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28th Day of Marghazhi -Part 3

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • January 12, 1997 


Dear Members of the prapatthi group :

I will cover in this final posting for the day , the following slokams 
of Swami Desikan's  GodhA sthuthi : 21 , 24 ,  27 and 1 .

Slokam 21 : Exchange of Garlands between GodhA and RanganAthan
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Rangeswarasya tava cha pranayAnubhandhAn
      anyonya maalya parivrutthim abhishtuvantha : I
vaachalayanthi VasudhE rasikAstrilokheem 
      nunoodhikathva  samathA vishayai: vivAdhai : II

(Meaning ) : O GodhA dEvi , the amsam of Bhoomi Piratti
(VasudhE ) ! Those fortunate rasikAs , who attended the wedding 
between RanganAtha and You and had the joy of witnessing 
the exchange of garlands during that occasion fill this earth 
with the sound of their noisy debates even today . At that time , RanganathA 
bent His head to receive the garland worn by You and You reciprocated 
in the same way during the time of the exchange of Garlands . Both
of You wore each other's garland with great affection and joy due
to your mutual love. Those , who were blessed to be part of this 
joyous occasion are divided into three categories based on the sides 
that they take about the relative superiority among both of You . One group
avers that You are superior because of His regard for You born out of
His immesauarable love for You ; the second group believes that You
are His obedient and affectionate wife and therefore , Your Lord is 
superior to You . The third group is convinced that both of You are equal 
to each other in every measure . All these three groups advocate their 
positions loudly and the din arising from their debates on the subject
echo loudly around the eight directions of the Universe even today . 
 

Slokam 24 : GodhA's pleading with Her Lord on behalf of Us
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aardhrAparAdhini    janEbhyabhirakshanArtham 
     Rangesvarasya ramayA vinivedhyamAnE I
paarsvE parathra bhavathi yadhi tathra naaseeth
     prAyENa dEvi vadanam parivarthitham syAth II

(Meaning ) : O GodhE ! The assembly of ChetanAs trespass
constantly the saastraic commands of Your Lord .They continue to committ
these trespasses . The most compassionate MahA Lakshmi 
pleads with Her Lord to forgive these repeated trespasses of 
the Jeevans and begs Him to heed Her appeals . Your Lord gets 
disinterested some times with Her appeals and turns His face 
away from MahA Lakshmi in semi-disgust . What does He find there ?  
He sess You there  with compassion for the Jeevans even a shade  
more than MahA Lakshmi , engaged in pleading the cases of these erring 
chetanAs . He gives up resisting the appeals of MahA Lakshmi and 
responds favorably to Her earlier appeals . If MahA Lakshmi and You
do not stand in each side of Him to plead for and save  the erring jeevans 
from the wrath of Your Lord , What would be their plight ? How could 
they be redeemed ? 

Sloakm 27 : GodhA as the Mother of the Universe
******************************************************

jaathAparAdhamapi mAmAnukampya GodhE 
    gopthree yadhi tvamasi yukthamidham bhavathyA : I
vAtsalya nirbharatayA jananee kumAram 
    sthanyEna vardhayathi dhashta payOdharAapi II 

(Meaning ) : O GodhA piratti ! It is fititng indeed that You
protect me  out of Your limitless mercy , even if 
I have committed many aparAdhams ( acts not sanctioned 
by SaasthrAs ) . Is it not true that a Mother nourishes her 
baby out of the great affection for it , even if that baby bites 
the breast of the very  mother feeding it ? The mother does not
get angry at the child that she loves and does not stop feeding it .
Thus,  it is appropriate that You protect me , the undeserving one .

Slokam 1 : SaraNAgathi at the Holy feet of GodhA PirAtti
**************************************************************

SrivishNuchittha kulanandana kalpavaleem 
    Srirangaraaja harichandana yoga drusyaam I
SakshAth KshamAm karuNayA KamalAmivAnyAm
    GodhAm ananya saraNa: SaraNam prapathyE II

(Meaning ) : O GodhE ! I peform Prapatthi at Your sacred feet
as one , who has no othe rrecourse ! I have no one else 
to save me . You are the Kalpaka creeper adorning the 
Lord standing  as the auspicious  HarichandanA tree in the flower
garden of the Kulam of VishNuchitthA , your father. The darsanam
of You united with Your Lord tightly as the divine kalpakA creeper and 
the celestial HarichandanA tree is a blessed sight to see . 
In Your infinite patience with the aparAdhis , You appear verily 
like Bhumi dEvi and in your limitless compassion , You resemble
Maha Lakshmi Herself . I offer my Prapatthi at your sacred , lotus 
feet as the one , who has no other means  ! 

GodhE ! tvaam Prapathya Santha: TaapAn achirEna samayanthi !
GodhE ! Rakshsva Maam ! Rakshasva Sarvam ! 

( O GodhE ! The evolved souls offer SaraNAgathi to You and 
quickly extinguish the afflictions of SamsAric fire . Please 
protect Me ! Please protect us All ! ) 

AndAL ThiruvadigaLE Saranam .

Thiruppavai Yaj~na SampoorNam : January 12 , 1997 .

kavithArkika simhAya kalyANa guNa sAlinE I
SrimathE VenkatEsAya VedhAntha GuravE nama: II

SrimathE NigamAntha MahA DesikAya Nama : 

Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan