Desikasthothramala- Dasavatarasthothram

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2.nirmagna Srthijaalamaargana

dhaSaa dhatthakshaNaiH veekshaNaiH

anthasthanvadh iva aravindhagahanaani

oudhanvatheenaam apaam

nishprathyooha tharangaringaNamiThaH

prathyooDapaaThaSChataa

dolaaroha sadhohalam bhagavathaH

maathsyam vapuh paathu naH

 

maathsyam vapuH- The form of fish, Matsyaavathara,

 

bhagavathaH- of the Lord,

 

thanvath iva- which looks as if it is creating

 

aravindhagahanaani- the forest of lotuses

 

veekshaNaiH- with his eyes

 

dhatthakshaNaiH- spent ( the moments engaged in)

 

Sruthjaala maargaNa dhaSaa- at the time of searching for the multitudes of

Vedas

 

nirmagna- diving

 

oudhanvatheenaam apaam- in the waters of the ocean

 

sadhohalam- with a longing

 

dolaarohaaNa – in climbing the swing

 

paaThacChataa- of the masses of water and

 

nishprathyoohatharangaringaNa- unimpeded flow of the waves

 

miThaH prthyooDa- tossing against each other

 

paathu- may protect

 

naH-us.

 

Desika

describes the Matsyavatara in this sloka. The Lord entered the ocean to search

for the Vedas. His lotus eyes wandering here

and there seem to create a forest of lotuses, says Desika. The meaning

is this. The Lord is traveling with great speed so that the lotus eyes seem to

be everywhere at the same time. This reminds us of the battle scene of Valmiki

Ramayana when Rama was seen everywhere

due to his fast movement showering arrows on the rakshasas.

 

The

crawling waves of the ocean slowly proceed in a never ending movement and the

mass of water tossing against them are described as the swing on which the Lord

enjoys ascending.

 

Whatever

may be the costume the Lord putson during His incarnations, the devotees find

Him out by His lotus eyes. The lotus closes when the night advances and opens when the Sun rises. Similarly the eyes of Lord opens on the rise of

devotion and closes when there is the darkness of ignorance advances. The

devotees are not duped however fierce is His form, may it be the great boar or

the man-lion, because they recognize Him by His lotus eyes.