Padhuka Sahasram-32

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>Sri:

>SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

>Translation of Paaduka Sahasram by U.Ve. Sri V.N. Vedanta Desikan Swamin

>

>32. NishsheShAmambaratalam yadi PatrikA SyAt

> SaptArNavI Yadi SamEtya maShI BhavitrI

> VaktA Sahasravadana: PuruSha: Svayam ChEt

> LiKhyEta RangapatipAdhukayO: PraBhAva:

>

>What a great and impossible thing it would be if one were to present the

>greatness of the Paaduka of Ranganatha! To do it, the whole sky should

>serve as paper, the seven oceans should join to serve as the ink, and the

>thousand-mouthed Lord should become the speaker. Then could perhaps the

>Paaduka-prabhava be written out!

 

>Namo Narayana,

>Adiyen,SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

NOTES BY V.SADAGOPAN (V.S)

**************************

 

(1) UTTHAMOOR SWAMY ANUBHAVAM :Swami Desikan concedes here

that it would be impossible to write or speak about

the limitless auspicious attributes of Sri RanganAthA's

PaadhukhAs .He says: " Even if the vast expanse of the sky

were to be made into a writing paper , even if the content

of the deep sea were to be used as the writing ink and

even if the thousand-headed AdhisEshan were to be assigned

the task of writing about the immeasurable kalyANa guNAs

of the Lord's Paadhukais ,it would be an impossible task

to record fully their prabhAvam " .

 

(2) ANDAVAN ANUBHAVAM :Swami Desikan points out that the glories

of the divine PaadhukhAs have no boundary . For writing about

their glories , the entire aakAsam has to become the paper;

all the seven oceans have to become the writing ink ; the Lord

with His thousand faces (as saluted by the Purusha Sooktham )

has to describe the mahimai of His PaadhukhAs. The Lord Himself

has to put them on paper.Only then even a small portion of

their glories could be covered .

 

(3) This type of description is known as adisayOkthi . Swami

Desikan indicates his " inadequacy " to tackle such a mighty

subject (the prabhAvam of the Paadhukhais)that is troublesome

even for the Lord Himself to handle .This is the conventional,

reverential approach of a poet , when he deals with a sacred

theme .For instance , when Swami Desikan commences his sthuthi

on Lord Hayagreevan , he confesses about his disqualifications:

" apourushEyaairapi vaak prapanchai: adhyApi thE bhUthim adhrushta-

paarAm , sthuvannaham mugdha ithi tvaiyava kAruNyatho Naatha

KatAkshaNeeya: " ( Lord HayagreevA ! The authorless VedAs daring

to describe Your SvarUpam, ThirumEni and GuNam are struggling

even today to succeed in their efforts.They are stymied by

the immensity of the task that they have undertaken in a spirit

of bravado. AdiyEn of meager intellect has now stepped forward

to engage in such a task that is way above my head .You should

consider my effort as that of a foolish child ( mugdhan/asattu

siRuvan)and cast Your most merciful glances on me )........V.S

 

We will come across such modest disclaimers from Swami Desikan

in number of his other sthuthis as well .For instance in

the second slOkam of Sri Varadha Raaja PanchAsath , Swami states

that the great sages of matchless intellect ( ParAsarar ,

VyAsar et al) gave up their efforts to come to grips with

the description of the glories of Sri VaradharAjan and were

overcome by the impossibility of the task and got bewildered.

While the experiences of these great sages are well known ,

adiyEn became emboldened to take on this futile task

of doing justice to eulogize Your anantha kalyANa guNAs .

This act of mine is surely foolish and yet adiyEn persists

in this impossible effort. Only You (Lord VaradharAjA)

out of Your infinite mercy should put up with my aparAdham

and bear with me ....V.S

 

Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan