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Seventh SlOkam of SrI DevanAyaka PanchAsath
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visrANayan mama visEsha-vidhAm-anindhyAm
antharvathIm giram AhIndhrapurAdhirAja:
sthavya: sthavapriya ithIva tapOdhanOktham
sthOtEthi cha Thavath abhidhAnam avandhyaya Thvam
Extended Meaning
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Oh DhaivanAyakA! In MahA BhAratha ithihAsam , Sage
VyAsa released SrI VishNu Sahasra Naamam through
PithAmahar Bhishmar.In that Sahasra Naamam, there are
three references are made to the Lord as (1) the only
One who is fit to be praised (2) the One , who is equally
pleased with the praise of His bhakthans ,even if
those praises arise from the use of different languages
(3)the One , who praises the Bhakthan that eulogize Him.
These three thoughts are housed in the ThirunAmams of
" Sthavyan, Sthava Priyan (and) SthOthA " . adiyEn has
taken these three Naamams , reflected on them and
emboldened myself to come forward to eulogize You.
You should bless me with the anugraham of poetic skills
that would be object of laudation of vidvAns , when
adiyEn engages in praising You . More than that , You must
accept my samarpaNam and be pleased so that all the three NaamAs
revealed by Sage VyAsA will become meaningful with respect
to You and prove infallible .
Additional Thoughts
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Our AchArya Saarvabhouman is always a Taarkika Simham
besides being a Kavi Simham .Here again , Swamy Desikan
uses his skills in logic and engages the Lord in
a dialog to persuade Him to hold on to the three names of
SrI VishNu Sahasra Naamam : Sthavyan, Sthava Priyan
and SthOtha.
In the previous slOkam , Swamy Desikan asked the Lord
to be careful to protect (DharaNam of) one of His other
naamAm: "DaasEshu Sathya: ". Swamy pleaded with the Lord:
"DaasEshu Sathya ithi nAmadhEyam dhAraya " . At the same
time , Swamy Desikan saluted the Lord as the fulfiller of
his deep desire ( mama manOraTa siddhi dhAyi )to conclude
successfully the effort begun by him to eulogize Him.
In this seventh slOkam , Swamy Desikan prays for the boon
of auspicious vaak (speech) to engage in the task of
composing a sthOthram that will be lauded by mahA vidvAns
( VisEsha VidhAm anindhyAm ) and that would gladden
the heart of the Lord of ThiruvahIndhrapuram . Swamy
Desikan prays for the power to compose a sthothram
housing deep Tatthvams inside ( antharvathIm giram ).
Swamy points out that such a boon is essential to
protect the description of the Lord by Sage VyAsar
with the thirunAmams(abhidhAnam) of " Sthavyan " ,
Sthavapriyan and SthOthA ".
The Vaachika aarAdhanam of our Lord through pious words
(Giram) is indicated in the following SrI VishNu Sahasra
Naamam section:
"sthavya: sthava-priya: sthOthram
sthuthah sthOtha rana-priya: "
Swamy Desikan is referring thus to the SrI VishNu
SahasranAmams from 684 to 688:
684th Naamam: (PraNavam) SthavyAya Nama: He who is
worthy of praise . Our Lord has limitles auspicous guNAs
and is THE MOST deserving one as the object of praise.
Our Lord blesses us with the greatest of gifts
(viz)., Moksham , which is the parama purushArTam
compared to insignificant and evanescent gifts recieved
from praising rich men . Our Lord's names are therefore
Keerthaneeyam ( deserve to be eulogized).
685th Naamam: Sthava-Priya: One who welcomes
and enjoys the praise offered by a devotee. He welcomes
such praise from any one or in any language (yEna kEnApi
JanthunA , yEna kEnApi BhAshayA ).Those who engage in praising
Him become very dear to Him (Priyatama: Bhavathi).
686th Naamam : SthOthram : He becomes "the Eulogy Incarnate" .
Swamy ParAsara Bhattar comments that This praise of the Lord
is accomplished by the Lord Himself as an instrument ,
when He is pleased with the bard , who sings about Him .
Swamy Desikan through His request in this slOkam aspired for
such a status of priyathaman.
687th Naamam: Stutah : He who is being praised by
all blessed souls through the Lord's own anupravEsam .
688th Naamam: SthOtA : He who praises those who eulogize Him.
He is Parama Souseelyan and it is His essential nature to praise
those , who praise Him. Swamy ParAsara Bhattar quotes
the VishNu Dharma SlOkam 75.55 in this context :
" Yam sthuvan sthavyathAmEthi vandamAnasccha vandhayathAm "
( " He who praises BhagavAn is praised by BhagavAn Himself,
and he who adores BhagavAn becomes an object of adoration
for Him ").
Such is the greatness of these four VishNu Sahasra Naamams
that Swamy desikan not only invokes their purport but he also
includes the three nAmAs verbatim in his seventh slOkam .
NigamAntha MahA Desikan's prayer for the blessings of
divine speech for composing DevanAyaka PanchAsath brings
to mind one of the many prayers housed in the VedAs:
sa nO adhya vasuttayE kratuvid gAtuvittama:
vAjam jEshi sravO bruhath ---Rg Vedam IX.44.6
(meaning) : " Oh Lord , the reciever of sacred homages,
knower of paths of virtues , May Thou bless us this day
abundant food of wisdom and vigour for the acquisition of
the wealth of enlightenment ".
"SravO bruhath " of this Rk has been intrepreted by Saayana
as " Bruhath Srava:" or the immense wealth , the unique wealth
of enlightenment , the dhivya JnAnam (ArTa Panchakam).
"Vaajam " in this Rk refers to a combination of strength ,
vigour and wisdom to gain the dhivya Jn~Anam blessed by
the Lord Himself (Sthavyan) in His role as "Sthava priyan" .