Sri Lakshmi Sahsram : 17.36/The ignorance of the PaamarALs about the Naama Vaibhavam of MahA Lakshmi

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SrI:

 

Dear BhakthAs of MahA Lakshmi:

 

In the 36th SlOkam , Sri Venkatadhvari Kavi states

that the simple folks do not know about the Vaibhavam of

MahA Lakshmi's NaamAs . He points out that they will

consider Her NaamAs like any other ordinary nAmAs and

stay foolish :

 

PadhmE nAmnAm PaamarAs-thAvakAnAm

prouDim vidhyur naiva nAmAntharEbhya:

chakreevantaS-chAru-karpoora-chUrNE

bhasmabhya: kim vismayam prApnuvanthy

 

The key words in this slOkam are : " PadhmE ! ThAvakAnAm

nAmnAm prouDim pAmarA: na yEva vidhyu:" .

 

Oh Lakshmi ! The common folks wo'nt have any idea about

the significance and vaibhavam of Your nAmAs. They will mix

it up with all other ordinary names ( NaamAntharam).

 

The Kavi gives an example to illustrate the ignorance of

the simple folks: " ChakrIvantha: chAru-karpoora-chUrNE

bhasmabhya: vismayam prApnuvanthy kim ? ".

 

The Kavi asks : Can the donkey comprehend the difference

between the fragrant camphor powder and the ordinary ash

without any fragrance whatsoever ? It can not comprehend

the difference It is too much to expect the donkey to be proficient

in that kind of distinction .

 

(Commentary):

 

1) The ordinary ( untutored ) people do not know many things.

One such thing that they do not know is the Vaibhavam

of Your nAmAs. PandithAs differ from the common folk .

htey know fully well the sacredness and power of Your nAmAs .

 

2) The common folks equate Your nAmAs out of ignorance with

those of the other dEvathais . In this matter , they are like the donkeys

that can not understand the difference between the fragrant

camphor powder and ordinary ash.The common foilks will

recite the names of dEvathAntharams . The PandithAs will

only recite Your nAmAs.

 

3) The Common Folks ( PaamarAs) do not understand the full extent

of the glories of Your nAmAs. They recite Your nAmAs only for

gaining wealth. PandithAs however know that the recitation of

Your nAmAs will be for blessings in this as well as in the other world .

 

4) Paamraas out of their ignorance will name their girl children with

silly names like rOjA , BharaNi etc; The PandithAs will name their

girl children with Your names ( Lakshmi , Indhira, Kamala , Saroja

etc).

 

5) The common folks do not know about Your nAma vaibhavam.

They do not know that the recitation , sravaNam , dhyAnam of Your

nAmAs will confer great auspiciousness . Names other than Yours

do not confer such anugrahams.

 

6) The comon folks do not understand that You are ready to bless

them with all soubhAgyams even under any pretext (VyAjam).

Their situaton is like the man , who has butter in his hands and

cries for ghee .

 

7) PaamarAs do not understand that Your names portray the essence

of the VedAs . The other nAmAs are sankEtha-mAtram .

 

8) The common folks do not grasp the upadEsams of great ones

from SanathkumArar to VenkatAdhvari Kavi about Your nAma

Vaibhavam . That is the extent of their power of grasp.

 

9) The PaamarAs are compared to the ignorant donkey (ass).

The poet chooses not often used words to convey the same

meaning ( paryAya padham) . For instance commonly understood

names for the Donkey are Kardhabham and rAsabham ; here ,

the kavi uses thre unusual word of " chakreevAnti ". Again , in using

the word group , " ChAru-KaRpoora-chUrNe" , the Kavi plays with us.

ChAru is quickly understood as some thing that is beautiful ( ChAru-

kEsi: one with beautiful assembly of hair); here , the Kavi uses ChAru

to mean some thing (the camphor) that is fragrant .He goes one step

further to invoke the not tooo familiar meaning for ChAru (viz)., saffron .

ChAru Karpooram is a mixture of green camphor and Saffron that is

most fragrant ( parama ParimaLa dhravyam ).

 

10) In comparing the common folks to the ignorant donkey , the Kavi

hints at three things:

 

(a) If the donkey does not appreciate the unique fragrance of

ChAru-Karpoora-chUrNam , there is no harm to the latter. Similarly ,

the common folks' unawareness of the vaibhavam of Your

nAmAs does not diminish the glories of your names even by an iota .

 

(b) No one takes an effort to instruct/educate the donkey about

the uniqueness of the ParimaLam ; it would be a wasted effort .

Same thing with the common folks . Therefore , no one spends

any time to instruct the PaamarAs about Your nAma Vaibhavam .

 

© No body pays much respect to the donkeys . Same is true

with the common folks , who do not comprehend the glories of

Your nAmAs.

 

Sri Lakshmi HaygrIva ParabrahmaNE Nama:

Daasan , Oppiliappan KOil VaradAchAri Sadagopan