Dayaa Sathakam (31-40)

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Srimaan Venkatanaathaaryaha kavithaarkika kesari|

Vedanthaachaaryavaryome sannidhaththaam sadhaa hrudi||

 

 

Dear Bhaagavathaas,

 

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

of God. How beautiful, blissful and peaceful it is 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. (This posting covers slokas 31-40)

 

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,

an 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

 

 

Dayaa Sathakam

(Slokams 31-40)

 

31. O The Love of Madhusoodhana! Before my waning senses lose their power,

before my breathing loses its ease, before my body loses its ability to move

about freely, I must reach the Thirumala Hills and live there. There are many

holy water-falls on these hills, manifesting your Grace.

 

32. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) I do not know what is good for me. I’m

ignorant of the Atma.I do not possess virtues. Yet, you shower your grace on

me and give me succor. You embrace Lord Srinivasan and make him do what you

want him to do. Sri Devi and Bhoodevi keep you in high esteem because of your

boundless, selfless love.

 

33. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) In the Hall of Justice, where the Lord,

who has the power to give strength, has no partialities and differences, who

is virtues personified and is easily approachable, is seated with Mahalakshmi,

you embrace the Lord Srinivasan and provide suitable and winning arguments to

excuse all the sins I have committed.

 

34. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) The abiding rule is that the consequences

of sins have to be experienced. (The sins committed are so powerful) that the

consequences experienced in all the lives yet to come will still not mitigate

the sins entirely. Repentance also will not provide sufficient relief. Fully

aware of this hopeless situation, you embrace the Lord Srinivasan and remove

our fears of helplessness and make the Lord write-off our sins.

 

35. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! The Lord manifests Himself, in His Divine

Leela, as avataars. The ignorant do not cognize Him. Nevertheless, He conducts

Himself per your code of conduct (and exudes nothing but Love). When the good

and the pious are ripe for surrendering themselves to Him, He manifests

Himself in a cognizable way.

 

36. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! You are incessantly disposed to doing good

to everyone. Because of this, the Lord Srinivasan holds you in heart-felt and

unshakeable respect. His love towards His consorts, Sri Devi, Bhoodevi and

Neela Devi, is based on the fact that they are personification of your form

only.

 

37. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! Living in proximity to the Thirumala hills,

when one is suffering, is confused (due to one’s misdeeds, mis-words and mis-

thoughts), is losing the potency of senses, and when one is about to fall,

you diligently bring to this maanava the thought of Maadhava.

 

38. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! Just as a ship piloted by competent sailors

travels the sea and reaches the shore safely, you are the boat piloted by

acharyas, that safely transports us across the sea of birth and death (to the

shore of Thirumala Hills).

 

39. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! (After reaching Thirumala Hills), people

get distracted by the myriad things on display in the bazaar of the world. But

you ‘lead them by hand’ to the seat of the Lord.

 

40. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! The one who does not bow to you but resorts

to other supports is a fool. His act is akin to looking for water in a mirage

when the Ganges is flowing nearby.

_____________________

 

Kavithaarkika simhaaya kalyaana guna saaline|

Srimathe Venkatesaya vedaantha guravennamaha||