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Sri Stuthi-2

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muralidhar rangaswamy • January 17, 1998 


Dear Friends,

In this post, I shall summarize the salient features of Shlokams 1 and 
2 of Swami Desikan's Sri Stuthi. 

1. In the first verse, Swami Desikan refers to the Mahima of Mahalakshmi 
Thayar and surrenders to her Lotus feet. Several luminaries like Sage 
Parashara, YAmunAcharya, Ramanujacharya, 
and Kuresha have composed extremely moving verses in praise of 
Periya Piratti and have succinctly brought out the importance of 
Lakshmi Kataksham or the benefit of receiving the benevolent glance 
of Sri Mahalakshmi Thayar. The Chatushloki by YAmunAcharya contains 
four glorious verses which highlight the role of Sri Mahalakshmi 
in while granting SharaNagati. Alavandaar extols the benevolent 
glances of Periya Piratti, describes her merciful nature and pays 
tribute to her beautiful form. Almost as a continuation of this 
tribute, Sri Ramanujacharya sought and successfully received the 
grace of Periya Piratti Thayar as he commenced his Prapatti through 
the Gadya Trayam. The opening salutation of the SharaNagati Gadyam 
is a splendid description of the SvarUpa, Rupa, GuNa, Vibhava, 
Aishwarya, limitless KalyaNa GuNams, Thayar's residence in a Lotus 
Garden. It also describes Thayar as the UpAyam (means) for obtaining 
the Lord's grace and acknowldeges her as the Mother of the Universe
(Akhila Jagan MAtaram) and therefore, his mother (Asman MAtaram). 
Finally, Ramanujacharya surrenders to the Lotus feet of Thayar.
 
The Desika Mangalam contains a salutation "Sri BhashyakAra PanthAnam 
AtmanA Darshitam Punaha", which means that Swami Desikan incarnated 
to reveal again the path established by Sri Ramanuja. This salutation 
in conjunction with the opening verse of Sri Ramanujacharya's 
SharaNagati Gadyam helps us to understand how Swami Desikan explicitly 
reveals in twenty five glorious verses, the succinct message of Sri 
Bhasyakarar's tribute to Periya Piratti.

2. AvirbhAva: KalashajaladhAvadhvarE VApi YasyA:
   SthAnam YasyA: Sarasijavanam VishNuvakshasthalam VA I
   BhumA YasyA Bhuvanamakhilam Devi DivyamPadam VA
   StokaprajnaIranavadhiguNA StuyasE SA Katham Tvam II

Your AvirbhAva took place in the ocean or in the Yajna. 
Your residence is in the heart (Vakshasthalam) of Lord VishnU or 
in the Lotus garden. Your Vaibhavam is foremost in all the worlds 
and extends upto Sri Vaikuntam. Oh Godess endowed with limitless 
auspicious attributes! How can we uninitiated ones of insignificant 
intellect be the beneficiaries of uttering your name.

In this salutation, Swami Desikan establishes the subtle difference 
between Janma and AvirbhAva. Janma (birth) takes place upon GarbhavAsam. 
However, Mahalakshmi Thayar arose from the ocean without 
going through GarbhavAsam. This is significant since even Lord 
Narayana was born through the womb of Kausalya and Devaki in his 
Vibhava Avatarams as Rama and KrishNa. Therefore, Swami Desikan 
implies the Mahima of Thayar's birth is even greater than that of the 
Lord himself! Therefore, the parentage of Periya Piratti Thayar is 
described Kalasha Jaladhi. Other descriptions of her include 
Ksheerabdhi Kannike, Jaladhi Kannike and Ambudhi TanayE. Consequently, 
the ocean served as a container (Kalasha) for Thayar. It was in this 
container that the churning took place. As a result of the churning of 
this container, Mahalakshmi arose along with Amrutam. For this reason, 
she is also known as AmrutOdbhava.

To be continued,

Namo Narayana,

Muralidhar Rangaswamy
  

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