Maha Lakshmi part of Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan

[Guest guest]

Dear Members of the group:

 

Yesterday was Nrsimha Jayanthi . The Aradhana

Murthy of Ahobila Mutt is Maalolan or Lakshmi

Narasimhan. Sri Rangaswami and Sri Jaganathand earlier

Sri Sampath Rengarajan (posting on Katikaachalam)

have paid their tributes to Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan.

,

Sri Dileepan is doing a special srama Daan/Kaimkaryam in posting

the chapters of Sri V.N.Gopala Desikan"s book and is appealing to

the interested to send a small contribution to the

Ahobila Mutt foundation administerd by Sri Jaganath with

affection and reverence. I am delighted to contribute to this

laudable effort and encourage others to contribute .

 

In this and few other postings, I will focus on Maha Lakshmi.

She stands in front of Bhagvan"s name and creates a distinct

identity for Him thru names such as Lakshmi Narasimhan,

Sriman Narayanan, Lakshmi Kaanthan, Sreevaasan (Sahasra

Namam #609 , ), Sree Pati: (SN # 610), Sreesa:-the Lord of Sri,

Srinivasa:, Sri Nidhi:, Sridara: and Sreyas Srimaan . The last name

is particulary revelatory in the string of above names that

establish the Lord"s distinction because of his association with

Sri Devi revered as Maha Lakshmi. One name for Lakshmi is

Seyas Sri:, since She has to be approached for the fulfillment of

all human endevaours. Sreya: refers to the human endeavours of

a beneficial kind and the goal of attainig them. Sri: denotes that it is She

who has to be approached for the attainment of Sreya: That is why she is

saluted as Vimukthi Pala Dhaayini by Vishnu Puranam . Our Lord Narayana"s

glory is intricately and seamlessly linked to Her .

 

Swami Desikan (Sri Sthuthi), Sri Sthavam (Kuresa), Chathussloki

(ALavandAr) , Guna Ratna Kosam (Parasara Bhattar), Adi Sankarar

(Kanaka Taara Stotram ) , Lakshmi Sahsra Namam, Lakshmi

Ashtottram, Srimad Bhagavatham, Srimad Narayaneeyam

and Sri Sooktham pay tribute to

Her and celebrate Her Ananta Kalyana Gunas and

Her unique relationship with Her Lord.

 

I would focus on the seven maha Lakshmi Krithis of a great musical genius,

who meanings of the understood fully the tributes paid by the above sources and

created his own tribute to Maha Lakshmi in the tradition of Sri

Sampradhaayam . This Naadhopaasaka is none other than

Sri Mutthuswami Dikshithar of Thiruvaroor . Although , he is known

as a Devi Worshipper with the mudra of Guru Guha (Subramanya),

he has composed outstanding pieces of Krithis

about the Archa Murthys of temples for Sriman Narayana at

different Divya Desams( Srirangam, Guruvayoor, Raja Mannargudi,

ThirukaaNamangai, Tillai Thiruchitrakootam (4),Kanchi( Varadarajan ),

Katikai/Sholingar and Thirupathi ). Our topic here would be the

seven Krithis on Maha Lakshmi, which are abundant testimony

to his bhakthi for Maha Lakshmi as well as for his scholarship on

Sri sampradhaayam.

 

His seven Maha Lakshmi krithis rich in sruthi/Smrithi/stotra meanings are :

 

1.HARI YUVATIM HAIMAVATHIM AARADHAYAAMI, RAGAM

DESI SIMHAARAVAM(HAIMAVATHI, 58TH MELAM).

 

2.HIRANMAYEEM LAKSHMIM SADHAA BHAJAAMI ,

HINA MAANAVA AASRAYAM THYAJAAMI, RAGAM LALITHA

 

3.MANGALA DEVATAYAA TVYAA BHAUMAANITHOHAM ,

RAGAM DHANYAASI

 

4.VARALAKSHMIM BHAJAREH REH MAANASA ,

RAGAM SOWRAASHTRAM

 

5.SRI VARALAKSHMII NAMASTHUBHYAM VASUPRADEH ,

SRI RAGAM

 

6.MAHA LAKSHMII KARUNAARASALAHARII MAAMAVA

MADHAVA MANOHARI , RGAM: MADAVA MANOHARI

 

7.SRI BHARGAVI BHADRAM MEH DISATHU,

RAGAM : MANGALA KAISIKHI

 

In rich and resonant Sanskrit, Sri Dikshitar echoes the

sentiments of many Acharyas that went before him and

paid his own tribute to the all-encompassing Sri Principle

represented by Maha Lakshmi.

 

In the samashti krithi (one without Anupallavi) set in Haimavathi ,

Sri Dikshitar celebrates Her as NARA HARI HRUDHYA NIVAASINI,

NAAMA RUPA PRAKAASINI. Here is our hyperlink to take the

blessed attempt to navigate a little in the ocean of ambrosia

that She represents . I will continue in the next few

postings the significance of the many Naamas by which

Sri Dikshitar saluted Her and point out the source references

for his selection of the Naamas for the Archana that he

performed.

 

V.Sadagopan

[Guest guest]

On 04 May 96 12:44:55 EDT Sri. V. Sadagopan said:

>

>,

>Sri Dileepan is doing a special srama Daan/Kaimkaryam in posting

>the chapters of Sri V.N.Gopala Desikan"s book and is appealing to

>the interested to send a small contribution to the

>Ahobila Mutt foundation administerd by Sri Jaganath with

>affection and reverence. I am delighted to contribute to this

>laudable effort and encourage others to contribute .

>

 

 

I am sure there is nothing in this wonderful book that

Sri V. Sadagopan does not already know. Yet he is the

first to magnanimously respond to the request for contribution

to the mutt. In my case, it is this book that channelled

my interest that was getting dissipated in confusion

and lack of focus, into Sri Ramanuja Darsanam. Therefore,

I pledge to match every dollar that the readers of this

series contribute to Sri Ahobila Mutt.

 

 

-- dhaasan parthasarati dileepan