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    Uchhishtam

    Paadatha Nazhellam Paazhe...(Sri Swamigal's Song)

    The Paduka

The 'Uchhishtam' of the Guru is His Words/Upadesas!

Sri Swamigal -

It is true that people in spiritual life also suffer from problems. While in general, people find it difficult to swim across an ocean, the fishermen, due to practice, are adept in crossing over. Similarly those who are in Satsang( Divine association)are dauntless when faced with problems and overcoming them effortlessly, march towards the feet of the Lord.

Faith is wealth. When there is no faith even if God Himself were to appear before us we will ignore Him and thus lose Him. But, if we possess faith, God will appear even in a stone and speak to us. Faith is the foundation for everything.

A Guru is like a sugar coated pill. With a deep desire for the sweetness we put it into the mouth too quickly. But then we are neither able to swallow it nor spit it out! Yet it has to be digested! Only after destroying the Sishya's (disciple's) ego will it get digested!

To attain the 'siddi'(potency) of the mantra to detoxify the scorpion sting one has to do japa of that mantra incessantly. Only then can he be successful. Instead, if he chants the mantra only at the time he is about to cure a person inflicted with a scorpion sting it will not work. Similarly, we should chant the 'Naama' (Name of the Lord) even while we are happy and comfortable. If done so we shall never experience difficulties in life. However, even if we do happen to face any difficulty the strength of the 'Naama' being chanted will wipe it off. This is (the best) a better way to do ('japa' of the 'Naama') than that done only when faced with difficulty.

Some argue that Advaita is right on the strength of their having been born in 'Sankara Sampradaya'(tradition), while some argue the rightness of the Vishishta Dvaita philosophy for the very same reason of having been born in 'Ramanuja Sampradaya' and yet others of Dvaita philosophy for having been born in 'Madhwa Sampradaya'. I know not which of these 'sampradayas' is right. However, to me, what seems to be the right path for all is 'Naama Sankirtanam'.

Sriman Nigamantha Desikan, a great Vaishnava Saint lived from mid-thirteenth to mid-fourteenth century- 1268-1369. Of the innumerable 'Granthas' (texts) written by Him the highly revered and considered as the most extraordinary piece is His "Paduka Sahasram" - a thousand verses on the 'Paduka' of Lord Ranganathar. The Saint has in all composed 1008 verses, the last eight apologizing in all humility for daring to compose these 1000 verses on the Paduka!

Sri Desikan's contemporary Sri Appayya Dikshitar had written a commentary on the "Paduka Sahasram" but unfortunately it has been lost.

Haricharana bhaktibhajaam janaanaam
    Anukarana viseshaih: atmanaivopahaasyam |
Parinamaya dayarda Paduke! Tatdrisham maam
    Bharataparishadantar vardibhi: prekshaneeyam ||   (991)

Oh! Paduka!
    The great devotees of the Lotus Feet of Hari
    do I imitate
    in the matter of Bhakti, peformance of duties and self-criticism
Oh! Compassionate Paduka!
    in Your abundant Grace transform me
    into one with true devotion and humility
    so that I, too, can join the Bharata-group!

Click here for the Sanskrit Sloka

Anoraneeyaseem Vishno: mahatopi maheeyaseem |
Prapadye Padukaam nityam tatpadenaiva samitaam ||   (781)

Be He (the Lord) atom-like! Or mammoth-size!
    You, who adapted a form to suit the Feet
    (That grew to suit the size of the Lord's form!)
    Unto You I ever surrender!

Click here for the Sanskrit Sloka

Maanocitasya madadheenajanasya nityam
    Maa bhoodata: kripanateti vicintayantya |
Bandeekritham dhruvamavaimi valagnadeshe
    Kaashryam tvaya kamalalocanapaadarakshe! ||    (789)

Hey! Paduka !
    You are thin in the middle as if, only to say -
    He, who looks upto Me the virtuous one
    should not be an object of other's sympathy starved and craving for
    either wealth or fame or learning or devotion
OR
    For all of these
    so have absorbed and retained
    all the narrowness (of the mind) in ME!

Click here for the Sanskrit Sloka

Madye krushaamubhayata: pratipannavrudhim
    Manye sameeshya bhavateem manipaadarakshe! |
Nityam mukundapadasangamaviprayogau
    Nicinvate kritadhiya: sukhadhukkhakaashtaam ||   (790)

Hey! Paduka!
    the learned say thin You are, in the middle
    with lack of contact (with the Lotus Feet)!
    but,
    stout You are, on either side
    with the pressing of the Lotus Feet
    and so
Sorrow(thinness) is - loss of touch (contact) with God!
Joy is - contact (touch) with Him!

Click here for the Sanskrit Sloka

NOTHING CAN MATCH YOUR MERIT!

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