GuNa Rathna kOsam : Part XI, Introduction to the Fourth SlOkam

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SrimathE RanganAyakyai Nama:

 

Dear BhakthAs :

 

In a future slOkam (29th) of Sri GuNa Rathna kOsam ,

Swamy Parasara Bhattar is going to state:

 

--KamalE ! Mangala padham , tavEdham nOpAdhErunipathitha

SRIRASI YATHA:

 

Here Bhattar says: Oh RanganAyaki! EmperumAn is hailed

with Mangala Sabdham because of His association with You.

Since You are " Sri " , being auspicious is but natural to You .

 

AruLALa PerumAL EmperumAnAr's Sri Sookthi is

pertinent here :

 

aakAriNasthu vij~nam aakAra Jn~Ana poorvakam

tEnAkAram SRIYAM jn~AthvA Jn~AthavyO BhagavAn Hari:

 

(Meaning) : If one wants to understand truly

a Vasthu , one should understand first clearly

the distinguishing attributes of that vasthu.

In this context , BhagavAn can be fully comprehended

by us only when we understand clearly the distinct

and distinguishing attributes of PirAtti , who is

His PradhAna VisEshaNam (Prime attribute).

 

That MahA Lakshmi invoked by the Sri Sabdham

is elaborated further by the Six meanings of

the Sri Sabdham : SrIyathE , SrayathE ,

SruNOthi , SrAvayathi, SruNAthi and SrINAthi .

The fuller meanings of these Six aspects of

Sri Sabdham has been covered by adiyEn in

the earlier postings on Mahaa Lakshmi Tatthvam

housed in Bhakthi List. Suffice it to say that

the Lord is hailed as auspicious one because

of His sambhandham with Sri Devi. The Sri Vishnu

SahasranAmams ( 617 to 620) celebrate Sri Sabdha-

Vaachya Lord this way:

 

Sridha: Sreesa: SreenivAsa: Sreenidhi: SreevibhAvana:

Sreedhara: Sreekara: SrEya: SreemAn lOkathryAsraya:

 

Swamy ParAsara Bhattar has elaborated in his

commentary , Bhagavadh GuNa DarpaNa , the deeper

meanings of each of these naamAs as it pertains

to the Glories of Sri Devi ( Ranga Lakshmi).

 

She is saluted by VishNu PurANam as " Vimuktha

Phala dhAyini ( the grantor of the fruit of

release from bondage).She is therefore considered

Vibhu displaying Vibhuthvam and Isvari displaying

Isvarathvam. She is identical in these attributes

to Her Lord .

 

There are some differences of opinion in our

SamprahAyam regarding PirAtti's SvarUpam . There

are five kinds of views :

 

1. PirAtti's SvarUpam is aNu , She is one of

the Jeeva kOtis .

 

2. She is Vibhu SvarUpai and yet is one of

the Jeeva kOtis

 

3. She is Vibhu and yet is different from Chith,

achith and Isvaran .

 

4. Although She is Vibhu and belongs to

IsvaraKoti , she is not SaakshAth Isvari.

 

5. She is Vibhu and SaakshAth Isvari .

 

There are 4 points of view that agree that

She is Vibhu SvarUpai; one concedes that She

is aNu. Those , who follow Desika SampradhAyam

accept the 5th point of view based on the position

established by NadAthUr ammAL in Prapanna PaarijAtham

(Bhagavath parijanOpAsanA Paddhathi):

 

mayA yaTaa Jagath VyAptham SvarUpENa SvabhAvatha:

TayA vyApthamidham Sarvam NiyanthrI cha TaTEsvarI

 

svasya NaaTasya sambhandham VyApthimaisvaryamEva cha

aprruTagbhUtha-sEshithvAth BRAHMAADVAITHAM tadhuchaythE

 

These are the words of Sriman NaarAyaNan .

 

Hence , PirAtti is understood to have Vibhuthvam,

Isvarathvam , Bhagavath Seshathvam , Paaratantryam ,

Sarva Seshithvam and sarva sarIrakthvams just as BhagavAn.

She Is " anuroopa Vibhavai " as saluted by AlavandhAr

and " Bhagavan NaarAyaNAbhimathaanuroopa SvrUpai "

as saluted by EmperumAnAr . She has in addition

the unique attribute of PurushakAram that is not

shared by Her Lord.

 

The fourth sLOkam touches on many of these points

that distinguish Sri RanganAyaki (MahA Laskshmi).

 

Daasan , Oppiliappan koil V.SatakOpan