ThiruvahIndhrapuram RathnAngi Kaimkaryam: Part VIII

[Guest guest]

ChithrabhAnu Kaarthikai AmAvasyai,

Anusha Nakshathram

 

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs:

 

Let us enjoy the Seventh slOkam of Sri DEvanAyaka

PanchAsath today:

 

SlOkam VI

*********

 

visrANayan mama visEsha-vidhAm-anindhyAm

antharvathIm giram AhIndhrapurAdhirAja:

sthavya: sthavapriya ithIva tapOdhanOktham

sthOtEthi cha Thavath abhidhAnam avandhyaya Thvam

 

Extended Meaning

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Oh DhaivanAyakA! In MahA BhAratha ithihAsam , Sage

VyAsa released SrI VishNu Sahasra Naamam through

PithAmahar Bhishmar.In that Sahasra Naamam, there are

three references are made to the Lord as (1) the only

One who is fit to be praised (2) the One , who is equally

pleased with the praise of His bhakthans ,even if

those praises arise from the use of different languages

(3)the One , who praises the Bhakthan that eulogize Him.

These three thoughts are housed in the ThirunAmams of

" Sthavyan, Sthava Priyan (and) SthOthA " . adiyEn has

taken these three Naamams , reflected on them and

emboldened myself to come forward to eulogize You.

You should bless me with the anugraham of poetic skills

that would be object of laudation of vidvAns , when

adiyEn engages in praising You . More than that , You must

accept my samarpaNam and be pleased so that all the three NaamAs

revealed by Sage VyAsA will become meaningful with respect

to You and prove infallible .

 

Additional Thoughts

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Our AchArya Saarvabhouman is always a Taarkika Simham

besides being a Kavi Simham .Here again , Swamy Desikan

uses his skills in logic and engages the Lord in

a dialog to persuade Him to hold on to the three names of

SrI VishNu Sahasra Naamam : Sthavyan, Sthava Priyan

and SthOtha.

 

In the previous slOkam , Swamy Desikan asked the Lord

to be careful to protect (DharaNam of) one of His other

naamAm: " DaasEshu Sathya: " . Swamy pleaded with the Lord:

" DaasEshu Sathya ithi nAmadhEyam dhAraya " . At the same

time , Swamy Desikan saluted the Lord as the fulfiller of

his deep desire ( mama manOraTa siddhi dhAyi )to conclude

successfully the effort begun by him to eulogize Him.

 

In this seventh slOkam , Swamy Desikan prays for the boon

of auspicious vaak (speech) to engage in the task of

composing a sthOthram that will be lauded by mahA vidvAns

( VisEsha VidhAm anindhyAm ) and that would gladden

the heart of the Lord of ThiruvahIndhrapuram . Swamy

Desikan prays for the power to compose a sthothram

housing deep Tatthvams inside ( antharvathIm giram ).

Swamy points out that such a boon is essential to

protect the description of the Lord by Sage VyAsar

with the thirunAmams(abhidhAnam) of " Sthavyan " ,

Sthavapriyan and SthOthA " .

 

The Vaachika aarAdhanam of our Lord through pious words

(Giram) is indicated in the following SrI VishNu Sahasra

Naamam section:

 

" sthavya: sthava-priya: sthOthram

sthuthah sthOtha rana-priya: "

 

Swamy Desikan is referring thus to the SrI VishNu

SahasranAmams from 684 to 688:

 

684th Naamam: (PraNavam) SthavyAya Nama: He who is

worthy of praise . Our Lord has limitles auspicous guNAs

and is THE MOST deserving one as the object of praise.

Our Lord blesses us with the greatest of gifts

(viz)., Moksham , which is the parama purushArTam

compared to insignificant and evanescent gifts recieved

from praising rich men . Our Lord's names are therefore

Keerthaneeyam ( deserve to be eulogized).

 

685th Naamam: Sthava-Priya: One who welcomes

and enjoys the praise offered by a devotee. He welcomes

such praise from any one or in any language (yEna kEnApi

JanthunA , yEna kEnApi BhAshayA ).Those who engage in praising

Him become very dear to Him (Priyatama: Bhavathi).

 

686th Naamam : SthOthram : He becomes " the Eulogy Incarnate " .

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar comments that This praise of the Lord

is accomplished by the Lord Himself as an instrument ,

when He is pleased with the bard , who sings about Him .

Swamy Desikan through His request in this slOkam aspired for

such a status of priyathaman.

 

687th Naamam: Stutah : He who is being praised by

all blessed souls through the Lord's own anupravEsam .

 

688th Naamam: SthOtA : He who praises those who eulogize Him.

He is Parama Souseelyan and it is His essential nature to praise

those , who praise Him. Swamy ParAsara Bhattar quotes

the VishNu Dharma SlOkam 75.55 in this context :

 

" Yam sthuvan sthavyathAmEthi vandamAnasccha vandhayathAm "

( " He who praises BhagavAn is praised by BhagavAn Himself,

and he who adores BhagavAn becomes an object of adoration

for Him " ).

 

Such is the greatness of these four VishNu Sahasra Naamams

that Swamy desikan not only invokes their purport but he also

includes the three nAmAs verbatim in his seventh slOkam .

 

NigamAntha MahA Desikan's prayer for the blessings of

divine speech for composing DevanAyaka PanchAsath brings

to mind one of the many prayers housed in the VedAs:

 

sa nO adhya vasuttayE kratuvid gAtuvittama:

vAjam jEshi sravO bruhath ---Rg Vedam IX.44.6

 

(meaning) : " Oh Lord , the reciever of sacred homages,

knower of paths of virtues , May Thou bless us this day

abundant food of wisdom and vigour for the acquisition of

the wealth of enlightenment " .

 

" SravO bruhath " of this Rk has been intrepreted by Saayana

as " Bruhath Srava: " or the immense wealth , the unique wealth

of enlightenment , the dhivya JnAnam (ArTa Panchakam).

 

" Vaajam " in this Rk refers to a combination of strength ,

vigour and wisdom to gain the dhivya Jn~Anam blessed by

the Lord Himself (Sthavyan) in His role as " Sthava priyan " .

 

Swamy NigamAntha MahA Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SharaNam ,

SrI Taranga Mukha Nandini SamEtha SrI DEvanAyaka SwAminE nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan/SaThakopan