Desikasthothramala- Bagavatdhyaana sopaanam

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3.chitraakaaraam kaTaka ruchibhiH chaaru vrtthaanupoorvaam

kaale doothya druthathara

gathim kaanthi leelaa kalaacheem

jaanucchaayaa dhviguNa subhagaam rangabharthuH

madhaathmaa

janghaam dhrshtvaa janana padhavee

jaanghikatvam jahaati

 

Seeing the shanks of the Lord Ranganatha, which

sport many colours due to the lustre of His anklets, which are round and

befittingly beautiful to the rest of His limbs, which moved fast during His mission

as a messenger to pandavas, which are the receptacle of the beauty flows from

His other parts, the beauty of which is enhanced by that of His knee, my soul

leaves off the wandering on the path of birth ( and death)

 

The portion of the leg from the knee to the ankle is

called janghaa, shanks. The janghaa of the lord Ranganatha is described in this sloka , The power of the

janghaa makes one move about and the shanks

of the Lord enables Him to move quickly when He went on as a messenger of

Pandavas to the Kourava court. This swift movement of His is also seen in His

act of protecting His devotees as in the case of Gajendra when He got down from

Garuda and hurried to save Gjendra, not finding the speed if Garuda to be swift

enough.

 

The Lord is wearing anklets, kataka, which are of many

colours, chithrakaara, being made of precious gems. Their lustre, ruchi, makes the shanks appear

as multicoloured. The shanks well rounded,

vrttha, and beautiful,

befitting, anupoorvam, with His other limbs. They are made more beautiful when

seen along with His knees which are well rounded and magnificent looking. Describing

the beauty of Rama to Seetha, Hanuman

says, `urundamaNi muzangaalukku nigar aamo,' meaning, His knees were round and looked like a

gem and were unparalleled in their beauty.

 

The flood of

the beauty, kaanthileela, of the whole form of

the Lord is overflowing and the shanks serve as the receptacle, kalaachee, catching the over flow and hence they are

unsurpassed in their beauty.

 

Desika says in the end that seeing the janghaa of

the Lord his soul gives up, jahaathi, its jaanghikathvam from birth to birth, jananapadhavee. The soul identifying

itself with the body goes on in the world in an aimless wandering, gathering

fresh karma which causes its entering

into different birth in a different body. The word jhaangika means a courier or

carrier. It applies here in the context as the soul is the carrier of its mind

and intellect from body to body serving as a courier. The word play saying that

by seeing the janghaa the soul is free from jaanghikathvam (instead of using any

other word for transmigration) is an illustration of the kavi chathurya of Desika.