Nava Raathri Season / Fund Raising for the Priest's quarters at Sri RanganAtha Temple : Part VI

[Guest guest]

TaaraNa TulA Sukla Panchami , JyEshtA Nakshathram

Fifth Day of NavarAthri Celebrations , BhAnu Vaaram

 

SrI :

 

Dear BhakthAs of SridEvi:

 

Here are the daily samarpaNam of 7 NaamAs

from Sri Lkashmi Sahasra Naamam saluting Her

dhivyAnga Soundharyam . Her enchanting beauty

is eulogized in this set of NamaskArams :

 

(PraNavam) SmithAnanAyai Nama:

(PraNavam) Charu-gathyai Nama:

(PraNavam) ChAru-haasAyai Nama:

(PraNavam) Subha-dhrushtyai Nama:(PraNavam) Padminyai Nama:

(PraNavam) ManOramAyai Nama:

(PraNavam) VilAsa-BhruvE Nama:

 

CHATHUSSLOKI OF SWAMY ALAVANTHAR

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In the previous posting , we studied the significance of

the first slOkam and the Sri Sookthi of ChathusslOki .

 

The Five Points of View (Pakshams) regarding MahA Lakshmi

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Let us enjoy the summary of UthamUr Swamy on the 5 positions .

Lakshmi Tanthram reveals that Bhagavan and Piratti are equivalent

in all amsams .

 

BRAHAMA SOOTHRAM & THE FIVE PAKSHAMS

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Brahma Soothram focuses in its four chapters

the four amsams of BhagavAn . Consistent with Lakshmi Tantram

and Brahma Soothram , Swamy AlavanthAr created four slOkams

( ChathusslOkams ) to celebrate PirAtti sharing those four amsams

of BhagavAn in his Sri Sookthi , ChathusslOki .

 

What are the four amsams of BhagavAn celebrated in each of the four

chapters of Brahma Soothram ?

 

(1) The first chapter instructs us that Bhagavan is the Supreme Master

of the Universe and He is the creator of this Universe ( Jagath KaaraNan).

 

(2) The second chapter reveals that His Vaibhavam is undiminished and

is undeniable .

 

(3) The third chapter asserts that Bhagavan is the One , who grants

all the fruits of one's saadhana

 

(4) The Fourth Chapter performs the upadEsam that BhagavAn

is the PrApyam ( the goal to be attained ).

 

BHAGAVAAN & BHAGAVATHY IN THE FOUR SLOKAMS

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Swamy Alavanthar through the four slOkams of ChathusslOki

established that Bhagavathi ( Sri Devi/ Periya PirAtti) possesses

all these amsams that BhagavAn is celebrated for in Brahma

Soothrams . It has also been said that the "Sree" sabdham has

four aksharams and corresponding to that number , Swamy

AlavanthAr created four slOkams of ChathusslOki to eulogize Her.

 

In the first slOkam , reference is made to the fact that AdhisEshan

and othe rNithya Sooris are Her Servants ( Sesha BhUthAL ) in Her

role as Seshi (Empress ) . She is identified also as the ruler of

Moola Prakruthi as well . She is thus Seshi to Moola Prakruthi.

Seshithvam means the power over vasthus/Seshans as desired by

the Seshi . Seshithvam over Moola Prakruthi (MP) denotes Her ability

to use that(MP) in ways to cause benefits to the jeevaraasis by

making the required changes in MP. Thus PirAtti shares yEka

sEshithvam with Her Lord .

 

In the second slOkam , Swamy Alavanthar chooses the words ,

" Aathmana iva ,, Svatha: " to remind us that the undiminishing

and undeniable glories of both PirAtti and BhagavAn are the same

and arose out of its own .

 

In the third slOkam , Moksham is also due to Her anugraham.

 

In the fourth SlOkam , reference is made to the Tatthvam

that BhagaAn's dhivyAthma Svaroopam is tightly linked to

that of PirAtti's dhivyAthma Svaroopam and therefore Vibuhthvam

is a natural corrolary . Since their svaroopams are tightly knit ,

it is recognized as the yEka Tattvam ( VyApakAvathy samslEshAth

yEkatatthvamiva udithou ). These are doctrines established by

the Bhagavath Saasthram of PaancharAthram that arose from

the Lord and VishNu PurANam .This is therefore considered

as Moola SampradhAyam and Swamy AlavanthAr follows

this authentic tradition in the sri Sookthi of ChathusslOki.

It has been pointed out by our AchAryAs ( MadaipaLLIi

AacchAn , NadathUr AmmAL , Parasara Bhattar , Nanjeeyar )

that Swamy AlavanthAr's ChathusslOki is rooted in Lakshmi tantram .

This is Sri Desika SiddhAntham . Swamy PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai

has recalled that ThirukkuruhaipirAn PiLLAn mentioning PirAtti

having Jagath KaaraNathvam and himself endorsing that Vaibhavam

for PirAtti . Further to Lakshmi Tantram , PirAtti's many-faceted

splendors are celebrated in Prapanna PaarijAtham , where

other Paancha Raathra Samhithais are given as PramANam .

 

THE FIVE PAKSHAMS : VIBHU OR ANU OR ISWARI ?

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The Five different Pakshams about PirAtti are based on

differences of opinions about Her Vibhuthavam , Iswarathvam

and Jagath KaaraNathvam .

 

Vibhu means All Pervading , infinite and Supreme and this is an attribute of

the Supreme Lord , Sriman NaarAyaNan . aNu means atomic in size

and that is assciated with the size of the Jeevan inside the body .

The size of the Jeevan in Vishnavism is accepted as atomic

but its Jn~Anam becomes infinite in the state of Moksham.

Iswaran means the Supreme Lord ( ParamAthmA ). Iswaran will

always be Vibhu in nature . Jeevan will never become a Vibhu .

The lakshaNam of Iswaran is Vibhuthvam or being manifest in

all vasthus including one's heart lotus .

 

The debates and the different points of view/positions ( Five pakshams)

are all about the Vibhuthvam and Iswarithvam ( Iswareegum sarvabhUthAnAm)

of Sri Devi tht will recognize Her as Bhagavathi ( having all the six attributes of

Bhagavaan ( Jn~Ana , Bala, Veeraya , Iswarya , Tejas and Sakthi) and free

from all defects .The different VedAnthic schools and the subschools have taken

different positions in these matters. The crux of the discussions is whether

Sri Devi as the consort of the Supreme Lord belongs to Iswara koti or Jeeva Koti .

Does She have Isvarithvam , Vibhuthvam and Jagath KaarNathvam ? Does She have

equal ownership of the teo VibhUthis ( Lord's Iswaryam: Leela and

nithya vibhUthis)?

Is Sri Devi to be treated as being on a par with Iswara or is She a subordinate entity

to Iswara (VishNu NaarAyaNan)? Is Her function limited to pleading the case of

the Jeevans ( PurushakAram ) with Her Lord for Moksham ? Is She just

an interceder ? Is that where She stiops ? Does She have additional roles

in Jeevan's path to Moksham ? Is She part of the means(upAyam ) for

Moksham for the striving jeevan ?Is She involved with Her Lord in accepting

aathma samarpaNam by the Jeevans ?

 

As the early AchAryAs , Swamy AlavanthAr and RaamAnuja have

established without doubt that Sri DEvi is the inseperable consort of

VishNu enjoying identical status with Him as Iswaran . Her Seshathvam

or dependent aspect with respect to Her Lord is some thing that She

assumed out of svatha: sankalpam ( own will) and that role is

self-imposed ( aicchika seshathvam ) as His dharma pathni. The SarNya

dampathis divide specific roles of theirs by mutual agreement .

The recognition of Sri Devi on a par with Her Lord does not in anyway

go against Her unique PurushakAra role and that is partciularly natural

for Her as Our Mother . Dandadharathvam or meting out punishment

for the erring jeevans is also a natural role for Her Lord and pleading to

ward off the punishment is the natural role for Her . She has much more to do

besides PurushakAram : She serves as the Means ( UpAyam) and also during

the aasrayaNa kaalam(SaraNAgathy) is there with Her Lord to accept the Havis of

aathmA . Swamy Nanjeeyar's Sri Sooktham BhAshyam , Swamy AlavanthAr's

ChathusslOki , AchArya RaamAnujA's SaraNAgathy Gadhyam and Swamy ParAsara

Bhattar's GuNa Rathna Kosam and the Dhvaya manthram and VishNu purANam ,

Lakshmi Tantram and Sri Soktham .

 

In this sries of postings , we will stay away from controversies , which will always

be there and recognize the evidences provided by Swamy AlavanthAr's

ChathusslOki and the commentaries of Swamy PeriyavAcchAn PiLLai ,

Swamy Desikan and other AchAryAs .

 

ThirumAmhaL ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam

Alavanthar ThaaLiNaikaL anavaratham VaazhiyE

 

Suchou MasyuttharAsADaa Jaatham Yaamuna Desikam

Sriramamisra SaraNa SarOjAsritham aasrayE

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SadagOpan

 

 

 

 

 

 

SrImath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan