Guest guest Posted December 26, 2005 Report Share Posted December 26, 2005 !! Sri Rama Jayam !! The Lord of Sri Rangam ... lOkathArAkAmachArA kavirAjadhurAvachA thArA gathE pAdharAma rAjathE rAmapAdhukA The Paaduka of Lord Rama is capable of providing salvation to the whole world. Its movements are lovable to all viewers. Master-poets (like Valmiki) can hardly achieve a complete praise-poem on it. It has sweet melody and effulgence. (It brings to our doorstep the Lord's Feet!) So much is the greatness of the Paaduka! Yes, Yes! The sacred Raama PaadhukAs shine in the following manner (Raama PaadhukA aama rAjathE): They are the agents of protection for those, who sought their rakshaNam (lOka thArA); They travel wherever they wish without interference (KaamachArA); They have the sanchAram that is enjoyed by all (aakAma chArA); Their glories can not be adequately described by even the greatest poets (kavirAja dhurAvachA); they emante supremely effulgent rays and delightful nAdham as they engage in sanchAram (gathE taarA paadha raa Raama PaadhukA raajathE). JayaamapApAmayAjayAmahE dudhuhE mayA MahEsakAkAsa-hEma-paadhukAamamakaAdhupA The PaadhukA helps the Moksham seekers in case they lack the perfection in their state of renunciation and conquest of senses. The PaadhukA grants luckless candidates the reward of success. It removes diseases of body as well as the mind. It grants protection to those who cherish the correct feeling to them as possessions of the Lord Himself. It helped Rudra, when he plucked a head of Brahma (and incurred mahA paapam). It shines on the head of great ones like Indra. With great mercy, it removes their sorrows. Those golden Paadhukais are associated with the Lord's feet and I derive benefit from that. I " milk " the cow of PaadhukA for desired results, during the Lord's festivities (like BrahmOthsavam et al). The RanganAtha PaadhukAs protect Mumukshus, who have not fully gained control over their Indhriyams (Jaya aama paa). They remove physical and mental diseases (apa aamayA). They protect the one without ahankaara - mamakArams or protect Rudran, who had comitted Brahmahatthi DhOsham by plucking one of the heads of his Father, Brahma (amamaka ath u paa or amamam Ka ath U paa). Those golden Paadhukais eat up (destroy) the sorrows of great ones like Indra (MahEsakaakAsa hEma PaadhukA: Maha Isaka aka asa hEma PaadhukA). Thiose Paadhukais have attained the Thiruvadi of the Lord (ajayAmahE: aja yaa mahE). I milk them during the Lord's uthsavams for fulfilling my desires (mahE mayA dudhuhE). The PaadhukA makes us sinless; it bestows luster to the Lord's feet (It confers an effulgence to individual souls, which are aspects of the Lord). Its ablution water is capable of protection in respect of those who perform the service of respectfully inserting the PaadhukA into the Lord's feet. Interstingly, it confers protection to the Lord's feet, which are the source of protection to all the worlds and of annihilation of all of one's sins. Those PaadhukAs saved me from sins! pApAth apApAth apApA apAdhapAdhadapAdapA dapAdapApAdhapAdhapAdhapA dadhapAdhapA These PaadhukAs are free of sins (apApA); They store in them the rays at the sacred feet of the Lord that save chEthanams (a paadha padha dha pAdha paa). They have the Thirumanjana theerttham from those who place them at the Lord's feet for their protection. They bless the seekers with rakshaNam (dha paadha); they chase away the sins of those, who seek their rakshaNam (pApa adha). These are the Paadhukais that protect the sacred feet of the Lord (Paadha paadhapA). These Divine paadhukais have protected me from sins (pApAth apApAth). kOpOddhIpakapApEpi krupApAkOpapAdhikA pUdhapAdhOdhakApAdhOddhIpikA kApi pAdhukA The Paaduka commends, by its pity, even a worst sinner, who has incited an extreme state if fury in the Lord by reason of his sins, and gets perfect forgiveness by a ripe grace of the Lord. It is the Paaduka that gives lustre to the Feet of the Lord-which Feet are rightly famous for the stream of Ganga water flowing from it, which is 'Sripada Tirtha' of the Lord and which is most purifying. How could one ever praise the Paaduka in full! thathAthatthAthithatthEthA thAthathIthEthithAthithuth thatthatthatthAthathithathA thathEthAthEthathAthuthA The itinerary of the Paaduka is vast. It excels th Lord Himself in its enjoyability and its status of being kept as the Goal of life. It will destroy with a great fury all the unhappy visitations (such as excessive rain, drought, pestilence, foreign invasion etc.) called Eeti pain. The Paaduka has ordained all things with their respective characteristics to be subservient to it. This kind of affluence of the Paaduka has a vast extent, all available to the devotee at the will of the Paaduka. It showers a bliss of experience by virtue of melodies, as from the Vina. That Paaduka, which has joined the Father of Manmatha, is like a Father to us all-sharing in our mirth and grief. raGhupathicharaNAvanI thadhA virachithasancharaNA vanIpaThE kruthaparicharaNA vanIpakaIrnigamamuKhaIscha raNAvanIgathA At the time when Viswamitra sought Rama's help, the Paaduka embarked on an errand through the forests. It took upon itself a fight with the demons, Subahu and Maricha, to protect the yajna. Both seekers of returns and Vedic seers perform pleasing services to the Paaduka. dhatthakELim jagathkalpanAnAtikArangiNA rangiNA rangiNA rangiNA thAdhrushE gADhiputhrADhvarE thvAm vinApAdhukA pAdhukA pAdhukA pAdhukA Oh Paaduka! The world-creation is a stage-play as it were. The Lord who does it is no mean actor. He has none to excel Him. He is indeed the Lord of Srirangam. When He entered the battlefield to kill the demons and protect the Sage's yajna, You regaled Him and He regaled You. And what other force could have achieved the feat of yaga-protection and annihilation of evil factors, except You, who thereby conferred good and blessed life to all concerned? SaakEtha ThrANa vELAjanitha tathanijaprAngaNa SrIprabhAsA SaabhA prasrIDavyAm iyamamama yamivyApadhucchEdhilAsA SaalAdhicchEdha tigmA havarururu vaha hrIkarasyAmarAsA asaa RaamasyAngrimapyAjati na na nathijasTUlamuthrAtakE Saa We go back to the times, when PaadhukA was ruling over AyOdhyA seated in the royal court, it spread its splendid effulgence over the whole courtyard- its effulgence of Pure Knowledge, effulgence of its gratness and fame. The hall is filled with Vedic effulgence and is capable of rooting out all foes, that too in a sportive manner in the case of sages, who have totally banished conceit nd perception and removing the tendency to indulge in idle prattle. As Raama, as in this Vishnu form, He extracted the " essence " of the foe, that is, haughtiness and bow (weapon) of the foe. As the fierce fight was going on, it caused a sense of shyness, modesty and defeat, when Raama's elbow power became evident. The PaadhukAs of that Lord recommends the poor, pitiable, people needing help, who bow to the LOrd in abject surender to the feet, Which shines in exhiliration. ramyE vEsmani pAparAkshasabhidhAsvAsakthadhee NaayikA nanthum karmaja dhurmadhAlasadhiyAm Saa hantha nATeekruthA sadhvADa brahmikAsu tApasa thatapOvisrambha bhUyanthrikA kAchith svaraikamEna kELisamayE kAmavrathA PaadhukA Even when the PaadhukA strolls at will, freely for pleasure, it will grant the boons to the worshippers, because it is its firm vow to do so. It leads the Lord in the track for decimation of demonaic forces, as per His wish, of course. Saadhus in the forest engage themselves in their penance in full confidence that no trouble will arise from demons, merely on seeing the prints of the PaadhukAs on the surrounding sands. That PaadhukA of such great supermacy has taken seat under the holy Ranga VimAnam only to enable lazy individuals (whose haughty thoughts have made them unfit for yogAs like Karma yOgA) to worship and derive the benefit of salvation. The MahA chakrA bandhA, " VenkatanAtheeya--PaadhukA Sahasram " is engraved in a Masterly manner in this slOkam by Swami Desikan. SrisamvEdhana karma kruth vasutava syAm ruddha dhairyasphuDa: SrI PaadhAvani visthruthAsi sukhinee Thvam gEyayAthAyanA VedAnthAnubhavAthi pAthi sutanu: sAndhrEDya bhAvapraTE angasTA chAchyuthadhivyadAs sumathi: prANasTaseethAdhana: Oh SrI PaadhukE! You have in abundance the fame of being praised profusely. SitA treats You as life-like treasure. Your greatness is beyond comprehension to the reach of the VedAnthAs. You are an aid, an appurtenance, devotedly engaged in service to Lord AchyuthA. Your walks here and there are worthy of singing in praise; and You are regaled by such praise. May I become Your servant, performing perfect duties that qualify me to reach Your cherished affluence, namely, the kingdom of God! kanakapeeDa nivishta tanustadhA Sumathy dhAyinijAnubhavasmruthA vidhisiva pramukair abhivandhithA vijayathE Raghupungava PaadhukA Hail its victory! Victory to the PaadhukA, which, when it reigned over the kingdom, was majestically seated on a gold throne; its contemplation in one's heart, even a momentary recalling of the PaadhukA, will confer an effective blossoming of one's faculty of the mind, its worshippers include Brahma and SivA. Victory to that PaadhukA! dheena gOpijaniklishta bheenuth sadhA Raama PaadhAvani! SvAnubhAvasTithA yEdhi mEvasyam uthArabhAvasrithA tEjasA tEna gushtim gathA paalikA | Oh Raama PaadhukA! Innocent Gopi damsels were relieved of grief and fear about re-birth, KamsA's atrocities and seperation from their Lord. Oh PaadhukE! You possess an inherent grandeur that is unsullied because You are not in any want. Your effulgence arises from Your ability to elevate the lowliest to the level of being salvaged. May You please be my Protectress! Saarasa soukhya samEthA khyAthA padhapaa bhuvi svAj~njA Saahasa KaaryavanAsA dheerA VasudhA navanyAsA The PaadhukA was interested in safeguarding the devotee, BharathA, who showed stubbornness in his stand, sometimes even improper. It ventures to protect devotee somehow. It grants affluence. Its ever-anew, charming steps would be impressive. It enjoys the pleasure of the lotus flowers submitted as archana oblations. The PaadhukA rules with a righteous mace. Hare Krishna Hare Rama Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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