GodhA Sthuthi: Part VII: SlOkam 4

[Guest guest]

Namo Narayanaya

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

In slOkam 4 , Swamy Desikan states that the poets

acquire their proficiency in composing poems through

the katAksham of Godhai . In slOkam 3 , Swamy had

asked for Godhai's blessings to acquire the auspicious

Vaak appropriate to salute Her .

 

SlOkam 4:

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KrishNAnvayEna dhadhathIM YamunAnubhAvam

Theerthair yathAvath avagAhya SarasvathIM tE

GodhE vikasvara dhiyAm BhavathI katAkshAth

Vaacha: spuranthi makarandhamucha: kaveenAM

 

(Meaning): Oh GodhE ! Your Lord KaNNan performed many

adhbhuthams(miracles) on the banks of YamunA river.

As a result ,Yamunai acquired enormous fame.Your two

Prabhnadhams , ThiruppAvai and Thirumozhi, extoll

the glories of YamunaitthuRaivan , KaNNan. Hence , Your

Sri Sookthis have also attained the same level of fame

as Yamunai . The common factor behind the fame of both

Yamunai and Your dhivya-Sookthis is their association

with the glorious deeds of KaNNan.In Your dark

complexion ,You (GodhE) resemble the hue of Yamunai's

waters. The poets are engrossed in the enjoyment of

the tattvArthams housed in Your Sri Sookthis as learnt

from their AchAryAs . That enjoyment makes their JnAnam

blossom forth . At that juncture, You (Godhai)cast Your most

benovolent glances on them (the poets). Those cool glances

falling on the poets results in the birth of dhivya Sookthis

that resemble nectar in their anubhavam and cause

much happiness to the citizens of this world.

 

Swamy Desikan uses the words --KrishnA, YamunA, Sarasvathi

and GodhAvari--with double meanings in this slOkam

and excells as a Kavi Saarvabhouman.

 

SevA SwamigaL's anubhavam is a special one for this slOkam.

 

First Paadham: KrishNAnvayEna dhadhathIM YamunAnubhAvam

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" GodhE ! KrishNa anvayEna (tE Sarasvathi ) YamunAnubhAvam

dhadhathIm " is the prose order here . KrishNa anvayam

means KrishNa sambhandham . Swami Desikan suggests that

the Sri Sookthis of Godhai eulogizing Krishnan have acquired

a status equivalent to that of the anubhavam of Yamunai.

Swami hints that the two Sri Sookthis of Godhai

are indeed Yamunai .They are majestic like Yamunai's

flow.They are most enjoyable to taste like the waters

of Yamunai drunk by KrishNan during His vana bhOjanams .

 

Yamunai unites with the antharvAhini ( flowing underground)

Sarasvathi , the river of clear waters at ThrivENi . This union

is no event of great significance to Yamunai compared to Her

Yogam of sanchAram (travel) through Gokulam . That is Yamunai's

KrishNa Yogam. There is no Sarasvathi Yogam here. Swamy points

out that Godhai's Sarasvathi ( Sri Sookthis) have attained

the celebrated status of " KrishNa Yogam " enjoyed by Yamunai

at Gokulam . KrishNan's other name is Yamunai ThuRaivan.

The antharvAhini Sarasvathi has attained now an exalted

status by union with KrishNA (Yamunai )at ThrivENi .

 

Second Paadham: Theerthai: YathAvath avagAhya SarasvathIm tE

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The anvaya kramam is: " (KrishNa anvayEna YamunAnubhAvam

dadhathIM ) tE SarasvathIm , Theerthai: YathAvath avagAhya .

SevA Swamigal relates " YathAvath avagAhya " to the words

found in ThiruppAvai: " Kudainthu neerADi " . One enters

the different patitthuRaikaL on the two embankments of

Yamunai and immerses oneself in the cool and rejuvenating

waters of Yamunai . The expeience is the same as one bathes

deep into the Sri Sookthis of Godhai and experience the joy

of understanding the subtle meanings of the passages . Swamy

Desikan hints that the river Sarasvathi may not have padikkattukaL

on its embankments , since it flows underground. On the contrary ,

the Vaak (prabhandhams) of Godhai like Yamunai has many

distinct and beautiful ThuRaikaL(ways) to enjoy Her Sri Sookthis.

The word Theethai: means the AchAryAs and with their help,

we appreciate the miracle of Sarasvathi becoming Yamunai

( The Vaak or Sri Sookthis of Godhai becoming Yamunai with

its many Thurais).

 

Third Paadham: GodhE ! vikasvara dhiyAM BhavathI katAkshAth

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

 

Here , Swami Desikan explains as to what bhAgyam comes

the way of the poets , who dipped into the Sri Sookthis

of Godhai with the help of their AcAryAs . Godhai's

KaruNA KatAksham falls on them and the speech(vaak) of

these poets blossoms forth immediately as a result of

that bhAgyam .In the final paadham , Swamy explains

the result of that blossoming of the Vaaks of the blessed

poets .

 

Fourth Paadham: Vaacha: spuranthi makarandhamucha: KaveenAM

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

 

Once the karuNA KatAksham of Godhai's glances

fell on them , the Vaak of the poets transformed

instantaneously into a delectable , nectarine speech.

Things which were beyond their comprehension before

becomes clear to them spontaneously due to

the acquisition of visEsha Jn~Anam arising from

Godhai's anugraham . They experience spUrthi like

experiencing the flash of lightning. SevA Swamigal

points out that SpUrthi is quite differnt from Smruthi

( rememberance of some thing experienced before ). SpUrthi

is entirely different .It is sudden and spontaneous .

It is novel and has never been experienced before .

 

Swami Desikan also implies here that Sarasvathy ( the river

and Vaak) which is antharvAhini on earth became BahirvAhini

(transparent ) as Godhai's Vaak ( Prabhandhams) and

transformed into Yamunai (Prabhandams) with many beautiful

bathing ghats for our upliftment .The bath in sacred rivers

like Yamunai causes spUrthi and that is why Godhai in

Her NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi appeals to Her friends to

take her to the banks of Yamunai for immersion ( Yamunai

Karaikku yennai uytthidumin) to overcome Her viraha tApam .

In the next SlOkam , Swamy Desikan describes further

the redeeming power of the Sri Sookthis of Godhai.

 

Godhai PirAtti ThiruvadigaLE saraNam

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Satakopan