Padhuka Sahasram-997

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Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

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

 

997 ajaniShi chiramAdhoU hantha dhEhEndhriyAdhi-

sthadhanu thadhaDhikassannIshvarOham baBhUva

aTha Bhagavatha evABhUvamarThAdhidhAnIm

thava punarahamAsam pAdhukE Dhanyajanma

 

Oh Paaduka! At first, I lived for a long time in total disregard of

the Atma, imagining that I have to please my body only. Then I

learnt and realized that I had a soul different from the physical

body but that too did not give the correct status for me, since I

assumed an independence of will and action, negating the all-

controlling Lord. Then by an accident, I realized that my soul is

for the service and pleasure of the Lord. That marked my reformation

into a treatment of my soul as the Lord's, that is Seshatva, a great

blessing indeed!

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

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

 

SlOkam 997

 

1) UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam: From early times , I regret that I

did not become Your servant. In the beginning , I thought that the

body, faculty of senses, mind and knowledge snared me and held me in

their grips. During those times, I thought that I was the body or

the faculty of senses or the mind. After spending a long

time in this fashion, I recognized that they are not the Aathma and

that became clear in my thinking. Then I thought that I was

independent aathmA ( Jeevan), who is equal to the Lord and suffered

from wrong identification ( like HiraNyakasipu). Finally, I realized

that I am the unconditional servant of SrIman Narayana alone. Now I

recognize that service to the Lord's BhagavathAs is greater than

even the direct service to the Lord Himself. Hence, I have become

Your ( PaadhukA's) servant. I have reached the highest status as a

result of being Your servant ( PaadhukA sEvakan).

 

2) Srimath Andavan's anubhavam: Here, Swamy Desikan thinks about

the bhAgyam conferred by the Paadhukais on him with utter

gratefulness. He compares his earlier sad lot and how the Paadhukais

changed all that and becomes intensely grateful.

 

Swamy Desikan muses aloud : "Oh PaadhukE ! When I think of all

the anugrahms that have come my way thanks to Your benovelence,

I can not but feel grateful. I used to consider my Sareeram as the

aathmA and sought solely the nurture of my body. I led an animal

edition of human existence and entered many yonis as bird , beast

and insect. I spent aeons without knowing an iota of Bhagavath

Saasthrams. When I think of those terribly wasted days, my heart

pounds with grief. Finally due to some ancient good fortune

(sukritha lEsam ), Bhagavath kaDAksham fell on me and I entered

human janmAs and developed the knowledge that the AathmA is

different than the body in which it resides and that seeking the

four purushArTams through Vedic karmAs is the right thing to do.

Bhagaavth KatAksham led to SadAchArya sambhandham and Tatthva

Jn~Anam. I became SeshabhUthan to the Lord and sought Your refuge.

Bhagavath Seshathvam pushed me further to its limit, BhAgavatha

Seshathvam.My life became fruitful (Saphalam ). I recognized that

there is nothing loftier than Kaimkaryam to You for gaining all

PurushArTams. Grand indeed is the power of Your anugraham ! ".

 

3) Oh PaadhukE ! For a long time, I stayed in a state of total

ignorance about my svaroopam and had SareerAthma Bramam as well as

Svatantrathma Bramam and was lost(aham chiram dEha indhriya aadhi:

svaroopam ithi mathvA ajanishi . Hantha ! ). Later due to the

JaayamAna KatAksham of Your Lord , I was blessed with SadAchArya

Sambhandham and VedAntha Jn~Anam form the AchAryan ; I understood

that the Lord is the karthA of KarmAs and is the Jn~Ana Svaroopi ,

who is the Master/ Sarva Swamy (Tadhanu tadhikassan Isvara:

BhabhUva). I developed clear Jn~Anam about my svaroopam as Daasa

BhUthan for the ParamAthma ( DaasabhUthA: svathassarvE hyAthmana:

ParamAthmana:). I became the property of the Lord (Bhagavatha yEva

abhUvam). From there ( Bhagavath sEshathvam ), I reached the

boundary of that state and have arrived now at BhAgavatha

sEshathvam, which transformed me to become your intimate sEsha

bhUthan (idhAnim puna: arTAth Tava aasam . I am truly blessed (

aham dhanya Janmaa aasam )....(V.S).