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Dayaa Sathakam (91-100)

From the Bhakti List Archives

Skswami • August 8, 1998 


  Srimaan Venkatanaathaaryaha kavithaarkika kesari|
                  Vedanthaachaaryavaryome sannidhaththaam sadhaa hrudi||


Dear Bhaagavathaas,

"Daivaadheenam 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 achaarya and to Sriya:
pathi, may I share the following summary translation with you, in postings
comprising about ten slokas at a time. (This posting includes slokams 71-80)

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.

Daasan
Sundararaghavan Krishnaswami Sarma
---------------------------------------------------------------

                                                 Dayaa Sathakam
                                                  (Slokams 91 - 100)

91.  O The Love of the Lord of the of the Vrishadri hills! Thus, you are doing
beneficial things for all, all the time. I still do not pay adequate respects
to you. Understanding my deficient state, you yourself have undertaken the
responsibility for my protection. You must place me permanently with the Lord
who is my Lord, and the Lord of the sacred Tirumala hills, and the world.

92.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! Your outpouring of Love is a natural flood
that flows with force and speed. Direct this flood towards me. I am attracted
to you. The Lord is wondrous at the speed with which you flow. When the mighty
sea crosses its limits and flows beyond, who can indeed stem its flow?
Thinking thus, the Lord merely watches you in action. 

93.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! I have studies the Sastras and understand
the right from the wrong. In spite of this, I err from the righteous path and
follow the demons like Vridrasura. Yes, several actions of mine deserve
punishment at the hands of the Lord and the Lord will mete them out. But you
must save me from the LordÂ’s punishment!

94.  O The Love of Lord Srinivasa, the companion of Padmavathi! I am
flabbergasted at my own terrible mischiefs. I say one thing but do another. I
advise constantly against showing off. Others give up this habit, but I show
off the most. This is like the action of the Kulinga birds! The Kulinga bird
derides and instructs the lion not to be a "show off"., but itself goes and
picks the  food remaining  in-between the lionÂ’s teeth as the lion sleeps with
its mouth open. What will be its fate if the lion closes its mouth? Oh Daya
Devi!  can you stop my tendency to act against my own advice?

95.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! I shy away from you, I run away from you,
and I hide from you. But you should not be lackadaisical. You must jump and
grab me. Your husband is a hunter living on the hills. He hunts for sport. You
are wedded to him. You can catch me easily in the net. Once caught by you, I
am saved. Therefore, you must overpower (my tendencies)  and take me under
your wings. You must ask your hunter-husband to go hunting,  with you as the
net. When the net (Divine Love) is thrown, I cannot hide from it; I cannot
escape its hold at all. Yours is the net made by the strength of virtues.

96.  O The Love of the Lord who is manifesting on the Tirumala hills! You must
remove all my bad feelings. I am frightened at the series of sins I commit
progressively! How can I live with this fear? Then, with your grace, I think
of you and I feel comforted. My status is terrible; I am holding a poisonous
snake in my hand. Letting it go is risky, and holding on to it is also risky.
You must remove my hold on worldly matters and replace it with a firm hold on
yourself. 

97.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! O Mother! What is my offering to you? I
offer to you only the mountainous loads of sin that I carry. There is none
other that will want or accept this load. Hence I offer these enthusiastically
to you, who are my mother. You "swallow" this mountanous load of sins without
an iota of share to others. Yet, you look as if you could "swallow" more and
more of this.

98.  O The Love of Lord Venkatesa! Just as the  ocean doesnÂ’t loose its
tepidity, even under the rays of the scorching sun, in spite of your accepting
the offerings of our sins, the Lord will not get angry at you. His eyes are
only the lotus flowers that reflect you.
99.  O The Love of the Lord of the Tirumala hills! I am your elephant and you
must tie me up firmly with your Anugraha and accept me. (The elephant has the
unique blessing of performing pattabhishekam to the Divine Mother. Like that I
must worship you in the four stages of Darsanam, Damanam, Snanam, and
Bhajanam.)

100.  O Mother! O the Love of Lord Venkatesa! What can I ask of you? Nothing,
really. With your grace,  I must attain the stage of moksha.  Mukundan will
grant me the grace of Mukta in this life itself, here and now. He protects and
his love has no limits.
                                                ____________________
                                 Kavithaarkika simhaaya kalyaana guna saaline|
                        	Srimathe Venkatesaya vedaantha guravennamaha||