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Stotras of Vedanta Desika
by Sri D. Ramaswamy Ayyangar
Page 18
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27. Garuda Dandakam
A form of versification in which more syllables than 26 to a
quarter (pAda) are found is known as daNDakam in Sanskrit
prosody. This Garuda Dandakam has 108 syllables in each quarter
(vide sloka 6). The four sections numbered here as 2 to 5
are really four quarters of one sloka.
This work is in praise of Garuda (like Garuda
Panchasat). Sloka 932 enshrines Garuda-mantra. It is said that a
snake charmer challenged Desika to defy a deadly serpent which he
sent towards that acharya, and on singing this Dandakam, Garuda
appeared and carried away that snake.
The last sloka, however, says that this Dandakam about
Garuda was sung by the all-knowing Venkatesa for the delectation
of Garuda-dhvaja, Lord Vishnu.
Devanagari Text
28. Abhiti Stava
This stotram has a historical background. The great centre of Sri
Vaishnavism Srirangam
had fallen into the hands of the Muslim invaders led by Malik
Kafur in the 14th Century A.D. Before that, the shrine of Lord
Ranganatha had been closed after secretly sealing the sanctum
sanctorum, and the utsava-murti removed to places of safety by
the pious people of the place. Several great acharyas lost their
lives, and several others, Vedanta Desika among them, ran away
from the place in fear and panic. Desika stayed at Satyamangalam
near Kollegal now in Mysore State. It is from there he sang this
stotra in praise of Lord Ranganatha, praying to Him to banish
their fear and return to His abode. Sloka 20 voices the prayer to
banish fear in Srirangam and restore it to its former glory, and
sloka 22 prays to the Lord to wield His weapons and remove their
fear caused by the Muslims and the Yavanas (other
foreigners). The Stotra refers to the Lord's five weapons
(panchayudhas), which He always holds in His hands for our
protection, in four places 11, 21, 22 and 23. Fear and/or freedom
from fear figure in nearly half the total number of slokas of
this stotram. Sloka 19 refers by name to eight staunch devotees
of the Lord who obtained complete freedom from fear by taking
refuge at the Lord's feet and prays for a similar benefit and
blessing for all of us. A paaraayanam of this stotram has been
prescribed by elders for securing freedom from fear of any
sort.
Devanagari Text
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