Padhuka Sahasram Kaimkaryam

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Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

Dear Bhaktas,

 

As of today, Sri Satakopan Swamin and adiyen have completed the

coverage of verse 800 of the Padhuka Sahasram. Coincidentally, this

happens to conclude the 25th Paddhati of the Padhuka Sahasram. The

number 25 is sacred due to the following reasons.

 

(1) It is the number of aksharams in the Dvaya Mantram, which

advocates the doctrine of unconditional total surrender to His Lotus

Feet, a concept systematized into a science by Swami NammAzhwar,

Swami Alavandar, Sri Ramanujacharya, and Swami Desikan.

 

(2) Ma, the 25th letter of the Devanagari alphabet is the EkAksharam

for Thayar. As a result of Her eternal oneness with Lord Narayana,

the Lord begets the name Madhavan. Furthermore, the role of Thayar in

the process of granting refuge to desirous Prapannas has been greatly

extolled by Swami Alavandar in the Chatushloki

salutation "prapannaItikasthOshyAmyaham nirBhayO:" and "Sri ithyE

vachanamathE Bhagavati brUma katham thvAm vayam" (One lifetime is

insufficient to fully comprehend the six meanings underlying the name

Sri, i.e., shriyathE, shrayathE, shruNOthi, shrAvayathi, shruNAthi,

and sriNAthi). Sri Ramanujacharya waxes eloquent in the opening

salutation of the SharaNagati Gadyam eulogizing Thayar as "nithya

anapAyinIm", "aKhila jaganmAtharam asman mAtharamananya sharaNa:

sharaNamaham prapadhyE". Swami Desikan follows the lead of these

great Acharyas "shrEyOmUrthim shriyama sharaNasthvAm sharaNyAm

prapadhyE".

 

(3) It has great significance in the context of the name Rama: Ra is

the second aksharam in the sequence "ya ra la..." and ma is the fifth

aksharam in the sequence "pa pha bha Bha ma". Taken together this

produces 25. According to Mahavidwan Paramapada Vasi Sri Mukkur

Lakshminarasimhachariar Swamin, when uttered once the word Rama

produces the effect of 2x5=10. When uttered three times as Rama Rama

Rama, this produces the effect of 10x10x10=1000 corresponding to the

1000 names of the Lord contained in the Vishnu sahasranamam.

 

It is instructive to note that Lord Rama is glorified by Swami

Desikan as "DharmO vigrahavan", "sakruth prapanna jana samrakshaNa

dIkshitha", "sakruth prapannajanathA samrakshaNaIka vrathi", "karuNa

kAkuthstha", "sakrudhavEkshaNath thath kshaNAth" all of which are

intended to bring home the message underlying Lord Rama's Charma

shlokam message from the Ramayanam "sakradhEva prapannAya thava

AsmIthichayAchathE aBhayam sarvaBhUthEBhyO dhadhAmyEthath vratham

mama".

 

(4) 25 is the number of salutations used by Swami Desikan in the Sri

Stuthi.

 

Seeking refuge in these assurances and declarations from the most

venerable Acharyas, we offer prayers to the Divine Couple, Swami

NammAzhwar, Swami Desikan, and our Acharyas for successful completion

of the Padhuka Sahasram Kaimkaryam.

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan