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GodhA Sthuthi: Part VII: SlOkam 4

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • July 26, 2000 


Namo Narayanaya

Dear BhakthAs : 

In slOkam 4 , Swamy Desikan states that the poets
acquire their proficiency in composing poems through
the katAksham of Godhai . In slOkam 3 , Swamy had 
asked for Godhai's blessings to acquire the auspicious
Vaak appropriate to salute Her .

SlOkam 4:
*********

KrishNAnvayEna dhadhathIM YamunAnubhAvam
   Theerthair yathAvath avagAhya SarasvathIM tE
GodhE vikasvara dhiyAm BhavathI katAkshAth
   Vaacha: spuranthi makarandhamucha: kaveenAM 

(Meaning): Oh GodhE ! Your Lord KaNNan performed many
adhbhuthams(miracles) on the banks of YamunA river.
As a result ,Yamunai acquired enormous fame.Your two 
Prabhnadhams , ThiruppAvai and Thirumozhi, extoll 
the glories of YamunaitthuRaivan , KaNNan. Hence , Your 
Sri Sookthis have also attained the same level of fame 
as Yamunai . The common factor behind the fame of both 
Yamunai and Your dhivya-Sookthis is their association 
with the glorious deeds of KaNNan.In Your dark 
complexion ,You (GodhE) resemble the hue of Yamunai's 
waters. The poets are engrossed in the enjoyment of
the tattvArthams housed in Your Sri Sookthis as learnt
from their AchAryAs . That enjoyment makes their JnAnam 
blossom forth . At that juncture, You (Godhai)cast Your most 
benovolent glances on them (the poets). Those cool glances 
falling on the poets results in the birth of dhivya Sookthis 
that resemble nectar in their anubhavam and cause 
much happiness to the citizens of this world. 

Swamy Desikan uses the words --KrishnA, YamunA, Sarasvathi
and GodhAvari--with double meanings in this slOkam 
and excells as a Kavi Saarvabhouman.

SevA SwamigaL's anubhavam is a special one for this slOkam.

First Paadham: KrishNAnvayEna dhadhathIM YamunAnubhAvam
********************************************************

" GodhE ! KrishNa anvayEna (tE Sarasvathi ) YamunAnubhAvam
dhadhathIm" is the prose order here . KrishNa anvayam 
means KrishNa sambhandham . Swami Desikan suggests that 
the Sri Sookthis of Godhai eulogizing Krishnan have acquired 
a status equivalent to that of the anubhavam of Yamunai.
Swami hints that the two Sri Sookthis of Godhai
are indeed Yamunai .They are majestic like Yamunai's
flow.They are most enjoyable to taste like the waters 
of Yamunai drunk by KrishNan during His vana bhOjanams .

Yamunai unites with the antharvAhini ( flowing underground)
Sarasvathi , the river of clear waters at ThrivENi . This union 
is no event of great significance to Yamunai compared to Her
Yogam of sanchAram (travel) through Gokulam . That is Yamunai's
KrishNa Yogam. There is no Sarasvathi Yogam here. Swamy points
out that Godhai's Sarasvathi ( Sri Sookthis) have attained 
the celebrated status of "KrishNa Yogam " enjoyed by Yamunai
at Gokulam . KrishNan's other name is Yamunai ThuRaivan. 
The antharvAhini Sarasvathi has attained now an exalted 
status by union with KrishNA (Yamunai )at ThrivENi . 

Second Paadham: Theerthai: YathAvath avagAhya SarasvathIm tE
*************************************************************

The anvaya kramam is: " (KrishNa anvayEna YamunAnubhAvam
dadhathIM ) tE SarasvathIm , Theerthai: YathAvath avagAhya .
SevA Swamigal relates "YathAvath avagAhya " to the words
found in ThiruppAvai: "Kudainthu neerADi" . One enters 
the different patitthuRaikaL on the two embankments of 
Yamunai and immerses oneself in the cool and rejuvenating 
waters of Yamunai . The expeience is the same as one bathes
deep into the Sri Sookthis of Godhai and experience the joy
of understanding the subtle meanings of the passages . Swamy
Desikan hints that the river Sarasvathi may not have padikkattukaL
on its embankments , since it flows underground. On the contrary ,
the Vaak (prabhandhams) of Godhai like Yamunai has many
distinct and beautiful ThuRaikaL(ways) to enjoy Her Sri Sookthis.
The word Theethai: means the AchAryAs and with their help,
we appreciate the miracle of Sarasvathi becoming Yamunai
( The Vaak or Sri Sookthis of Godhai becoming Yamunai with
its many Thurais).

Third Paadham: GodhE ! vikasvara dhiyAM BhavathI katAkshAth
************************************************************

Here , Swami Desikan explains as to what bhAgyam comes 
the way of the poets , who dipped into the Sri Sookthis
of Godhai with the help of their AcAryAs . Godhai's
KaruNA KatAksham falls on them and the speech(vaak) of 
these poets blossoms forth immediately as a result of 
that bhAgyam .In the final paadham , Swamy explains 
the result of that blossoming of the Vaaks of the blessed
poets .

Fourth Paadham: Vaacha: spuranthi makarandhamucha: KaveenAM
*************************************************************

Once the karuNA KatAksham of Godhai's glances 
fell on them , the Vaak of the poets transformed
instantaneously into a delectable , nectarine speech.
Things which were beyond their comprehension before
becomes clear to them spontaneously due to 
the acquisition of visEsha Jn~Anam arising from 
Godhai's anugraham . They experience spUrthi like
experiencing the flash of lightning. SevA Swamigal 
points out that SpUrthi is quite differnt from Smruthi 
( rememberance of some thing experienced before ). SpUrthi 
is entirely different .It is sudden and spontaneous . 
It is novel and has never been experienced before . 

Swami Desikan also implies here that Sarasvathy ( the river 
and Vaak) which is antharvAhini on earth became BahirvAhini 
(transparent ) as Godhai's Vaak ( Prabhandhams) and 
transformed into Yamunai (Prabhandams) with many beautiful 
bathing ghats for our upliftment .The bath in sacred rivers 
like Yamunai causes spUrthi and that is why Godhai in 
Her NaacchiyAr Thirumozhi appeals to Her friends to
take her to the banks of Yamunai for immersion ( Yamunai
Karaikku yennai uytthidumin) to overcome Her viraha tApam .
In the next SlOkam , Swamy Desikan describes further 
the redeeming power of the Sri Sookthis of Godhai.

Godhai PirAtti ThiruvadigaLE saraNam 
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Satakopan  


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