SwAmi's Anguish- Posting - 5 (1.14 to 1.17)

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SWAMI VEDANTA DESIKA'S

" NAICHYANUSANTHANAM " AND

" SATVIKA THYAGAM "

(As gleaned from his StOtras)

 

PART I: SWAMI EXPRESSES HIS ANGUISH -

SwAmi's Anguish- Posting - 5 (1.14 to 1.17)

(Anbil Ramaswamy)

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IMPORTANT NOTE

[As already mentioned in the Introduction, the NaichyAnusanthAnam is

applicable to us only and NOT to Swami Desika, we have to substitute

ourselves wherever Swami Desika extrapolates these to himself]

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1.14. " I am a baby monkey "

 

bAla plavaga iva taraLO mAruti jAtiriti sAgaram tarithu manAh /

prArthayE tvAm Achyutha kAnkshitha padha padma kshamaswa mama kApEyam //

(Achyuta Sathakam SlOkam 92)

 

Meaning

" Oh! Adiyavarkku meyyanE!

Your lotus feet are most enjoyable. Maharishis, Azhwars and AachAryas desire

to enjoy this. How can I take bold to do the same? It is like a baby monkey

desiring to cross the ocean only on grounds of being born in the same race as

HanumAn. Like the monkey, however, my mind is unsteady. Pardon my monkeying

(KapEyam)

 

Comment:

It is customary to compare mind with a monkey because both are fickle.

 

1.15 " Where Vedas have failed "

 

apourushEyairapi vAk prapanchaih adhyApi thE Bhoothim adhrishta pArAm /

sthuvannaham mugdha ithi tvayaiva kArunyatO nAtha katAkshNeeyah //

(Hayagriva Stotram SlOkam 6)

 

Meaning

When even the Vedas known as authorless have returned crestfallen unable to

comprehend your perfection, like a foolish lad, I have ventured to sing your

glory. Consider me as an ignorant boy (mugdha) and bless me with your

merciful glance.

 

Comment:

SwAmi very frequently refers to this famous statement-

" YathO vAcha NivartantE aprApya manasA saha " "

 

1.16. Just One hundred! Is that all? "

 

adhyApi tad vrisha gireesa dayE bhavatyAm

ArambhamAtramanidham prathama sthutheenAm /

Sandarsitha sva para nirvahaNAsahEthAh

Mandhasya sAhasam idham tvayi vandhinO mE //

(DayA Sathakam SlOkam 102)

 

Meaning

" Oh! DayA DEvi

Beginning -less Vedas which started to sing your glory returned crestfallen

unable to proceed further and have stayed put as non-starters to this day.

This being so, I have recklessly ventured to compose a hundred verses

imagining that I have succeeded where the Vedas have failed. I have made

those who read these 100 verses think that this is all there is for your

glory. Is this not a great disservice affecting me as well as the readers?

Can there be a more foolhardy attempt than this? I have thus wronged you

immeasurably, wronged the readers and wronged myself. Is there any way to

right these wrongs? Only you have to forgive me and make Lord Srinivasa to

accept me. "

 

Comment:

Another clever way to say that the DayA DEvi's infinite compassion cannot be

measured.

 

1.17. " Sages are scared! "

 

prAyO dayEtvad anubhAva mahAmbhurasou

prAchEtasa prabrutayopi param thaTasthAh /

tatraa vatheernamathalasprusam aaplutham mAm

padmApathE: !prahasanOchitham AdriyEthAh //

(DayA Sathakam SlOkam 103)

 

Meaning

" Oh! DayA DEvi !

Great sages like VAlmiki and VyAsa attempted to fathom your auspicious

qualities, which are like the great ocean. Scared to get deep into the ocean,

they stayed put on the shores. They could not delineate even a miniscule drop

of the Ocean with their monumental works. See! What I have done? I not only

ventured to delve into deep sea but sought to swim to the other shore, now

sinking, now floating, now sailing - but never succeeding in the process. I

am prattling incoherently struggling to bring out even a fraction of that

drop. I could have stopped at the shore with the sagacity of the sages. All

that I have achieved is nothing but becoming the laughing stock of both

TiruvenkaTanAthan and Periya PirAtti. Only you have to save me from this

embarrassment "

 

Comment:

Another facet of the kaleidoscopic presentation of naichya anusanthAnam.

 

(To Continue)

 

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