Srimath Azhagiya Singar's 79th Thirunakshathram : Part XXXIV ( Abheethi sthapakam )

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Dear BhakthAs of Sri Lakshmi Nrusimhan :

 

Today , we wil focus on Four more Lakshmi Sahasra SlOkams

from Abheethi Sthapakam that celebrate Her Naama Vaibhavam

in removing THIRTY Kinds of fears that human beings are exposed to .

 

May the power of those Naamams shower Kanaka Varsham (rain)

for Srimath Azhagiya Singar's Thirunakshathra Uthsavam and remove

our fears that we will not be able to celebrate adequately His

Thiru Nakshathram !

 

Abheethi Sthapakam

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There are 30 SlOkams in this Sthapakam . It is about Dhairya Lakshmi

and deals with the subject matter of how MahA Lakshmi removes our

different kinds of fears and provides Courage (Dhairyam) . Her abhaya

hastham assures us freedom from fear (abhayam) . The thirty kinds of

fears that get banished are :

1) Fear about disease (2) Fear about accidents (3) Fear from strong and

powerful people , who trouble us (4) Fear about PerumAL's fierce form

(5) Fear from being helpless (ananya gathi) , (6) Fear about the fruits of one's sins

(7) Fear from absence of sath sangam (8) Fear from uncertainities in

one's career positions (9) Fear about ParalOkam (10) Fear about the cage of

one's body (11) fear of being a coward in attempting any thing (12) Fear about

Obstacles (13) Fear about births and deaths (14) Fear about terrible narakams

(15) Fear about the inauspicous guNams

 

( 16) Fear about deficencies in Bhakthi (17) Fear about grass as a result of attacking

PirAtti / KaakAsuran's fear (18) Fear about revolving in SamsAram due to trespasses of

BhagavAn's commands (19) Fear about the DEvAthi Devan , of whom the devAs

are afraid of (20) Fear out of struggling in the SamsAric Ocean (21) Fear about death

(22) Fear about the servants of Yaman (23) Fear about sufferings in narakam

(24) Fear from inauspicious activities due to changes in desams and kaalams /time

and place (25) Engagement in acts due to loss of control over oneself

(26)Fear arising from the awareness of even austere ones undergoing sufferings

(27) Fear of the Supreme Being as the Punisher for one's trespasses (28) Fear over

the bundles of sins accumulated (29) Fear over the ruthless muslim invaders

( ThurukkarhaL) and (30) fear over the wicked .

 

It is very interesting that the Kavi mentions expicitly the foreigners' invasions .

Even great temples like Srirangam were looted and destroyed by the invading

masses with no original roots in India . The damages caused and the dislocations

are well recorded in history . Great Acharyaas had to flee or were killed during these

deplorable aggressions of Muslims . Swamy Desikan's abheethi sthavam was born

under these circumstances . Hence freedom from such fears arise from prayers to

MahA Lakshmi .

 

Sri VenkatAdhri Kavi covers in the 30 slOkams of Abheethi Sthapakam the ways in which

MahA Lakshmi chases away the above 30 kinds of Bheethi/Fear .

 

(1) She accepts our Kaimkaryams and blesses us with appropriate phalans .

(2) She commands DevAs to engage in chasing the fears of Her bhakthAs.

(3) She stops those who cause trouble to Her devotees .

(4) She speaks sweetly to Her Lord over our troubles and seeks His intervention .

(5) She removes the fears and sufferings with Her nectarine glances alone

(6) She appeals to Her Lord on our behalf .

(7) She facilitates the company of pious ones and removes our anxieties.

(8) She confers fortunes on those , who meditate on Her.

(9) She firms up the positions ( Padhavis) of worshippers .

(10) She grants the auspicious phalans in this and the other world .

(11) She becomes the friend of the meek , who pray to Her.

(12) She removes the obstacles , the moment one wishes to recieve Her KatAkshams .

(13) She becomes the supporting staff for Her worshippers & helps them.

(14) She showers Her Vaathsalyam (Affection ) on them .

(15) She becomes elated over Her anugraham of removing one's fears.

(16) She confers all MangaLams .

(17) She changes the very nature of the one , who is frightened .

(18) She takes on the role of AchAryai and performs UpadEsams .

(19) She facilitates Prapatthi .

(20) She removes the fears of chEtanams in approaching Her Lord .

(21) She grants big boons for little effort (kaimkaryam).

(22) She presents Herself before us with Her radiant form .

(23) She becomes the most merciful Mother to remove our fears.

(24) She commands the DevAs with the slight movement of her galances .

(25) She looks at us with Her compassionate glances .

(26) She accepts our SaraNAgathis .

(27) She blesses us with Her soft , Dayaa-filled heart .

(28) She resides with Her Lord without ever leaving Him for our sake .

(29)She relates to us as Her dear children .

(30) She blesses even the crow that offended Her & shines as the Supreme One.

 

Let us the first 4 slOkams of Abheethi Sthapakam today to remove

adiyEn's fear about inability to fulfill AchAryan's command in being

successful in the duties assigned to me by my revered AchAryan , MalOla

PadhukA Sevaka Sri NaarAyaNa YathIndhra MahA Desikan . Please join

in the support for the celebration of the 79th Thirunakshathra Uthsavam

as SishyAs and abhimAnis of Sri Matam . Please contact me for information

on the ways in which you can participate in this kaimkaryam .

 

SlOkam 1 : The Mother who blesses us with both bhayam and abhayam

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abhayam bhayamithyEthath ubhayam sarvadEhinAm

yathsEvAthadhabhAvAbhyAm Thaamaham SriyamAsrayE

 

The fear is removed for those who worship MahA Lakshmi . When they

do not worship Her , they are filled with fear about all the amangaLams

that confront them .This status is common to all ( Humans and DevAs) .

AdiyEn seeks the protection of MahA Lakshmi of such auspicious guNams .

 

"Thaam aham aaSrayE " --- is the declaration of the Poet on our behalf .

 

The people are of two kinds : One who has Her sEvA and others , who

are not blessed to have Her sEvA ( Yath sEvA , Tath abhAvaa) . For those

who have Her sevA , She removes their fears of ManushyAs and the celestials

( abhayam sarva dEhinAm) and fear/anxieties for those who do not have

the blessings of Her darsanam and dhyAnam ( bhayam sarav dEhinAm) .

Thus She causes fearlessness and fear for all ( abhayam bhayam ithi yEthath

ubhayam sarva dEhinAm) . That two states come from approaching Her and

not approaching Her with reverence ( Yath sEvAth tath abhavAbhyAm ).

adiyEn seeks Her rakshaNam .

 

The poet uses the three bhayam-based words -- Bhayam - abhayam-ubhayam --

deftly in this slOkam to bring about their relationship to SrI Devi .

 

2. In this slOkam , the focus is on removal of fear from fire and dushtAs ( TheeyOr) :

 

bhajAmi Thaam ThvAm bhavarhOga bheethim

payOdhi kanyE pariharthukAma:

vahnEr bhayam VaayubhuvO yayaiva

nyavAri tasmAccha niSAchareeNAm

 

(Meaning): adiyEn has developed fear from the disease of SamsAram

( Bhava rhOga bhayam) . Oh Daughter of the Ocean ! adiyn worships You

for the removal of this fear . adiyEn is familiar with the episode in Sundara

KaaNDam of Srimath RaamAyaNam . Sage Vaalmiki states that the fire on

the tail of HanumAn lit by the raakshasAs of Lanka was cool to HanumAn .

How did that happen ? How did the blazing fire not harm the tail of HanumAn ?

Even HanumAn wondered about that mystery . It is because You , SithA PirAtti

commanded Agni dEvan to be cool to HanumAn , the messenger from Your Lord .

You said : " SeethO bhava HanUmatha: " . Agni obeyed Your command .

 

MahA Lakshmi removes the fears of those who have erred . After burning

down the city of Lanka , HanumAn returned to AsOka Vanam and asked for

permission to destroy the raakshasis , who harmed SithA PirAtti . Out of Her

infinite mercy , Sitaa Piratti dissuaded HanumAn from his vengeful intentions

and saved even those who had committed trespasses against Her .

 

3. The One who removed the world free from the fear of Narasimhan

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PrahlAdhasya bhayam vinEthum achirAth yEkasya SOkaspruSO

lOkasyaiva bhayankaram Tava prathirjagrAha saimham vapu:

TharailOkyAmbha tadheeya kOpa dahana jwAlAsthu vEladhigA:

chADUkthairmruthairnivArya bhavathee chakrE jagannirbhayam

 

( Meaning): Oh Mother of the Three worlds ! Your Lord took on the fearsome

form of Narasimhan quickly to remove the fear of PrahlAdhan , who was

touched by grief over his father's act . After the destruction of HiraNyan ,

Oh Mother , You quenched the flames of rage of Your Lord with Your nectarine

words and made the world free from its fear .

 

Here the reference is to the Lord , who removed the fear of Bhaktha PrahlAdhan

by taking on the Jwaalaa Nrusimha avatharam , which frightened the world.

MahA Lakshmi in turn removed the fear of the world by using Her charm

and nectarine speech to persuade Her Lord to transform from the Ugra Narasimha

Roopam in to Soumya Narasimha (Azhagiya Singar) Roopam .

 

4. The One who makes Her Lord bear with the trespasses of those without rakshaNam

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aSaraNa jana klEsAlOka kshaNOpanathOdhgathE :

sa Tava hrudhaya-glAnEr-bheethO Jagathpathir-IndhirE

ahaha vihitham kshAmyanngas-sahasramapi

abhayamubhayOrArAtthEbhya: prayacchathy lOkayO:

 

(Meaning) :Oh Maha Lakshmi ! It is a wonder . Your Lord forgives the thousands of

continuing trespasses of chEtanams and removes their fears in the two kinds of worlds .

This He does out of fear over your depressions caused by the sorrows

of the chEtanams,

who have no refuge .

 

MahA Laskshmi is dheena Bhandhu. She is sorrow-stricken over Her children's

samsAric sufferings . Her heart is overcome with sorrow. Her Lord is very sad

over His DEvi's sufferings . To chase away His Devi's mental agonies , Our Lord

helps the helpless and forgives their continuing offenses . He removes their fears

in this and the other world. Our Lord's Parama prEmai for His Devi propels Him

to forgive even the repeated offenders and grants them abhayam in the other world.

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan