Sri Sundarabahusthavam – 41

• SlOkam 121:



IdrSA: tvat avatArasattamA:
sarva eva bhavadASritAn janAn |
trAtum eva na kadAcit anyathA
tena sundara! bhavantam ASraye ||

So far KUresar celebrated the daSAvatArams of SrI SundarabAhu through number of Slokams. Even today, KaLLazhagar enters Vaigai river on CitrA Paurnami day and blesses the assembled bhaktAs with the celebration of His daSAvatArams. There are many other avatArams of the Lord besides the ten pradhAna avatArams, thirty seven (37) avatArams in total are mentioned in SrI Bhagavat guNa darpaNam of Swamy ParASarar (e.g.). nara-nArAyaNa, Hamsa, HayagrIva, nyagrodha SAyI, PadmanAbha, dattAtreya, Gajendra VaradAdi avatArams.

Meaning:

Oh Lord of Solaimalai! All Your other SreshTa avatArams like HayagrIva, naranArAyaNa et al are for protecting the sAdhu janams. (IdrSA: sarva eva tvat avatAra sattamA: bhavadASritAn janAn trAtum eva). They have no other prayojanams (kadAcit anyathA). Many of them are for sAdhu paritrANam alone without dushkrta vinAsam. Therefore, aDiyEn performs SaraNAgati at Your sacred feet (tena bhavantam ASraye).

• SlOkam 122:



tvAm Amananti kavaya: karuNAmrtAbdhim
tvAm eva samSrita janighnam upaghnam eshAm |
eshAm vrajan iha hi locana gocaratvam
hai sundarAhva! paricaskarishe vanAdrim ||

KUresar now uses four Slokams to plead with the Lord to protect him without fail through the SaraNAgati that He performed in the previous Slokam. You are the support rod (Kozhu kompu) for the Prapanna jIvans to climb up (“paRRilAr paRRA ninRAnE”). You stand at TirumAlirumcOlai to help all to come and worship You there (yAvarum vantaDi vaNanga ninRAyE).

Meaning:

Oh Lord with the name of Sundaran (Azhagar)! The great Rshis, AzhvArs and AcAryAs (kavaya:) recognize You as the ocean of nectar (karuNAmrta abdhi) and celebrate You (tvAm Amananti) without let as the One who destroys rebirth in this samsAram (samSrita janighnam) and as the surest support (eshAm SaraNAgatAnAm upaghnam) for SaraNAgatAs. They repeat this truism again and again (te Amananti). You have reached this Prakrti maNDalam to bless these PrapannAs and stand at TirumAlirumcOlai as the crown jewel there and become the cherished object of their eyes (locana gocaratvam).

• SlOkam 123:

aSakyam no kincit tava na ca na jAnAsi nikhilam
dayALu: kshantA ca asi ahamapi na ca AgAmsi taritum |
kshama: ata: tvatcchesho hi agati: iti ca kshudra iti ca
kshamasva etAvat na: balam iha hare! sundarabhuja! ||

KUresar seeks aparAdha KshAmaNam in this Slokam for the sins that stand for a long time in the way of Moksham (anAdi kAla prayukta bandhahetu-s) and begs the Lord to forgive his sins.

Meaning:

Oh Sundarabhuja! Hari! There is nothing that You can not do (tava kincit no aSakyam). You know about every thing that is happening (nikhilam jAnAsi). You are the most merciful (dayALu) and forgiving (kshantA ca). It is also well known that aDiyEn is powerless to experience or remove my bundle of sins through prAyaScittams. Therefore, please bear with me and forgive this property of Yours, who is a kshudran (devoid of SIla guNam – sIlamillA siRiyOn). That is all the hope and resolve of sinners like us in our helpless state (iha na: etAvat balam).

Comments:

aDiyEn is powerless to experience or destroy my gigantic bundle of sins that is crushing me. What can aDiyEn do? You reside in my heart lotus and are fully conversant with all the happenings (uLLuvAuLLiRRellAm uDan irundu aRiti). What ways can You correct aDiyEn and set me up on the right track to travel towards You. It has been said that our sins are as tall as Meru Mountain and You as the Vaidhya nArAyaNan destroy these mountain of sins like curing a frightening disease. Thou art the Lord (Seshi) and aDiyEn is Your servant (Seshan). aDiyEn has developed Seshatva Jn~Anam and recognize that You are the sole means for those without any gati (agatInAm gatirbhavAn). aDiyEn is a kshudran (lowly, despicable one), who has poverty of means (upAya dAridryam) and highly developed taste for lowly goals in life (heya purushArtha ruci). aDiyEn is like those who sell a precious jewel for a handful of rice. You are the only one, who has the power to forgive my sins and redeem me. aDiyEn’s prArthanai to You is:

aj~nAnAt-athavA j~nAnAt aparAdheshu satsvapi |
prAyaScittam kshamasveti prArthanaikaiva kevalam ||

In this 123rd Slokam, major topics of SaraNAgati – Goptrtva varaNam, MahA viSvAsam, Akincanyam, ananyagatitvam and adhikAri viSeshanams are covered. The explanation given for the famous request for rakshaNam is provided:

sarvaj~noapi hi viSveSa: sadA kAruNikoapi san |
samsAratantra-vAhitvAt rakshApekshAm pratIkshate ||

Swamy Desikan explains these doctrines in the Srimat Rahasya traya sAram chapter of SvanishThAbhij~nAna adhikAram.

Source:

Oppiliappan KOil Sri Varadachari SaThakOpan Swami