“DEsikO mEy DayaaLu” - Part 1

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“DEsikO mEy DayaaLu”

(Anbil Ramaswamy)

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Part 1: What is so great about Swami Desika’s Stotras?

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There are any numbers of Stotras composed by any number of poets in various

languages. But, what makes Swami Desika’s Stotras different and outstanding

is the fact that they contain the power of Veda Mantras and can grant

whatever one desires. This is no hyperbole but an irrefutable fact proved by

life-experience. Those who cannot chant the Vedas and those who are not

eligible to recite Vedas can get the same benefits that accrue on reciting

portions of Vedas. At the conclusion of every Stotra of Swami Desika, is

found incorporated a “Phala Sruthi” detailing the benefits that would accrue

on reciting the particular Stotra.

 

We cite below only a few examples:

1) Hayagreeva Stotram: Knowledge, Intelligence, Talent, Gift of the gab,

mental alacrity, persuasiveness of speech, skill in poetry, diction etc.

“vaagartha Siddhi hEtO; paTaha Hayagreeva Samsthuthim bhakthyaa /

kavitaarkika kEsariNaa vEnkaTanaatEna virachitaam yEtaam //

 

2) Dasaavatara Stotram: Even if one just “thinks” of reciting this Stotram

Vaak dEvi, Saraswati will be enshrined in one’s tongue, impeccable devotion

will fill one’s heart, pristine purity will be acquired by even the physical

frame (TrikaraNa suddhi). More than these, the fame of such a one will

spread far and wide in all the 10 directions.

“VidhyO dhanavati VenkaTEswara kavou jaatham Jagan mangaLam

DevEsasya dasaavataara vishayam StOtram vivakshEta ya: /

VaktrE tasya Saraswati bahumukhee Bhakti: paraa maanasE

Suddhi: Kaapi tanou disaasu dasasu khyaati: subhaa jrumbatE //

 

Not only this: Prapannas do not propitiate the Navagrahas. Recital of this

Stotra is said to ensure the effect of propitiating the Navagrahas. “Nava

graha dEvataa prasaada siddhi”

 

If one finds it difficult to recite even this small Stotra of just 13 Slokas

in its entirety, Swami Desika has provided a much simpler and easier

alternative in a single Sloka in Slokam 749 of his “Padukaa Sahasram”

(Slokam 19 in “Kanchana Pattadhi”) which runs as follows:

“ Kanaka ruchiraa kaavyaakhyaataa Sanais charaNOchitaa

Srita Guru Budhaa Bhaasvath roopaa Dvijaadhipa sEvitaa /

Vihita vibhavaa nityam VishNO: padE maNi paadukE

Tvam asi mahatee na: subhaa graha maNDali”

 

The words Kanaka, Kaavya, Sanaischara, Guru, Budha, Bhaasvath and Dvijaadipa

are said to refer to the major planets of Angaraka, Sukra, Sani, Guru,

Budha, Surya and Chandra respectively.

 

3) Abheeti Sthavam: This Sthavam can ward off all kinds of fear.

Says Swami Desika:

Imaam abhaya siddhayE paTata Rangabartu sthuthim /

And, assures us that Lord Kesava with His bundle of auspicious qualities

will surely protect us from all fear.

kEsava: svayam gana gruNaa nidhir guNa gaNEna gOpaayati//

It is significant that the Stotra starts with the word “ Abheeti”

(Fearlessness) and ends with the word “GOpaayati”(Protects).

 

4) Kamaasika AshTakam: will dispel all sins and grant whatever one desires

“kaamaasika naraharir vitanOtu kaamaan”

The repetition of the words “Kaamaasika “ and “kaamaan” is interesting. The

one who took His abode on the northern banks of Vegavati river “out of

desire” will also “grant what we desire”!

 

5) Paaduka Sahasram:

Each one of the 1000 Slokas of this Stotra is said to contain a potential to

grant an appropriate Phala. (More about this later)

 

6) Dayaa Sathakam:

The word “Jalaja” literally means “that which is born out of water”. The

word “Pankaja” literally means “ that which is born out of marsh”. There are

so many things that can be said to be “born out of water / marsh”. But, when

these expressions are used, they unmistakably refer only to the “Lotus

flower” as per the principle of “Yoga RooDi” in Sanskrit grammar. Similarly,

though the word “Desika” generally means “Preceptor”, after the advent of

Swami Vedanta Desika, it has come to refer ONLY to him and none else.

 

The word is composed of 3 letters viz. “De”, “Si” and “Ka”. “De” is said to

refer to the fact that he is the darling of Deva (the Lord)); “Si” is said

to denote that he is the beloved of the “Sishyas”. And, the letter “Ka”

explains why. He is the very incarnation of compassion (KaruNa) acting as a

conduit connecting the two.

 

No wonder this ocean of mercy eulogized in his own inimitable style, the

ocean of “Daya” of TiruvEnkaTamudaiyaan in a 100 nectarine Slokas in his

“Dayaa Satakam” to reassure us that “Srinivasa Daya” is waiting to shower

its blessings on us.

 

For us, it is Swami Desika who is the real “DayaaLu” because, out of his

infinite compassion to us, he has induced us to seek the Daya of the Lord

and recommended to the Lord to shower His Daya on us thus bridging the two

very much like Thaayaar who has the role of mediatrix.

 

Hence, the title of this series “DEsikO mEy DayaaLu”

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To Continue: Part 2: “Daya and TiruvEnkaTamudaiyan”

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