Padhuka Sahasram-365

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Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

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

 

365. raThyAvihArarajasA puriDhUsarAngIm

rangEshvarasya laLithEShu mahOthsavEShu

prasphOtayathyavanathO maNipAdhukE! thvAm

goUrIpathi: svayamiBhAjinapallavEna

 

Oh Manipaaduka! In Lord Ranganatha's grand and beautiful festivals,

the dust collected on You during the street-procession, is removed by

Siva with the use of his elephant-skin.

 

(Siva wears the elephant-skin as his garment. His worship of Paaduka

is described here).

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

Special Notes by V.SatakOpan (V.S): SlOkam 365

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(1)Oh MaNi PaadhukE! During the occasions of the big

festivals of Lord RanganAthA , He is carried around

the many streets of Srirangam by You. The dust arising

from such travels cover You and You get soiled.Paramasivan

bows before You during this time and uses the portion of

the tender elephant skin that He is wearing as a garment and

brushes away all the accumulated dust specks. He performs

kaimkaryams for You this way.

 

(2)Here Swamy Desikan describes the Kaimkaryam performed

by Gouripathi( the Lord of Paarvathi).The occasion is

the joyous uthsavams( laLithEshu mahOthsavEshu) at Srirangam .

During those times, the PaadhukAs carry the Lord over the Raaja

Veedhis (raTyA VihAram) of Srirangam and a lot of dust arise

and cover the Paadhukais , which get soiled ( vihAra rajasA

paridhUsarAngIm thvam).Lord of Parvathi was standing by

enjoying His lord's MahOthsavam .When He saw that the surface

of the gem-bedecked Paadhukais were soiled , He bent down

and used His upper garment of tender elephant skin and

wiped away all the accumulated dust particles that sullied

the bright gems adorning the Lord's Paadhukais( Gouripathi:

thvAm avanatha:sann svayam ibhAjina-pallavEna prasphOdayathi).

The choice word , " avaantha: sann " brings out the imagery

of the reverential way in which ParamEsvaran performs this

Kaimkaryam of wiping the dust on the surface of the Padhukais

and restoring their erstwhile lustre..(V.S)