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 85

prasakta madhunaa vidhi praNihitaiH saparyodakaiH
samasta duritachchhidaa nigama gandhinaa tvaM daye.
asheSham.h avisheShataH trijagad.h a~njanaadrii shituH
charaacharam.h achiikara sharaNa pa~Ngajena a~Nkitam.h..85

(MEANING):

Here the involvement of Dayaa DEvi in the Vaamana-Thrivikrama avathAram is saluted. Oh Dayaa Devi! You made it possible for every sentient and the insentient ones in the three worlds to be stamped by the lotus feet of the Lord of AnjanAdhri, ThiruvEnkadamudayAn without partiality (DayE! Thvam AnjanAdhri Yeesithu: charaNa pankaja chara acharamaSEsham avisEshatha: angitham yeeSithu:). The contact with the Lord’s sacred feet became possible for every being in the three worlds without discrimination (aSEsham thrijagathaviSEshatha: ankitham). The mark of the Lord’s sacred feet was seen on every one of the sentients and insentients at that time. Swamy Desikan offers His salutation to those world-measuring feet this way: “ Vidhi praNihithai: saparyA udhakai: prasaktha madhunA samastha dhurithacchidhA nigama gandhinA AnjanAdhri YeeSitu: charaNa pankajam”. These lotus soft feet of the Lord of Anjana Giri were washed with poojA theertham from the kamanDalu of BrahmaDevan; they were generating nectar (honey); those sacred feet have the fragrance of the VedAs (Nigama ParimaLam). They resemble the beautiful lotus in softness. The world and its beings bore the mark of those lotus feet of the Lord as VaishNava Chinnam. Oh Dayaa Devi! The world and its beings realized then that they are the Sesham (liege) of YourLord (Sarva Seshi). While using the destruction of the pride of MahA Bali, Oh Dayaa DEvi, You gained the glory of protecting all the beings of the world
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