Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Swami Desikan's PadhukhA Sahasram --Part 3

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • January 20, 1997 


Sri Rangapathim SaraNamaham PrapathyE .

Dear Members of the Prapatthi Group :

In this posting , I will begin to cover the individual 
chapters of RPS of Swami Desikan . There are 32 chapters 
in RPS just as in the case of Rahasya Traya Saaram . The context
of the 32 chapters of RPS by  Swami Desikan is  to 
the 32 Brahma VidyAs celebrated by the Upanishads . Prapatthi
is one of these 32 Brahma Vidyas and RPS is ALL  about 
this particular Brahma Vidya . 

The names of the Individual chapters and the number of slokams 
housed in these Paddhathis( chapters / Vazhi / Maargam ) 
in paranthesis are :

1.  PrasthAva paddhathi( 20 )
2 . SamAkhyA paddhathi (10) 
3.  PrabhAva Paddhathi ( 100 )
4.  SamarpaNa Paddhathi ( 20 )
5.  PrathiprasthAna Paddhathi ( 20 )
6 . AdhikAra Parigraha Paddhathi ( 40 )
7 . Abhisheka Paddhathi ( 30 ) 
8 . NiryAthanA paddhathi( 30 )
9 . VaithALikA paddhathi (10 ) 
10 . SrungAra Paddhathi ( 10 )

In the middle of the above Paddhathi , Swami 
Desikan completes the first quartile of RPS .

11 . SanchAra Paddhathi ( 60 )
12 . Pushpa Paddhathi ( 30 )
13 . ParAga Paddhathi ( 30 )
14 . Naadha Paddhathi (100 )
15 . Rathna SaamAnya Paddhathi ( 50 )

In the middle of the above Paddhathi , Swami Desikan 
reaches the halfway point of His 1008 Slokams of RPS .
He has by now reached the half way mark of 
the Yaamam of the night at Srirangam .
 
16 . Bahurathna Paddhathi ( 50 )
17 . PadmarAga Paddhathi ( 30 )
18 . MukthA Paddhathi ( 50 )
19 . Marathaka Paddhathi ( 20 )
20 . Indra Neela Paddhathi ( 30 )
21 . BimBha PrathibimBha paddhathi ( 20 ) 
22 . Kaanchana Paddhathi ( 20 ) 
23 . Sesha Paddhathi ( 10 )

In the middle of Sesha Paddhathi , Swami Desikan
racing against time reached the third quarter of the RPS 
and is poised to enter the most important home stretch .

24 . Dwandhva Paddhathi ( 20 ) 
25.  Sannivesa  Paddhathi ( 20 )
26 . YanthrikA paddhathi ( 10 )
27 . RekhA Paddhathi ( 10 )
28 . SubhAshitha  Paddhathi (10 )
29 . PrakeerNa Paddhathi ( 80 ) 
30 . Chitra Paddhathi ( 40 )
31 . NirvEda Paddhathi ( 20 )
32 . Pala Paddhathi ( 38 )

In the very last slokam of PaadukhA Sahasram , 
Swami Desikan with His extraordinary sense of focus and 
purpose reminds us of the central message of His 
Sri Ranganatha PadhukhA Sthotram (VIZ )., SadhAcharya,
Bhagavadh Sambhandham and the doctrine of us being
married into the ROYAL FAMILY and the glory of the everlasting
purushArtham , Moksham through the DayA of NamperumAL 
and the AnukampA of Sri Ranganayaki  for us as their beloved children .

I will conclude this posting with the quotation of 
the FIRST AND LAST last slokam of RPS :

SLOKAM 1 :

 SANTHA: SRIRANGAPRUTHVEESA 
 SARANA THRAANA SEKHARAA :I
 JAYANTHI BHAUVANATHRAANA  
 PADHA PANKAJA RENAVA: II  

SLOKAM 1,008: 

 JAYATHI YATHIRAAJASOOKTHI : 
 JAYATHI MUKHUNDASYA  PADHUKHAA YUGALEE I
 TADHUBHAYA DHANAA: TRIVEDHEEM 
 AVANDHYAYANTHO JAYANTHI BHUVI SANTHA : II

The sense of symmetry and the unity in the first and the last
slokams and for that matter across the length of RPS has no
parallel . The start with the word Santha : and the ending with the
same word , Santha : and the singing of Pallandu to those SanthAs 
with the words Jayanthi and  Jayathi at the beginning and the ending 
of RPS is another great  pointer to the centrality of the message of 
RPS on the BhagavathAs and their victory in obtaining the object 
of their endeavours (viz)., SadhAcharya Sambhandham and 
the marriage  with the Lord of Srirangam through the anugraham 
of SatAri Suri , the Kula pathi for PrapannAs .

" santha : SrinigamAnthaArya sambhavithasuvrutthaya : I
   sahanthAm saahasam teevram suhruthbhAvEna maamakam II "

SrimathE NigamAntha MahAdesikAya Nama: II

Sriranganaatha divya MaNi PaadhukhAbhyAm Nama: II

Oppiliappan koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan