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Sri Venkateswara Ashtotthram 

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Lord of Saptha Giri
108) Srinivaasaaya SrI VenkatEsaaya nama:
 
Salutations to Lord VenkatEsa , who has Mahaa Lakshmi (SrI Devi) on His chest for ever !
 
The word "Sri" has six connotations and refers to Sri Mahalakshmi's manifold roles of being the refuge of Jeevas, seeking refuge in the Lord on our behalf, listening patiently to our tales of woe, conveying the same to the Lord with the exceptional eloquence of advocacy, ridding devotees of their accumulated baggage of sins and affording them infinite pleasure upto the stage of performing kainkaryam to the Divine Duo. Since Srinivasa is the inalienable abode of Sri Mahalakshmi, we have absolutely nothing to fear, for all the aforesaid funcions of Sri become extremely easy of performance.
 
It is extremely siginificant that this Ashtotthara Shatha naamavali begins with the name "Venkatesaya nama:" and ends with "Srinivasaya nama:", siginifiying by the former, the Lord's propensity for destroying all our sins, and by the latter, His readiness to bestow on us all that we desire and more too, including the ultimate reward of Celestial Bliss on an eternal basis, demonstrating His two-fold benevolence of "anishta nivritti" and "ishta praapti".
 
Sri Venkateswara is the permanent and pleasurable abode of Sri Mahalakshmi, His inseparable Consort. He is hence known as "Srinivasa:".
 
When Sri Mahalakshmi emerged from the milky ocean being churned by the Devas and asuras for nectar, She immediately occupied the Lord's broad chest, true to Her promise never to forsake Him even for a second--"agalakillen irayum endru Alarmel mangai urai maarba!".The Sahasranama Nirukti sloka too says the same thing--"nityopagna nivaasatvaat Sreenivaasa: SriyaL: smrita:".
 
In fact, "Srinivasa:" is the name of the Parabrahmam, which is identified by the presence of the Consort Sri. Thus, it is because He is Srinivasa that the Lord can claim to be the Supreme Being, as the Vedas show the Paramapurusha to be accompanied by His divine consorts Sri and Bhoodevi--"Hreescha te Lakshmeescha patnyou" (Purusha Suktam). 
 
Sri Ramanuja too identifies Srinivasa to be the Parabrahmam, at the very beginning of his magnum opus, the Sri Bhaashyam--"Shruti shirasi videepte, Brahmani Srinivase".
 
In practical terms, how does this help us? Because He is the permanent abode of Sri Mahalakshmi, who is the embodiment of all that is auspicious, apart from being the fountainhead of all mercy, love and compassion, the Lord too can never be otherwise. Even if he is inclined to be annoyed at us at times for some insufferable infringement on our part, the Divine Mother intercedes on our behalf and ensures that we get off lightly. It is She who recommends us to be pardoned all our sins and our elevation to the exalted world of Sri Vaikunttam. Thus, if we can at all hope for emancipation, it is because the Lord is Srinivasa.



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