Paadukaa avathaara thirunaal !!! - Part 1

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Sri Ranganatha Divyamani Padukabhyam namaha !!!

Swamy Deshikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam !!!

 

Dear Bhakta-s

 

Today 22-12-00, happens to be Paduka avathAra thirunAL. It was on this very

day, around seven centuries ago, Swamy Deshikan had composed the mahA kAvyam

" Sri Ranganatha Paduka Sahasram " in praise of Lord Sri Ranganatha.

The incidents that led to this composition are very interesting.

 

It was a beautiful evening at Thiruvarangam and Swamy Desikan is getting

ready to go to have darshanam of Arangan. At the sannidhi, our swamy is

immersed in the divyAnubhavam of seeing Thiruvarangan on His AdishEsha

Shayanam. Around the same time, he happens to meet a vidwAn by name Azhagiya

ManavALa perumAL nayanAr, the brother of Pillai LOkAchAryAr.

Deeply inspired by the thiruvadi of Arangan, ManavALa nayanAr invites

Deshikar for a contest to compose a work containing 1000 verses on the lord

before the next daybreak. Our Swamy agrees to the contest. Having been

inspired by the divya maNi pAdukA-s of the Lord, our Swamy offers to compose

a kAvyam with 1000 verses on these pAdukA-s (shaTAri AzhwAr).

 

That night, after finishing his routines, Swamy leaves to the temple with a

few of his disciples, with all the stationary required. After paying His

respects to

Periya perumAl, Periya pirAtti and his guruparamparai, our Swamy begins his

composition named " Paduka Sahasram " with an unmatched rapidity. Within a

stretch of less than three hours, our swamy finishes His epic poem with 1008

verses on Ranganatha pAduka and is ready to go to kAvEri theertham for His

anushTAnam-s.

 

In the meanwhile, ManavALa nayanAr has also started his composition named

" Padakamala Sahasram " , but is able to complete only 400+ verses.

 

At daybreak, bkaktA-s await the vishwaroopa darshanam of Thiruvarangan. Our

Swamy is joined by ManavALa nayanAr at Arangan sannidhi. Arrangements are

made in front of the sannidhi for the grand recital.

 

Swami Deshikan begins to recite his composition and by the time he is at the

end of it, the bhAgavatha gOshti there is moved to tears.

His fellow contestant, ManavALa nayanAr accepts his defeat and praises Swamy

Deshikan. Our noble Swamy then starts praising NayanAr's work and says -

 

sUthE sUkara yuvathi: suthashathamathyantha durbhagam jhadithi |

kariNE chirAya sUthe sakala mahIpAla rAjitham kalabham ||

 

which means to say that -

" A female boar at a time gives birth to hundred's of young ones, but an

elephant after a long time gives birth to one calf often admired and looked

after by kings. "

 

He further continues saying -

 

ApAda chUdamanapAyini darshanEsmin

AshAsanIyamaparam na vipakshahEthO: |

ApAtha shAnthi madhurAm punarasmadIyAn

anyOnya vyra jananI vijahAthvasUyA ||

 

which conveys the following summary -

 

With an impregnable philosophy like ours, we do not wish anything more. Let

the quality of jealousy leave those learned men who are amongst us and who

try to portray a good self outside, but not from their heart.

 

Swamy Deshikan is then offered vishEsha maryAdai at the sannidhi of

thiruvarangan.

One can see a beautiful painting of this scene even to this day at thooppul

Deshikan sannidhi prAkAram.

 

This epic kAvyam of our Swamy Deshikan is graded as a sampoorNa kAvyam and

an utthama kAvyam. It exhibits all the features that a great kAvyam should.

It is also an antyAdi that means to say that the first word of the kAvyam is

the same as the last word of the kAvyam (santha:) and looks as if our Swamy

presented it like a garland to Aranga.

The main rasam exhibited in this kAvyam is bhakthi rasam.

The central theme of our Ramanujs Darshanam is prapatti or self-surrender.

Swamy Deshikan makes it a point that all his works convey this message of

self-surrender. Paduka Sahasram is no exception. In fact the entire theme of

pAduka Sahasram revolves around prapatti at the divine feet of Arangan.

 

Continued...

 

Sri Ranganatha Divyamani Padukabhyam namaha.

vAzhi vyAkhyAmuddirak kai |||

 

dasan,

Balaji

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