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Lower Ahobilam Prahlada Varadan
 The 3rd Naamam of SrI VenkatEsa AshtOttharam:
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    " LAKSHMI  PATHAYE NAMA: " = SALUTATIONS TO    THE  CONSORT OF MAHAA LAKSHMI !

    Our Lord is saluted as Sriya: Pathi , Lakshmi Kaanthan ,    KamalA Pathi , Sriya: SrI: , IndhirA Naayakan ,
    SrIsan , LakshmI SahAyan , Sriya: Prabhu .    All of these nAmAs refer to the auspiciousness of    Him becoming/being the blessed husband of MahA Lakshmi.

    Vedam itself celebrates the Lord's status as the husband    of VishNu and Her status as His divine consort:

    " AsyEsAnA JagathO VishNu Pathni "--TaittirIya Samhithai    ( She rules the world as VishNu pathni).The VishNu PurANam     text for the above Vedic passage is : " nityA yEva yEshA     JaganmAtA VishNO: SrI: anapAyini".

  NavalpAkkam VidvAn Sri RamAnuja TatAchAr Swamy has  pointed out other Vedic references to MahA Lakshmi as  VishNu Pathni in AsvamEdha-anga manthrams. The corollary  of Her identification and salutation as VishNu Pathni is the name , "Lakshmi Pathi" for Her Lord (the thirdAshtOtthara naamam for Lord Venkatesan ) . Two passages from the above manthram cited by NavalpAkkam Swamy and his commentaries
 on them are:

 " DhruvA disAm " and " VishtambhO divO dharuna: :  priTivyA  asyEsAnAagatO VishNu Pathni ". DhruvA and  Adhithi invoked in these manthrAs are identified with  MahA Lakshmi , who is VishNu Pathni. "Adhithyai: VishNu  Pathnyai: charum " is another Veda manthram , which refers to  VishNu Pathni and Yaagam connected with Her. If  She has  VishNu as husband , He has Lakshmi ( SraddhA , MedhA ,  Adhithi , which are synonomous in Vedam to Lakshmi)  as His wife.He is JaathavEdhan and She is His Divine consort .  When SrI Sooktkam invokes Sriman NaarAyanan as :  "JaathavEdhO ma aavaha " , it invokes His divine  consort as well . Lakshmi Avaahanam (invocation ) is hence  implicit. Without His dearest Lakshmi , the name of  Lakshmi Pathi can not be invoked. As Lakshmi Pathi ,  He consults with Her and is counselled by Her in all Jagath-  vyApAram and Jagath Hitham (activities and well being of  the world :( " Saha-dharmacharI SourE: sammanthritha  Jagath HithAm ") .She is like the Minister in counseling.  Another pramANam in favour of the Lord's Lakshmi Pathithvam is the Purusha  sooktha Vakyam--" Hreesccha tE LakshmIsccha Pathnyou ".

 He as Lakshmi Pathi is the First AchAryan for SrI VaishNavAs (AkAra Vaachyan) . She is the second AchAryan (UkAra Vaachyai) as VishNu Pathni. That is why we call our sampradhAyam as  " Lakshmi-NaaTa SamArambhAm --". That is why our sampradhAyam  has also been described as "antha: pura sampradhAyam " or SrI SampradhAyam . This couple (Dampathi) is therefore celebrated as the ancient MiTunam of the Universe: " aadhyou DampathI JagathAm Pathi ".They are the Father and  Mother of this Universe: " Thvam MaathA SarvalOkAnAm  DevadEvO Hari: PithA ". He is Lakshmi Pathi and She is His BhAryA (consort) and Nithya SrI (eternal MangaLam) .

 Another special feature of the relationship between the Divine couple  is that as much as PirAtti is the defining mark of the Lord and imparts "atisayam " to Him. He too adds immeasurable glory to Her , by His Pathitvam. Swamy  AlavanthAr salutes the Lord by asking the question : " Ka SrI: Sriya:? ". Thirumangai adores the Lakshmi Pathitvam at ThErazhundhUr with the salutation : "Thiruvukkum ThiruvAhiya selvA ".

 Paancha Raathra samhithai named JayAkhya Samhithai recognizes our Lord's Lakshmi Pathithvam and His inseperability from Her with two examples :

 Sooryasya rasmayO yathvAth
 OrmayasyachAmbhdhuEriva
 Sarvaiswarya prabhAvEna KamalA
 SrI tEstathA

 (meaning):  Just as the rays and lustre (rasmi) can not be  separated from the Sun and just as the waves of the Ocean  can not be separated from the Ocean , SrI Devi is united with  Her Pathi in an inseparable manner so that He can be recognized  readily as Lakshmi Pathi.

 MahA Lakshmi is "AakAra Thraya Sampannai " and in that role , She helps Her Pathi in three ways to execute His vows . AakAram means a rich source and resource :

 1. PurushakAra aakAram
 2. UpAya aakAram
 3. UpEya aakAram

 During PurushakAram , AlarmEl Mangai ( PadhmAvathi) uses Her influence with her Pathi as His wife and pleads on behalf of us , the chEthanams that have committed many trespasses and pleads with Him to forgive our sins. She kindles Her Lord's affection (vaathsalyam ) for us , the pitiable Jeevans.

 During UpAya anushtAnam , She stimulates His Sankalpa Jn~Anam to protect the chEthanam performing Prapatthi and enhances Her Lord's Jn~Ana sakthi to come forward to protect the suffering jeevans.

 During the UpEya dasai , She enhances the soundharyam of Her Lord for the Muktha Jeevan to enjoy the Lord and accepts the havis of aathma samarpaNam(offering of Self ) as His Saha-dharmchariNi .

 Whenever and wherever PerumAL is mentioned , PirAtti is there .That is the Tatthvam which is behind this Third Naamam : (PraNavam) LAKSHMI PATHAYE NAMA:

 The most merciful Lakshmi united with Her Lord HrushIkEsan is recognized in all siddhAnthams as the protector of the erring Jeevans ( LakshmyA saha HrushIkEsa: DevyA KaaruNya RoopayA , Rakshaka: Sarva siddhAnthE VedAnthEapi cha geeyathE).

 In this context , Dr.M.A.Venkata KrishNan Swamy has commented : " When the individual soul refrains from interdicted actions, the Lord along with Goddess Lakshmi overlooks the soul's innumerable demerits accumulated in its numerous previous lives and helps it attain infinite bliss through Moksham ".

 Such is the glory behind this Third Naamam .




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