swans( Parama Hamsa ParivrAjakAs) worshipped by all the world and residing at the Lotus feet of Lord RanganAthA at Srirangam. The inner meaning is that the AchAryAs are never without the thoughts about the Lord's lotus feet and through their sweet and enlightening words, they endear themselves to the whole world . AchAryAs are the Parama Hamsams found at the Lotus feet of the Lord with dhruva smruthi of those scred feet . Slokam 848 of RPS / Slokam 18 of PKP ******************************************* mukthA mayuka ruchirAm maNipaadharakshE ! manjusvanAm manibhirAhitha varNavargAm I manyE Mukhundha Padha padma madhuvratheenAm anyAmakrithrima girAm adhidevathAm tvAm II Swami Desikan compares the PaadhukhAs in this slokam to a pair of bees circling around the lotus feet of the Lord as the empowering principle of the VedAs . He suggests that the PaadhukhAs never leave the Lord's lotus feet just as the bees never leave the lotus flowers . He says : " Oh , maNi paadharakshE ! You are beautiful with the white sheen arising from your pearls . You generate a sweet sound, when you move . You have many hues due to the different colored gems adorning you . With the combination of all of the above features , you remind me of a pair of honey bees circling the lotus feet of the Lord . You appear to me like the adhidevathA of the VedAs ( i.e) ., the empowering devathA of the VedAs . All the VedAs have taken their home in You " . The inner meaning is that the AzhwAr and the AchAryAs understand the true meanings of the VedAs and spend their life time in unceasing thoughts ( dhruva smruthi ) about the lotus feet of the Lord and speak sweetly about those experiences . Slokam 849 of RPS/ Slokam 19 of PKP ******************************************** aasAdhya KekayasuthA varadhAnamoolam kAlam pradhosham anireekshya RamAsahAyam I manjuprANAdha rahithA maNipaadharakshE ! mownavratham kimapi noonam avarthayasthvam II Swami Desikan is reminded of MahA Pradhosham time ( evening of TrayOdasi day ) , when one can not worship the Lord and has to observe the vow of silence (Mowna Vratham ) and strict immobility . He equates the fourteen years of RamA's exile as the time of MahA Pradhosham . Swami Desikan says : " Oh , PaadhukhE ! As a result of the boons given to Kaikeyi , Sri Rama was exiled to the forest for fourteen years. At that time , you could not have the darsanam of the Lord , since you had to take up your residence at AyOdhyA at the behest of of your Lord to help BharathA rule the land . You were sorrow stricken during those fourteen years of separation from your Lord and you were therefore silent as though you were observing the rules in place for MahA Pradhosham . This silence was in contrast to the joyous times , when you raised sweet sounds during the transport of your Lord on your back " . Slokam 850 of RPS/ Slokam 20 of PKP ******************************************** vaidDhoorya ramya salilA mahithA marudhbhi: cchAyAvathi marathakOpala rasmi jAlai : I asrAnthamoha pahavee paThikasya janthO; visrAnthi bhoomiriva SowripadhAvani ! tvam II Swami Desikan states here that the PaadhukhAs are like a delightful resting place reputed for its cool shade, gentle winds and abundant water supply . He says : Oh, Lord's paadhukhE ! You serve as a delightful place of rest for the people afflicted by the ills of SamsArA . Your VaiDhooryA gems with their clarity appear like a cool brook of thirst quenching water at that resting place. Your emeralds appear like the cool shade there. The DevAs ( maruths ) associated with you serve as the equivalent of cool breeze . At such an exquisitely comfortable resting place provided by you , the suffering human beings scorched by the fires of worldly afflictions find their happiness " . Sri RanganAtha maNi paadhukhE ! Thubhyam nama: Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam Oppiliappan Kovil VaradAchAri Sadagopan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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