The ''Dayashataka'' () is a
Sanskrit hymn composed by the
Hindu
Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...
philosopher
Vedanta Desika. Comprising one hundred verses in ten decads, the hymn was written in praise of
Venkateshvara, a form of
Vishnu who is the principal deity of the
Venkateshvara Temple,
Tirupati.
Etymology
''Dayshataka'' is
Sanskrit for "centum on mercy".
Content
The first decad of this work is composed in the
''anustubh'' metre of
Sanskrit poetry. The poet offers his obeisance to the
Venkata hill, upon which the Venkateshvara Temple stands, as well as his
preceptors
A preceptor (from Latin, "''praecepto''") is a teacher responsible for upholding a ''precept'', meaning a certain law or tradition.
Buddhist monastic orders
Senior Buddhist monks can become the preceptors for newly ordained monks. In the Buddhi ...
and the major deities of the
Sri Vaishnava 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 (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, and
Niladevi, the three aspects of
Lakshmi in Sri Vaishnavism. The goddess Dayādevi is regarded to be the source of the ''
murti'' (image) of the deity upon
Tirumala; 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
See also
* ''
Chatuh Shloki''
* ''
Garuda Dandaka''
* ''
Suprabhatam
Suprabhatam ( sa, सुप्रभातम्, lit=auspicious dawn, translit=Suprabhātam) is a Sanskrit prayer of the ''Suprabhātakāvya'' genre. It is a collection of hymns or verses recited early morning to awaken the deity in Hinduism. T ...
''
References
Hindu texts
Vaishnava texts
Sanskrit poetry
Hindu devotional texts