saranagati deepika

You are here: SriPedia - ebooks - Vedanta Desikan - Saranagati Deepika
Slokam 18
*********

Today , adiyEn will cover the Eighteenth slOkam 
of Sri SaraNAgathi DhIpikai , where Swamy Desikan
salutes the Soulabhyam and the souseelya guNams of
ViLakkoLi PerumAL : 

nimnOnnathAni nikhilAni padhAni ghADam
majjanthitE mahima saagara seekarEshu
nIrIndhram aasrayasi neecha janaamsthaTApi 
seelEna hantha SisirOpavanEswara Thvam

--SrI SaraNAgathi DhIpikai: SlOkam 18

(Meaning):The Lord of ThirutthaNkA Dhivya dEsam ! 
Oh ViLakkoLi PerumAnE ! Your glories are immeasurable
like the vastness of the ocean .In each droplet of that 
ocean of Your vaibhavam , the entire world is contained.
All the positions starting from Brahmaa downwards are
contained in these miniscule droplets of Your Viabhavam.
Inspite of this immeasurable and limitless glory , You 
seek the help of lowly ones like Guhan , the hunter king
and SugrIvan , the monkey king ! You mix with them as if
they are Your equals . Wonderous indeed is the course of
Your souseelya guNam ! ( The most exalted one in every 
way mixing readily with lowly ones without holding back
is indeed the guNam of Souseelyam and soulabhyam/ease of
access without let ).

Additional Comments:
*********************
Oh Lord Of ThirutthaNkA! "tE mahima seekarEshu nimna unnathAni
nikhilAni padhAni ghADam majjanthi" . All the noble sthAnams
like the padhavi of Chathur-mukha BrahmA , DevEndhran, the king
of Svargam , KubEran , the lord of wealth , the ten forms of
Fire(Agni), the twelve AdhithyAs , the sphere of Space and 
the Lord of the wind (Vaayu), the sky, the constellations , 
the Moon , the Maruths , the EkAdasa RudrAs , the sthAnams of 
the regents of Directions, the sthAnams of ashta Vasus and 
ALL other sthAnams and their glories are totally submerged 
inside a singe droplet of Your Mahimai. Such is YOur immense
glory and splendor and Yet , You put all these aside in
the most disarming manner and mingle with a unlettered 
king of hunters and establish friendship with a Monkey
king and seek their help . What a Souseelyam that You 
display ! It is matchless indeed !

The references here are to the Vibhava avathAram of
SrI DhIpa PrakAsan as Raamachandra and His meeting 
with Guhan , the hunter king at his capital of 
SrungavErapuram on the banks of Gangaa river.

Souseelyam display(1): Affectionate Interaction with Guhan
********************************************************
RaamA's embrace of Guhan and affectionate conversation 
with him are beautiful portrayals of the Lord's 
souseelya GuNam . Ramaa consoled Guhan and asked 
him to stay with his relatives and subjects instead of
accompanying Him into the forest to serve Him ;

"Yenn uyir AanAi nee iLaval unniLayAn 
innnanuthalAL ninn kEL naLir kadal nilam yellAm
unnuduyathu naan unn thozhil urimaiyin uLLEn"

--Kambha RaamAyaNam: AyOdhyA KaaNDam:Guha Padalam:verse 676 

(meaning): Oh My dear GuhA ! You are precious to Me like 
My very life . My beloved brother LakshmaNan and My beautiful
wife with a lovely forehead are Your relatives. This land
girdled by the Ocean is Yours.

munpu uLem oru naalvEm mudivu uLathu yena unnaa
anpu uLa ini Naam ohr IYVAKAL aanOm 

--Guha padalam Passage : 677

(meaning): Before befriending you, Oh GuhA , we were 
four brothers . Now , We have become a family of
Five brothers with limitless love between us.

Aadhi Kavi VaalmIki describes the affectionate way
in which RaamA embraced the NishAda RaajA Guhan and
spoke to him :

" bhuJabhyaam saadhu vrutthAbhyAm peeDayan vAkyam abraveeeth "

(meaning): Pressing GuhA tightly once more with his
rounded arms , SrI RaamA spoke to Guhan .

Souseelyam Display (2): Friendship with Monkey King 
****************************************************
In Kishkindaa KaanDam , SrI Raamachandran meets SugrIvan,
who has been badly treated by Vaali , his brother. Raama 
is introduced to the distraught SugrIvan by HanumAn 
and Raama joyously embraces SugrIvan as a dear friend . 
This friendship between the scion of Raghu race and 
a monkey is lovingly described by Aadhi Kavi VaalmIki 
in many sargams of SrImath RaamAyaNam . SugrIvan promises to 
reunite SrI Raamachandran with His dear consort , SitA Piraatti. 
After Vaali is punished , Raamachandran consoles SugrIvan
in the most tender manner .Our Lord , the Sarvaj~nan 
Sought the counsel of Monkey king , SugrIva during 
VibhIshana saraNAgathy and on the battle field
at LankA . On return to AyOdhyA , Raamachandran honors 
SugrIvan during His Coronation ceremony and bids him farewell
with great affection . The souseelyam of the Lord is 
beautifully displayed by our Lord. 

Swamy Desikan salutes this souseelya guNam of
Lord DhIpa PrakAsan magnificently in this 
sOkam .