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.

13 Mar 2012

Slokam 102

adhyaapi tad.h vR^iShagiriisha daye bhavatyaam.h
aarambha maatram.h anidam.h prathama stutiinaam.h
sandarshita svapara nirvahaNaa sahethaaH
mandasya saahasam.h ide tvayi vandino me..102

(MEANING):

Oh Dayaa DEvi! VedAs have been engaged in eulogizing You from time immemorial. They have not progressed much however because the magnitude of the task of doing justice to Your limitless Vaibhavam. The VedAs feel overwhelmed and have not moved past from the starting gate in their efforts. While this is so, adiyEn of limited intellect attempted to praise Your unlimited vaibhavam through mere one hundred slOkams. Those who read adiyEn’sDayaa sathakam might be led to believe that Your glories can be successfully covered through a small list of one hundred slOkams. Belief in this possibility would mislead me as well as the readers of this sthuthi. There is nothing more harmful than this false position. Belief in such a position lead us to the summit of our arrogance. adiyEn is anaparAdhi as a result of daring to confine the description of Your Vaibhavam to a paltry assembly of one hundred slOkams. adiYen has thus committed a major aparAdham to You. Out of Your infinite and never failing dayaa, You must intercede with Your Lord and successfully persuade Him to overlook adiyEn’s aparAdhams. adiyEn has now committed aparAdham to You, the most compassionate Devi of the Lord who has helped me in every way. adiyEnhas hence no recourse except praying to you to forgive my transgression. Please shower Your Dayaa on adiyEn and forgive me for my impudence ( Thvayi idham sAhasamsandarsitha svabhara nirvahaNA sahEthA:). Please display Your apaara karuNyam and forgive adiyEn
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