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Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram(RPS) : Part 14.15

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • March 24, 1997 


Dear BhakthAs of the Divya Dampathis of Srirangam :

I will cover the five  slokas of RPS from 466 to 470 in 
this posting . They deal with the prayer of Swami Desikan 
to the PaadhukhAs to help him during his last moments
on this earth. On  this Panguni Utthram day , one can not but 
remember Sri Ranganatha's command  to Acharya RamAnuja
to rest  at the shade of His Lotus feet adorned by the PadhukhAs
(Swami NammAzhwAr ) at  Srirangam until the last moment 
of his life .

Verse 86 of the Naadha Paddhathi/slokam 466 of RPS
************************************************************

Here Swami Desikan begs the PaadhukhAs to come to 
his side and chase away the elements that frighten him 
during  the last moments of his life , when his limbs and faculty
would not be  in tact. He says : " O PaadhukhE ! During those 
moments of life , my limbs will be weak and will not obey me. 
I will be crying out of delusion and make incoherent prattlings.
I will be terror sticken over the thought of what is waiting for me .
Please drive away the servants of Yama then through your holy naadhA 
and bring your Lord close to me . I need your naadham during 
my last moments to chase away the fears that would grip me .


Verse 87 of NAdha Paddhathi/Slokam 467 of RPS
******************************************************

karaNa vigama kaalE kaala hoonkAra sankhee
    dhruthapadham upagacchan dattha hastha:  priyAbhyAm I
pariNamayathu karNE Ranganaatha: svayam na : 
     praNavamiva bhavathyA: paadhukhE ! manjunAdham II

(meaning ) : O paadhukhE ! During the final moments on 
this earth , Yama himself may elect to terrorize us with 
his hoomkAra sabdham to express his anger at our 
intolerable sins . Your Lord RanganAtha would rush to our side 
with His Devis on your back because of His worry  that Yama 
might arrive first and terrorize us  . May we hear through your 
sweet sound the rapid approach of the Lord to banish our fears !  

Verse 88 of Naadha Paddhathi  /Slokam 468 of RPS 
***********************************************************

kamalavana sakeem taam koumudheem udhvahantham
      savidham upanayanthee thaadhrusam Rangachandram I
praLaya dina samutthAn paadhukhE ! maamakeenAn
      prasamaya parithApAn seethaLai: sinjithai: svai : II

(Meaning ) : O PaadhukhE ! Sri RanganAtha united with His consort 
Sri RanganAyaki is like the moon united with its cool rays. Please bring 
that moon and the inseparable nectar-like rays to my side during the last
moments of my life to cool me off from the scorching heat of my taapAs .
Please announce their arrival through your sweet naadham so that 
I can hope for the onset of the relief for my sufferings . 

(Comments ) : Here Swami Desikan appears to have 
deep thoughts about Sri RanganAyaki . He brings in 
the analogy of the moon and its cool rays. The divya dampathis
are inseparable like the moon and its lustre (Nilavu ) . 
He compares Sri RanganAthA to the Chandran ( Ranga chandran) 
and MahA Lakshmi( KmalA vana sakhee), the friend of 
the Lotuses and the ponds , Where  they blososm in big clusters 
like forest growth . Swami Desikan compares Maha Lakshmi 
to the cool moon rays ( Kaumudhee) or Nilavu . It is not easy 
to separate the cool moon from its refreshing rays . It is hard 
to know , which is which and how they are integrated as 
a seamless unit (Tila Tailavath ) . 

In the very first rk of Sri Sooktham , Sri RanganAyaki is
addressed as " ChandrAm HiraNmayeem  Lakshmeem --". 
Her residence in the Lotus forests ( Kamala Vana Sakee )
and her being awakened by the trumpeting of elephants 
is saluted in the third rk of Sri Sooktham : " hasthinAdha 
prabhodhineem " . In the fifth rk , RanganAyaki , who is
none other than Sri Devi is invoked as "  ChandrAm
prabhAsAm YasasA Jvalantheem--" . She is visualized as 
the moon shining with the lustre of Suddha satva dravyam .

In the 13th rk of Sri Sooktham , we get a clue about the 
theme of this slokam of the RPS . This 13 th Rk is :

aardhrAm pushkaraNeem pushtim 
pingaLAm padhma maalineem I
CHANDRAM HiraNmayeem Lakshmeem 
JathavedhO ma aavaha II

(meaning ) : O MahA VishNu (RanganAthA ) possesing 
all auspicious KalyAN aGuNAs ! May Thou make it possible 
for us to have Your Consort , who is the appropriate object of 
meditation for ALL to be near us always ! She is the one , who 
with her cool glances reduces the heat of caused by the 
taapa trayAs . She is the one , who offers worship to You
with the lotus flowers from Her place of residence . She is 
of golden hue. She is adorned with lotus garlands and is the 
treasure house of gold and all other kinds of wealth .
May Thou bless us to have her presence next to us as 
the cool moon ! 

The invocation to the PaadhukhAs to bring the Divya dampathis
next to him during his last moments by Swami Desikan and 
a playful comparison of them to the cool Moon and its rejuvenating 
rays is a testimony to the poet's skills and deep devotion . 

Verse 89 of Naadha Paddhathi/Slokam 469 of RPS
************************************************************

Swami Desikan is still thinking about his last moments 
on this earth and how the PaadhukhAs can help him . He 
appeals to their help in this slokam also . He says : 
" O PaadhukhE ! Your Naadham is majestic  and is known 
around the world for the assurance it provides to protect 
one and all .Your travels (SanchArams) help to maintain 
the continuity of that  message of Yours . There is no secret about 
the message  that your Naadham brings . I have a personal request 
to you . Please bring Sri RanganAthAy to my bed side 
during my last moments and banish all  my fears . 

Verse 90 of Naadha Paddhathi/Slokam 470 of RPS
********************************************************

Swami Desikan begs the PaadhukhAs to plead with 
Sri RanganAtha during  the last moments of his life .
He says : " O PaadhukhE ! When I am about to leave this 
world , I will feel the touch of Yama on my neck and shoulder.
I will be terror stricken over that thought and expeience . 
Delusion will set in . At that time , your Naadham is vital to me ,
since it would signal the arrival of your Lord to free me from my 
terror and to grant me the blessings of Moksham . If RanganAthA
does not take quick steps at that time to come to my side , please 
increase the volume of your naadham , so that He will know that you
can travel faster and permit Him to rush to my side " . 

Panguni Uttaram day , 1997 

Sri Ranganayaki Sametha Sri RanganathA ! 
SaraNAgatha RakshakA ! Thubhyam namO nama:
Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan