Padhuka Sahasram-36

[Guest guest]

>Sri:

>SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

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

>

>36. TiShtantu shrutayasthathOpi Mahitam jAgarti TatpAdhukE!

> TatthAdrukpraThanAya TAvakaguNagrAmAya RAmAyaNam

> YasyAsIdaravindasamBhavavaDhUmanjIrashinjArava

> sparDhAdurDharapAdabhaDdhaphaNitirvalmIkajanmA Kavi:

>

>Oh Paaduka! Let alone the Vedas. That (Srimad Ramayana), does better, and

>very attentively, to proclaim the praise of the hordes of your guNas.

>The reason is that it was composed by sage Valmiki, in a spirit of

>competition, so to say, with the jingling sound generated by the anklets

>of Saraswathi as She walks, when foot after foot (of Shlokas) came in

>unbearably quick succession.

>

>Namo Narayana,

>Adiyen,SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

NOTES BY V.SADAGOPAN:

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

 

(1) UTTHAMUR SWAMY'S ANUBHAVAM: Oh PaadhukE! Let the evidence

from VedhAs attesting Your glories stand aside for a minute !

Did n't Sage Valmiki celebrate abundantly Your glory in his

epic work , Srimadh RaamAyanam ? His descriptions are more

profound than the terse statements on You found in the ancient

VedhAs.The reason for us to choose Srimadh RaamAyaNam over

the VedhAs is to comprehend Your glories described by

Sage valmiki as a direct result of Devi Sarasvathi's blessings

to him as the composer of the story of Your Lord , Sri Ramachandran .

Sarasvathi Devi danced on the tongue of Sage Valmiki and

the delectable sounds of her ankle bells transformed immediately

into the fast-flowing , four-quartered slOkams of Srimadh RaamAyanam.

Swami Desikan points out here that the devotion of Sage Valmiki

and the blessings of Sarasvathi led to the creation of

Srimadh RaamAyanam , which surpasses the VedhAs in extolling

the limitless auspicious qualities of the Lord's PaadhukhAs .

 

(2) ANDAVAN'S ANUBHAVAM :Oh PadhukhE! VedhAs have their mahimai

because they never make any incorrect statement.They are thus

perfect.Let that be! Srimadh RaamAyaNam holds a loftier spot

in terms of its mahimai compared to VedhAs . Why ? It is because

Srimadh RaamAyaNam focuses on Your limitless glories . Further ,

Srimadh RaamAyaNam was not composed by Sage Valmiki alone !

The SlOkAs of Srimadh RaamAyaNam arose in Sage VaalmIki's mind ,

when he heard them as originating from the noopura maNi naadham

of Devi Sarasvathi's dancing paadhams (( the auspicious sound

arising from the bells of the ankle AabharaNam on the feet of

Sarasvathi Devi)on his tongue.The divya dampathi's blessings

through their daughter-in-law (Devi Sarasvathi) were instrumental

in the creation of the flawless slOkams of Srimadh RaamAyaNam ,

which attained thus a status superior to that of the VedhAs .

 

(3) Swami addresses the Paadhukhais here in an endearing

manner and says to them , " Sruthaya: Thistanthu " ( let

the glories of the VedAs stand aside for a minute). Why ?

Because the glory of Srimadh RaamAyaNam is far superior to

the VedhAs. ( Tath mahitham RaamAyaNam Prathanam ). Why?

That RaamAyanam is awake (jAgarthi) forever to celebrate

the assembly of Your limitless auspicious guNAs ( GuNa

grAmAya Jaagarthi). How did that happen ? It happened

because the divine slOkams of Srimadh RaamAyanam have

the association with the auspicious sounds emanating from

the ankle jewelery of Sarasvathi Devi , the consort of

Brahma Devan, who was born in the lotus arising out of the

naabhi of Sriman NaarAyaNan ( Aravindha sambhava vadhU

manjIra sinjArava spardhA mahitham paNithi:). That tips

the scale in favor of Srimadh RaamAyaNam ,when one weighs

it against the glories of the sacred VedhAs ........V.S

 

(4) The reference here is to the origin of Srimadh RaamAyanam .

It arose from Sage Valmiki's lips as a result of being witness

to the grief of a Krouncha bird killed by the arrow of

a heartless hunter .Brahma Devan appeared before Sage Valmiki

at that time and blessed Sage ValmIki with these words:

" macchandhAdhEva thE Brahman pravrutthEyam SARASVATHI "

( Through My will alone has this Speech /SarasvathI flowed

from your lips ! ).No description of yours in this poem

will prove false . They will stand faultless like the VedhAs .

Render the sacred and soul-ravishing story of Sri RaaamA and

the slOkams of Srimadh RaamAyanam coming out of your lips

will stay eminent in this world as long as mountains and

rivers remain on the surface of this earth ( Yaavath sthaasyanthi

giraya: sarithasccha mahItalE , thAvadh RAAMAYANA KATHAA

lokEshu pracharishyathi).Swami Desikan is hinting that

the glory of the Sri Raama PaadhukhAs will circulate as long

as the mountains , rivers , the Sun and the Moon exist

in this world , just as Srimadh RaamAyaNam would exist ...V.S

 

(5) Swami Desikan refers in this slOkam to the structure

of the individual slOkmas of Sri VaalmIki RaamAyaNam as

the slOkas made up of four paadhams/quarters (dhurdhara paadha

bhaddha paNithi:). This refers to a slOkam spoken by

Brahma DEvan in the second chapter of the Baala KhANDam

of VaalmIki RaamAyaNam :

 

sama aksharai: chathurbhirya:

paadhair gIthO MaharshiNA I

sOanuvyAharaNAdh bhooya:

sOka: slOkathvam Agatha: II..Bala KhNDam:2.40

 

(meaning): What was uttered (the slOkam) by the great

Sage Valmiki in four feet (Quarters)from consisting of

an equal number of syllables was (nothing but) his grief

(over the destruction of the KrounchA bird by the cruel

hunter)transformed into a verse because of its being

voiced by him . That became the mode/format/standard

for the structure of the slOkams of Srimadh RaamAyanam

due to the blessings of Lord Brahmaa and Devi Sarasvathi...V.S

 

(6) swami Desikan uses the words , " dhurdhara: paadha bhaddha: "

when he refers to the four paadhams bound together to form

the individula slOkams of Srimadh RaamAyaNam. " Dhurdhara:Paadha: "

refers here to the four quarters (paadhams) that are

difficult to lift (i-e) to fully comprehend by any human .

The symbolic reference is to the mighty glories of

the PaadhukhAs of Sri RaamachnadrA that make them

impossible " to lift " (Durdhara:) ....V.S

 

Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan