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Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam --> Part XXVI:SlOkam 17

From the Bhakti List Archives

Sadagopan • March 12, 2001 


Dear BhakthAs:

adiyEn will cover the 17th slOkam in this posting.
This slOkam continues to salute the auspicious power of 
the glances of Sri RanganAyaki(MahA Lakshmi):

rathirmathi SarasvathI Dhruthi Samruddhi Siddhi Sriya:
  SudhAsakhi ! yathOmukham chichalishEthva bhrUlathA 
tathOmukham aTa IndhirE ! bhaumukhImahampoorvikAm
  vighAhya cha vasamvadhA: parivahanthi kUlankashA:

(Meaning/Dr.V.N.V ):Oh MahA Lakshmi! You appeared on 
the world-scene once along with nectar! In whose favour 
Your brow-bending and brow-movement are directed , 
in his favour , all auspiciousness ,(i-e)., affection , 
intellectual perception , the Muses of oral delivery 
of thought ,fortitude , prosperity ,success in efforts , 
wealth -- will flow in competing with each other . All 
these will flood to him, breaching the banks too , 
in such a torrential flow.

Additional observations by adiyEn
***********************************
Professor K.S.NarayanAcchAr in his introduction has
commented that the first 8 verses of Sri GuNa Rathna 
kOsam (SGRK) houses the prayer of Sri ParAsara Bhattar 
to Sri RanganAyaki to be at the center of his inspiration 
to compose this sthOthram about Her multi-faceted 
auspiciousness and glories (thvamEva Bahumukhasya 
VaaNI vilasitham--slOkam 8). 

>From verses 9 to 18 , Bhattar focuses on the celebration of
Her glories on the basis of Sruthi and Smruthi pramANams
and identifies Her to be at the epi-center of all that is
auspicous ( MangaLam MangalAnAm as Swamy Desikan is
going to point out later following Bhattar's foot steps).

Paraphrasing Sri VishNu PurANam , one can ask:
" nisrIkANAm kutha:SarasvathI Dhruthi Samruddhi 
Siddhi Sriya:?" .Sri VishNu PurANam passage asks: 
" NisrIkANAm kutha: Sathvam?". We can extend this 
line of thought and query: " How can any other deity 
have MahA LakshmI's auspicousness , existence , stability , 
endurance , wealth , nobility ,intellectual power 
(mEdhA) ?".

Her limitless glories are celebrated through 
Her many Vedic Names such as " MEdhA , SvAhA , AmbhrANi, 
IndirA and KalyANi,UdhArA ,dEva-JushtA ".
As Sri VeerarAghavAchAryA points out the Vedam in 
SrI Sooktham , SraddhA Sooktham , mEdhA Sooktham , 
Utthara NaarAyanam , KoushIthakI BrAhmaNam et al 
celebrate Her matchless Sakthi  . The PurANams
follow the lead of the Vedams : " SakthInAm chaiva
SarvasAm yOnibhUthA ParA KalA".Her limitess Mahimai
is thus celebrated. 

The 18th slOkam of SGRK of today is focusing on Her 
being the Sakthi behind all auspicuousness ,wealth and 
every noble achievement . The 18th slOkam is the elaboration
of the key passage in Sri Sooktham: " YasasA JvalanthIm "
( One who shines with the fame as the fulfiller of all
wishes of those , who seek refuge in Her : "SarvAbhIshta-
prApaNa KeerthyA jvalanthim ") .

Sri RanganAyaki is addressed in this slOkam as 
"Rathi and Sudha-Sakhi and IndirA ". Her MaadhuryAth-
Madhurathamathvam and JagajjIvana hEthuthvam are indicated 
by these choice names according to the commentators. 
Her nature as the Sweetest of the Sweet and life-
rejuvenating nectarine glory is referred to here. 
She was born along with nectar during the churning 
for Amrutham from the milky ocean. Hence , She is
addressed as "SudhA Sakhi". Her great affection for
those , who seek Her is hinted by Her Name "Rathi"
(preethi).

Whenever Her creeper like eye brows and the glances 
under them fall on a fortunate one , then JnAnam (mathi), 
Veda Vaak ( Sarsvathi ), Dhruthi (Fortitude, Courage ) ,
Samruddhi (Prosperity , Opulence) , Siddhi (Success.
accomplishment) , Sriya: (any virtue or excellence ,
the three human purushArthams : Dharma , Artha and
KamA ).

" YathOmukham (tava) BhrUlathA chichalishEthEva ,
tathOmukham BahumukhI aham poorvikAm parivahanthi"
is the statement of Sri ParAsara Bhattar in wonderment.
Whichever direction , the eye brow and the glances 
of Sri RanganAyaki falls even for a moment , in that 
direction flow all of the above auspiciousnes in a 
torrential fashion (like a flood breaking the river
banks )and  competing  with each other to bless 
the fortunate one. Those blessings flow in many ways
(Bahu mukham or Bahu prakAram). They fall over each
other to arrive first (ahamahamikA , aham pooravm ithi).
Those swift streams of auspiciousness flow and drench
not only the person fortunate enough to be the object
of those glances , but they extend to "puthra , pouthra,
Sishya , Prasishya paryantham (parivAhayanthi)".They 
reach out to the progeny , the next generation , disciple
and the disciple's disciple .Such are their lasting power.

The power of the flood of boons is compared to 
the power of the swollen waters of a river tearing 
down the banks of that river ( koolankasha:). These 
boons are obedient to the will of (vasamvadhA:) 
MahA Lakshmi . They are submissive to Her will .
To sum it up, All the abundant auspiciouness and
wealth (Sarva sampadhAm) arise from the play of
the glances of MahA Lakshmi( LakshmI BhrUlathA
vilAsa prasAraabhimukha jangAlathaa).

SrimathE RanganAyaki jayathu
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan 


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