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Dayaa Sathakam (31-40)

From the Bhakti List Archives

Skswami • August 2, 1998 


 
                  Srimaan Venkatanaathaaryaha kavithaarkika kesari|
           Vedanthaachaaryavaryome sannidhaththaam sadhaa hrudi||


Dear Bhaagavathaas,

"Dhaivaadheenam jagathsarvam". God is the basis of all. And Love  is the basis
of God. How beautiful, blissful and peaceful  it is to experience this love!
Our dearest Swami Desikan gives a glimpse of his experience in Daya Sathakam.
With my most humble and loving  namaskaarams to the acharya and to Sriya:
pathi, may I share the following summary translation with you, in postings
comprising about ten slokas at a time. (This posting covers slokas 31-40)

The translation is based on the commentary and explanations by Sri Srinivasa
Raghavacharyar Swami, published in the Tamil book, Daya Sathakam, by the Sri
Desika Dharsana Sabhai, Villivaakkam, Madras. Sri Srinivasa Raghavacharyar
Swami says that the Daya Sathakam is a sastra, sthothra, poem, painting,
an endless spring of water and an illumining light. My prayers to Sriman
Narayana
for everyone of us to follow in the footsteps of our acharyas,  practice what
they illustrated with their conduct, and experience the Love of the Lord
(rasovai saha) that they experienced.

All errors are your humble servantÂ’s.

Dhaasan
Sundararaghavan Krishnaswami Sarma
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                                                     Dayaa Sathakam
                                                      (Slokams 31-40)

31.  O The Love of Madhusoodhana! Before my waning senses lose their power,
before my breathing loses its ease, before my body loses its ability to move
about freely, I must reach the Thirumala Hills and live there. There are many
holy water-falls on these hills, manifesting your Grace.

32.  (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) I do not know what is good for me. IÂ’m
ignorant of the Atma.I do not possess virtues. Yet, you shower your grace on
me and give me succor. You embrace Lord Srinivasan and make him do what you
want him to do. Sri Devi and Bhoodevi keep you in high esteem because of your
boundless, selfless love.

33.  (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) In the Hall of Justice, where the Lord,
who has the power to give strength, has no partialities and differences, who
is virtues personified and is easily approachable, is seated with Mahalakshmi,
you embrace the Lord Srinivasan and provide suitable and winning arguments to
excuse all the sins I have committed.

34.  (O The Love of Lord Venkatesa!) The abiding rule is that the consequences
of sins have to be experienced. (The sins committed are so powerful) that the
consequences experienced in all the lives yet to come will still not mitigate
the sins entirely. Repentance also will not provide sufficient relief. Fully
aware of this hopeless situation, you embrace the Lord Srinivasan and remove
our fears of helplessness and make the Lord write-off our sins.

35.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! The Lord manifests Himself, in His Divine
Leela, as avataars. The ignorant do not cognize Him. Nevertheless, He conducts
Himself per your code of conduct (and exudes nothing but Love). When the good
and the pious are ripe for surrendering themselves to Him, He manifests
Himself in a cognizable way.

36.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! You are incessantly disposed to doing good
to everyone. Because of this, the Lord Srinivasan holds you in heart-felt and
unshakeable respect. His love towards His consorts, Sri Devi, Bhoodevi and
Neela Devi, is based on the fact that they are personification of your form
only.

37.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! Living in proximity to the Thirumala hills,
when one is suffering, is confused (due to oneÂ’s misdeeds, mis-words and mis-
thoughts),  is losing the potency of senses, and when one is about to fall,
you diligently bring to this maanava the thought of Maadhava.

38.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! Just as a ship piloted by competent sailors
travels the sea and reaches the shore safely, you are the boat piloted by
acharyas, that safely transports us across the sea of birth and death (to the
shore of Thirumala Hills).

39.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! (After reaching Thirumala Hills), people
get distracted by the myriad things on display in the bazaar of the world. But
you ‘lead them by hand’ to the seat of the Lord.

40.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! The one who does not bow to you but resorts
to other supports is a fool. His act is akin to looking for water in a mirage
when the Ganges is flowing nearby.
                                             _____________________

                           Kavithaarkika simhaaya kalyaana guna saaline|
                         Srimathe Venkatesaya vedaantha guravennamaha||