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Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram (RPS ) : Part 14.7

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • February 22, 1997 


Dear Memebrs of the Prapatthi Group :

In this posting , I will cover verses 41 to 45 
of the Naadha Paddhathi of RPS .

Verse 41/ slokam 421 of RPS

Here Swami Sri Desikan addresses the Lord's PaadhukhAs
as PadhAvani or the sandals that protect the Lord"s lotus feet .
This slokam is as follows :

prAya: padhAvani ! vibhO: praNathArthi hanthu :
prasthAna mangaLavidhou prathamOdhyathAni I
tvacchinjithAni sapadhi svayamArabhnthE 
kalOchithAn kanaka kaahaLa sanka naadhAn II

(Meaning ) : O PaadhukhE ! As a part of the celebrations of 
your Lord"s mission to protect the righteous , you yourself 
generate the sounds of His golden conch and Thirucchinnam 
(KaahaLa Vaadhyam ) at the appropriate times prescribed by
the AagamAs for them .

Earlier , Swami Sri Desikan pointed out that the PaadhukhA
naadham is distinct and precedes the sound of the Lord"s conch ,
when the Lord starts on his missions. Here he points out that 
the PaadhukhA naadham transforms itself into the sounds of 
the Conch and the long horn known as Thirucchinnam later .

The inner meaning of this slokam is that the recitation of 
NammAzhwAr's paasuram in the traditional manner will 
let the reciter experience their  unique  sweetness , which exceeds 
the pleasure of listening to the eighteen musical instruments
used in the Lord"s Kaimkaryam . 

Verse 42/RPS Slokam 422

O  PaadhukhAs of the Lord ! When your Lord travels with you ,
the scholars of Saama Vedam eulogize your glories 
revealed by  the other three Vedaas .  One wonders whether on 
those occasions , you are instructing them on how to recite the 
beautiful Saama Vedic passages . Through the melodious Naadham 
associated with the movement of the gems decorating your body ,
you seem to be giving them instructions on Sama Vedic recitation.

The inner meaning here is that NammAzhwAr composed the 1,000 plus
verses of Thiruvaimozhi expressly for the use of those , who wanted 
to sing about the vaibhavam of Sriman NaarAyaNA .

Verse 43/RPS slokam 423

O MaNi PaadharakshE of the Lord !  On the streets of Srirangam ,
the sweet naadham arising from the gems and bells decorating 
you sound like the sacred Veda manthrAs to the ears of the ladies 
of Srirangam . They are so thrilled by the sweet  experience of 
listening to your  Naadham that they swoon and fall down . The inner
meaning of this slokam is that those , who are reciting NammAzhwAr's 
Thiruvaimozhi paasurams are so absorbed in experiencing the joy of that 
act that they do not even get out of their homes to offer worship to 
the Lord of Srirangam , who is passing in front of their house . They are too
deeply immersed in the experience of tasting the sweetness of 
the paasurams that they become oblivious to events happening 
around them .

Verse 44/RPS Slokam 424

O PaadhukhE ! occasionally your Lord leaves His servants
behind and decides on visiting the inner chambers of His
consorts suddenly and  quickly . At those times , you hasten to
transport your Lord to His desired destination. The consorts hear the 
approaching  sound of their Lord through your sweet naadham and 
relate that to your  recitation of the secret texts of the upanishad of 
conjugal desire (MadanOpanishad/ ManmathOpanishad ) . 

The Lord's visit is aakasmikam or unscheduled . The consorts
are plesantly surprised and happy over the unexpected visit of 
their Lord on the back of the sweet sounding PaadhukhAs .
The inner meaning of this verse is that those , who are familiar
with the enjoyment of the Bhaavam of the paasurams of NammAzhwAr's
Thiruvaimozhi experience indescribable pleasure , when they
have the blessings of the unexpectd darsanam of the Lord . 

Verse 45/RPS slokam 425

Here Swami Sri Desikan compares the sweet naadham 
(Manju Naadham ) of the PaadhukhAs to that of the charming 
song sung by a hunter intent on capturing a deer in the forest . 
He says : " O PaadhukhE ! When the people of Srirangam hear 
your sweet sound at the times of the Lord's bhavani on the streets 
of His city , they drop every thing that they were doing and rush 
to offer their homages to Him . Your sweet naadham at those times 
resemble  the hunter's calls (songs ) to attract first and then catch 
the various animals  in their nets. Your sweet sound resembling the 
songs of the hunter captures the eyes , ears , feet and the other limbs 
of the populace of Srirangam . Just as the hunter attracts the roaming 
deer of the forest to the site , where he has set a trap for them (  a pit
covered with a false cover ) , your naadham (AzhwAr's Thiruvaimozhi )
deflects the Indriyams of the citizens of Srirangam from acts not
prscribed by the saasthrAs and "captures "  them and engages them
in aanukoolya Sankalpam (acts permitted by the saasthrAs 
that please the Lord ).  Such is the power of your Sunaadham ! ".  

Sri RanganAtha MaNi PaadhukE ! Thubhyam NamO nama :
Swami Sri Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan