Bhakti List Archives

Sri VenkatEsa SthOthram : Part 2

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • Wed Jan 12 2000 - 19:20:14 PST 


(6) abhirAma guNAkara ! dhAsarathE!
    jagdhEka dhanurdhara ! dheeramathE !
    RaghunAyaka! Raama! RamEsa! VibhO !
    varadhO Bhava ! Deva! dayA-jaladhE !

Oh the treasure house of all auspicious 
GuNAs revered by every one ! Oh the son 
of DhasarathA ! Oh matchless archer in 
all the Universe ! Oh Lord of firm sankalpam !
Oh the chief of Raghu Kulam ! Oh Supreme
Lord! Oh effulgent One ! Oh Ocean of 
Mercy ! May Thou assume the role of 
the boon giver(Varadhan) and bless us !

(Comments): Here the prayer is shifting to 
Sri VenkatarAman , who declared His SaraNAgathi
vratham as " DhadhAmyEthath Vratham mama ".

(7) avanI tanayA kamanIya karam
    rajanIkara chAru mukhAmbhu ruham
    rajanichara rAja tamO mihiram
    mahanIyam aham RaghurAmam ayE 

adiyEn performs SaraNAgathi to RaghurAman ,
whose hands are held with affection by 
SitA PirAtti . He has the most beautiful
face reminding one of a well blossomed ,
lotus flower . He is the valorous One , 
who is like the Sun to the darkness 
of the unrighteous RaavaNan . adiyEn seeks
refuge in Him .

(Comments):This passage reminds one of 
thirty fourth sargam of Sundara KaaNDam 
of Sri Vaalmiki RaamAyaNam , where HanumAn
describes to SitA in AshOka Vanam the beauty ,
valour and the other auspicious qualities of 
Lord Raamachandran : " roopavAn Subhaga: 
SrimAn Kandharpa iva MoorthimAn , VikramENa 
upapannasccha yaThA VishNurmahAyasA : ".

(8) sumukham suhrudham sulabham sughadham
    svanujam cha sukAyam amOgha-saram
    apahAya Raghudhvaham anyam aham
    na kaThanchana kanchana jaathu bhajE 

Oh VenkatEsA ! You are Sri RaamAvathAran .
As RaamachandrA , the crest jewel of Raghu Kulam ,
You have the most beautiful face and body ,
compassionate heart and are easily  accessible .
You are known for Your unfailing  arrows. 
You incarnated with Your brothers as the sons of 
DasarathA and have the power to grant the boon of 
Moksham to those who sought refuge in You .With
all of Your aanatha kalyANa guNams in mind , adiyEn
will never seek anyone other than You for my salvation.

(Comments): In the fifth slOkam, the composer 
of this sthOthram saluted ThiruvEnkatamudayAN 
as KrishNA and in the slOkams from 6-8 he visualized 
the Lord of Thirumalai as the Veera Raaghavan , 
Sundara Raaman and Jaanaki RamaNan . In the concluding 
three slOkams ( 9-11) , the composer reverts to 
the adulation of the Lord of Thirumalai as
Sri VenakatEsan .

(9) vinA VenkatEsam na NaathO na Naatha:
    SadhA Venkatesam smarAmi smarAmi
    HarE! VenkatEsa ! Praseedha Praseedha
    Priyam Venkatesa ! Prayaccha Prayaccha !

Oh VenkatEsa! Even in my dreams , adiyEn does not 
consider any God superior to You . Therefore , 
adiyEn is always meditating on YOu and You 
alone. Oh Hari !Please grant me the boon of what 
adiyEn desires or better still , bless me with 
any auspicousness , which You deem appropriate
for me. 

(10) aham dhUratas thE padhAmbhOja yugma
     prANama icchayaa Aagathya sEvAm karOmi
     sakruthsEvayA nithya sEvA phalam thvam
     prayaccha prayaccha PrabhO VenkatEsa 

Oh Lord VenkatEsA ! adiyEn has come from afar 
with the longing to worship Your holy feet 
this one time .The fierce waves of paapam
have tossed me about far and wide and kept 
adiyEn away from You . The benovolent waves of 
PuNyam have brought me to Your sannadhi 
today. adiyEn is saluting You heartily 
this one time. Please bless me with
Mukthi SaamrAjyam , where adiyEn can 
delight in nithya Kaimkaryam to You .

(11) aj~nAninA mayA dOshAn 
     asEshAn vihithAn HarE !
     Kshamasva Thvam Kshamasva thvam
     Seshasaila SikhAmaNE 

Oh Hari NaarAyana ! Oh Crest jewel of 
Sesha Sailam ! Please pardon adiyEn 
for all the sins committed by me .
If You do not forgive my trespasses 
done out of ignorance , then Your Naamam
as Hari will become meaningless; further, 
Your sankalpam to leave Parama Padham in 
favor of Thirumalai would become an act
without any purpose. Therefore ,Oh VenaktEsA ,
Please forgive my apachArams and bless adiyEn .

Subhamasthu , Daasan 
OppilA-appan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan