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NAMO NARAYANA
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- sri:
- srimate ramanujaya
namah:
- sri padmavati
sametha sri srinivasa parabrahmane namah:
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- by
- Sri U.Ve.Varadachari
Sadagopan
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- Sri Venkateswara
with Ubhaya Nachiyars*
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- In the very first sloka
, Swami Desikan states precisely his goal in composing this Grantham
and describes the object of his salutations this way:
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- PRAPATHYEH
TAM GIRIM PRAAYA:
SRINIVAASAANUKAMPAYAA I
IKSHUSAARA SRAVANTHYEVA
YANMOORTHYAA SARKARAAYITAM II
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- Here he compares the
Lord"s Dhayaa as the sweet flowing river of Cane sugar juice,which
has solidified to become the mountain of Thiruvenkatam. Swami
States that he offers his Prapatti to that mountain, which has
become the embodiment of the Lord"s Dhayaa .The first theme
covered by the first ten
slokas revolves around the fact that the Lord of Thiruvenkatam
(SravaNa Venkatesan ) is eminently suitable for worship and adoration.The
reason is that He is an ocean of Mercy (Dhayaa).He serves as
the treasure for those , who have no riches to speak of . He
is the field out of which grows the four fruits of human life
(Purushaarthams). That concept of blemish-free mercy makes Him
the supreme object of contemplation and worship as described
below:
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- AKINCHANA
NIDHIM SOOTHIMAPAVARGHA TRIVARGAYOH :
ANJANAADHRI ISWARA ABHISHTOWMI NIRANJANAAM
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- The above sloka is the
last of the first group of ten. In earlier verses, Swami desikan
offers his salutations to Guru Paramparaa and Azhwaars. In the
beautiful second verse , he says:
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- vigaahe
teertha bhauLaam seethaLAm guru Santathim I
Srinivasa Dhayaambhodhi pareevaha paramparaam II
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- The key words are: SeethaLAm
Guru santathim Srinivasa Dhayaambhodhi Pareevaha ParamparaamVigaahe
. He says that he immerses in the cool waters
of the flowing stream of Guru Parampara that originated from
the ocean of Mercy known as Srinivasa.
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- The SECOND essential
theme of Dhayaa sathakam is that Sri Venkateswara is eminently
enjoyable in terms of Bhagavat Anubhavam .This theme is met in
- Sloka 19 :
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- ROOTAA
VRUSHACHALA PATEH:
PAADEH MUKA KANTHI PATRALACCHAAYAA
KARUNEH SUKAYASI VINATAAN
KATAKSHA VITAPAI: KARAAPACHEYA PALAI:
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- Here, Swami desikan
says that Dhayaa Devi is standing tall in Thirumalai representing
the merciful aspect of Sri Venkateswara. She grows at the feet
of the Lord of Venkatam and serves as His kalpaka tree that fulfills
the wishes of those who pray to Him. His cool glances at the
sight of His devotees cause the tree of Dhayaa Devi to send out
tender shoots and ripe tasty fruits. Those, who worship at the
sannidhi of Sri Venkateswara become beneficiaries of His Dhaya
and enjoy the fruits of that Kalpaka tree. Hence, Swami Desikan
says that the Karunaa Katakshams of the Lord of Thiruvenkatam
yield indescribable riches to the devotees . His Dhaya makes
Him eminently enjoyable
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- The THIRD essential
theme of Dhayaa Satakam is that He has the most beautiful Divya
Mangala Vigraham and to feast on Him with our eyes is equivalent
to tasting the divine nectar. The sloka corresponding to this
theme is
as follows:
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- KALASODHODHITI
SAMPADHO BHAVATHYAA:
KARUNEH SANMATHI MANTHA SAMSKRUTHAAYAA :
AMRUTAAMSA MAVAIMI DIVYA DEHAM
MRUTHA SANJEEVANAM ANJANAACHALA INDOH :
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- Here, Swami Desikan
says that the churning of the Ocean of Dhaya of Sri Venkatesa
yields the nectar, which is the divine and auspicious vigraham
of Srinivasan. That Vigraham made entirely of Suddha Satvam is
standing on top of
Thirumalai. This most beautiful Archaa Vigraham removes the fear
of Yama to Prapannaas and gurantees them the fruits of Moksham.
Such is the power of this auspicious and beautiful Archaa Murthy
of the seven hills.
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- The FOURTH essential
theme of Dhayaa satakam is that the Sri Venkatesa concept is
the most delectable experience to enjoy among all delectable
experiences that the human beings can hope to enjoy . His blue
effulgence radiating from the top of Thirumala hills and its
sacred associations provide
the richest item for the enjoyment of the chetanas . Here, the
divya Mangala Vigraham is not the object of reference , but the
holiness of the Venkateswara Tattwam , which is the highest concept
that Vedas can proclaim. The sloka corresponding to this theme
is as follows:
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- PARIMITA
PALASANGHAATH PRAANINA: KIMPACHAANAA:
NIGAMA VIPANI MADHYEH NITYA MUKTAANUSHAKTHAM
PRASADANAMANUKAMPEH PRAAPTAVATYAA BHAVATYAA
VRUSHAGIRI HARINEELAM VYANJITHAM NIRVASANTHI
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- The FIFTH central theme
is about the blessings that one accrues form the Kataksham of
Srinivasan of Thirumalai. Swami Desikan says that the auspiciousness
of that glance can result in freedom from the three debts that
human beings are subject to in this world. These three debts
are to Devas, Rishis
and one's ancestors(Pithrus). Normally, one gets rid of these
debts with great diffculty. The debt to the Devas is normally
discharged thru the performance of Yagaas and the offering of
Havis. The debt to Rishis is discharged through Veda Adhyayanam.
The debt to the Pithrus is discharged thru progeny. These three
debts are instantaneously discharged by the mere glance of Sri
Venkatesa resting for a moment on the Prapanna. The blessings
arising form that merciful glance not only makes the Prapanna
free from these three debts, but it also results in obtaining
then boon of Moksham thru the Devayana path at the time of leaving
this earth. Prior to that, the glances of Sri Venkatesa confer
immense wealth in this universe. The sloka containing these thoughts
is the fourty ninth verse of Dhayaa Satakam :
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- SREYA:
SOOTHIM SAKRUTAPI DHAYEH
- SAMMATHAAM
YA: SAKEEM TEH
SEETHODHAARAA MALAPADHA JANA:
SRINIVAASASYA dHRUSHTIM I
DEVAADHEENAA MAYA MANRUNUTHAAM
DEHAVATTVEAPI VINDHAN
BHANDHAAN MUKTHO BALIBHIRANAGAI:
POORYATEH TATPRAYUKTHAI: II
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- The SIXTH central theme
of the Satakam is that Lord Srinivasa is easy to approach thru
Prapatti. Swami Desikan says through the following FIFTY NINTH
sloka that the Bhakthi and Jnana Yogam are difficult to practise
as means of Moksham compared to Prapatti at the holy feet of
Sri Srinivasa as taught by our Acharyas such as Ramanuja, Yamuna
and others:
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- TVADHUDHAYA
TOOLIKAABHIRAMUNAA
VRUSHASAILA JUSHAA
STHIRA CHARA SILPINAIVA PARIKALPITHA
CHITRADHIYA: I
YATIPAATHI YAAMUNA PRUBRIDHAYA:
PRATAYANTHI DHAYEH
JAGADHI HITAM NA NASTVAYI
BHARANYASANAAT ADHIKAM II
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- The SEVENTH central
theme of Satakam states that His incomparable mercy removes any
and every obstacle (Anishtam ) that a Prapanna faces on this
earth. The slokam corresponding to this theme is as follows:
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- AKOOPAARAI
REKODHAKA SAMAYA
VAITANDIKA JAVAI:
ANIRVAABHYAAM KSHIPRAM KSHAPAYITUM
AVIDHYAAKYAPATAPPAAM I
KRUPEH TVAM TATTAATRUK PRATHIMA
VRUSHA PRITHVEEDHARA PATHI -
SVARUPA DWAIGUNYA DVIGUNA NIJABINDHU :
PRABHAVASI II
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- The EIGTH central theme
refers to His Kalyana gunam by which He accomodates Himself to
the wishes of the Prapannas. Although He knows that
some of the desires of the Prapannas relate to the nonlasting
,perishable , trivial things , Sri Venkatesa gives them what
they want . Later, He gives them
the knowledge and discriminative power to overcome the desire
for perishable things and elevates their sight to the lasting
concept such as Moksham. In other words, He goes along with the
wishes of Prapanna first and then slowly helps them to set higher
goals such as Nithya Kainkaryam and Kaivalyam. The sloka containing
these thoughts is the seventy fifth Slokam of the Dhayaa satakam
.
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- The ninth central theme
relates to his sincere friendship out of His compassion for the
Prapannas. His friendship does not count on any returns from
the Prapannas.It is the most natural of all friendships.
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- The tenth central theme
deals with Sri Venkateswara"s grace in leading the Prapannas
in the Devayaana path to Srivaikuntam.In the 104th slokam . Swami
Desikan acknowledges the glorious mercy of Sri Venkateswara in
crowning him as "Vedanthaacharya" at the end of reciting
Dhaya Sathakam. He states that he was just an instrument in the
hands of the Lord of Thiruvenkatam in composing Dhaya sathakam.
This slokam housing the Sattvika Thyagam is a gem:
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- VEDANTHA
DESIKA PADEH VINIVESYA BAALAM
DEVO DHAYASATAKAM YETAT AVADHAAYAT MAAM
VAIHAARIKENA VIDHINAA SAMYEH GRUHITAM
VEENA VISESHAMIVA VENKATA SAIL NAATHA :
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- Kavithaarkika simhaaya
Kalyana Gunasaalineh |
srimateh Venkatesaaya Vedantha guraveh Nama ||
-
Subhamasthu ,
- Daasan
OppilA-appan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan
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