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Sri Ranganatha PaadukhA sahasram(RPS ) : Part 14.16

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • March 25, 1997 


Dear Members of the Prapatthi Group :

I will cover Verses 91 to 95 ( RPS Slokams 471-475 ) 
in this posting .

Verse 91 of Naadha Paddhathi(NP) / Slokam 471
******************************************************
Swami Desikan explains to the PaadhukhAs about
the effect of their madhura Naadham on him .
He says that the Naadham raised by the inner gems
of the PaadhukhAs is not only a delight to the ears 
(Sruthi Subhagam ) , but it is also the supporting 
pole ( Kozhu Kombhu ) for the creeper of J~nAnam 
( samvitthE : upagnam ) . 

Swami Desikan says : " O Madhusudhana PaadhukhE ! 
The Naadham evoked by the gems inside you enhances
one's wisdom ( discriminatory knowledge ) . It also serves 
as a preface to the Upanishads . It is a delight to the ears.
Hearing your  Naadham again and again , delectable words
with the sweetnes of ripe grapes rush to me , when I engage
in composing verses in praise of you .The unsurpassed 
auspicious qualities associated with your naadham explains
my ability to engage in this task successfully " .

The inner meaning is that the creeper of J~nanam 
will not grow well , if it does not attach itself to the
support pole of Swami NammAzhwAr's divya Sookthis.
The speech (Vaak ) of one , who hears the meanings 
of Thiruvaimozhi from a MahAn with Bhakthi  will be sweet 
like nectar . 

Verse 92 of NP/Slokam 472 of RPS
***************************************

Swami Desikan addresses the Padhukhas of the Lord 
who gladdens the hearts of Sriranga Vaasis as " Ranga-
Kshithi RamaNa paadhAvani " .  He recognizes that the 
graceful movement of  the PadhukhAs and the Naadham 
generated during their sanchArams captivates every one .
He goes on to say that the novel and varied steps of
the PaadhAvanis make the gems inside collide with 
one another and create an indescribable , sweet Naadham .
The AchArya prays for that life-giving nectar associated with 
that Naadham to enter his mind and cause the ecstasy , 
which will inspire him to compose additional verses 
eulogising the glories of the paadhukhAs . 

Swami describes the novel steps of the Paadhukhas 
-- gaja gathi , simha gathi , sarpa gathi --as sports (vilasaa:) .
Those novel and rivetingly engaging steps seem to buy off 
the minds of the onlookers ( nikhila jana: chEthAmsi kreeNantha: ) .
The diverse gems inside the PaadhukhAs respond correspondingly
to these sanchaarAs and genarate a sweet sound , Gal, Gal,
Jal , Jal , ( vividhA : vilutath antharmaNisilA gaLathkArm karothi ) . 
Those delightful sounds are just the exterior manifestations of the 
internal flood of nectar that flows through the tubes of the sanchArams 
by the PaadhukhAs . Swami Desikan prays for the ready and fond
recollection of the sweet sanchaara-janitha naadham in his mind. 

The inner meaning  is that the hearing of the meanings of the 
divya sookthis of Swami NammAzhwar from mahAns  melts 
the minds of the listeners without fail . Even the hard-hearted 
ones do not become an exception to that experience. The sookthis
of AzhwAr are not just paasurams , but are tubes brimming with 
the flow of sweet nectar and hence one should meditate on 
the meanings of his paasurams wiht bhakthi .

Verse 93 of NP / slokam 473 of RPS
*****************************************

Swami Desikan has a wonderful way of saluting 
the PaadhukhAs of  the Lord of Srirangam . In  the previous 
verse, he saluted them  as " Ranga Kshithi RamaNa paadhavani " . 
Here , he salutes them  as  " PadmAramaNa padha trAyiNi ".
He addresses them here as the PaadhukhAs of the Lord ,
who makes the heart of Lakshmi elated . 

Swami praises the Naadham of the PaadhukhAs as delectable 
to the ears and as the one that settles the true meaning of
the different vedic passages . He requests the paadhukhAs 
to bless him through its naadham to realize the true knowledge 
leading to Moksham . He prays for the growth of his  Bhakthi to 
the PaadhukhAs ( SatAri Suri ). Swami prays further for single-minded
bhakthi to the PaadhukhAs and to stay away from the haughty rich .
He compares the haughty man bloated with pride about his
generosity to an arrogant man standing by  the seaside 
during grahaNa kaalam and giving a paltry dhaanam to a Brahmin
with a snarl . Swami Desikan prays to the paadhukhAs
for the blessings of being far away from such adhama purushAs 
pretending to be uttama adhikhAris. Swami implies that the 
blossoming of desire for the tasting of the Divya Sookthis 
of SatAri Suri will drive away one's desire for paltry rewards 
in this world .

Verse 94 of NP/ sloakm 474 of RPS
***************************************

The benefits obtained from the hearing of the naadham 
of the holy paadhukhAs are described here . Swami says :
" O PaadhukhE ! Those who hear with affection your naadham 
do not hear the sound of the bells tied to the neck of the buffalo
carrying Yama . They do not need to tremble over the thought 
of their sins. Such is the glory of your naadham that keeps Yama far
away from them and brings the Lord closer them and ahead of Yama . 

The inner  meaning is that the people , who learn the meanings
of the Divya Sookthis of Swami NammAzhwAr develop deep bhakthi 
to Sriman NaarAyaNA . Yama never approaches such  bhakthAs 
of the Lord . Hence they are saved from the torments of Yama .

Verse 95/Slokam 475 of RPS
********************************

Here , Swami Desikan focuses on the steps 
of the Lotus feet of the Lord ( padha kamala
vikrAnthi ) during the time of measuring the 
universe with three steps asTrivikramA . 
The PaadhAvani ( the paadhukhAs ) grew then with the 
growing feet of the Lord and generated an incrreasingly
plesant naadham announcing the engagement of the Lord's
lotus feet in the avathAra kaaryam (i-e) saving the Devaas 
from the injustices of Maha Bali .

Swami Desikan says : O Ranganaatha PaadhukhE ! 
During the occasion of  Maha Bali's injustice
to the DevAs , you participated in the incidents of TrivikramAvathAram.
You  grew with your Lord's Lotus foot  and shot upward  
into the sky. When the left foot of the Lord speeded up
wqith explosive velocity , Devaas were not sure as to
what was happeing .  Your Lord's foot adorned by you 
arrived then at Satya Lokam , the home of BrahmA . 
At that  time , Brahma  washed with great  reverence 
your Lord's sacred foot as well as  yourself firmly attached 
to that left foot . He used hte waters from his hand vessel
(Kamandalu ) . There was not enough water however 
to wash the growing foot . Dharma DevatA came to the rescue
of the bewildered Brahma and  took the form of water in the 
hand vessel to make up for the deficit experienced by BrahmA . 
Even before that help of Dharma DevA arrived , The naadham emanating 
from the rapid upward sanchAram of your Lord"s left foot 
spread all over the universe and removed the fears of 
the DevAs about Maha Bali permanently . Swami Desikan 
suggests here that the DevAs comprehended the bhaktha rakshaNa 
activity of the Lord , even before seeing the flow of AkAsa GangA 
through the clues given by the Naadham of the sacred PaadhukhAs
of the Lord .

Sri RanganAtha Divya MaNI Paadhukh E! Thubhyam namO nama: 
Swami Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan