Re: Sri GuNa Rathna Kosam : Part 40: SlOkam 29

From the Bhakti List Archives

• May 1, 2001


Dear BhakthAs of Sri RanganAyaki:

In the previous slOkam , Swamy ParAsara Bhattar 
explained why the VedAs are not eulogizing Sri RanganAyaki
(MahA Lakshmi) separately . He explained that Sri RanganAyaki
constitutes Her Lord's Qualities , which are inseperable 
from Him. That is why , when He is spoken about and when
His auspicious attributes are referred to , it is to be 
comprehended that She is as much the subject matter 
as He is.

In this 29th slOkam , Swamy ParAsara Bhattar goes one step
further and points out that Sri RanganAyaki's auspiciousness
is SvaabhAvikam (innate) and the auspiciousness of the Lord
is a derivate of Her auspciousness (i.e.), He acquires His
auspicousness through His links(sambhandham)to Her.

The Twenty Ninth SlOkam
************************
Tava sparsAdh-Isam sprusathi KamalE! MangaLa-padham
  tavEdham nOpAdhErupanipathitham SrIrasi yatha:
prasUnam pushyanthamapi parimalardhim jigadhishu :
  na chaivam-thvA dEvam svadhatha ithi kascchith kavayathE

Meaning :Dr.V.N. VedAntha Desikan
**********************************
Oh MahA Lakshmi! Auspiciousness informs the Lord 
only by reason of Your association . There is no meaning 
in a question as to how You acquire it. It is Your own
natural attribute. A flower acquires a reputation from its 
fragrance. No one can legitimately raise a question as
to how the fragrance itself acquires a reputation .
Fragrance is a necessary characterestric of the of the flower
and is inseperable from it. So also is your auspiciousness , 
an inseperable , meaning of Yourself . For You, 
This auspiciousness is innate;for Your Lord , 
it is acquired form You! 

Additional Thoughts from Dr.V.N.vedAntha Desikan(VNV)
*****************************************************
Oh MahA lakshmi! It is customary to use MangaLa Padham
while referring to Your Lord. For Instance , BhakthAs
salute Him : " MangaLam BhagavAN VishNu: MangaLam MadhusUdhana:I
MangaLam PuNDarIkAksha: MangaLam Garudadhvaja:II
PavithrANAm Pavithram yO MangaLAnAm cha mangaLam I

The above MangaLa padhams used  in referring to Your Lord
arise from Your Sambhandham. The above MangaLa Padhams
really belong to You.They fit You perfectly. In Your case,
those mangala Padhams do not arise from any other connection.
They are Svatham ( innate) and are NirupAdhikam (without
any other dependence).This is SvabhAvikam ( natural)
and not OupAdhikam (artificial or unnatural).

A case in point is Mallikai flower.We praise it for its
fragrance.We do not get into exploring reasons why it is 
fragrant.The fragrance of Mallikai or CheNpakam 
is an innate attribute of these flowers. Similarly , 
Your MangaLathvam is NirupAdhikam . You are MangaLa-
Svaroopi. It is because of You and Your Mangalathvam 
(innate auspicousness) that Your Lord qualifies for 
MangaLa padha Vaachyathvam ( Object of salutations
with auspicous Naamams ). 

Dr.VNV refers in passing to the 7th slOkam of
Sri Sthavam of Swamy KooratthAzhwAn and passages in
Swamy Desikan's Srimath Rahasya Thraya Saaram 
(DhvayAdhikAram) to illustrate Her NirupAdhika mangalathvam
( innate Auspiciousness). adiyen will elaborate on those
two references below .

Additional Observations/Comments 
*********************************
Swamy Bhattar points out that it is but natural
that the Lord is addressed by MangaLa Naamams 
because of His Sambhandham to His divine consort
possessing such innate kalyANa GuNams.He says that
the flower with captivating fragrance is not questioned
by the poets as to where its fragrance came from . How
can the poet succeed in finding an answer to such queries?
It is futile to find an answer to such a question.

Swamy Bhattar says: " Tava sparsAth (thvath SambhandhAth)
SwAminam MangaLa Sabdha: sprusathi" ( it is because of
Your links that the MangaLa Padhams cling to Your Lord.
" Bhagavath MangaLathvE Sri DEvi SambhandO NiyAmaka:" 
The auspicious attributes of the BhagavAn is intricately
linked to Her innate auspicousness.

KurEsar describes it in his 7th slOkam of Sri Sthavam:
                            **************************

Isvaryam yath asEsha Pumsi yadhidham Soundarya-lAvaNyO:
 Roopam yaccha hi MangaLm kimapi yallOkE sadhithyuchatE
tath sarvam tvadhadhInamEva yadhatha: SrIrithyabhEdhEna vaa
 yadhvaa Srimath-ithIdhrusEna vachasA Devi! praTAmasnuthE

(Meaning): Oh MahA Lakshmi! All what one witnesses in
the people of the world as wealth , beauty, shapely form,
auspiciousness, these are all under Your control. They subside
in You and touch them . As a result , They exhibit the different 
types of attributes that people take note of .These auspicousness
do not have any home except in You and therefore get elevated 
to acquire Srimath Sabdham. VishNu PurANa SlOkam (1-9-29)
passage, " Yatha: Satthvam TathO Lakshmi:" refers to
Her pervasive presence , wherever there is some thing
noble or auspicious.

DhvayAdhikaraNam praising Her NirupAdhika Mangalathvam
********************************************************
Swamy Desikan's salutations to MahA Lakshmi's NirupAdhika
MangaLathvam are abundant in DhvayAdhikaaram . We will 
refer to a very revealing quotation there from 
the Sri Sookthi of AruLALa PerumAL EmperumAnAr :

aakAriNasthu vij~nAnam aakAra-jn~Ana-poorvakam
tEnAkAram Sriyam Jn~AthvA Jn~athavayO BhagavAn Hari:

(meaning): Only after understanding the unique attributes 
(visEshanam)of an object (Vasthu) , we can comprehend 
the object clearly.PirAtti is the PradhAna ViseshaNam of 
PerumAL. Hence , one should understand first the innate guNams
of PirAtti before comprehending the(derivative) attributes of
PerumAL in His sthAnam as Sriman NarAyaNan.

Similar is the counsel of Vedams and other PoorvAchAryAs!

SrimathE RanganAyaki SamEtha Sri RanganAtha ParabrahmaNE naam:
Daasan , Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan  

  

 

  



  

   


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