पुराणे विश्वासटिप्पन्यः

Source: TW

[यत्पदाम्भोरुहध्यानविध्वस्ताशेषकल्मषः । वस्तुतामुपयातोऽहं यामुनेयं नमामि तम् ॥]शरणागतिगद्यम् । [Sri Ramanuja was the successor of Sri Yamuna. He popularised the Visishtadvaita System of Philo- sophy and spread it everywhere so that the system came to be known after him. He is the author of nine works. The Vedanta Sara, the Vedanta Dipa and Sri Bhashya are graded com- mentaries on the Brahma Sutras with increasing elaborateness. The fourth is the Bhashya on the Bhagavad Gita ; the fifth, the Vedartha Sangraha, is a digest of the teachings of all Upanishads; the sixth is called Nitya which codifies the daily rites of a devotee of the God; and the last three are devotional songs in prose, the Gadya traya -Saranagati Gadya, Sriranga Gadya and Vai- kuntha Gadya. At the beginning of the Sarana- gati Gadya and in one or two other places, he has spoken of Sri, though he has not specially devoted a book to Her greatness.] भगवन्नारायणाभिमतानुरूपस्वरूपरूपगुणविभवैश्वर्यशीलाद्यनव- धिकातिशयासंख्येयकल्याणगुणगणां पद्मवनालयां भगवतीं श्रियं देवीं नित्यानपायिनीं निरवद्यां देवदेवदिव्यमहिषीं अखिलजगन्मातरं (अस्म- न्मातरं) अशरण्यशरण्यां अनन्यशरणः शरणमहं प्रपद्ये || १०१ In Sri do I take refuge, helpless as I am, in Sri-who is the saviour of the helpless; who has got innumerable hosts of qualities,-auspicious and unexcelled-like sovereignty and amiability; who possesses a nature, forms, qualities and Vibhuti (splendour) suited to and loved by Sri Narayana, the Bhagavan (Himself, the possessor of such superb qualities); in Sri, the Goddess (of superb qualities), the denizen of the lotus-ponds who is ever inseparable from Her Consort and unimpeachable and unsullied (by any fault); and who is the queen of the Lord of all Gods and the Mother of the entire Universe (and of myself.) [प्रणामं लक्ष्मणमुनिः प्रतिगृह्णातु मामकम् । प्रसाधयति यत्सूक्तिः स्वाधीनपतिकां श्रुतिम् ॥ ] श्रीस्तवः । [Sri Vatsanka Misra was the loving disciple of Sri Ramanuja and was much loved and held in great esteem by all, both for his knowledge and saintly qualities. His devotion and saintliness were paralleled only by those of the Alvars- who were called as such, because they sank in the ocean of Bhakti to God-and so he also was called Kurattalvan (i. e., Alvan of Kuram, his birthplace near Conjivaram.) He is the author of a work called Yamakaratnakara and of five devotional psalms which go by the naine of Panca stava-Sri Stava, Varadaraja Stava, Sundarabahu Stava, Atimanusha Stava and Vaikuntha Stava-all in charming and moving and emotional verses. His Sri Stava which is given below is in praise of the Goddess Lakshmi in eleven verses. The first is an invocation to the Goddess, the next four form an introduction to the poem and the next three describe the greatness of Lakshmi. The pra- patti to the Goddess (i.e. seeking shelter in Her) is done in the ninth and the tenth. The last is a prayer to the Goddess, for blessing the poct with Her benevolent glances.] स्वस्ति श्रीर्दिशतादशेषजगतां सर्गोपसर्गस्थितीः स्वर्गं दुर्गतिमापवर्गिकपदं सर्वं च कुर्वन् हरिः । यस्या वीक्ष्य मुखं तदितिपराधीनो विधत्तेऽखिलं क्रीडेयं खलु नान्यथाऽस्य रसदा स्यादैकरस्यात्तया ॥ १ ॥

Fortune may Sri be pleased to bestow on us, Sri-whose face Hari turns to and by whose १०३ gestures He is guided in the acts of creation, sustentation and destruction of the Universe and also in the act of giving the Heavens (i. e., Svarga), or the Hell or Eternal Bliss (as each one deserves). (Lakshmi and Hari) have identity of tastes (and likes). If it is otherwise, the sport ( of creation ) will no longer afford them joy. हे श्रीदेवि समस्तलोकजननीं त्वां स्तोतुमीहामहे युक्तां भावय भारतीं प्रगुणय प्रेमप्रधानां वियं । भक्ति बन्धय नन्दयाश्रितमिमं दासं जनं तावकं लक्ष्यं लक्ष्मि कटाक्षवीचिविसृतेस्ते स्याम चामी वयम् ॥२॥
O Sri, Goddess Lakshmi! To praise you, the Mother of all the Universe, we make an attempt. So bless us with suitable words and have an increasingly loving temperament towards us. Give this servant and refugee of yours devo- tion and make him happy. May we become objects within the range of the play of your wave-like glances. स्तोत्रं नाम किमामनन्ति कवयो यद्यन्यदीयान् गुणान् अन्यत्र त्वसतोऽधिरोप्य फणितिः सा तर्हि वन्ध्या त्वयि । सम्यक्सत्यगुणाभिवर्णनमथो ब्रूयुः कथं तादृशी वाग्वाचस्पतिनाऽपि शक्यरचना त्वत्सद्गुणार्णोनिधौ ॥ ३॥
Which do the poets call a ‘Stotra’ ? If it is this, viz., the superimposition of the quali- ties possessed by one on another without them १०४ and praising Him (as having them), then such a Stotra is untrue ( and impossible) in your case. (For there are no qualities that are lovable and that are not found in you.) Or, if they say that a faithful and complete narration of the qualities existing in one is ‘Stotra,’ (that too cannot be done in your case; for) how can such words be found (or coined) even by the Master of speech (Brihaspati)-words suited to your ocean-like qualities ? ये वाचां मनसां च दुर्ग्रहतया ख्याता गुणास्तावकाः तानेव प्रति साम्वुजिह्वं उदिता है मामिका भारती । हास्यं तत्तु न मन्महे न हि चकोर्येकाऽखिलां चन्द्रिकां नालं पातुमिति प्रगृह्य रसनामासीत सत्यां तृषि ॥ ४ ॥ 4. To describe the qualities of Yours which are well-known to be beyond the reach of mind and speech alike, my words have come out with a watering mouth. But (we) do not consider our attempt (to do the impossible ) ridiculous ; for a she-cakora does not certainly keep still drawing back her tongue, when she is thirsty, because of the fact that she will not be able to drink all the moonlight completely, all by herself. क्षोदीयानपि दुष्टबुद्धिरपि निस्स्नेहोऽप्यनीहोऽपि ते कीर्तिं देवि लिहन्नहं न च विभेम्यज्ञो न जिह्रेमि च । दुप्येत् सा तु न तावता न हि शुना लीढाऽपि भागीरथी दुप्येत् श्वाऽपि न लज्जते न च बिभेत्यार्तिस्तु शाम्येत् शुनः ॥ १०५
Mean and wicked-natured, undevoted and indifferent and ignorant though I am, O Goddess, I am neither afraid nor ashamed to taste (the nectar of) your glory (by beginning to praise it). For by that (attempt of mine), your glory will not be sullied (but I will be benefited). It is indeed a well-known fact that the Ganges is not made impure by the licking of a dog and that the dog too is neither ashamed nor afraid (to lick it.) But its thirst is certainly quenched. ऐश्वर्यं महदेव वाऽल्पमथवा दृश्येत पुंसां हि यत् तल्लक्ष्म्याः समुदीक्षणात् तव यतः सार्वत्रिकं वर्तते । तेनैतेन न विस्मयेमहि जगन्नाथोऽपि नारायणो धन्यं मन्यत ईक्षणात् तव यतः स्वात्मानमात्मेश्वरः ||६||
It is no matter for surprise to us that all the wealth, great or small, found in all places with different persons is the result of your (favourable) glances, O Lakshmi. For even Narayana, the Saviour of the Universe, considers Himself blessed and all-powerful (lit. being Him- self the Master and without a master over Him) only because of your glances. ऐश्वर्यं यदशेषपुंसि विदितं सौन्दर्यलावण्ययोः रूपं यच्च हि मङ्गलं किमपि यत् लोके सदित्युच्यते । तत्सर्वं त्वदधीनमेव यदतः श्रीरित्यभेदेन वा यद्वा श्रीमदितीदृशेन वचसा देवि प्रथामश्नुते ॥ ७ ॥ १०६
The power to control others that is found in all persons, the characteristic of beauty and charm which is considered auspicious and what- ever is called ‘sat’ (i. e., good or existent) in this world, all that is dependent on you. Because of this, those objects are known in this world by these words: either as ‘Sri’-(Sri itself) i.e., being identical with you or as ‘Srimat’-possessing Sri (and hence as being different from you). (Cf. usages like Dhanasri & Rupasri, and Srimadrupam & Srimaddhanam). देवि त्वन्महिमावधिर्न हरिणा नापि त्वया ज्ञायते यद्यप्येवमथापि नैव युवयोः सर्वज्ञता हीयते । यन्नास्त्येव तदज्ञतामनुगुणां सर्वज्ञताया विदुः व्योमांभोजमिदन्तया किल विदन् भ्रान्तोऽयमित्युच्यते ॥ ८ S. Goddess Lakshmi, the extent of your greatness is not comprehended either by your- self or by Narayana. Though it is like this, still the omniscience of both of you does not suffer the least. For they say that not to know what does not exist (i.e., to know a non-existent thing as non-existing) only corroborates the omni- science of a person. On the contrary, one who declares he knows the properties of a Sky-lotus- a lotus that blossoms in the sky (i.e., a non- existent one), will only be called a man out of his senses. १०७ लोके वनस्पतिबृहस्पतितारतम्यं यस्याः प्रसादपरिणाममुदाहरन्ति । सा भारती भगवती तु यदीयदासी तां देवदेवमहिषीं श्रियमाश्रयामः ॥ ९ ॥
We seek refuge in Sri who is the Divine Consort of the Lord of all the Gods (Narayana); the Goddess of Learning, Sarasvati, is whose attendant; and the flow or otherwise of whose (Sarasvati’s) graces is responsible for the differ- ence in this world between a tree (that is non- sentient) and Brihaspati–the Lord of Speech (who is omniscient). यस्याः कटाक्षमृदुवीक्षणदीक्षणेन सद्यः समुल्लसितपल्लवमुल्ललास । विश्धं विपर्ययसमुत्थविपर्ययं प्राक् तां देवदेवमहिषीं श्रियमाश्रयामः ॥ १० ॥
We resort to Sri, the Consort of the Supreme Lord of all Gods (for protection); to Sri by whose mere will to throw Her sweet glances, the whole world came into existence immediately with all its things sprouting forth, non-existent as it was before because of their absence. यस्याः कटाक्षवीक्षाक्षणलक्षं लक्षिता महेशाः स्युः । श्रीरङ्गराजमहिषी सा मामपि वीक्षतां लक्ष्मीः ॥ ११ ॥ १०८
May that Lakshmi, the Consort of Lord Sri Ranganatha, bless even me by Her glances, by becoming the object of whose glances even for a moment all become Mahesas (Lord Siva or power- ful rulers).