SrI:
PaarTiva Samvathsaram , Simha
Maasam ,
Sukla Paksha SravaNa dhvAdasi dinam
Dear BhakthAs of Sri Lakshmi
Narasimhan :
In the previous posting
, adiyEn cited the famous Upanishadic Passage of
" SraddhayA dhEyam "
( You should offer with MahA VisvAsam/ utter
faith).
To understand the SraddhA
Tatthvam and its abhimAna dEvathai , we have to
refer to Swamy Desikan's
commentary on AlavanthAr's Chathu: slOki and
Saayana BhAshyam on SraddhA
Sooktham . I am thankful to Smt. Subha
VenkatEsan for sending me an
out of print manuscript on the commentary on
SraddhA Sooktham released in
1950 .
Our AchAryAs have come to the
unified conclusion that SraddhA is none other
than MahA Lakshmi . They
provide as PramANams MahA Laskshmi's own words
in MahA BhAratham : " Aham
SraddhA cha MedhA cha ". I am indeed the One known
as SraddhA dEvi and MedhA
Devi says MahA Lakshmi here . In the VishNu PurAnam ,
Indhran salutes MahA
Lakshmi as " Sraddha MedhA Saraswathy ".
MahA Lakshmi is
recognized as the abhimAna dEvathai for SraddhA ,
the mind set (Chittha
Vrutthi) with utter faith (SraddhA ) in understanding
the
meanings and
directions of Bhagavath Saasthrams :
"
SaasthrArTE visvAsAthisayaroopA chitthAvrutthi:
SraddhA
tadhabhimAnini dEvathApi tannAmikaiva " is the Saayana
BhAshyam
on sections of SraddhA Sooktham
.
There
are two SraddhA Sookthams in Yajur Vedam . Let us study
them
and
invoke the power of MahA Lakshmi for raining the Kanaka
tArai
to
realize samruddhi during the forthcoming 79th
Thirunakshathram
celebrations of
Srimath Prakrutham Azhagiya Singar
on December
10
at
Bangalore . May there be Veda Samruddhi (abundance) ! May there
be
dhana
dhAnya Samruddhi ! May there be Saanthi Samruddhi !
First SraddhA Sooktham :
Yajur Vedam Kaatakam, 3rd Prsanam , 9-12
*****************************************************************************************
SraddhayA dEvO
davathvamakshuthE
SraddhA prathishtA
lOkasya dEvee
saa nO
jushANOpougyamAgAth
kAmavathsAmrutham dhuhAnA
----Mantram 1
SraddhA dEvi praTamA
ruthasya
visvasya bharthree
jagatha: prathishtA
ThAmm SraddhAmhavishA
yajAmahE
saa nO lOkamamrutham
dhadhAthu
IsAnA dEvee
bhuvanasyAdhipathnee ----Mantram 2
In his SrI Sooktha BhAshyam , Nanjeeyar
, the VedAnthin , has blessed
us with the following
meanings:
The above two manthrams describe
the legendary essence of the Svaroopam ,
ThirumEni Soundharyam
and
Iswaryam of MahA
Lakshmi celebrated in all
the VedAs.
" SraddhayA dEvO
dhavathvamakshuthE " declares a portion of the first
matram (i-e):
The attribute of being
SarvEswaran (SarvEswarathvam ) for VaasudEvan
(SarvEswaran)
is under the control
(adheenam) of MahA Lakshmi . That SarvEswarathvam arises
,
when He is united with
Her . He becomes SrinivAsan, SrIdharan , Sreesan
as a result of this
union .
The remaining portion of
the first mantram states: MahA Lakshmi , who is engaged
in the leelais of
creating , protecting and destroying this universe made of sentient
and
insentient beings is the
basis of this universe and is known as SraddhA . She
establishes
this universe . May this
SraddhA-Lakshmi come close to us and be pleased with
our
AarAdhanams ! She is
the One , who blesses us with the desired boons just as
the compassionate mother
cow nourishes its calf with milk .
The
second mantram reveals the tatthvams of this SraddhA-Lakshmi :
(1) She is the One
worshipped through all karmAs (2) She is the grantor
of all desired phalans
(3) She presents Herself as and when one engages in
the performance of
auspicious karmAs (4)She nurtures the world (5) She
is
the foundation of this
world (6) When She is pleased with the loving worship
of Her children ,
She becomes pleased and blesses us with life-giving rains
and rules the world .
May we worship this
MahA Lakshmi of illustrious repute as SarvEswari
with pathrams(Bilvam)
and Pushpams as well as charu purODAsam and with preethi
.
May SraddhA Lakshmi
pleased with our AarAdhanams grant us residence in
Parama Padham ! She is
the Iswari for all the worlds . She is the divine consort of
Sriman NaarAyaNan . She
is sahadharmachAriNi in the Yaj~nam of protecting
those who seek rakshaNam
from Lakshmi NaarAyaNan . Similarly , the lOka
srushti proceeds with the
sankalpam of these dhivya dampathis .
THE SECOND SRADDHA
SOOKTHAM: Yajur Vedam , 2nd ashtakam : 8.8
*********************************************************************************************
SraddhayA agni:
samindhathE ( This Agni is illumined by
SraddhA)
SraddhayA vindhathE Havi: ( This Havis is also attained through
SraddhA)
SraddhA bhagasya moordhani ,
VachasAaavEdayAmasi ( We say thru speech /
Vaak
that
SraddhA sits on the head of SoubhAgyam (i-e): We declare before people
that SraddhA is the
reason behind all soubhAgyams and MangaLams ).
priyam sraddhE dhadhata: ( Oh SraddhE ! May the desires of mine offering Havis come
true!)
priyam SraddhE dhidhAsatha:( Oh SraddhE! May Your desire to grant future boons be realized
!)
priyam bhOjEshu yajvasu ( May Your priyam for yajamAnAs and boon-loving beings grow!
)
idham ma udhitham kruTi ( May Your affection for me , the YajamAnan grow
!)
yaTA dEvA
asurEshu
SraddhAnugrEshu
chakrirE
yEvam bhOjEshu
yajvasu
asmAkamudhitham
krudhi
(Meaning) : Just as the
DevAs had the intense faith that the asurAs are fit
to be killed , similarly
show Your intensive affection for the
YajamAnAs ,
who enjoy the phalans of
their offerings of Havis.
SraddhAm dEvA
yajamAnA:
VaayughOshA upAsathE
SraddhAm
hrudhyayayAaakootyA
SraddhAyA hUyathE
havi:
(Meaning): Oh
IndhrA and other DevAs! These YajamAnAs worship Sraddha
for protection of
their PrANans . They worship Her with affection arising
from
the sanklapam that
arose in their minds .Their samarpaNam of Havis in the
Homam
is done with SraddhA
).
SraddhAm prAtharhavAmahE
SraddhAm madhyandhinam
pari
SraddhAm Sooryasya
nimruchi
SraddhE SraddhApayEha
maa
(Meaning): We call on
SraddhA in the Morning , Evening , mid day and at
Sunset . Oh SraddhE ! May
Thou make me have utter faith in the performance
of this KarmA !
SraddhA
dEvAnadhivasthE
SraddhA visvamidham
Jagath
SraddhAm kAmasya
mAtharam
HaphishA
vardhayAmasi
(Meaning): SraddhA
resides amidst the DevAs . This world is full of SraddhA
( SraddhA mayam idham
Jagath). May we please SraddhA DEvi (MahA Lakshmi)
to grant us all the
desired Phalans with our Offerings (Havis) !
Nanjeeyar points out some unique
meanings to select passages of
the above manthram in his Sri Sookthi
BhAshyam:
"SraddhAm dEvA yajamAnA: upAsathE"
means that SraddhA dEvi is meditated upon by
all dEvAs . The word dEvAs is
UpalakshaNam for human beings .
"SraddhAm Prathar havAmahE " and the
following three vAkyams reveal
that SraddhA dEvi is to be worshipped
at all the three sandhis .
"SraddhA devAn athivasathE " :
This points out that She is the indweller of
all the dEvAs
.
"SraddhA viswamidham Jagath " : This
points to the central doctrine of
VisishtAdhvaitham , SareerAthma bhAvam
.
"SraddhAm kaamasya Matharam " : This
suggests that She is the grantor of
all desired Phalans
.
We worship Lakshmi of these magnificent
and noble attributes known also as SraddhA !
This is the prayer of the SraddhA
Sooktham , which should grow our MahA VisvAsam
in our AchaaryAs and Guru ParamparA and
to be of service to them to fulfill their
Yathi
dharmam . Our gratefulness to our AchAryan
has to be demonstrated with affection
as long as we are on this earth .
SrImath Azhagiya Singar
Thiruvadi ,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri
Sadagopan
P.S: Please support the
79th Birthday celebrations of
Srimath Azhagiya Singar
,YathA Sakthi . A SamarpaNam
of $250 will cover a
day's AarAdhanam , KaalakshEpam
and TadhiyArAdhanam .
Higher level of support is always
much
appreciated .
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