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Si HayagrIva SthOthram : Part XII --SlOkam 4 set in SaalinI metre and an Introduction to the five poetic metres used by Swamy Desikan in the 33 slOkams of Sri HayagrIva sthOthram .

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Sadagopan • August 28, 2000 


Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE Sharanam
Namo Sri HayagrivAya !

Dear BhakthAs :

We will cover the fourth slOkam in two postings.
The fourth SlOkam is set in the rare Saalini metre . 
Swamy Desikan's 28 sthOthrams contain 862 slOkams . 
This fourth slOkam of Sri HayagrIva sthOthram 
has the unique distinction of being set in 
the Saalini metre . Let us digress a little
to reflect on the Padhya vrutthams (poetic metres) 
chosen by Swamy Desikan in the 33 slOkams of 
Sri HaygrIva sthOthram .

The Five Metres used by Swamy Desikan:
**************************************

The First SlOkam  and Anushtup metre
*************************************
Swamy Desikan set the first slOkam
of His FIRST SthOthram in the sacred
Vedic metre of Anushtup to salute 
the Veda SvarUpan , Sri HayagrIvan.
Anushtup has eight syllables in each 
quarter of its four paadhams . One is
inevitably reminded of AshtAkshara 
Manthram of Sriman NaarAyaNan , when
one thinks of anushtup metre. As the lion
among poets , Swamy Desikan followed all
the rules for the use of this metre:
(1)Fifth syllable of each quarter  shoul
be short (2) the sixth long and (3) the seventh
altenatively long and short. 

The Second & Third SlOkams (SikhariNI Metre)
*********************************************

The SECOND and THIRD slOkams were set 
in SikariNI metre , one of the seven 
derivative metres of the Vedic Metre , Athyashti. 
The etymology of the word SikhariNI is connected
with that of an excellent woman ."Si" means to be 
attentive and to be sharp. Sikhara means 
the peak or summit; SikhariNI can then 
be related in a larger sense to an attentive 
woman of towering beauty .That metre was 
then chosen by Swamy Desikan for verses 2 
and 3 dealing with Hala-Hala Veda dhvani of 
the Lord .

The Fourth SlOkam and the SikhariNI Metre
******************************************* 

The FOURTH slOkam is set in the rare Saalini metre .
This metre is a derivative of the Vedic Thrishtup
metre.The clue for the use of Saalini metre is
obtained for a study of another slOkam set in
the Saalini Metre: 

angO hanthi JN~AANA Vrutthim vidattE
  DHARMAM dhattE KAAMAARTHAM cha soothE
MUKTHIM dhattE SarvathOpAsyamAnA
  PumsAm SRADDHAA-SAALINEE VISHNU BHAKTHI:

Now , we comprehend the possible reason for
Swamy Desikan's choice of the SaalinI metre.

The 5th to 31st SlOkams ( UpajAthi Metre)
*****************************************

The FIFTH to THIRTY FIRST sLokams are set in
the Upajaathi Metre, which is another derivative
of the Vedic Thrishtup metre like SaalinI metre.
Swamy Desikan decided to stay with UpajAthi 
metre after the Saalini Metre for the next 
27 slOkams . His concentration was sharp 
in extolling the anantha KalyANa guNams
of Jn~ananthamaya , Svathasiddha , Veda
Moorthy . He stayed thus with the UpajAthi metre 
for all the rest of the slOkAs except 
the last two ( 32-33). UpajAtha means produced
or happened.These 27 slOkams forming the bulk
of the total 33 slOkams (~82%) can be visualized
to have been formed by PrArthanA-poorvaka 
vij~nApanam of Swami Desikan to Lord Hayagrivan 
for the boon of Vedic Speech for samrakshnam of
Bhagavath RaamAnuja SiddhAntham.

The Thirty Second Slokam and MandhAkranthA metre
**************************************************

For the THIRTY SECOND SlOkam , Swamy Desikan 
used the MandhaakrAnthA metre. This MandhAkrAnthA 
metre is another derivative of the Athyashti Metre like 
SikhariNI metre( the metre of the 2nd and third slOkams). 
The whole of the great Kaavyam of MegadhUtA of
the celebrated poet KaaLidAsA is composed in 
the MandhAkrAnthA metre. The Vedic root Mandh
(mandhathE ) means to celebrate without rushing .
The non-Vedic meaning is to move slowly(mandha gathi) . 
One meaning of AakrAntha is to have the mind 
engrossed or occupied .The combination of
mandh and AakrAnthA , one can extrapolate 
to get a meaning of the poets's mind 
being steeped in a majestic , unhurried
celebration of the anantha kalyANa guNams
of the Saarasvatha-Vaak-dhAyaka Sri HayagrIvan. 

The Thirty third and Final slOkam ( AaryA metre)
*************************************************

This is the Pahala sruthi slOkam  is set in 
AaryA metre by Swami Desikan. One hundred and
Sixteen of the 862 slOkams ( 13.5% ) of the 28
sthOthrams are set in AaryA metre . This metre
must have 12 maathrAs or syllabic instants
in the first and third quarters (paadhams),
the second 18 mAthrAs and the fourth 15 mathrAs.
The whole of the poet GovardhanA's AaryA sapthasathi
(700 vesrses)has been composed in he AaryA metre.
This metre is usullay a celebration of 
the DayA svarUpam of the Lord .

We will take up in the next posting , the detailed
meanings of the Fourth SlOkam set in the rare
Saalini Metre .

Sri HayagrIva parabrahmaNE Nama:
Daasan , Oppiliappn Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan
 
  
       






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