The Finest of Flowers-2

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

 

The Finest of Flowers-2

 

 

We saw how the Lotus has an extremely intimate connection with the Lord,

with almost all His avayavAs resembling one, with His navel generating the

Cosmic Lotus charged with the function of Creation, etc. The Divine Consort is

an inseparable part of the Lord and His equal in all respects, sharing identical

tastes and likings. Is it any wonder therefore, that She too has an extremely

close connection with this flower? In fact, one might say that the "Lotus

Connection" is more pronounced in the case of Piratti, who has conferred a

singular honour on the flower by carrying it in Her glorious name. "PadmA",

"KamalAPankajA" are some of the sobriquets relished by Her and by Her

devotees too, if one were to go by the profusion of such names among our

womenfolk.

 

 

 

The name "PadmA" has the distinction of acceptance by the Shruti, which uses

several variants of the sobriquet to adulate Piratti. Swami Desikan exhorts us

to recite this name a lot, as it is capable of saving us from the quagmire of

Samsara-

 

"lakshmI PadmA jaladhi tanayA VishnupatnI indirEti

 

yat nAmAni shruti paripaNani Evam Avartayanta:

 

nAvartantE durita pavana prEritE janma chakrE"

 

 

 

The SrisUktam, the Lakshmi ashtOttharasatanAma stOtra and others make much of

Piratti's infatuation with the Lotus. Each of the associated tirunAmAs portray a

particular aspect of the association, as can be seen by the following:

 

 

 

"PadmavarNAm"-Piratti's complexion is that of a divine lotus, says the Shruti.

There are two types of lotuses which are popular-the white one or "VeN tAmarai"

and the red one, the"SenthAmarai". Both these appear to be appropriate as

TirumagaL's hues.

 

 

 

"PadmE sthithAm"-The Lotus is the residence of Piratti. It is Her permanent

address, so to say. Apart from the Shruti pramANam for this, Azhwar sreesooktis

too confirm this-"alar mEl mangai", "TAmarayAl Agilum chidaguraikkumElpoovin

misai nangaimalarALtEn amarum poo mEl Tiruaravinda malar pAvaiadayAr

kamalatthu alarmagaL"etc. "Sarasija nilayAm" and "Padma vanAlayAm" are tirunAmAs

that confirm that the Lotus is Her favourite abode.

 

 

 

By association, the Lord too sports sobriquets like "KamalA kAnta:"etc.

Referring to Srinivasa, Swami Desikan calls Him "KamalA vAsa:"

 

 

 

"Padma mAlinImPadma mAlAdharAm"--TirumagaL is not content with the myriad

associations She has with the Pankajam and adorns Herself with a garland of

beautiful, fresh lotuses. We see in some sannidhIs that Piratti is flanked by

elephants sporting lotuses in their upraised trunks, apparently poised to place

them at Her feet in adulation. Thus, just as the Lord wears TiruttuzhAi on all

parts of His tirumEni ("tOLiNai mElum nan mArbin mElum sudar mudi mElum

 

tALiNai mElum punainda taN am tuzhAiyudai ammAn")

 

His Consort delights in adorning Herself with lotuses, all over.

 

 

 

"Padma gandhAm"-It is natural that we acquire the smell of what we are closely

associated with. For instance, the milk-vendor reeks of dairy products and the

vendor of onions can never shake off the smell, however hard he might try.

Similarly, having the Lotus as Her residence and holding one in Her hand

constantly, Piratti's natural fragrance is tinged with that of the red flower.

This is indeed a sacred scent, as Her tirunamam "PuNya gandhAm" indicates.

 

 

 

"Padma mukhImPadmAnanAm"--Just as the Lord's face resembles a lotus,

Piratti's too is veritably a blooming lotus. Just as the Lotus blooms at the

sight of the Sun, Piratti's face is also wreathed in smiles, at the sight of the

Lord.

 

 

 

"Padma priyA"-the very fact that Sri Mahalakshmi has the flower as Her permanent

residence indicates Her liking for the Lotus. This fondness for the flower is

prompted not only by aesthetic considerations, but principally by the fact that

the Lotus is extremely dear to Her Consort, whose entire tirumEni resembles the

bloom, as we have already seen. Whenever Piratti looks at the flower, it reminds

Her of Emperuman and is hence extremely dear to Her heart.

 

 

 

"Padma hastAm"-As the Lord does, His Lady Love too holds a lotus bloom in Her

hands, as the arcchAvatAra moorthies in various sannidhIs would vouch for.

 

Why does She hold a padmam in Her hand? The answer to this question is found in

Sri Daya Satkam, where Swami Desikan tells us that DayA dEvi sports it for

amusing Herself, as a matter of fancy-"tava kELi padmai:".

 

 

 

It is not only the Lotus which is beautiful, even its leaves are. Those who have

seen the broad and ciruclar leaves lying flat on the pond surface would attest

to this. The eyes of both the Lord and His Lady Love resemble not only the

lotus, but its leaves too, says the Scripture-"Rama: kamala patrAksha:", "Padma

patrAkshI"

 

 

 

Just to dispel doubts that lotus feet might be a monopoly of Periya Piratti, Sri

Andal's vAzhi tirunAmam claims the distinction for Her too-"vaNpuduvai nagar

Kodai malar padangaL vAzhiyE".

 

 

 

Another unique feature of lotus leaves is their non-stick nature. Water is not

absorbed, but just runs off them. Hence they are often held out as examples of

how unattached we should be, even in the midst of this Samsara which attaches

itself to us willy nilly-"Padma patram iva ambhasAnalinI dala gata jalam ati

taralam" etc. Thus lotus leaves, which, despite being rooted in water, are able

to shake it off with no effort, provide us an inspiration for cultivating

VairAgyam and detachment, even while remaining in this mundane morass.

 

 

 

The Lotus is indeed a Srivaishnava par excellence, for it doesn't stop with

performing kainkaryam to the Divine Duo, but relishes service to bhagavatAs too,

as behoves a true SEshA. The flower serves as comparison not only for the

tiruvadis of the Lord and His Consort, but also for the holy feet of His

distinguished devotees. We thus see the Bhashyakara likening the tiruvadi of Sri

Alavandar to a brilliant lotus,capable of destroying all blemishes-

 

"yat pada ambOruha dhyAna vidhvasta asEsha kalmasha:"

 

In turn, Sri amudanAr adulates the lotus-like tiruvadis of Sri Ramanuja-

 

"pon arangam ennil mayalE perugum irAmAnusan mannu mAmalar tAL ayarEn"

 

 

 

Not only does Lakshmana Muni's tiruvadi resemble a lotus, but his palm too,

extended in the vyAkyAna mudrA, appears to be a beautiful lotus, blossomed just

then-"vyAkhyAna kELi rasikEna karAmbujena"

 

 

 

The tiruvadis of Sri Tiruvarangatthu amudanAr, the venerated author of the

irAmAnusa noottrandAdi, resembling lovely lotuses, have the power of ridding us

of the fear of Yama, says a taniyan-

 

"munnai vinai agala moongil kudi amudan

 

ponnnam kazhal kamala pOdu iraNdum

 

en cheenikku aNiyAga sErtthinEn-ten pulatthArkku

 

ennukaduvudayEn yAn".

 

Swami Desikan is so enamoured of the Acharyas that Sri Bhashyakara left behind,

that he yearns for adorning his head with their lotus-like rtiruvadi-

 

"satAm vahAmi charaNAmbujam"(Yatiraja Saptati). Perhaps the "SatAm" or the holy

men referred to by Tooppul Pillai here are Sri AppiLLAr and his own Acharyas,

as is evident from Sri KumAra VaradAchArya's lines, ascribing all of Swami

Desikan's distinctions to his boundless reverence for his Acharyas-

 

"kAvalar engaL KidAmbi kulapati appuLLar tam

 

tEmalar sEvadi sErndu paNindavar"

 

 

 

Sri NainArAchArya pays a similar and eloquent tribute to the charaNAmbujam of

Swami Desikan--

 

"vadivazhagu Arnda vaN Tooppul vaLLal men malaradi mEl

 

adiyavar Oda andAdi irupathum AynduraitthEn".

 

These lotus feet of Swami Desikan so captivate his son and disciple that the

latter refers to them time and again-"Tooppul dhurandharan too malar tAL".

 

 

 

It is indeed impossible to depict the magnificence of the lotus-like tiruvadis

of the Lord, His Consorts or of Azhwars and Acharyas. It would also appear that,

with friends in such high places and such exalted associations, it is well-nigh

impossible to describe fully the glory of the Lotus too.

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrsimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dasan, sadagopan