Thuppul PiLLai- 31- BhU sthuthi

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SrImathE Nigamantha Mahadesikaya namah:

SrImAn venkatanAthAryaH kavitArkika kesarI |

vedAntAcArya-varyo me sannidhattAm sadA hRdi ||

 

May the glorious Venkatanatha, the greatest of teachers of Vedanta, and the

lion among poets and debaters, reside forever in my heart.

 

Dearest Srivaishnavas,

 

Let us begin to enjoy the sthOthra granthas of Swamy Desikan [in

alphabetical order]

 

Bhoo-stuti is a hymn in thirty-three slokas on Bhoomidevi (Mother Earth).She

is a divine consort of Bhagavan. There is a Puranic reference that a demon

Hiranyaksha, by name, abducted Her and kept Her under sea. In order to

rescue Her, Bhagawaan assumed the form of a Boar (an animal which is not

frightened by water or slush) went to the nether world, killed the Asura and

brought Her back and married Her. It is also narrated that he placed Her on

His shoulder as on a throne and performed Her coronation as the Supreme

Deity of the Earth. His love for Her is so great that He as the serpent,

Adisesha, supports Her always with His head. Sri DEsika mentions several

names of the Bhoomi-Devi which indicate Her qualities of mercy, compassion

and forbearance. She is Saravamsahaa(All-enduring) Avani(the saviour),

Vipulaa(All-pervading) Kshamaa(Forbearance). She is

Visvambharaa(world-supporter) if the Lord is Visvambharaa. She is

Vishnu-patnee if He is Bhoopati. Thus She is His equal in all respects in

the possession of auspicious qualities and greatness.

 

The mutual love of Bhoomi-Devi and Varaha-Bhagavan, the Divine couple, is

beautifully portrayed by Sri Desika in the penultimate sloka(32) as follows:

 

“With Her lotus-feet placed on the lotus-like right hand on Her Consort,

Varaha, and gracefully reclining as on a couch on the left arm which is like

the body of Adisesha. With Her cheeks shining with the pleasing touch of the

face of Varaha and eyes like full-blown lotus. May the All-forgiving

Bhoomi-Devi bless me with all auspiciousness. In conclusion Sri Desika

declares that a devout study of the stotra will help a man realize all his

desires.

[From the Life and works of Sri Nigamantha Mahadesikan- by Prof Sri A

Srinivasaraghavan]

 

Swamy Desikan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Regards

Namo narayana

dAsan

kavi-tArkika-simhAya kalyANa-guNa-SAline |

Srimate venkateSAya vedAntagurave namaH ||

 

Salutations to Sri Venkatesa, in whom all perfections reside, who is the

teacher of Vedanta and the lion among poets and debaters

 

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