Saranagathi Swamy Desikan's Sankalpa SooryOdayam : Part III / Prapatthi Naandhi SlOkams

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of Swamy Desikan :

 

Let us continue today with the Second Naandhi slOkam

( One for celebrating Prapatthi yOgam as the fail-safe

upAyam for gaining Moksham thru its anushtAnam) :

 

lakshyE yahthra sruthimithagiNAkrushti-labdhAvadhAnai:

pratyak-BhANa: praNava-dhanushA satthvavadhbhi: prayuktha:

madhyEvaksha: sphurathi mahasA patrala: KousthubhAthmA

PadhmAkAntha: Sa bhavathu dayA-dhugdha-sindhu: Sriyai Va:

 

(Meaning ) : When a Jeevan sets itself as the arrow on

the bow of PraNavam (OmkAram) and aims it at the target of

Bhagavaan , that Jeevan shines as the divine Kousthubham

gem on His chest . There are similarities in GuNams between

the bhakthan , who aims the jeevan at the target and the skilled

bowman . Both are characterized by " Sruthimitha guNAkrushti

labdhavAns " and are Sathyavaans . There are clever double

meanings ( slEsha SamathkAram ) included by Swamy Desikan .

The same word has double meanings in the above slOkam

passage . The bowman( Bhakthan) will be strong and will pull

the chord with arrow all the way upto his ear . He will be pulled

by the Bhagavath guNams as revealed by Sruthi (Vedams)

and will become deeply focussed on BhagavAn and will be

filled with Satthva GuNam (Sruthimitha-guNAkrushti labdhavAn).

There is also similarity between the arrow and the Jeevan .

The arrow has feathers ( wings) and the Jeevan has dharambhUtha

Jn~Anam spreading like wings . The shooting of the arrow at

the target is nothing but the arpaNam of (laying of ) the Jeevan at

the sacred feet of the Lord . May that ocean of Mercy (DayA dhugdha

Sindhu) , Sriman NaarAyaNan (PadmAkAnthan) become every kind

of wealth for You !

 

( Comments) : The word "lakshyE " stands for aiming the arrow

at the target for ishta PrApthi ( gaining the object of one's desire).

In the previous slOkam dealing with Bhakthi yOgam as UpAyam ,

one's own fulfilment of desire was sought (SrimAn asthu Sa mE - - -

NaarAyaNa: ) . Here , in the second slOkam focusing on Prapatthi

yOgam , the appeal to Sriman NaarAyaNan for Moksham is

for all the others ( PadhmAkAntha: Sa bhavathu Sriyai: Va: ).

The difference is between "mE " and "Va: " in the two slOkams .

 

The Natan prays for the mangaLam for him (mE)as well as for

the people (Va: ) in the audience . Bhakthi is for himself and

the Prapatthi is done for others . Through Svanishtai , One can

perform Prapatthi for himself .

 

Mundaka Upanishad is the pramANam for the analogy of bow ,

arrow and target : " PraNavO dhanu: sarO hyAthmA Brahma

tallakshyam uchyathE , apramatthEna vEddhavyam saravath

tanmayO bhavEth " . TaitthirIya Upanishad has similar pramANams

on JeevAthmA as the arrow speeding towards the target of

the Lord from the bow of PraNavam . BhANa: Prayuktha: means

the samarpaNam of the Jeevan at the sacred feet of the Lord

during the anushtAnam of the UpAyam of Prapatthi .

" Sriyai va; Sa Bhavathu " : Sriyai : here refers to Sarva

MangaLams such as MokshAnubhava-kaimkarya samruddhi

( abundance of Kaimkaryam to Sriman NaarAyaNan at Sri Vaikuntam

as a result of Moksha anubhavam ) .

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka

SrivaNN Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan

http://www.sadagopan.org