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.

15 Mar 2012

Slokam 65

niShaadaanaaM netaa kapi kula patiH kaapi shabarI
kuchelaH kubjaa saa vraja yuvatayo maalyakR^id.h iti.
amIShaaM nimnatvaM vR^iShagiri paterunnatimapi
prabhuutaiH srotobhiH prasabham.h anukampe samayasi..65

(MEANING):

Oh Dayaa Devi! When a powerful flood flows, it fills the ground from high to low levels. The higher plateau is washed away and is brought to the same level of a lower plateau. Similarly, Dayaa Devi, You drag powerfully through Your Dayaa PravAham (flow) the Lord of ThiruvEnkatam on top of the hill down to the lowly folks at the bottom of that hill and let both mingle with each other. You made the lowly chief of hunters, Guhan the friend of Your Lord during RaamAvathAram. Later, You made the Lord declare that the king of the monkeys, Sugrivan, was His dearest friend. You made the Lord eat the wild fruits offered by Sabari and made it possible for Her to reach the auspicious gathi (Moksham). During KrishNaavatharam, You made Your Lord mingle affectionately with the penniless KusEla and made him a man filled with riches. In that same avathAram, You made Your Lord transforman old hunch back woman into a beautiful, young girl. You commanded Your Lord to mingle with the untutored girls of AaypAdi (Colony of shepherds) with ease and to their utter delight. You sent Your Lord to the house of the garland maker of Kamsan to bless him. Thus Dayaa Devi, You directed Your Lord forcefully to undertake many missions to come down from lofty heights to the level of a variety of simple folks and mingle with them as their equals. If Your Dayaa pravAhams were not present, It would have been impossible for Your Lord to relate toothers as a Parama Soulabhyan (supremely easy to access). His souseelya guNam becomes established because of You. The key words of this slOkam are: “ameeshAm nimnathvam, Vrushagiri pathE: unnathimapi prabhUthai: srOthObhi: prasabham samayasi” (Through Your forceful floods of Dayaa You level the ground between Your Lofty Lord and the lowly chEthanams that could never have hoped to have access to Your Lord)
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