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Re: Sri Guna Rathna Kosam : Part 57: slOkam 48

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Sadagopan • November 11, 2001 


Dear BhakthAs of Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr:

In the 48th slOkam , Swamy ParAsara Bhattar
pays tribute to our ThAyAr MahA Lakshmi  in
the context of Her Lord's many avathArams :

yadhi manujathirascchAm leelayA thulyavrutthE:
  anujanuroopA Devi! naavatharishya:
asarasamabhivishyan narma NaaTasya Maatha:
  dhara-dhaladharavindhOdantha kaanthAyathAkshi 

MEANING ACCORDING TO Dr.V.N.VEDANTHA DESIKAN
*********************************************

Oh Mother MahA Lakshmi, whose eye-charm is
the only phenomenon that would be recalled by 
anyone perceiving , lotus in the nearest blooming
stage! The Lord takes many births --not like all
else by reason of Karma, His births are avathArAs
adopted by Himself out of His own will , to suit 
a need . He wished to weave a certain sweet sport
that would please all .Whenever He takes a birth
like this as an avathArA , it is a descent into 
the world from His Supreme Abode , You too take 
a suitable matching avatArA . If only You had not 
done so , the whole sport of the Lord schemed 
to be enacted in the world would have been dull 
and dreary , devoid of a flavour or taste for all--
You, Your consort-- and all discerning devotees too!
You add a flavor to His sportive exploits.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:
********************
The beauty of Sri RanganAyaki's eyes are compared 
to the beauty of about-to-blossom lotus flower.
This stage of lotus is described as " Ishadh-vikasitha
PuNDarIkam ". The lustre of the broad eyes (VisAlAshi)
of our Mother is compared to the special lustre of 
the lotus at that stage of blossoming .

What our Mother SriranganAyaki does during the avathArams
of Her Lord is next described. She never leves Her Lord's 
side ever ( ahalahillEn iRayum yenRu AlarmEl Mangai 
uRai MaarbhA ).She accompanies Him in a suitable form
in all His avathArams to gladden His heart through Her 
Nithya sambhandham. That Mithunam (Couple ) is our
Object of surrender .

She is "anapAyinI " according to VishNu PurANa Vachanam:
" NithyaivaishA JaganmAthA VishNO: SrI: anapAyini". 
The combination of the two words , "NithyA and anapAyinI " 
point out that are never ever separated from each other .
The Lord Himself reminds us of this tatthvam : " Mama
SarvAthmabhUthasya NithyaivashA anapAyinI" .Therefore
MandOdhari saluted MahA Lakshmi (Sithaa PirAtti ) as
"Nithya SrI".PerumAL and PirAtti are "Nithya Yukthars"
( always United). They are together in the states of Param ,
VyUham , Vibhavam, Archai and AntharyAmi . 

In this slOkam , ParAsara Bhattar dwells on
the avathAra rahsyam of the Lord  elaborated 
by BhagavAn in His GithOpanishad and goes on 
further to reveal the avathAra Rahasyam of PirAtti.
She takes the appropriate forms in each of His
avathArams ( SeethA during RaamAvathAram , 
RukmiNi during KrishNAvathAram ). Her avathArams
like Her Lord's are not under the control of karma
as in the case of DevAs, Humans, animals and plants.
These avathArams are because of their own Sankalpam.

Sri U.Ve. NavalpAkkam RaamAnuja TaatAchAr Swamy
quotes the PerumAL sambhAvanai manthram from 
TaitthIrIya BrahmaNa Manthram . Portion of 
the Manthram is : SamujjAnayE VishNavE dhadhAsathi--
bruhatthE VishNO Sumathim BhajAmAhE ". The key word
has been identified by the NavalpAkkam Swamy as
" SamujjAnayE " . He quotes the Saayana BhAshyam
for this important word : " sushtu maadhyanthI 
HrushyanthI LAKSHMYAAKHYAA  jaayA yasyAsou
SAMUJJAANI: Tasmai ". For the greatest of the Lord,
She is the inseparable companion in all states and
She gladdens His heart through Her eternal presence
as anapAyinI.

Sri VishNu PurANam celebrates this inseperable 
presence of MahA Lakshmi with her Lord in avathArams 
as well: 

RaaghavathvEabhavath SethA RukmiNI KrishNajanmani
anyEshuchAvathArEshu VishNO: SriranapAyinI 

In RaamAvathAram , She took the avathAram of
SeethA Devi; in KrishNAvathAram , She incarnated
as RukmiNI. In all avathArAs of Her Lord , She
takes an anuroopam and the Lord is never without 
Her presence . Swamy Desikan salutes this union 
as " NithyAnapAya Dhvandhvathvam ". 

VaikAnasa Aagama expert , Dr. S. Mutthu Bhattar
quotes in the recent special issue of HayagrIva 
PriyA Journal on Sri Tatthvam a passage relating
to Sri Devi's avathAra rahasyam :

BhrugO: khyAthyAm Samuthpanna 
Sripooravamudhathou puna: 
Deva Dhanava yathnEna 
prasoothAmrutha amndhanE
YATH YATHA JAGATH SWAMI 
DEVADEVO JANAARDHANA:
AVATHAARAM KAROTHYASHAA
TATHAA SRISTATHSAHAAYINI 
--Sri VaikAnasa ArchanA NavanItham: 5.28& 29

(meaning): She was born as a result of
Bhrugu Maharishi first and took on the name of
BhArgavI. When the DEvAs and AsurAs churned 
the milky ocean for nectar , She was born again 
as Sri Devi . Whenver the Lord of the Universe
takes on an avathAram , Sri Devi also takes
an appropriate avathAram to be near Him as 
Saha DharmachAriNI .

Dr. Mutthu Bhattar quotes another slOkam 
in this context:

dEvathvE dEvathEhEyam manushyathvE cha MaanushI
punasccha Padma sambhUthA AaddhithYabhUth YathA Hari:

(meaning): If PerumAl incarnates as a Devan , MahA Lakshmi,
His consort will incarnate as Deva SthrI. If PerumAL
incarnates as a human , She will take an anuroopam
as a human lady. PerumAL -PirAtti sambhandham is 
thus inseparable and well matched .  

After completing the series on Sri GuNa Rathna kOsam ,
adiyEn hopes that Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr will bless me 
to summarize the highlights of the Sri HayagrIva PriyA 
Special issue on the Vaibhavam of Sri DEvi . We have
61 slOkams in GuNa Rathna Kosam .We have covered 48 sofar.
After this coverage ,hopefully adiyEn would have the Bhaagyam 
of highlighting the most informative commentaries of 
great VidhvAns on Sri Tatthvam in the Special issue of
Sri HayagrIva PriyA .

Sri RanganAyaki ThAyAr ThiruvadigaLE SaraNam ,
Daasan, Oppilaippan Koil VaradAchAri SatakOpan  



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