Padhuka Sahasram-44

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>Sri:

>SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,>

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

>

>44. PadhakamalarajOBhirvAsithE RangaBhartu:

> parichithanigamAntE PAdhukE DhArayantha:

> avidhitaparipAkam chandramutthamsayanthE

> pariNathaBhuvanam thath padmamaDhyAsathE vA

>

>The Lord's feet are at home in Vedanta. (They are spoken of in the Vedanta.)

>The dust from such feet of Lotus, flavours the Paadukas. Those who bear

>these Paadukas would be entitled to wear an unchanging moon on the head

>as well as to be seated on the lotus that is the origin of the whole

>universe-that is they would get the seats of Siva and Brahma.

>

>Namo Narayana,

>Adiyen,SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

NOTES BY V.SADAGOPAN (V.S)

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

 

(1)Sri UttamUr Swamy's anubhavam: Swami Desikan plays

with the word " Rajas " in this verse to illustrate

the unlimited glory of the PaadhukhAs of Lord

RanganaathA . " Rajas " has the meaning of either

a speck of dust or one of the three guNAs , which

gives rise to thirst and attachment to worldly things.

 

Swami Desikna says that the PaadhukhAs of the Lord

are praised by the VedAs regarding their auspiciousness.

VedAs bow unto them to receive their blessing and

worship them with lotuses.The dust " rajas " from

the PaadhukhAs mingle with the lotus petals

placed on them during the AarAdhanam by the VedAs .

 

The devotees who wear the PaadhukhAs worshipped by

the vedAs on their heads succeed in capturing

the dust that shakes off from the lotuses that adorn

the PaadhukhAs .As a result of contact with the dust

(rajas) of the PaadhukhAs, the erstwhile passionate nature

( rajas or rajO GuNam ) of the devotee is destroyed completely ;

the devotee attains then parama Saatvic tendency that qualifies

him to reach the status of a BrahmA or a Rudran .

Such is the sanctifying power of even a speck of dust

associated with the Lord's sacred Paadhukhais , which have

the contact with Sri RanganAthA's Paadha Kamalam .

 

(2) Sri Andavan 's anubhavam : Even the speck of dust associated

with the lord's Paadhukhais have Vedic fragrance

( Nigama parimaLam ).When one wears the Lord's Paadhukhais

on his or her head , the dust from the Paadhukhais elevate

them to the status of BrahmA or Lord SivA.

 

(3) Here, Swami Desikan is referring to the Veda parimaLam

(vedic fragrance ) of the Sri Sookthi of NammAzhwAr

(viz)., ThiruvAimozhi. Swami Desikan wrote a commentary

on Swami NammAzhwAr's ThiruvAimozhi by the name of

" Nigama parimaLam or the Seventy four Thousand " , an elaborate

commentary of the doctrinal principles of VisishtAdhvaitham

elaborated by the paasurams of the ThiruvAimozhi.For Swami Desikan,

ThiruvAimozhi had Vedic fragrance in every one of its Paasurams.

Why ? It is because these Paasurams eulogize the lotus feet

of the Lord , which are worshipped by the VedAs . He considerd

ThiruvAimozhi and the rest of the Divya prabandham as

Tamil Vedam at Srirangam and Kaanchipuram and was

honored by the Lord for establishing the Veda Saamyam

of the ThiruvAimozhii and other aruLiccheyalkaL ....V.S

 

(4) Swami Desikan states that the devotee , who adorns

the Lord's Paadhukhais on his/her head does not even

know what happened to them ( avidhitha paripAkam is

Swami Desikan's words). They were not longing for any

special boons to attain such as the high status of

BrahmA or Lord SivA . But that happens even without

their awareness due to the contact with the dust

assoicated with the Lord's Paadhukhais ...V.S

 

(5) Swami Desikan describes the PaadhukhAs have two

exemplary attributes: (1) " Ranga Bharthu: Padha Kamala

rajObhi: vaasithE (They have been made fragrant by

the dust from the Lord's lous feet )and (2) " parichitha

nigamAnthE " ( having the friendship of the VedAs ,

whose heads have been in contact with the Lord's lotus

feet). Swami weaves these two attributes to suggest

that the Rajas (dust ) on the PaadhukhAs have the power

to eliminate the Rajas (rajO guNam ) of the devotee

and elevate him to Brahma padham or Siva Padham (status)..V.S

 

Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam,

Daasan , Oppiliappn Koill VaradAchAri SadagOpan