Padhuka Sahasram-581

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Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

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

 

581. prapadhyE ranganathasya pAdhukAm padhmarAgiNIm

padhaIkaniyathAm thasya padhmavAsAmivAparAm

 

I surrender myself to Paaduka, who is another Mahalakshmi, being

padmaragini (having Padmaraga=ruby gems) like Lakshmi (loving to live

in the lotus), and who is ever bound to the Lord's feet only (like

Lakshmi ever being one participating in all the roles, such as the

control of all worlds, being Seshi, etc., permanently sharing in His

duty).

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

Special Notes by V.Sadagopan (V. S)

 

SlOkam 581

 

1)UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam:Oh PaadhukE! adiyEn surrenders unto You ,

who is predominantly adorned with PadhmarAga stones. Their red color

is close to that of the red lotus flowers. You are exclusively

associated with service to Lord's sacred feet. You are like another

MahA Lakshmi at the Lord's holy feet.

 

2) Srimath Andavan's anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! When adiyEn looks at the

red rubies adorning You, adiyEn is reminded of another MahA Lakshmi ,

who stays only at the sacred feet of the Lord. MahA lakshmi stays

only at the chest of Your Lord. Azhwar thinks of himself as the

consort of the Lord performing kaimkaryam at the Lord's sacred feet .

 

3) Introduction : The PadhmarAga paddhathi is the first of the four

chapters (17-20 ) dealing with four specific gems : Rubies ,

Pearls , Emeralds and Sapphires. In the previous section, Swami

Desikan paid tribute to all the four of them . Now Swami singles out

every one of them and devotes 30 verses for rubies (PadhmarAga

Paddhathi), 50 for pearls ( MukthA Paddhathi ), 20 for emeralds (

Marataka Paddhathi ) and 30 for sapphires ( Indhra Neela Paddhathi).

Altogether , there are 130 verses for these four gems that follow the

50 verses of the previous Paddhathi (Bahurathna Paddhathi) , which

covered all of the four gems .

 

The Lord's body has four colors corresponding to the above four gems.

He also created these four colors at the beginning of the universe.

Since rubies have the red color resembling MahA Lakshmi, Swamy

Desikan chooses this gem as the first of the four stones adorning the

Paadhukai. PadhmarAgha literally means " having the color of red

lotus " , the flower has close affinity to MahA Lakshmi. The Paadhuka

supports the lotus feet of the Lord ; MahA Lakshmi has the lotus

forests as one of Her homes. The other home for Her is the Lord's

chest. She also serves the Lord's lotus feet by pressing them, when

He engages in Yoga Nidhrai…(V.S).

 

4) Swamy Desikan performs Prapatthi to the SrI RanganAtha Padhukais

adorned with the PadhmarAgaa gems and suggests that they will confer

purushArTams including Moksham on him ( PadhmarAghiNIm RanganAthasya

PaadhukAm PrapadhyE ). Those Paadhukais, which like MahA Lakshmi

(PadhmarAgiNi) never leaves the Lord's sacred feet or their proximity

(Tasya padhaika-niyathAm RanganAthasya PaadhukAm prapadhyE ). They

are like another MahA Lakshmi in the sense that they are adorned with

red rubies, a color reminiscent of Periya PirAtti, who never leaves

the Lord's side ( PadhaikaniyathAm aparAm Padhma-VaasAmiva PaadhukAm

prapadhyE). She is fond of the red lotuses (Padhma-RagiNi)…(V.S).