Sri Stuthi-2

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Dear Friends,

 

In this post, I shall summarize the salient features of Shlokams 1 and

2 of Swami Desikan's Sri Stuthi.

 

1. In the first verse, Swami Desikan refers to the Mahima of Mahalakshmi

Thayar and surrenders to her Lotus feet. Several luminaries like Sage

Parashara, YAmunAcharya, Ramanujacharya,

and Kuresha have composed extremely moving verses in praise of

Periya Piratti and have succinctly brought out the importance of

Lakshmi Kataksham or the benefit of receiving the benevolent glance

of Sri Mahalakshmi Thayar. The Chatushloki by YAmunAcharya contains

four glorious verses which highlight the role of Sri Mahalakshmi

in while granting SharaNagati. Alavandaar extols the benevolent

glances of Periya Piratti, describes her merciful nature and pays

tribute to her beautiful form. Almost as a continuation of this

tribute, Sri Ramanujacharya sought and successfully received the

grace of Periya Piratti Thayar as he commenced his Prapatti through

the Gadya Trayam. The opening salutation of the SharaNagati Gadyam

is a splendid description of the SvarUpa, Rupa, GuNa, Vibhava,

Aishwarya, limitless KalyaNa GuNams, Thayar's residence in a Lotus

Garden. It also describes Thayar as the UpAyam (means) for obtaining

the Lord's grace and acknowldeges her as the Mother of the Universe

(Akhila Jagan MAtaram) and therefore, his mother (Asman MAtaram).

Finally, Ramanujacharya surrenders to the Lotus feet of Thayar.

 

The Desika Mangalam contains a salutation "Sri BhashyakAra PanthAnam

AtmanA Darshitam Punaha", which means that Swami Desikan incarnated

to reveal again the path established by Sri Ramanuja. This salutation

in conjunction with the opening verse of Sri Ramanujacharya's

SharaNagati Gadyam helps us to understand how Swami Desikan explicitly

reveals in twenty five glorious verses, the succinct message of Sri

Bhasyakarar's tribute to Periya Piratti.

 

2. AvirbhAva: KalashajaladhAvadhvarE VApi YasyA:

SthAnam YasyA: Sarasijavanam VishNuvakshasthalam VA I

BhumA YasyA Bhuvanamakhilam Devi DivyamPadam VA

StokaprajnaIranavadhiguNA StuyasE SA Katham Tvam II

 

Your AvirbhAva took place in the ocean or in the Yajna.

Your residence is in the heart (Vakshasthalam) of Lord VishnU or

in the Lotus garden. Your Vaibhavam is foremost in all the worlds

and extends upto Sri Vaikuntam. Oh Godess endowed with limitless

auspicious attributes! How can we uninitiated ones of insignificant

intellect be the beneficiaries of uttering your name.

 

In this salutation, Swami Desikan establishes the subtle difference

between Janma and AvirbhAva. Janma (birth) takes place upon GarbhavAsam.

However, Mahalakshmi Thayar arose from the ocean without

going through GarbhavAsam. This is significant since even Lord

Narayana was born through the womb of Kausalya and Devaki in his

Vibhava Avatarams as Rama and KrishNa. Therefore, Swami Desikan

implies the Mahima of Thayar's birth is even greater than that of the

Lord himself! Therefore, the parentage of Periya Piratti Thayar is

described Kalasha Jaladhi. Other descriptions of her include

Ksheerabdhi Kannike, Jaladhi Kannike and Ambudhi TanayE. Consequently,

the ocean served as a container (Kalasha) for Thayar. It was in this

container that the churning took place. As a result of the churning of

this container, Mahalakshmi arose along with Amrutam. For this reason,

she is also known as AmrutOdbhava.

 

To be continued,

 

Namo Narayana,

 

Muralidhar Rangaswamy

 

 

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