Sri HayagrIva SthOthram: Part XXIX-- SlOkam 21

[Guest guest]

SrimathE RaamAnujAya Nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

In the 19th slOkam , Swamy Desikan prayed for

the growth of Bhakthi at the sacred feet of Lord

HayagrIvan.In the 20 th slOkam , he prayed for

the anugraham of the holy dust particles from

the lotus feet of the Lord to settle down on his

head to remove all anishtams ( misfortunes ).

 

In the 21st and 22nd slOkams , Swamy Desikan

focuses further on the sacred feet /ankles of

Lord HayagrIvan .

 

In the 21st slOkam , Swamy prays for the removal

of the darkness of nescience (aj~nAnam) through

the lustre (oLi)of the gems enmeshed in the sathankais

( gem-set ankle Jewelery ) adorning those sacred feet .

 

In the 22nd slOkam , the sacred , Vedic dhvani

(Naadham ) arising from the movement of the bells

attached to the sathankai on the ankles of the Lord .

Swamy Desikan is the one , who wrote 100 slOkams on

the Naadham generated form the Lord's Paadhukai in

Sri RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram . In the 22nd slOkam

of Sri Hayagreeva SthOthram , NigamAntha Desikan

refers to the sweet sounds raised by the ankle bells

as the Lord moves towards him and equates those

auspicious sounds to the essence of nigama saaram

( qunitessenceof VedArhtams).

 

SlOkam 21 : Meditation on the ThiruppAdhams

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parisphuran nUpura chithrabhAnu-

prakAsa nirdhUtha tamOnushangAm

Padha dhvayeem parichinmahEantha:

prabhOdha raajeeva vibhAtha sandhyAm

 

(Meaning): We ( HayagrIva UpAsakAs) incessantly

meditate on Thy pair of sacred feet adorning

the nUpuram (Sathankai) inlaid with the most

radiant gems . The lustre arising from those

gems equals the effulgence of the multi-rayed

Sun (chithra Bhaanu )and serves as the morning sandhyA

( dawn) that drives away the darkness of nescience .

We pray for the banishmnet of the last trace

of our aj~nAnam through the scintillating lustre

arising from Your sacred feet . Just as the morning

Sun has the power to make the lotus blossom ,

we pray for the awakening and growth of our

Bhakthi to You . We stay focused on the dhyAnam

of Your sacred feet.

 

The twin benefits arising from the incessant

dhyAnam of the sacred feet of Lord HayagrIvan are:

 

(1) Removal of the dark clouds of aj~nAnam

(nirdhUtha Tama: anushangAm )

 

(2) the blossoming and growth of dhivya Jn~Anam

( prabhOdha raajeeva vikasitham ). The Jn~Anam

transfroms from sankuchitham ( shrunken state)

to vikasitham ( fully blossomed state ).

 

In the previous slOkam , Swamy Desikan saluted

the angri Raajeevam or the Lord's lotus feet.

He pointed out that they have the power to erase

the Brahma lipi . The effect of the removal of

the duraksharANi ( the inauspicious letters

written by BrahmA on our skulls at the time

of our birth) is described in this slOkam .

Those pair of lotus feet of the Lord removes

through its radiance the last trace of aj~nAnam

similar to the way the morning Sun wakes up

the sleepy (closed)lotus and make it blossom into

a state of splendor.

 

Just as the nUpura Gangai ( silampAru )

washes away the aj~nAnam of BhakthAs

worshipping the Lord of ThirumAlirumchOlai ,

the radiance of the gems from the nUpuram

adorning the sacred feet of Lord HayagrIvan

banishes the darkness of nescience once and

for all. After that cleansing , the lotus of

Jn~Anam ( PrabhOdha raajeevam ) blossoms and

grows into a state of splendor .

 

The reference to PrAtha: SandhyA Kaalam ( aruNOdhyam

heralding the dawn /PrAtha: sandhyA )reminds

adiyEn of the magnificent Usha: sooktham of Rg Vedam.

The radiance of the gem is equated to the lustre

of Vedic goddess , Ushas (dawn) dispelling the darkness

of aj~NAnam :

 

ruthAvarI divO arkairabhOdhyA

REVATHEE rhOdasI chithramasthAth

aayathImagan Ushasam vibhAthIm

VaamamEshi dhraviNam bhikshamANa:

--Rg Vedam : III.61.6

 

(meaning): By Heaven's illumings , one perceives

Her as a bearer of the truth (Jn~Anam and Rutham ).

She is rapturous as She comes with Her varied lights

into the two firmaments .....

 

Ushath Kaalam (prAtha: sandhyA or VibhAtha

sandhyA ) precedes the lustre of the morning Sun

( ChithrabhAnu PrakAsam of the PrabhOdha raajeevam

referred to in Swamy Desikan's 21st verse).

 

The Tatthvam of Ushas (dawn)invoked here

is not the physical dawn , but has deeper ,

mystic meanings in VedAs , when applied to mental

and spiritual realms .The Vedic dawn is associated

with " Gou " or the uplifting rays of the ChithrabhAnu

(Aadhithya maNdala madhyastha Sri LakshmI HayagrIvan)

can also be linked to GodhA ( Gou dadhAthi ithi GodhA).

The deliverer of dhivya Jn~Anam in this model can be

considered to be GodhA Devi serving the Lord

(Chitra BhAnu) during the first crack of the dawn

( siRRam SiRu Kaalai).Her prayer on our behalf

( UnakkE naamAtccheyvOm , MaRRai nam kaamangaL

MaaRRElO ) is very appropriate for the banishment

of Aj~nAnam and the growth of spiritual knowledge

leading to Moksham.

 

(praNavam): dhushkruth vinAsa VihithOdhayAya Nama:

( " ): Parama VaikuntasthAya Nama:

( " ): VisvOdhaya Sankalpa PrabhavE Nama:

( " ): RathnAngadhinE Nama:

( " ): Dhivya tEjasE Nama:

( " ): MukundhAya Nama:

( " ): Saadhva-Saadhu-Hitha RathAyA Nama:

 

Srimath Azhagoiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan