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Re: Thayar Sannidhis

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • Sat Feb 13 1999 - 20:19:27 PST 


In response to Sri SrinivAsan's query ,
Sri Anbil Swami gave an insightful answer . 

>Answer: 
>The Archa form of mother Goddess has three manifestations in the temples viz.,
>(i)   Layaarcha : her form seated on the chest of the Lord
>(ii)  Bhogarcha: Her form as seated or standing by the side of the Lord and
>(iii) Adhikararcha : her manifestations in separate temples without the form
>of the Lord
>
>While there is no doubt of worshipping her in the first two forms,  in the
>third form she is believed to confer boons other than Moksha. 
>
Dear BhakthAs :
Sri Anbil Swami summarized brilliantly the importance of 
our ThaayAr in AdhikArArchA . Her OWN glories/power and their 
effects on the Lord have been summarized by AlavandhAr , Acharya
RaamAnujA ( gadhyams ), KurEsan (Sri Sthavam ), Parasara Bhattar 
( Sri GuNa Rathna kOsam ), Vedantha Desikan ( Sri Sthuthi)
based on the PramANams of  VishNu PurANam , Lakshmi Tanthram et al.
I will elaborate further on AdhikArArdhA .

PaancharAthra Samhithais have recommended the justification 
of the creation of a separate sannidhi for MahA Lakshmi .
It is not that such recommendations counter the established 
prinicple of the Lord as Sriya: pathi is our Rakshakan and that
He blesses us WHILE ACCOMPANIED WITH His Consort .

Our ThAyAr is KaruNAmayi . Her glories are subtle and 
yet far reaching . AlavandhAr has pointed the unique role 
of Mahaa Lakshmi in his third slOkam of Chathu: SlOki
this way : Without the augraham of PirAtti , the most
sought-after anhubhvam in samsAram - jeevAthama anubhabham 
or the enjoyment of the Lord ( Bhagavath anubhavam )-
none of them can be realized .None of them will come to
fruition . 

That is why , we prostrate as the offending samsAris 
FIRST before Her at Her Sannidhi as at Srirangam , prior to
proceeding to Her Lord's sannidhi . Lord is angry at
our limitless trespasses and hence she meets us first , inquires 
about our yOga KshEmam , takes pity on us out of Her 
Vaathsalyam as the Supreme Mother and prepares us as it
were to have the audition with Her Lord and waits there 
again with Her Lord in LayArchai and BhOgArchai to intercede
for us .

Her power over Her Lord and Her role as the Chef-du-cabinet
of the Lord in assigning appropriate duties to all parijanams 
of the Lord ( Adhi sEsahn , VishvaksEnar  et al )to perform their 
kaimkaryams are two of Her important distinctions recognized by 
AchArya RaamAnujA in Sri Vaikunta Gadhyam :

sesaha -sEshaasanaadhika sarva parijanam Bhagavatha:
tattath avasthOchitha paricharyAm aajn~ApayanthyA  

It appears logical that such an AdhikAri with the visEsha 
sthAnam needs to be recognized by us and revered in
a special aasthAnam befitting Her role . 

Parasara Bhattar went one step further and celebrated his
Mother , Sri RanganAyaki in Sri GuNa Rathna kOsam this way :

Oh RanganAthA , We state that Your dear consort is even more 
superior to You ! ( -BhagaavthIm Sriyam TvatthOapyucchairvayamiha 
phaNAma: sruNutarAm )." TvatthOpi ucchai: vayam iha phaNAma:
sruNuthAm " is the anvaya Karamam .He can say that because  
he(Bhattar )was raised by the Seshi Dampathis as a child 
in their garbha graham . 

Parasara Bhattar's father has also hinted at the supermacy
and uniqueness of Sri RanganAyaki in the context of a
Tanip PerunkOil for Her this way :

yasyA veekshya mukham tadhingitha-parAdhInO vidhatthE akhilam
krIDEyam kalu naanyathAasya rasadhA syAdhaikarasyAtthayA 

( Sri Ranganaathan performs His duties such as lOka RakshaNam,
samhAram , Creation , blessing one with savrgam and Mokasham
et al through the cues given by the facial gestures of His 
Consort and bases His sankalpam on the sankalpam of 
Sri RanganAyaki. He does not enjoy performing the above duties 
without taking into heed His consort's Ingithams ( cues )
associated with Her sankalpam ).

In the world of LoukIkam , we know as children , we approach 
our mother first on occasions when we are scared to experience
the fury of our father . I recall the time , when I got a lower
grade at School or any thing that would drive my father up the tree
in anger , I had to seek my mother's protection form the fury of
my father . In  asimilar context , we need a seaprate ThAyAr Sannidhi
to converse with Her and seek Her intercession to help us
escape the fury of the Lord at us as MahAparAdhis .

Daasan , Sadagopan