Mahaa Lakshmi : PurushakAram , Means ( UpAyam) and Goal ( UpEyam) ---Her YekasEshithvam

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear AasthikAs :

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar just completed

the section of SaraNAgathy Gadhyam dealing

with the PurushakAra Prapatthi to Sri RanganAyaki

and covered Her YekasEshithvam. adiyEn will

add some more on this important doctrine.

 

Srimath Azhagiya Singar has written extensively

on recent Tamil Nrusinmha Priya Issues about

the unique role of Mahaa Lakshmi in our Darsanam .

If you are not a r , Please let me know .

You can order form here and begin to recieve

both English and Tamil Versions .

 

Swamy Desikan's views bsed on PoorvAchAryaas'

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The NyAsa Thrayee ( NyAsasa Dasakam ,

NyAsa Vimsathy and NyAsa Tilakam) along

with SrI Sthuthi of Swamy Desikan cover at

great length the unique and multifaceted role

that Mahaa Lakshmi plays during the anushtAnam

of SaraNAgathi by Her children .

 

Swamy Desikan Himself wrote a detailed commentary

on NyAsa Vimsathy's 20 slOkams . Swamy Desikan's son ,

KumAra VaradAchAr ( NainAcchAr Swamy) wrote

a commentary on the 32 slOkams of NyAsa Tilakam

because of the importance of NyAsa Tatthvams.

 

Today , adiyEn will highlight the essence of the meanings of

SlOkams 3 to 6 of NyAsa Tilakam , which are pertinent to

elucidating SrI Tatthvam and SaraNAgathy .

 

NyAsa Tilakam SlOkams 3-5

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SlOkam 3: SaraNAgathy is recognized here as the Karmaa

that destroys the limitless sins accumulated by jeevans ,

which have no end ( nissemna:) or beginning ( anAdhi).

It is a matchless expiatory act that dries up the vast ocean of

sins ( dhuritha JaladhE: yamm niroopamam PrAyascchittham) .

 

Swamy Desikan acknowledges the PurushakAra Prapatthi

performed at the sacred feet of Mahaa Lakshmi at

the beginning of SaraNAgathy anushtAnam :

 

" TadhArambhE TasyA: giram vadhAdhEna manasaa

Thaamm yEkaam Akhila NaaTasya Mahisheem Sriyam

PrapadhyE " ( At the beginning of one's SaraNAgathy ,

with their minds assured by the sacred words of Mahaa

Lakshmi , the PrapannAs perform PurushakAra Prapatthi

to Her , the divine consort of Sriman NaarAyaNan) .

 

Swamy Desikan asserts that Bhagavath Prapatthi will not

be consumated without PurushakAra Prapatthi echoing

a slOkam in Lakshmi Tantram( 17.103) :

PrAyascchittha PrasangE thu sarva-paapa-samudhbhavE

MaamEkAm DevadEvasya Mahisheem SaraNam vrajEth

 

Mahaa Lakshmi becomes the unfailing agent of intercession

to access Her Lord for Prapatthi . She says : "MaamEkam

SaraNam vrajEth " for performing the most exalted expiatory

act of Prapatthi at the very first beginning of that act

( PrAyascchitha prasangE thu MaamEkam SaraNam

vrajEth). She has to intervene with Her Lord, recommend us

to Her Lord to forgive all of our abundant bundles of sins that we

have accumulated and plead with Him to have compassion for us

and grant us our Prapatthis ."She will mediate on our behalf ,

move Her Lord , render Him to be sympathetically disposed

in our favour and hence a Prapatthi at Her feet is a Must ".

This in essence is PurushakAra Prapatthi.

 

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SlOkam 4: In this slOkam , Swamy Desikan takes us to the next

step taken by Mahaa Lakshmi after interceding successfully with

Her doting Lord on our behalf . Beyond PurushakAram , She is

now involved as the UpAyam for Parapatthi along with Her Lord

( UpAya anvayam) . She stays on His chest without leaving Him

even for a second and removes our unapproachability with Her Lord

and makes Him easy to approach by us ( Kamithu: adhrushyathvam

dhUthvaa abhigamyathva Jananeem) . She is anapaayini

( PariNamitha Vaisishtya vibhavaam Sriyam) and is saluted as

"ahalahillEn YenRu " irukkum AlarmEl Mangai. To that Devi ,

Swamy Desikan performs His prapatthi and seeks Her as UpAyam

(means) : " Sriyam aSarana: aham SaraNam yaami ".

 

NadAthUr AmmAL explains Her Multiple role by saluting Her

as Aakara Thraya Sampannai :

 

1)PurushakAram (2) Becoming UpAyam and (3) Becoming

PrApyam (Goal) with Her Lord as YekasEshi.

 

The slOkam is :

 

BharthurASrayaNa poorvam svayam PurushakArathAm ,

VaalabhyEnaanutishtantheem , VaathsalyAth upabrahmaNeem ,

UpAya samayE Barthu: Jn~Ana sakthyAthivardhineem ".

 

Swamy Nanjeeyar defined their interrelationship in granting

Praptthi boon this way : " Piraattikku satthaa siddhi EmperumAnAlE,

EmperumAnukku Niroopaka sakthi PirAttiyAlE " . An indispensable

and complimentary relationship indeed !

 

Periya Jeeyar commented in Sri Sooktha BhAshyam:

 

" EmperumAnai sonnavidatthilE PriAttiyayum

solliRRAm ".

 

She is " vEri MaaRAtha Poo mEl iruppAl " for PrApthi VirOdhi

nivarthanam.

 

That She is direct (SaakshAth) UpAyam is implied in Prapatthi done with

PraNavam ( She is there with Her Lord and becomes Paraspara UpAyam

with Her Lord ). When Prapatthi is done with Dhvaya manthram , She is

there as UpAyam and UpEyam ( Vide: e-book on Dhvaya churukku

in the Sundara Simham series).She is the sakala Prathibhandhaka

nivAriNee .

 

Srutha PrakAsikai AchAryar points this out in his Commentary on

SaraNAgathi Gadhyam :

 

"Sriyam Prapadhya Tath Sannidhou Moola mantrENa ,

svAnuroopaa-anuroopa PurushArTa PrArTanam , TadhubhAya

PrArTanaa paryantham kruthvaa , Tadh anuj~nayaa Dhvayam

anusandheeyathE ithi PoorvAchArya vachanam anusmaran ,

PraTamam Sryam PrapahdyathE "

 

Here Srutha PrakAsikAchAryar in his Gadhya VyaakhyAnam

points out PoorvAchArya SampradhAyam is to consider

PirAtti as MokshshOpaayathva Param . This views that

PurushakAra Prapatthi at Her feet first followed by

SvaroopAnuroopa PurushArTa PrArTanam with

the use of Moola Mantram seeking Her as UpAyam.

This seeks Her permission and next Dhvayam

is recited for the continuation of SaraNAgathy .

Moola Mantram has inside it PurushArTa PrArTanam ( Moksham)

and this is different from the earlier PurushakAra PrArTanam.

Therefore , PirAtti is SaakshAth (direct) UpAyam for Prapatthi.

 

NadAthUr AmmAl was the sishyar of YengaLAzhwAn ,

who was the Sishyar of Thirukkuruhai PirAn PiLLAn,

a direct sishyar of AchArya RaamAnuja . AmmAL has

emphasized the AakAra Thrayam of Piratti :

 

1) PurushakAram before Prapatthi anushtAnam

2) UpAyam during Prapatthi anushtAnam and

3) UpEyam during that time as well .

 

Without Her sahakAram ( assistance ) , EmperumAn's anger towards us

( nigraha nivrutthi) is not removed and therefore He has no chance to bless

us with His anugraham ( anugraha Pravrutthi). She thus becomes direct

(SaakshAth) Moksha UpAyam .

 

Swamy NampiLLai quotes SrirAma Misrar ( Naatha Muni Sishya

Paramparai) " UpAyAdhishtAnam cha yEkam Seshithvam ". All

the wealth of the husband belongs equally to his wife . The wealth

of Ubhaya VibhUthi similarly belongs to PirAtti as well and there is

no division here according to MeemAmsakaas . Therefore , NampiLLai

concludes " Ubhaya VibhUthiyum , oru MiTunatthiRkku SeshamiRE ".

Nithya VibhUthi belongs to both of the Divine couple. Thru Dhvaya

Mantram , PirAtti becomes direct MokshOpAyam . They are inseperable

and their wealth( Nithya and Leelaa VibhUthi) is indivisible. Therefore

Dhivya Dampathis are UpAyam and not Just PerumAL. That is why

Swamy Desikan following PoorvAchAryAs states thru the 6th slOkam of

Sri Sthuthi that " Our refuge is The Couple not merely VishNu".

In BharanyAsa, the Mantram is PraNavam ( AUM) , where A stands

for the Lord , U for Lakshmi and M for the Jeevan that is surrendering .

 

SlOkam 5 of NyAsa Tilakam

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Here , direct surender to SRIMAN NARAYANAN is done.

SlOkam passages are : "SRIMAAN svathasiddham , amitha guNa

bhUmaa---Tamm DevEsam Sirasaa Prapadhya , Mumukshu: aham

SaraNam adhigacchAmi " .

 

The full meaning of this slOkam is:

 

" The Lord of Mashaa Lakshmi is ever existent (Svatha: siddham) .

-- As the Upanishad says , one aspiring Moksham has only to adopt

SaraNAgathy at the sacred feet of this great Lord of immense

asuspicious powers and who is most accessible thru Prapatthi ."

 

The next slOkam of NyAsa Tilakam points out that the Archaa roopam

is the most easy one to perform Prapatthi and states Lord RanganAthan

lies on His bed of Aadhi Sesha awaiting our Prapatthi : " Sa: Srimaan

aSesha jana sangrahaNAya RangE bhujanga sayanE Mahaa bhujanga:

SEthE ".

 

Sri RanganAthan ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan