Sri Ranganatha Paadhuka Sahasram

SrI:

SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Translations & Commentaries by Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari SadagOpan

Introduction: After describing the times of the day, when the PaadhukAs are worn by the Lord (9th Paadhathi: VaithALika Paddhathi) and after describing the bliss Sri RanganAthA experiences by uniting with them (10th Paddhathi: SrungAra Paddhathi), Swami Desikantakes up the charming movement (SanchAram) of the PaadhukAs in this 11th paddhathi (SanchAra Paddhathi). There are 60 slOkams in this 11th (EkAdasa Paddathi) to describe the beautiful sanchAram of the Lord on different occasions.

SlOkam 261 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

I prostrate to that Paaduka Devi, whose duty even Sita wished to perform, when she said, "I shall go ahead of You (the Lord), trampling, with the feet, on the grass and thorns on the way".

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! In Your work for Your Lord, You step on grass with sharp edges and thorns and thereby protect His feet from any harm caused by them. It appears as though You are saying that You will go ahead and remove those obstacles that interfere with His comfortable travel in the forest. AdiyEn bows to You, whose occupation of protecting the Lord's feet was desired even by SitA PirAtti Herself.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: When Raamachandran was ready to leave for the forest to fulfil the vow that He made to His father, He asked His consort, SitA Piratti to stay behind in AyOdhyA until His return from vana vaasam. SitA Devi protested and offered to go ahead of Her Lord in the forest to step on the thorns and sharp blades of grass that will cause harm to Her dear Lord's feet. Thus, SithA PirAtti expressed Her longing to follow the occupation of the Paadhukais. The inner meaning is that the Lord comes closer to the Jeevans after the AchAryans prepare the Jeevans through their anugrahams. Then the Jeevans begin to think of the Lord. SitA pirAtti Herself wanted to follow the duties of SadAchAryans. She wanted to perform upadEsam for RaavaNan and save him from his evil ways.

3) SitA PirAtti said "Kusa KaNDakAn Mrudhnanthee tE agratha: gamishyAmi" (I will go ahead of You for stepping on the sharp DharbhA grass and the thorns so that Your feet will not be injured). That is the chosen occupation (Vrutthi) of the Paadhukais. SitA pirAtti wanted that Vrutthi of the Paadhukais (AchAryAs): "yath vrutthim SitA api iyEsha". Swami DesikanSaluted the Lord's Paadhukais (Swamy NammAzhwAr) for performing such a Kaimkaryam to the Lord.

SlOkam 262 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Paaduka! May I be enabled to enjoy, for a 100 years, the going and coming of Sri Ranganatha, who wears You in all these walks, so much so that His festivals become dependent on You, so to say; when You take the Lord to different gem-studded Mandapas, at appropriate times, devas like Brahma, who are formally invited for the festival, recite hymns in the Lord's praise.

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Here, Swami Desikancelebrates the "gatha AgathAni" aspects or the coming and goings of the Paadhukais with Lord RanganAthA during the many festivals at the Srirangam temple. Swami Desikansays: 'Oh Mother PaadhukE! During the time of the temple festivals, BrahmA and the dEvAs unite Lord RanganAthA's feet with you to enable Him to travel to the many gem-bedecked sanctums and offer their worships at these sites in the classical manner prescribed by Paancha Raathram texts. May adiyEn be blessed by you to see the comings and goings of Lord RanganAthA united with you for 100 years.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh Mother PaadhukE! During the uthsava kaalams, it is customary to call upon all the dEvAs to perform different kaimkaryams to Lord RanganAthan. They all have responded with alacrity to the roll call. PerumAL wears You and travels to the different chambers of the temple. There, the awaiting DevAs eulogize the Lord. It is adiyEn's (SD's) ardent desire to live in this earth for 100 years to have the sEvA BHAgyam of the Lord's gathAgathAni ably assited by the paadhukais.

3) With great tenderness, Swami Desikanaddresses the Paadhukais here as: "hE ambha paadukE!". Lord RanganAthA's feet are indebted to the Paadhukais for their tireles kaimkaryam and therefore they (the feet of the Lord) has no freedom to move around by themselves. Swamy states here that Lord RanganAthan is totally dependent on HIs PAADUKAIS (tvadhadhiNaNi). Swami Desikanprays for th Vedic prAyam (longevity) of 100 years for himself to spend that time happily watching the comings and the goings of the Lord traveling to the various uthsavams at Srirangam (gathAgathAni pasyan saradhasatham syAm).

4) Swami Desikan's prayer reminds us of the prayers we say during the MaadhyAhnika SandhyA Vandhanam: "pasyEma Saradha: satham, jeevEma saradha: satham, nandhAma saradha: satham, mOdhAma saradha: satham - Here the prayer is to see Soorya-mandala madhyastha Sriman NaarAyaNan for 100 years. SD's prayer to the Padhukais is: "hE Ambha PaadhukE! Rangabharthu: tvadhadhInAni gathaagathAni pasyan Saradha: Satham syAm".

SlOkam 263 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Paaduka! The Lord's movements are dependent on You. Your own activity is dependent on the Lord. This relationship is unique - since 2 parties who are not dependent on any body else are mutually dependent between themselves.

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: VedAs and PaancharAthra AgamAs assert that RangaAthA and His consort are not controlled by anyone and yet they get bound by their devotees and respond to their commands out of affection. Swami Desikanpoints out that the similarity of the PaadhukAs with the above attribute of the divine Lord in this regard: Swami Desikansays "Oh PaadhukE! Your Lord's movements are controlled by You; at the same time, Your movements are under His control. He decides where He wants to go and You decide on how to take Him there with every comfort. Both of You are not controlled by anyone else. This relationship between the both of You endures forever. Each of You is dependent on the other and yet You are independent of everyone else.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh Paadhuke! You and Your Lord have limitless glories. Both of You do not expect any support from any one else for anything. In the matter of travel however, Your Lord depends on You to transport Him. You depend on Him for His travel itinerary. Thus both of You are mutually dependent. The inner meaning is that Bhagavath katAksham brings us close to a SadAchAryan; PerumAL anugraham becomes possible only because of SadAchAryaLs' blessings. Thus they depend on each other for conferring their blessings on a Bhaddha Jeevan.

3) In the previous slOkam, Swami Desikan referred to the Lord's sanchArams being dependent or under the control of the Paadhukais (Rangabharthu: gatha AgathAni tvath aadhInAni). Here, Swami Desikansays that the the Moksham giving Mukundhan's sanchAram is dependent on the Paadhukais (Mukundha: tvAdhina Parikrama:). He also reminds the Paadhukais that its playful romp is under the control of the Lord (Tava vihAra: tadhadhIna:). Both of You otherwise do not depend on any body or take directions from anyone else (yuvayO: Ananya-tanthra bhUmnA); but it is clear that both of you are inextricably bound to each other (ittham itharEthara paaratantryam siddham).

SlOkam 264 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Paaduka! Rightly did the Lord wear You, when He proposed to sport in the forest that my heart is; this heart is clouded with dust (rajo guna also) and darkness (tamo guna also); this heart is of a villainous nature (also sattva tainted with rajo and tamo gunas). In such a forest the Lord can tread on only with You on, Oh Paaduka!

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! Lord RanganAthA travels on You and enters my mind for hunting down the ill attributes (GuNAs) of passion (Rajas) and darkness/ignorance (Tamas), which together destroy the Quality of goodness (Satthvam), the noblest among the 3 guNAs. You transport the Lord to the difficult terrain (jungle) of my mind, where the winds of paasion howl in utter darkness and enable RanganAthA to destroy the three GuNAs and thus prepare me for Moksham. Oh PadhukE! In the dusty and dark interior of my mind , You become the key weapon for the Lord to hunt down the wild beasts roaming there.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE !PerumAL wears You to free my mind of RajO and TamO guNams, which prevent me from thinking about Him. The inner meaning is that PerumAL orders the incarnation of Nithya Sooris as AzhwArs and AchAryAs for helping even MahA Paapis (Great sinners) to think about Him. Even the greatest of sinners begin to think about the Lord through the anugraham of SadAchAryALs.

3) As in the previous slOkam, Swami Desikan addresses RanganAthan as Mukhundhan, the Moksham grantor. He says: My mind is wicked because of the dominance of RajO and TamO guNams. Therefore my mind is unable to have satthva guNam and thus is unable to think about the Lord (satthvE gahanE maamakE chEthasi). What does RanganAthA do? He seeks Your help to go on a hunt inside my mind to destroy the Tamo and RajO guNams and helps me to think about Him (maamakE chEthasi uchitham mrugayA vihAram icchan Bhavatheem padhAbhyAm aadhrutha).

SlOkam 265 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Paaduka! The Mokhsa-grantor is to be best sought at His abode (the shrine) by all truly-surrendered persons. Then, why does He undertake processions all around? It is because You, Oh Paaduka, graciously design this coming out of the Lord so that the three worlds and all people can benefit.

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! Lord RanganAthA is unable to take even one step without You. He is interested to protect all of His creations. He is the One, who blesses all beings with the bliss of Moksham. He however does not confer this blessing unless the human beings make an effort and surrender unto Him. Few come into His temple and seek His grace. Many do not even engage in this small act of faith to stand before Him at His temple to seek His anugraham. Oh PaadhukE! Out of Your kindness and concern for all, You carry Lord RanganAthA on Your back and bring Him closer to all, who do not even make an effort to come to Him on their own. During the times of uthsavams, You bring RanganAthA all over Srirangam and make it possible for even the lazy and indifferent ones to get His blessings directly.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: ArchA rupam was taken by PerumAL out of His dayA for the chEthanams. The Chethanams (sentient ones) hesitate to come to the temple to have the ArchAvathAran's blesisngs. For the benefit of those indifferent sentients, who do not come to the temple, ArchAvathAra perumAl wears His Paadhukais and steps out of the temple so that even those who failed to come to the temple can have His darsanam and become blessed.

3) The naamam of MukundhA as the Moksham-giver is selected for RangaAthan once agian in this slOkam. Swamy says that the Lord comes near the lazy and ignorant ones, who fail to come inside His temple. That is made possible by the most merciful Padhukais, which have the interest in protecting the people of the three worlds (Mukundha: thrayANAmapi jagathAm avanE kshamayA tvayaiva svayam abhiganthA bhavathi). Such is the quality of Your compassion.

SlOkam 266 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Paaduka! One bears You on his head. Another is borne by You through His Feet being worn by You. The future of both are dependent on You, so say the great. (You decide the course of the Lord. The Bhakta attains the Supreme Path by bearing You on his head.)

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! A Jeevan like me carries You on the head and attains Your supreme blessings. You lift another One (Lord RanganAthan), who makes contact with You through His sacred feet. Both come under Your power and You take them to places, where they wish to go.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh MadhusUdhana PaadhukE! One carries You on his head. The other is carried by You on Your head. Learned people (santha:) say that the sanchArams of both - the sentient one, who carries You on His head and Ranga Prabhu whom You carry on Your head - are under Your control.

3) Here the Vaibhavam of 2 influenced by the paadhukais are described by SD. The chEthanan, who has the bhAgyam to carry SatAri Soori (Paadhukais) on his head gets to parama padham (ParamAm gathi) or the supreme abode of MadhusUdhanan. The same Lord, who is borne by the Paadhukai travels to the places, where He wishes to go. Those destinations of the Lord could be Srirangam's streets or the site where the asuran by the name of Madhu was hiding. The Lord is dependent on the Paadhukais for His many sanchArams involved with Bhaktha rakshaNam or Dushta nigraham. Both the sentient one and the Isvaran reach their destinations successfully and are thus under the control of the Paadhukais according to santha/learned ones: (Santha:UbhayO: gathim tvadhInam aamananthi).

SlOkam 267 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Paaduka! Between the 2 above referred to, see what great contrast is. Both touch You for their good 'future'. The former touches You by head, the latter by His Feet. And after touching in this manner, the former ascends to a seat, from which the latter actually descends (for walking on)!

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh Mukundha- PaadhukE! Lord Ranga -nAthA descends (from His throne) to wear You on His feet. Jeevan ascends to a higher place by wearing You on his head. Both of them get their wishes fulfilled.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh PadhukE! For attaining sadhgathi, 2 had contact with You. One touched You with His foot; the other with his head. The One who touched You with His foot descended down from a high place, where He was sitting. The one who touched You with his head reached that high sthAnam. PerumAL touched You with His paadhAravidham; BhakthAs had contact with You through their heads.

3) Swami Desikan again salutes the Paadhukais as Mukundhan's (Moksham granting Lord's) Paadhukai. 2 interested in getting where they want to go make contact with You (dhvou gathim uddhisya sprusatha:). One touches with His foot and the other with his head (dhvou gathim uddhisya sirasA, padhEna cha sprusatha:). One gets down from His high place (svAth padhAth avarOhathi); the other reaches that exalted place (tadhEva sthAnam adhirOhathi) or the other reaches Parama Padham, where form the Lord descended as ArchAvathAran.

SlOkam 268 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Manipaaduka! The Lord has to engage on victory-ride many times appropriately. On the pretext of such a need to go out, He crosses the cages of the harem, so as to enjoy Your company privately. This is certain.

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh MaNi PaadhukE! The Lord of Srirangam makes an excuse that He is leaving for keeping various appointments and gets away from His the inner chambers of His consorts. He unites with You and goes on various jaunts to have the pleasure of your company. He escapes like a fish jumping out of the net to gain freedom of the road so that He can enjoy Your companionship on the road. This is for sure!

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh PadhukE! PerumAL has the desire to play with You. MahA lakshmi and other consorts are against Him leaving their chambers. Your Lord makes an excuse that an asuran is causing lot of trouble to the world and He has to attend to His duties of protecting His bhakthAs. On the way, He enjoys the play with You.

3) Sriranga Saarvabhouman makes up an excuse that He has to go on a martial expedition to destroy a trouble-causing asuran (jaithra yAthrAm upadisya) and escapes His consort's company in the inner chambers to go on the road to enjoy You on the way (antha:pura vaagurA vyathItha: varthmani bhavathyA ramathE). This is for sure (niyatham).

SlOkam 269 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Paaduka! Ranganatha's ascent on You, His walk thereafter, His body movements, etc. are all like dance. Obviously, He has so much relish for contact and company with You. Leave alone the sanctity of His dance (unlike the reprehensible dance of the mundane world). We know not any sight more delectable and worth witnessing than this.

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE ! Lord RanganAthA's ride on You. He takes elegant steps with Your help and His bodily movements during those occasions are a delight for one's eyes. There is nothing more pleasurable to watch in this world other than that anubhavam. Those who see this divine sight of RanganAthA's movements in companionship with You get rid of all their accumulated sins, while enjoying this blessed sight. They have thus twin blessings.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! PerumAL wears You on His paadham and dances as it were with joy as He travels with You. That sight of the Lord travelling with You not only destroys all sins but also turns out to be one of the most beautiful sights to behold.

3) Swami Desikan says here that the Lord of Srirangam has a beautiful and tender dance (laasyam) after ascending the paadhukais when He goes around the raaja veedhis of Srirangam. The dance is more a laasyam (elegant dance associated with the ladies) as opposed to ThANdavam (powerful dance associated with the male dancer). That srungAra BhAvam is revealed in all His limbs (RanganAtha: thvAm adhiruhya nija samhanana prasaktha laasyam charathi). The witnesses to that dance filled with srungAra rasam get sanctified and all their sins are destroyed. Swami Desikanstates that there is nothing more sweet to enjoy than that blessed sight (atha:param rasika aasvAdham na vidhma:).

SlOkam 270 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Paduka! You become the only worthy ornament for the lovable Feet of the Supreme Being for the path treaded upon by the Feet in the Lord's movements for the head of the Vedas, that is, the Upanishads for the heart of this humble self.

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! You are the decoration / aabharanam for the Lord's holy feet; You serve also as decoration for the novel and mysterious routes taken by the Lord in union with You. Further, You become the decoration for the heads of the Upanishads by resting on them .adiyEn contemplates on Your Lord's feet, His novel routes and the Upanishads associated with You to acquire You as a decoration also for my mind.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh PadhukE! PerumAL, who is eulogized by the Upanishads wears You on His sacred feet and travels on the streets of Srirangam with joy. AdiyEn considers You as the decoration for my head and meditate on that sweet anubhavam.

3) Swami Desikan points out that the sacred Paadhukais of Lord RanganAthA is the bhUshaNam (alankAra vasthu) for 4 subjects: 1) Lord's lotus feet /parasya pumsa: padhayO: bhUshanam 2)the path that He travels in sport with them / tath anugrAhya vihAra paddhathE: bhUshanam 3) the crowns of Upanishads /SruthInAm sirasa: bhUshaNam and 4) alankAram /aabharaNam for adiyEn's mind/ mama manasO bhUshaNam.

SlOkam 271 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Paaduka! Well do I assert that You had, in preparation to stay in my rough-natured heart, practised walking on the undulating surface of the gem-studded crown of the devas.

1) UtthamUr Swamy’sanubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! adiyEn's mind is a rough and tumble place. It is not the most inviting or comfortable place for You to travel in. It appears however that You have prepared Yourself to travel on the rough and undulating terrains of my mind.You seem to have practised Your steps on the gem studded crowns of DevAs , who prostrate before You to receive You on their heads.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! Out of your limitless dayA, You want to be in my mind, which is a hard place. You seem to have pracised walking on this hard and uneven place by practising Your steps 1st on the undulating surfaces of the gem-studded crowns of the DevAs. The inner meaning is that adiyEn does not think of You (Paadhukai /AzhwAr) although You desire that adiyEn should think of You for my own good. Therefore, You rest on the crowned heads of DevAs to encourage me to think of You.

3) Here Swami Desikanvisualizes the crowns of DevAs to have gems set at different depths. That results in a lot of ups and downs on the surface of the crowns. When satAri (AzhwAr) rests on those crowns, it has to take into account the lack of smoothness and learn to rest there comfortably. That exercise of resting on the gem-studded crowns of DevAs prepares the Paadhukai to travel comfortably in the difficult terrain of his (SD’s) mind. The gems by nature are hard and Swami Desikancompares his mind therefore to those hard gems (kaDinE maamakE chEthasi).

4) Swamy says that out of its dayA, the SatAri wishes to play in his hard mind (KrupayA maamakE kaDinE chEthasi viharathi). The satAri needs pracise however to perform that difficult task. For this purpose, SatAri practises movement on the uneven and hard surfaces of the gem-studded crowns of the DevAs (dhivaoukasAm rathna VisamsthalEshu makutEshu yOgyAm bhavathI vidhatthE). Visamsthalam means uneven surface. The crowns of DevAs (DhivaoukasAm Makuda:) have visamsthala pradesams. There, the satAri practises steps (yOgyAm vidhatthE).

SlOkam 272 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Paaduka! As a child, in Krishna avatara, the tender lotus Feet of the Lord, which had acquired the perfect beauty of the autumnal lotus, had kicked the wicked asura, who came as a toy-cart; then what saved the Feet from damage was Yourself. That being so, You have an innate roughness (suited to the coarseness of my heart!)

1) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: During KrishNAvathAra Time, He was resting as a little child in a cradle that His Mother had tied under a cartoutside her home for the comfortable rest of Her little One. That cart was an suran in disguise, who had positioned himself outside YasOdhA's home. Our Lord kicked that cart with His tender foot and completely pulverized the evil-intentioned asuran in the form of a cart. Oh PaadhukE! If the tender foot of the Lord did not have Your support in the form of Your strength, How could the lotus soft feet of the Lord accomplished such a 'super human" task?

2) PeriyAzhwAr anubhavam is very enjoyable of the SakatAsura Vadham. Our Lord lying as a 4 to 5 month child in his precious cradle is enjoyed by PeriyAzhwAr: "MaaNikkam katti Vayiram iDaikkatti AaNiponnAR seytha VaNNa SiRu Thottil pENI Unakku Biraman Vidu tanthAn" - PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi: 1.3.1

Our Lord, Maayak kaNNan was having a rest on this cradle made of GOld and inlaid with rubies and diamonds presented by Brahma Devan. Our Visva GopthA's eyes were partially closed. He was making sure that he did not miss any activities around Him. That cradle was tied under a cart for shade, while YasOdhai attended to Her guests who had assembled for the celebration of our Lord's 1st coming out of the House ceremony, which is usually on the third month of birth of a child. The "PEthaik Kuzhavi" was tasting its tender feet, while rsting in the cradle and suddenly gave a swift kick to the cart over it. The cart was SakatAsuran, who was going to crush the Lord in the cradle under instructions from Kamsan. Our Lord 's kick sent the wheels, axle up in the air and destroyed the cart and thereby SakatAsurn completely. PeriyAzhwAr describes the scene: "nALkaLOr Naalainthu ThingaLaLavilE thALai nimirtthuc chakatatthaic chaaDippOy VaaLL koLL vaLaiyeyiRRAruyir vavvinAn" - PeriyAzhwAr Thirumozhi: 1.2.11 PeriyAzhwAr points out that Kuttik KaNNan was only 4 or 5 months old at the time, when he kicked SakatAsuran to death. Bhaagavathm pinpoints Kuttik KaNNan's age as 3 months at that time. Swami Desikanattributes the power behind the tender legs of the infant was none other than the Paadhukai. Swami Desikandescribes Souri (Lord) as arbhagan (Sisu/helpless infant). He salutes the beauty of the feet of the Lord to the tender lotus in autumn. He asks: "How did those soft feet achieve the power to destroy Sakatan?". Swamy answers the question and says that it is the hidden power of the Padhukais that enabled the Lord to send Sakatan to His salvation: "SakatAsura thADanEapi guptham tava sakthyA kila PaadhukE?"

SlOkam 273 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Manipaaduka! I surrender unto You, who are the company to the Lord, as he rises up from His Adisesha couch and walks through the seraglio to the Asthana throne, where He is going to be seated.

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! I seek refuge in You, who serves as transport to Lord RanganAthA in the morning, when He descends from His bed of AadhisEshan and travels to the throne room of His palace at Srirangam. You provide the link between His descent from AdisEshan and His ascent on the throne.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! adiyEn seeks YOu as UpAyam in Your role as the helper (kinkaran) of Lord RanganAthan to travel from His antha: puram to His throne in the mornings.

3) Swami Desikan describes where the Paadhukais were while the Lord rested and what relationship Paadhukai has with the Lord. Swamy describes that the Paadhukai was at the middle of the inner chambers of the Lord (Rangasayasya MadhyE nisAntham) and was like a ThOzhi (sakhi) of the Lord. That ThOzhi was waiting for Her Lord's command in the Morning to transport Him from the antha:puram to the throne room for conducting the affairs of the day. Just as ArjunA was the SakhA (dear friend) of the Lord, Paadhukai relates to the Lord as a dear lady friend (SakhI). Swami Desikansays that He seeks that highly placed Paadhukai as his UpAyam (ThvAM PrapadhyE) and offers his self-surrender.

SlOkam 274 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh PaadukE! Brahma and the other prajapatis, who are endowed with the right of presenting You to Lord, as He starts on His sportive walk, bring You on their heads and join You with the Lord's feet.

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! Brahma and others have assigned rights to carry You on their heads and bring You to RanganAthA's chambers, when He is ready to start on His sanchArams. They unite You to the Lord's lotus feet duirng those occasions, When He wants to roam around His world.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: A fortunate One wore You on His head. He acquired the boon of Brahma pattam (status). PerumAL had to go on a sanchAram thereafter. The One, who was elevated to the padhavi of BrahmA united the Paadhukais with the lotus feet of the Lord.

3) Swami Desikan addresses the Paadhukais here as "Utthama PaadhukE". They are indeed noble Paadhukais, since they belong to PurushOtthaman. Those PrAptha adhikAris (those who have realized Brahma Padham) have you as the aabharaNam for their heads. When their Lord wants to commence on His sanchAram for pleasure, they unite You (samyOjayanthi) with the Lord's lotus feet (angri SarOja yugmE thvaam SamyOjayanthi).

SlOkam 275 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Manipaaduka! Whosoever witness the unique, pleasant, sportive walk of Lord Ranganatha will never more have the chance of entry and exit into the world of Samsara.

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh Gem-bedecked PaadhukE! Those who are blessed to see Lord RanganAthA's travels on Your back, enjoy that novel, mysterious and auspicious experience. That experience prevents them from travelling in the hills and vales of the forest of worldly ills (SamsArA) and gives them release from the bonds of births and deaths.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! The Lord wears You and goes on His sanchArams. Those, who are blessed to enjoy this scene are freed from the fears of "puarapi MaraNam, Punarapi Jananam".

3) Swami Desikan states that those who are blessed to witness the Lord's LeelA Gathi (sportive travels) with His Paadhukais never ever return to samsAram.

SlOkam 276 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Manipaaduka! Your steps that decide Lord Ranganatha's lovable walking gait, that are designed to suit each of the forms that He takes as Vyooha (Vasudeva, etc;, or Kesava etc) or Vibhava (Matsya etc) or in a large collection (namely, of sixteen thousand gopa damsels in Krishna avatara) function like the Lord in giving life-sustenance to all the 3 worlds.

Special Notes from V. Sadagopan: 1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! You suit Yourself appropriately and decorate the Lord's sacred feet. The unitary Para VaasudEvan splits into the 4 subsequent forms of VaasudEA, SankarshNA, PradhyumnA and AniruddhA during the state of VyUhA in parama Padham (Supreme abode of the Lord). During that occasion, You divide from the state of being 1 pair to 4 pairs and decorate the feet of the 4 Vyuha Moorthys. When the VyUha Moorthys in turn transform into 10 incarnations of the Lord, You once again divide and serve every 1 of those 10 incarnations. You are never seperated from Your Lord's feet during anyone of His transformations. In this regard, You closely follow Your Lord in all His activities and nourish this world like Your Lord. This is for Sure!

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: When the Lord travels alone or travels in groups, Paadhukai accompanies Him and protects the Lord's lotus feet and the World.

3) Oh PaadhukE! You are deeply involved and enjoy the assembly of successive plays of the Lord in Para, VyUha, Vibhava and other avathArams. You protect the Lord's sacred feet as well as the 3 worlds.

SlOkam 277 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Paaduka! The Lord can adopt a small or a large foot, depending on His form and size in that Avatara (say, Vamana and Trivikrama). Lord ranganatha too can place His steps in small or large measure in His stride. You too can adapt Your size or stride to suite His, so that You will have unintermittent contact with the Lord's Feet. Certain it is that You show Your natural greatness in this in order to infuse in us a confidence in You!

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! You increase our faith in You by taking the small or big form to serve the Lord's feet during His many avathArAs. This way, You are never disassociated from Your Lord's Thiruvadi on any occasion. During VamanAvathAram, You took a smaller shape to fit the feet of the mystrious dwarf. When Your Lord grew to His gigantic form as Thrivikraman and measured the earth, sky and the beyond, You took on another appropriate form to fit the growing feet. This way, You protected Your Lord's feet and displayed Your supermacy.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! You cling to Your Lord's feet, whether it is small or gigantic. You take on the matching shape and protect Your Lord's Thiruvadi. Through such display of devotion, You enhance our faith in Your innate glory.

3) The svAbhAvika prabhAvam (innate glory) of the Paadhukais is celebrated here. Paadhukai has the power to be small, when it has to be small and big, when it has to be big (mandhEshu padhEshu mandha:, mahathsvapi padhEshu mahath). The most important feature inspite of all the transformations in dimensions of Paadhukai is its inseperablity from the Lord's Thiruvadi. That natural glory of the Paadhukais instills reverence in the minds of its devotees.

SlOkam 278 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Manipaaduka! I identify You with the Lord Ranganatha's benevolent grace, which is induced by Mahalakshmi's special kindness and is enhanced by Bhoomi Devi, which grace flows for the world's beautiful flowering, for reasons that can never be assigned-that is ever present in Your role.

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh Gem-studded PaadhukE! adiyEn recognizes You as the fruit of Sri RanganAthA's unexpected grace rushing towards us all with great speed. As a result of the Lord's inifnite compassion, You came to this earth and move about with patience to bless every one. Here, Swami Desikanhints that the Lord's grace and that of the Paadhukai is one and the same and points out that the earth is blessed, when it has the sambhandham of the Lord's Paadhukai. Swami Desikancelebrates here the Sri RanganAthA's incarnations and the soulabhyam (ease of access by one and all) of the Paadhukai.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! When we see Your sanchArams (movements), it becomes clear to us that You are the embodiment of the causeless dayaa of the Lord that descended on this earth for the benevolence of the universe.

3) Swami Desikan equates the spontaneous and causeless (aakasmikIm) DayA (prasatthim) of the Paadhukai during its sanchArams with the svAbhAvika dayA of the Lord. The Paadhukai does the sanchAram for enhancing the isvaryam (vibhUthi) of the world and its beings. The inner meaning according to Srimath Andavan is that PerumAL's concern for the well being of the world resulted in the incarnation of AzhwAr (sataari Soori) on this earth.

SlOkam 279 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Paaduka! I see You as the Ganga stream that flowed from the Lord's Feet. How? You are easily available for immersion and enjoyment by those who wish. You give the style for the Lord.You see to that He grants good rewards, high ones. You see no difference between the lowly and the high; You give equal importance to all; You sit on each one's head without discrimination (though the Ganga will come down from the high to the lowly only, not vice versa!).

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: In an earlier slOkam, Swami Desikancelebrated the Soulabhyam aspects of the Paadhukai. Here, he focuses on the souseelyam, yet another auspicious disposition of the Padhukais of PerumAL. He compares them to the Souseelyam of river GangA. Swamy says: "Oh PaadhukE! Both the holy GangA and Yourself have close affiliation with the Lord's Thiruvadi. Hence, both of You share the quality of His Souseelyam. Gangai flows over hills and valleys and removes the sins of all, who immerse in it and does not inquire whether they are men or women, rich or poor, are from higher or lower caste. Mother GangA showers her grace on one and all without discrimination. Oh PaadhukE! You are identical to gangA in this regard. You remove the sufferings of every one, who worships You. You confer on them a superior status on this earth through Your anugraham. You do not ask them, where they came from or what their origin is. You rest on the heads of all people without discrimination and copiously shower Your blessings”. Swami Desikanhas the souseelyam aspects of GangA originating from the lord's Thiruvadi and its descent to satya lokam to fall on the ashes of the sons of Emperor SakarA to bring them back to life at the request of BhagIrathA.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! When perumAL moves about adorning You, Your travel becomes leisurely so that the citizens of Srirangam can enjoy Your movements without hurry.

3) People come near the Paadhukais of the Lord to have their sorrows banished (upatApa saanthyartham). The Paadhukais move to a slow and joyous gait to bless the people, who come near it (SukhAvagAhaam gathim udhvahanthIm). Its gathi (sanchAram) is nirvisEsham (without ThAratamyam); it is seen at high places (thungEshu) and low places (nimnEshu). As the Lord's paadhukai (Sourai: PadhavAhini), it resembles Gangai river, which flows at high altitudes and plains. The Padhukai reaches every where to bless simple people as well as mukthAs and DevAs who adorn it on their heads. It does not discriminate between the low and mighty.

SlOkam 280 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Manipaaduka! When the Lord goes, You too go; when He is seated,You stay in the foot-plank, You have an innate greatness. So, the Lord can never transcend You. Yes, You are like the Lord's shadow. You are inseparable from Him and He will never thwart You!

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Here, Swami Desikancompares the PaadhukAs to the shadow of the Lord Himself. When one stands under the shadow of the Harichandanaa tree, one obtains, whatever one desires. Swami Desikanindicates that the Paadhukais have the same boon-granting power. He says: "Oh PaadhukE! When the Lord travels, You travel with Him. When He sits down, You are next to Him on the foot-rest stand. Because of this intimate association with Your Lord at all times and places, You are like His shadow". The shadow follows a walking man. It stands, when he stands and jumps, when he jumps. In all these aspects, the Padhukais Qualify as the shadow of the Lord.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Here, SA points out that the Paadhukai accompanies the Lord just as a shadow accompanies a man. The Paadhukai surpasses however the unique glory of the Lord. Swami Desikanhints that PerumAL can not jump (transcend) over the glories of the PaadhukA, just as a man can not jump over his own shadow.

3) Swami Desikan addresses the Paadhukais and says with wonderment: "thvam SourE: chAyEva asi (You are verily like the shadow of Your Lord)". Your innate and inseperable glories (sahaja bhumnA) are such that even Your own Lord can not surpass them or jump over them to reach the 1st place. He becomes alanghanIyan (One who could not cross Your glory, which is His own shadow). Oh MaNi PaadhukE! Such is Your vast glory!

SlOkam 281 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Mani PaadukE! Lord Ranganatha scaled the whole universe in a moment, using His foot that was close-fitted to You. Hence, I would assert that His name and fame as 'Urukrama' (the large-stepped) is Your gift to Him. (Indeed You are greater than the foot in size say!)

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: "Oh, gem-bedecked PaadhukE! With You attached to His Thiruvadi, Your Lord measured the entire world and beyond. Thus, You helped Him acquire the title as the One took the measure of the Universe. "The Paadhukai has to be a little larger than the foot to cover it and protect it. Having this in mind, Swami Desikandescribes the performance of the Lord as "Urukraman" meaning that the Lord, who took the giant step.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh MaNi PaadhukE! In a fraction of a second, Your Lord, Sri RanganAthA measured the universe. It was possible for Him to execute this action because You were powering His lotus feet. This is how, He acquired the title, "Urukraman".

3) Oh MaNi PadhukE! "Rangapathi: padha sprusA BhavathyA idham visvam KshaNEna vichakramE". Swami Desikaninvokes here the Rg Veda Vaakyams and incorporates them in this slOkam (The Vedic words elected by Swami Desikanare highlighted in the 2 vedic texts below: "idham vishNur vichakramE thrEdhaa ni dhadhE padam" - (Rg Vedam: I.22.17) "yasyOrushu thrishu vikramaNEshv adhikshiyanthi bhuvanAni visvaa" – Rg vedam: I.154.2 With this measurement (VikramaNam) of the earth (Visvam), Sri RanganAthan attained His "Urukramathvam" (Having the attribute of gigantic strides) and became known as Thrivikraman.

SlOkam 282 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

Oh Mother Manipaaduka! When Rama, the great protector born in the Manu race, walked through and, in the process saved the wife of Sage Goutama, You alone were His assistant. (There was none else; the dust from You fell on the stone and generated life as a Rishi-patni).

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh Mother PaadhukE! You alone removed the curse on AhalyA, the wife of sage GautamA. A speck of dust associated with You fell on her and transformed her from being a stone into the beautiful woman that she was before the curse of her husband. You helped RaamachandrA to perform this miracle. You directed Him to the hermitage of GauthamA and accomplished this mission all by Yourself. Here, Swami Desikanhints that the merciful acts of the Lord are prompted by His caring consort.Her goading may not be transparent, but without Her initiative, our Lord will not confer His blessings and complete His work of protection. Here, Swami Desikanimplies that PadhukA Devi was responsible for liberating AhalyA from Her state as a stone. His reasoning is that the speck of dust that performed this miracle could only have come from the Padhukai, since the Lord's feet by themselves could not have generated that speck. Lord's feet are not in contact with the ground (in the PaadhukA clad state) to generate the dust particles directly.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh PadhukE! It is only Your help that made it possible for Sri Raaamachandran to reach the place, where Ahalyai was resting as a stone and to bless Her to overcome the currse of her husband. The inner meaning is that without the help of the AchAryAs, it would be impossible for PerumAL to take the chEthanams to Parama Padham as the muktha jeevans.

3) Here Raamachandran is saluted as "Manu Vamsa GopthA" or the protector of the lineage of Manu. Even that glory is exceeded by the Paadhukais that assist with the SanchAram of the Lord. One instance of the display of that glory is when the dust particle with the sambhandham of the Sri Raama Paadhukai brought back AhalyA from her stony (transfixed) state into that of the beautiful human form as the wife of Sage GautamA. Swami Desikan singles out the MahOpakAram and power of the Paadhukai this way: "thvam yEkA Gouthama dharmadhArAn gOpaayatha:" (You alone saved the dharma pathni of Sage Gouthamarfrom her helpless state).

SlOkam 283 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

thvatthasthrivisShtapacharAnasapathnayiShyan Aruhya thArkshyamavaruhya cha thathkshaNEna shudDhAnthaBhUmiShu punarmaNipAdharakshE! vishrAmyathi thvayi vihAravashEna shoUri:

Oh Manipaaduka! The Lord ascended the vehicle, Garuda, leaving You behind, when He wished to help the devas by rooting out their enemies; but then He descended almost immediately-having achieved the purpose, say, by mere will or by a speed-since He could not bear separation from You! He wears You and walks enjoyingly to the harem. He returns too quickly, to enjoy Your company during a walk. This is His best mode of relaxation.

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! When DevAs complain about the harm caused by AsurAs, Your Lord climbs on the back of Garuda to destroy the AsurAs and chase away the worries of the DevAs. He accomplishes His mission in a second and then descends from GarudA during the next instant to unite with You. adiyEn thinks that You could not bear your separation from Your Lord even for an instant, when Your Lord was rushing away to destroy the asurAs. Therefore, you destroy the asurAs wiht Your sankalpam alone. When He reaches His destination, your Lord finds out that the asurAs have already been destroyed and, rushes back to Your side. Thereafter, He returns to the inner chambers with Your help. There also, He misses You after His sallAbham with His Devis and returns back to You to recover from all of His exertions.

2) "Thvayi VisrAmayathi" are the key words here. "He relaxes with You after all His exertions" is what Swami Desikansays to convey the intimacy of Swamy NammAzhwAr and BhagavAn.

SlOkam 284 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

vikramya BhUmimaKhilAm balinA pradiShtAm dhEvE padhAvani! dhivam parimAthukAmE AsIdhathO dhinakarasya karOpathApAth samrakshithum padha sarOja muparyaBhUsthvam

Oh Paaduka! When the Lord scaled the Universe, at the instance of Mahabali offering to give what the Lord asked for, His lotus foot that went high up needed to be guarded from the nearby scorching sun. And You offered the screen, as it were. (It is not that You protect the foot on earth alone; You do it even when the foot is above).

1) UtthamUr Swamy’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! The Lord Measured the entire Earth with One foot. He then wanted to measure the heavens given as gift to Him. At that time, You united with the Lord's feet to protect it from the scorching rays of the Sun and thus served Your Lord. Swami Desikangives here the reason for the Lord wearing The Paadhukais, when He measured the heavens. As His foot grew in the upward direction, His other foot was planted On Earth. His upward mobile left foot came closer and closer to the soorya mandalam. The Lotus foot of the Lord became the Object of concern for His Paadhukai. It worried about the lotus (foot) being out of the water and the potential for that to dry up from the scorching heat of the Sun's rays. Although the Lord is Self-luminous and gives the scorching power to the Sun, the poet's Imagination propels him to suggest that the Paadhukai covered the ascending foot of Thrivikramnan and protected it from the blistering rays of the Sun.

2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukE! During the ThrivikramAvathAram, You served as The umbrella over the outstretched Thiruvadi of Your Lord, when He measured the akAsam.