Sri Lakshmi Sahsram : 17.18

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SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of MahA Lakshmi:

 

MahA Lakshmi"s NaamAs becoming the Nishkruthi for the Dushkruthis of ours

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In this 18th slOkam , Sri VenkatAdhri Kavi states that the power of MahA

Lakshmi's

nAmAs serve as a neutralizer/cleanser/"terminator" for the ill effects arising

from

our misdeeds :

 

agathika-dEhi-dEhi-vachana-sthuthi-dukkha-dasA

kupitha-mithampacha-sthavana-dushkruthi-nishkruthaya:

bhavadhabhidhAsudhA bhavadhavAnalatApamusha:

Janani puna: puna: paripunanthy jaganthy RamE

 

The key words of this slOkam are: " Jananee RamE ! bhavadhabhidhA sudhA:

puna: puna: jaganthy paripunanthy" ( Oh Mother Ramaa Devi ! Your nectarine

nAmAs purify the universe time and time again ).

 

(Prose Order) : Jananee RamE ! agathika dEhi dEhi vachana sthuthy du:kkha dasA

kupitha mithampacha sthavana dushkruthi nidhkruthaya: , bhava dhavAnala

tApamusha: ,

bhavadhabhidhAsudhA: puna: puna: jaganthy paripunanthy .

 

Comments :

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1. agathika dEhi dEhi vachana sthuthi du:kkha dasA kupitha mithampacha

sthavana dushkruthy nishkruthaya: ( tava nAmA: ): What are the misdeeds

(dushkruthi:) committed by the helpless (agathika janam ) , suffering and

desperate sentients ?

They arrive at the front door of the immature , arrogant and self-satisfied

rich in a state of

desperation to overcome their poverty and clamor for handouts ; to please these

intemperate

and insignificant "rich " , these janams eulogize them through asatya vaak (

untrue words)

and athivAdham . During this process , they lose their dignity . The rich feel

pressed and get

angry at these repeated requests from these pestering janams to give and shout

at these

assembled people and scream at them to get out . This is the humiliating and

self-inflicted

dushkruthi of the people. When such errant people recite Your nAmAs , they get

cleansed of

the ill effects of praising the worthless and begging presents from them. The

recitation of Your

sacred names is like the performance of a PrAyascchittham (nishkruthaya: ) to

cleanse them of

these foul deeds ( Dushkruthi).

 

2. bhava-dhavAnala tApamusha: ( Tava nAMA: ): For these suffering and erring

people , the recitation of Your sacred nAmAs are antidotes against the

afflictions caused by

the wild fire of SamsAram .

 

3. bahavadhabhidhA-sudhA: puna: puna: jaganthy paripunanthy :

Oh Mother ! Your nAmAs purify and rejuvenate the suffering errants again and

again .

They cleanse them from their misdeeds and shower them with Your anugraham . That

grace of Yours and the power of Your nAmAs nullify their samsAric sufferings .

 

4. Dushkruthi nishkruthaya: This word group has two meanings:(1) PrAyachittams

for one's Paapams (2) That which keep one away from engagement in misdeeds.

According to

the second meaning , the recitation of Your sacred nAmAs save the helpless ones

from

begging at the houses of the rich and praising the unqualified etc. Your nAma

sankeerthanam will

chase away the mental & physical poverty and elevate the chEtanams to an

uniquely wealthy status .

 

5. What are the things people beg the rich for ? (1) to help overcome their

poverty ,

they seek money (2) the one without courage asks a strong person to protect him

, (3) the uintelligent

ones approach a clever person for counsel , (4) the politician seeking power

asks for the vote of

the ctizen . These are all different kinds of begging by the deluded ( agathika

dEhi dEhi vyApArams).

 

For those , who recite the nAmAs of Lakshmi , these situations of demeaning

themselves through

sthuthi of alpa janams will not arise. They do not need to bend before these

haughty rich and

expose themselves to their anger . MahA Lakshmi Herself will grant all

anugrahams and eliminate

the need for begging at the doors of these half-baked ones ( mithampacha:).These

are the thoughts

conveyed by the first half of this slOkam .

 

6. Why are Her nAmAs nectar like and quench SamsAric tApams ?

The question may arise as to why the poet repeats what he said earlier about

MahA Lakshmi's names rejuvenating like nectar and quenching the heat of

SamsAram .

 

The answer is : There are things like sandal wood paste that cool one but do not

remove one's sins. Same thing with the dust from the hoof of the cow thatpurify

us

but do not remove our samsAric tApams. Acts like theertha yAthrai destroy one's

sins

but are not delectable like the nectar. The sweet stuff like sugar are

delectable to taste

but do not purify us. There are only a few tatthvams that are delectable like

nectar

and at the same time purify one . The nAmAs of Yours ( MahA Laskshmi) is one

such

rare entity combining the two tatthvams (Cleansing & delectable) that are not

usually

found together.

 

7. dEhi dEhi: the first dEhi means the embodied living person . the second dEhi

means

please give ( a kriyA padham) . The helpless human begs the rich for this and

that.

 

8. Abundant PrAsams : In this slOkam as in the others , we come across a rich

set

of delectable PrAsams : dhushkruthi-nishkruthi , bhidhA-sudhA , puna: puna:

punanthy ,

bhavatha: bhavatha: et al.

 

Sri PadhmAvathy SamEtha Sri SrinivAsa ParabrahmaNE nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan