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 99

dR^iShTe.api durbala dhiyaM damane.api dR^iptaM
snaatvaa.api dhuulirasikaM bhajane.api bhiimam.h.
baddhvaa gR^ihaaNa vR^iShashaila paterdaye maaM
tvadvaaraNaM svayam.h anugraha shR^i~NgalaabhiH..99

(MEANING):

Oh DEvi of ThiruvEngadamudayAn! Elephants enter some times into a stage of rut and act wildly. It will discard food in that state; it will resist the goadings of the trainers tool (Maavetti/ ankusam) and continue to do what it wants. When the trainer gives it a good bath in the river and keeps it clean, the elephant in rut would throw dust all over itself and become dirty. When the trainer comes near with good food to consume, it will reject the food and try to harm him. The proper way to control this elephant in the fearsome state of rut is to bind it to a pillar with strong iron chains until the state of ill health passes over. Oh Dayaa Devi, adiyEn who performed BharanyAsam to You is like this wild elephant running around in an uncontrollable state. adiyEn comprehends the meanings of Saasthrams and yet do not follow the sadhupadEsams. Even if adiyEn receives punishments for my misconduct, adiyEn does not stay away from repeating them. The old vaasanais do not leave me even if the righteous ones try to correct my undesirable and harmful ways. You must bind me therefore with the chains of Your anugraham, control me, bring me back to my senses and grow my Jn~Anam and Bhakthi

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