Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam : Part IX , Introduction to the 3rd slOkAm

[Guest guest]

Sri RanganAyakai Nama:

 

VandhE Nrusimha-JaayAm anAdhi-MaayAm apOhithum-hEyAm

Sulalitha-Sundara-KaayAm SurEndra-gEyAm Surarshibhir-dhyEyAm

 

(meaning ): AdiyEn prostrates at the sacred feet of

MahA Lakshmi, the consort of Sri Nrusimhan ,

the abode of all auspicious attributes

( GuNa Rathna kOsam )and the One whose beauty

(soundharyam ) bewitches the mind of Her Lord ;

She is always eulogized by samastha DevAs

with Indra at their head; She is meditated upon

by all the Maha Rishis of austere penance.

 

This is a sthOthram that HH the 42nd Jeeyar of

AhObila matam used while performing MangaLAsAsanam

for MahA Lakshmi . She is indeed Sundara-Sulalitha

Kaayai ( tender and beautiful form like the lovely

creeper ) as visualized by ParAsara Bhattar in

the second slOkam of Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam .

 

She is with Him in all avathArams and makes

Her Lord famous with the names of Lakshmi Nrusimhan ,

Lakshmi NaarAyaNan , Lakshmi HayagrIvan and in

short Sriya: pathi.It is in this context , sage

ParAsara Bhattar salutes their inseperability

in two slOkams of VishNu PurANam:

 

NithyaivaishA JaganmAthA VishNO: SriranapAyinI

YathA SarvagathO VishNu: TadhivEyam DhvijOtthama

 

devathvE dEva dEhEyam manushayathvE cha MaanushI

VishNO: dEhAnuroopam vai karOthyEsha aathmanas-tanum

 

(meaning ): As a Vibhu , Mahaa LakshmI is never ever

seperated from Her Lord . She is the Mother of all

the Worlds and their beings. Just as Her Lord is

pervasively present ( VyApthi) every where , She is

also present everywhere with Him as aNu or Mahath

(atomic size or gigantic size). She assumes

the dEva svarUpam or manushya svarUpam in

accordance with the dEva or manushya svarUpam taken

by Her Lord . She accompanies Her Lord with

an anuroopam that corresponds to His roopam .

 

As a result of their inseperability , they are

known as a "Sookshma Mithunam ", "anyOnya Misram "

and " AnyOnya PrathibhAdhakam ". This is the view of

Sri Paancha Raathra Aagamam as quoted by Sri U.Ve.

MukkUr LakshmI NrusimhAchAr Swamy in one of

his magnificent articles on Sri Manthra Raaja

Padha SthOthram dealing with the name "VishNu:":

 

tadEtath Sookshma Mithunam Paraspara Vichinvitham

aadhAvanyOnya MisrathvAth anyOnya PrathibhAdhakam

 

(meaning ): This divine couple is a very subtle One .

They excell by being together always . From time immemorial ,

it has been this way . We have to understand the glory

of one of the partners by comprehending the glory of

the Other .

 

Swamy YenkaLAzhwAn , the AchAryan of Swamy NadAthUr

ammAl , who wrote the commentary for Sri VishNu

PurANam of Sage ParAsarA observed in this context:

 

MahA Lakshmi (Sri RanganAyaki) has the attributes

of Jagath KaaraNathvam (creatrix of the Universes) ,

SarIra-SarIrI BhAvam , UpAyathvam and PrApyathvam

(means and end) just as Her Lord (Sri RanganAthan).

 

Swamy Desikan will follow this sampradhAyam and

salute Her in His Tamil Prabhandhams ( Tann

Thiru Maathudan iRayum TaniyA Naathan) and

in His Sanskrit SthOthra Granthams like

Sri Sthuthi . He salutes Her Lord as Lakshmi-

Visishtan or the One , who is associated

with Sri( MahA LakshmI)Devi.

 

Swamy Desikna has given six different meanings

for the Name of "Sri" to elaborate on these

subtle attributes of the Lady , who never

leaves the chest of Her Lord :

 

1. MahA lakshmi removes all the obstacles

that stand in the way of performing the UpAyam

of those ,who sought Her sacred feet.

 

2. She corrects the mind set of those who

sought refuge in her so that they attain

the right frame of mind to perform their

kaimkaryams to Her Lord .

 

3.She listens with immense patience to the pleas of

the suffering Chethanams , which approach her .

 

4. She makes sure that Her Lord listens to

these plaintive cries of the suffering chEthanams.

 

5. She is accessible at all times to those

who seek to be protected (ujjIvanam)and blessed.

 

6. She is present in the chest of the Lord

to protect those , who sought Her refuge.

 

The Manthra Rathnam (Dhvaya Manthram )

asserts that the Lord United with His

divine consort is our ultimate refuge and

the Phalan for such surrender is nithya Kaimkaryam

to this Sookshma Mithunam in their Parama Padham .

 

We have now the context for the third slOkam

of Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam :

 

anukala-tanu-kANDAlingana-aarambha-sumbhath

prathidisa bhujasAkha SrisakhAnOkahardhi:

sthana-nayana-guLuccha-sphAra-pushpadhvirEpA

rachayathu mayi LakshmI Kalpavallee katAkshAn

 

AdiyEn will cover the meaning and commentary

for this slOkam in the next posting.

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan, Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan