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Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram: SamnivEsa Paddhathi--Part 2 ( SlokAs 11-20 )

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • June 7, 1997 


 Slokam 11 of SAMP /Slokam 791 of RPS
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O MaNi paadhukhE ! You are of worshipful form .
You serve as protection for the Lord's holy feet as 
well as decoration for them . According to the demands
of the occasion , you switch from one role (protection )
to the other ( decoration ) readily . You move between these
two roles with ease and alacrity . 

Slokam 12 of SAMP / Slokam 792 of RPS
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O Mother ! O PaadhukhE ! The other decorative objects 
adorning the Lord's different limbs would be either small
or big depending on the respective  sizes of the limbs . 
O PaadhukhE ! although all the other jewellery of the Lord 
can not change their shape or size  , you are able to change 
according to the changing occasion and fit your Lord's feet 
exactly . You are a delight (NayanAbhirAmam )  for us to enjoy 
on the Lord's feet with your exact fit on every occasion . 

Slokam 13 of SAMP / Slokam 793 of RPS  
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In the previous verse , Swami Desikan saluted the PaadhukhAs
as a delight to one's eyes .  Here , he states that one needs 
thousand eyes to fully aborb the beauty of the PaadhukhAs
adorning the Lord's feet . He says : " O PaadhukhE of the lotus-eyed
Lord ! The devotees of yours fondly enjoy your beauty
and yet  thirst for more enjoyment . With the passage of time , 
their devotion ripens and they become born as thousand-eyed 
IndrAs to take in fully your captivating beauty.

Slokam 14 of SAMP / Slokam 794 of RPS
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prathama pramANamithi vaadhinAm matham
    madhujithpadhE mahathi maasama bhudhithi I
vyudhapAdhi tasya charaNAvani ! tvayA 
     nigamAthmanastava samapramANathA II

Swami Desikan's talent in using the multiple meanings of 
the words is abundantly evident here . The words  " Padham  ,
ApramANam , Sama pramANam and Nigama " are used 
cleverly by the kavi simham to convey the clear message that 
the Lord's holy feet is equal in glory to the paadhukhAs or 
vice-versa . "Padha " means either a step or a word. " Nigama " 
means either VedAs or an object that moves in the proper gait .
" ApramANam " means something , which is beyond oral 
explanation . "Sama PramANam " means one , which has the 
same measure with another object . Using all of these words in a
subtle manner , Swami Desikan says : " O PaadhukhE ! You seem
not to support  the view  of the SaasthrAs that paadham of the Lord 
is apramANam  . You seem to suggest that both 
the Lord's feet and yourself are of similar glory , 
since VedAs are the common link between 
the two . You appear to hint that both the Lord's holy feet and 
yourself are of equal measure in glory , since you are extolled by
the PramANam known as VedAs in equal measures . 

Slokam 15 of SAMP / Slokam 795 of RPS
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Here , Swami Desikan answers the question posed earlier 
about the relative glory of the PaadhukhAs and the Lord's feet . 
He settles in favor of the PaadhukhAs and says that they are 
slightly superior in glory to the Lord's holy feet . He says : As 
the Lord's feet grew and enveloped the three worlds during 
the ThrivikramAvathAram , the paadhukhAs measured  and 
covered the feet of the Lord , which can not be measured or 
described easily by anyone. Such is your unique glory that 
you did manage to measure His glory . " . Swami Desikan 
states that the paadhukhAs did not fall one step behind 
the growing feet of ThrivikramA and provided the exact fit 
in real time . 

The inner meaning is that the AchAryas succeed in taking 
a true measure of the Bhagavadh svarupam that is not easy 
for  Brahma or RudrA to fathom . 

Slokam 16 of SAMP/ Slokam 796 of RPS
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O PaadukhE ! You are like a basin or trench for watering the tree
of RanganAthA . The water from GangA residing in RudrA's head 
flows in that trench , when RudrA bends before you , when He bends
His head to offer His homage to you . RudrA thus irrigates the tree
of Lord with your help .  

Slokam 17 of SAMP/ Slokam 797 of RPS
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Swami Desikan compares the golden paadhukhAs 
to the lotus fruit , which is surrounded by the sages 
taking the form of bees to drink the nectar of Moksham .
Swami says : " The happy sages have taken the form 
of bees to drink deep the nectar (pollen )  of Moksham 
stored in the pericarp of your golden lotus form " . 

Slokam 18 of SAMP/ Slokam 798 of RPS
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O PaadhukhE ! When Lord KrishNA as a grahasthA 
(Married man ) fulfilled the desires of each of  His 
16,000 wives , He took 16,000 identical forms to be
with each of them in their individual homes. At that time , 
you  multiplied two fold over His 16,000 forms to cover
each of the two feet of the Lord . Therefore , I consider 
your form to be larger in number than that of the Lord Himself .

Slokam 19 of SAMP / Slokam 799 of RPS
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O PaadhukhE ! The Lord of Srirangam performs in many
dramas . You take part in every one of these dramas 
orchestrated  by Him  and take the appropriate form 
so that His efforts to instruct  the world become totally 
successful . 

Swami Desikan considers the paadhukhAs as an accomplished 
lady dancer (Narthaki ) , who accompanies the master cherographer
every step of the way in the dances that he designs . For instance ,
when the Lord took the form of VaamanA  , PaadhukhAs became 
small to fit His tiny form ; when He grew into the gigantic
form of ThrivikramA , the paadhukhAs grew with the Lord's 
feet without missing a beat . PadhukhAs are thus never 
out of step with its Lord , the master dancer/cherographer . 

The inner meaning is that the AchAryAs follow precisely 
the instructions of the Lord to save the people . For instance ,
NammAzhwAr and other AzhwArs were born in different kulams
to compose the Tamizh prabhandhams and to protect the Vedic 
messages . 

Slokam 20 of SAMP /Slokam 800 of RPS
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maanE param samaanE prathyakshENAgamEnApi I
HaricharaNasya tavApi thu vaishamyam RakshyarakshakathvAbhYAm II

In an earlier verse , Swami Desikan pointed out that 
the PaadhukhAs take the appropriate forms fittiing 
the Lord's feet to join His efforts to protect the world . 
Actually , the PaadhukhAs change their sizes and shapes 
to protect Him . Although Lord's feet and the paadhukhAs 
have been proven to be equal in glory earlier , Swami Desikan
opines that the paadhukhAs are slightly higher in glory than
the Lord's feet , since they serve the Lord to protect Him in
all of His campaigns . He says : " O PaadhukhE ! By direct 
and indirect (Vedic ) proofs , It has been shown that you and 
your Lord's feet have equal measure of glory . However , You 
exceed somewhat the glory of your Lord's feet from the point
of view of the protecting it . You have indeed reached a higher 
status because of your role as a protector 
of the Lord's holy feet . 

The inner meaning is that the Lord's plans can not be carried out
unless He has AchaaryA' s  help to execute them . In this sense,
the AchAryAs protect the Lord and His missions . 

Sri RanganAtha Divya maNi paadhukhE ! Thubhayam Nama: 
Sawmi Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
Oppiliappan Kovil VaradAchAri Sadagopan