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Sri Venkateswara Ashtotthram |
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35) Damodaraya Sri Venkatesaaya
nama:
The Lord is the epitome of
accessibility ("Soulabhyam), with the rare virtue of moving with mortals
as one among them ("Souseelyam), despite His exalted stature and our own
extremely base natures. The best demonstration of these traits was in the
Krishnavatara, when Sri Krishna permitted HImself to be tied up with a mere
rope. Imagine! The Supreme Being, inaccessible even to exalted Celestials,
being tied up by a mere cowherdess! This is what gave the Lord the tiurnaamam,
"Damodara".
Sri Madhurakavi says that it was
not Sri Yasoda who tied up little Krishna--it was the Lord who helped her
tie Him up, enjoying the rare role of submissiveness He never gets to play at
Paradise--"kaNNi nuNN siru thaambinaal kattuNNa paNNiya peru Maayan".
And we are told that playing the role to the hilt, Sri Krishna looked at
Yasoda with pitiful eyes brimming with tears of self-pity and made larger than
usual due to fright. Sri Nammazhwar marvels at this extremely endearing
trait--"etthiram uralinodu inaindu irundu yEngiya yeLivE !"
This naama is the twelfth and
final of the hallowed names of the Lord, which are uttered during the
purificatory ritual known as "Achamanam".
Sri Nammazhwar tells us that this
Damodaran is the Matchless Paramapurusha--"Damodaranai tani mudalvanai".
And His glory is immeasurable--"Aamo taram ariya!" And it is
extremely significant that Sri Nammazhwar mentions the Lord of Venkatam in
connection with the Damodara naama, apparently telling us that Damodara is
indeed Srinivasa--" Venkata nal veRppan, Visumbor piraan enthai
DamOdaranE".
This Lord holds four deadly ropes
(paasams) in His hands as weapons and has a complexion like that of a rising
Sun :
Damodaram chatushpaasam indrakopa
nibham bhaje!
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