Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam -- Part XXVI:SlOkam 17

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

adiyEn will cover the 17th slOkam in this posting.

This slOkam continues to salute the auspicious power of

the glances of Sri RanganAyaki(MahA Lakshmi):

 

rathirmathi SarasvathI Dhruthi Samruddhi Siddhi Sriya:

SudhAsakhi ! yathOmukham chichalishEthva bhrUlathA

tathOmukham aTa IndhirE ! bhaumukhImahampoorvikAm

vighAhya cha vasamvadhA: parivahanthi kUlankashA:

 

(Meaning/Dr.V.N.V ):Oh MahA Lakshmi! You appeared on

the world-scene once along with nectar! In whose favour

Your brow-bending and brow-movement are directed ,

in his favour , all auspiciousness ,(i-e)., affection ,

intellectual perception , the Muses of oral delivery

of thought ,fortitude , prosperity ,success in efforts ,

wealth -- will flow in competing with each other . All

these will flood to him, breaching the banks too ,

in such a torrential flow.

 

Additional observations by adiyEn

***********************************

Professor K.S.NarayanAcchAr in his introduction has

commented that the first 8 verses of Sri GuNa Rathna

kOsam (SGRK) houses the prayer of Sri ParAsara Bhattar

to Sri RanganAyaki to be at the center of his inspiration

to compose this sthOthram about Her multi-faceted

auspiciousness and glories (thvamEva Bahumukhasya

VaaNI vilasitham--slOkam 8).

 

From verses 9 to 18 , Bhattar focuses on the celebration of

Her glories on the basis of Sruthi and Smruthi pramANams

and identifies Her to be at the epi-center of all that is

auspicous ( MangaLam MangalAnAm as Swamy Desikan is

going to point out later following Bhattar's foot steps).

 

Paraphrasing Sri VishNu PurANam , one can ask:

" nisrIkANAm kutha:SarasvathI Dhruthi Samruddhi

Siddhi Sriya:? " .Sri VishNu PurANam passage asks:

" NisrIkANAm kutha: Sathvam? " . We can extend this

line of thought and query: " How can any other deity

have MahA LakshmI's auspicousness , existence , stability ,

endurance , wealth , nobility ,intellectual power

(mEdhA) ? " .

 

Her limitless glories are celebrated through

Her many Vedic Names such as " MEdhA , SvAhA , AmbhrANi,

IndirA and KalyANi,UdhArA ,dEva-JushtA " .

As Sri VeerarAghavAchAryA points out the Vedam in

SrI Sooktham , SraddhA Sooktham , mEdhA Sooktham ,

Utthara NaarAyanam , KoushIthakI BrAhmaNam et al

celebrate Her matchless Sakthi . The PurANams

follow the lead of the Vedams : " SakthInAm chaiva

SarvasAm yOnibhUthA ParA KalA " .Her limitess Mahimai

is thus celebrated.

 

The 18th slOkam of SGRK of today is focusing on Her

being the Sakthi behind all auspicuousness ,wealth and

every noble achievement . The 18th slOkam is the elaboration

of the key passage in Sri Sooktham: " YasasA JvalanthIm "

( One who shines with the fame as the fulfiller of all

wishes of those , who seek refuge in Her : " SarvAbhIshta-

prApaNa KeerthyA jvalanthim " ) .

 

Sri RanganAyaki is addressed in this slOkam as

" Rathi and Sudha-Sakhi and IndirA " . Her MaadhuryAth-

Madhurathamathvam and JagajjIvana hEthuthvam are indicated

by these choice names according to the commentators.

Her nature as the Sweetest of the Sweet and life-

rejuvenating nectarine glory is referred to here.

She was born along with nectar during the churning

for Amrutham from the milky ocean. Hence , She is

addressed as " SudhA Sakhi " . Her great affection for

those , who seek Her is hinted by Her Name " Rathi "

(preethi).

 

Whenever Her creeper like eye brows and the glances

under them fall on a fortunate one , then JnAnam (mathi),

Veda Vaak ( Sarsvathi ), Dhruthi (Fortitude, Courage ) ,

Samruddhi (Prosperity , Opulence) , Siddhi (Success.

accomplishment) , Sriya: (any virtue or excellence ,

the three human purushArthams : Dharma , Artha and

KamA ).

 

" YathOmukham (tava) BhrUlathA chichalishEthEva ,

tathOmukham BahumukhI aham poorvikAm parivahanthi "

is the statement of Sri ParAsara Bhattar in wonderment.

Whichever direction , the eye brow and the glances

of Sri RanganAyaki falls even for a moment , in that

direction flow all of the above auspiciousnes in a

torrential fashion (like a flood breaking the river

banks )and competing with each other to bless

the fortunate one. Those blessings flow in many ways

(Bahu mukham or Bahu prakAram). They fall over each

other to arrive first (ahamahamikA , aham pooravm ithi).

Those swift streams of auspiciousness flow and drench

not only the person fortunate enough to be the object

of those glances , but they extend to " puthra , pouthra,

Sishya , Prasishya paryantham (parivAhayanthi) " .They

reach out to the progeny , the next generation , disciple

and the disciple's disciple .Such are their lasting power.

 

The power of the flood of boons is compared to

the power of the swollen waters of a river tearing

down the banks of that river ( koolankasha:). These

boons are obedient to the will of (vasamvadhA:)

MahA Lakshmi . They are submissive to Her will .

To sum it up, All the abundant auspiciouness and

wealth (Sarva sampadhAm) arise from the play of

the glances of MahA Lakshmi( LakshmI BhrUlathA

vilAsa prasAraabhimukha jangAlathaa).

 

SrimathE RanganAyaki jayathu

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan