Sri VenkatEsa SthOthram : Part 2

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(6) abhirAma guNAkara ! dhAsarathE!

jagdhEka dhanurdhara ! dheeramathE !

RaghunAyaka! Raama! RamEsa! VibhO !

varadhO Bhava ! Deva! dayA-jaladhE !

 

Oh the treasure house of all auspicious

GuNAs revered by every one ! Oh the son

of DhasarathA ! Oh matchless archer in

all the Universe ! Oh Lord of firm sankalpam !

Oh the chief of Raghu Kulam ! Oh Supreme

Lord! Oh effulgent One ! Oh Ocean of

Mercy ! May Thou assume the role of

the boon giver(Varadhan) and bless us !

 

(Comments): Here the prayer is shifting to

Sri VenkatarAman , who declared His SaraNAgathi

vratham as " DhadhAmyEthath Vratham mama ".

 

(7) avanI tanayA kamanIya karam

rajanIkara chAru mukhAmbhu ruham

rajanichara rAja tamO mihiram

mahanIyam aham RaghurAmam ayE

 

adiyEn performs SaraNAgathi to RaghurAman ,

whose hands are held with affection by

SitA PirAtti . He has the most beautiful

face reminding one of a well blossomed ,

lotus flower . He is the valorous One ,

who is like the Sun to the darkness

of the unrighteous RaavaNan . adiyEn seeks

refuge in Him .

 

(Comments):This passage reminds one of

thirty fourth sargam of Sundara KaaNDam

of Sri Vaalmiki RaamAyaNam , where HanumAn

describes to SitA in AshOka Vanam the beauty ,

valour and the other auspicious qualities of

Lord Raamachandran : " roopavAn Subhaga:

SrimAn Kandharpa iva MoorthimAn , VikramENa

upapannasccha yaThA VishNurmahAyasA : ".

 

(8) sumukham suhrudham sulabham sughadham

svanujam cha sukAyam amOgha-saram

apahAya Raghudhvaham anyam aham

na kaThanchana kanchana jaathu bhajE

 

Oh VenkatEsA ! You are Sri RaamAvathAran .

As RaamachandrA , the crest jewel of Raghu Kulam ,

You have the most beautiful face and body ,

compassionate heart and are easily accessible .

You are known for Your unfailing arrows.

You incarnated with Your brothers as the sons of

DasarathA and have the power to grant the boon of

Moksham to those who sought refuge in You .With

all of Your aanatha kalyANa guNams in mind , adiyEn

will never seek anyone other than You for my salvation.

 

(Comments): In the fifth slOkam, the composer

of this sthOthram saluted ThiruvEnkatamudayAN

as KrishNA and in the slOkams from 6-8 he visualized

the Lord of Thirumalai as the Veera Raaghavan ,

Sundara Raaman and Jaanaki RamaNan . In the concluding

three slOkams ( 9-11) , the composer reverts to

the adulation of the Lord of Thirumalai as

Sri VenakatEsan .

 

(9) vinA VenkatEsam na NaathO na Naatha:

SadhA Venkatesam smarAmi smarAmi

HarE! VenkatEsa ! Praseedha Praseedha

Priyam Venkatesa ! Prayaccha Prayaccha !

 

Oh VenkatEsa! Even in my dreams , adiyEn does not

consider any God superior to You . Therefore ,

adiyEn is always meditating on YOu and You

alone. Oh Hari !Please grant me the boon of what

adiyEn desires or better still , bless me with

any auspicousness , which You deem appropriate

for me.

 

(10) aham dhUratas thE padhAmbhOja yugma

prANama icchayaa Aagathya sEvAm karOmi

sakruthsEvayA nithya sEvA phalam thvam

prayaccha prayaccha PrabhO VenkatEsa

 

Oh Lord VenkatEsA ! adiyEn has come from afar

with the longing to worship Your holy feet

this one time .The fierce waves of paapam

have tossed me about far and wide and kept

adiyEn away from You . The benovolent waves of

PuNyam have brought me to Your sannadhi

today. adiyEn is saluting You heartily

this one time. Please bless me with

Mukthi SaamrAjyam , where adiyEn can

delight in nithya Kaimkaryam to You .

 

(11) aj~nAninA mayA dOshAn

asEshAn vihithAn HarE !

Kshamasva Thvam Kshamasva thvam

Seshasaila SikhAmaNE

 

Oh Hari NaarAyana ! Oh Crest jewel of

Sesha Sailam ! Please pardon adiyEn

for all the sins committed by me .

If You do not forgive my trespasses

done out of ignorance , then Your Naamam

as Hari will become meaningless; further,

Your sankalpam to leave Parama Padham in

favor of Thirumalai would become an act

without any purpose. Therefore ,Oh VenaktEsA ,

Please forgive my apachArams and bless adiyEn .

 

Subhamasthu , Daasan

OppilA-appan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan