Sri Lakshmi Sahsram : 17.16 and 17.17

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SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of MahA Lakshmi:

 

In the 16th SlOkam of this staBakam , Sri VenkatAdhri Kavi points out

that the nAmAs of MahA Lakshmi destroy the blemishes ( dhOshams) of

our tongues :

 

rAshtraprasanga-kujanasthuthi-rAjakAryam

dhustarkavAdha- paradhUshaNa-dhOsha-Saanthyai:

NaarAyaNa PriyataME nanu pAvanAni

nAmAni keerthayathu tE rasanA madheeyA

 

(Meaning): My tongue is full of blemishes . Some of these asuddhis acquired by

my tongue are :

 

(1) praising of the lowly & evil ones for my livelihood /kujana sthuthi

 

(2) engaging in vicious chatter about my neighbors and friends and spreading

rumours / rAshtra prasangam

 

(3) making hypocritical political speeches / rAja kAryam

 

(4) playing the devil's advocate and arguing for arguments' sake / kustarka vAdham

 

5) belittling others /Para dhUshaNam .

 

Oh dearest Consort of NaarAyaNa ! if adiyEn has to cleanse my tongue from

all these pancha mahA dhOshams , adiyEn has to place a most sacred object

on my tongue. That sacred object is Your Name . Once adiyEn adorns Your name

on my tongue , all the blemishes are destroyed . My tongue gets consecrated by

Your nAmAs in a manner similar to our association with GangA water , the dust from

cow's hoof in the morning , Sri Paadha theertham of BhagavathAs , Panchagavyam ,

consecrated PunDram prepared with dhvAdasa nAma manthrams , consecrated

sacred thread et al.

 

There are other methods for removing these dhOshams such as PradakshiNams

and PraNAmams ( Circamambualations and prostrations before the Lord) and yet

adiyEn believes that the dhOshams caused by the tongue has to be eliminated by

the tongue ( karthA ) itself. The parihAram ( cure ) for these dhOshams is the recitation

of MahA Lakshmi's dhivya nAmAs.

 

Each of these dhOshams generated by the tongue causes so many harmful

side effects .

 

For instance dustarka Vaadham leads to cheating ( distortion of the true meaning/

vidhyA drOham) , obsession with winning ( winning for winning's sake) ,

the generation of enimity with great scholars .

 

Kujana sthuthi has the harmful side effects of athivAdham (Exaggeraton ) , asathya-

vachanam ( distortion of Truth) and degradation of one's own honor .

 

Raajya Kaaryam leads to the dhOsham of arTa-kAma prAvaNyam ( domination by

the desires of different kinds including wealth ) , dharma lObham ( dimunition in

rAja dharmam) and Para PeeDai ( harming others ). These arise from hunger for

power .

 

Para dhUshaNam leads to causing pain to others , apachAram to BhAgavathAs

and maintenance of low culture .

 

The japam of our Mother's names and sankeerthanam of them cleanses our tongues of

these five kinds of dhOshams .This recitation produces parama saanthi.

 

In the next two slOkams , The poet addresses additional aparAdhams caused by our tongues .

 

Laksmi Sahasram : Naama MahimA staBakam : SlOkam 17.17

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prAdEsa-sammitha-nija-udhara-pUraNa-arTai:

athyarTamEbhir-anruhtai: abhidahyamAnA

nirvAthu neeradhisuthE rasanA Thvadheeyai:

AakhyAsathair-abhimathair-amruthairivAasou

 

Oh Neeradhi suthE ( the daughter of the Ocean )! We tell lies ( anrutham)

to fill our two-finger long ( small-dimensioned) stomachs ( prAdEsa sammitha

nija udhara pooraNa arTai:) .The result of these conscious lies is the scorching of

our tongues ( yEbhi: anruthai: rasanA abhidahyamAnA). Our tongues get parched

and become lifeless . May the cool nectar of Your hundreds of delectable NaamAs

drench our parched tongues ,rejuvenate them and delight them !

 

For the sake of earning a livelihood , I stooped and told many lies .When I realize

those mistakes , my tongue is on fire . It gets scorched. Seeking a sure cure , I recite

your many nAmAs with relish. The nectarine effect of Your nAmAs removes the heat

and delights my tongue. The prayer here is for the quenching of the heat by Lakshmi

Naama Sankeerthanam : Neeradhi SuthE ! (mama) rasanA (tongue) nirvAthu ! May my

scorched tongue resulting from the act of of telling lies (anrutham) be comforted

by the experience of the nectar (amrutham) associated with the sankeerthanam

of Your nAmAs ! ) . The mountain of difference in change of one letter in "anrutham" and

"amrutham" is noted here by the poet .

 

The 8 SaasthrArTams embedded in this slOkam

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1)Our goals and strivings should always be lofty. One should not lower oneself

for the sake of filling our stomachs .

 

2) It is a mighty sin to lie. The AchAryan's upadEsam for the anthEvAsi is :

"Satyam vadha". Upanishad empasizes the utterance of sathyam(Truth).

 

3) When a vivEki is forced to tell a lie , he regrets it and develops nirvEdham.

That repentance alone destroys one fourth of the accumulated sins.

 

4) The Saadhus who have committed a mistake go through successive stages of

anutApam , uparamam , PrAyascchittha unmukathvam and the performance of

the PrAyascchittham . These 4 stages of repentance culminating in the performance of

the act of atonement destroys the Paapams one quarter at a time.

 

5) The intense pain experiened by the Saadhus is the telling of a lie for the sake of

the insignificant stomach . Saasthrams permit conscious uttering of untruth for

the observance of some lofty dharmams : protection of a SaraNAgathan ,

protection of life and maintenance of an unnatha dharmam.

 

6) The slOkam specifically refers to the tongue being the agent of the lie .

For a prAyascchittham to be effective, the aparAdham and the agent associated

with the aparAdham should be expressly stated ( bahirangam ); seeking forgivance

in secret wont be effective at all ( rahasya aparAdha kshAmaNam).

 

7)The sankeerthanam of the thousands of NaamAs of MahA Lakshmi and Her divine

consort destroys all types of sins . The reference to " AakhyA Sathai: " ( hundreds of

NaamAs) is to remind us of the Lakshmi Sahasra Naamams housed in SanathkumAra

samhithai.

 

8) Her NaamAs are delectable ( Parama bhOgyam) . They should be recited as

Svayam prayOjanam instead of expecting any phalans. The power of these naamAs

will drench one with bliss even if one does not ask for it.

Sri PadhmAvathy SamEtha Sri SrinivAsa ParabrahmaNE nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan