Daya Shatakam-34

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Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha,

 

Dear Bhaktas,

 

Few years back at the command of Sri V. Sadagopan Swamin, adiyen

started a series of postings on the Daya Shatakam for the Sri

Vekateshwara homepages. However, after a long hiatus due to a number

of factors, adiyen was able to resume this Kaimkaryam on the most

sacred Panguni Uttaram day. As per the command of Sri Sadagopan

Swamin, adiyen is sharing the series on relevant lists.

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan

 

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Sri:

 

SrimatE Gopaladesika MahadesikAya Namaha

 

Anubhavam of U.Ve. Dr. V.N. Vedanta Desikan Swamin:

 

Oh Daya Devi ! You intercede on our behalf, arguing thus - " All

future time would not suffice for these people being meted out

appropriate punishments for the sins already committed; the sins

occur

in chain, without an end; Time will run out before a sinner could

completely expend the results of his sins by suffering. Even

expiatory

acts would not achieve anything, since in the process of exhausting

some

sins by an act, he gets entangled into newer sins too " Thus

functioning

as our defence, you have made Lord Srinivasa subordinate to You. He

will not violate Your dictates. You this remove our fears of

punishment

and re-birth. It looks as though Your existence is only for our

well-being. [As the Lord takes avataras of His own accord, Daya Devi

too

has taken birth for our prosperity.]

 

Additional Notes (Adiyen):

 

In this verse Daya Devi offers compelling arguments as she represents

the baddha jivan in the court of Lord Narayana. Previously it was

noted that other Kalyana GuNams such as jnAna, bala, and others

attest to the Baddha jivan's egregious violation of the Shastraic

Prescriptions and recommend that the baddha jivan be punished for

these trangressions. The Lord too is inclined to mete out the

prescribed punishment in what appears to be a straightforward case.

However Daya Devi cleverly notes that so great are the transgressions

of the sinner that if punishment is meted out, time itself will run

out before the punishment runs its course and is therefore an

exercise in futility. Somewhat mollified the other Kalyana guNams

recommend that the sinner at least perform expiatory deeds

(prayaschittam) for the transgressions. However Daya Devi who is now

on a roll, eloquently debunks this suggestion on the grounds that

performance of expiatory acts requires another birth. This in turn

would cause the jivan to engage in acts which offers ample scope to

add to the already mountainous pile of sins. This would in turn give

rise to an endless debate on the punishment to be meted out. Hence,

it is again an exercise in futility. Therefore, the baddha jivan

should be forgiven and graced once and for all by Lord Narayana.

 

In this verse, Swami Desikan also provides valuable insight on the

cause for the Lord's Avatarams. The reason for the Lord's Avataram is

described in the purusha Sooktam salutation " ajAyamAnO bahudhA

vijAyathE thasya DhIrA: parijAnanthi yOnim "

(Meaning: He who does not have any birth takes many births. The

secret of the Lord's births is clearly understood by the foremost

among those possessed with keen intellect)

 

The Vedic statement may appear contradictory in nature, i.e. how can

one who does not have any birth take many births? Furthermore, how

can this fact (thasya yonim-the secret of the Lord's birth) be well

understood (samyak jAnanthi ithi parijAnanthi) by the foremost among

those possessed of keen intellect (DhImathAm agrEsara: ithi DhIra:).

 

The answer to these questions is beautifully provided by Swami

NammAzhwar in the Tiruviruttham Pasurams. These 100 verses are the

essence of the Rg Vedam. The verbatim mapping of the Sanskrit Purusha

Sooktam salutation into chaste Tamil is inherently beautiful

(pirappili-one who does not have any birth=ajAyamAnO and pala piravi

edukkirayE-you who are born many times=bahudhA vijAyathE). The Azhwar

states that proper understanding of Pirappili is that one who does

not take birth on account of the reasons for the birth of a common

person. A common person's birth is on account of Karma accrued from

innumerable previous births. Whereas, Lord Narayana is unaffected by

Karma. His birth is solely on account of his own will (Sankalpam).

Therefore, this establishes that the Lord has birth. Each incarnation

of the Lord only enhances his fame, whereas for a common person each

birth results only in the accrual of additional karma. The Vedam

declares that " soUshrEyAn Bhavathi jAyamAna: " (Each incarnation of

the Lord only enhances His fame). The Azhwar notes that this is on

account of the fact that each incarnation is for the sole purpose of

redeeming baddha jivans by terminating their seemingly eternal cycle

of births and deaths (nam pirappai arukka). Additional references to

this subject can be found in the janmAdhyasya aDhikaraNa of the

Brahma Sutras. Bhishma stuthi of Srimad Bhagavatam too documents the

reason for the Lord's incarnation through the

salutation " itivatirupakalpithAvithrushNA " . The Lord himself declares

in the fourth chapter of the Bhagavad Gita that he incarnates for

protecting the virtuous and destroying the wicked (parithrANAya

sAdhUnAm vinAshAyacha dhuShkruthAm Dharma samsthApanArthAya

sambhavAmi yugE yugE) and again in the salutation " tadhAthmAnam

srujAmyaham " The additional references bring out the import of the

Vedic message in simple-to-understand terms. Swami Desikan documents

these aspects through an almost verbatim reproduction of the Vedic

salutation in the line " shrEyasE jAyasE na: " in this verse. Swami

Desikan emphasizes that all the incarnations of the Lord are due to

his own sankalpam, which is under the sway of Daya Devi-a theme that

recurs throughout the Daya Shatakam. Not satisfied with this Daya

Devi is always present with the Lord in each incarnation to ensure

the upliftment of Baddha jivans.

 

*Adiyen is indebted to Mahavidvan Paramapadavasi U.Ve. Sri Mukkur

Lakshminarasimhachariar Swamin's upanyasams for the additional

insights on the Lord's incarnations.

 

Namo Narayana,

 

SriMuralidhara Dasan