Dayaa Sathakam (91-100)

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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 91 - 100)

 

91. O The Love of the Lord of the of the Vrishadri hills! Thus, you are doing

beneficial things for all, all the time. I still do not pay adequate respects

to you. Understanding my deficient state, you yourself have undertaken the

responsibility for my protection. You must place me permanently with the Lord

who is my Lord, and the Lord of the sacred Tirumala hills, and the world.

 

92. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! Your outpouring of Love is a natural flood

that flows with force and speed. Direct this flood towards me. I am attracted

to you. The Lord is wondrous at the speed with which you flow. When the mighty

sea crosses its limits and flows beyond, who can indeed stem its flow?

Thinking thus, the Lord merely watches you in action.

 

93. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! I have studies the Sastras and understand

the right from the wrong. In spite of this, I err from the righteous path and

follow the demons like Vridrasura. Yes, several actions of mine deserve

punishment at the hands of the Lord and the Lord will mete them out. But you

must save me from the Lord’s punishment!

 

94. O The Love of Lord Srinivasa, the companion of Padmavathi! I am

flabbergasted at my own terrible mischiefs. I say one thing but do another. I

advise constantly against showing off. Others give up this habit, but I show

off the most. This is like the action of the Kulinga birds! The Kulinga bird

derides and instructs the lion not to be a "show off"., but itself goes and

picks the food remaining in-between the lion’s teeth as the lion sleeps with

its mouth open. What will be its fate if the lion closes its mouth? Oh Daya

Devi! can you stop my tendency to act against my own advice?

 

95. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! I shy away from you, I run away from you,

and I hide from you. But you should not be lackadaisical. You must jump and

grab me. Your husband is a hunter living on the hills. He hunts for sport. You

are wedded to him. You can catch me easily in the net. Once caught by you, I

am saved. Therefore, you must overpower (my tendencies) and take me under

your wings. You must ask your hunter-husband to go hunting, with you as the

net. When the net (Divine Love) is thrown, I cannot hide from it; I cannot

escape its hold at all. Yours is the net made by the strength of virtues.

 

96. O The Love of the Lord who is manifesting on the Tirumala hills! You must

remove all my bad feelings. I am frightened at the series of sins I commit

progressively! How can I live with this fear? Then, with your grace, I think

of you and I feel comforted. My status is terrible; I am holding a poisonous

snake in my hand. Letting it go is risky, and holding on to it is also risky.

You must remove my hold on worldly matters and replace it with a firm hold on

yourself.

 

97. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! O Mother! What is my offering to you? I

offer to you only the mountainous loads of sin that I carry. There is none

other that will want or accept this load. Hence I offer these enthusiastically

to you, who are my mother. You "swallow" this mountanous load of sins without

an iota of share to others. Yet, you look as if you could "swallow" more and

more of this.

 

98. O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! Just as the ocean doesn’t loose its

tepidity, even under the rays of the scorching sun, in spite of your accepting

the offerings of our sins, the Lord will not get angry at you. His eyes are

only the lotus flowers that reflect you.

99. O The Love of the Lord of the Tirumala hills! I am your elephant and you

must tie me up firmly with your Anugraha and accept me. (The elephant has the

unique blessing of performing pattabhishekam to the Divine Mother. Like that I

must worship you in the four stages of Darsanam, Damanam, Snanam, and

Bhajanam.)

 

100. O Mother! O the Love of Lord Venkatesa! What can I ask of you? Nothing,

really. With your grace, I must attain the stage of moksha. Mukundan will

grant me the grace of Mukta in this life itself, here and now. He protects and

his love has no limits.

____________________

Kavithaarkika simhaaya kalyaana guna saaline|

Srimathe Venkatesaya vedaantha guravennamaha||