Padhuka Sahasram-924

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Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

Translation by U.Ve. Dr. V.N. Vedanta Desikan Swamin:

 

924. kAvyAyAsThitha mAvargavyAjayAthagamArgakA

kAmadhA jagatha: sThithyaI rangapungavapAdhukA

 

The path on which the Paaduka travels is shining in brilliance. (Its

path is the one following the footsteps of one-namely, Bharata-who

went to Rama's camp, by reason of his having spurned the rulership of

the Kosala nation). It is one which grants all that one wants. And

the Paaduka of Rama well merits the reputation of being the cause of

birth of epics like Ramayana

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

Special notes by V.Sadagopan (V.S):

 

slOkam 924: The prose order and the word splitting for this verse

set in Garuda gathi chakra bhandham is as follows:

 

" KaavyAya-asTitha- maavarga-vyAja-yaatha-ga-mArgakA ,

kaamadhA jagatha: sTithyai: ranga-pungava-paadhukA " .

 

The Garuda gathi chakra Bhandham can be represented in two

geometric patters : (1) Four circles with an empty center(inner most)

circle and 5 lines starting from the periphery of that inner circle

and

reaching out to the outtermost circle (2) Five linked lotus petal

shaped

patterns with a common axis with TWO intersecting triangles formed

by lines drawn from the center of those five lotus petals.

 

The slOkam yielding two types of Garuda gathi chakra Bhandahm

has 32 aksharams to form the yanthram . Each paadam has 16

aksharams. Twenty of the 32 aksharas have been included in

the formation of the two Garuda gathi chakra bhandhams.

Among the twenty , the akshara that is represented twice is "nga:

( R-nga and Pu-nga-va) found in the second paadham .Rest of

the aksharams appear only once in the Bhandham , although

they may occur more than once in the slOkam .

 

The aksharam "Kaa" has a special place in this verse. It appears

FOUR times at the beginning and the end of each of the TWO

paadhams ( kaa-vyAya, Maarga-kaa , kaamadhA and Paadhu-kaa).

This aksharam "Kaa" is represented only once in the Bhandham .

 

The Garuda gathi bhandham is split in to five sectors and each

incorporates four aksharAs adding up to a total of twenty . Only

"nga" is repeated twice as one of the main aksharAs of the word ,

"Ra-nga". The four fold patterns of aksharAs in the five sectors are:

 

a) kaa, dhu , ma , vyA , (b) dhaa , ja , ga , yaa

c) ta , sTi , thyai , ta: (d) ra , ga , pu , maa

e) nga, rga , paa and va .

 

In both versions of this Garuda Bhandham , the center is empty.

In the second version , the empty space is split in to five

triangles .

Two intersecting triangles from five points as in many yanthrAs .

The outter most structure has five petals with five petals with five

apexes . This bhandham is patterned after the flight pattern

preferred by

Garuda BhagavAn , another transport(Vaahanam) for the Lord like

the PaadhukAs.

 

1) Meaning of the slOkam : UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam:

SrI RanganAtha Paadhukais seek the welfare and prosperity

of the people of the world and bless them with grains ( annam) ,

other riches and true knowledge (Jn~Anam). Thus , it becomes

the object of celebration by the poets.

 

2) SrImath Andavan's anubhavam:The intense compassion and

deep generosity of the PaadhukAs of the Lord of Srirangam

blesses those who appear before Them with great soubhAgyams

even if they did not have deep bhakthi towards Them . They bless

those devotees with material wealth/Jn~Ana Sampath (thru LakshmI

KatAksham) ,

and the wealth of Jan~Anam (Jn~Ana Sampath). Once the Jn~Anam

is born among the devotees and they perform SaraNAgathy ,

then the Paadhukais grant them the Parama purushArTam of

Moksham . For us to be familiar with Their Vaibhavam , the Paadhukais

incarnate with Their Lord during Vibhava and ArchAvathArams

and reveal Their prabhaavam through SrImadh RaamAyaNam ,

PaadhukA Sahasram and other Kaavyams/ithihAsams.

 

3) Oh Rangapungava PaadhukE ! You have the short movements

(SanchArams) that lead one quickly to MahA Lakshmi's Sannidhi for

Lakshmi KatAksham ( Maa aavarga vyAja yAtha ga maargakaa).

Even through svalpa sanchAram ( limited movements) , PaadhukAs

are able to confer conscpicous wealth (KaamadhA) . For the sake of

the auspiciousness of the world , the Paadhukais became the subject

matter of Kaavyams .