Sri Lakshmi Sahsram : 17.28

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of MahA Lakshmi:

 

In the 28th slOkam focusing on the Naama Vaibhavam of

MahA Lkashmi , the poet states that the dhivya nAmAs

of the Divine consort of the Lord are the most delectable

among all sweet experiences :

 

Tava dhivya nAmAni madhurE nirAkrutha

vyasanE sTitEapi rasanEndhriam mama

ramathE RamE kaTamahO rasanAntharEshu

aTavaa tadhasya ghaDathE jaDAthmana:

 

(Meaning) : Oh Ramaa Devi ! Your divine nAmAs are delectable

to recite ( Madhuram MadhurAksharam) . Your sacred nAmAs have

the power to destroy all sorrows and troubles( nirAkrutha-vyasanE).

While that is so ( ithi sTithEapi) , my sense organ dedicated to

experience taste (rasEndhriyam) runs after other ignoble sweet

tastes . adiyEn finds it very difficult to understand this strange

behavior of my tongue chasing other "sweet " tastes ( mama

rasanEndhriyam kaTam rasanAntharEshu ramathE ? ). Alas (ahO) !

For this ignoramus , this kind of deluded behavior is perhaps

appropriate ( aTavaa asya jaDAthmana: tath ghaDathE ).

 

I am at a loss to understand this odd behavior of my tongue.

Knowing fully well that there is nothing sweeter than Your

dhivya nAmaas , my toungue has a fascination for alpa

pathArthams , which can never ever come close to the depth

of the sweetness of Your sacred names . ahO dhurbhAgyam !

I must indeed be a fool to engage in such endeavours to let

my tongue chase all these insignificant " sweets " instead of

enjoying the greatest of all sweets , the taste of Your nAmAs.

 

One has to conclude that the person , who prefers an ordinary thing

over an extraordinary thing has to be a fool

 

One can only conclude that the perosn who prefers a bitter thing

over a sweet thing has to be an uninformed fool.

 

One can only conclude that the person who chases after pain-causing

experiences over those which comfort and delight has to be a fool .

 

Your dhivya nAmAs are an integrated essence of three tathtvams:

Madhuram ( sweet to experience ) , banisher of sorrow & suffering

and sacred . There is no other entity that has all these three in one.

For instance, Paarijatha flower is divine but is not delightful to taste.

The rock candy is sweet to taste but does not chase away the sorrows.

The curative medicine ( oushadham) is nither sacred nor delectable.

MahA Lakshmi ! Only Your dhivya nAmAs are delectable , sacred and

sorrow removing .

 

Sri PadhmAvathy SamEtha Sri SrinivAsa ParabrahmaNE nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan