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Dayaa Sathakam (71-80)

From the Bhakti List Archives

Skswami • August 7, 1998 


                     Srimaan Venkatanaathaaryaha kavithaarkika kesari|
                  Vedanthaachaaryavaryome sannidhaththaam sadhaa hrudi||


Dear Bhaagavathaas,

"Daivaadheenam jagathsarvam". God is the basis of all. And Love  is the basis
of God. How beautiful, blissful and peaceful it is to experience this love!
Our dearest Swami Desikan gives a glimpse of his experience in Daya Sathakam.
With my most humble and loving  namaskaarams to the achaarya and to Sriya:
pathi, may I share the following summary translation with you, in postings
comprising about ten slokas at a time. (This posting includes slokams 71-80)

The translation is based on the commentary and explanations by Sri Srinivasa
Raghavacharyar Swami, published in the Tamil book, Daya Sathakam, by the Sri
Desika Dharsana Sabhai, Villivaakkam, Madras. Sri Srinivasa Raghavacharyar
Swami says that the Daya Sathakam is a sastra, sthothra, poem, painting, an
endless spring of water and an illumining light. My prayers to Sriman Narayana
for everyone of us to follow in the footsteps of our acharyas,  practice what
they illustrated with their conduct and experience the Love of the Lord
(rasovai saha) that they experienced.

All errors are your humble servantÂ’s.

Daasan
Sundararaghavan Krishnaswami Sarma
---------------------------------------------------------------

                                                 Dayaa Sathakam
                                                  (Slokams 71 - 80)

71.  (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) You are the Will and Form of Lord
Srinivasan. You are the Form of Wisdom. You establish (form the basis of)
everything. You are invincible. All other attributes are your servants. The
supreme that you are, you are also adventurous in accepting me in your succor.

72.  O The Daya Devi engaged in Leela! You are one with the heart of the Lord
manifesting  on the Thirumala Hills; you assist in all avataarams; you remove
all deficiencies; you are worshipped by all gunaas such as forbearance; you
create the world and provide plentiful sustenance  and salvation. You are ever
present in Vaikuntam , in the absence of rajo and thamasic gunaas.

73.  (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) You are the ladder that takes us step by
step in our progress. You have given us the various Forms of Worship that take
us progressively to the Formless. The steps in the ladder of the Forms of
Worship are many. The first step is all the forms created in our minds by you
manifesting as Antharyaami. The next step is the archaa forms (these are
swayam, vyaktham, saiththam, aarsham, maanusham). The step after this is the
vibhava form ( avataars like Rama, Krishna). The fourth step is vyooha forms
(Vaasudeva, Samkarshana, Pradhdhyumna, Aniruddha). Then comes the step of  the
Twelve Forms of worship (Kesava, Naaraayana, Maadhava, Govinda, Vishnu,
Madhusoodhana, Thrivikramaa, Vaamana, Sridhara, Hrishikesaa, Padmanaabha,
Daamodhara). Then, the final step of the form of Paravaasudheva who is at
Vaikuntam. You manifest in these forms at sacred places of worship like
Thirumala and fulfill the limits of our desires.

74.  (O The Love of Lord of Venkateswara!) There are several types of good
deeds that are done in this world: helpful deeds; deeds done without the
desire for results; good deeds done without knowing that they are good deeds;
good deeds that happen by themselves; good deeds done impulsively on the spur
of the moment, without prior planning. You consider these small deeds weighty
enough and shower your Grace saying that It is deserved.

75.  (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) For those who desire the wealth of
kaivalyam etc that are superior to the experiences of Brahma and Siva, you
grant them those desires. (Knowing fully well that they are not the right type
of desires because they yield only temporary benefits) you take them along the
paths they have desired and make them develop detachment (vairaagyam) from
these temporary things and develop attachment to the succor of the Lotus Feet
of the Lord.

76.  (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) You bring the jeevis to the nectarine sea
of the presence of Lord Srinivasan at Thirumalai. There all the grief and sins
of samsaara get completely wiped out. (Agamarshana snaanam). Sans the sins,
the jeevi  experiences its naturally blissful state that the jeevi  was before
accumulating sins.

77.  (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) For those who have exclusively and
completely surrendered to you, you prescribe corrective actions
(praayaschittham rather than punitive actions) when they commit sins (like not
obeying GodÂ’s commands, for example). In doing so, you consult with the Lord
who is disposed to doing good for all. By doing this (ie. by not punishing),
you ensure that the objective of surrender (moksham) remains fully protected.

78.  (O The Love of  Lord Venkatesa!) Karmaas yield only temporary benefits.
The vaidheeka karmaas last but momentarily (in the span of time). Yaagaas etc
yield heaven as reward but that is also temporary. If the pithru devathaas
perish in pralayaa, then you take their place and accept the offerings made to
them. You are beyond time; you have embraced the Lord Thiruvenkatamudaiyaan;
you undergo no change; you are the terra firma for all - so say the learned
and the wise.

79.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! We surrender to you. It is certain that one
day the Lord will place us at His Lotus Feet. The learned and the wise know
that no one can act contrary to your Divine Design.

80.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! The Lord Thiruvankatamudaiyaan is in your
permanent embrace. The yogis who turn their minds to the Lord have clarity of
vision and experience. Their dhyaanam yields nectarine bliss. Just as the
chaathaka birds have the single-pointed focus on rain drops, these yogis are
exclusively focused on the Lord Thiruvenkatamudaiyaan  who gives the essence
of all dhyaanam and moksham.
                                         __________________________

                            Kavithaarkika simhaaya kalyaana guna saaline|
                         Srimathe Venkatesaya vedaantha guravennamaha||