Padhuka Sahasram-208

[Guest guest]

Sri:

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

Translation by U.Ve. Dr. V.N. Vedanta Desikan Swamin:

 

208. kathichana padhapadhmasparshasoUKhyam thyajanthI

vrathamathulamaDhAsthvam vathsarAn sAvaDhAnA

raGhupathipadharakshE! rAkshasaIsthrAsithAnAm

raNaraNakavimuktham yEna rAjyam surANAm

 

Oh Paaduka! Your observance of a 'Vrata', so to say, of renouncing a

pleasure-namely, that of contact with the lotus feet of Sri Rama,

indeed an unparalleled 'Vrata', for a few years, very diligently

ensured, for the devas, their kingdom by reason of removing their

fears in regard to the Rakshasas.

 

Namo Narayana,

SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

Special Notes by V.Sadagopan(VS):

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

 

(1) Sri UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE !

You suffered very much for 14 years due to Your

seperation from the feet of Your Lord. You could not

enjoy the physical contact with Him during those years.

On top of this , You accepted the responsibility of

ruling KosalA kingdom and attended to all aspects

of that with kaimkaryam intensity . Thanks to Your sacrifices ,

devAs were freed from the terrrors caused by RaavaNA

and thus RaamA was able to help them. There is no match

to Your sorrow , determination and sacrifices , when

it comes to Kaimkaryams to Your Lord .

 

The inner meaning of this verse relates to the suffering of

Swamy NammAzhwAr (Satari Soori), who had to bear the seperation

from his Lord in Sri Vaikuntam and staying on this earth

until he completed his mission of gracing us with

ThiruvAimozhi. To gain a perspective on the sorrow of

the PaadhukAs , we have to remember that SitA Devi

was seperated from Her Lord for only ten months.

The PaadhukAs however were seperated from Sri RaamA's

sacred feet for fourteen years.

 

(2) Srimath Andavan's anubhavam: The inner meaning is

that the avathAram of AzhwArs and AchAryAs on this earth,

their upadEsams and anushtAnams protects all the worlds.

If the Nithyasooris do not leave Paramapadham and

incarnate here, how could Jeevans enjoy sukham

here and in the other world?

 

(3) Paadhukai enjoys routinely " padha Padhma

sparsa soukhyam " ( the comfort and contentment

of union with the Lord's sacred feet). During

RaamAvathAram, those Padhukais reluctantly left

the Lord's feet for fourteen years for the removal

of the agitations of the dEvAs , who were fear-

stricken over the evil deeds of RaavaNA .Swamy

Desikan describes the services rendered by

the SatAri of the Lord : (a) " padha padhma

sparsa soukhyam thyajanthI thvam saavadhAnA

kathichana vathsarAn athulam vratham adhaa: "

( Leaving the pleasure of union with Your Lord's

lotus feet , with great care , you spent few

years observing a matchless vratham ).

(b) What did that vratham accomplish ? What were

its fruits? Swamy Desikan refers to that as

" yEna (vrathEna) raakshasai: thrAsithAnAm

surANAm raajyam raNaraNaka vimuktham aaseeth "

( Through that vratham of sitting on the throne

of the Raghus as the representative of Your

Lord , You stopped the fear-driven shakings

of the residents of dEva lOkam ).The choice of

the word " raNaraNakam " is a beautiful

word portryal of the picture of the quaking (nadukkam )

of dEvAs out of fear over RaavaNA. Swamy suggests

that the PadhukA's protection of the kingdom

for fourteen years made RaamA fulfil His

avathAra-Kaaryam...VS