Śrī Stuti VERSE 13
अग्रे भर्तुः सरसिजमये भद्रपीठे निषण्णाम्
अम्भोराशेरधिगत सुधा संप्लवादुत्थितां त्वाम् ।
पुष्पासार स्थगित भुवनैः पुष्कलावर्तकाद्यैः
कॢप्तारम्भाः कनक कलशैरभ्यषिञ्चन् गजेन्द्राः ॥
agre bhartuḥ sarasijamaye bhadrapīṭhe niṣaṇṇām
ambhorāśeradhigata sudhā saṃplavādutthitāṃ tvām ।
puṣpāsāra sthagita bhuvanaiḥ puṣkalāvartakādyaiḥ
kḷptārambhāḥ kanaka kalaśairabhyaṣiñcan gajendrāḥ ॥
SYNONYMS
agre: in front | bhartuḥ: of the Lord | sarasijamaye: made of lotus | bhadrapīṭhe: on the auspicious throne | niṣaṇṇām: seated | ambhorāśeḥ: from the ocean | adhigata-sudhā-saṃplavāt: from the flood of nectar obtained | utthitāṃ: who arose | tvām: You | puṣpa-āsāra-sthagita-bhuvanaiḥ: by those (clouds) that covered the worlds with showers of flowers | puṣkala-āvartaka-ādyaiḥ: by Puṣkala, Āvartaka and other clouds | kḷpta-ārambhāḥ: having begun the task | kanaka-kalaśaiḥ: with golden pitchers | abhyaṣiñcan: they consecrated | gajendrāḥ: the chief elephants |
TRANSLATION
Oh Mahā Lakṣmī! As You emerged from the Milky Ocean, the primordial clouds Puṣkalā and Āvartakā showered flowers on You and the quarter elephants performed ablutions to You with golden pitchers.
PURPORT
(Anvaya kramam=Prose order): Gajendrāḥ adhigata sudhā samplavāt ambhorāśeḥ utthitām, bhartuḥ agre sarasijamaye niṣaṇṇāṃ tvām, puṣpa āsāra sthagita bhuvanaiḥ puṣkalāvartaka ādyaiḥ kḷpta ārambhāḥ, kanaka kalasaiḥ abhyaṣiñjan). Gajendrāḥ = The famous elephants of the 8 directions (aṣṭa dig gajams). Kanaka kalasaiḥ abhyaṣiñjan = performed the sacred bath with golden vessels. Who did they perform abhiṣekam?: ambhorāśeḥ utthitām = for the One, who rose from the Ocean. What kind of Ocean and what happened there?: adhigata sudhā samplavāt (ambhorāśeḥ utthitām) = from the Milky Ocean, that on churning by the Lord gave rise to the nectar for the devas and “peṇṇamudhu” (nectar among females, Mahā Lakṣmī) for the enjoyment of the Lord. Where did Mahā Lakṣmī sit after arising from the Milky Ocean?: bhartuḥ agre sarasijamaye bhadra pīṭhe niṣaṇṇāṃ tvām = She sat on the throne of a thousand petalled lotus right in front of Her Lord. What happened thereafter?: Svayamvara utsavam took place and as pūrvāṅgam, a sacred bath was performed by the famous clouds like Puṣkalāvartakam. Tvām puṣpa āsāra sthagita bhuvanaiḥ puṣkalāvartaka ādyaiḥ = The Puṣkalāvartaka megham and its companions poured down the rain of flowers from the sky that almost covered the world. What was the next event on this joyous occasion?: The eight guardian elephants of the world like Irāvatam, Puṇḍarīkam collected the sacred waters from their quarters and perfomed tirumanjanam for the Divine consort of the Lord. Kḷpta ārambhāḥ kanaka kalasaiḥ abhyaṣiñjan = The Clouds started the downpour of flowers and concluded their reverential offerings. The guardian elephants from the eight directions continued with the next step. The ārambham (beginning) was from the clouds and the continuation (kḷptam) was by the Elephants. They held on their trunks golden vessels full of the sacred waters from their locations and continued with the tirumanjanam.
Meaning according to Vaikuṇṭha Vāsi Villivalam Nārāyaṇācār Swāmy: During that ancient time when Your Lord churned the Milky Ocean to bring out the nectar for the devas, You arose from the flood of nectar and sat opposite Your Lord on the auspicious throne of a Lotus flower. The great clouds showered on You their downpour of flowers that made the world almost disappear. The activities of the clouds were followed by the elephants of the eight quarters that performed the sacred bath ceremony for Her as the paṭṭa mahiṣī for Your Lord with the waters held in golden vessels. The crowning ceremony as sarva lokeśvarī was started by the Puṣkalā-vartakam clouds and concluded by the aṣṭa dig gajams to the accompaniment of the Veda mantrams by the maharṣis assembled to enjoy the mahotsavam.
Additional Observations on the passages of the 13th ślokam of Śrī Stuti : Śrīmad Bhāgavatam has wonderful ślokams describing the paṭṭābhiṣekam of Mahā Lakṣmī:
tathāśca āvirabhūt sākṣāt śrī ramā bhagavat-parā rañjayantī diśaḥ kāntyā vidyut-saudānanī yathā ----Bhāgavatam 8.8.8. Meaning: Mahā Lakṣmī, sākṣāt Śrī Devī with the matchless affection for Her Lord arose from the Milky ocean with Her radiance illuminating all directions.
Tasyāṃ cakruḥ spṛhāṃ sarve sasurāsuramānavāḥ rūpaudārya-vayo-varṇa-mahimākṣipta cetasaḥ ----Bhāgavatam: 8.8.9. Meaning: The beauty, generous nature, youth, golden color and glories of Mahā Lakṣmī, who appeared thus from the Milky Ocean attracted the minds of devas, asuras and the humans and all of them desired Her. Mahā Lakṣmī's mind was made up to marry Her Lord. She had given Her heart to Her Lord (“tvayi datta hṛde” says Śrī Nārāyaṇīyam). Once the devas and ṛṣis recognized that Mahā Lakṣmī's mind was set only on Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, they all started the kaimkaryams for Her paṭṭābhiṣekam (sarvaloka rājyābhiṣekam).
Devendran presented Her with a big golden throne embedded with many gems. The sacred rivers brought pure water for the tirumanjanam; others brought the medicinal plants to be added to those waters. The sages conducted the sacred bath with Veda mantrams (ṛṣayaḥ tāṃ śruti gīrbhiḥ abhyaṣiñjan). Gandharvas sang; the apsaras danced; the maṅgala vādyams played. The dig gajams helped in the abhiṣekam with pūrṇa kalasams to the accompaniment of the Veda ghoṣam like Śrī Sūktam.
After the tirumanjanam, Samudra Rājan presented his daughter with silken garments laced with gold. Varuṇan presented Her with vyjayantī garland. Viśvakarmā presented Her with many specially made ābharaṇams. Sarasvatī Devī presented Mahā Lakṣmī with a strand of pearls; Brahmā deva presented Her with the golden lotus; the kings of snakes presented Her with a set of ear rings (kuṇḍalams). Through such acts, they were desirous of gaining Lakṣmī kaṭākṣam (śrīrmādevī juṣathām; tvām śaraṇamahaṃ prapadye). Now, Mahā Lakṣmī took the vyjayantī mālā in Her hands and walked towards the Lord to choose Him as Her Lord in that svayamvaram on the banks of the Milky Ocean. Śrī Nārāyaṇīyam describes beautifully Mahā Lakṣmī placing the flower garland around the neck of Śrīman Nārāyaṇan to choose Him as Her Lord: giriśadruhiṇādi sarvadevān guṇabhājāpyavimukta doṣaleśān avamṛśya sadaiva sarvaramye nihitā tvayyanayāpi divyamālā -- Daśakam 28, 7th ślokam. Mahā Lakṣmī rejected all the devas since they had one blemish or the other and chose the Lord, the abode of all auspicious attributes as Her future husband and placed the garland around His divine neck. In the next ślokam, Śrī Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭadiri describes Mahā Lakṣmī being welcomed by the Lord and being placed on a bhadrāsanam on His chest so that She can join with Him to perform the duties as sarva lokeśvarī: urasā tarasā mamānītāināṃ bhuvanānāṃ jananīm ananyabhāvāṃ tvaduravilāsatta-dhīkṣaṇa śrīparivṛṣḍyā paripustamāsa viśvam. Meaning: Oh Lord of Guruvāyūr! did You not honor this Mother of the Universe, who is not interested in anyone except You by welcoming Her quickly to the special throne located on Your chest and placing Her on it? Guruvāyūrappan acknowledged Śrī Bhaṭṭadiri's question and affirmed such a happening with a nod of His head.
Meaning according to Vaikuṇṭha Vāsi Villivalam Nārāyaṇācār Swāmy: During that ancient time when Your Lord churned the Milky Ocean to bring out the nectar for the devas, You arose from the flood of nectar and sat opposite Your Lord on the auspicious throne of a Lotus flower. The great clouds showered on You their downpour of flowers that made the world almost disappear. The activities of the clouds were followed by the elephants of the eight quarters that performed the sacred bath ceremony for Her as the paṭṭa mahiṣī for Your Lord with the waters held in golden vessels. The crowning ceremony as sarva lokeśvarī was started by the Puṣkalā-vartakam clouds and concluded by the aṣṭa dig gajams to the accompaniment of the Veda mantrams by the maharṣis assembled to enjoy the mahotsavam.
Additional Observations on the passages of the 13th ślokam of Śrī Stuti : Śrīmad Bhāgavatam has wonderful ślokams describing the paṭṭābhiṣekam of Mahā Lakṣmī:
tathāśca āvirabhūt sākṣāt śrī ramā bhagavat-parā rañjayantī diśaḥ kāntyā vidyut-saudānanī yathā ----Bhāgavatam 8.8.8. Meaning: Mahā Lakṣmī, sākṣāt Śrī Devī with the matchless affection for Her Lord arose from the Milky ocean with Her radiance illuminating all directions.
Tasyāṃ cakruḥ spṛhāṃ sarve sasurāsuramānavāḥ rūpaudārya-vayo-varṇa-mahimākṣipta cetasaḥ ----Bhāgavatam: 8.8.9. Meaning: The beauty, generous nature, youth, golden color and glories of Mahā Lakṣmī, who appeared thus from the Milky Ocean attracted the minds of devas, asuras and the humans and all of them desired Her. Mahā Lakṣmī's mind was made up to marry Her Lord. She had given Her heart to Her Lord (“tvayi datta hṛde” says Śrī Nārāyaṇīyam). Once the devas and ṛṣis recognized that Mahā Lakṣmī's mind was set only on Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, they all started the kaimkaryams for Her paṭṭābhiṣekam (sarvaloka rājyābhiṣekam).
Devendran presented Her with a big golden throne embedded with many gems. The sacred rivers brought pure water for the tirumanjanam; others brought the medicinal plants to be added to those waters. The sages conducted the sacred bath with Veda mantrams (ṛṣayaḥ tāṃ śruti gīrbhiḥ abhyaṣiñjan). Gandharvas sang; the apsaras danced; the maṅgala vādyams played. The dig gajams helped in the abhiṣekam with pūrṇa kalasams to the accompaniment of the Veda ghoṣam like Śrī Sūktam.
After the tirumanjanam, Samudra Rājan presented his daughter with silken garments laced with gold. Varuṇan presented Her with vyjayantī garland. Viśvakarmā presented Her with many specially made ābharaṇams. Sarasvatī Devī presented Mahā Lakṣmī with a strand of pearls; Brahmā deva presented Her with the golden lotus; the kings of snakes presented Her with a set of ear rings (kuṇḍalams). Through such acts, they were desirous of gaining Lakṣmī kaṭākṣam (śrīrmādevī juṣathām; tvām śaraṇamahaṃ prapadye). Now, Mahā Lakṣmī took the vyjayantī mālā in Her hands and walked towards the Lord to choose Him as Her Lord in that svayamvaram on the banks of the Milky Ocean. Śrī Nārāyaṇīyam describes beautifully Mahā Lakṣmī placing the flower garland around the neck of Śrīman Nārāyaṇan to choose Him as Her Lord: giriśadruhiṇādi sarvadevān guṇabhājāpyavimukta doṣaleśān avamṛśya sadaiva sarvaramye nihitā tvayyanayāpi divyamālā -- Daśakam 28, 7th ślokam. Mahā Lakṣmī rejected all the devas since they had one blemish or the other and chose the Lord, the abode of all auspicious attributes as Her future husband and placed the garland around His divine neck. In the next ślokam, Śrī Nārāyaṇa Bhaṭṭadiri describes Mahā Lakṣmī being welcomed by the Lord and being placed on a bhadrāsanam on His chest so that She can join with Him to perform the duties as sarva lokeśvarī: urasā tarasā mamānītāināṃ bhuvanānāṃ jananīm ananyabhāvāṃ tvaduravilāsatta-dhīkṣaṇa śrīparivṛṣḍyā paripustamāsa viśvam. Meaning: Oh Lord of Guruvāyūr! did You not honor this Mother of the Universe, who is not interested in anyone except You by welcoming Her quickly to the special throne located on Your chest and placing Her on it? Guruvāyūrappan acknowledged Śrī Bhaṭṭadiri's question and affirmed such a happening with a nod of His head.
