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Chitra Paddathi - Large Drum

921. sA BhUpA rAmapArasThA viBhUpAsthisapArathA
     thArapA sakrupA dhuShtipUrapA rAmapAdhukA

sA bhu pA rA ma pA ra stA
vi bhu pA sthi sa pA ra thA
thA ra pA sa kru pA dhu shDi
poo ra pA rA ma pA dhu kA
Fig 2: Columnar symmetry

 

sA bhu pA rA ma pA ra stA
vi bhu pA sthi sa pA ra thA
thA ra pA sa kru pA dhu shDi
poo ra pA rA ma pA dhu kA
Fig 3: Diagonal symmetry (Top Down)

sA bhu pA rA ma pA ra stA
vi bhu pA sthi sa pA ra thA
thA ra pA sa kru pA dhu shDi
poo ra pA rA ma pA dhu kA
Fig 4: Diagonal symmetry (Bottom Up)

sA bhu pA rA ma pA ra stA
vi bhu pA sthi sa pA ra thA
thA ra pA sa kru pA dhu shDi
poo ra pA rA ma pA dhu kA
Fig 5: Triangular symmetry

sA bhu pA rA ma pA ra stA
vi bhu pA sthi sa pA ra thA
thA ra pA sa kru pA dhu shDi
poo ra pA rA ma pA dhu kA
Fig 6: Triangular symmetry (Inverse)

sA bhu pA rA ma pA ra stA
vi bhu pA sthi sa pA ra thA
thA ra pA sa kru pA dhu shDi
poo ra pA rA ma pA dhu kA
Fig 7: Center symmetry

sA bhu pA rA ma pA ra stA
vi bhu pA sthi sa pA ra thA
thA ra pA sa kru pA dhu shDi
poo ra pA rA ma pA dhu kA
Fig 8: Center Triangle (mirror)

To read the figures

Figure 1:  Shows the "Large Drum" 
similar in characteristics to the leather ropes found on the body of a drum

Figure 2:  Shows the columnar symmetry 
Columns 4 & 5 have the top & bottom cells identical i.e. rA rA & ma ma
Columns 3 & 6 have all 8 cells identical as pA
Columns 2 & 7 have the the 2 top and bottom cells similar i.e. bhu bhu & dhu dhu, ra ra & ra ra

Figures 3 & 4: Show diagonal symmetry
Top Down Forward i.e.  sa bhu pA rA & sa bhu pA rA 
Top Down Backward i.e. stA ra pA ma & stA ra pA ma
Bottom up Forward i.e. poo ra pA rA & poo ra pA rA
Bottom up Backward i.e. kA dhu pA ma & kA dhu pA ma

Figure 5&6: Shows triangular symmetry
Row 2 Base: vi bhu pA sthi  2 Triangular sides: vi bhu & pA sthi
Similarly for Row 2 sa pA ra thA & Row 4 poo ra pA rA & ma pA dhu kA

Figure 7&8: Center & Center Triangle symmetry are self explanatory

Meaning & Details

Oh That Paaduka! How potent it is! It constitutes the very extreme 
limit of a worship-ritual of the Lord, since no such worship is 
regarded as complete without homage to the Paaduka. It protects the 
Lord (who is implied in the pranava mantra), during His strolls from 
thorn and stone. With great pity on us, it drinks off all our defects 
and sins. So great is Rama Paaduka. It is at the feet of Rama-it is 
the most delectable object of enjoyment for a soul. 

Namo Narayana,

SriMuralidhara Dasan

Special Notes by V.Sadagopan (V.S):
*******************************************
SlOkam 921: This verse is set in the chithra Bhandham known as 
Muraja Bhandham . Muraja means a large drum . Muraja bhandham 
refers to a verse arranged artificially in the form of a drum . The 
32 words of this verse split across four paadhAs consisting of 8 letters each
and takes on an architecture of a long drum with its characteristic 
symmetries of the leather ropes seen on the body of the drum :

Saa bhU paa raa ma paa ra sTA
vi bhU paa sthi Sa paa ra thaa
thaa ra paa Sa kru paa dhu shDi
poo ra paa raa ma paa dhu kaa


Please enjoy the view of a long drum anchored at 
third and sixth letters of each of the four Paadhams 
with the letter " Paa ". 

Please also enjoy another symmetry with the words "ra" ,
"bhU" , "dhu" and "ma" across the four paadhams .

Meaning of the slOkam is tightly woven in by Swamy Desikan , 
while constructing this marvelous Muraja Bhandham in the slOkam:

Saa bhUpaa RaamapArsTA vibhUpaasthisapArathaa
taarapaa sakrupaa dhushDipoorapaa Raama paadhukaa 

1) UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam:Those Raama PaadhukAs 
are saluted by the VedAs ; they are engaged in adoring the Lord's 
feet with Their eulogies. The Lord's PaadhukAs have compassion as its 
characteristic virtue and drinks up all the dhOshams of its 
devotees. Those PaadhukAs returned to Raama's holy feet after ruling 
the kingdom for fourteen years as the Lord's representative.

2) SrImath Andavan's anubhavam:In the previous slOkam , it was
suggested that the Paadhukais travelled on their own for fulfilling
the prayers of those , who sought its refuge . In this slOkam , 
the reason is given for such an initiative . The intense compassion
(Parama Krupaa) of the Paadhukai is identified as the reason .

The PaadhukAs have many attributes possessed by their Supreme
Lord ( Parathva Soochaka Jn~Ana Sakthi Vaibhavams) . Instead of
hiding them from those who seek their refuge , the Paadhukais 
shower them with their intense compassion . AchAryAs are like
the Lord's Paadhukais . They are also deeply rooted in their Lord
(Sthira Prathishtai in Para Brahmam) and are under the influence of 
their Lord to establish His Saasthrams and injunctions. They chase
those who advocate nonadherence to veda maargam and defeat
their arguments to strengthen the way of the VedAs .( The AchAryaas
like the Lord's Paadhukais remove our sins by casting their kayNA
KatAkshams ( Tadh dhrushti gOcharaa: sarvE muchyanthE sarva-
kilBhishai: ). Among all the auspcious attributes of the AchAryAs
and the Paadhukais , the Dayaa guNam is the most prominent one) . 

3) The key instruction here is : "Saa Raama PaadhukA sakrupA " 
(i-e)., The revered Raama PaadhukAs of limitless auspicious attributes
have indescribale and intense compassion (DayA) for us . What are 
some of these auspicious attributes and functions of the PaadhukAs?
What indeed are they noted for ? 

The Raama Paadhukais unite with the Lord to establish the maryAdhais
given to Vedam and our sanAthana dharmam and they protected Bhumi , 
the middle lOkam , when Raama was away on exile ( bhUpaa Raama 
pAra sTA ). It is established in Raamaa with special recognition and
has influence ; They serve as boundary to Raama guNams ( Raama 
PaarasTA ).

The Paadhukais serve as the final limit (yellai nilam , Kaashtai) for
Bhagavath upAsanam ( Vibhu: upAsthi sapArathA) . Bhagavan's 
dhivyAthma svaroopam is pervasively present everywhere befitting
His name as " Vibhu". The final point of the UpAsanam of that Lord is
Dhivya PaadhukA dhyAnam . One arrives at that final step after 
travelling
step by step thru the stages of : dhivyAthma svarropa dhyAnam , 
dhivya mangaLa vigraha dhyAyanam , dhivya charaNAravindha 
dhyAnam culminating in Dhivya PaadhukA DhyAnam. The dhyAnam
about the Lord's Paadhukai is the last among the steps for UpAsana.

The PaadhukAs are also: "Taara paa" . The word "Taara" denotes 
BhagavAn , who is PraNava Svaroopi. The PadhukAs protect 
the sacred feet of that Lord and becomes "Taara paa". It is also
"dhrushti poora paa". Dhrushti stands for dhOshams . Dhrushti poora
stands for the abubdant ( flood of ) dhOshams . "Paa" means one who
drinks it all . Therefore like the sage Agasthyar , who drank the 
oceans with one sip from his cupped palm , the Paadhukais through 
their Mangala dhrushti drinks up all the dhOshams of those , who seek 
their protection. Those Raama PaadhukAs are intensely compassionate ( 
Saa Raama PaadhukA Sakrupa , SakrupA , SakrupA ).....(V.S).