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 67

daye dugdho danvad.h vyati yuta sudhaa sindhu nayataH
tvad.h aashleShaannityaM janita mR^ita sa~njIvana dashaaH.
svadante daantebhyaH shruti vadana karpuura gulikaaH
viShuNanvantaH shittaM vR^iShashikhari vishvaMbhara guNaaH..67

(MEANING):

Oh Dayaa DEvi! The milky ocean is very sweet. If nectar were to flow as a river, it would taste even sweeter. Nectar has the power to bring dead back to life. Can one describe adequately the loftiness of the union of the river of nectar with the Milky ocean ? ThiruvEnkatamudayAn stands on top of the saptha giri and protects the world there from. All His kalyANa guNams are delectable to enjoy. Your union with the other guNams of His reminds us of the union of nectar river with the milky ocean. You enhance the vaibhavam of the other guNams of the Lord thru Your union. You awaken the chEthanams from their death-like state of coma. You as the Dayaa dEvi of the Lord bless the chEthanams with Jn~Anam and propel them towards Sathgathy. The other guNams of the Lord also get empowered thru union with You to elevate the chEthanams to Sathgathy. By themselves, these other guNams of the Lord have no potential to be beneficial to the chEthanams(Bhaddha Jeevans). Oh Dayaa Devi! These bhagavath guNams reach however a lofty status thru union with You. They gain taste and fragrance. Upanishads derive their fragrance andartha pudshti by praising these guNams of the Lord in their state of union with You. The VairAgya saalis control their indhriyams and enjoy these Bhagavath guNams admixed with You and derive immense pleasure. It is because of Your Vaibhavam that all the other guNams of the Lord (Vrushagiri ViSvambhara guNA:) get elevated.
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