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Daya Sathakam (11-20)

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Skswami • July 30, 1998 


                     Srimaan Venkatanaathaaryaha kavithaarkika kesari|
              Vedanthaachaaryavaryome sannidhaththaam sadhaa hrudhi||


Dear Bhaagavathaas,

"Dhaivaadheenam jagathsarvam". God is the basis of all. And Love  is the basis
of God. How beautiful, blissful and peaceful is it 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 acharya and to Sriya:
pathi, may I share the following summary translation with you, in postings
comprising about ten slokas at a time.

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,
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.

Dhaasan
Sundararaghavan Krishnaswami Sarma
                                              ___________________________

                                                  Daya Sathakam (11-20)

11.  Lord Srinivasan has limitless attributes like wisdom, power, strength,
wealth, courage and charisma. But all these follow the footsteps of, and are
dependent on, His Love. The lamp of wisdom precedes this Love (when wisdom
dawns, Love manifests). Lord Srinivasan is owned by this Love. This Love is
Supreme. I shall prove so. I surrender to this Love.

12.  (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) My sins are so powerful that they absorb
all the merits accumulated by the inhabitants of the world. In spite of this,
you, who enchants the Lord of Anjanaadhri, resuscitate me. (In spite of all my
sins, you take me on the meritorious path and give me Wisdom).

13.  O The Love of Lord Srinivasa embellished with the extollable six virtues!
The Lord Srinivasa has dissolved in you. All my sins have drowned in you. They
go effortlessly to the depth of the Ocean of Love that you are. No one can
bring them up. There is no one available to do so either. (Note how powerful
this experience of Desikan is: The Lord Himself has dissolved in Love; I have
drowned in this Love; All my sins have disappeared in this Love. The only
thing that is left is Love)

14.  (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) You are the Wish-fulfilling Tree who
grants all the desires of the downtrodden. You  correct, rather than punish,
our mistakes because you are the Love of  Thiruvenkatamudaiyan. The learned
know that it is you who helps us cross the samsara (of the world) ocean.

15.  The Lord of Thirumalai is a gruhasthan (house-holder). All his attributes
like wisdom, might, wealth, courage, power etc are mere aberrations if devoid
of Love.

16.  Since the beginning of Creation, you  sport the Prathisancharam
(pralayam, dissolution) to dissolve the progressively increasing sins. You are
the Love of the Lord with Padmavathi. (Dissolution with, by and from Love)

17.  O The Love of the Lord of Vrushagiri! With one compassionate look at the
lifeless beings during Dissolution, you give them life, material body and
senses (and begin Creation). (Creation with, by and from Love)

18.  O the Love of Lord Srinivasa! You have lit the ever-burning and
indestructible lamp of Sastras to remove the darkness of   beings. You have
supplied plenty of oil to this lamp and have provided the lamp itself in good
time. (Code of conduct provided for Sustenance)

19.  You are born from the Lotus Feet of the Lord of Vrushaachala, have grown
to be  the sundara roopam of the Lord and with the Grace of His Prasanna
vadhanam, you  grant moksham to all who surrender everything to you
(prapaththi anushtaanam).

20.  Lord Srinivasa shines as the moon at Thirumala. You have ordained the
‘look of friendship’ to his pupils (tharaa mythri) and those on whom you cast
your looks attain moksham with ease and without hard endeavor.
                                                    _________________

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