Sri Lakshmi Sahsram : 17.18

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SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of MahA Lakshmi:

 

MahA Lakshmi"s NaamAs becoming the Nishkruthi for the Dushkruthis of ours

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In this 18th slOkam , Sri VenkatAdhri Kavi states that the power of MahA Lakshmi's

nAmAs serve as a neutralizer/cleanser/"terminator" for the ill effects arising from

our misdeeds :

 

agathika-dEhi-dEhi-vachana-sthuthi-dukkha-dasA

kupitha-mithampacha-sthavana-dushkruthi-nishkruthaya:

bhavadhabhidhAsudhA bhavadhavAnalatApamusha:

Janani puna: puna: paripunanthy jaganthy RamE

 

The key words of this slOkam are: " Jananee RamE ! bhavadhabhidhA sudhA:

puna: puna: jaganthy paripunanthy" ( Oh Mother Ramaa Devi ! Your nectarine

nAmAs purify the universe time and time again ).

 

(Prose Order) : Jananee RamE ! agathika dEhi dEhi vachana sthuthy du:kkha dasA

kupitha mithampacha sthavana dushkruthi nidhkruthaya: , bhava dhavAnala tApamusha: ,

bhavadhabhidhAsudhA: puna: puna: jaganthy paripunanthy .

 

Comments :

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1. agathika dEhi dEhi vachana sthuthi du:kkha dasA kupitha mithampacha

sthavana dushkruthy nishkruthaya: ( tava nAmA: ): What are the misdeeds

(dushkruthi:) committed by the helpless (agathika janam ) , suffering and desperate sentients ?

They arrive at the front door of the immature , arrogant and self-satisfied rich in a state of

desperation to overcome their poverty and clamor for handouts ; to please these intemperate

and insignificant "rich " , these janams eulogize them through asatya vaak ( untrue words)

and athivAdham . During this process , they lose their dignity . The rich feel pressed and get

angry at these repeated requests from these pestering janams to give and shout at these

assembled people and scream at them to get out . This is the humiliating and self-inflicted

dushkruthi of the people. When such errant people recite Your nAmAs , they get cleansed of

the ill effects of praising the worthless and begging presents from them. The recitation of Your

sacred names is like the performance of a PrAyascchittham (nishkruthaya: ) to cleanse them of

these foul deeds ( Dushkruthi).

 

2. bhava-dhavAnala tApamusha: ( Tava nAMA: ): For these suffering and erring

people , the recitation of Your sacred nAmAs are antidotes against the afflictions caused by

the wild fire of SamsAram .

 

3. bahavadhabhidhA-sudhA: puna: puna: jaganthy paripunanthy :

Oh Mother ! Your nAmAs purify and rejuvenate the suffering errants again and again .

They cleanse them from their misdeeds and shower them with Your anugraham . That

grace of Yours and the power of Your nAmAs nullify their samsAric sufferings .

 

4. Dushkruthi nishkruthaya: This word group has two meanings:(1) PrAyachittams

for one's Paapams (2) That which keep one away from engagement in misdeeds. According to

the second meaning , the recitation of Your sacred nAmAs save the helpless ones from

begging at the houses of the rich and praising the unqualified etc. Your nAma sankeerthanam will

chase away the mental & physical poverty and elevate the chEtanams to an uniquely wealthy status .

 

5. What are the things people beg the rich for ? (1) to help overcome their poverty ,

they seek money (2) the one without courage asks a strong person to protect him , (3) the uintelligent

ones approach a clever person for counsel , (4) the politician seeking power asks for the vote of

the ctizen . These are all different kinds of begging by the deluded ( agathika dEhi dEhi vyApArams).

 

For those , who recite the nAmAs of Lakshmi , these situations of demeaning themselves through

sthuthi of alpa janams will not arise. They do not need to bend before these haughty rich and

expose themselves to their anger . MahA Lakshmi Herself will grant all anugrahams and eliminate

the need for begging at the doors of these half-baked ones ( mithampacha:).These are the thoughts

conveyed by the first half of this slOkam .

 

6. Why are Her nAmAs nectar like and quench SamsAric tApams ?

The question may arise as to why the poet repeats what he said earlier about

MahA Lakshmi's names rejuvenating like nectar and quenching the heat of

SamsAram .

 

The answer is : There are things like sandal wood paste that cool one but do not

remove one's sins. Same thing with the dust from the hoof of the cow thatpurify us

but do not remove our samsAric tApams. Acts like theertha yAthrai destroy one's sins

but are not delectable like the nectar. The sweet stuff like sugar are delectable to taste

but do not purify us. There are only a few tatthvams that are delectable like nectar

and at the same time purify one . The nAmAs of Yours ( MahA Laskshmi) is one such

rare entity combining the two tatthvams (Cleansing & delectable) that are not usually

found together.

 

7. dEhi dEhi: the first dEhi means the embodied living person . the second dEhi means

please give ( a kriyA padham) . The helpless human begs the rich for this and that.

 

8. Abundant PrAsams : In this slOkam as in the others , we come across a rich set

of delectable PrAsams : dhushkruthi-nishkruthi , bhidhA-sudhA , puna: puna: punanthy ,

bhavatha: bhavatha: et al.

 

Sri PadhmAvathy SamEtha Sri SrinivAsa ParabrahmaNE nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan