Desikasthothramala- Bhagavatdhyanasopanam

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7.ekam leelopahitham itharam baahum

aajaanulambham

praapthaa range SayithuH akhilapraarThanaa paarijaatham

dhrpthaa seyam dhrDaniyamithaa rasmibhiH

bhooshaNaanaam

cinthaahasthinee anubhavathi me chithram aalaanayanthram

 

The she elephant, my thought, resorting to the arm

of the Lord of Srirangam , which is placed playfully as the pillow and the

other which is extended up to the knees, becomes mad with joy of enjoying the

beauty of His arms. Which are like the wish giving tree for those who pray to

Him, and is retrained forcefully by the

rays of the ornaments which serves as the wonderful tying post.

 

 

me chinthaahasthinee- my thought,(like) the she-elephant

 

praapthaa- resorting to

 

ekam baahum- one arm

 

leelopahitham- which is placed playfully

as a pillow

 

itharam - the other

 

aajaanulambham- extended to the knees

 

range SayithuH- of the Lord of Srirangam

 

praarThanaapaarijaatham- which is the wish giving

tree to those who pray,

 

dhrpthaa – becoming proud, mad in

the case of the elephant ( due to enjoyment of the beauty of the arms with

which it is engrossed)

 

saa iyam- that thought of mine

 

anubhavathi - experiences

 

 

dhrDaniyamithaa- the strong restraint

 

bhooshaNaanaam raSmibhiH –by the rays of the ornaments

of the Lord, which is

 

chithram- the wonderful

 

aalaanayanthram- tying post

 

Seeing the beauty of the arms of Lord Ranganatha the

thoughts engrossed in their beauty and their ability to give all to those who

pray becomes dhrptha, proud of its good fortune of having the devotion

which makes one feel as though He belongs to us and we feel the intoxication of

drinking His beauty. That is why the

thoughts are compared to a mad elephant. The ecstasy is restrained by

the rays from the ornaments of the Lord like the post to which the elephant is

tied.

 

The implication is that even devotion may create

pride that "I am a great bhaktha." But the experience of the Lord which gives

the pride also at the same time restrains the pride when one gets more and more

engrossed with Him.

 

 

8. saabhipraaya smitha vikasitham chaaru

bimbaaDharoshTam

dhuhkhaapaayapraNayini jane dhooradhatthaabhimukhyam

kantham vakthram kanakathilakaalankrtham rangabharthuH

svaanthe ghaaDam mama vilagathi svaagathodhaaranethram

 

The beloved face

of Lord Ranganatha, which blooms with a meaningful smile, with a beautiful lower

lip like the bimba fruit, which directs His

glance from afar towards those who are longing for the removal of their

sufferings, which is decorated with golden tilaka on the forehead and with welcoming smile is etched on my mind

firmly.

 

Kaantham- the beloved

 

Vakthram- face

 

rangabharthuH- of Lord Ranganatha

 

saabhipraaya smitha vikasitham- with meaningful smile,

expressing His joy in seeing His devotees

 

chaaru bimbaaDharoshTam- with beautiful lower lip

red like the bimba fruit

 

dhooradhatthaabhimukhyam- who glances from a distance

, that is even before they come near, shows His karuna.

 

dhuhkhaapaayapraNayini jane- at those who wish for the

removal of their suffering

 

kanakathilakaalankrtham- decorated with golden

tilaka (on the forehead)

 

svaagathodhaaranethram- with welcoming eyes, the

joy of seeing the devotees is displayed in His eyes,

 

vilagathi- is embossed

 

mama svaanthe- in my mind

 

gaaDam- firmly

 

This sloka describes the vatsalya of the Lord. He is

turned towards the south according to His promise to Vibheeshana that He will

look in the direction of Lanka to bless Vibheeshana.

 

When Rama gave VibheeshaNa his kuladhana, the idol

of Ranganatha, the legend goes that Ganesa

appeared as a small boy and offered to hold the idol, to allow Vibheeshana to

go to river Cauveri to finish his morning ablutions and while he was gone, Ganesa placed the idol

on earth and disappeared. When Vibheeshana returned he found that he could not

lift the idol which grew in size and was rooted on ground. Vibheeshana was very

unhappy and prayed to the Lord who said that he will lie there facing south to

bless Vibheehsana and his people.