Paadukha Yanthram for Sunday

Notes by V. Sadagopan swami:

SlOkam 933: This slOkam is used on SUNDAYS by the ladies of the house. This slOkam is known as “Dhvayaj~nAla SarvathO Bhadhram”. This sabdha chithram can be represented either as an 8 x 8 square or as an ashta dhaLa padhmam housing a circle and a chathur dhaLa padhmam. This entire slOkam is made up only of 2 aksahrams: dha and Paa.

Essentail Meaning of this slOkam: The paadhukhAs of the Lord are sinless. (The sadhAchAryAs / NammAzhwAr and his successors are sinless). The paadhukhAs protect the lustre of the eternal jIvans, who are part of the akhila Tanu, Sriman NaarAyaNan (Sri Rangan). They protect the Lord’s feet as well, the sacred feet, which destroy the sins of the jIvans. These PaadhukhAs protect further those, who bathe them and partake that Thirumanjana theertham. Swami Desikan states that he has been pro- tected by the PaadhukhAs of the Lord and the Sri Paadha-PaadhukhA Theertham and made sinless.

Additional meanings by V. Sadagopan: The divya paadhukhAs through their generosity, DayA and vaatsalyam bless one with all auspiciousness, when approached with reverence. Further they protect the Lord’s feet be- cause of its wonderful love (prEma adhisayam), which is the only upAyam for the ujjIvanam of the jIva rAsis. It serves as a shield against thorns et al during the Lord’s sanchArams. It removes the paapa raasis of the sajAthi- yAL out of immense compassion for them and restores in them the enjoy- ment of the Lord (Bhagavadh anubhavam). It recognizes that the Lord be- ing up in Sri Vaikuntam does not help the Jivaraasis here and brings Him on its back here amidst us to LeelA VibhUthi and gives us the Jn~Ana chakshus through manthrOpadEsams to us to see Him and His splendor here. Since it (Paadhukha) is equivalent to the Lord in its glory (AchArya PrabhAvam), it (the PaadhukhAs) illuminates the Lord’s Thiruvadi further and blesses us with Sri Paadha theertham and removes our ajn~Anam and destroys our sins completely. It becomes the AasrayaNam to reach the Lord and to receive His anugraham.

1. UtthamUr Swami’s anubhavam: The PaadhukAs are sinless and protect in themselves the lustre of the jeevans, who are derived from VishNu. They protect the Lord’s feet, which destroy the sins of Jeevans. These PaadhukAs protect further those, who offer them water for their sacred bath. They have protected me from the sins.

2. Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: The inner meaning of this slOkam is:

(a) The AchAryAs as avathAra PurushAs establish the Parathvam of the Lord out of their abiding love for their Lord and intense compassion for the Jeevans through successful debates with kumathis

(b) By nature, these AchAryAs are devoid of sins and are intent on banishing the sins of those, who seek their protection. They purify those who provide help for their Bhagavath- AarAdhanam through the theertham from their AarAdhanam and their own SrI Paadha Theertham. Thus they save those who seek protection by banishing their nescience and sins.

3. This 933rd slOkam consisting of 2 Uyir yezhutthukkaL (A and Aa) and 2 Mey Yezhutthakkal (Pa, Dha) has to split in the following manner to reveal the meaning:

pApAth apApAth apApA apAdhapAdhadapAdapA dapAdapApAdhapAdhapAdhapA dadhapAdhapA

These PaadhukAs are free of sins (apApA); they store in them the rays at the sacred feet of the Lord that save chEthanams (a paadha padha dha pAdha paa). They have the Thirumanjana theerttham from those who place them at the Lord’s feet for their protection. They bless the seekers with rakshaNam (dha paadha); they chase away the sins of those, who seek  their rakshaNam (pApa adha). These are the Paadhukais that protect the sacred feet of the Lord (Paadha paadhapA). These Divine paadhukais have protected me from sins (pApAth apApAth).

Notes from:  Sri.MadhavakkaNNan Swami

paapaadhapaa paadhapaapaaa paadhapaa dhadhapaadhapaa I dhapaadhapaa paadhpaadha paadhapaa dhadhapaadhapaa II

What a marvel! Stops have to be made at the right places when reciting it. The words (padhams) that come out of the above conglomeration of let- ters A, Aa, pa and dha are: paapAth (5) apApAth (6), apApA (1) apAdha- paadhadhapaadhapaa (2), dhapaa dhapaa paadhapaadha Paadhapaa (4) and dhadhapaadhapaa (3). The numbers behind the split of the words formed from the letters A, Aa, pa and dha are indicative of the sequence in the order of prosody (anvaya Kramam) of this verse:

apaapaa(1) apaadhapaadhadhapaadhapaa(2) dhadhapaadhapaa(3) dhapaa dhapaa paadhapaadha paadhapaa(4) paapaadh(5) apApAth(6).

apaapaa(1)= one free from sins (paapam and apApam)/(1)

A = akAra Vaachya VishNu BhagavAn’s (2)
paadha = at His sacred feet (2)
paadha = of the rays/kathir (2)
paa = that pair of feet storing the power of those rays for our protection (2)

dhadha = in the case of those, who offer unto Him, AchAryAs, who place the Jeevan at the feet of the Lord through Prapatthi (3)

paath = that which protects (3)
apaa = that which is in the form of abhshEka jalam (3)

dha = of protection (4)
paadha = which it is capable of realizing(4)

paapa= of sin (4)

adha = that which removes(4)

paadha = those feet of VishNu (RanganaathA)/(4)

paadhapaa = those paadhukhAs that protect such sacred pair of feet of the Lord (4)

paapAth = from sins (5)

apaapapaath = they saved me from my sins) (6)

It is a profound construction to say the least. One cannot but marvel at the genius of this great AchAryan. Sound and meaning are tightly coupled to celebrate the mahimai of Sri Ranganatha PaadhukhAs.

THE CHITHRA BHANDHAM IS LIKE THIS:

paa paa dha paa paa dha paa paa

paa dha paa dha dha paa dha paa

dha paa dha paa paa dha paa dha

paa dha paa dha dha paa dha paa

paa dha paa dha dha paa dha paa

dha paa dha paa paa dha paa dha

paa dha paa dha dha paa dha paa

paa paa dha paa paa dha paa paa

The English letters for the 1st P in Sanskrit alphabets and the 5th D (as in Daya, GOdhA) makes the above bhandham look like a rectangle. When the Sanskrit words are used, it will look like an 8 X 8 Square instead of like a rectangle as shown above. When you check against rows and columns in the above Chithra Bhandham, we come across a world of additional mean- ings. Sabdha Chithram (sound pictures for the audio memory), Artha Vaachya chithram (images based on special meanings) are evoked through this mathematical (geometrical) structures (SlOkams). It is a source of endless mystery about the glories of the Lord, His AchAryAs (paadhukhais), when we reflect on the individual slOkams of Swami Desi- kan’s masterpiece of a KhAvyam, Sri Ranganaatha PaadhukhA Sahasram

For more details of Padhuka commentaries series: http://anudinam.org/?s=Paduka+Sahasram

Source and courtesy : Opilliappan Sadagopan Swami(sundarasimham), Madhavakannan Swami, Sriram Srinivasan Swami and Sriman Sunder kidambi Swami, Sridharan Swami (namperumal journal)