Search:
Bhakti List Archives

Daya Satakam

From the Bhakti List Archives

Vijay_Srinivasan • June 5, 1997 


Dear Prapatti Group Members:

I recently attempted to write a short article on Daya Satakam for the
forthcoming Sri Balaji Pratishtha at the temple at Getzville (Buffalo).  I
thought I might share it with all of you.  Thanks.

Vijayaraghavan Srinivasan

                   Daya Satakam of Swami Vedanta Desika

                             S. Vijayaraghavan

     Daya Satakam  contains 108 verses in praise of Lord Srinivasa (Balaji)
who adorns the sacred Venkata Hills.  It was composed by the most
celebrated polymath and philosopher of the 13th-14th century  Swami Vedanta
Desika who was known as Kavi Tarkika Simham  i.e. a lion among poets and
logicians.  He was a great bhakta of Sriman Narayana and he devoted all his
skills in the service of His Lord.

     The crown of Vedas i.e. The Upanishads, which lays down the  good of
the whole world, says that Lord Narayana,  who is the inner self of all
creatures and who dwells and rules from within, is the abode of all
auspicious qualities and free from all`imperfections (Esha sarva bhuta
antharathma apahathapapma divya: deva eko narayana:).  Hence the Lord is
also known as Bhaghavan.  Sage Parasara muni, the author of the immortal
work "Vishnu Puranam" says that the word "Bhaghavat" signifies knowledge,
power of action, sustaining strength, sovereignty, energy and radiance and
also the total exclusion of all evil attributes (Jnana shakti balai:
eishwarya veerya tejamsi asheshata:|  Bhaghavat shabda vachyani  vina
heyairgunadibhi:).  A  seeker who devotes himself to loving  meditatation
of all these attributes of the Lord finally attains Him.   All these
glorious attributes of Bhaghavan, infinite as they are, take only a
secondary place when they are compared to His Daya or Krupa.

     In Daya Satakam, Swami Desika extols the quality of Daya (or grace) as
the one most important attribute of Bhaghavan that has a direct spiritual
value in saving  the seeker from the effects of inexorable and time-less
karma and avidya.  In the very first verse of Daya Satakam he strikes a
significant note by likening  the continuous flow of Karuna (or grace) of
the Lord to that of the flow of sweet sugar cane juice.  Indeed, he says
that  just like the sugarcane juice transforms into sugar, the flow of Daya
has solidified in the form of  seven hills.  The entire stotra is styled as
an address to Daya Piratti (Devi), a personification of the supreme quality
Daya of Lord Srinivasa.

     Desika has composed the ten decads of Dayasatakam in different chandas
(metre) adding to the beauty when recited.    Following, Nammalwar's
Tiruvaymozhi Desika brings out the essence of upanishads in the ten decads
of Daya Satakam.
(1) In the  first ten verses Desika establishes that only Emperuman (Lord
Srinivasa) can give moksha (Apavarga trivargayo:).  He begins this decad
with a salutation to the guru parampara (Vighahe theertha bahulam
sheethalam guru santhathim) and describes Lord Srinivasa as the ocean of
mercy (Karuna Varunalayam).
(2) In the second decad, Desika says that the Lord is all knowing and His
strength has no limits (Vrishagiri gruha medhi guna: bodha bala aishwarya
veerya shakti mukha:) and He can be easily approached.   Here, Desika
catches the upanishadic sentiment that the Lord's glories are beyond our
comprehension (Yato vaacho nivartante aprapya manasa sa:).
(3)  In the next ten, Desika emphasizes that the Lord removes all obstacles
that come in the way of moksha (in line with sarva papebhyo mokshaishyami,
Bhagavat Gita).    Even the worst sinner (Mayi thishtathy dushkrutham
pradhane, Aham asmi aparadha chakravarthy) can hope to cross the ocean of
samsara through His salvific grace.
(4) In the fourth decad, Desika says that the Lord takes the place of Upaya
(or means) to enable us to reach all of our goals.  All that is requred
from us is to give Daya devi the power of attorney to supplicate our case
to the Lord.  In fact Desika says with Daya devi on our side the Lord's
justice is tempered with mercy.  He beautifully constructs a court where
Daya devi gives fitting replies to the Lord in our defense. (Phala
vitharana daksham pakshapathanabhignyam, praguna manu vidheyam prapya padma
sahayam| Mahathi guna samajey mana poorvam daye tvam, prati vadasi
yatharham papmanam mamakaanam||).  The Lord has no choice but to accept
Karuna devi's recommendation as He is overpowered by Her.
(5) In the  fifth ten Desika says that not only is the Lord the only upaya
but he is also the upeya i.e. He is both the means and the goal (Bandhan
mukta: bhalibhir anaghy:). He also compares Daya devi to that of the clouds
that continuously draw water from the ocean (of mercy) and showers rain (of
grace) (Saram labdhva kamapi mahata: Srinivasambhurashe:, kale kale ghana
rasavathy kalikevaanukampe).  Desika also says that Daya devi has more
vatsalya towards her less fortunate children and She takes better care of
them (Manye maata jada iva suthe vatsala maadrushe tvam).
(6) The quintessence of the next decad is also the quintessence of the
Upanishads i.e.  Prapatti or Sharanagati is the best means to reach the
Lord (Yo Brahmanam vidhathathy poorvam......Mumukshurvai sharanam aham
prapadhye, Svetasvatara Upanishad).   Here, Desika prays to Daya devi to
remove all his attachments to the worldly objects that come in the way of
Prapatti (Bhavukanidhey nidhehi bhava moola haraam lahareem).
(7) In the next ten Desika describes the quality of saulabhya of the Lord
i.e. He is easily approachable by one and all.  He cites seven instances,
where the Lord of seven hills broke all barriers to reach His devotees.  In
fact, Desika says that the barriers were washed away by the flood of Krupa
overflowing from Lord Srinivasa.  Guha, Sugreeva, Shabari, Kuchela, Kubja,
Gopis, and Malakara, all of these devotees were not rishis or munis.  Their
only strength was their love for their Lord which was enough to open the
flood gates of Krupa. (Nishadanaam neta kapi kula pati kaapi shabari,
kuchela kubja sa vraja yuvathayo maalyakrudhity| Ameesham nimnatvam vrisha
giri pather unnathymapi, prabhoothy srothobhi prasabhamanukampe
samayasi||).
(8) In the next decad Desika says that Thiruvenkatamudaiyan (Balaji) is
none other than the Supreme Brahman of the Upanishads (Tad Vishno: paramam
padam sada pashyanti suraya:).  He says that the Krupa of the Lord takes
the forms of Sri, Bhoomi and Neela Devi.  Daya devi is indeed the universal
mother (Bhuvana janani) and she grants all her devotees' wishes including
the moksha (Bhoga apavarga vidhayineem).
(9) In the next ten Desika says that all of Lord's avatars (incarnations)
are indeed the concrete expression of His Daya.  He takes avatars like Rama
and Krishna to commune with His devotees who thirst for His living
presence.  Also He enters into the various Archa forms (temple vigrahams)
to please His devotees.  Desika takes each of the Lord's avatar and
attributes the most significant act in that avatar to Daya devi.  For eg.:
the construction of sethu which can destroy all sins (Bahu pathaka prashama
hethuna sethuna), the Bhaghavat Gita  which represents the epitome of our
spiritual treasure ( Nigama saudha deepa shriya, vipaschidhavi geethaya
jagati gitayandham tama:) are all the works of Krupa or Daya.
(10) In the last decad Desika concludes that for those who have done
Sharanagathy, Mukunda gives the Mokshanubhavam right here (Mukthanubhooti
iha dasyati meh mukunda:).  He further prays to the Lord that He should be
our guide and hold us tightly with strings of love or anugraham (Baadhva
gruhana ...svayam anugraha shrunkhalabhi:).

     In the final eight verses Desika says that he is but an instrument and
it is the Lord who chose to play that instrument to sing His glory so that
the entire humanity can partake of His love.   Lord Srinivasa's Daya is
like a ocean.  Desika says he tried to dive into that ocean not knowing its
limitlessness but managed to pick a few pearls here and there.  Such is the
greatness of Lord Srinivasa.  Desika concludes by saying that those who
recite this stotra become very dear to Thiruvenkatamudiyan (Sri Balaji) and
He will shower his devotees with all the wealth, good health and prosperity
that one may aspire for.

                      Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavanthu