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SriRangaSri List Archive: Message 00082 Dec 2006

 
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SrI:
SraimathE Gopaladesika mahadesikaya nama:

Dearest all,

Let us enjoy Sri Mahalskhmi?s unmatched and unique
status, Someone enquired me as to how can both be
Paratvam. Here is what I had read and gathered from
Poorvars and other wonderful books. 

The doctrine of Goddess Mahalskhmi constitutes an
important subject in the Srivaishnava sampradaya. This
is the only sampradaya that has accorded an important
status to Goddess Lakshmi and regarded her on par with
VishNu. The concept of Sriya: Pathi is upheld by the
AzhwArs. YamunAchArya describes Mahalakshmi as
LokEshwari. GaaDOpagooDanithE? is also used by Swami
YamunAchArya.. 

The equation of Brahman as Sri Nivaasan by Sri
Ramanujacharya in Sri Bhashya mangaLa sloka and the
expression of Nithya anapaayinee in Saranagathi Gadya
confirm that the divine Couple of Dhiyva Dampathi
together as inseparably related, constuite the
Parathvam of VisishtAdvaita Vedanta. This view of the
AzhwArs and the Poorvacharyas is well supported by
Scripural texts, VishnU puraana, Ramayana,
Pancharathra Samhitha,. Following this tradition, our
sampradaya has upheld the theory that Goddess
Mahalakshmi enjoys equal status with VishNu and
partakes in all the cosmic functions including moksha
pradana, besides her special role Purushakara. 

There are statements in sruthi which imply that the
infinite character of Goddess Mahalskhmi. The
taittriya BrahmaNa, describes Goddess as Radasi,
Brhati, Srirasi. The term Brhati is interpreted on the
authority of Lakshmi tantra as one not co-ordinated by
time, space and another entity, the same meaning as
attached to Brhat in Brahman Sabdha. The mEdha
sooktham, there is a descrition of Medha dEvi, [mEdha
being another name for Lakshmi], as vishvachi which
means one who pervades the whole Universe [Sarva
vyaapini]. The expressions anantam antat used in
Vaaksuktha on the taittriya BrahmaNa means that
Vaakdei [same as Lakshmi] is infinite. More
importantly, the Sri sooktham of Rik Veda asserts that
Goddess Lakshmi is IswarI or the ruler of the entire
Universe [Iswareem Sarva bhoothAnAm]. On the basis of
the root verb asa meaning pervasion [asa vyaaptau],
Iswari means one who pervades everything and everyone.


The VishNu purana which is universally accepted as an
authritiativbe one on the subject of Para-tattva,
asserts that Lakshmi is all-pervasive in the same way
as VishNu is. Thus it states: Yatha sarvagathO VishNuh
thathaivEyam dvijOttama. 

Thus they are one Paratattva. The eample given to
substantiate this theory is the Sun [Bhaskara] and its
luminosity [prabha]. The two are distinct but the sun
as inseprably related to its luminosity is one. The
same explanation holds good in respect of God and
Goddess. Though God and Goddess iare two separate
realities and God as inspearavly related to Goddess is
One Paratattva. 

Ramayana cites the illustration of Prabha and
Prabhavam to describe the inseparable relation between
Lord Rama and Goddess Sita. Both Rama and Sita use the
same illustration to describe their intimate
relationship. If we conceive this relationship in the
sense of mere Pathi and Pathni, Lord and His consort,
as in the Saiva religion, Goddess gets a subordinate
position. As integrally related to God, Lakshmi
becomes part of the Swaroopa of VishNu. She is an
asaadhaaraNa or a distinguishing identity mark for
VishNu as is exhibited by Her permament presence in
His Chest [Lakshanaath Lakshmi:] This fact is borught
out by the Uttara anuvaaka of Purusha sooktha in which
the Purusha a general term used in Purvanusaka is
identified as Narayana by the statement HreeschathE
laksmIscha patnau?, mentioned in the uttaranuvaaka. 

This truth is intuited by Nammazhwar?s agalahillEn
iRaiyum enRu alarmEl mangai uRai maarbhan?. Both by
swaroopa and by Vigraha they are inseparable. As an
integral part of the Supreme Being, she partakes in
all important functions of the Lord including
mokshOpaayatva, mOksha pradatva, besides Her special
role as purushakaratva, [mediatrix for us]. This is
the central doctrine of Srivaishnavism. 

Let us enjoy her purushakaratvam tomorrow
Regards
asmadhAchArya paryanthAm vandhE guruparamparAm
Namo Narayana
dAsan

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