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NithyAnusanthAnam Tape by Sri MukkUr Lakshmi NrusimhaachAr Swamy and Acharya Vandhanam on the occasion of Telebridge UpanyAsams : Part 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • January 20, 1999 


Dear BhakthAs :
In addition to the listening of the blessed 
upanyAsams of the two illustrious AchAryAs 
through the tele-bridge , AdiyEn had the Bhaagyam of 
receiving a copy of the above tape recently . For the purposes of 
invoking auspiciousness in every household ,  
the great Nrusimha UpAsakar has recorded a set of 
essential slOkams from AchAryAs and Veda manthrams 
recited in the Ghanam style .This tape is 60 miutes 
long and is a delight to listen to besides being sacred .

The tape begins with Ghanam rendering of a Vedic prayer to 
confer Sukham, Jn~Anam , Sudinam , Yasas , Keerthi 
and other soubhAgyams .

It is followed by excerpts from Sriamth RaamAyaNam ,
BhAgavatham , BhU sthuthi , VishNu purANam , the first
slOkam of Bharatham , AlavandhAr's prayer to Sri VaradarAjA ,
Gopala Vimsathi slOkams , KrishNa KarNAmrutha Slokams
and many more . 

Manthra Raaja Padha Sthothram in its entirety 
is recited therafter.BhIshma sthuthi , which was 
the nithyAnusandhAnam of H.H. the 42nd Jeeyar of Ahobila Matam
follows suit .Lakshmi Nrusimha SaraNAgathi , KaamAsIkAshtakham 
are recited with feeling by this great MahAn . One item included 
in the tape that captured my particular attention is the recitation
of the excerpt from Swami Desikan's PaadhukhA Sahasram in 
the most sampradhAyic manner .This reminds me that 
we should get a recording of the PaadhukhA Sahasra 
SlOkams by the well trained ladies at Poundarika Aasramam .
Tis paadhukhA sahasra slOkam puts in perspective
the AchArya Anugraha Vachanams that we have been
blessed with recently .

Three slOkams from the glorious Chithra paddhathi 
have been selected by Sri MukkUr Swami for this
nithyAnusandhAnam tape . It is a sheer joy 
to listen to them and recall the genius of 
Swami Desikan , who playfully composed the 1000 plus
verses on the Mahimai of  Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhAs .
These three are set in chithra paddhathi 
to show his talent as a chithra kavi.

I will focus on the three slOkams that this Mahan 
chose for recitation and give the meanings of these slOkams
in the sampradhAyic way in which they are intrepreted by 
PeriyAsram ( Srirangam Andavan ) and Sri UttamUr swami.
To the AchAryAs of this Andavan paramparai , Sri Ranganaatha 
Paadhukhais and PaadhukhA sahasram are pivotal in worship 
and upadEsam .These threee slOkams are the 933rd, 935th and 936th 
in Swami Desikan's Sri PaadhukhA Sahasram .I will start with 
the 933rd slOkam as a preface to the recent Acharya UpadEsams
summaries . 

The 933rd slOkam 
*****************

The key features as pointed out by the AchAryAs 
of PeriyAsramam are :

1. Use of just two Uyir Yezhutthus ( A and Aa )and two
Mey yezhuthus ( pa ,dha )to construct this chithra Paddhathi
slOkam .Two Vowels and two consonants were alone
used to produce the different sandhis 
to provide the enormously significant meanings.

2. These four alphabets are joined to form 
anulOma-prathilOma Yamakams . AnulOmam means 
in regualr order; prathilOmam means reverse
order. Yamakam means repetition in the same line
(stanza ) of words or syllables similar in sound , 
but different in meaning , a kind of rhyme celebrated
in uttama Kaavyams ( aavrutthim varNa sanghAtha gOcharAm
yamakam vidhu: ).AnulOma-prathilOma is a way
used to render pallavis in Carnatic music as well .
As Sarvathanthra Svathanthrar and kavi Simham ,
Swami Desikan has excelled once again .  

3. These interwoven anulOma PrathilOma yamakams 
are bound in a SarvathO-bhadra bhandham ( bhandha Chithram).
This bhandham or pattern of  geometry (Yanthram )
and is hence auspicious in every direction of the square that 
it constitutes .It is  a 8 by 8 square shaped chithra Bhandham 
shown below .

The 933rd slOkam of PaadhukhA sahasram is as  follows :
******************************************************
paapaadhapaapaadhapaapaaapaadhapaadhadhapaadhapaa I
dhapaadhapaapaadhpaadhapaadhapaa dhadhapaadhapaa II

Stops have to be made at the right places ,
when reciting it.

The words (padhams ) that come out of the above
conglomeration of letters A ,Aa, pa and dha are :

paapAth (5) apApAth (6)) , apApA (1)
apAdhapaadhadhapaadhapaa(2) , 
dhapaa dhapaa paadhapaadha paadhapaa (4) 
and dhadhapaadhapaa (3).  

The numbers behind the split of the words 
formed from the letters A, Aa , pa and dha 
are indicativof the sequence in the order of prosody 
(anvaya Kramam )of this verse : apaapaa(1) 
apaadhapaadhadhapaadhapaa(2)dhadhapaadhapaa(3)
dhapaa dhapaa paadhapaadha paadhapaa(4)
paapaadh(5)apApAth (6).

apaapaa(1)= one free from sins (paapam and apApam)/(1)
 
A=akAra Vaachya VishNu BhagavAn's         {2}
paadha= at His sacred feet                {2} 
paadha = of the rays/kathir               {2}
paa=that pair of feet storing the power of-
those rays for our protection             {2}

dhadha =in the case of those , who offer unto Him ,
AchAryAs , who place the Jeevan at the feet of the Lord
through Prapatthi (3)

paath=that which protects (3)

apaa=that which is in the form of abhshEka jalam(3)

dha = of protction(4)

paadha = which it is capable of realizing(4)

paapa=of sin (4)

adha= that which removes(4)

paadha =those feet of VishNu( RanganaathA )/(4)

paadhapaa = those paadhukhAs that protect 
such sacred pair of feet of the Lord (4)

paapAth = from sins(5)

apaapapaath= they saved me from my sins )/(6)

It is a profound construction to say the least .
One can not but marvel at the genius of this 
great AchAryan . Sound and meaning are tightly
coupled to celebrate the mahimai of Sri Ranganatha 
PaadhukhAs .

The chithra Bhandham is like this:

paa paa dha paa paa dha paa paa
paa dha paa dha dha paa dha paa
dha paa dha paa paa dha paa dha 
paa dha paa dha dha paa dha paa
paa dha paa dha dha paa dha paa
dha paa dha paa paa dha paa dha
paa dha paa dha dha paa dha paa
paa paa dha paa paa dha paa paa 

The English letters for the first P in Sanskrit
alphabets and the fifth D (as in Daya ,GOdhA)
makes the above bhandham look like a rectangle.
When the Sanskrit words are used , 
it will look like a 8X8 Square instead of
like a rectangle as shown above .When you check
against rows and columns in the above 
Chithra Bhandham , we come across a world 
of additional meanings . Sabdha Chithram 
( sound pictures for the audio memory ), 
Artha Vaachya chithram ( images based on 
special meanings ) are evoked through this
mathematical (geometrical ) structures
(slOkams). It is a source of endless mystery 
about the glories of the Lord , His AchAryAs 
( paadhukhais ) , when we reflect on the 
individual slOkams of Swami Desikan's 
master piece of a KhAvyam , Sri Ranganaatha
PaadhukhA Sahasram . 

Phalan of reciting this slokam  933 :
**************************************

This verse and the yanthram is used by 
Ladies of the household on Sundays and 
causes auspiciousness from all sides ,
when worshipped ( sarvathO Bhadram ).
The importance of the Vedic Word , Bhadhram
has been explained to us by Sri Azhagiya Singhar
in one of the Nrusimha priyA upaEsams. It is 
one of the key words of Sri Manthra Raaja
Padha Sthothram and NrusimhAnushtup
manthram :The particular passage
containing the auspicous word Bhadhram us :
 "Bhadhram tamm namAmyaham ".Swami Desikan's
slOkma is therefore set in SarvathO Bhadhra 
Chithra Bhandham . That Bhandham is 
uRavu that can not be removed by any one .
( ozhikka OzhiyAthu ).

Essential Meaning of this slOkam :
***********************************

The paadhukhAs of the Lord are sinless.
( the sadhAchAryAs /NammAzhwAr and his
successors are sinless ). The paadhukhAs protect 
the lustre of the eternal jIvans , who are part 
of the akhila Tanu, Sriman NaarAyaNan ( Sri Rangan ).
They protect the Lord's feet as well , the sacred feet , 
which destroy the sins of the jIvans . These PaadhukhAs
protect further those , who bathe them and 
partake that Thirumanjana theertham . Swami Desikan
states that he has  been protected by the PaadhukhAs
of the Lord and the Sri Paadha-PaadhukhA Theertham 
and made sinless.

Additional meanings :
*********************  

The divya paadhukhAs through their generosity , 
DayA and vaatsalyam bless one with all auspiciousness ,
when approached with reverence .Further they protect
the Lord's feet because of its wonderful love
( prEmAdhisayam) , which is the only upAyam for 
the ujjIvanam of the jIva rAsis . It serves as a shield 
against thorns et al during the Lord's sanchArams .
It removes the paapa raasis of the sajAthiyAL
out of immense compassion for them and restores in them 
the enjoyment of the Lord ( Bhagavadh anubhavam ).
It recognizes that the Lord being up in Sri Vaikuntam
does not help the Jivaraasis here and brings Him on 
its back here amidst us to LeelA VibhUthi and gives us 
the Jn~Ana chakshus through manthrOpadEsams to us 
to see Him and His splendor here . Since it( Paadhukha)
is equivalent to the Lord in its glory ( AchArya 
PrabhAvam ), it (the PaadhukhAs ) illuminate
the Lord's Thiruvadi further and blesses us with 
Sri Paadha theertham and removes our ajn~Anam 
and destroys our sins completely .It becomes 
the AasrayaNam to reach the Lord and to receive 
His anugraham .

AchAryAs are avathAra purushAs and thru their prEmai,
kAruNyam for us establish clearly the parathvam of the Lord
for us , clear our minds about the confusion caused by 
kumathis , who are virOdhis to VedAntha Saasthra nirUpitha
tattvArthams and rescue us . They give us the pramANams from 
the Sri Sookthis of AzhwArs and are bent on removing 
the paapa raasis of the jIvaraasis , while being sinless
themselves . They bless those , who help them in
their Bhagavadh AarAdhanam through the prasAdham of 
the Sri Paadha theetham of the Lord and sanctify us. They thus
remove our paapams and anishtams .That is what they (AchAryAs/
Divya MaNi PaadhukhAs ) represent and do .


Sri Ranganaatha MaNi PaadhukhE ! nama: Thubhyam !
Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
Oppiliappan Koil varadAchAri SadagOpan