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Thirumalai Srinivasa and Purandara Dasa --Fourht Krithi (part 2 )

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • November 4, 1996 


Dear Bahkthaas of Thirupathi VenkataramaNan : 

Dasar used Thodi Ragam to make saranaagathi to
the Lakshmi RamaNan standing on the peak of the 
seven hills. Here he states that he has become blessed 
by the Darsana Bhagyam of His Subaasrayam . O Lord
who has Vynatheya as your vehicle ( Pakshi Vahanaa) ! 
O Lord who destroys the Asuraas ! O lotus eyed one ! 
O KaruNaamurthy who took a message to Duryodhanaa's 
court and pleaded the case of the Paandavaas ! Please 
cast a glance on me and protect me . These thoughts are
summarized in the following Pallavi and Anupallavi VAkyams:

PALLAVI :

NINNA NODI DHANYANAADENOH HEY SRINIVASA !

ANUPALLAVI :

PAKSHIVAHANA LAKSHMI RAMANA LAKSHYA KOTTU
NODO PAANDU PAKSHA SARVA DAITYA SIKSHA 
RAKSHISENNA KAMALAAKSHA ( NINNA NODI )

In the charana vaakyams , he asks a question of Sri Venkatesa
consistent  with the Daasa Vrutthi that he has chosen( Tamburi 
Meetithava --TaaLava tattitava--gejjaya kattitava --gaanava maaditava):
O VenkataramaNaa! Govindaa! Am I not a servant of yours as I go from 
place to place singing your praise and being overcome by that moving
experience ? Do not you know that in my heart of hearts I want to be
protected by you from the Samsaaric ills ? Jagadheesaa ! Please show me
the sanmaargam and get me across this fearsome ocean of Samsaaraa. 
Please have Dayaa and take me-- who is sinking in this ocean-- by Your
hand and lift me up . Daasar  performed SarANAgathi in this manner in
the Thodi raga krithi . The charaNa vakhyams containing these thoughts 
are as follows :

desa desa thirigi naanu aasa bhaddha naateh
swami daasanu naanalava Jagadheesa kaayO
srinivasa kanthu kanaka kelO yenna
antharanga daasayennu antaravillateh
paalisu SRIKAANTHA  , Purandara VittalO

Here , Daasar addresses the Lord on whose chest resides 
Sri Devi as Sri Kanthan  in charaNam  . Earlier in Anupallavi,
he  addressed Him as Lakshmi RamaNaa to remind himself and us 
about His status as the one who gives immense Joy to Sri Alamelu Mangaa
presiding over Her temple at Thirucchaanur. Thus Daasar makes 
SaraNAgathi in the classical way prescribed by the Acharyas of
one Sri Vaishnava sampradhaayam.This Prapatthi to Jaganmaathaa
and Jagannaathan at the same time reminds us of the first two verses 
of Sri Venkatesa Prapatthi . The two verses are as follows :

IsaaNaam  Jagadhoasya venkatapathehr Vishno: parAm preyaseem 
tadh vakshasthala nityavaasa rasikAm tadhkshaanthi samvardhineem I
Padmaalankrutha PaaNi pallava yugAm PadmAsanasthAm SriyAm 
vatsalyAdhi gunOjwalAm Bhagavtheem vandeh Jaganmaataram II

Sriman KrupAjala Nideh sritha sarvaloka
Sarvajna saktha natha vatsala sarvaseshin I
Swaamin Suseela Sulabhaasrita PaarijAtha 
Sri Venkatesa charaNou saraNam Prapathyeh II

The first Prapatthi slokam salutes the consort of Lord Srinivasa
as PadmAsani , who resides in the chest of the Lord and increases
His forbearance(Kshaanhti ) for our trespasses  as our compassionate Mother . 
She is saluted here as the ocean of Vaatsalyam (endearing affection ) 
for us and is resplendent with that KalyANa gunam 
as the mother of ALL  the beings of this  Universe. 

After this salutation to Sri Devi in the traditional manner,
The second slokam goes on to offer Prapatthi at the Lotus feet 
of the Lord. This slokam addresses the easily accessible Paarijaatha
pushpam standing on the top of the seven Hills as Sarva Seshin , 
Sarvajnan  , Krupaajala Nidhi , Sakthan and SwAmin . Each of the Naamas
incorporated in this verse are powerful reminders of the Lord of 
Alamelu Mangaa , who has Dayaa as His cardinal Kalyaana GuNam.
Each of these Naamaas can be connected to Dayaa DEvi saluted 
by Swami Desikan in his Daya Sathakam. Swami Desikan has 
invoked Lord Srinivasa's Dayaa as a Devi and conversed with Her
through the Slokas of DayA sathakam. Purandara Daasa is one of the 
"KAMALA VAASA KAARUNYA EKAANTHINA : KRUTHINA : " . Swami 
Desikan had Azhwaars in mind , when he chose the above  words to 
describe the twelve Bhagyasaalis some two hundred years before the
birth of Purandara Daasa. Latter is indeed fit to be considered as one of 
the great devotees of Srinivasa , who immersed deeply (azhwaar ) in the 
Kaarunya Gangaa of Kamalaa Kanthan ( KAMALAA KAANTHA 
KAARUNYA GANGAA PLAVITHAR) . Daasar performed SaraNAgathi 
to that Sri Devi , the mother of the Universe in Her role as the 
embodiment of the Daya of Srinivasa ( SRYEASEEM SRINIVAASASYA
KARUNAAMIVA  RUPINEEM ) . 

In this  Thodi krithi as well as in the earlier  Bhairavi and Siva KalyAN
krithis,
Daasar captures the essence of the above two slokAs of Sri Venkatesa
Prapatthi . He salutes the  self-manifested ocean of KaruNaa , which is
limitless and offers the bhagyam of Darsanam to us at the environs 
of Vrisha sailam  in  a manner evocative of Swami Desikan's ninth 
verse of Daya Satakam ::

KAMAPYANAVADHIM VANDEH KARUNAAVARUNAALAYAM I
VRISHA SAILA TATASTHAANAM SVAYAM VYAKTHIMUPAAGATHAM II

SRI SRINIVASA CHARANOU SARANAM PRAPATHYE 

Oppiliappan Koil Vardachari Sadagopan