Sri Lakshmi Sahsram : 17.37

[Guest guest]

SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of MahA Lakshmi:

 

In the 37th SlOkam , Sri Venkatadhvari Kavi reminds us

that anyone , who abandons the treasure in his house

( MahA Lakshmi's nAmAs) and seeks sukham through

other means is equal in status to that of a foolish street

beggar :

 

jahadhiha Janani ThvannAmadhEyam vidhEyam

jaDamathiathiriktham SarmaNE karma kuryAth

nidhimanavadhim ucchair-nishkuDasTam vihAya

prathibhavanam aSaanka: paryaDan bikshithum ka:

 

(Meaning): Oh Mother(Janani) ! Fools forsake the lofty and

limitless treasure present at their homes , Your sacred nAmAs

and run shamelessly after trivia outside to seek comfort .

This situation is similar to that of a beggar roaming in the street

and going from house to house to seek alms.

 

Your sacred names are within our tongue's reach ( ThvannAmadhEyam

vidhEyam). You are the Mother and we as Your children are

entitiled to that wealth of Your nAmAs . Some of us are foolish

( JaDamathi: ) and abandon the trasures at home

( nishkooDasTam nidhim jahath) and vainly search for other

kinds of anithya ( perishable) "sukhams" ( JaDamathi: athiriktham

karma SarMaNam kurvanthy ).

 

Your nAmAs available readily to us are lofty ( Uccham )

and is a limitless treasure ( anavadhim nidhi). Those who abandon

what is in hand and run after dubious things (karmAs) are

like shameless street beggars stopping at every house

to seek uncertain alms and become objects of derision of

the householders.

 

Sri Kannan Swamy's Commentary

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1. Lakshmi's sacred nAmAs are readily available to our speech

indhriyam (VidhEyam) . They can be recited at our will . They

are not beyond our sakthi like some of the YaagAs and Yaj~nams.

 

2. Lakshmi's holy nammes are like a treasure at home. One does not

need to jump over walls of a fort , climb a mountain , dig in a mine or

cross a moat . No difficult effort is needed to acquire them . They

are already resting on our tongues like the readily accessible

treasure at our homes. Like any treasure , it is precious . It banishes

poverty . It creates sukham . What else can one ask for ?

 

3. The one who knows about the easy availability of this treasure and

yet forsakes it in favor of some ephemeral sukham is a fool . Instead of

using such a treasure in times of need folls beg for help from

strangers . In the heat of the day , this type of fool abandons

his comfortable home and the treasure there to stop at

the stranger's houses to beg for help. What a state of misery

that he experiences through that act ! Sri VenkatAdhri Kavi uses

three choice words to illustrate the misery of the fool engaged in

such activies : " VihAya , Bikshithum and ParyaDEth".

 

4. The treasure within reach at home is limitless ( anavadhi),

whereas the earnings from stree begging (engagement in other

karmAs) is limited (avadhi) and ubcertain . The treasure at

home ( Your nAmAs under the control of one's vaak) is

precious; the earnings from begging at the street is low

in value. The treasure of MahA Lakshmi's nAmAs belongs to

one; the money/sukham raised by begging belongs to others .

 

5. The Kavi instructs us that MahA Lakshmi's Naama Sankeerthanam

is pradhAnam overthe performance of Yaagams and Yaj~nams as well

as engagement in theertha yAthrAs .

Sri Lakshmi HaygrIva ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan