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SwAmi's Anguish- Posting - 5 (1.14 to 1.17)

From the Bhakti List Archives

Ramanbil • September 25, 1999 


SWAMI VEDANTA DESIKA'S 
"NAICHYANUSANTHANAM" AND 
"SATVIKA THYAGAM "
(As gleaned from his StOtras) 

PART I: SWAMI EXPRESSES HIS ANGUISH -
SwAmi's Anguish- Posting - 5 (1.14 to 1.17)
(Anbil Ramaswamy)
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IMPORTANT NOTE
[As already mentioned in the Introduction, the NaichyAnusanthAnam is 
applicable to us only and NOT to Swami Desika, we have to substitute 
ourselves wherever Swami Desika extrapolates these to himself] 
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1.14. " I am a baby monkey"

bAla plavaga iva taraLO mAruti jAtiriti sAgaram tarithu manAh /
prArthayE tvAm Achyutha kAnkshitha padha padma kshamaswa mama kApEyam //
(Achyuta Sathakam SlOkam 92)

Meaning
"Oh! Adiyavarkku meyyanE!
Your lotus feet are most enjoyable. Maharishis, Azhwars and AachAryas desire 
to enjoy this. How can I take bold to do the same? It is like a baby monkey 
desiring to cross the ocean only on grounds of being born in the same race as 
HanumAn. Like the monkey, however, my mind is unsteady. Pardon my monkeying 
(KapEyam)

Comment:
It is customary to compare mind with a monkey because both are fickle.

1.15 "Where Vedas have failed"
 
 apourushEyairapi vAk prapanchaih adhyApi thE Bhoothim adhrishta pArAm /
 sthuvannaham mugdha ithi tvayaiva kArunyatO nAtha katAkshNeeyah //
 (Hayagriva Stotram SlOkam 6)

 Meaning
When even the Vedas known as authorless have returned crestfallen unable to 
comprehend your perfection, like a foolish lad, I have ventured to sing your 
glory. Consider me as an ignorant boy (mugdha) and bless me with your 
merciful glance.

 Comment:
 SwAmi very frequently refers to this famous statement- 
 "YathO vAcha NivartantE aprApya manasA saha""
 
1.16. Just One hundred! Is that all?"
 
 adhyApi tad vrisha gireesa dayE bhavatyAm
 ArambhamAtramanidham prathama sthutheenAm /
 Sandarsitha sva para nirvahaNAsahEthAh
 Mandhasya sAhasam idham tvayi vandhinO mE //
 (DayA Sathakam SlOkam 102)

 Meaning
 "Oh! DayA DEvi
Beginning -less Vedas which started to sing your glory returned crestfallen 
unable to proceed further and have stayed put as non-starters to this day. 
This being so, I have recklessly ventured to compose a hundred verses 
imagining that I have succeeded where the Vedas have failed. I have made 
those who read these 100 verses think that this is all there is for your 
glory. Is this not a great disservice affecting me as well as the readers? 
Can there be a more foolhardy attempt than this? I have thus wronged you 
immeasurably, wronged the readers and wronged myself. Is there any way to 
right these wrongs? Only you have to forgive me and make Lord Srinivasa to 
accept me."

 Comment:
Another clever way to say that the DayA DEvi's infinite compassion cannot be 
measured.
 
1.17. "Sages are scared!"
 
 prAyO dayEtvad anubhAva mahAmbhurasou 
 prAchEtasa prabrutayopi param thaTasthAh /
 tatraa vatheernamathalasprusam aaplutham mAm
 padmApathE: !prahasanOchitham AdriyEthAh //
 (DayA Sathakam SlOkam 103)

 Meaning
"Oh! DayA DEvi !
Great sages like VAlmiki and VyAsa attempted to fathom your auspicious 
qualities, which are like the great ocean. Scared to get deep into the ocean, 
they stayed put on the shores. They could not delineate even a miniscule drop 
of the Ocean with their monumental works. See! What I have done? I not only 
ventured to delve into deep sea but sought to swim to the other shore, now 
sinking, now floating, now sailing - but never succeeding in the process. I 
am prattling incoherently struggling to bring out even a fraction of that 
drop. I could have stopped at the shore with the sagacity of the sages. All 
that I have achieved is nothing but becoming the laughing stock of both 
TiruvenkaTanAthan and Periya PirAtti.   Only you have to save me from this 
embarrassment"

 Comment: 
Another facet of the kaleidoscopic presentation of naichya anusanthAnam.

(To Continue)

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