Dayaa Sathakam (71-80)

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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 71-80)

 

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

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Dayaa Sathakam

(Slokams 71 - 80)

 

71. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) You are the Will and Form of Lord

Srinivasan. You are the Form of Wisdom. You establish (form the basis of)

everything. You are invincible. All other attributes are your servants. The

supreme that you are, you are also adventurous in accepting me in your succor.

 

72. O The Daya Devi engaged in Leela! You are one with the heart of the Lord

manifesting on the Thirumala Hills; you assist in all avataarams; you remove

all deficiencies; you are worshipped by all gunaas such as forbearance; you

create the world and provide plentiful sustenance and salvation. You are ever

present in Vaikuntam , in the absence of rajo and thamasic gunaas.

 

73. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) You are the ladder that takes us step by

step in our progress. You have given us the various Forms of Worship that take

us progressively to the Formless. The steps in the ladder of the Forms of

Worship are many. The first step is all the forms created in our minds by you

manifesting as Antharyaami. The next step is the archaa forms (these are

swayam, vyaktham, saiththam, aarsham, maanusham). The step after this is the

vibhava form ( avataars like Rama, Krishna). The fourth step is vyooha forms

(Vaasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradhdhyumna, Aniruddha). Then comes the step of the

Twelve Forms of worship (Kesava, Naaraayana, Maadhava, Govinda, Vishnu,

Madhusoodhana, Thrivikramaa, Vaamana, Sridhara, Hrishikesaa, Padmanaabha,

Daamodhara). Then, the final step of the form of Paravaasudheva who is at

Vaikuntam. You manifest in these forms at sacred places of worship like

Thirumala and fulfill the limits of our desires.

 

74. (O The Love of Lord of Venkateswara!) There are several types of good

deeds that are done in this world: helpful deeds; deeds done without the

desire for results; good deeds done without knowing that they are good deeds;

good deeds that happen by themselves; good deeds done impulsively on the spur

of the moment, without prior planning. You consider these small deeds weighty

enough and shower your Grace saying that It is deserved.

 

75. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) For those who desire the wealth of

kaivalyam etc that are superior to the experiences of Brahma and Siva, you

grant them those desires. (Knowing fully well that they are not the right type

of desires because they yield only temporary benefits) you take them along the

paths they have desired and make them develop detachment (vairaagyam) from

these temporary things and develop attachment to the succor of the Lotus Feet

of the Lord.

 

76. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) You bring the jeevis to the nectarine sea

of the presence of Lord Srinivasan at Thirumalai. There all the grief and sins

of samsaara get completely wiped out. (Agamarshana snaanam). Sans the sins,

the jeevi experiences its naturally blissful state that the jeevi was before

accumulating sins.

 

77. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) For those who have exclusively and

completely surrendered to you, you prescribe corrective actions

(praayaschittham rather than punitive actions) when they commit sins (like not

obeying God’s commands, for example). In doing so, you consult with the Lord

who is disposed to doing good for all. By doing this (ie. by not punishing),

you ensure that the objective of surrender (moksham) remains fully protected.

 

78. (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) Karmaas yield only temporary benefits.

The vaidheeka karmaas last but momentarily (in the span of time). Yaagaas etc

yield heaven as reward but that is also temporary. If the pithru devathaas

perish in pralayaa, then you take their place and accept the offerings made to

them. You are beyond time; you have embraced the Lord Thiruvenkatamudaiyaan;

you undergo no change; you are the terra firma for all - so say the learned

and the wise.

 

79. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! We surrender to you. It is certain that one

day the Lord will place us at His Lotus Feet. The learned and the wise know

that no one can act contrary to your Divine Design.

 

80. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! The Lord Thiruvankatamudaiyaan is in your

permanent embrace. The yogis who turn their minds to the Lord have clarity of

vision and experience. Their dhyaanam yields nectarine bliss. Just as the

chaathaka birds have the single-pointed focus on rain drops, these yogis are

exclusively focused on the Lord Thiruvenkatamudaiyaan who gives the essence

of all dhyaanam and moksham.

__________________________

 

Kavithaarkika simhaaya kalyaana guna saaline|

Srimathe Venkatesaya vedaantha guravennamaha||