Daya Sathakam (11-20)

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Srimaan Venkatanaathaaryaha kavithaarkika kesari|

Vedanthaachaaryavaryome sannidhaththaam sadhaa hrudhi||

 

 

Dear Bhaagavathaas,

 

"Dhaivaadheenam jagathsarvam". God is the basis of all. And Love is the basis

of God. How beautiful, blissful and peaceful is it to experience this love!

Our dearest Swami Desikan gives a glimpse of his experience in Daya Sathakam.

With my most humble and loving namaskaarams to the acharya and to Sriya:

pathi, may I share the following summary translation with you, in postings

comprising about ten slokas at a time.

 

The translation is based on the commentary and explanations by Sri Srinivasa

Raghavacharyar Swami, published in the Tamil book, Daya Sathakam, by the Sri

Desika Dharsana Sabhai, Villivaakkam, Madras. Sri Srinivasa Raghavacharyar

Swami says that the Daya Sathakam is a sastra, sthothra, poem, painting,

endless spring of water and an illumining light. My prayers to Sriman Narayana

for everyone of us to follow in the footsteps of our acharyas, practice what

they illustrated with their conduct and experience the Love of the Lord

(rasovai saha) that they experienced.

 

All errors are your humble servant’s.

 

Dhaasan

Sundararaghavan Krishnaswami Sarma

___________________________

 

Daya Sathakam (11-20)

 

11. Lord Srinivasan has limitless attributes like wisdom, power, strength,

wealth, courage and charisma. But all these follow the footsteps of, and are

dependent on, His Love. The lamp of wisdom precedes this Love (when wisdom

dawns, Love manifests). Lord Srinivasan is owned by this Love. This Love is

Supreme. I shall prove so. I surrender to this Love.

 

12. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) My sins are so powerful that they absorb

all the merits accumulated by the inhabitants of the world. In spite of this,

you, who enchants the Lord of Anjanaadhri, resuscitate me. (In spite of all my

sins, you take me on the meritorious path and give me Wisdom).

 

13. O The Love of Lord Srinivasa embellished with the extollable six virtues!

The Lord Srinivasa has dissolved in you. All my sins have drowned in you. They

go effortlessly to the depth of the Ocean of Love that you are. No one can

bring them up. There is no one available to do so either. (Note how powerful

this experience of Desikan is: The Lord Himself has dissolved in Love; I have

drowned in this Love; All my sins have disappeared in this Love. The only

thing that is left is Love)

 

14. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) You are the Wish-fulfilling Tree who

grants all the desires of the downtrodden. You correct, rather than punish,

our mistakes because you are the Love of Thiruvenkatamudaiyan. The learned

know that it is you who helps us cross the samsara (of the world) ocean.

 

15. The Lord of Thirumalai is a gruhasthan (house-holder). All his attributes

like wisdom, might, wealth, courage, power etc are mere aberrations if devoid

of Love.

 

16. Since the beginning of Creation, you sport the Prathisancharam

(pralayam, dissolution) to dissolve the progressively increasing sins. You are

the Love of the Lord with Padmavathi. (Dissolution with, by and from Love)

 

17. O The Love of the Lord of Vrushagiri! With one compassionate look at the

lifeless beings during Dissolution, you give them life, material body and

senses (and begin Creation). (Creation with, by and from Love)

 

18. O the Love of Lord Srinivasa! You have lit the ever-burning and

indestructible lamp of Sastras to remove the darkness of beings. You have

supplied plenty of oil to this lamp and have provided the lamp itself in good

time. (Code of conduct provided for Sustenance)

 

19. You are born from the Lotus Feet of the Lord of Vrushaachala, have grown

to be the sundara roopam of the Lord and with the Grace of His Prasanna

vadhanam, you grant moksham to all who surrender everything to you

(prapaththi anushtaanam).

 

20. Lord Srinivasa shines as the moon at Thirumala. You have ordained the

‘look of friendship’ to his pupils (tharaa mythri) and those on whom you cast

your looks attain moksham with ease and without hard endeavor.

_________________

 

Kavithaarkika simhaaya kalyaana guna saaline|

Srimathe Venkatesaya vedaantha guravennamaha||