Sri Lakshmi Sahsram : 17.35/The NaamAs that establish the Superiority of Your nAmAs over that of Your Lord .

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of MahA Lakshmi:

 

In the 35th slOkam , Sri VenkatAdhvari Kavi reveals the reasons

for the supermacy of MahA Lakshmi's nAmAs over that of

Her Lord :

 

svanATa-nAmnas-svayam uttharam sath

TavAbhidhAnam guNam-AadhadhAthi

PadhmEkshaNa-PrEyasi nirvigAnAm

pramAnamathra PraNavam pratheema:

 

(Meaning) : ThAyAr's sacred nAmAs are superior to those of

Her Lord.One understands this tatthvam through the meanings

given by the blemishless pramANam of PraNavam . ( Tava nAmAni

prabhalam ithi PraNavam PrakaDeekarOthi. Tava nAmAni uttharam

ithi SlAgyathE).

 

The key words are: " Tava abhidhAnam sva-nATa-nAmnA svayam

uttharam sath guNam AadhadhAthy. athra , nirvigAnam PramANam

PravaNam ithi pratheema: ".

 

Her abhidhAnams (names) are superior ( uttharam) to Your Lord's

nAmAs as attested by the blemishless proof given by PraNavam.

 

The focus on the words "Uttharam " and "GuNam "

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Both Uttharam and GuNam have two meanings . Let us start with

Uttharam . The opposite of Poorvam is Uttharam . Here Uttharam

means the next or that which follows . Uttharam is also the opposite

in meaning to " ataram" . Hence , Uttaram in means superior or

or celebrated .

 

When one refers to Utthara KaaNDam , PoorvOttharam , Utthara

Phalguni , the first meaning ( next or the following) applies.

When we refer to "LOkOttharam , DharmOttharam " , the second

meaning ( Superior to) comes into effect .

 

Now the question is: Is PerumAL's nAmAs superior or that of

ThAyAr ? The letter "A" precedes the letter "U" and becomes

"O" in PraNava mantram. Here , "A" is Poorvam and "U" is

uttharam (superior).

 

GuNam

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Normally , GuNam means superiortiy or SrEyas. In the vyAkaraNa

sAsthrams , GuNam has another meaning . This is elaborated by

two sUtrams (aphorisms) of PaaNini . According to them , when

"A" ( a vowel) coming at the end of one word unites with another

vowel ( "U" ) at the beginning of the next word , then the sandhi

of "O" is created :

 

Purusha+Utthaman = PurushOtthaman

 

Ksheera+ udhathi = KsheerOdhathy

 

neela+uthpalam = neelOthpalam

 

When "A" unites with "U" , then the GuNa sandhi "O"

is created. This GuNa Sandhi manifestation is seen in

PraNavam as well. If " A" did not join with "U" , there will

be no GuNa Sandhi leading to "O".Therefore , it is recognized

that our Mother's NaamAs are superior to Her Lord's.

 

Besides the play with the words , there are deep SaasthrArTams

conveyed by this slOkam :

 

1. "A" denotes the Lord's nAmam. "AkaarArTO VishNu: " is

a well known statement from Ashta slOki. NigaNDus also give

this meaning for "A".

 

2. "U" is MahA Lakshmi's name. This is from Gada Sruthi.

Srimath Rahasya Thraya Saaram elaborates on this significance.

 

3. The PraNava Mantram starts with the union of the Lord's

and His consort's nAmAksharams.

 

4. MahA Lakshmi's nAmAs elevate one and are superior

to that of Her Lord.

 

Sriman NavalpAkkam KaNNan Swamy's Tamil summary

of this slOkam takes this form :

 

Unn KaNavan peyarai vida

Unn peyarE utthramAm

Uyarvu tarum . PraNavamum

ivvuNmaikku chAnrAhum

 

Sri PadhmAvathy SamEtha Sri SrinivAsa ParabrahmaNE nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan