You are here: SriPedia - Oppiliappan - Archives - Feb 2005

Oppiliappan List Archive: Message 00017 Feb 2005

 
Feb 2005 Indexes ( Date | Thread | Author )
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]


Title: Kuresa& Sri Sthavam--Part 4.1
Dear Members of the Prapatti Group:

I will have two subpostings under  section 4 to cover
the comments on Sristhavam. Section 4.1 will cover the
verses 1 to 5 ; section 4.2 will cover verses 6 to 11and
conclude with the reference to Swami Desikan"s Sri
Sthuti and how it was influenced by the Sri Sthavam of
Kuresa.

Verse 1 of SrI Sthavam :
************************* 
 
adiyEn will use the Anvaya Kramam (the prose order of this  verse)
to help appreciate the flow of Kuresa"s thought:

"ASESHA JAGADHAAM SARGA UPSARGA STITHI : SWARGAM DURGATHIM
AAPAVARKINA: PADAM SARVAM CHA KURVAN HARI: YASYAA: MUKAM
VEEKSHYA TADH  INGHITA PARAADHINA: AKILAM VIDATTEH: ANYATA
ASYA DAYAA EIKARASYAAT IYAM KRRETA ASYA RASATHAA NA SYAATH
KALU (SAA) SREE SVASTI DISADHAATAAT "
 
The First slOkam takes this form :
 
SvasthiSrIrdhisathAdh asEsha-jagathAm SargOpsarga-sTithee :
Svargam dhurgthimApavargikapadham sarvam cha kurvan Hari:
YasyA veekshya mukham tadhingithaparAdheenO vidhatthE akhilam
kreeDEyam khalu nAnyaTAasya rasadhA syAdhaikarasyAth Tayaa
 
The consort of Sri Devi (Ranganatha) engages in His acts of creation, protection
and destruction; He blesses Kaivalyaarthins and Mokshaarthins(Prapannas)
with the boons of Svargam and Moksham respectively.He punishes those ,
who deviate  from Saastras and sends them to Naraka. During the performance of
these tasks , He is  motivated and guided by the hints from the facial expressions of
Sri Devi, His consort . If He did not synchronize His activities with the expressions
originating from His Devi"s eye brows and face,His many duties and activities
will not yield Him happiness. He will not feel fulfilled by the performance of
these duties.

May that consort of Sri Ranganatha , who is united with Him at all times,
places and states (Eikarasyam) confer auspiciousness 0n me to undertake
this onerous task. The Eikarasyam concept is an important  theme of Azhwaars.
This is why Ramanuja chose the Panguni Uttaram day to offer his Saranagati to
the Divine couple, when he saw them physically seated together (Ekapeetam ) on
that day at Srirangam temple. Swami Desikan has dwelled  on this concept in his
works; has gone further to underline the  related concept of EKASESHITVAM
as one of the central principles of Sri Vaishnavam as taught by his
Poorvaacharyas. He salutes that extraordinary state of INTERDEPENDENCE of
the divine couple in one of his slokas of Sri Sthuti as follows:

" Vishnu: Tvam cha iti Dwandhvam Anyonya Lakshyam ". O, Sri devi, You and your
husband are bound forever by your love for each other. You are never far away
from each other even for a moment; both of You with Your limitless, illustrious
qualities are a PAIR that can be understood COMPLETELY  ONLY through each
other. That is why You are introduced as Vishnu Patni and he is known as
Sriya: Pathi. That is your extraordinary state of Interdependence .

Verse 2 of SrI Sthavam :
*************************
hE SrIrdEvi ! SamasthalOkajananeem ThvAm stOthumeehAmahE
yukthAm bhAvaya Bharatheem praguNaya prEmapradhAnam dhiyam
bhakthim bhandhaya nandayAsrithamimam dhAsam janam Thaavakam
lakshyam Lakshmi ! kaDAkshaveechisruthEs tE syAma chAmee vayam
 
Oh  Maha Lakshmi! You are the mother of the entire universe and
its inhabitants. I wish to offer my praise to You. Please grant me the gift of
Vak (Speech ) appropriate for this task! please grow my intellect and devotion
to carry out this undertaking ! May my Bhakti become Parama Bhakti
through Your blessing! Please accept my Kainkaryam  as that coming from one ,
who has surrendered at Your Lotus feet. Please make me Joyous through the
acceptance of my Vaachika Kainkaryam ! May we the Prapannas become the object
of the waves of Your most merciful and compassionate glances! This is the verse
for which Sri P.B.Anna offered the imaginary dialog referred to above.
 
KurEsar addresses Mahaa Lakshmi as "Samastha Loka Janani " and prays :
" amee vayam cha tE katAksha veechi visruthE : lakshyam syAma ". Prayer 
here is for the people of the land ( amee) and  for those , who belong to
the Thondar Kulam  (vayam) . AzhwAr prays for the waves of SrI DEvi's
glances to fall on all . 

Verse 3 of SrI Sthavam :
**********************************
sthOthram nAma kimAmananthi kavayO yadhyanyadheeyAn guNAn
anyatra thvasathOadhirOPya phaNithi: , saa tarhi vandhyA Thvayee
samyak sathyaguNAbhivarNanamaTO BhrUyu: , kaTam thAdhrusee
vaag VachaspathinAapi sakhyarachanA ThvathsadhguNAarNO nidhou
 
 
In the previous verse, Kuresa said : "Tvaam Sthothum Yeehaamahe". He
expressed his desire to praise Her . Now he elaborates on the difference
between his Stotra Sabdhaarthams and that of others. He says that the common
poets praise either gunaas that are not there in the subject being praised or
drably describe the limited qualities of their subject . For instance, a poet
may praise a bald man as the one , who has flowing locks of hair and thus
describe some thing that is not there in reality. Some other common poets
describe the qualities correctly , but find that there is a limited quantity of
particulars to describe about their subject. There is not much to praise.
Kuresa reveals that he is not hampered  by either of these two difficulties,
when he attempts to praise Maha Lakshmi and Her Kalyana Gunaas.
There is no problem of exaggeration in Her case, since She has all
the Auspicious qualities to  a state of perfection . Her Kalyana Gunaas
are also  so abundant that there is no shortage on the subject matter
to praise. Her Kalyana Gunaas are limitless and there is no
possibility of exhausting them or exaggerating them . Even
Hayagreevan , the Lord of speech can succeed in describing
adequately Your vast sea of auspicious guNams .

Verse 4 of Sri Sthavam :
************************
yE vaachAm manasAm cha dhurgrahatayA khyAthA guNasthAvakA :
thAnEva prathi sAmBhujihvamudhithA hai mAmikA bhArathee
hAsyam tath thu na manmahE na hi chakOryEkAakhilAm chnadrikAm
naalam pAthumithi pragruhya rasanAmaaseetha sathyAm thrushi
 
Oh Maha Lakshmi! It is impossible to praise adequately
Your Kalyana Gunaas with tongue or mind and do justice to them.
It therefore becomes a laughable matter, when one atttempts to go
about this impossible task. My effort is likethat of the Chakora bird that
does not hold back its  tongue back and engages itself in drinking
gluttonously  ALL  of the cool rays of the moon as its food , while being fully
aware of its limited power to complete that imposible task. Similarly, I am
not holding back in my effort to praise all of  Your Kalyana Gunaas
adequately.
 
Verse 5 of SrI Sthavam :
***************************
kshOdheeyAnapi dhushta Buddhirapi nissnEhOapyaneehOapi tE
keerthim Devi lihannaham na cha BhibhEmyaj~nO na jihrEmi cha
dhuyEth saa thu na thAvathA na hi sunA leeDApi BhageeraTee
dhushyEcchvapi na lajjathE na cha BhibhEthyArthisthu sAmyEcchuna:
 
Oh Maha Lakshmi! I am not ashamed to engage in my praise of You
inspite of my inadequacies and disqualifications. I know that I have neither
exemplary conduct or a sharp intellect informed by Sastra Jnanam. Inspite
of these limitations, my praise of You will not become impure. The situation is
similar to the lowly dog licking the most sacred waters of Ganga to quench its
thirst. The River Ganga is not polluted by the dog"s act and the dog gets its
thirst quenched. Here Kuresa equates the sanctity of Maha Lakshmi to the
holiness of Ganga and himself to the undeserving dog.

From hereon , the stotram begins in earnest.

DaasOham , Oppiliappan KOil Varadachari Sadagopan           


Yahoo! Groups Sponsor
ADVERTISEMENT
Children International
Would you give Hope to a Child in need?
 
· Click Here to meet a Girl
And Give Her Hope
· Click Here to meet a Boy
And Change His Life
Learn More


Yahoo! Groups Links


[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index ] [Thread Index ] [Author Index ]
Home Page
http://www.ibiblio.org/sripedia
oppiliappan-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
To subscribe to the list