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Experiencing Swamy Desika -- #83


SrI:
Shrimate Shri Lakshmi Nrusimha Parabrahmane Namaha:
Shrimate Shri Seetha Ramachandra Parabrahmane Namaha:
Shrimate Shri Ramanujaya Namaha:
Shrimate Nigamantha Maha Desikaya Namaha:
Shrimate Shrivan Satagopa Shri Narayana Yateendra Mahadesikaya Namaha:

"SrimAn VenaktanAthArya: kavithArkika kEsarI!
VedAnthAchArya varyO mE sannidhatthAM sadhA hrudhi"!!

Paadukasahasram is a stotra kAvyam prostrating not
just Lords Paadukas but also to Alvars who had
contacts with Lords feet and to Acharyas too!

The Paadukas are an amsam of Nithya soori Adisheshan!
This is evident from "sEndral kudiyAm ..nindrAl maravadiyAm".
"nindral maravadiyan" refers to  Adisesha serving as the
Paaduka when Lord stands.

In Srimad Ramayana we see the Paadukas being a representative
of the Lord and accepting the burden of the kingdom.
Do Paadukas have the capability to govern a kingdom?

As a reply to this, Swami Desika states that the Paadukas are
superior to the Lord Himself and goes on to explain the role
of Paadukas in Srimad Ramayanam.

Swami says that the Paadukas bore the burden of the kingdom for
14 years till Lord rAma returned. Lord rAma then received the
responsibility of ruling, but still stands on the Paaduka.
So, the PAddukas now bear the old burden with rAmA added!

Paaduka sahasram deals with many topics like parastAva paddathi,
samarpani paddathi etc. It has thousand slokas and has kAvya Lakshnam
too! So, paaduka sahasram is considered as a kAvyam.

Swami's poetic talents is well known. This is more evident in
the chitra Paddathi. chitra Paddathi emphasises a suitable fitting
matrix of artistry - a specialty of oriental poetry. Here the
letter, the sound, the syllable are more important than the meaning.
But even in these slokas Swami Desika's meaning make us think deep.

Swami Desika has given us slokas with just one base alphabet,
has framed slokas with one word and even with just one alphabet!!!
Being Swami Desikas stotrams even these contained vast meanings!!!
Let us have a look at the following Sloka for instance..

"tatAtattAtitattEtA tAtatItEtitAtitut !
tattattattAtatitatA tatEtAtEtatAtutA !!"

"The itinery of the Paaduka is vast. It excels the Lord Himself
in its enjoyability and in its status of being kept as the goal
of life. It will destroy with a great fury all the unhappy
visitations (such as excessive rain, drought, pestilence, foreign
invasion etc.) called 'Eeti' pain. The Paaduka has ordained all
things with their respective characteristics to be subservient to
it. This kind of affluence of the paaduka has a vast extent, all
available to the devotee at the will of the Paaduka. It showers
a bliss of experience by virtue of melodies as from the Veena.
That Paaduka which has joined the father of Manmatha, is like
a father to us all - sharing in our mirth and grief."
(Translation by Shri V.N. Vedanta Desikan).

It is extremely interesting to note that one word has so many
meanings. We have had a flavour of it in vairagya panchakam by the
usage of the word dhanam five times. But here, the repetition of
the word results in the Sloka!

"pAdapApAdapApAdapApAdapA pAdapApAdapA pAdapA pAdapA!
pAdapApAdapA pAdapApAdapA pAdapA pAdapA pAdapA pAdapA!!"

In the above Sloka the whole Sloka is made up of a single world
=> pAdapA !!! more ....tomorrow !!!

"Kavi Taarkika Simhaaya Kalyaana guna SaalinE!
SrimatE VenkateshAya VedAnta Gurave nama !!"

...To be continued!

dEsikan tiruvaDigaLE SaraNam

Praveena nAmni Ramanuja dasi