Meaning (translated by Sri. U.Ve. V.N. Vedanta Desikan)

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".

Special Notes from Sri. U.Ve. V. Sadagopan

(1)Background: 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 Desikan takes up the charming movement (SanchAram ) of the PaadhukAs in this eleventh paddhathi (SanchAra Paddhathi). There are 60 slOkams in this eleventh (EkAdasa Paddathi) to describe the beautiful sanchAram of the Lord on different occasions...(V.S)

(2) Sri 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 .

(3) 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.

(4) 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 ". Swamy Saluted the Lord's Paadhukais (Swamy NammAzhwAr ) for performing such a Kaimkaryam to the Lord...V.S

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

Meaning (translated by Sri. U.Ve. V.N. Vedanta Desikan)

Oh Paaduka! May I be enabled to enjoy, for a hundred 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.

Special Notes from Sri. U.Ve. V. Sadagopan

(1) Sri UthtamUr Swamy's anubhavam : Here , Swami Desikan celebrates the "gathAgathAni" aspects or the coming and goings of the Paadhukais with Lord RanganAthA during the many festivals at the Srirangam temple. Swamy Desikan says: ' 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 one hunred years.

(2) SrimathAndavan'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 ( Swamy Desikan's) ardent desire to live in this earth for hundred years to have the sEvA BHAgyam of the Lord's gathAgathAni ably assited by the paadhukais.

(3) With great tenderness , Swamy Desikan addresses 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).Swamy prays 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)...V.S

(4) Swamy 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 .Swamy Desikan's prayer to the Padhukais is : " hE Ambha PaadhukE! Rangabharthu: tvadhadhInAni gathaagathAni pasyan Saradha: Satham syAm"...V.S

Meaning (translated by Sri. U.Ve. V.N. Vedanta Desikan)

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

Special Notes from Sri. U.Ve. V. Sadagopan

(1) Sri 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 Desikan points out that the similarity of the PaadhukAs with the above attribute of the divine Lord in this regard: Swami Desikan says " 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: gathAgathAni tvadhadhInAni). Here , Swami Desikan says 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 )...V.S

Meaning (translated by Sri. U.Ve. V.N. Vedanta Desikan)

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!

Special Notes from Sri. U.Ve. V. Sadagopan

(1) Sri UthtamUr 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 three 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)..V.S

Meaning (translated by Sri. U.Ve. V.N. Vedanta Desikan)

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.

Special Notes from Sri. U.Ve. V. Sadagopan

(1) Sri UthtamUr 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...V.S

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

Meaning (translated by Sri. U.Ve. V.N. Vedanta Desikan)

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.)

Special Notes from Sri. U.Ve. V. Sadagopan

(1) Sri 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 two influenced by the paadhukais are described by Swami Desikan . 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)...V.S

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

Meaning (translated by Sri. U.Ve. V.N. Vedanta Desikan)

Oh Paaduka! Between the two 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)!

Special Notes from Sri. U.Ve. V. Sadagopan

(1) Sri UtthamUr Swamy's anubhavam: Oh Mukundha- PaadhukE ! Lord RanganAthA 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 , two 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. Two 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..V.S

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

Meaning (translated by Sri. U.Ve. V.N. Vedanta Desikan)

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.

Special Notes from Sri. U.Ve. V. Sadagopan

(1) Sri 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)..V.S

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama:

Meaning (translated by Sri. U.Ve. V.N. Vedanta Desikan)

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.

Special Notes from Sri. U.Ve. V. Sadagopan

(1)Sri 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 anuibhavam: 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 Desikan states that there is nothing more sweet to enjoy than that blessed sight ( atha:param rasika aasvAdham na vidhma:)..V.S

Meaning (translated by Sri. U.Ve. V.N. Vedanta Desikan)

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.

Special Notes from Sri. U.Ve. V. Sadagopan

(1) Sri UtthamUr Swami'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) SWamy Desikan points out that the sacred Paadhukais of Lord RanganAthA is the bhUshaNam ( alankAra vasthu) for four 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...V.S

Srimate Sri Laksminrisimha Divya Paduka Sevaka Srivan Satakopa Sri Narayana Yatindra Mahadesikaya Nama: