The following simple explanation/translation of "Nyasa-Dasakam" had been published in the archived issue of "Hamsa-Priya" magazine (you can find pdf-scan on archive-org or dropbox).
I liked this plain article, so I have digitized it - please see the digitized text below. Speaking of alternative renditions, nowadays sadagopan.org has the brilliant extended English translation, you can find their rendition in their e-book - https://www.sadagopan.org/ebook/pdf/Nyasa%20Dasakam.pdf.
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"Nyasa-Dasakam - daily prayer to Lord Varada" (article by Dr. Gopala Rangarajan).
Vedanta Desika has expounded the doctrine of self surrender in the form of Nyaasa which means 'placing oneself (in the care of God)'. The Nyaasadasakam is addressed to Lord Varadaraaja of Kaanchi and is in the form of a monologue.
In it Desikan starts by asking us to leave ourselves, the burden of protecting ourselves as well as the fruits thereof to Lord Narayana. This is because our consciousness, intellect, body, belongings - all are given to us by Him and are meant for His service.
In order to do this it is necessary not to engage in sinful acts and to engage in actions which are desirable to Him. These two features, along with complete confidence in Him, an awareness of one's own helplessness and an acceptance of Him as the Saviour - these five aspects are listed by Desikan as the five parts (panchanga's) of prapaththi.
He then expresses his own contentment and relief after he has placed himself in the care of Lord Varadaraja.
TANIYAN:
श्रीमान् वेङ्कटनाथार्यः कवितार्किककेसरी
वेदान्ताचार्यवर्यो मे सन्निधत्तां सदा हृदि ॥
śrīmān veṅkaṭanāthāryaḥ kavitārkikakesarī
vedāntācāryavaryo me sannidhattāṃ sadā hṛdi ॥
SHLOKAM-01.
अहं मद्रक्षण भरो मद्रक्षण फलं तथा ।
न मम श्रीपतेरेवेत्यात्मानं निक्षिपेत् बुधः ॥01॥
ahaṃ madrakṣaṇa bharo madrakṣaṇa phalaṃ tathā ।
na mama śrīpaterevetyātmānaṃ nikṣipet budhaḥ ॥01॥
Translation-01: "Myself, the onus of protecting me and the fruits of doing so are all not mine. They belong to 'Shreepathi', the Lord of Goddess Lakshmi (Lord Narayana). So saying, the wise person places oneself in the care of God".
SHLOKAM-02.
न्यस्याम्यकिञ्चनः श्रीमन् अनुकूलोऽन्यवर्जितः।
विश्वास प्रार्थना पूर्वं आत्मरक्षाभरं त्वयि ॥02॥
nyasyāmyakiñcanaḥ śrīman anukūlo'nyavarjitaḥ।
viśvāsa prārthanā pūrvaṃ ātmarakṣābharaṃ tvayi ॥02॥
Translation-02: "I place myself, Oh Lord of Goddess Lakshmi! - a person who has nothing left with him, who is well disposed towards You and is devoid of anything against You - so that the onus of protecting myself is now left to You by me who prays to You, with complete confidence in You, to do so". [Aanukuulya sankalpa, praathikoolya varjana, kaarpaNya, mahaaviSvaasa and gopthrthva varaNa are the five parts of prapaththi].
SHLOKAM-03.
स्वामी स्वशेषं स्ववसं स्वभरत्वेन निर्भरम्।
स्वदत्त स्वधिया स्वार्थं स्वस्मिन् न्यस्यति मां स्वयम् ॥03॥
svāmī svaśeṣaṃ svavasaṃ svabharatvena nirbharam।
svadatta svadhiyā svārthaṃ svasmin nyasyati māṃ svayam ॥03॥
Translation-03: "The Lord Himself places me - who is but subservient to Him, who is under His control, and who is free from the burden of looking after himself - in Himself, who has bestowed this out of His own volition, for His own ends". [This is the act of saaththvikathyaaga].
SHLOKAM-04.
श्रीमन्नभीष्ट वरद त्वामस्मि शरणं गतः।
एतद्देहावसाने मां त्वत्पादं प्रापय स्वयम् ॥04॥
śrīmannabhīṣṭa varada tvāmasmi śaraṇaṃ gataḥ।
etaddehāvasāne māṃ tvatpādaṃ prāpaya svayam ॥04॥
Translation-04: "Oh Lord of Goddess Lakshmi who grants all our desires! I have sought refuge in You. At the time of the end of this birth please make me reach Your Feet".
SHLOKAM-05.
त्वच्छेषत्वे स्थिर धियं त्वत्प्राप्त्येक प्रयोजनम् ।
निषिद्ध काम्य रहितं कुरु मां नित्य किङ्करम् ॥05॥
tvaccheṣatve sthira dhiyaṃ tvatprāptyeka prayojanam ।
niṣiddha kāmya rahitaṃ kuru māṃ nitya kiṅkaram ॥05॥
Translation-05: "Please make me - whose mind is firmly set on being subservient to You, who has the sole aim of attaining You and who is devoid of forbidden acts and acts of desire - Your eternal servant".
SHLOKAM-06.
देवि भूषण हेत्यादि जुष्टस्य भगवंस्तव।
नित्यं निरपरोधेषु कैङ्कर्येषु नियुक्ष्व माम् ॥06॥
devi bhūṣaṇa hetyādi juṣṭasya bhagavaṃstava।
nityaṃ niraparodheṣu kaiṅkaryeṣu niyukṣva mām ॥06॥
Translation-06: "Please command me to always engage in acts which are not sinful, Oh Lord who is being adorned by Your Consorts, Your ornaments and Your weapons!".
SHLOKAM-07.
मां मदीयं च निखिलं चेतनाचेतनात्मकम् ।
स्वकैङ्कर्योपकरणं वरद स्वीकुरु स्वयम् ॥07॥
māṃ madīyaṃ ca nikhilaṃ cetanācetanātmakam ।
svakaiṅkaryopakaraṇaṃ varada svīkuru svayam ॥07॥
Translation-07: "Oh Varada! Please accept by Your Own Will and as instruments of Your own service - myself and all my belongings which are sentient as well as non-sentient".
SHLOKAM-08.
त्वदेक रक्ष्यस्य मम त्वमेव करुणाकर।
न प्रवर्तय पापानि प्रवृत्तानि निवर्तय ॥08॥
tvadeka rakṣyasya mama tvameva karuṇākara।
na pravartaya pāpāni pravṛttāni nivartaya ॥08॥
Translation-08: "Oh, the repository of mercy! Only You should not direct me - who should be protected only by You - into acts of sin and ward me away from such acts, in which I am already engaged".
SHLOKAM-09.
अकृत्यानां च करणं कृत्यानां वर्जनं च मे ।
क्षमस्व निखिलं देव प्रणतार्तिहर प्रभो ॥09॥
akṛtyānāṃ ca karaṇaṃ kṛtyānāṃ varjanaṃ ca me ।
kṣamasva nikhilaṃ deva praṇatārtihara prabho ॥09॥
Translation-09: "Oh Lord who wards off the sufferings of His devotees! Please excuse me for everything - for having committed acts, which should not be done and for having refrained from acts which should have been done".
SHLOKAM-10.
श्रीमान् नियत पञ्चाङ्गं मद्रक्षण भरार्पणम् ।
अचीकरत् स्वयं स्वस्मिन् अतोऽहमिह निर्भरः ॥10॥
śrīmān niyata pañcāṅgaṃ madrakṣaṇa bharārpaṇam ।
acīkarat svayaṃ svasmin ato'hamiha nirbharaḥ ॥10॥
Translation-10: "The Lord of Goddess Lakshmi has Himself caused to be done the task of entrusting to Him my protection accompanied by the five parts of prapaththi. Therefore, I am now free from burden".
कवितार्किकसिंहाय कल्याणगुणशालिने ।
श्रीमते वेङ्कटेशाय वेदान्तगुरवे नमः ॥
kavitārkikasiṃhāya kalyāṇaguṇaśāline ।
śrīmate veṅkaṭeśāya vedāntagurave namaḥ ॥
Digitized by Vishnudut1926, Moscow, Russia, 24-FEB-2023
