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The Hindu
6 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Mahalakshmi's qualities
When we look for precedents for any spiritual or religious observation, we look into the Itihasas and Puranas. But above all stand the Vedas. The Vedas are the ultimate authority when it comes to seeking validation for any philosophical statement. Sri Guna Ratna Kosam of Parasara Bhattar gives us Goddess Mahalakshmi's qualities. The Vedas are the source of this work, because all Her auspicious qualities find a place in the Vedas, said T.A.K. Srinivasacharya in a discourse. So, Parasara Bhattar speaks with the authority of the Vedas when he elaborates on Her kalyana gunas. Parasara Bhattar is following the path shown by sages like Vyasa, when he praises Mahalakshmi's gem-like qualities. Those who have earned Her blessings are fortunate, and those who have not are fools who misinterpret the Vedas and do not grasp its import. To envision Her innumerable qualities, one needs the special collyrium of bhakti. Mahalakshmi is the Goddess of the universe. It is not just the Upanishads that declare the greatness of Mahalakshmi. The Itihasas too extol Her. Even if everything that is good and auspicious in this world is put together, it will not equal even a small fraction of Mahalakshmi's wonderful qualities. You find a fortunate man seated on an elephant, beneath a pearl-studded umbrella. At the same time, you also see a poor man, dressed in worn-out and torn clothes. The reason for the difference in status of the two men is that while the former received the glances of the Goddess, the latter did not. Prosperity comes to a man only with Her grace.
The Hindu
06-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Faith Column
In sloka four of his Sri Guna Ratna Kosa, Parasara Bhattar refers to Lord Ranganatha as Murari. He says this Murari is guided in His actions by the signals He gets from Mahalakshmi. There are many kinds of cetanas and acetanas, each with a different set of needs, elaborated T.A.K. Srinivasacharya in a discourse. Lord Ranganatha has to keep all these different conditions (taratamya) in mind, when He creates. He needs some pointers when it comes to creating, keeping in mind these differences. Here it is the Goddess who guides Him with mere movements of Her eyebrows. Parasara Bhattar speaks of the waves of nectar (amruta laharee), which are nothing but the merciful glances that She directs towards Her devotees. Slokas five and six of Sri Guna Ratna Kosa are composed in naichya bhava. Here Parasara Bhattar says he is unqualified to sing of Goddess Ranganayaki of Srirangam. 'Even Brahma has confessed to his inability to praise You,' points out Parasara Bhattar. And yet, he has ventured to praise Her, in the hope that such praise will confer some auspiciousness on his words. The verse shows the utter humility of Parasara Bhattar. In the seventh sloka, he prays to the Goddess to bestow Her grace on his work, so that it is majestic, and meaningful. He continues the same prayer in the eighth sloka. He prays that the work he is now going to embark on, namely, praising Goddess Ranganayaki of Srirangam, should be without any defects and should have all literary merits. In the ninth sloka, he addresses Lord Ranganatha, requesting His attention to his (Parasara Bhattar's) work on His Consort — Goddess Ranganayaki. Parasara Bhattar's prayer is that Lord Ranganatha should enjoy his lavish praise of Goddess Ranganayaki and Her auspicious qualities in Sri Guna Ratna Kosa.
