Si HayagrIva SthOthram : Part XII --SlOkam 4 set in SaalinI metre and an Introduction to the five poetic metres used by Swamy Desikan in the 33 slOkams of Sri HayagrIva sthOthram .

[Guest guest]

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE Sharanam

Namo Sri HayagrivAya !

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

We will cover the fourth slOkam in two postings.

The fourth SlOkam is set in the rare Saalini metre .

Swamy Desikan's 28 sthOthrams contain 862 slOkams .

This fourth slOkam of Sri HayagrIva sthOthram

has the unique distinction of being set in

the Saalini metre . Let us digress a little

to reflect on the Padhya vrutthams (poetic metres)

chosen by Swamy Desikan in the 33 slOkams of

Sri HaygrIva sthOthram .

 

The Five Metres used by Swamy Desikan:

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The First SlOkam and Anushtup metre

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Swamy Desikan set the first slOkam

of His FIRST SthOthram in the sacred

Vedic metre of Anushtup to salute

the Veda SvarUpan , Sri HayagrIvan.

Anushtup has eight syllables in each

quarter of its four paadhams . One is

inevitably reminded of AshtAkshara

Manthram of Sriman NaarAyaNan , when

one thinks of anushtup metre. As the lion

among poets , Swamy Desikan followed all

the rules for the use of this metre:

(1)Fifth syllable of each quarter shoul

be short (2) the sixth long and (3) the seventh

altenatively long and short.

 

The Second & Third SlOkams (SikhariNI Metre)

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The SECOND and THIRD slOkams were set

in SikariNI metre , one of the seven

derivative metres of the Vedic Metre , Athyashti.

The etymology of the word SikhariNI is connected

with that of an excellent woman ."Si" means to be

attentive and to be sharp. Sikhara means

the peak or summit; SikhariNI can then

be related in a larger sense to an attentive

woman of towering beauty .That metre was

then chosen by Swamy Desikan for verses 2

and 3 dealing with Hala-Hala Veda dhvani of

the Lord .

 

The Fourth SlOkam and the SikhariNI Metre

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The FOURTH slOkam is set in the rare Saalini metre .

This metre is a derivative of the Vedic Thrishtup

metre.The clue for the use of Saalini metre is

obtained for a study of another slOkam set in

the Saalini Metre:

 

angO hanthi JN~AANA Vrutthim vidattE

DHARMAM dhattE KAAMAARTHAM cha soothE

MUKTHIM dhattE SarvathOpAsyamAnA

PumsAm SRADDHAA-SAALINEE VISHNU BHAKTHI:

 

Now , we comprehend the possible reason for

Swamy Desikan's choice of the SaalinI metre.

 

The 5th to 31st SlOkams ( UpajAthi Metre)

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The FIFTH to THIRTY FIRST sLokams are set in

the Upajaathi Metre, which is another derivative

of the Vedic Thrishtup metre like SaalinI metre.

Swamy Desikan decided to stay with UpajAthi

metre after the Saalini Metre for the next

27 slOkams . His concentration was sharp

in extolling the anantha KalyANa guNams

of Jn~ananthamaya , Svathasiddha , Veda

Moorthy . He stayed thus with the UpajAthi metre

for all the rest of the slOkAs except

the last two ( 32-33). UpajAtha means produced

or happened.These 27 slOkams forming the bulk

of the total 33 slOkams (~82%) can be visualized

to have been formed by PrArthanA-poorvaka

vij~nApanam of Swami Desikan to Lord Hayagrivan

for the boon of Vedic Speech for samrakshnam of

Bhagavath RaamAnuja SiddhAntham.

 

The Thirty Second Slokam and MandhAkranthA metre

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For the THIRTY SECOND SlOkam , Swamy Desikan

used the MandhaakrAnthA metre. This MandhAkrAnthA

metre is another derivative of the Athyashti Metre like

SikhariNI metre( the metre of the 2nd and third slOkams).

The whole of the great Kaavyam of MegadhUtA of

the celebrated poet KaaLidAsA is composed in

the MandhAkrAnthA metre. The Vedic root Mandh

(mandhathE ) means to celebrate without rushing .

The non-Vedic meaning is to move slowly(mandha gathi) .

One meaning of AakrAntha is to have the mind

engrossed or occupied .The combination of

mandh and AakrAnthA , one can extrapolate

to get a meaning of the poets's mind

being steeped in a majestic , unhurried

celebration of the anantha kalyANa guNams

of the Saarasvatha-Vaak-dhAyaka Sri HayagrIvan.

 

The Thirty third and Final slOkam ( AaryA metre)

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This is the Pahala sruthi slOkam is set in

AaryA metre by Swami Desikan. One hundred and

Sixteen of the 862 slOkams ( 13.5% ) of the 28

sthOthrams are set in AaryA metre . This metre

must have 12 maathrAs or syllabic instants

in the first and third quarters (paadhams),

the second 18 mAthrAs and the fourth 15 mathrAs.

The whole of the poet GovardhanA's AaryA sapthasathi

(700 vesrses)has been composed in he AaryA metre.

This metre is usullay a celebration of

the DayA svarUpam of the Lord .

 

We will take up in the next posting , the detailed

meanings of the Fourth SlOkam set in the rare

Saalini Metre .

 

Sri HayagrIva parabrahmaNE Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappn Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan