Padhuka Sahasram-999

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Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

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

 

999. kaThankAram lakshmIkarakamalayOgyam nijapadham

nidhaDhyAdhrangEsha: kulishakaTinEsminmanasi na:

na chEdhEvam maDhyE vishathi dhayayA dhEvi! BhavathI

nijAkrAnthikshuNNasmarasharashiKhAkaNtakathathi:

 

Oh Paaduka Devi! The hearts of people have been subject to the

arrows of Cupid, which continue to remain as thorns therein. Had You

not first entered and pulverized these thorns, by Your grace, how

can one expect Lord Ranganatha to step in into these hearts, with

His Feet so very delicate as to be caressed very carefully by the

hands of Mahalakshmi.

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

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

 

SlOkam 999

 

1) UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam: Oh DEvi! If You through Your steps

do not pulverize the tips of the thorns of the arrows of Manmatha

and prepare my heart as a soft spot fit for housing the tender ,

lotus feet of Your Lord, How could He (SrI RanganAtha) place His

soft feet on my adamantine hard heart?

 

2) Srimath Andavan's anubhavam: In this slOkam, Swamy Desikan

describes the fruits of worshipping the Lord's Paadhukais. Oh

victorious PaadhukE resting in my mind after defeating that mind,

which roamed fiercely chasing all material and sensory pleasuers! Oh

PaadhukE with that Vijya SrI! You pulverized all the fierce thorns

present in my mind through Your fervent sanchArams there and made it

a safe and soft place for Your Lord to reside. If You had not done

that, there was no chance for the Lord to enter my dangerous mind.

Thanks to Your help, both of You have settled down in my mind. The

inner meaning is that the intimate association with SadAchAryAs and

the auspicious benefits of their upadEsa anugrahams produce vivEkam

in us, cleanses our minds and results in Bhagavath dhyAnam and

anubhavam .

 

3) Oh Devi PaadhukE! My mind (manas) is dense with sharp thorn-like

features resembling the adamantaine weapon (kulisakaDini

/vajrAyudham). It is a place that is not most comfortable to enter (

dushpravEsam). Lord RanganAtha's sacred feet are soft like the

lotus petals and are easily bruised even from pressings by the soft

hands of His divine consort , SrI RanganAyaki ( Lakshmi

karatala yOgyam ). In to that hard and lowly place of my mind, the

Lord enters and places His Thiruvadi and feels comfortable. How is

that possible? (kaTankAram RanganATa : nija padham nidhadhyAth ). It

is only because of Your valour to enter my mind and with your

intense crushing of those sharp thorn-like entities and pulverizing

them through many sanchArams over them (Bhavathee nija aakrAnthy

kshuNNa Smara sara sikhA kaNDaka tathi: ). Out of Your compassion

for me, You get in between the Lord's tender feet and the field of

crushed thorns(manas) so that He does not feel those sharp objects (

dayayA yEvam madhyE visathi)...(V.S).