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Sri GuNa Rathna kOsam : Part --> SlOkam 14

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Sadagopan • December 3, 2000 


SrimathE RanganAyakyai Nama:

Dear BhakthAs:

After citing passages from Bhagavath GithA , Vedam
and Upanishads earlier as pramANams for the status of 
MahA Lakshmi as the Empress of the Universe ,
conferring the status of Isvarathvam to her Lord , 
Bhattar refers to UpabrumhaNams ( IthihAsa PurANams) 
as clinching evidence now for this view in slOkam 14:

uddhbAhusthvAm UpanishadasaavAha naikA niyanthrIm
  Srimath RaamAyanamapi param prANithi tvaccharithrE
smarthArOssmajjanani yathamE sEthihAsai: PurANai:
  Nithyur VedhA napi cha tatamE tvannmahimni PramANam

(Meaning by Dr.V.N.VedAntha Desikan ): It is not 
as though the Upanishads and Purusha Sooktam alone 
declare in this manner , Your supermacy , raising 
their arms high to proclaim with a great force. Sreemath
RaamAyanam too acknowledges to having been composed 
as a praise of SeethA's life; indeed , it sustains its
life-breath from You (MahA LakshmI).Smrithi authors too, 
had to derive declarations of Your greatness from 
the VedhAs , aided by IthihAsAs and PurANAs. 

Additional Comments by Dr.V.N.V:
********************************

It is not only the Upanishads and Purusha 
Sooktham that raise their hands and declare 
that You (Mahaa lakshmI is SarvEsvari. Indeed 
Srimath RaamAyanam , the most prominent among
IthihAsams sustains itself by eulogizing Your
Mahimai.Sage ValmIki attested to that with 
the statement :" SeethAyA: Charitham mahath"
( SeethA Devi's charithram is indeed great ).
At the surface,Sreemath RaamAyanam may appear 
as the story of RaamA.The deeper purport of 
Sreemath RaamAyanam is the eulogy of the glories 
of SeethA PirAtti.Why ? It is because even 
the Lord's mercy becomes fulfilled by 
the PurushakAram of SeethA pirAtti. 

Oh My Mother ! All the creators of Smrithis 
unanimously declare that VedAs have become 
PramANams with the help of the IthihAsams
and PurANams.Oh RanganAyaki ! VedAs are PramANams
for Your vaibhavam. The foundations for the vedhams 
as PramAnams are the UpabruhmaNams like IthihAsam
(Sreemeth RaamAyanam ) and Saathvika PurANams.

AdiyEn's observations :
***********************

(1) Raising one's hands in an assertive gesture to attest 
to the truth of the matter is an accepted fact. For instance,
DhvAdasa Naama Panjara sthOthra slOkam attests to
the greatness of Kesavan ( the Lord) with raised hands:

" sathyam Sathyam Puna: Sathyam UDDHDHRUTHYA BHUJAM UCHYATHE
  VedA: Saasthram param naasthi na dhaivam KesavAth Param"

Bhattar points out that the Upanishads and Purusha
Sooktham attest to MahA Lakshmi's greatness with 
their arms raised in this slOkam ( uddhbAhusthvAm 
Upanishada-saavAha naikA NiyanthrIm ).

(2) The important role played by IthihAsams
to elaborate on the terse statements of VedAs
to understand fully the meanings of Veda manthrAs
makes the IthihAsam as a great authority .
Bhattar points it out here and takes the IthihAsam
of Sreemath RaamAyaNam as an example in this
context to attest to the unquestioned glories 
of Sri RanganAyaki( MahA lakshmi).

The greatness of the IthihAsams is described in
MahA Bharatham itself: 

"yO vidhyAth chathurO VedhAn SaangOpanishadhAn dhvija:
 na chAkhyAnamidham VidhyAth naiva sa syAth vichakshana:

(meaning):A brahmin , who is not versed in IthihAsA,
but only in the four VedAs , VedAngAs and Upanishads
is NOT learned at all.

IthihAsams have been described as "Saasthra Saaram" .
MarkaNdEya PurANam pays tribute to IthihAsam 
(MahA Bharatham here) this way: " This world has
been sanctified and has been made free of impurities
by the floods of the holy words of VyAsA , descending
from the high mountain of the VedAs , and cutting at
the very roots the trees of false and perverted DharmAs."
What is being said of Sage VyAsA's IthihAsam is
equally applicable to Sage Vaalmiki's IthihAsam,
Sreemath RaamAyaNam , cited by ParAsara Bhattar
in this slOkam .

Srimath Azhagiya Singar ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam 
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan 
      

       


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