Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram --RekhA paddathi ( 27th chapter )

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • June 9, 1997 


Dear Divya MaNi paadhukhA DaasAs :

The 27th paddhathi of RPS is known as the RekhA paadhathi 
(RP ) .This has ten verses that salute the divine markings ( lines ) 
found on the surface of the PaadhukhAs . Sri RanganAthA's 
holy feet rest on the PaadhukhAs and the auspicious lines 
and patterns found on the sole of his feet get  transferred as
imprints on the upper surface of the paadhukhAs . Swami 
Desikan salutes these divine markings that are associated 
with the Lord of all universes . 

Slokam 1 of RP / Slokam 811 of RPS
****************************************

soochayanthim svarEkhAbi: anAlEkya Sarasvatheem I
alEkaneeya sowndharyAm aasrayE Sowri paadhukhAm II

I surrender unto the Lord's paadhukhAs bearing the lines 
and patterns made by their intersections , which are of 
indescribable beauty. Through these beautiful lines ,
PaadhukhAs denote the unwritten VedAs . 

Swami Desikan refers to the VedAs as AnAlEkyA Sarasvathee 
to remind us that they are learnt through oral tradition instead 
of reading a text and learning from that . The lines on the paadhukhAs
are suggested as the code markings for the VedAs that can 
not be written for purposes of learning . Swami Desikan salutes the
beauty of these majestic paadhukhAs with the auspicious markings  
as ones ,  whose beauty can not be described in writing .
Their beauty can only be experienced by the eye . 

Swami Desikan suggests that the RekhAs are not alphabets or words , 
but are discrete codes for the VedAs . When those , who have learnt 
VedAs through adhyayanam look at these RekhAs , they are immediately 
remided of the different sections of the VedAs .

Slokam 2 of RP/ Slokam 812 of RPS
****************************************

O PaadhukhE ! You carry on your surface all the RekhAs that
are found on your Lord's sacred feet . In addiiton , you carry 
other lines not seen on your Lord's holy feet . They are 
from the scratches made by the crowns of the DevAs , when they 
prostrate before you .Through these extra rekhAs contributed by the 
DevAs , you assert  your soverignity over the DevAs .

The inner meaning is that the AzhwArs and the AachAryAs are 
emperors of all the worlds as a result of their limitless devotion
to PerumAL . Therefore , the DevAs salute them . 

Slokam 3 of RP/ Slokam 813 of RPS
****************************************

O MaNi paadhukhE ! You have all of the lines from your
Lord's holy feet that are associated with His status as 
the Lord of  both the Nithya and the LeelA vibhuthis . You have 
additional lines on your surface caused by the prostrations
of the DevAs. By having even more RekhAs than your Lord ,
you appear to excel Him as the soverign of the two vibhuthis. 

Slokam 4 of RP / Slokam 814 of RPS 
*****************************************

Here , Swami Desikan recognizes the extra lines on the surface
of the PaadhukhAs as " Sowri paadha paribhoga LakshaNam "
(i-e) the symbols of the enjoyment of the paadhukhAs by the 
Lord's lotus feet . 

Swami Desikan says : " O PaadhukhE ! You are the mistress of 
your Lord. When I see the extra lines on you arising from 
the scratchings of the gems of the DevA's crowns having 
the  form of fishes (Rathna Makari )  ,  I am reminded that
they arose form the love play between you and your Lord.
They seem to be the marks of love play between both of you .

Slokam 5 of RP/ Slokam 815 of RPS
*****************************************

The scratchings on the paadhukhAs caused by  the makara 
rathnam on the crowns of the DevAs have  a special effect on
the humans , who receive the paadhukhAs on their heads 
with devotion . Swami Desikan says in this context : O Paadhukhas
of the Lord , who destroyed NarakAsurA ! When you are placed on 
the heads of your devotees , the extra lines on you caused by 
the scratchings of the crown gems ( Makuta Rathna UllEka RekhA )
ERASE  the inauspicious lines carved by BrahmA (Niyathi vilikithAnAm
dhurlibhi ) at the time of their birth . As a result , their sins are removed 
and they become blessed to perform service to your Lord ( Kaimkarya/
SevA samopatham saadhayathri ) .

The inner meaning is that those , who surrender unto 
a sadhAchAryan have the blessings of erasure of their
inauspicious Brahma Libhis . 

Slokam 6 of RP/ Slokam 816 of RPS
****************************************

O PaadhukhE ! VedAs and aagamAs state that the Lord's
holy feet have the marks of umbrella , flag , lotus , disc ,
conch and others to denote His role as the Lord of the two 
vibhuthis . It is not easy for us to see those rekhAs on your
Lord's feet . We can however see the imprints of the above 
rekhAs on your surface resulting from the contact of your Lord's
feet on you . We then infer that what we see originated from 
your Lord's feet . You make it possible for us to see these 
holy rekhAs associated with your Lord's feet , which are otherwise
impossible to see directly .

The inner meaning is that the AzhwArs and  AachAryAs have 
JnAnam , satya sankalpam , daya , forbearance and other
KalyANa guNAs . When we experience these suguNAs of 
the AchAryAs , we recognize that the Lord has all these 
auspicious qualities . How else are we going to see and 
experience the Lord's auspicious guNAs directly ?

Slokma 7 of RP/ Slokam 817 of RPS
****************************************

snAthA padhAvani ! chiram paribhujya mukthA
    paadhEna RanganrupathE : subha lakshaNEna I
rekhAnrairnava navai : upsObhasE tvam
    samskAra chandana vilEpana pangalagnai : II

O PaadhukhE ! You are given the ceremonial bath and sandal
paste is applied over your surface before uniting you with your
Lord's feet . At that time , the lines and marks of your Lord's feet 
get imprinted on the wet sandal paste . Thus a duplicate set of
lines and marks are seen on the surface of the wet sandal paste,
which appear as reflections of the ones permanently marked 
on your dry surface. You shine with both sets of lines and 
symbols of the Lord's sacred feet . 

The reference here is to the statements in Thiruvaimozhi ,
where NammAzhwAr says that the TuLasi fragrance has
entered into him as  a result of his enjoyment of the Lord .
The other reference is that the firstset of RekhAs are the 
Arya Vedams and the second set of RekhAs are
the TamiL vedams , which are a reflection of the latter .

Slokam 8 of RP/ Slokam 818 of RPS
*****************************************

O PaadhukhE ! Your glory is indeed superior to that 
of your Lord in that many , many lines are formed 
everyday by the crowned heads of the DevAs , when they
prostrate before you . These new lines are added by the dEvAs ,
who have aspects of divinity themselves . Through these 
extra and abundant lines , you surpass your Lord in glory . 

The inner meaning is that the DevAs like IndrA , BrahmA 
do not lose their desire for Eisvaryam . They do not have the
driving desire to worship the Lord at Paramapadham . The 
AzhwArs and the AachAryAs consider the superior positions 
of BrahmA and IndrA  as being equivalent in value to a blade
of grass  and discard them in preference to Nithya Kaimkaryam
to the Lord in Sri Vaikuntam . Therefore , the astonished BrahmA
and DevAs salute the AzhwArs( SatAri Suri ) . 

Slokam 9 of RP/ Slokam 819 of RPS
****************************************

O PaadhukhE ! As the dear mistress of your Lord , 
you carry the special decorative marks ( Pathra lathA
visEshAn vahasi ) . They are similar to the patterns
formed on the women's bodies with vermillion by their
lovers. Those patterns of vermillion disappear however  with 
time . The rays and patterns formed by your Lord on the other 
hand  formed by His love play are seen permanently  on your 
surface and attest to the everlasting love that He has for you ..  

Slokam 10 of RP/ Slokam 820 of RPS
******************************************

RekhApadhEsatasthvam prasamayithum PraLaya viplavasankAm I
vahsi MadhjithpadAvani ! manyE nigamasya mAthrukAlEkyam II

O PaadhukhAs of HayagreevA , who destroyed Madhu and KaitabhA !
At the time of universal deluge , when every one worries whether the 
VedAs will disappear , you show that you are preserving and protecting 
the VedAs through your RekhAs . Normally , VedAs can  not be written .
However , on your body , they become symbolically represented as 
RekhAs written in a condensed form " . 

PaadhukhAs are NammAzhwAr . He seems to carry Thiruvaimozhi 
or Tamil Vedam in the form of lines on the paadhukhAs to protect 
them and preserve them forever. Thiruvaimozhi is the essence of 
the Sanskritic  Vedam . Thus , both the Aryan Vedam in Sanskrit 
and the Tamil Vedam in Dramida BhAshA  are preserved by the 
PaadhukhAs through the rekhAs on their surfaces . 

Sri RangarAja maNi paadhukhE ! Thubhyam nama :
Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
Oppiliappan Kovil VaradAchAri Sadagopan