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Kuresa Vaibhavam & Sri Sthavam -Part 3

From the Bhakti List Archives

V. Sadagopan • February 13, 1996 


Dear Members of the Bhakthi Group:

The Commentary on Sri Sthavam will begin now. I will draw my 
inspirations for the Commentary from the Tattva Chintamnai Vyakyaanam of 
Sri P.B. Annangacharacchar Swamy published in 1947.

There are 11 slokams in Sri Sthavam of Kuresa. The first five 
are called Sthotropodhgaatam or  introductory verses that 
express the author's disqualifications to engage in praising the most 
auspicious Sri Devi. Here Kuresa states that he is acutely aware of his 
limitations as a poet to undertake such an impossible task. From verse 6, 
the actual stotram begins (Stotraarambham). The ninth and the tenth verses 
are in the form of his Prapatti at Her Lotus feet. The eleventh and the final
verse
of this  Sthavam is a prayer to Her to cast Her benovolent glances on him and 
protect him and us as the prapannas seeking refuge in Her.

The Sthavam begins with a prayer to Her(Svasthi Sreer Disadhaat) and Kuresa
prays for  her blessings of Vaak Samrutti and Bhakti Samrutti (Abundance of 
poetic skills and wealth of Bhakthi ) during the composition of the sthavam 
on Her. P.B.Annangraacchaar swamy has constructed the following imaginary 
dialog between Maha Lakshmi and the supplicant, Kuresa :

Kuresa: Svasthi Sreer Disadhaat(Sri Devi ! May thou bless me)

Sri devi: My Child! You asked me to bless you with auspiciousness.
What would you like? Abundant fame or wealth or progeny or all the three?

Kuresa: O, Mother Divine! I do not want the perishable wealth or progeny
or Fame. I am standing before you to praise your auspicious qualities to my
heart's content.

Sri Devi: Kuresa! You are a great poet. You can go ahead anyway. What
kind of Svasthi needs to be conferred as a boon by me beyond that?

Kuresa: O, My Compassionate Mother! You should not take this attitude.
You should bless me with adequate Saraswati Samrutti to undertake this task,
which is currently beyond my ability ,given the nature of the loftiness of the
subject
matter of my sthavam.

Sri Devi: Kuresa! You already have been blessed with that gift. Please ask me
for something else your heart desires. 

Kuresa: Mother! It is true that my tongue utters some words skillfully.
I do not however have the mellowness and Bhakti to inform my intellect to 
engage in this holy task. Pleas egive me that type of Jnanam. 

Sri Devi: Kuresa, My dear child! When you wished to offer eulogy to me,
you obtained then and there such a Jnanam. If you did not have that 
Vaatsalyam and a heart steeped in devotion, you would not progress 
in your efforts. Therefore, Please ask me for some other boons that interests
you.

Kuresa: O, Supreme Mother ! Your blessings have indeed given me a small 
measure of Bhakti for You . Please bless me further that it grows into 
Para Bhakti, Para Jnanam and Parama Bhakti as experienced by the 
Mudhal Aazhwaars at Thirukkovalur. 

Sri Devi: Kuratthaazhwaan! You do not need to worry over this. Those three 
that you desire will grow gradually (KrameNa) as in the case of the three
Azhwaars.
 Why do you wish to ask for some thing that is going to grow anyway?

Kuresa: O,Most Merciful Mother! I can not bear to wait for a long time to
experience my Bhakti grow through its different stages to become Parama
Bhakti . I do not have the stregth to go through that waiting period.
Please bless me as I stand before You and make me Your servant (Kinkaran) 
and receive in return my most humble services. May Your merciful glances 
fall on me and uplift me! That is ALL I wish to ask as the supreme boon from You
!

Sri Devi: Azhwaan! You are so Blessed! I have granted you that boon.

Thus begins the Sri Sthavam.

V.Sadagopan