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Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram : Samnivesa Paddhathi (SAMP) -Part 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • June 7, 1997 


Dear RangapriyAs :

In this 25 th paddhathi , Swami Desikan describes 
the Samnivesam or the Roopam / form of 
the PaadhukhAs . He deals with the intimate
physical conenctions of the PaadhukhAs with
that of the Lord's sacred feet in His different 
incarnations . The changes in the forms of 
the paadhukhAs  during those occasions are 
described . There are 20 verses in this paddhathi . 

Slokam 1 of SAMP/ Slokam 781 of RPS
*******************************************

aNOraNeeyAmseem VishNO : MahathOapi maheeyAsAm I
PrapathyE paadhukhAm nityam tathpadhEnaiva sammithAm II

I surrender my self to the PaadhukhAs , which fit 
the holy feet of the small sized VishNU ( VamanA ) 
and the gigantic sized VishNu (TrivikramA ) equally well .
They are samller than the smallest and larger than 
the largest and fit the Lord's feet exactly at all times. 

Slokam 2 of SAMP / Slokam 782
***********************************

O maNi PaadhukhE ! Your Lord is consecrated in you ,
and henceyou are  equal in holiness to His sacred feet . 
His status becomes preeminent through the union of 
His holy feet with you . He wears you at all times 
independent of whether He is walking or not .
You adorn His feet . Rest of His accoutrements 
( ParicchadhA : ) like the umbrella , fan , jewellery 
and dresses do not have the same intimate 
relationship that you have with Him . The others are only
relevant to announce His wealth and soverignity . 

The inner meaning is that there is nothing in the Lord's 
accoutrements that are as useful as AachAryAs( PaadhukhAs )
in saving the PrapannAs . 

Slokam 3 of SAMP / Slokam 783 of  RPS
**********************************************

Tava Ranga NarEndra PaadharakshE ! 
   prakruthissannapi bhakthi pAratantryAth I
bahvatheem vahatheeva pannagEndra: 
   prathitha svasthika lakshaNai : sirObhi: II

O RangarAja PaadhukhE ! AdisEsha has taken your 
form because of his great  respect for you .He wears you 
on the back of his thousand hoods as a mark of 
auspiciousness. (AdisEshA wears a symbol known
as Svasthi on his hoods , which has the form of two linked 
paadhukhAs of the Lord) . Even if AdisEshA has taken your form 
alrady by entering into you , he still wears the sign of svasthi 
out of his respect for you . 

AdisEshA respects his own avathAram (PaadhukhAs ) and 
hence he carries on his hoods the symbol of the paadhukhAs .
AchAryAs are the incarnations of Nithya suris and yet 
the Nithya suris celebrate the AchAryAs . 

Slokam 4 of SAMP/ Slokam 784 of RPS
********************************************

parasya pumsa: padha samnivEsAn 
   prayunjathE bhaavitha pancharAthrA : I
aghapratheepAn apadhisya pundrAn 
   angEshu RangEsaya paadhukhE ! tvAm II

O Ranganaatha PaadhukhE ! Sri VaishNavAs conversant 
with PaancharAthra aagamA wear you on their foreheads 
and upper parts of their bodies. Those twelve marks ( Urdhva
Pundarams ) are for reminding themselves about you , who 
carries the Lord's holy feet . Those marks representing you 
remove all their sins by their presence on their bodies .

Slokam 5 of SAMP/ Slokam 785 of RPS
*******************************************

In the previous verse , Swami Desikan pointed out that 
the twelve insignias worn by Sri VaishnavAs on their bodies
are the representations of the paadhukhAs of the Lord . Here ,
he states that the paadhukhAs are present in a symbolic form 
in the auspicious jewelery worn by married women around their 
necks .

Swami says : " Sri Ranganayaki wears you on Her forehead . 
Knowing this , the wise ones make the brides wear jewelery 
containing your form during the time of their marriages " .  

Swami Desikan refers to the ceremony before binding the auspicious
thread around the neck of the bride by the groom during the wedding
celebrations . A piece of jewelery containing the representation 
of the paadhukhA is placed along with a yoke on the head 
of the bride . This symbolic act follows the tradition set by Sri Devi .

Slokam 6 of SAMP/ Slokam 786 of RPS
*******************************************

vahanthi RangEsvara paadharakshE !
   dheerghAyushAm darsitha bhakthi bhandhA : I
aasAdhipaanAm avarOdha nArya :
   tvan mudrikAm mangaLa hema soothrai : II

In the earlier verse , Swami Desikan referred to 
the tradition of the new brides carrying the jewelery 
containing the representation of the paadhukhAs  on
their heads . At the high moment of their marriage ,
the bridegrooms tie the auspicious thread around 
the neck of their brides , which has at its center the 
jewelery containign the form of the PaadhukhAs 
( ThirumAngalyam ) . Thus they become sumangalees 
and enjoy their  auspicious married status for a long time as 
dheergha sumangalees . Swami Sesikan goes on to 
say in this slokam that the wearing of the Thirumangalyam 
is not confined to the women of this earth . He observes that
the wives of the DevAs , who wish long lives with their husbands 
also observe this practise . 

In this context , Swami Desikan says :  " O RanganAtha paadhukhE !
The wives of the long-lived masters of the eight directions 
demonstrate their devotion to their husbands by wearing 
the auspicious golden chain around their necks that contain
the medallions bearing your representation . 

Slokam 7 of SAMP/ Slokam 787 of RPS
********************************************

VyuhakramENa prathitAramagrE 
    sandarsayantheem maNipaadhukhE ! tvAm I
paathum thrilOkeem padhapadmabhajam 
     soudarsaneem sakthimavaimi SowrE : II

O PaadhukhE ! BhagavAn VaasudevA , SankarshaNA 
and the other Vyuha moorthis are shown by you on your 
body (i-e) ., they wear you on their holy feet . This way , 
they protect the world in your company . You appear like
Sudarsana Yanthram intent on protecting the three worlds.
The presence of Vyuha murthys on Sudarsana chakram
has been described in an earlier posting of Sri Rangaswamy .  

Sudarsana Yanthram is the symbolic picture form of 
the Sudarsana Manthram ( sound form of Lord SudarsanA ). 
Swami says : " O MaNi paadhukhE ! the Sudarsana yanthram 
has incorporated yourself and the lotus marks in itself . That 
yanthram made up of two intersecting triangles , lotus petals 
and tongues of flames  reveals at its center your representation 
in a six fold manner. That power of Sudarsanam is indeed yours , 
which has  descended from the Lord to protect the worlds and
to reveal Himself through you . The Sudarsana yanthram
has come closer to your Lord by incorporating yourself 
and the lotus petals in its geometric form " . 

It is well known that the Lord's holy feet contain symbols of chakrA (disc)
and padmam (lotus ) and rekhAs (lines ) indicating the closeness
of the paadhukhAs to Sudarsanam .

Slokam 8 of SAMP / Slokam 788 of RPS 
*******************************************

bhaddhAsikA kanaka pankaja karNikAyAm 
     madhyE krusA MurariphO : maNipaadhukhE ! tvam I
samdhrusyasE sarasijAsanayA gruheetham 
     rupAntharam kimapi Ranga VihAra yOgyam II

Here Swami Desikan imagines that the form of 
the paadhukhAs is such that it is like an avathAram
of MahA Lakshmi desirous of moving around Srirangam .
Swami Desikan compares PaadhukhAs to Sri Devi in three
respects. He notes that Sri Devi and the PaadhukhAs have 
the following three common features : (1) They are both narrow at 
the middle portion of their bodies (slender-waisted ) 
(2) Both are seated on a golden lotus (3) both enjoy 
the company of Lord RanganAthA . 

In this context , Swami Desikan says : " O Madhusudhana 
PaadhukhE ! You resemble the slender -waisted Sri Devi 
on the golden lotus enjoying the intimate company of 
Her Lord RanganaathA . Therefore , I think you are another
from of Sri Devi because of your resemblence to Her in 
all of the above  three aspects " . 

The inner meaning is that the AachAryAs are the incarnations
of Maha Lakshmi because of their DayA and forbearance .

Slokam 9 of SAMP / Slokam 789 of RPS
*******************************************

O PaadhukhE ! You are slender at your center portion as
though you have absorbed the fatigue of your devotees . 
You remove the fatigue and despair of your devotees 
and absorb their fatigue inside you and thereby acquire 
the form that looks like one carrying those burdens in 
the middle portion of your body . Your devotees become 
care free and overcome poverty . They become famous for their 
scholarship and righteousness . Your compassion
for them and intervention to save them are indeed remarkable ! 

The inner meaning is that there is no care for those , 
who are fortunate in acquiring  a sadAcharyan for
their prapatthi . 

Slokam 10 of SAMP/ Slokam 790 of RPS
*********************************************

madhyE krusAm ubhayatha: prathipanna vrutthim 
    manyE sameekshya bhavatheem maNipaadharakshE !
nithyam Mukundhapadha sangama viprayOgou 
    niscchinvathE kruthadhiya : sukha dukkha kAshtAm II

O MaNi paadhukhE ! I conclude that the learned scholars 
intrepret correctly that your mid-portion is slender and 
your  front as well as  back portions are of ample proportions . 
They connect the slenderness of your mid-portion to sorrow 
in not having intimate connection with your Lord's holy feet ;
likewise , they relate the ample dimensions of your front and back 
sections to the strong imprint of the Lord's feet in those regions " . 

Swami Desikan suggests that the separation and association 
with the Lord's feet at the different sections of the paadhukhAs 
are connected to the leanness born out of sorrow and the healthy
ampleness arising from the joy of intimate contact . Lord's inner feet
has the shape of the shell of a tortoise according to the texts of
saamudrikA lakshaNam . Therefore , the midportion of His feet
are elevated like the roof of the tortoise shell and do not 
come into contact with the mid portion of the paadhukhAs . On the other
hand , the weight of the Lord's body is well distributed through 
the front and hind portions of His feet , which in turn makes those 
portions come into intimate contact with the upper and lower portions
of the paadhukhAs . 

The subtler meaning is that the AzhwAr ( SatakOpan ) is very happy 
when he is deeply immersed in the meditation of the Lord. He is
beaming with happiness and is represented by the ample proportions
of the front and rear of the PaadhukhAs . When the AzhwAr's dhyAnam
is lost , then he is immensely unhappy and looks slender in form 
like the middle portion of the PaadhukhAs . 

( To be continued )