PiLLai anthAdi
From the Bhakti List Archives
• September 30, 1998
Sri :
Srimate Sri Lakshmi Nrusimha Para Brahmane Namaha
Srimate ShatakopAya Namaha
Srimate Bhagavad RAmAnujAya Namaha
Srimate NigamAntha MahAdesikAya Namaha
Srimate Sri Lakshmi - Nrusimha Divya PAdukA Sevaka -
Srivan Shatakopa Sri NArAyana Yateendra MahAdesikAya Namaha
PILLAI ANTHADI
(of Sri NainArAchAryA alias Sri KumAra VaradAchAryA)
Mertric Translation in English by Sri M.K.Srinivasan
(appeared in Sri Nrusimha PriyA Samputam 56 sanchikai 7)
Thaniyan
May VaradAyA's feet be our guide
Who wrote in Tamizh , rich and chaste
At the feet of his illustrious father,
The redoubtable Sree VedAnta Desika ,
After a deep and thorough understanding,
A classic called "piLLai anthAdi"
Which carries the quintessence of the VedAs
For the redemption of the entire world .
1. On my head lie the feet of Thooppul's son,
Who extols the illustrious sage RAmAnujA,
Who, in turn, spent his entire life
Joyfully, beneath the gracious shadow
Of mAran (or the one who was different)
Who eternally wore on his head
The lotus feet of the Lord on whose chest
Gladly resides His consort on the Lotus .
2. The Lotus Feet of the Thoopul chief,
Will they adorn our heads and bend them ?
Will our eyes be ever moistened
With droplets of joyous tears ?
Ye men of wide open world ?
Will our future hells ever be quashed ?
Will we ever hope to taste
The bliss of Sri VaikuNTham in this life ?
3. This life is of no avail at all,
If we sing not the glory of Thooppul Lord,
Who blemishless , spread the message
Of Sage RAmAnujA, the loving master
Who well and truly taught us all
The mystic meaning of the scriptures ,
(Not a whit more, not a whit less) ,
And explained the meaning of SaraNAgathi.
4. SaraNAgathi and other profound thoughts ,
May we always keep in mind ,
As explained by that highly truthful soul ,
Following in the footsteps of RAmAnujA,
Cherishing in his heart, the Sacred Form
of PeraruLALan , who appeared in Uttharaveedhi
With His fair consort on His chest ;
His name is Thooppul PiLLai, our benevolent preceptor.
5. Our benevolent preceptor is none other than
A human form of the Lord of VEnkata Hills
Assumed to remove the ills of human race.
Earlier the Supreme One made the worlds,
Then He gave them the scriptural lore
But when these yielded not the fruits ,
He also came as Lord of VEnkata Hills ,
And tries to wean them all to His path .
6. To His path , I am wedded , for ever ,
As I chant the virtues of my preceptor,
Competent and well-versed in every art,
Master of VedAs , and its able exponent,
Born at Thooppul, due to our prayers true,
Perfect in every way, known as VEnkatanAthA,
His skillful words drives debators away ;
When I think of Him,I see the end of my sins .
7. My sins! Off you go and lodge elsewhere
No more can you tarry at my place .
No more will I bear your overtures
And succumb to your temptations .
For my mind and heart are ever filled
With thought of Thooppul's purest soul
Who followed the teachings of RAmAnujA
No fear have I in this transient world.
8. In this transient world, You crave to live
O men of sickly mind and petty desires,
Know You not that life in this world
Is but one step away from dreadful hell ?
Mark my words ! I shall tell the means
To get rid of this sinful world,once for all;
Offer unto the feet of the Thooppul-born
VEdAntha DesikA , Your utmost obeisance.
9. Utmost obeisance and humility true ,
Traditional values , discipline supreme,
Care and Concern for every living soul ,
These and more virtues will sure accrue ;
While evil company and ignorance dark
And sins of all shades will slink unseen
For them who choose the devotee of RAmAnujA
Born at Thooppul, as the AchAryA, to Surrender.
10. To Surrender at Your feet, here we are
O gracious Thooppul Lord and Master ,
We are drowning in the sea of life
Buffeted by desires and passions.
Pray remove our sins and save us ;
Drench us in Your cool rain of mercy ;
Show us Your feet, O KalpakA tree !
And keep us there for ever and ever.
11. For ever and ever will I desist
From flattering or praising to skies,
The wordly rich as wish-yielding trees,
Nor will I stand on mountain tops
Doing penances to gain other worlds.
O poet and Master, philosopher great !
O virtuos son of Thooppul land !
To reach Sri VaikuNTham I crave Your blessings.
12. Your blessings alone can see me through,
O VEdAnta DesikA of knowledge vast
O divinity of Thooppul who advented for us;
My mind is steeped in ignorance dark
And I tend to discard traditional paths
Shown by our forbears in their wisdom deep.
I know no useful means to follow
Except to clasp Your feet, seeking Your grace.
13. Seeking Your grace is the only route
Open to me to attain Sri VaikuNTham above;
No knowledge do I claim or have
Of the paths of KarmA, Jn~AnA and Bhakti ;
Nor am I inclined towards renunciation ;
Even easy surrender is beyond my reach
O Lord Of Thooppul of golden hue !
Rudderless, I have come to Your sacred feet.
14. To Your sacred feet, I donot easily bend
Nor am I devoted to Your followers
And worshippers, though they are all around;
I know not, therefore, what I can do
Except to pray in my despicable state
And hope that Your fount of mercy
Will sweep over me and make me worthy.
I bessech You, will You help me please ?
15. Help me please to shake off the inevitable
Twin fruits of good and evil deeds.
O shining chief of Thooppul race !
Bereft of support, I stand before You
And I know not about my morrows.
Help me then to grasp the meaning
Of the Most Sacred Eight-Syllable Word
Which leads to steady and intense devotion.
16. Intense devotion, bless me have
Towards the Beacon atop the VEnkata Hill,
Who lovingly bears on His lotus chest
His consort who rose from the lotus bloom,
Bless me also that my thoughts be pure
Towards those who stand and wait
On the Supreme Being with unshaken faith
O Thooppul-born protector mine !
17. Protector mine! Saviour of the World !
Who sat at the honeyed sacred feet
Of AppullAr, chief of KadAmbi Clan
And learnt by his immense grace
The import of Tamil and Sanskrit vEdAs.
O perfect resplendent genius great !
We pray and seek Your gracious glance
O Benign Lord of the Thooppul race !
18. O Benign Lord of the Thooppul race !
Ever loving and kind, full of grace !
O Master of poesy and dialectics !
O VEdAnta DesikA handsome and fair !
I join my palms aloft and high
And make my prayer unto You
" May my mind be filled with devotion
Towards the devotees crowding at Your feet".
19. The devotees crowding at Your feet ,
May they flourish with love and reverence !
May Your pure and smiling face flourish !
May Your kind expository hand flourish !
O effulgent jewel of Thooppul race !
May the bright mark on Your face flourish !
Wearing the sacred thread and basil beads
May that immaculate form flourish !
20. May that immaculate form flourish
In the hearts of million of devotees !
These linked verses have I composed
With great humility and devotion
So that all may daily chant
His name and remember His grace
And bend their heads at His lotus feet
Which is ever in my heart and on my head.
Srimate NigamAntha mahAdesikAya namaha
namo nArAyaNA
adiyEn rAmAnuja dAsan
anantha PadmanAbha dAsan
sarvam sri KrishnArpanamastu
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