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Sri Stuthi-6

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muralidhar rangaswamy • Sat Jan 24 1998 - 20:27:36 PST 


Dear Friends,

In this post, I shall present a summary of verses 9 and 10 of the 
Sri Stuthi. These verses get into the realm of abstractness of a 
high degree and use excellent arguments from Shruti to establish 
the Paratvam of Lord Narayana on the basis of the eternal relationship 
between the Lord and his consort Sri. I am a neophyte when it comes to 
the multifaceted interpretations of Shruti. Therefore, I seek 
forgiveness from learned scholars in this forum for all lapses and 
deficiencies in the summary.

9. TvAmevAhuhu KatichidaparE Tvatpriyam Lokanatham
   Kim TaIranta: KalahamalinaI: KimchiduttIrya MagnaI: I
   TvatsamprItyaI Viharati HaroU SammkhInAm ShrutInAm
   BhAvArUDoU Bhagavati YuvAm DampatI Daivatam Na: II

Some consider you as the Paratatva on account of your status as 
the IshvarI of the entire universe. Others are of the opinion that your 
beloved husband, Lord Vishnu, alone is the Paratatvam.  
These are conflicting points-of-view. Based on their beliefs, the 
followers of the two schools of thought enter into arguments. Sometimes 
one group emerges victorious and sometimes the other. 
Your husband, Lord Vishnu, in his Leelas arising as a result of his 
love for you engages in the tasks of creation, preservation and 
destruction. Those Shrutis which declare this truth and glorify 
you and your Lord together form the basis for my reverence only for 
you both as Gods.  

In this verse, Swami Desikan alludes to two schools of thought on 
the role of Periya Piratti, Sri. One school glorifies her as 
the Paratatva, whereas the other considers her to be a mere JivAtma 
(i.e., Perumal alone is the Paratatvam). A third viewpoint is that 
although Perumal and Thayar are two distinct entities (different forms), 
in soul they are one. However, according to 
Swami Desikan, both the schools of thought are incorrect. He 
points out that the eternal oneness of Perumal and Thayar is responsible 
for the Paratatvam. Declarations like NaranArImayO Hari:, NarayaNAtmikA 
Devi point to the oneness of Lord Narayana and Sri. 
Therefore, there is no difference, distinction or separation between 
Lord Narayana and Sri. Thus, Swami Desikan concludes that all other 
schools of thought are in violation of the Shruti doctrine which 
establishes the Ekasheshitva of Lord Narayana and Sri. Just as 
Lord Narayana is prominent for Ishvaratva (Lordship of the Universe,
and all pervasiveness), so too is the prominence of Sri for  Ishvaritva. 
The Shrutis glorify Periya Piratti Thayar as IshvarIgam SarvabhUtAnAm, 
NiyantrI cha TathaishvarI, TvayA cha VishNunAchAmba JagatvyAptam 
CharAcharam. Since Perumal and Thayar embody Shuddha Satva SvarUpam, the 
Dosham of DvaIrAjyam (Two rulers for a kingdom) 
doe not apply.
   
10. ApatrArtiprashamanaviDhoU BaddhadIkshasya VishNO: 
    AchakyustvAm PriyasahacharImaIkamatyOpapannAm I
    PrAdurBhAvaIrapi Samatanu: PrADhvamanvIyasE Tvam
    DurOtkshiptaIriva MadhuratA DugdharAshEstarangaI: II

The Agamas glorify Periya Piratti Thayar as "Ekamat SahacharI'. This 
is due to the fact that Thayar is instrumental in pleading with 
Bhagavan on behalf of those who surrender to him and securing his grace. 
Therefore, She is responsible for destroying their sins and curing them 
of their afflictions (on account of association with SamsAra). The 
reference here is to the Lakshmi Tantram of the PAncharAtra Agama, which 
extols the role of Periya Piratti in granting 
SharaNagati to a Prapanna. It is my request to Sri Sadagopan to continue 
his series of summaries on the work of Sri Vatsya Varadacharya (Nadadur 
AmmaL) on the subject of Lakshmi Tantram. 
Whenever the Lord incarnates, the AvirbhAva of Sri also takes place.
The careful use of Avirbhava must be understood in the context of verse 
2 of this Stotram. Thayar always helps and support the Lord in his work 
of protection (of the righteous). Her support and help for the Lord when 
he is engaged in such tasks is extremely important. 
One may relate this tribute to the Bhagavad Gita verse "ParitrANAya 
SadhUnAm VinAshAyacha DushkritAm Dharma SamsthApanArthAya SambhavAmi 
YugE YugE". Waves rise and subside in the ocean. In an analogous manner, 
you are an inherent part of Lord Narayana. Just as Lord 
Narayana takes various Avatarams, so too does Periya Piratti Thayar. 
As a rule they are united with each other in each 
Avataram. The references here are to the Avatarams of Rama, 
Krishna and Srinivasa, where Sri too incarnated as Sita, Rukmini and 
Padmavati. The salutation also incudes Goda Piratti. The birth of 
Sita, Rukmini, Padmavati and Goda Piratti is the reason for Swami 
Desikan's use of Avirbhava. The Lord's unison with his divine consort 
in each Avataram is an important goal of the Avataram. It also enables 
the Lord to carry out his Avatara KAryam. Testimony in support of 
this fact can be seen from the Lord's assurances "Sarva PApEbhyO 
MokshEshyAmi" and "Etad Vratam Mama". The support of Periya Piratti 
Thayar to the Lord in carrying out his task arises from the word 
Patni. The term Patni is reserved exclusively in the context of 
Yajna. In the Yajna of protecting those who surrender to the Lord, 
Mahalakshmi plays the role of Vishnu Patni. The doctrines of "DevatvE 
Deva DehEyam ManushyatvE cha MAnushI" and "Yatra Yatra 
Narayana: Tatra Tatra Lakshmi" establish that each incarnation of the 
Lord is accompanied by a corresponding incarnation of Thayar and 
that they are united with each other in each incarnation. 

UllasaphallavitapAlita SaptalOki NirvAhakOrakitanEma KatAksha NIlAm 
Srirangaharmyatala Mangala Deepa RekhAm Sri RangarAja MahishIm 
SriyamAshrayAma:

Namo Narayana,

Muralidhar Rangaswamy     

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