INTRODUCTION

This stotram celebrates the auspicious quality (Kalyana Guna) of Mercy (Dayaa) of the Lord of Thiruvenkatam. Of All the Kalyana Gunaas of Venkataadhri Sekhara Vibhu, His Dayaa is the most important one for the uplift of the Chetanaas. The concept of Prapatthi and Thiruvenkatamudayaan’s Dayaa to realize the fruits of that Prapatthi is the subject of Sri Venkatanatha Kavi in this “Satakam”.

The structure of this stotram containing 108 slokas (one for each of the Divya Desa Archaa Murthys of Sriman Narayana perhaps) is extraordinarily impressive even by Swami Desikan’s standards of poetic excellence. Our Acharya has used ten plus different meters to compose the ten groups of slokas, each of which houses “ ten” slokas. The numbers of slokas and their poetic meters are as follows:

1. Slokaas 1-10: Anushtup meter
2. Slokaas 11-20: Aryaa meter
3. Slokaas 21-30: Oupacchandhasikam
4. Slokaas 31-40: Maalini
5. Slokaas 41-50: Mandhaakraanthaa
6. Slokaas 51-60: Nathkutakam
7. Slokaas 61-70: SikariNi
8. Slokaas 71-80: HariNi
9. Slokaas 81-90: Pruthvee
10. Slokaas 91-104: Vasantha Tilakaa
11. Slokaas 105& 106: Maalini again
12. Slokaas 107& 108: Sardhoola Vikriditham

In the tradition of Sri Sriraama DesikAcchAr Swamy, each set of the ten slokas have the essence of the ten Patthus of Thiruvaimozhi of Nammazhwaar.

According to this tradition, every set of ten reveals a particular meaning, which together covers the Ananatha KalyaaNa GuNams of the Lord of Thiruvenkatam. The ten meanings associated with the ten sets of ten slokas have been summarized by Srirama Desikaacchaar Swamy this way:

1. The Lord of Thiruvenkatam is the one, who can give Mokshaanugraham.
2. He comprehends everything and He is capable of carrying out whatever He chooses to do.
3. He destroys the enemies of those, who surrender unto Him and thereby seek His help.
4. He is the means for attaining ALL worthwhile goals.
5. He is the fruit of ALL worthwhile endeavours.
6. He can be reached easily thru the glorious means of Prapatthi.
7. He will rush to the help of the lowest and the highest with same speed, when they appeal to Him sincerely for help.
8. He is the Supreme Principle standing on top of Thiruvenkatam.
9. He is the one, who took the incarnations of Rama and Krishna.
10. He is the one, who can offer the happiness associated with Moksha right here on this earth.

Swami Desikan goes on to describe in detail the Anantha Kalyana Gunaas of Sriman Narayana in his Taatparya RatnaavaLi and Dramidopanishad Saaram. He is thus paying his tribute to Nammazhwaar’s Thiruvaimozhi in all of these three works. We will illustrate the ten essential meanings of Daya Satakam in the subsequent sections as revealed by Srirama Desikaacchaar Swamy in the tradition of his Achaarya, Navaneetham Krishnamaacchaar Swamy of Oppiliappan Koil.

17 Mar 2012

Slokam 21

samayopanataistava pravaahaiH anukampe kR^ita saMplavaa dharitrI.
sharaNaagata sasya maalinIyaM vR^iShashailesha kR^iShIvalaM dhinoti..21

(MEANING):

Oh Dayaa Devi! Through the timely floods of Your Dayaa, the crop of PrapannAs get irrigated and nourished thoroughly and the Lord of ThiruvEnkatam, the farmer, who labors in His LeelA VibhUthi is delighted by Your efforts on His behalf

(COMMENTS):

In this world, a farmer tills the soil, seeds the fields, irrigates the growing crop with the waters from the river in anticipation of abundant harvest. He removes the weeds during the growing season and chases away the animals that might eat away the growing plants. When the fields are full of tall paddy sheaves, the farmer is very pleased with his efforts to have nurtured the seedlings to their full cycle of growth.In a similar manner, Bhumi is the field for growing the crops. The Lord of Thirumala is the toiling farmer working on those fields. The water that nourishes the field is the flood of Your Dayaa. Those who performed SaraNAgathy at the Lord’s sacred feet are the crops growing in that field. The tall hill from which The Lord oversees His crops is the sacred hill of Thiruvenkadam. Oh Dayaa Devi! Your Lord wishes that all the world thrive well. For this purpose, He unites the chEthanams with SadAchAryAs to be blessed with Tatthva Jn~Anamand UpAya anushtAnam (Bhakthi or Prapatthi). The Lord of Thirumala waits for the floods of Yours (Dayaa Devi) to immerse the seeded fields for optimal growth and protects with extraordinary care the growing crops from His perch on top of the hills. The Prapannas thriving from Your Dayaa and the Lord’s care bless the world with their presence. The Lord is pleased with His efforts and You (Dayaa Devi) are the reason for all these auspicious happenings.

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