Viswambari MeLa Raaga Krithi on BhUmi DEvi by VidvAmsini Padma Veeraraghavan

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Sri:

 

Dear Sangeetha RasikAs :

 

Visvambari is the 54th MeLa Raagam .

It belongs to the Brahma ( 9th) chakram .

 

Srimathi VidvAmsini Padma VeerarAghavan's

Kriti is a tribute to BhUmi Devi of Oppiliappan

Sannidhi . At this Dhivya dEsam , there are no

Tani sannidhis for BhU devi and there are no

Ubhaya NaachiyArs for the Utsavar or Moolavar .

The bride groom stays at the Father in Law's

house as at SrIvilliputthUr .

 

Pallavi:

 

ViSvamayamE SrI ViSvambhari

ViNNagar Naathanin Isvari nee

 

Anupallavi:

 

MacchAvatAra ManOharan

MaNNulahuyya vanta BhUmi Devi ThaaYE

 

CharaNam :

 

PaaRkkadal AnnayE BhArgaviyE

Bhavakkadal meetkka vantha MaarkaNDan mahaLE

yaarkkum kidaikkavoNA aruL nidhiyE

paarkkum pakkamellAm pasumayAi thihazhntiduvAi

 

Meaning of the Name Visvambhari:

 

In Swamy Desikan's BhU stuti , we come

across the clue to the name Visvambhari .

Swamy Desikan says: " Visvambharasya

dayitAsi tadhEkanAmA " .

 

" (Ambha!) Visvambharasya tadh yEka

naamA dayithA asi " is the prose order .

 

On Mother ! Thou art the dear consort of

the Lord Visvambharan ( one who holds

this world) having the same name

( VISVAMBHARI) as Your husband .

 

In yet another slOkam of BhU stuti ,

Swamy Desikan refers to BhUmi Devi

as Visvambhari and performs Prapatti

to Her stating that he has no other

refuge:

 

" Visvasya maatharam akinchana

KaamadhEnum , VISVAMBHARAM

aSaraNa: SaraNam prapadhyE "

 

(Meaning): adiyEn performs prapatthi to

the Mother of the Universe who is

the boon granting KaamadhEnu to

me , who has no one as refuge .

 

In one of the famous slOkams of

BhU stuthi saluting BhU Devi , Swamy

Desikan invokes the name of Visvambahri:

 

SarvamsahEthyavanirityachalEti Maata:

VisvarambharEti vipulEti VasundharEti

anyAni chAnyavimukhAnyabhidhAnavruttayA

naamAnyamUni kathayanti tavAnubhAvam

--6th slOkam of BhU Stuthi

 

(meaning): Oh Mother BhUmi Devi! You are

saluted with many names to reveal Your

mulrifaceted Vaibhavam . You are Sarvam

Sahai ( One who bears with the apachArams

of Your devotees) ; You are Avani ( protector

of the World and its beings) ; You are Achalai

( Firm of resolve in protection of the beings of

this world) ; Visvambhari ( AdhAram for the

world ) ; Vipulai( Immeasurable); VasundharA

( One possessing precious treasures) ; Each of

these names refer to one or other of Your

innumerable auspicious guNams .

 

Such is the glory of Visvambhari !

 

Pallavi:

 

VisvamayamE SrI Visvambhari

ViNnagar Naathanin Iswari Nee !

 

BhUmi Devi is addressed here as

the Iswari ( Empress , Divine Consort)

of the Lord of ThiruviNNagar .

 

As Visvambhari , She manifests as

the entire Universe ( Visvamayam)

and supports it . Our Lord who honors

the daughter of the Milky Ocean by

giving abode to Her in His chest goes one

step further in recognition of BhUmi Devi

by carrying Her on His Siras during His

AadhiSEshAvathAram : " VisvambharE !

VaruNAlaya Raaja kanyAm VakshasthalE

SambhAvayan Madhu ripu: SEshAtmanA

bhavatheem SirasA tu dhadhAti " .

 

Anupallavi :

 

MacchAvathAran ManOharan

MaNNuluhuyya vantha BhUmi DEvi ThAyE

 

( Comments) : The bewitchingly beautiful

form of the Lord as MatsyAvathAran is

invoked here instead of VarAhAvathAram,

which is normally linked to BhUmi Devi.

The reason for link to avathAram as

a giant fish to save the world from drowning

in the PraLyam waters by pulling the universe

to safety with a rope tied to the horn of

that unique fish ( MacchAvathAran) . He came

to rescue the world ( MaNNulahu uyya VanthAn)

and BhUmi DEvi was the reason for His avathAram .

 

CharaNam

 

PaaRRkkadal AnnayE BhaargaviyE

Bhavakkadal meetkka vantha MaarkaNDan mahaLE

Yaarkkum kidaikkavoNA aruLnidhiyE

paarkkum pakkamellAm PasumayAi thihazhinthiduvAi

 

( Comments) : Thou art the Mother , who serves

the Lord at the Milky Ocean by pressing His sacred

feet to remove the fatigue from the avathAram

actibities ( Paarrkkadal Annai).

 

She is the Bhaargavi or the amsam of SrI DEvi .

BhArgavi is the name linked to the avathAram of

Sri DEvi as the daughter of Bhrugu Maharishi.

 

She is the daughter of MaarkaNDEya Maharishi

at the TuLasi Vanam of ThiruviNNagar . The sage

found Her under a TuLasi bush and raised Her as

His own daughter ( MaarKaNDan MahaL). She

incarnated to redeem the samsAris from

the horrors of the samsAric ocean ( Bhava

Kadal meetka vanthavaL) .

 

She is a rare Treasure house of Grace and

Dayaa which is not easily accessible to many

( Yaarkkum kidaikka-voNNaa aruL nidhi) but

is readily attainable by Her true devotees:

 

" sanchintyasE Vasumati sthirabhakti-Bhandhai:

antar-Bahisccha BhahudhA praNidhAna dakshai: "

 

For those who display firm bhakti to You

( sthira bhakti Bhandhai: PraNidhAna

Dakshai: anta: Bhaisccha bhahudhA

sanchintyasE) You are visible thru

dhyAnam internally and externally .

 

" PaaRRkkum pakkam yellAm PasumayAi

thihazhntiduvAi " . Whichever direction

One looks , BhUmi Devi looks fertile

and full of auspicious wealth . She is

therefore saluted as the LakshaNam of

nectar that counters the poison of want

and poverty ( dhourgatya dhurvisha vinAsa

sudhA nadhi) .Pasumai stands for Youth ,

abundance of wealth and fertlity .

 

In this Visvambhari Raaga Kriti ,

the Vaibhavam of BhUmi Devi ,

the presiding Empress of ThiruviNNagar

is celebrated .

 

SrI BhUmi Devi SamEta Sri Oppiliappan

ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,

DhAsan , Oppiliappan Koil V.Sadagopan