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.

16 Mar 2012

Slokam 54

dhR^ita bhuvanaa daye trividha gatyanukUlataraa
vR^iShagiri naatha paada parirambhavatI bhavatI.
avidita vaibhavaapi sura sindhuri vaatanute
sakR^id.h avagaahamaanam.h apa taapam.h apaapam.h api..54

(MEANING):

The key words here are: “DayE! sura sindhu: iva, sakruth avagAhamAnam apa tApam,apApamapi AatanuthE” (Oh DayA DEvi! Like the celestial river GangA, You free all of their tApams and pApams even if they immerse in You once. The waters of GangA flow in three places: Sky, BhUmi and the nether world (PaathALam). Since Ganga arose from the sacred feet of the Lord of ThirumalA, when He incarnated as Thrivikraman, it has the links (Sambhandham) to the sacred feet of ThiruvEkatamudayAn. GangA has three fold sambhandham: Dharmam, SivA’s head and the hills of ThiruvEnkatam. Even if one does not know about these three fold glories of GangA, it is enough for one to immerse in the flood of Dayaa Devi to banish all tApams and pApams. You are in this matter similar to the Deva GangA. You also spread like GangA all over the world and protect the chEthanams. You grant the fortunate ones anyone of the three kinds of Phalansas per their desires: Iswaryam, Kaivalyam and Moksham. When the chEthanamsfall at the sacred feet of Your Lord, You as the KaruNA residing there flow out withjoy to bless them. You have thus links to Your Lord’s Thiruvadi as GangA always. With the power of that sambhandham, You grant the Prapannan the boon of Moksham.
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