Padhuka Sahasram-989

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

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

 

989. thvayyarpithEna charaNEna sadhaDhvaBhAja:

pAdhavani! praThithasAthvikaBhAvadhrushyA:

rangEshavadhvidhaDhathE muhurangahArAn

rangE mahIyasi natA iva BhavukAsthE

 

Oh Paaduka! An actor, a dancer, exhibits emotion in various gestures.

Observers are wont to identify themselves in emotional communion with

the stage-artiste. The same occurs in the case of learned

connoisseurs of the delectability of the service being rendered to

You. When the Lord sets His Feet in You and shows gaits in different

styles (like an elephant, like a lion etc) the devotees attain an

equality with the Lord in external expression. The great scholars

perform their regular duties to Your satisfaction placing total pious

faith in You. They enjoy all the gaits (and dances) with expressions

of mirth such as tears of joy and horripillation. They display

movements of heads and hands while enjoying You-as if they have

become stage-artistes, say like the Lord. Thus they attain a certain

degree of equality with Your Master, the master-dancer of the Ranga-

stage.

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

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

 

SlOkam 989

 

1) UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam: Swamy Desikan points out

that those , who take refuge in the Paadhukais attain equality

(Saamyam) with the Lord of Srirangam and that he is one of the

members of that fortunate group. Swamy says: " Oh PaadhukE ! Those

who enjoythe experience of surrendering unto You dance around the

streets of Srirangam with joy like the dancers in the troup of the

Lord performing before the Lord at Srirangam. They are rich in

auspicious attributes and dance in the highly visible stage of

Srirangam and express through their various dance gestures

(abhinayAs) their joy over the attainment of the fruits of

SaraNAgathy to You. They become equal ( Saamyam) to their Lord during

their lives in this world ".

 

2) SrImath Andavan's anubhavam: This slOkam is full of double and

triple meanings for specific words to yield multiple levels of

anubhavam regarding the rich poetic skills of Swamy Desikan . In the

previous slOkam, Swamy Desikan condemned the ordinary folks

(SaamAnya Janams), who seek the aasrayaNam ( protection ) of the rich

for their livelihood. PaadhukA asked Swamy Desikan to explain how

those folks are to go about securing their livelihood ( dEha yAthrai)

in this world. Swamy Desikan gives his answer in this slOkam : Oh

PaadhukE! it is not necessary for the SaamAnya janams to seek the

help of the unsympatheic and haughty rich. They should place complete

trust in You for their Yoga-KshEmam. You know that such people

without ananyAsrayaNams thrive and spend their time on earth without

worries. This situation is similar to Your Lord, who entrusts the

rakshaNam of His sacred feet to You and banishes all worries about

their protection. Those who perform Saathvika thyAgam first and then

go about serving You without seeking fruits of their actions become

superior to every one and are satisfied with what comes their way at

Srirangam .They sing and dance in a state of blissful anubhavam of

Yourself and Your Lord and spend their time with tadhEka manas (mind

centered on You alone ) and tadhEka vyApArams ( actions focussed on

You alone). All of their earthly and the other worldly needs are

taken care of by Yourself and Your Lord.

 

3) Oh PaadhukE ! This leelA vibhUthi is described as one fourth of

Your Lord's total Isvaryam by the VedAs. In this stage of Srirangam

(His leelA VibhUthi ) , the Sadhu janams conduct their anushtAnams

without anticipation of any fruits of their karmAs and are readily

recognized by the bilssful ways in which they go about their

kiamkaryams (Thvayi arpithEna charaNEna , sadhadhvabhAjA : praTitha

saathvika bhAva dhrusyA:). These magnificent souls dance as it were

on the expansive stage of Srirangam and perform often abhinayams

appropriate to their kaimkaryams ( tE bhAvukA: maheeyasi RangE naDA

iva muhu: angahArAn vidhadhE)...(V.S).