Padhuka Sahasram-228

[Guest guest]

Sri:

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

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

 

228.shruthvaIvam hanumanmuKhAdh raGhupathE: prathyAgathim

thathkshaNAdh

AsIdhadhBharathAnuvarthanavashAdh ARudAkumBhasThalAm

kAlOnnidhrakadhuShNadhanamadhirAmAdhyadhdhvirEphaDhvani-

shlAGhachAtuBhirasthuthEva BhavathIm shatrunjaya: kunjara:

 

Oh Paaduka! On hearing from Hanuman that Sri Rama was returning,

Bharata quickly started to receive Him. He placed You on

the royal elephant, Satrunjaya, and proceeded; the elephant,

in its delight, secreted slightly hot ichor; the bees that

fed on it and got fat with it were singing, as if in Your praise.

 

Namo Narayana,

SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

Special Notes by V.Sadagopan(V.S):

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

 

1) Sri UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam: After hearing from

HanumAn about the return of RaamA to AyOdhyA , BharathA

placed with respect the PaadhukAs on the back of the royal

elephant, Satrunjaya , and followed the Paadhukais .

The journey was from Nandigraam to AyOdhyA . Swamy Desikan

describes the happy state of mind of the royal elephant ,

while performing the pleasant task of carrying the holy

PaadhukAs on its back. Swamy Desikan says that the royal

elephant got excited and reached a state of rut and warm

fluid associated with that state began to flow from its

eyes. The bees were attracted by the perfume of that fluid

and began to circle the elephant's head. The sound that

the bees generated during that time appeared like the

salutations to the Raama Paadhukais.

 

2) Srimath Andavan's anubhavam: Oh PadhukE ! HanumAn

brought the message to BharathA that Sri Raamachandran

was hastening towards AyOdhyA after His victory over

RaavaNA at LankA. Bharathan was ecstatic over the news and

wanted to unite You with Your Lord.You accepted BharathA's

request to enter AyOdhyA with pomp and cermony on the back

of the royal elephant for Your reunion. The royal elephant

that carried You on its back shed hot ichor from its eyes.

The bees enjoyed feeding on the hot ichor and sounded with

joy . The reenkAram of the dhvirEpams (bees) sounded

like prayerful songs in Your praise.

 

3) Here Swamy uses the word " dhvirEpam " to refer to the bees ,

whose other name is Bhramaram. Since there are two " r " s in

the word denoting bees (Bhramaram), the other name of

DhvirEpam for bees originated.DhvirEpam also means

Vedam . The scene looked like the Veda AdhyApakar

( the teacher of VedAs , Swamy NammAzhwAr ) was sitting

on the VedikA ( the raised seat , the elephants' back)

and the students (bees) were performing adhyayanam (the recital

of the VedAs ). Swamy nammAzhwAr is the author of the Tamizh

maRais (VedAs ). Thus with Veda ghOsham , the procession

of the SatAri Soori on the back of the royal elephant

proceeded to AyOdhyA to welcome the victorious return

(prathyAgathi )of Lord RaamachandrA..V.S

 

4) The hot ichor that flowed form the eyes on to

the cheeks of the royal elephant was like hot

toddy ( kadhushNa dhAana madhirA ). The bees (dhvirEpa:)

tasted it and got intoxicated and began to generate

joyous sounds that resembled sweet Vedic adulations

for the Paadhukais (dhvirEpa dhvani slAgachADubhi:

asthutEva )...V.S

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

Dear Sriman Sadagopan Swamin,

 

Thanks for your excellent summary. Adiyen has a couple of related

comments and questions in this regard. Is it possible that Swami

Desikan is referring to the MahanarayaNOpanishad Vakyam " Madhu

vatA rutAyatE madhakshranti sindhava:.......mAjeerghAvOBhavantuna: "

as the sound of the bees? The presiding deity over Madhu is

Madhusudhana who is saluted in the Narayana Upanishad as " BrahmaNyO

Devaki putrO BrahmaNyO madhusUdhanOM " . Since Swami NammAzhwar's

outpourings contain the essence of this salutation, is it likely

that Swami Desikan is embedding a subtle eulogy of the Supreme Lord

through the " noise generated by the bees " ?Also, Madhusudhana is

recognized to be the granter of Moksham. The royal procession led by

the Mani Padhukas riding on the elephant (Shatrunjaya) reunited the

citizens of Ayodhya with Lord Rama. This reunion is a likely reason

for the citizens of Ayodhya being granted Moksham. Is Swami Desikan

referring to the role of Sadacharyas in pointing Prapannas to Lord

Narayana in a similar fashion?

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan