1. Prarambha stabakam
Summary
- Sloka 1- Obeisance to the Venkata Parabrahmam whose chest is adorned by the red foot decoration of Lakshmi and who carries out creation and other actions as his divine play.
- Sloka2- Let us meditate eternally upon the one who measured the worlds, has the sun and moon as eyes and has the hue of rain-laden cloud. Let us meditate upon Lakshmi who has eyes like the pink lotus, breasts laden with milk and who is the mother of all the worlds.
- Sloka 3- Let us meditate on Lakshmi, who removes the anxieties and gladdens the hearts of her worshipers. Her compassionate glances bathe us in ceaseless waves of auspiciousness.
- Sloka 4- Salutations to the lineage of Acharyas starting from Sriman Narayana, including Nathamuni and Yamuna muni until my guru. Their compositions save people in this world.
- Sloka 5- Salutations to Valmiki whose composition Ramayana, the praise of Sita, serves as the trailblazer for latter poets.
- Sloka 6- Salutations to Parasara muni. The ocean was churned by those interested in (1) supreme sadhana (Vishnu purana), (2) divine nectar (Tirupparkadal).
- Sloka 7- Let the Supreme Jewel, Sriman Venkatanatha, the Garuda for snakes (those with erroneous knowledge) grant us all that is good. Rama, even a droplet of your glance grants the glory of an emperor. Your omnipresence was well established like that of Narayana.
- Sloka 8- My tongue that has been praising nature assigning supreme qualities is now glowing as it is going to start singing your praise, the one with naturally supreme qualities.
- Sloka 9- My tongue is starting to sing your praise to rid itself of its load of sins accumulated due to singing the praise of lowly kings so far.
- Sloka 10- Some worthless poets are creating deplorable works to satisfy their tongue’s urge. I am, on the other hand, is composing your praise in such a way that even Adisesha will appreciate it, to purify my tongue.
- Sloka 11- Rame! Your bed is expert on vyakarana, your vehicle is embodiment of chandas, your brother is the treasure of arts and your son is the Lord of vak. My attempt to sing your praise is like a merchant selling worthless bead in a market where merchants are selling precious stones.
- Sloka 12- Mother! My composition, in harsh words, is to provide comical relief to your ears that are accustomed to hearing sweet words of praise.
- Sloka 13- Mother! I do not care if the ignorant do not appreciate your praise. Is it a bother if the deaf in Indra’s court do not appreciate the beautiful music there
- Sloka 14- The beloved of Narayana! Even Vedas, Brahma (eight-eared) and Adisesha (who has eyes as ears) are not capable of singing your praise sufficiently. My present attempt is like a legless person trying to cross the mighty ocean that even Hanuman could not cross.
- Sloka 15- The one who lives in the cool lotus! I have so far praised lowly kings. Now my words are singing your praise that tastes like nectar. It is like a person who has spoilt his tongue tasting tamarind leaves tasting sugarcane
- Sloka 16- I do not know any of the special techniques required to compose a great work. I am only attempting this because you are famous for forgiving mistakes, including this one.
- Sloka 17- Bhagavati, we are not the one who has eyes in the feet, eyes as ears or emerged from the ear of the earth. We do not have six, five or four faces. Why won’t people ridicule our attempt?
- Sloka 18- Mother! Even Vedas cannot measure your glory. How can we describe it completely? Can a just born mosquito drink up the ocean that even the padapagni cannot dry out?
- Sloka 19- While describing your glory there is no difference between us and the great Brahma. When the sun is shining there is no difference in the brightness between the moon and the stars.
- Sloka 20- Both Brahma and we derive the same benefit when we sing your praise. While a yaksha derived great wealth after performing severe austerities for a very long time the pauper Kuchela received the same wealth by offering simple parched rice to Krishna.
- Sloka 21- Mother! Great souls like Indra enjoy the ocean, your supreme qualities. We enjoy droplets of that ocean and gain the same benefit, the benefit of having a body. While the Devas consume moon’s nectarine rays and satiate their hunger, the chakora birds derive the same benefit with a few rays of the moonbeam.
- Sloka 22- Devi! Let the words like the humming of the bees that hover over the lotus in your hand occur to me, the one who has embarked on the almost impossible task of praising your glory, without any break.
- Sloka 23- Mother! Is there anything special in Vedanta Desika Guru praising the glory of your beloved’s footware through thousand slokas? How can the wise not wonder about me, the one who is trying to compose your praise, these thousand padyas, with my limited knowledge?
- Sloka 24- Devi! The world will certainly praise my composition just because it is associated with your supreme qualities. While there are several rivers, Siva sported the Ganga as it is associated with your beloved’s feet.
- Sloka 25- Kamale! I am sure Brahma would have created at least two, three or four people in this world who are fit enough to enjoy your praise.
- Sloka 26- People! Please read this composition, the praise of Indira, the words of which are as sweet as the pollen-laden honey.
- Sloka 27- Mother! Let your grace grant me the thousand padyas without any obstacle. You offered thousand eyes to the one who folded his palms in supplication only once.
- Sloka 28- Let this composition, the lotus, which grants all the benefits to those who read it, that which contains all the alamkara (ornament to Lakshmi’s hand) bloom so that experts (bees) can enjoy it.
