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 76

vR^iShagiri sudhaa sindhau jantur.h daye nihitastvayaa
bhava bhaya pariitaapachchhityai bhajannaghamarShaNam.h.
muShita kaluSho mukteragresarairabhi puuryate
svayam.h upanataiH svaatmaananda prabhR^ityanu bandhibhiH..76

(MEANING):

Oh Dayaa Devi! You decided to destroy the many fears of SamsAram (Bhava bhaya pareetApam) and the ensuing sufferings of the Jeevans. For this purpose, You plunge the suffering ChEthanam in the ocean of bliss known as ThiruvEnkatamudayAn at Vrusha Giri (ThvayA Janthu: Vrusha Giri SudhA Sindhou nihitha:). There is a snAnam prescribed in the SaasthrAs named agamarshaNam. When one performs this type of SnAnam in the holy waters, his sins are destroyed thoroughly and the previous tApams are chased away.Similarly, the ChEthanam which was immersed in the blissful ocean of SrinivAsan by You gets its taapams and Paapams removed through the performance of the act of Prapatthi. Oh Dayaa DEvi! You are the one, who performs the Prapatthi for the chEthanam. Until the chEthanam can enjoy the MokshAnandham at the end of its life on earth, You bless the chEthanam to enjoy some viSEsha anubhavams here itself. Two such special anubhavamsare: (1) enjoyment of the Lord, who resides inside as AntharyAmi or indweller and (2)enjoyment of ArchAvathAra Moorthys and performing Kaimkaryams for them. You bless the Prapannan with many other visEsha anubhavams. These anubhavams here are like the retinue that goes ahead of the supreme MokshAnandham. How can one count the limitless upakArams that You perform for the Prapanna Jeevan ? It is impossible.
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