SrI deSika stotra-s - 17. SrI acyuta Satakam - Part 1.

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SrI deSika stotra-s - 17. SrI acyuta Satakam.

 

Introduction.

 

This stotram, like the one we covered last - SrI devanAyaka pa~ncAsat,

is on devanAyakap perumAl of tiruvaindra puram. The word Satakam in

the title refers to the 100 Sloka-s (actually there are 101 including

the phala Sruti) in the stotram. The nAma acyuta means He who does not

let His devotees slip - na cyAvayati iti acyutah.

 

One special aspect of this stotram is that it is written in the prAkr*t

language by svAmi deSikan. prAkr*t can be considered colloquial

samskr*t, which seems to have been used in day-to-day communication in

the olden days by those who did not use grammatical samsk*t in their

conversations. In course of time, grammatical rules evolved for

prAkr*t as well, and it evolved as a language in its own right. It

became common for female characters to use prAkr*t in works such as

drama etc. It is characterized by the natural sweetness like the talk

of a child when it is spoken. svAmi deSikan's anubhavam of the

sweetness of this language is that it is the childhood language of

goddess sarasvati (Slokam 2). SrIrAmadeSikAcArya svAmi observes that

devanAyakap perumAL has the unique distinction that He is the only arcA

mUrti who has been sung by svAmi deSikan in three languages - samskr*t

(devanAyaka pa~ncAsat), prAkr*t (acyuta Satakam), and tamizh (mummaNik

kOvai).

 

SrIrAmAdeSikAcArya svAmi has included the samskr*t version of the

Sloka-s along with the prAkr*t version in his LIFCO publication "SrI

deSika stotra mAlA". Wherever quotes have been included from acyuta

Satakam in the current write-up, the samskr*t version has been used

because of the greater ignorance of aDiyEn with prAkr*t. However, SrI

rAmadeSikAcArya svAmi has made the special point that those who chant

the Slokam should use the prAkr*t version. As has been done in the

write-up for the previous sttora-s, instead of giving a literal

translation of the Sloka-s, aDiyEn has presented a summary of the

thoughts that registered in aDiyEn's mind when going through the

meanings of the Sloka-s.

 

1. AcArya is to be worshipped like bhagavAn Himself.

 

In nyAsa vimSati we saw that our AcAryan is to be worshipped like

bhagavAn Himself by us (Slokam 2). svAmi deSikan reemphasizes this

concept to us again in the current stotram. BhagavAn is imparting

knowledge to us to realize Him through the words of our AcArya - He is

seated in their tongue like being seated in a throne and instructing us

through our AcArya (Slokam 5).

 

2. svAmi deSikan's Humility.

 

svAmi deSikan's humility again reveals itself in this work as in all

other works. In Slokam 3 he says that his work can be flawed standing

by itself (mama bhAshitam malinam api), but because it sings His praise

it gets sanctified just as the street waters get sanctified when they

mingle with the Ganges river. In Slokam 4 he refers to his work as

bAliSA mama stutih - my stotram which is likes a child's blabbering.

 

3. Need for Purity in Thought, Word and Deed:

 

svAmi deSikan emphasizes the need for purity of thought, word, and deed

for one who is interested in realizing Him. Those who are not pure in

their thought and action cannot succeed in realizing Him. BhagavAn

won't stay in a polluted mind even for a moment, just as a hamsa won't

go near muddied water even for a moment (Slokam 6). He keeps away

from one who is not sincere in his/her devotion - dolAyamAnAn dUram

mu~ncasi (Slokam 7). Only those who are pure in thought, word and deed

can successfully meditate on Him. He thus becomes easy to access for

the women of AyarpADi who have staunch devotion to Him - Sraddhita

hr*daya sulabhah (Slokam 7).

 

4. How Do We Know of the Existence of BhagavAn, Why Should We Worship

Him, Attirbutes of a True Devotee of BhagavAN.

 

The question of what is the evidence for the existence of bhagavAn has

been raised by many. The simple answer is provided in Slokam 7 - Agama

mAtra pramANAh - Because the veda-s declare so. There is no other way

to prove His existence. We can experience Him, but can't prove His

existence to others through any means other than veda.

 

We worship Him because He eliminates the feelings of desire, sins,

false knowledge, etc. when we have Him in our thoughts - tr*shA, mala,

mohah kshapitah (Slokam 27). When we worship Him, we won't ever have

the darkness of the night called aj~nAna (teshAm moha triyAmA na khalu

- Slokam 46). Our mind will not be distracted away from Him by

anything (vikAra jananairapi na vikriyamANAh), and we will become pure

(pAvanAh) and will experience the anubhavam of moksham even in this

world (jIvanmukta sadr*Sah) (Slokam 47).

 

A true devotee of bhagavAn will lose interest in the pursuit of trivial

and transient pleasures (vishaya rase viraktAh - Slokam 47, svapna

sadr*kshANAm SrINAm na smarati - Slokam 48). For that matter the

devotee of bhagavAn will not even be interested in positions such as

that of brahma; he will realize that even these so-called high

positions are impermanent like water bubbles and will come to end

ultimately, and are constantly under the threat of the asura-s. These

positions are beautiful to look at like water bubbles, but are also

impermanent like the water bubbles, nice to look at like mushrooms but

also tasteless like mushrooms, beautiful to look at like cloud

formations but also transient like them. The position of these other

gods is like the banana stem, which looks strong but which can't

support anything like a stone pillar can (i.e., they can't even assure

protection to those who seek their protection, except when bhagavAn

gives them that power) (Slokam 49).

 

Those who worship bhagavAn with devotion and who acquire true j~nAna of

Him will also acquire the qualities such as sausIlya like Him, and mix

with even those who have not advanced to the knowledge level like

themselves. They forgive other's mistakes just as bhagavAn forgives

His devotees' sins, and over a period of time they will help the other

cetana-s towards the path of realizing Him (Slokam 50).

 

Those who are devoted to bhagavAn will also not have any of the

negative attributes that are acquired by those who do not have clear

thinking and who think of this body as the AtmA, or think that their

soul is independent of the paramAtmA (51). Negative qualities such as

mAna madershyA matsara dambhA bhayA amarsha lobha etc., which are

explained later, will not touch them. All the undesirable traits leave

the devotees of bhagavAn, and they shine like stars in a well-lit sky

on a clear cloud-free night (Slokam 54).

 

There is no question of yama lokam for His devotee - na khalu yama

vishaye gatih (Slokam 55); even those who stray from the path of a

prapanna after surrendering to Him get only minor punishment from Him

as prAyaScitta. So there is no question of one who has done prapatti

to Him going to naraka. His devotees desist from worldly desires and

enjoyments and thus keep themselves away from yama's wrath (Slokam 56).

Even though they live in kali yuga, they feel like they are living in

kr*ta yuga (Slokam 52). They realize that everything - moving and

non-moving - is part of bhagavAn, and so they do not develop any kind

of animosity or hatred towards anyone or anything. Their only goal in

life is moksha, and they only obsrve sanAtana dharma which assists them

in attaining that goal. They desist from any attachment to worldly

pleasures since they have realized that these are transient and

impermanent (59).

 

The worship offered by a paramaikAntin (i.e., one who worships SrIman

nArAyaNa exclusively and who does not perform this worship for any

benefit for himself) is accepted by bhagavAn with a bowed head like one

accepting a pariyaTTam, whereas the worship offered by the likes of

brahma is only accepted at His feet (57).

 

5. The effects of not worshipping Him:

 

Those who do not worship Him always find fault in bhAgavata-s (53),

like faulting the Sun with having a hole in the centre; this kind is

sowing the path for their self-destruction. Even if they live in kr*ta

yugam, they will feel miserable like those living in kali yugam (52).

These who are immersed in worldly pleasures will not be able to realize

Him even though He is very near them in His arcA form, just as they sky

is near us but is beyond our grasp (60).

 

These non-devotees who think that their body is the AtmA or it belongs

to them and not to paramAtmA, develop many undesirable traits such as

ahamkAram (mAna - the feeling that they arre superior to others), pride

arising from their wealth, appearance, birth, etc. (mada), jealousy

(IrshyA), enmity (matsara), hot-headedness (dambha), finding fault with

others (asUyA), fear (bhaya), anger (amarsha), desire to cling to

wealth (lobha), etc. (Slokam 51).

 

-To be continued.

 

-dAsan kr*shNamAcAryan

 

 

 

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