MEANING:
We (HayagrIva UpAsakAs) incessantly meditate on Thy pair of sacred feet adorning the nUpuram (Sathankai) inlaid with the most radiant gems. The lustre arising from those gems equals the effulgence of the multi-rayed Sun (chithra Bhaanu) and serves as the morning sandhyA (dawn) that drives away the darkness of nescience. We pray for the banishment of the last trace of our aj~nAnam through the scintillating luster arising from Your sacred feet. Just as the morning Sun has the power to make the lotus blossom, we pray for the awakening and growth of our Bhakthi to You. We stay focused on the dhyAnam of Your sacred feet. The twin benefits arising from the incessant dhyAnam of the sacred feet of Lord HayagrIvan are:
(1) Removal of the dark clouds of aj~nAnam (nirdhUtha Tama: anushangAm)
(2) The blossoming and growth of dhivya Jn~Anam (prabhOdha raajeeva vikasitham). The Jn~Anam transforms from sankuchitham (shrunken state) to vikasitham (fully blossomed state).
In the previous slOkam, Swamy Desikan saluted the angri Raajeevam or the Lord’s lotus feet. He pointed out that they have the power to erase the Brahma lipi. The effect of the removal of the duraksharANi (the inauspicious letters written by BrahmA on our skulls at the time of our birth) is described in this slOkam. Those pair of lotus feet of the Lord removes through its radiance the last trace of aj~nAnam similar to the way the morning Sun wakes up the sleepy (closed) lotus and make it blossom into a state of splendor.
Just as the nUpura Gangai (silampAru) washes away the aj~nAnam of BhakthAs worshipping the Lord of ThirumAlirumchOlai, the radiance of the gems from the nUpuram adorning the sacred feet of Lord HayagrIvan banishes the darkness of nescience once and for all. After that cleansing, the lotus of Jn~Anam (PrabhOdha raajeevam) blossoms and grows into a state of splendor.
The reference to PrAtha: SandhyA Kaalam (aruNOdhyam heralding the dawn /PrAtha: sandhyA) reminds adiyEn of the magnificent Usha: sooktham of Rg Vedam. The radiance of the gem is equated to the lustre of Vedic goddess, Ushas (dawn) dispelling the darkness of aj~NAnam:
ruthAvarI divO arkairabhOdhyA REVATHEE rhOdasI chithramasthAth
aayathImagan Ushasam vibhAthIm VaamamEshi dhraviNam bhikshamANa:
–Rg Vedam : III.61.6
MEANING:
By Heaven’s illumings, one perceives Her as a bearer of the truth (Jn~Anam and Rutham). She is rapturous as She comes with Her varied lights into the two firmaments….. Ushath Kaalam (prAtha: sandhyA or VibhAtha sandhyA) precedes the lustre of the morning Sun (ChithrabhAnu PrakAsam of the PrabhOdha raajeevam referred to in Swamy Desikan’s 21st verse).
The Tatthvam of Ushas (dawn) invoked here is not the physical dawn, but has deeper, mystic meanings in VedAs, when applied to mental and spiritual realms.The Vedic dawn is associated with “Gou “or the uplifting rays of the ChithrabhAnu (Aadhithya maNdala madhyastha Sri LakshmI HayagrIvan) can also be linked to GodhA (Gou dadhAthi ithi GodhA). The deliverer of dhivya Jn~Anam in this model can be considered to be GodhA Devi serving the Lord (Chitra BhAnu) during the first crack of the dawn (siRRam SiRu Kaalai). Her prayer on our behalf (UnakkE naamAtccheyvOm, MaRRai nam kaamangaL MaaRRElO) is very appropriate for the banishment of Aj~nAnam and the growth of spiritual knowledge leading to Moksham.
Source
To be continued…
