Dayaa Sathakam (51-60)

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Srimaan Venkatanaathaaryaha kavithaarkika kesari|

Vedanthaachaaryavaryome sannidhaththaam sadhaa hrudi||

 

 

Dear Bhaagavathaas,

 

"Daivaadheenam 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 achaarya and to Sriya:

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

comprising about ten slokas at a time. (This posting includes slokams 51-60)

 

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.

 

Daasan

Sundararaghavan Krishnaswami Sarma

------------------------------

 

Dayaa Sathakam

(Slokams 51 - 60)

 

51. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! Man, who is very poor and has no recourse,

needs to reach the abode of the Lord. As a first step in this effort, he earns

you. You are the path that takes him to the seat of the Lord. You take him out

of the mire of desires and place him at the Lotus Feet of the Lord, making him

a really rich man!

 

52. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! The people who approach you with the

feeling that you are the only refuge (abhimukyam) receive the highest wealth.

You nullify their sins immediately. You are like the river Saraswathi that is

manifest here some and hidden there some. Like this, you remove all sins with

manifested actions sometimes and at other times, with actions that are not so

evident.

 

53. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! You transform in a playful manner mere

mortals in to Siva, Brahma and residents of Thirumala Hill (at the abode of

Lord Srinivasa). You are always disposed to doing beneficial things for

others.

 

54. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! You are like the river Ganga. You remove

all sins just as the river Ganga does when one takes a dip in it. Just as the

Ganga does, you nourish the whole world. Ganga has taken birth at the Lotus

Feet of the Lord and you embrace the Lotus Feet. As the Ganga, you provide

three types of rewards - wealth, detachment (giving up of worldly bonds) and

salvation.

 

55. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! You and the river Ganga are both specially

reputed. Extolled by the Vedas, both of you promote the welfare of the world,

remove the sins (in the flood of Love) and provide cool comfort to the hot and

distressed. Both of you have in your possession the hamsa, the mathsya and the

koorma. (The swan, the fish and the toroise of course can be found in the

ganga. The Lord’s Love also sports these avataarams).

 

56. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! There are many varieties of compassion and

love pertaining to worldly matters. These offer limited and temporary benefits

only. In that process, in fact, they give more grief. But yours is unlimited

love that motivates everything else. You have given us the wealth called the

Lord of Seven Hills.

 

57. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) People’s mentality is to embrace

supporters and shun opposers. This is the way of the world. But, how is it

possible to shed even an element of doubt about you who has been extolled by

the Vedas?

 

58. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) The Lord Thiruvenkatamudaiyan is of the

hue of water-bearing clouds. The rains come from Him and nourish (remove the

grief of) the world. These rains are the grace of Love. Just as the chaataka

birds take only the drops of water falling from the sky, the good people

surrender only to you (ananya bhakthi).

 

59. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) The Lord who is manifesting Himself on

Thirumala Hills is a supreme sculptor, an excellent painter who paints movable

and immovable paintings. With you as the painting brush, He has indeed painted

beautiful paintings in my heart. Acharyas like Emberumaanaar, Aalavandhaar

affirm that there is no higher good than surrendering everything to you.

 

60. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) You are soft-hearted. You shower

benefits on those who have given up desires; you are supreme; you protect the

noble jnanis; you delegate your responsibilities to the wise; you are so

sweet; you are the darling of the Lord who has taken abode on Thirumala Hills;

you are the home of all auspiciousness! Please direct your flood of Love to

uproot the banyan tree that is my samsaaram.

__________________________

 

Kavithaarkika simhaaya kalyaana guna

saaline|

Srimathe Venkatesaya vedaantha guravennamaha||