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Swami Desikan"s Daya Sathakam : Part 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • April 5, 1996 


Dear Members of the Prapatti Group :

This stotram celebrates the auspicious Quality
(Kalyana Guna ) of Mercy (Dhayaa) of the Lord of 
Thiruvenkatam. Of All the Kalyana Gunaas of 
Venkataadhri Sekhara Vibhu , His Dhayaa is the 
most important one for the uplift of the Chetanaas.
The concept of Prapatti and Thiruvenkatamudayaan"s 
Dhayaa to realize the fruits of that Prapatti is the subject 
of Venkatanatha Kavi in this "Satakam".

The structure of this stotram containing 108 slokas
( one for each of the Divya Desa Archaa Murthys of 
Sriman Narayana perhaps ) is extraordinarily impressive
even by Swami Desikan"s standards of poetic excellence .
Our Acharya has used ten plus  different meters to compose 
the ten groups of slokas , each of which house " ten" slokas.
The numbers of  slokas and their poetic meters are as follows:

1. Slokaas 1-10 : Anushtup meter
2.Slokaas 11-20 : Aryaa meter
3.Slokaas 21-30 : Oupacchandhasikam 
4.Slokaas 31-40 : Maalini 
5.Slokaas 41-50 : Mandhaakraanthaa
6.Slokaas 51-60: Nathkutakam
7.Slokaas 61-70: SikariNi 
8.Slokaas 71-80 : HariNi 
9.Slokaas 81-90: Pruthvee
10.Slokaas 91-104: Vasantha Tilakaa
 *****
11. Slokaas 105& 106 : Maalini again  
12.Slokaas 107& 108 : Sardhoola Vikriditham 

In the tradition of my  Maanaseeka Acharya , each set of the ten 
slokaas have the essence of the ten Patthus of Thiruvaimozhi 
of Nammazhwaar. According to this tradition , every set of ten
reveals a particular meaning, which together covers the 
Ananatha  KalyaaNa GuNaas of the Lord of Thiruvenkatam.
The ten meanings associated with the ten sets of ten slokas 
have been summarized by my Manaseeka Acharya , Srirama 
Desikaacchaar Swamy this way:   

1.The Lord of Thiruvenkatam is the one , who can
give Mokshaanugraham .
2.He comprehends everything and He is capable of 
carrying out  whatever He chooses to do.
3.He destroys the enemies of those, who surrender
unto Him and thereby seek His help.
4.He is the means for attaining ALL worthwhile goals.
5.He is the fruit of ALL  worthwhile  endeavours.
6.He can be reached easily  thru the glorious means
of Prapatti. 
7.He will rush to the help of the lowest and the highest
with same speed, when they appeal to Him sincerely for help.
8.He is the Supreme principle standing on top of Thiruvenkatam.
9.He is the one, who took the incarnations of Rama and Krishna.
10.He is the one, who can offer the happiness associated with
Moksha  right here on this earth.

Swami Desikan goes on to describe in detail the Anantha 
Kalyana Gunaas of Sriman Narayana in his Taatparya 
RatnaavaLi and Dramidopanishad Saaram . He is thus 
paying his  tribute to Nammazhwaar"s Thiruvaimozhi in 
all of  these three works .We will illustrate the ten essential 
meanings of Daya Satakam  in the subsequent sections as 
revealed by Srirama Desikaacchaar Swamy in the tradition of 
his Achaarya, Navaneetham Krishnamaacchaar Swamy of 
Oppiliappan Koil.