Padhuka Sahasram-39

[Guest guest]

>Sri:

>SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

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

>

>39. YoShidBhUtadruShantyapODashamkatasThEmAni VaImAnika

> StrOtasvinyupalamBhanAni BhasitOdanchatparIkshinti Cha

> dhUtyAdiShvapi dhurvachAni padayO: KrutyAni matthvEva yat

> DhatthE thatpraNayam thadEva charaNatrANam vruNE RangiNa:

>

>I cling to that Ranganatha Paaduka as my refuge, which holds, in great

>endearing pose, the feet of the Lord-

>which transformed, into a damsel, a mere stone,

>which devastated the Shakatasura,

>which generated for the world's sight and benefit, the Ganga stream,

>which revivified an ash-block to rise as Parikshit, and

>which achieved indescribable feats in messenger work and the like.

>

>Namo Narayana,

>Adiyen,SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

NOTES BY V.SADAGOPAN (V.S)

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

 

(1) UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam: The PaadhukhAs

according to Swami Desikan did a lot of research

about Sri RanganAthA's Thiruvadi (holy feet) and

after that decided that it is the place for them to

be associated with as AasrayaNam (refuge).What the Paadhukhais

found from the research was : (a)Those holy feet removed

the curse of AhalyA and transformed her from being a stone

back to her own previous form as the beautiful wife of

a great sage. (b)The very same feet of the Lord destroyed

the asuran by the name of ChakatA or the wheel .©The very

same feet measured this earth and heaven and the yonder as

Lord Thrivikraman .(d)those sacred feet caused the birth

of the river gangA during the same avathAram .(e)Those powerful

feet converted a lump of cinder (Saampal) into a living being ,

who later became King Parikshith .(f) Those mobile feet

walked all the way to King DuryOdhanA's court as

the ambassador for PaandavAs.The PaadhukhAs understood

fully the majestic power of the Lord RanganAthA's Thiuvadi

and deliberately and joyously chose them as their place

of residence .

 

(2) Anadavan Swamy's Anubhavam:In the world , the feet are

considered in general as a lowly limb of one's body.

The paadhukhAs are attached to those feet .Some may question

why these paadhukhAs that cling to the feet should be

an object of praise by Swami Desikan.In the case of the Lord

and the AchAryAs ,their feet are the most exalted . That is why ,

the Paadhukhais befriended the lord's feet. Those sacred and

powerful feats like the AhalyA Saapa VimOchanam , SakatAsura

dhvamsam , the measurement of the universes with two

steps , the creation of Sacred GangA et al.Recognizing

these glories of the Lord's sacred feet , the paadhukhAs

sought the union with them and vowed that they would never

leave those famous feet .That is why Swami NammAzhwAr

speaks often about the Lord's holy feet in his ThiruvAimozhi

and came to be known as SatAri Soori .

 

(3) The last line of this slOkam is a beautiful expression

of Swami Desikan's reverence for Swami Sri NammAzhwAr ,

the SatAri Soori:

 

dhatthE tath praNayam tadhEva charaNa-thrANam vruNE RanghiNa:

 

(Meaning ): " anvaya kramam: tath praNayam dhatthE , tath RangiNa:

CharaNa-thrANamEva vruNE " . I seek the protection of those

Paadhukhais only , which sought and acquired the friendship

of Lord RanganAthA's sacred feet ...V.S

 

Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan