Vairagyapanchakam of Desika

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3. jvalathu jalaDhikrodakreedath krpeedabhavaprabhaa

prathibhata patujvaalaamaalaakulo jataraanalah

thrNamapi vayam saayam samphullamallimathallikaa

parimalamuchaa vaachaa yaachaamahe na maheesvaraan

 

Let the fire in the stomach, jataraagni, burn, jvalathu, with series of fierce flames, patujvaalamaalaakulo, like an opponent, prathibhata, of the fire of vadavagni, krpeedabhavaprabhaa that plays, kreedath, in the middle of the ocean, jalaDhikrodakreedath. We will not beg the kings, na maheeSvaraan yaachaamahe, with our speech, vaachaa, resembling the scent of jasmine that blossoms in the evening, saayam samphulla mallimathallikaa parimalaruchaa, even a blade of grass, thrNam api.

 

Desika says that even if the fire in the intestines, called jaataragni which digests food burns fiercely like the vadavagni in the middle of ocean for want of food,he will not beg the kings for wealth by employing his power of speech to praise them because his speech dedicated to the Lord is fragrant like the jasmine flower that bloosoms in the evening.

 

The vadavagni is supposed to exist in the middle of ocean and consumes excess water so that the ocean maintains its limits. But the fire inside the stomach is the prathibhata, the opponent of the vadavagni, because the vadavagni does not consumr ethe whole ocean but the jataragni consumes everything and asks for more .But to appease hunger we will not praise the kings with our eloquence, says Desika because the vak of the devotees are fragrant like the jasmine that blossoms in the evening by praising the Lord, and hence should not be used even to beg for a blade of grass from the kings. Why? The answer is supplied in the next sloka.