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 75

atividha shivair.h aishvaryaatma anubhuuthi rasairjanaan.h
ahR^idayam.h iha upachchhandhyaiShaaM asa~Nga dashaarthinii.
tR^iShita janataa tiirthasnaana krama xapitainasaaM
vitarasi daye viitaata~Nkaa vR^iShaadri pateH padam.h..75

(MEANING):

The key words here are: “DayE! (Thvam) Vrushagiri PathE: padham vitharasi” (Oh Dayaa DEvi! You bless the prapannAs with the enjoyment of the sacred feet of Lord VenkatEsa). Dayaa Devi! You grant the grand wealth of Kaivalyam (AathmAvalOkanam or enjoyment of the Aathma svaroopam), which is one grade bigger than the Iswaryam of Brahma, which is turn is one level larger than that of the wealth of MahEswaran (Lord Siva). You do not confer anyone of these categories of wealth as a boon out of full enthusiasm. Why is that so You grant these requested boons half-heartedly ? It is because these Iswaryams are not everlasting (Saasvatham). Moksha SaamrAjyam is the only everlasting Iswaryam. You decide that they roam around the desired pastures for a while and then correct them to seek the everlasting Iswaryam that you can bless them with. You wait for them to lose interest in these fickle Iswaryams and once they recognize the asAram and the temporariness of these perishable Iswaryams, You bless them with the Jn~Anam to destroy their sins of anyadevathA upAsanam and Bhaagavatha apachArams and motivate them to perform Prapatthias Mumukshus (those desiring Moksham). Your hesitancy to grant them Moksham without Prapatthi is now removed and You grant Moksham to these PrapannAs without fear or favor (PakshapAtham and Saasthra Viruddham) The blessed ones become the fortunate ones to perform nithya Kaimkaryam at the holy feet of Your Lord. Oh Dayaa Devi! Who else can render such great assistance (MahOpakAram) except You ?
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