sri:sthavam - 1st sloka

[Guest guest]

Jai srimannarayana!

 

On 17th Aug. being the Friday of Sravana mas, HH gave us the essence of the

first sloka of Sristhavam which we are chanting in our daily prayers along with

HH Swamiji.

 

We start the parayana of Sristhavam with the following slokas.

 

First the saranagathi slokam of Mother Goddess Lakshmi

(O:m bhagavannarayanabhi…..)

 

Then we chant

 

Ulla:sapallavitha pa:litha sapthalo:ki:

Nirva:ha ko:rakitha ne:ma kata:ksha li:la:m |

Sri:ranga harmyathala mangala di:pare:kha:m

Sri:ranga ra:ja mahishi:m sriya ma:sraya:maha ||

 

Samastha janani:m vande: chaitanya sthanya da:yini:m |

Sre:yasi:m sri:niva:sasya karuna:miva ru:pini:m ||

 

Srivathsa chihna misre:byo: nama ukthi madhi:mahe: |

Yadukthaya sthrayi:kantte ya:nthi mangala su:thratha:m||

 

Srivathsachihna misra also known as Kuresulu, Kuresamisra, Kurththa:lwan was

Ramanujacharyaswami’s disciple, a erudite scholar and a great devotee who made

him write ‘Sri:bha:shyam’.

 

His wonderful ‘su:kthi:s’ are like the auspicious‘mangala sutra’ in the neck of

‘veda ma:tha’ which gives birth to the jnanam in us. We prostrate at his feet

who gave us Sristhavam a prayer to Mother Goddess.

 

Why is Lord’s heart the dwelling place for Lakshmi?

She is compassion and its place is his heart and so

she is known as ‘vishnuvakshasthala sthitha’.

 

What does this compassion do being in his heart? Kuraththalwan is explaining in

the first sloka thus:

 

Svasthi sri: disatha:th ase:sha jagatha:m

 

Ase:sha jagatham – all beings of the whole universe

Sri:h – goddess whose name is ‘sri:h’

Swasthi = all auspicious things

disatha:th =will bless or give

Sri: blesses all beings with all auspicious things.

 

sarvan cha kurvan harih = Hari does all the things

(Hari annihilates our paapa and gives us moksha)

 

What does he do?

 

sargo:pa sarga sthithi:h

 

sarga = giving a new shape and form, creation

upasarga = dissolution

sthithi:h = sustenance

swargam = heaven for the good deeds

durgathi = punishment for the ill doings

a:pavargika padam = for some salvation is given

sarvan cha kurvan = while doing all these things

When we regard the Lord sarveswara thathvam as father

and the compassion as mother.

Both love each other a lot and can’t tolerate if one

is not happy.

They are made for each other for love and protection.

One’s joy is other’s joy.

 

What does the sarveswara thathvam do then?

 

Yasya: vi:kshya mukham = he keeps looking at her face

Thadingitha para:dhi:na = he is piloted by her feelings

Vidhaththe: akhilam = does everything

What all he does is directed by her feelings. If she

is in a mood of joy, all his srishti, sthithi and

layam would be blissful. Even he rakshana and

sikshana too.

If she is passive – the outcome would be passive and

likewise she is angry His work would be full of

anguish.

 

Why is it so?

Kri:deyam khalu = he does it for play (it is like a baby’s play in a cradle)

‘ba:lah kri:dana kairiva’ No strain or stress involved in sarga upasarga stages.

Sya:th ae:karasaya: ththaya = whatever are her feelings will be his feelings

too. Ae:ka rasatha - sarasam Anyadha: rasada: na: - Never otherwise (he is never

with a different emotion.)

 

Why is it so?

If there is at least one who desires our protection it is great.

 

There are two of them like this. How happy should we be?

Our purvacharyas are giving us and enhancing our confidence and mental courage.

Our ancient scriptures are stressing the fact we have the divine couple to

rescue us and protect us.

 

Let us pray to our Divine Mother …..

Chant the first sloka.

 

Jai Srimannarayana!