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Sri RanganAtha PaadhukhA Sahasram : Chapter 24 --Dvandhva Paddhathi : Part 1

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • June 5, 1997 


Dear Devotees of Divya maNi PaadhukhAs of the Lord :

Swami Desikan is now at the two thirds level of completion
of his magnum opus of a kaavyam as he races towards 
the dawn to complete the 1008 slokams of RPS . In this 
paddhathi named Dvandhva Paddhathi (DP)  , he salutes the Lord's
pair of sandals  , which are always united with each other. There are 
twenty slokams in this paddhathi . He compares the inseparable 
paadhukhAs to other mithunams or pair of objects that are always 
seen together .

Slokam 1 of DP/ Slokam 761 of RPS
*****************************************

prapadhyE paadhukhA rupam praNavasya KalAdvayam I
Otham mithamidham yasmin ananthasyApi tathpadham II

Here , Swami Desikan describes the two letters of the PraNavam
( OM ) associated with the Lord and His consort as the pair of
PaadhukhAs . He declares : I salute the PraNavam (OM ) made up 
of "O " for Otham and "M " for Mitam , which has taken the form of the 
two paadhukhAs . 

Swami Suggests that the pair of PaadhukhAs are inseparable just 
as the Lord represented by "A " and His consort represented by 
the Letter "U " to form the KalAdvayam , "O " ( A+U) . Just as the Lord
and His consort are an inseparable pair , the two paadhukhAs are
also an inseparable pair . When the letter "O " joins with the letter 
"M" , representing the jeevan , then the full significance of Pranavam
shines forth . 

Slokam 2 of DP 
*****************

May the pair of paadhukhAs representing compassion and
forbearance of the Lord intent on protecting all sentient and
insentient beings confer auspiciousness on me. 

AnukampA (Compassion )  and KshamA (Forbearance ) are 
the pair of KalyANa GuNaas that the Lord evokes to protect 
the ChethanAs and AchEthanAs .

Slokam 3 of DP 
*******************

O Gem-studded PaadhukhE ! Both of you have joined together as 
a pair to protect those , who worship you from any dangers to them 
from the DevAs or Human beings . As a united pair , You are the shield
against dangers facing the devotees of your Lord. One of you take care of 
the dangers form the DevAs and the other from the fellow human beings . 
Swami states that they are the PrathikAram for the Daiva MaanusheeNAM
VipathA :

The inner meaning is that there is no fear of dangers from either humans
or DevAs for those , who seek the sacred feet of a SadAchArya .  

Slokam 5 of DP 
*****************

Here Swami Desikan compares the two paadhukhAs to the sacred
disc (Sudarsanam ) and the Conch ( Paanchajanyam ) . He says :
" The disc and the conch on the hands of the Lord have transformed 
into two paadhukhAs . Just as the disc through its brilliant lustre and 
the conch through its terrifying sound destroy the enemies of the Lord 's
devotees , both of you (paadhukhAs ) destroy the enemies of those , who 
worship you . 

The inner meaning is that the SevA to the sadAcharyan and listening
to their upadesams for guidance remove all kinds of dangers .

Slokam 6 of DP/Slokam 766 of RPS
****************************************

O Madhusudana Paadhukhas ! Both of you serve as divinity ( Daivatham ) 
and prowess( Pourusham / human exertion ) for us , who do not
follow the rules of SaasthrAs (divine injunctions ) and who are lazy to 
take any effort to reach the Lord . We have no accumulated righteousness
(DharmA ) through the performance of good deeds sanctioned 
by the SaasthrAs . We are thus short in DharmA and effort .
For such destitute and impoverished ones like us , You have become
Daivatham and pourusham and have saved us. 

Slokam 7 of DP/Slokam 767 of RPS
****************************************

O Gem-studded PaadhukhE ! What will happen to us , who have
committed so many offenses and trespassed your Lord's commands,
if both you and the two consorts of the Lord (Bhu Devi and Sri Devi ) 
do not join together to recommend us to the Lord and plead for us ?

The inner meaning is that the SadAchArya brings the trespassers of
SaasthrAs to the Lord and the consorts of the Lord intercede and plead
for fogivenness to save the jeevans . The other suggestion of Swami 
Desikan is that the Lord may rush to the side of the suffering jeevans
on the paadhukhAs , but will not save them unless His consorts plead 
for mercy on behalf of the jeevans . Thus , both the paadhukhAs and 
the two consorts act in tandem to rescue the aparAdhi jeevans .

Slokam 8 of DP / Slokam 768 of RPS
******************************************

O PaadhukhE ! You are attached to the holy feet of the Lord , 
who is the enemy of  samsArA . I consider your union 
as the coming together of the two Brahma VidhyAs , ParA and AparA .

Apara VidhyA is the knowledge  acquired through AchAryA's 
mercy and recitation of VedAs and the study of VedAngAs ;
Para VidhyA is true knowledge obtained through meditation thereafter 
and resultant God realization . Mundaka Upanishad and VishNu purANam
deal with these two VidhyAs .

Slokams 9 of DP /Slokams 769 of RPS 
*********************************************************
Here , Swami Desikan compares the pair
of paadhukhAs to a chakravAka couple. He suggests that 
the paadhukhAs resting at the feet of the Lord at night are 
like the pair of ChakravAkA birds known for their fidelity .
Swami Desikan suggests that the male and female  pair 
of birds have taken refuge at the Lord's feet to overcome the 
curse that they were exposed to during RamAvathAram .  

There is a legend that RamachandrA cursed a few objects 
during the time of His intense suffering over the separation 
from His beloved SitA . These curses are :  (1) the chakravAkA
couple  should not become united together at night (2) the mother 
nightingale(Kuyil) should not raise their children (3) The bee should not
touch the champakA flower (4) The snake should choose the sandalwood
tree as its preferred  residence (5) The snakes should thrive on 
ingesting air (6) there should be  a blemish on the moon .

Against this background , Swami Desikan suggests that the paadhukhA
pair appear like the ChakravAkA pair that has fallen at the feet of 
RangarAman to get rid of the curse that had befallen on them .

Slokam 10 of DP/ Slokam 770 of RPS
*****************************************

mAnayAmi jagatha: tamOpahE 
    Maadhavasya maNipaadhukhE! yuvAm I
dakshiNOtthara gathikramOchithE 
    paddhathi iva mayuka maalina : II

O Gem-Studded PaadhukhAs of MaadhavA ! You are like 
the DakshinAyaNam (Winter Solistice ) and UttarAyaNam
(Summer Solistice ) periods of the Sun's movement . Like
the Sun removes the darkness during its travels during the 
two ayanAs , you (PaadhukhAs ) also remove the darkness 
of spiritual ignorance . Your steps are like the steps taken 
by the Sun during its two solistices .

(To be concluded in Part 2 )