74) Rukmaabja saraseekoola
Lakshmeekrita tapasvine Sri VenkatEsaaya nama:
Salutations to Srinivasa, who
performed penance on the banks of
the lotus pond for regaining
Sri Mahalakshmi !
We have heard of the entire
world peforming penance, directed at the Lord.
This tirunama recounts an
instance where the all-powerful Lord Himself
undertook penance, directed at
regaining Sri Mahalakshmi, who had deserted
the Lord and His eternal abode,
angered at the Lord's passive acceptance of
Bhrigu Maharshi's apparent
insult of kicking the Lord in His chest, the abode of
Mahalakshmi. Not finding Sri
Mahalakshmi despite diligent search all over
the universe, the Lord,
prompted by a celestial voice , constructed a pond on
the banks of the
Suvarnamukharee river, raised golden lotus flowers in the pond
and performed arcchanaa to Sri
Mahalakshmi for twelve years. This is the Padma saras
or the pond attached to the
Tirucchaanur temple which we can see till date. It is said that
Srinivasa established a
sannidhi for Sooryanaarayana on the banks of this pond to make
the lotuses bloom fast (it is
an acknowledged fact that lotuses spread their petals
prompted by the presence of the
Sun)--this sannidhi for Soorya is also found even today
at Thirucchaanur .
The penance of the Lord on the banks of
the pond growing golden lotus
and the Lord worshipping Mahaalakshmi with
SrI Manthram are described this way:
Yayaasmi dhEvO yadhapaanga-bhEdhAth bhidhaa
jagathyathbhutha-roopa-saalineem
abhyarcchayannanvhaamathra padhmair-dhyaayan
labhEyEthi dhadhaara chittham
(Meaning): By whose power I am a Supreme
Being, by whose gradations of
anugraham the differences in the status of
Brahma and Rudra arise ,That mysterious
Devi of many auspicious attributes will be
the object of My daily worship with
these golden lotuses for fulfillment of my
wish to reunite with Her.
Lord Srinivaasa recited Lakshmi Manthram and
performed penance ,
while seated in PadhmAsanam with a tranquil
mind.
SuvarNa PadhmArchitha manthra moorthyr-jagath
suhruth prathyahavruddha bhAva:
Sa dhAraNAyAm PrabhurapyuruthE Thaamm
svadhaaraNAyAm prabhuthAm na lEbhathE
Lord SrInivAsan worshipped SrI Manthra
Moorthy and grew the power of His penance
day by day. He practised the step of
DhaaraNai of AshtAnga Yogam and became
incapable of being without His Devi. He
longed for Her.
On the Kaarthigai month Friday , when
UtthirAda constellation was
in ascendance , Mahaa Lakshmi appeared before
Her Lord during
Maithra MuhUrttham.Bhagavaan's
tapas came to fruition and
the appearance of Mahaa Lakshmi on a
gem-bedecked golden
chariot out of the pond growing golden
lotuses is described this way:
Sarathna-mukthA-makuDOthpalAkshee smErAnanA
tathra SarOja-hasthA
ChathurbhujA BhUshitha -bhavya vakshA :
SukhOpavishtA dhadhrusEaTa Lakshmee:
(Meaning): Bhagavan had the darsanam of His
object of desire , Mahaa Lakshmi
with Her crown studded with gems and
pearls , with eyes like blue lotuses ,
with a gentle smile and four arms , with very
many decorations and seated
comfortably on a lotus flower.
Mahaa Lakshmi stepped down from the golden
chariot and joined
once again Her favorite place of
residence on the Lord's chest.
|