Sri GuNa Rathna KOsam : Part IV: A small Krithi on Sri MahA (Great )LakshmI ( Fortune , Prosperity , Isvaryam ) and continuation of the commentary on "KruthOnjali:".

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

In the context of the articles on Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam ,

adiyEn would like to share with You a small krithi adiyEn

composed on Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr , who is none other than

MahA LakshmI presiding over Sri Ranga RaajadhAni.

 

This Krithi could be sung in Raagam Vachaspathi

************************************************

 

Pallavi: VandEham Maatharam

MaaninIm MahA LakshmIm

 

Anupallavi: UmA VaaNi SamsEvitha CharaNAm

Pankaja-Vana PriyAm Paapa NaasinIm

(vandEham)

 

CharaNam : Maadhava ManOharIm MahA dEvIm

nithya SaanthAm Soumya RoopAm

Sri RangarAja MahishIm KamalAm

Samudhra TanayAm HiraNya VarNAm

(VandEham)

 

Prior to commenting on the specific aspects of

the words used in this krithi , it would be my

pleasure to comment on the anjali performed to

Sri MahA Lakshmi by ParAsara Bhattar following

the maargam (way) shown by his PoorvAchAryALs like

his revered father, KurEsar and Swamy AlavandhAr.

 

 

Observations on the MahA LakshmI Tatthvam

******************************************

 

The Glory of the Name Sri Devi

*******************************

We have to remember reverentially

the inadequacies of ourselves , when we

venture to eulogize MahA LakshmI(Sri Devi).

We have to be humble in approach in the spirit of

AlavandhAr , who observed in his ChathusslOki SlOkam:

 

--SrIrithyEva cha Naama tE Bhagavathi

BhrUma: katham thvAm vayam?

ChathusslOki: First SlOkam , Fourth Quarter

 

(Extended Meaning ): Oh Jagan MohinI! Your husband

is the PurushOtthaman , Sri RangarAjan . AdhisEshan

is Your bed and seat . Veda SvarUpi Garudan is Your

Vaahanam (transport). The Moola prakruthi , which

enchants the world is Your sacred curtain. The wives

of BrahmA , RudrA , IndrA and other DevAs are

Your daasa vargams ( assembly of servants).

YOUR NAME IS KNOWN AS SRI DEVI.HOW CAN WE

BEGIN TO DESCRIBE YOUR LIMITLESS AUSPICIOUS

ATTRIBUTES ?( As Your name is Sri Devi,

is there anything to say beyond that?).

 

Recognizing his own inadequacies in his

attempt to eulogize Sri Devi, KurEsar

devised a clever approach. He stated clearly

to Sri Devi that he wanted to praise Her

( hE SrirdEvi ! samastha lOka JananIm thvAm

sthOthum IhAmahE).He pleaded however with Her that

She should help him in this impossible effort :

"yukthAm BhAvaya BhArathIm"( Please bless me with

the power of divine Speech that will fit this

occasion ).

 

After asking for dhivya-Vaak siddhi , KurEsar

begged for the growth in affection-laden Buddhi

to eulogize Her( PrEma pradhAnam dhiyam praguNaya).

 

He wanted then for the PrEma Dhyai to blossom into

Bhakthi ( Bhakthim Bhandhaya).He concluded this

appeal for her blessings with a humble prayer:

Please command this prapannan as Your servant

and gladden adiyEn with the acceptance of this

Kaimkaryam and cast Your dayA-laden glances

on adiyEn ( Imam Janam thAvakam DhAsam Nandhya !

hE LakshmI! amee vayam cha tE KatAksha Veesi

visruthE: Lakshyam shyAma:).

 

KurEsar Performed his Anjali ( prArthanA poorvaka

Prapatthi ) at Her lotus feet in preparation of

his sthOthram on Sri Devi.He prayed for the ripening

of his Bhakthi for Sri RanganAyaki into Para Bhakthi,

Para Jn~Anam and PARAMA BHAKTHI.With the choice of

the word "amee" (amee vayam ) , KurEsar indicated

his unfortunate state of suffering (ThuvaLuthal

like a worm in hot sand) due to the lack of

the KaruNA KatAksham of Sri RanganAyaki.

 

ParAsara Bhattar followed his father's sampradhAyam

and that of AlavandhAr and performed his anjali rites .

As Sri RangEsa PurOhithar , he was well versed in

the proper procedures to address the dhivya dampathis

in the Saastraic manner .Hence He had the vijn~Apanam:

" Sriyai: --SaarTyanthyai: KRUTHONAJALI:"

 

COMMENTS ON THE INDIVIDUAL SECTIONS OF THE KRITHI

***************************************************

Pallavi: "VandEham Maatharam , ManinIm MahA LakshmIm ".

 

(Extended Meaning ):Salutations to our Loka MaathA ,

MahA LakshmI ,who is the resolute Para Devathai ,

who is the object of the highest level of worship .

She is resolute in saving Her children from the anger of

Her Lord , who turns his face away at the trespasses

committed by them . As "Maaninee" , She is proud and

resolute in not letting Her Children down in their

times of distress.

 

Anupallavi :" UmA VaaNi SamsEvitha CharaNAM

Pankaja-Vana PriyAm Paapa-NaasinIm "

 

As MahA Lakshmi , Her sacred feet are saluted by

Her daasi Vargams ( UmA and Sarasvathi et al) . She is

the "SadhguNa ArNonidhi" ( the ocean of auspicious

divine attributes) and "GuNa Rathna KOsam "

( treasure house of gems of KalyANa GuNams).

Hence , UMA and Sarasvathi join Her Daasi Vargam.

Limitless Isvaryams come their way due to

LakshmI KatAksham .She is " MangaLAnAm MangaLam ".

KurEsar has performed SaraNAgathi to Her

with the Sri Sookthi: " Saa BhArathI BhagavathI

thu yadhiya DAASEE Thaam Deva Deva MahishIm

SRIYAM AAASRAYAAMA:". Here KurEsar goes one

step further and states that Sarasvathi Devi is

the servant of those who are adiyArs of MahA

Lakshmi.

 

Sri Devi is fond of residing in the Lotus

forests . Her affection for the red Lotus

is referred to by Sri Sooktham passage :

 

"Padhma-PriyE Padhmini Padhma-hasthE PADHMAALAYE

PadhmadaLAyadhAkshi" .

 

Her power to destroy Sarva Paapams through Her

Kataksham alone is well celebrated in Sruthis

and Smruthis. She is the "sarva bhutha Hitha Prathai"

( conferrer of hitham to all embodied ones).She is

"Yasasvini" and "SarvOpadhrava-VaariNyai" as saluted

by her AshtOttharam . Her Yasas ( keerthi ) in

this matter and Her ability to destroy all

upadhravams are well understood. She is thus

agha or Paapa Naasini of the highest order.

 

CharaNam :

 

"Maadhava ManOharIm MahA DevIm

nithya SaanthAm Soumya RoopAm

Sri RangarAja MahishIm KamalAm

Samudhra TanayAm HiraNya VarNAM

(VandEham Maatharam-- MahA LakshmIm )"

 

She enchants Her Lord and He is under Her

total spell as Maadhava ManOhari. She is

the PerumdEvi (MahA Devi) of Achyutha Varadhan.

She is never angry and is an embodiment of

composure and tranquility ( Nithya SaanthA).

Her beauty is revealed in every one of Her

limbs ( SarvAnga Sundari and acme of perfection

thru Her SaamudhrikA lakshanams). Thus She is

Soumya Roopa,Padhmini.She is the Patta Mahishi

of Lord RanganAthan .She is revered as KamalA.

She is the daughter of the Milky Ocean . She arose

from there during the churning of nectar

(Samudhra-tanayA ).Her complexion is like

the golden creeper and the bright golden flash

of lightning ( HiraNmaya varNam ).Sri Sooktham

salutes Her golden complexion majestically

at the very beginning of its eulogy:

 

"HiraNya VarNAm HariNIm SuvarNa-RajathasrajAM

ChandhrAm HiraNmayeem LakshmIm JaathavEdhO ma Aavaha"

 

On this vedic Note , adiyEn concludes this posting

relating to the "KruthOnjali " section of

the first slOkam of Sri ParAsara Bhattar.

 

We will continue with the rest of the VaakyArthams

of ParAsara Bhattar's first slOkam in the next posting .

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE saraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan