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Slokam 15
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Today , adiyEn will cover the Fifteenth slOkam
of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan
describes how our most compassionate Lord DhIpa PrakAsan
wakes up the chEthanams form their "sleep" out of His DayA
PravAham and empowers them to follow the righteous path
of Prapatthi prescribed by the VedAs:
nidhrAyithAn nigamavarthmani chArudarsee
prasTAna-sakthi-rahithAn prathibhOdhya janthUn
jeerNa-sthanadhaya-jada-andhamukhAnivAsmAn
nEthum Mukundha yathasE dayayA saha Thvam
--SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 15
(Meaning): ViLakkoLi EmperumAnE ! People of the world
(Janthu:) should know the way to conduct themselves in
this world.They should also have the energy to undertake
that journey. Similarly one needs jn~Anam and Sakthi to
follow the path prescribed by the VedAs. Many do not have
the discriminating intellect. Those who have Jn~Anam
are found deficient in their resolve to follow the Vedic path.
Oh DhIpa prakAsa PrabhO! We have neither the Jn~Anam and
the Sakthi to seek this righteous path .We are in a state
similar to that of infirm weakling , tiny children ,
fools and the blind ,who need the helping hand of others
to be shown the way for such a journey. We are in a state of
sleep (torpor). It is necessary to wake up us (such people)
when such an important journey has to commence. Oh Bhagavann !
You take pity on us and use Your limitless DayA and gently
shake us out of our deep slumber.Your intent is to help us
through this awakening process. After waking us up, You
show us the auspicious path of Prapatthi and make us
travel on that road.Is it not that the ordinance of
the VedAs? You take particular interest in us becoming
qualiifed to be adhikAris for Moksham . How can one
thank You for Your compassionate benovolence ?
Additional Comments :
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The Lord of ThirutthaNkA is saluted here as
"ChAru Darsee" or the One with "nalla nOkku "
( most auspicious intent and outlook for our
Yoga-KshEmam). He is also saluted as "Mukundhan"
or the Moksham-conferring Lord.Swamy Desikan's
salutation is " Mukundha! Thvam ChAru-darsee".
We, the JanthUs (ChEthanams) are like JeerNa :
( dilapidated ones overcome with the effects of age),
Sthanandhaya: ( infants ), JaDa: ( ignoramus),
andha: ( blind ones) . As a result of our slumber
born out of TamO guNam , we are totally unaware of
Your saasthrams and are far removed from the practise
of Vedic rules. You have limitless compassion
(aparimitha dayA guNam ).Hence , You catch hold of us
and shake us out of our torpor which prevents us
from following the auspicious ways prescribed by Your
VedAs ( nigama varthmani nidhrAyithAn asmAn PrathibhOdhya).
You shake us and wake us and commence Your efforts
to set us up on our travel along the auspicious and ancient
route of Prapatthi to attain You ( asmAn prathibhOdhya
nEthum yathasE).
Swamy Desikan asks : "What propells Him to engage in
such a merciful act instead of ignoring us ,
the slumbering ones ?Nigamaantha MahA Guru answers :
" It is His DayA guNam. The anukampA of DhIpa PrakAsan
is behind this effort by Him ".
To comprehend the power and nature of this DayA GuNam,
we have to refer to the passages of the magnificent
sthuthi of Swamy Deikan revered as "DayA Sathakam ".
Here, Swamy Desikan visualizes the Lord's DayA as DayA devi ,
one of His divine consorts , who wakes up the slumbering
janthus ( achith visishtAn JanthUn avalOkya jaatha NirvEdhA
bhavasi).Let us seek further references from Swamy
Desikan's Dhivya Sookthi of DayA sathakam to comprehend
His DayA GuNam (anukampA , KaruNA )behind this act of
rescue by Him .
The Lord's DayA
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The Lord's compassion has been compared to the vastness
of the Ocean ( DayAmbOdhi). It has been described as
KaaruNya GangA ( Cool and nourishing flow of Compassion),
KaruNA VaruNAlayam ( Ocean of Mercy) in DayA Sathakam.
Swamy Desikan visualized that compassion to take
the special form of DayA Devi. That DayA is like
the treasure for those who are impoverished
(akinchana: nidhim iva). That DayA is the growing field
for the harvest of Moksham and the other three purushArtams
( apavarga thrivargayO: soothi).Our Lord's compassion
propels Him to protect the suffering/slumbering janthus ;
the other guNams of His like Sakthi , Balam et al complete
the task of rescuing the helpless janthus lost in slumber.
Due to the bundle of paapams accumulated ,the jnathus(jeevans )
are in a state of trance ( dhuritha moorchanA jushtam );
the Lord's dayA wakes them (the jeevans) up (Janthum
prabhOdhayathi). That DayA of the Lord lifts us
out of the ocean of SamsAram , where the danger of drowning
is imminent ( SamsAra TaariNi).The ever-growing DayA of
the Lord is like a kalpakA creeper for the helpless
janthus( krupaNa jana kalpa lathikA).With great affection
and concern (samAhitha snEhA ), DayA Devi blesses them
with the dhIpam of appropriate SaasthrAs ( anuguNa-dasA
arpithEna saasthra-mayEna sTira pradhIpEna) and thru
the prakAsam of that dhIpam destroys the darkness of
nescience ( saasthra-mayEna sTira pradhIpEna prajAnAm
tama: samayasi).Swamy Desikan describes the DayA guNam
of the Lord is innate(DayE ! Thvam svabhAva bhUthA).
The Lord becomes DayALu because of You ( KamalA Nilaya:
ThvayA DayALu:).Swamy Desikan pays the highest compliments to
DayA Devi by saluting Her as the Empress of all
the GuNams of the Lord ( Thvam GuNEshu SaarvabhoumI).
The 39th slOkam of DayA sathakam has close links to
the irreplacable and matchless help of DayA Devi
waking up the slumbering jeevans and taking
them to the bazzar of Vedams and pointing out
the right Vedic upakaraNams (nigama vipaNi madhyE
BhavathyA vyanjitham , nithya muktha anushaktham
Vrusha Giri Harineelam )to enjoy the Bluish
effulgence of Hari NaarAyaNan surrounded by
the NithyAs and MukthAs. DayA Devi takes on
the form of SaddhEsikAthmA ( taking the body
of a sadAchAryan ) and prepares the Jeevan
with Upadesams from the VedAs and SaasthrAs
and helps with the performance of Prapatthi
for Janma Saapalyam.
Such is the glory of DayA Devi and Her power
over Lord DhIpa PrakAsan standing near the banks of
Vegavathi river at the Dhivya Desam of ThirutthaNkA!