Satvika AhamkAram 4.04: "WHY DO YOU FEAR WHEN I AM HERE"

[Guest guest]

SwAmi VedAnta Desika's "NaichyAnusanthAnam"

and "SAtvika AhamkAram"

(as gleaned from his StOtras)

Part 4. SAtvika AhamkAram

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Dear Bhagavatas

Your kind attention is invited to the Introduction to this Part posted on

21st November 99 to appreciate this posting better and in the proper

perspective.

(Anbil Ramaswamy)

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Satvika AhamkAram 4.04: "WHY DO YOU FEAR WHEN I AM HERE"

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prabuddha guru veekshaNa prathitha vEnkaTEsOthbhavam

imAm abhaya siddhayE paTatha rangabharthuh sthavam /

bhayam thyajayha bhadram ithi abhidadhath sa vah kEsavah

svayam ghana karuNA nidhir guNa gaNEna gOpAyathi //

(Abheethi Sthavam slOkam 29)

 

Meaning

" This StOtra has emerged from me, VEnkaTEsa blessed by the cool and

auspicious glances of great GnAnis.

 

Do recite thus "Rangasthava".

 

If you do so, all your fears will vanish.

 

Lord RanganAtha, the Ocean of mercy, who is also "kEsava" will personally

(svayam) assure you saying " Don't be afraid (Bhayam thyajatha);

 

You will acquire all that is auspicious and benevolent (Bhadram thava) - the

very words He used to dEvas once ( before Rama AvatAra).

 

Through the treasure house of His natural love and compassion (gana karuNa

nidhir guNa gaNEna), He will Himself (svayam) rush to your rescue"

 

Comment:

At the time of "Deva SaraNAgathi" in Srimad Valmiki RamAyaNam the Lord used

the very same words to the Devas "Bhayam thyajatha" which rendered Srimad

RamAyaNam as "Abhaya PradhAna SAram".

 

This StOtra dwells on the same subject of 'fearlessness' guaranteed by the

Lord.

 

SwAmi beckons us to recite this StOtra (paTatha) as an antidote to get rid of

our fear that grips us considering the innumerable sins we have committed and

continue to commit and also considering in this context the Lord's other

qualities like GnAna, Bhala etc.which frighten us (abhaya siddhayE)

 

It may be noted that SwAmi starts the StOtra with the word "Abheeti"

(fearlessness) and ends it with the word "gOpAyathi" (protects).

 

When the Lord is there to protect, where is the room for any fear at all?

 

SwAmi specially invokes the name "kEsava" because KEsava is the destroyer of

grief and fear. "Kesavah kLEsa nAsanah". Hence, the SwAmi uses this name here

to guarantee that the Lord would by all means relieve us of all fear.

 

Even though the SwAmi mentions his own name "VenkaTEsOdhbhavam" in the mood

of "SAtvika AhamkAram", he quickly follows it up with "SAtvika ThyAgam" when

he refers to his StOtra as "Rangabarthuh sthuthi" which can be interpreted as

"on" Rangabarthuh as well as "by" Rangabarthuh.

 

Also, he mentions how he himself acquired this status by saying that he

became enlightened by the grace of his gurus - thus attributing all credit to

his AchArya -

("prabuddha guru veekshaNa prathitha")

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To follow: Satvika AhamkAram 4.05:

"WATER THE ROOT. THE STEM WILL FLOURISH!"

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