Sri Lakshmi Sahsram : 17.29

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SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of MahA Lakshmi:

 

In this 29th SlOkam , Sri VenkatAdhri Kavi compares

MahA Lakshmi's NaamAs to fragrant flowers ( Sourabha

nAma kusumams) ;when strung together with the strong

string of Her divine attributes ( Dhivya guNams) , these flowers

form a garland that is very much desired by Her Lord

( MaalayAhi Maalai mahizhvikkum nAmangaL):

 

ThvannAma dhivya kusumAni dhruDair-guNastE

sangraTya sourabha visEsha parishkruthAni

AamunjathAmiha madheeya sarasvatheeyam

mAthar-mahA Purusha mAnasa ranjanAya

 

(Meaning): Oh Mother ! May adiyEn's speech string your

nAmAs ( fragrant celestial paarijAtha flowers) with the firm

string of Your own auspicious attributes (dhivya guNams)

and create a beautiful garland to be presented for delighting

Your Lord's ThiruvuLLam !

 

Here the poet states that Her dhivya nAmAs ( Thvath nAma

dhivya KusumAni ) are adorned with an unique kind of beauty

and fragrance ( sourabha visEsha parishkruthAni ).

 

The poet's speech indhriyam ( Vaak /Sarasvathy) constructs

a beautiful garland using Her Naama kusumams by stringing

them together with the firm thread of Her auspicious attributes

( Tava dhivya nAma kusumAni dhruDai: guNai: sangraTya)

and presents that fragrant garland to the utter delight of Her

great Lord ( MahA Purusha mAnasa ranjanAya Aamunjathy).

 

Additional Comments :

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1. Her divine nAmAs are compared to beautiful celestial flowers

with a special , never-fading fragrance . Her nAmAs are adorned

with visEsha sourabham . The word sourabham has two meanings:

(1) Fragrance and (2) Beauty . In Her sourabha nAma kusumams ,

the Vaak ( beautiful speech) and artham ( the deep menings) are

blended together indissolubily .

 

2. When the poet creates a nAmAvaLi with Her divine nAmAs ,

he organizes them in an orderly manner according to their different

hues and strings them together to form a charming garland as it were.

The strong strings used to create this garland are Her guNams that hold

the nAmAs together. GuNam has two meanings: (1) divine culture and

(2) the thread . If this thread is not strong , it will not have the strength

to hold the flowers together and the garland will shed all its flowers.

In the case of MahA Lakshmi's nAmAs , the holding strings (guNams )

are very strong .

 

3. My speech (Vaak/Saraswathy)is the one , which created

this unique garland of infinite fragrance and beauty

( Sri Lakshmi Sahasram) .

 

4. My speech presents this special garland to delight Your

Lord . My speech is the lady who strung this garland with

Your NaamAs and guNams .

 

5. The SaasthrArthams referred to in this slOkam are :

 

(a) MahA Lakshmi's guNams are firm ; for instance ,

Her guNams like Vaathsalyam (affection for us) and

KaaruNyam ( Compassion) are firm and do not display

any variations .

 

(b) Her divine names have both deep meanings ( as in SrI , Lakshmi)

as well as aural beauty ( as in Padhmasadhma, JalajA , Sura Sundari

et al). SrI sabdham alone has six different and profound meanings.

 

© Her nAma kusuma maalai (garland) immensely pleases

Her Lord , the PurushOtthaman .

 

6) In the set of five contiguous slOkams including this one ,

Her nAmAs have been conpared to (a) Fragrant flowers

(b) KaamadhEnu , the celestial Cow © Gold (d) the flame

used for creating curative potions (kAshAyam) to cure

samsAric disease and (e) the lustre of a lamp.

 

The rich imagination of the poet is abundantly displayed

in these slOkams celebrating MahA Lakshmi's nAma

vaibhavam .

 

Sri PadhmAvathy SamEtha Sri SrinivAsa ParabrahmaNE nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan