LakshmI KatAksham

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

LakshmI KatAksham

 

Deepavali appears to be an appropriate occasion to write about the

captioned subject. All over north of India and in some parts of the south too,

LakshmI pUjA is an intgeral part of the Festival of Lights, with the wealthy

adulating Her in thanksgiving and seeking Her continued benevelonce and the

impecunious seeking Her favours for joining the elite club of the haves. New

financial accounts are commenced on this day, with prayers that the ensuing year

be the harbinger of progress and prosperity.

 

Thus there is an overwhelming opinion that Sri LakshmI is the Goddess of Wealth

and Her attentions would make one unimaginably rich. The Lakshmi astOttara sata

nAma stOtram, the Lakshmi Sahasranamam, the SrI SUktam etc. have been prescribed

in various Scriptures as sure-shot ways of attaining elusive prosperity and

escaping the pernicious clutches of penury- " sarvaishvarya karam " and " sarva

dAridrya samanam " . The Goddess Herself is described as the destroyer of poverty

( " dAridrya nAsinIm " , " dAridrya dhvamsinIm " ) and the bestower of wealth of every

form and description ( " dhana dhAnya karIm " ). The recitation of this stOtram is

capable of conferring upon us wealth and welfare beyond imagination and making

us richer than KubEra- " ashtaishvaryam avApnOti KubEra iva bhootalE " . Even

persisting poverty, plaguing a person through innumerable births, can be bid

goodbye to, through a pArAyaNam of this stotram- " Shriam avApnOti kOti janma

daridrata: " . Swami Desikan too confirms in Sri Stuti that wherever this Lady's

glances fall, torrents of affluence vie with each other to fill that

quarter-':yasyAm yasyAm disi viharatE Devi drishti: tvadIyA, tasyAm tasyAm aham

ahamikAm tanvatE sampadoghA: " . This sloka tells us that this is the result not

even of a full-fledged look, but of a mere glance from the corner of Her

eye- " apAngai: " .

 

It is thus clear that LakshmI KatAksham or the benign glance of MahAlakshmI

brings us boundless prosperity. The Celestials had lost all their wealth, power

and control over all the worlds, due to a curse from DurvAsa Maharshi. It was

solely due to the benevolent glances of Sri LakshmI that they regained their

lost splendour and overlordship of the three worlds, confirms the Sristuti-

" sureEndrA: labdhvA bhooya: tribhuvanam idam lakshitam tvat katAkshai: " . Any

number of such pramANAs can be quoted in support of Sri Lakshmi's glances

carrying with them the cascading waves of good fortune, ready to drench the

seeker with abundant doses of the same, for the mere asking.

 

However, is this all there is to Lakshmi kataksham? Is it only the carrier of

wealth and prosperity, with little else to offer? Is " Goddess of Wealth " an

adequate description of Sri Mahalakshmi and Her munificence?

 

The answer is " No " , for, this Lady's glances have the power to bestow on one

whatever one seeks, not merely riches in the material sense. For instance, if it

is wisdom and learning that we seek, they too are showered by Mahalakshmi in

abundant measure. We might be puzzled and think that such a contention usurps

the role of the so-called " Goddess of Learning " -Saraswati. Without in any way

detracting from Sarasvati Devi's fame, all her glory is indeed the result of the

benign glances of Sri Lakshmi, says the Sri Stuti, highlighting the fact that

while it might be Sarasvati who bestows wisdom, she derives her power to do so

from the Celestial source, Sri Mahalakshmi- " AsamsAram vitatam akhilam vAngmayam

yat vibhooti:....tAsAm pariNati: asou bhAva lEsai: tvadeeyai: " . Poets, who are

in the know of things as to who is the real source of all inspiration and

learning, pray straight to Lakshmi to drench them with Her benign glances, which

would enable them burst forth in uninhibited and impassioned verse. The skilful

choice of words, the effortless employment of the mot juste, deployment of

phrases and idioms pregnant with purport, a smooth and flowing style which is a

hallmark of facile expression-all these automatically embrace a composer, be it

of prose, verse or song, once Sri Mahalakshmi turns Her merciful glances on him.

 

Here is one of the master poets, Sri Parasara Bhattar, praying to Her for such

felicity of expression-

" Sooktim samagrayatu na: svayamEva LakshmI:

SrI RangarAja mahishI madhurai: katAkshai: " .

In the aforesaid sloka, Sri Bhattar is but echoing the words of his illustrious

father Sri Koorattazhwan, who too prays to the Divine Consort to drench him with

Her benign glances, so that appropriate words and idioms would automatically

fall in place, without a laborious search for the same, as indulged in by

mundane authors-

" yuktAm bhAvaya bhAratIm....lakshyam Lakshmi katAksha veechi visrutE te syAma

chAmI vayam " .

 

It is this glorious glance of Piratti that is behind the apparently

irreconcilable differences in birth and life that we encounter in this world.

Why should one person be born with a silver spoon in his mouth, with all that

one could possibly wish for, while another, born at the same time and day,

languishes in a cowshed, with not a blade of grass to call his own, destined to

lead a life of misery and penury? Why is it that some are born as human beings,

while others take birth as lowly animals, worms and as inanimate substances like

trees and stones? It is all due to the presence or absence of the Divine

Consort's benign glances, says Sri Bhattar in SrI GuNaratnakOsam. Whosoever is

the object of Her glorious katAksham is born as the best and highest of beings

like Brihaspati, with all that is auspicious seeking him out, while one who

lacks the same is born as a hapless tree, unable to fend for itself materially

or spiritually-

 

" Saha sthira paritra savraja Virinchana akinchanai:

anOkaha Brihaspati prabala viklava prakriyam

idam sadasat AtmanA nikhilam Eva nimnOnnatam

KatAksha tat upEkshayO: tava hi Lakshmi tat tANdavam "

 

Here again, Sri Bhattar draws inspiration from his father's verses in Sristavam-

" lOkE vanaspati Brihaspati tAratamyam yasyA: prasAda pariNAmam udAharanti "

 

Expanding on the theme, Sri Bhattar paints a picture of a sovereign, seated

gracefully on a caprisoned elephant, with a glittering crown adorning his head,

playing with the precious stones dangling from the pearly umbrella held over his

head by adulating acolytes, not deigning even to look at the monarchs lying with

their crowns touching the sand under his feet. He furnishes another pen

portrait, the antithesis of the first one, of another man in rags, with

absolutely no possessions in the world but for his puny and wasted body,

standing at the roadside with lips bared at passersby in supplication, watching

the progression of the Sovereign and his retinue, his hands held out for the

occasional coin tossed at him. Sri Bhattar again ascribes the chasm of

difference separating the Prince and the Pauper, to the presence and absence of

Piratti's benign glances-

 

" EkO muktAtapatra prachala maNighaNAtkAri mouLi: manushya:

dripyat dantAvalasttha: na gaNayati natAn yat kshaNam kshONipAlAn

yat tasmai tishttatE anya: kripaNam asharaNO darsayan danta panktim

tat tE SrIrangarAja praNayini nayana udanchita nyanchitAbhyAm " .

 

These are but minor glories, compared to the monumental magnificence Sri

Alavandar ascribes to Piratti, in his ChatusslOkI. He tells us that the entire

process of Creation is set in motion by the Lord, only after seeking the

implicit approval of His Consort, conveyed through Her consenting glances, but

for which the three worlds would languish as undifferentiated matter, with no

means of redeeming itself. It is only the nectarine and merciful fleeting looks

of Piratti that endow matter with the essence of life and endless prosperity,

avers the senior Acharya-

 

" Ishat tvat karuNA nireekshaNa sudhA sandhukshaNat rakshyatE

nashtam prAk tat alAbhata: tribhuvanam sampratyanantOdayam "

 

Following the same line of thought, Sri Koorattazhwan too confides in us a

Cosmic Secret-- that while it is the Lord who creates, He does so only at the

prompting of and after ascertaining the mind of Piratti, as expressed through

Her beautiful eyes-

" yasyA veekshya mukham tat ingita parAdheenO vidhattE akhilam " .

 

Going a giant step further, the same illustrious author says that it is not only

we mortals who ought to be thankful to Sri LakshmI for our various attainments,

but the Lord too owes His boundless glory and unlimited ishvaryam to the

bewitching and benevolent glances of Piratti- " JagannAthOpi Narayana: dhanyam

manyata IkshaNAt tava yata: svAtmAnam AtmEshvara: " . That on which Her glances

fell in profusion became the Parabrahmam and those on whom they fell sparingly,

became exalted deities like BahmA, Rudra etc. Therefore, when the Shruti sings

the praise of the Parabrahmam, what it really extolls is the magnificence of

Piratti and Her ambrosial glances, says Sri Bhattar-

" apAngO bhooyamsO yat upari Brahma tat abhoot

amI yatra dvitrA: sa cha ShatamakhAdi: tat adharAt " .

 

The nectarine glances of Piratti are cool and comforting, laden with waves of

maternal love, compassion and mercy- " sAnuprAsa prakatita dayai: sAndhra VAtsalya

digdhai: " -and instantly relieve us from the unbearable heat and dust of SamsAra,

from which we suffer eternally. The eyes generating these glorious glances

resemble black, rain-bearing clouds, and appear to have taken a vow to save the

sick, suffering and the destitutes- " Arttha trANa vratibhi: amritAsAra neelAmbu

vAhai: " .

 

It is not only wealth and prosperity, wisdom and vAk chAturyam, relief from

distress and despair, that are to be attained from a stray glance from Piratti's

eyes, that shine out as beacons of mercy-even the ultimate goal to which anyone

can aspire, viz., Paramapadam or SriVaikuntam, is to be attained easily by just

offering Her a mere anjali (folded palms). What is more, after endowing the

bhakta with all that is auspicious, including the coveted Celestial existence,

this Lovely Lady is seized by shame that She hasn't done enough for the devotee,

who had performed the anjali. Such is Her generosity that She is prepared to

bestow all that is there is to offer, in return for a mere gesture, but is also

ashamed of not having rewarded the votary adequately-

 

" asihvaryam akshara gatim Paramam Padam vA

kasmai chit anajali bharam vahatE viteerya

asmai na kinchit uchitam kritam iti yathA amba!

Tvam lajjasE kathaya kOyam udAra bhAva: "

 

And if we read this sloka with a related one from the Stotra Ratnam, it would

tell us that this " anjali " can be performed by anyone, without reference to

caste, creed or other factors-it is not even necessary for the palms to come

together in a perfect posture, the anjali could be by anyone, anyhow- " yathA

tathA vApi sakrit kritOnjali: " . Despite any shortcomings in this respect, it is

extremely effective and attracts Piratti's glorious glances.

 

What we have seen so far are but negligible samples of the magnificence

attributed to Piratti's glances( " LakshmI KatAksham " ), the glory of which cannot

be fully portrayed even if Swami Desikan were to reincarnate and sing a thousand

verses solely in their praise-a " VeekshA Sahasram " . Not being endowed with even

a billionth of the Acharya's wisdom or poetical expertise, we can but pray with

Sri Koorattazhwan that the Divine Consort bless us with Her merciful glances,

which are capable of converting paupers into Princes and Princes into Emeperors-

" YasyA: katAksha veekshAkshaNa laksham lakshitA mahEsA: syu:

SrI RangarAja MahishIm sA mAmapi veekshatAm LakshmI: "

 

Srimate Sri LakshmINrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

Dasan, sadagopan