Padhuka Sahasram-641

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

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

 

 

641. BhAvOttharaIraDhigathA BharathapraDhAnaI:

prathyupthamoUkthikamiShENa vikIrNapuShpA

rangEshvarasya niyatham thvayi lAsyaBhAjO

rangasThalIva laLithA maNipAdhukE! thvam

 

Oh Manipaaduka! You were resorted to by Bharata and others who are

leaders in Bhakti emotion. The pearls set in You are the scattered

flowers of a dance-theatre. Indeed You become a fit theatre in which

the great artiste, Ranganatha dances

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

Special Notes by V.Sadagopan(V.S):

 

SlOkam 641

 

1) UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam: Oh MaNi PaadukhE! Yor Lord

enjoys dancing with You at SrIrangam . The pearls decorating

You appear then like the heaps of flowers thrown on Your beautiful

dance stage. Devoted servants of Raama like His brother BharathA

or Bharatha Muni , the expert in dance craft have assembled at

SrIrangam to watch RanganathA perform on Your back serving as

the most attractive stage , whose beauty is further enhanced by

the flowers in the form of Your pearls .

 

2)SrImath Andavan anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! When Your Lord has

sanchAram with You , the scene is like His joy filled dance.

You appear like the dance stage. Your pearls look like

the white flowers strewn on the dance stage. There are

skilled experts in the art of dance (Naatya saasthram)

enjoying this dance of Your Lord with You on the stage of

SrIrangam.The inner meaning is that the magnificent

paasurams of AzhwAr with the depth of meanings on Tatthva-Hitha-

PurushArTams are like divinely scented flowers. Revered

sishyAs of Swamy NammAzhwAr collect these flowers and

spread their fragrance all around.

 

3) Here Swamy Desikan uses the closeness of the meaning

between the words , " Bhaava " and " Bharatha " . The word BhaAva

for instance can mean devotion (Bhakthi) or feeling states

expressed through Bharatha Naatya sAsthram ( B for BhAvam ,

R for Raagam and T for TaaLam united to give Bharatham ).

The name Bharatha can refer to the younger brother of RaamA

or the sage , who wrote the text book of Bharatha nAtyam.

In view of these multiple meanings , this slOkam can be

translated in to two ways. According to one version ,

Swamy Desikan visualizes the presence of Bharatha Muni at

SrIrangam , the dance stage of Lord RanganAthA.In the other

version , we are asked to think about the Younger brother of

Raamachandra , BharathA being at SrIrangam to enjoy

the dance of His beloved brother on the divine stage

of SrIrangam.

 

Oh MaNi PaadhukE ! " (Thvam ) BhaavOttharai: Bharatha prAdhanai:

adhigathA " . You are joined by the great experts in Bharatha

nAtya Saasthram like Bharatha Muni or by Bharathan , known

for His deep devotion. " Thvam prathyuptha moukthikamishENa

vikeerNa pushpA " . Your enmeshed peral assembly is like

a stage strewn with Your white , lustrous pearls. On this

occasion , Oh PaadhukE , You are like the joyous dance stage

for the chief dancer , Your Lord RanganAthA ( Thvam lAsyabhAja:

RangEswarasya laLitha ranga-sTaleeva asi)...(V.S)