The ''Dayashataka'' () is a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

hymn composed by the

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

philosopher

Vedanta Desika Vedanta Desika (1268–1369), also rendered Vedanta Desikan, Swami Vedanta Desika, and Thoopul Nigamantha Desikan, was an Indian polymath who wrote philosophical as well as religious and poetical works in several languages, including Sanskrit ...

. Comprising one hundred verses in ten decads, the hymn was written in praise of Venkateshvara, a form of

Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...

who is the principal deity of the

Venkateshvara Temple The Venkateswara Temple of Tirumala or Sri Venkateswara Swami Temple is a Hindu temple situated in the hills of Tirumala, Tirupati Urban Mandal in the Tirupati district of Andhra Pradesh, India. The temple is dedicated to Venkateswara, a form ...

Tirupati Tirupati () is a city in the Indian States and territories of India, state of Andhra Pradesh and serves as the administrative headquarters of Tirupati district. It is known for its significant religious and cultural heritage, being home to th ...

Etymology

''Dayshataka'' is

for "centum on mercy".

Content

The first decad of this work is composed in the ''anustubh'' metre of

Sanskrit poetry Sanskrit literature is a broad term for all literature composed in Sanskrit. This includes texts composed in the earliest attested descendant of the Proto-Indo-Aryan language known as Vedic Sanskrit, texts in Classical Sanskrit as well as some ...

. The poet offers his obeisance to the Venkata hill, upon which the Venkateshvara Temple stands, as well as his preceptors and the major deities of the

Sri Vaishnava Sri Vaishnavism () is a denomination within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism, predominantly practiced in South India. The name refers to goddess Lakshmi (also known as Sri), as well as a prefix that means "sacred, revered", and the god V ...

tradition. The second decad is composed in the ''giti'' metre and describes the ''ati-bhogya-tva'', the enjoyable qualities of God. The third decad is composed in the ''upachandasika'' metre, centred around the ''śubhā-śubhaga-tanuḥ'', the auspicious and attractive body of the deity. The fourth decad is composed in the ''malini'' metre, addressing the ''atiśaya'', the excellence of the deity. The fifth decad is written in the '' mandakranta'' metre, addressing the ''śreyastaddhetu-dātā'', the attribute of the deity as the granter of good fortune. The sixth decad uses the ''nardaṭaka'' metre, exploring the ''prapadana-sulabhatva'', the ease of the attainment of the deity. The seventh decad employs the ''shikharini'' metre, elucidating the welfare offered by the deity's mercy. The eighth decad is composed in the ''harini'' metre, discussing the ''bhakta-chandānuvartī'', the mentality of the devotee. The ninth decad is composed in the ''prithvi'' metre, discussing the various forms of the deity. The tenth decad is composed in the ''vasantatilaka'' metre, discussing the ''satpādarvyām-sahāyaḥ'', or seeking the help of the deity towards the right path.

Theme

In the ''Dayashataka'', Vedanta Desika extols the attribute of ''dayā'' (mercy) of Venkateshvara as the deity's supreme attribute, greater than his attributes of '' aiśvarya'' (sovereignty) and

jñāna In Indian philosophy and religions, ' (, ) is "knowledge". The idea of ''jñāna'' centers on a cognitive event which is recognized when experienced. It is knowledge inseparable from the total experience of reality, especially the total or divin ...

(wisdom). The mercy of the deity is described to allow a devotee to attain God when it is received as a blessing. The ''dayā'' of Venkateshvara is also personified as a goddess named Dayādevi (goddess mercy), conceived as one of the consorts of the deity, along with Sridevi,

Bhudevi Bhumi (Sanskrit: भूमि, romanized: Bhūmi), also known as Bhudevi, Dharani, and Vasundhara, is a significant goddess in Hinduism, personifying the Earth. Her earliest form is reflected in the Vedic goddess Prithvi, though their roles and de ...

, and

Niladevi Niladevi (), also rendered as Neela Devi or Nappinnai, is a Hindu goddess, and a consort of the preserver deity Vishnu, along with Sridevi and Bhudevi. Niladevi is primarily revered in South India, particularly in Tamil culture, as one of V ...

, the three aspects of

Lakshmi Lakshmi (; , , sometimes spelled Laxmi, ), also known as Shri (, , ), is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of wealth, fortune, prosperity, beauty, fertility, sovereignty, and abundance. She along with Parvat ...

in Sri Vaishnavism. The goddess Dayādevi is regarded to be the source of the ''

murti In the Hinduism, Hindu tradition, a ''murti'' (, ) is a devotional image, such as a statue or icon, of a Hindu deities, deity or Hindu saints, saint used during ''Puja (Hinduism), puja'' and/or in other customary forms of actively expressing d ...

'' (image) of the deity upon

Tirumala Tirumala is a Hindu religious temple town in Tirupati district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the neighbourhoods of the Tirupati city. The town is a part of Tirupati Urban Development Authority and located in Tirupat ...

; the ''murti'' is stated to have metaphysically originated from her grace to offer the deity's salvation to the world.

Hymn

The first hymn of the work extols the Venkata hill, upon which the Venkateshvara Temple stands: {{Blockquote, text=I resort to that hill, which in all probability, is the solidified form of sugarcane juice, which is the mercy of Srinivasa

References

Hindu texts Vaishnava texts Sanskrit poetry Hindu devotional texts

Etymology

Content

Theme

Hymn

See also

References