Acharya vaibhavam - 22- Sri Mahalakshmi and Sriman Narayanan are inseparable and unique

[Guest guest]

SrI:

SraimathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

 

Dearest all,

 

Let us enjoy Sri Mahalskhmi’s unmatched and unique

status, Someone enquired me as to how can both be

Paratvam. Here is what I had read and gathered from

Poorvars and other wonderful books.

 

The doctrine of Goddess Mahalskhmi constitutes an

important subject in the Srivaishnava sampradaya. This

is the only sampradaya that has accorded an important

status to Goddess Lakshmi and regarded her on par with

VishNu. The concept of Sriya: Pathi is upheld by the

AzhwArs. YamunAchArya describes Mahalakshmi as

LokEshwari. GaaDOpagooDanithE… is also used by Swami

YamunAchArya..

 

The equation of Brahman as Sri Nivaasan by Sri

Ramanujacharya in Sri Bhashya mangaLa sloka and the

expression of Nithya anapaayinee in Saranagathi Gadya

confirm that the divine Couple of Dhiyva Dampathi

together as inseparably related, constuite the

Parathvam of VisishtAdvaita Vedanta. This view of the

AzhwArs and the Poorvacharyas is well supported by

Scripural texts, VishnU puraana, Ramayana,

Pancharathra Samhitha,. Following this tradition, our

sampradaya has upheld the theory that Goddess

Mahalakshmi enjoys equal status with VishNu and

partakes in all the cosmic functions including moksha

pradana, besides her special role Purushakara.

 

There are statements in sruthi which imply that the

infinite character of Goddess Mahalskhmi. The

taittriya BrahmaNa, describes Goddess as Radasi,

Brhati, Srirasi. The term Brhati is interpreted on the

authority of Lakshmi tantra as one not co-ordinated by

time, space and another entity, the same meaning as

attached to Brhat in Brahman Sabdha. The mEdha

sooktham, there is a descrition of Medha dEvi, [mEdha

being another name for Lakshmi], as vishvachi which

means one who pervades the whole Universe [sarva

vyaapini]. The expressions anantam antat used in

Vaaksuktha on the taittriya BrahmaNa means that

Vaakdei [same as Lakshmi] is infinite. More

importantly, the Sri sooktham of Rik Veda asserts that

Goddess Lakshmi is IswarI or the ruler of the entire

Universe [iswareem Sarva bhoothAnAm]. On the basis of

the root verb asa meaning pervasion [asa vyaaptau],

Iswari means one who pervades everything and everyone.

 

 

The VishNu purana which is universally accepted as an

authritiativbe one on the subject of Para-tattva,

asserts that Lakshmi is all-pervasive in the same way

as VishNu is. Thus it states: Yatha sarvagathO VishNuh

thathaivEyam dvijOttama.

 

Thus they are one Paratattva. The eample given to

substantiate this theory is the Sun [bhaskara] and its

luminosity [prabha]. The two are distinct but the sun

as inseprably related to its luminosity is one. The

same explanation holds good in respect of God and

Goddess. Though God and Goddess iare two separate

realities and God as inspearavly related to Goddess is

One Paratattva.

 

Ramayana cites the illustration of Prabha and

Prabhavam to describe the inseparable relation between

Lord Rama and Goddess Sita. Both Rama and Sita use the

same illustration to describe their intimate

relationship. If we conceive this relationship in the

sense of mere Pathi and Pathni, Lord and His consort,

as in the Saiva religion, Goddess gets a subordinate

position. As integrally related to God, Lakshmi

becomes part of the Swaroopa of VishNu. She is an

asaadhaaraNa or a distinguishing identity mark for

VishNu as is exhibited by Her permament presence in

His Chest [Lakshanaath Lakshmi:] This fact is borught

out by the Uttara anuvaaka of Purusha sooktha in which

the Purusha a general term used in Purvanusaka is

identified as Narayana by the statement HreeschathE

laksmIscha patnau”, mentioned in the uttaranuvaaka.

 

This truth is intuited by Nammazhwar’s agalahillEn

iRaiyum enRu alarmEl mangai uRai maarbhan”. Both by

swaroopa and by Vigraha they are inseparable. As an

integral part of the Supreme Being, she partakes in

all important functions of the Lord including

mokshOpaayatva, mOksha pradatva, besides Her special

role as purushakaratva, [mediatrix for us]. This is

the central doctrine of Srivaishnavism.

 

Let us enjoy her purushakaratvam tomorrow

Regards

asmadhAchArya paryanthAm vandhE guruparamparAm

Namo Narayana

dAsan