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Sri Oppiliappan Prapatthi SlOkams

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Sadagopan • February 25, 1998 


Dear BhakthAs of Sri VaikuntanAthan :

I will complete the translation of the remaining
Prapathi SlOkAs of AakAsa Pureesan ( ThiruviNNagarAn )
on this Maasi SravaNam day .

SlOkam 3 : 

saapOsrushta yamaLArjuna dhrushtaleelou 
  paashaaNa nirmitha tapOdhana dharmadhArou I
divyAnthariksha nagaree krutha sannidhAnou 
  BhUvallabhasya CharaNou SaraNam prapadhyE II

I seek shelter at those holy feet of ThiruviNNagarappan ,
which reside permanently at AakAsa Nagaram . They are
the ones that showed their power in a playful manner 
to the two GandharvAs , who had been cursed to exist 
as a pair of marutha trees ; they are the very same ones , 
which released Ahalyai , whom was trapped inside 
the stone due to another curse .

SlOkam 4 : 

svAnthE sathAm sruthishu yau tamasasccha paarE 
  ahOraathra pushkaraNikA ramaNeeya theerE I
dEvyA bhuvOngabhuvi sannihithou sadhA tau 
  BhUvallabhasya charaNou SaraNam prapadhyE II

I seek the shelter at those sacred feet of 
AkAsa nagareesan , who reside permanently 
in the minds of His adiyArs , in VedAnthams ,
at Sri VaikunTam , on the banks of ahOrAthra 
pushkariNi and on the lap of BhUmi dEvi .

SlOkam 5 : 

dhurdhAntha KaaLiya paNA krutha divya nrutthou 
  vEda: kamandalu jalairabhishiktha pUrvou I
GangAnga sanga paribhUtha bhavasthuthou tau 
  BhUvallabhasya CharaNou SaraNam prapadhyE II

I seek shelter at those sacred feet which danced 
once beautifully on the hoods of the wicked serpent ,
KaaLiya . They are the Ones which were bathed by 
the waters from the kamandalu of Brahma dEva .
They are the Ones , which are eulogized by MahEsvaran ,
who became purified by the contact of the GangA 
waters that were associated with the Lord's 
holy feet . 

SlOkam 6 :

Traivikrama krama vaseekrutha saptha lOkau 
  lOkEsvrairapi sadhA klaitha praNAmau I
nAmAvasEshitha vadhAnya Bhali prabhAvau 
  Bhuvallabhasya charaNau SaraNam prapadhyE II

I seek shelter at those sacred feet , which 
claimed back all the seven worlds as its own 
and are worshipped always by BrahmA and the sakala 
dEvAs.They are the very same Ones that destroyed 
the ego of Bhali chakravarthi , the great gift-giver .

SlOkam 7: 

sadhbhaktha PaaNdavaa-kruthE krutha dhUtha kruthyau 
  BrindhAvanAnthara vihAra rasa prasakthau I
sarvOpakAra karaNAya kruthAvathArau 
  Bhuvallabhasya CharaNau SaraNam prapadhyE II

I seek shelter at those holy feet of ThiruviNNagarappan,
which walked to the court of kauravAs as the ambassador
for the truly devoted PaaNdavAs . They are the Ones 
engaged in enjoying the roamings on the interior of
BrindhAvanam . They are the very same ones that 
incarnated as ArchA mUrthy at ThiruviNNagar to
help us all .

SlOkam 8: 

SRIMACCH CHATaRI KALIVAIRI MAHATH SAROBHI :
  NAATHAAGAMAANTHA GURUMUKHYA GUROOTTHAMAISCCHA I
SAMVAANCHITHAATHISAYITHA PRIYA MANGALAU THAU 
  BHUVALLABHASYA CHARANAU SARANAM PRAPADHYE II

I seek the shelter at those sacred feet of 
the Lord of ThiruviNNagar , which have received
the superior mangaLAsAsanams of NammAzhwAr ,
Thirumangai , Poygai and PEy AzhwArs as well
as by Naatha Muni and NigamAntha MahA dEsikan .

slOkam 9 :

bhaktha prapanna jana rakshaNa bhaddha deekshau 
  nAnAvidhAgaDitha sangaDanE samarthau I
archyau prsastha Tulasee kusumairananyai :
  Bhuvallabhasya charanau SaraNam prapadhyE II

I seek shelter at those sacred feet of ThiruviNNagarAn ,
who has vowed to protect His BhakthAs and prapannAs .
Those holy feet are worshipped wiht affection by
the paramaikAnthis with fragrant flowers and 
TuLasi leaves . Those very same sacred feet have
the power to unite many principles and objects 
that have diametrically opposite properties . 

SlOkam 10 :

sankrandhanAdhi surabhrundha samarpyamANa--
  mandAramAlya vigalan makarandha saandhrau I
sArathya sUchitha sdheeDya suseela bhAvau
  BhUvallabhasya charaNau SaraNam prapadhyE II

I seek shelter at those sacred feet , which 
are eulogized by the noble people for revealing
their sauseelya guNam through the act of serving
as the charioteer for ArjunA . Those are the very
same ones that are covered wiht the honey flowing 
from the flowers of the KarpakA garlands placed on
them by IndrA and his retinue . 

SlOkam 11 :

visvAthisAyi sushumA sukumAra bhaavau 
  vajra dhvajAnkusa rathAnga mukhAnga dhrusyau I
divyAngulee naka mayUka viliptha peetau 
  BhUvallabhasya charaNau SaraNam prapadhyE II

I seek shelter at those holy feet of the Lord of 
ThiruviNNagar , which have unsurpasse beauty and 
softness . The lustre of the rays emanating from
the shining nails of those feet cover the lotus
peetam on which He stands . The souls of those sacred 
feet have the insignia of Vajram , Flag , Ankusam 
and Disc to denote them as those of the Emperor of 
all of the Universes . 

SlOkam 12 :

sampath dhAridhrya bhAvAth asukha sukhakruthE :
patthana grAma bhAvAth 

puNyApuNyAdhi bhAvAth kapatarujutayA 
sarvalOkAdhi bhAvAth I
 
divyAdivyAnggavathvAth suradhithijagaNa-
snigdhasathruthva keethyA 

chAyAcchAyAdhi bhAvAth agaDithagaDanam
prAha KrishNam chatAri: II

This slOkam is that of Sri NigamAntha 
MahA desikan summarizing the Paasurams
of NammAzhwAr , who performed Prapatthi 
at he sacred feet of OppilA appan of 
ThiruviNNagar . 

In the very first passuram of 
NammAzhwAr ( nalkuravum Selvum -- ) ,
we experience his sense of wonderment on
contemplation of the lotus feet of 
the Lord of ThiruviNNagar . He speaks
loud with awe : " Look at the marvellous 
splendor of my Lord ! He pervades and is 
present as antharyAmi Brahmam in all
and controls them all -- yes , even all
mutually non-co-existables , such as penury 
and prosperity , hell and heaven , enimity 
and kinship , poison and nectar , and He is
my Master too ! -- He is the One principle behind 
the pleasure and pain we experience in this world ,
confusions and clarifications , punishment  
and pleasing grace , torturing heat and 
cool shelter -- He is the sum and substance 
of all in this world --city and hamlet, knowledge
and ignorance , light and darkness , puNya and 
paapA , union and separation , rememberance
and forgetfulness , existence and nonexistence " 
and all like these opposing dvandhvams .He is 
the dvandhvAtheethan .

The summary of the paasurams of ChatAri sUri 
on Oppiliappan by Swami Desikan thus serves as
the fitting finale to our prapatthi to 
ThruviNNagarAn . NammAzhwAr declared in his
ninth paasuram that the Lord , who has no equal
,gave me the shelter of His feet ( TannoppArillappan
Tandanan tanathAL nizhalE ) . 

In this same paasuram , AzhwAr states that 
my Lord (Yennappan ) , who has taken up 
His residence at ThiruviNNagar 
( ThiruviNNagarappan )is my Father , fostermother,
as well as my own biological Mother and 
is covetable as Gold ( Ponnappan ) , effulgent 
like a gem ( MaNiappan ) and cool like a pearl 
( Mutthappan ).The Lord , who has no equal,
gave me the shelter of His feet ,cool ,
soothening to the sweltering heat  and even more to 
the tormenting samsAric life here .

Such is the glory of the Prapatthi to
Sri Oppiliappan , which was performed 
by NammAzhwAr and he reminded Thiruppathi
Srinivasan that he had performed SaraNagathi
at His feet already at Oppiliappan Koil . 

On this Maasi SravaNam day , I feel humbled 
to write these lines about the SaraNaagathi
slOkams on ThiruviNNagarappan .

NamO NaarAyaNA ! namO NaarAyaNA !

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan