Śrī Stuti VERSE 7
पश्यन्तीषु श्रुतिषु परितः सूरिबृन्देन सार्धं
मध्ये कृत्य त्रिगुणफलकं निर्मित स्थान भेदम् ।
विश्वाधीश प्रणयिनि सदा विभ्रमद्यूतवृत्तौ
ब्रह्मेशाद्या दधति युवयोरक्षशारप्रचारम् ॥ ७ ॥
paśyantīṣu śrutiṣu paritaḥ sūribṛndena sārdhaṃ
madhye kṛtya triguṇaphalakaṃ nirmita sthāna bhedam ।
viśvādhīśa praṇayini sadā vibhramadyūtavṛttau
brahmeśādyā dadhati yuvayorakṣaśārapracāram ॥ 7 ॥
SYNONYMS
paśyantīṣu śrutiṣu: while the Vedas are watching | paritaḥ: all around | sūri-bṛndena sārdham: along with the assembly of the eternally liberated souls (Nityasūris) | madhye kṛtya: placing in the middle | triguṇa-phalakaṃ: the board of the three guṇas (Prakṛti) | nirmita-sthāna-bhedam: with divisions of places created | viśvādhīśa-praṇayini: O beloved of the Lord of the Universe! | sadā: always | vibhrama-dyūta-vṛttau: in the playful game of dice | brahma-īśa-ādyāḥ: Brahmā, Śiva and other gods | dadhati: hold the position of | yuvayoḥ: of You two | akṣa-śāra-pracāram: the movement of the dice and pawns |
TRANSLATION
Both of You play a game of chess with primordial Nature (mūla prakṛti) as the chess board marked by different colored squares. Brahmā, Īśvara (Lord Śiva) and other devatās are the pawns to be moved; the Vedas and ever-liberated souls watch this game.
PURPORT
Meaning according to Vaikuṇṭa-vāsī Villivalam Nārāyaṇācchār Swāmy : Oh Empress of the World! Perumdevī Tāyāre! Watched by the nitya sūris (eternally liberated souls) and the Veda Mātās, Your chess game with Your Lord known as viśva sṛṣṭi takes place; this game is played by both of You on the chess board clearly marked by the three guṇams (hues) of mūla prakṛti (sattva, rajas and tamas). The pawns used in this game are Brahmā, Rudra and other devas.Expanded meaning according to Vaikuṇṭa-vāsī Śrī V.N. Śrīrāma Deśikācchār :Oh Periya Pirāṭṭi! Yourself and Your Lord displaying great love for You engage in the playing of a game of Chess / caturaṅgam to amuse yourselves. This is consistent with the practise of all loving couples to spend pleasant times together. The couple will position the chessboard between themselves. There will be demarcations of squares with the colors of white and black as places to position and to move the pawns with the roll of the dice. As the couple joyously engage in this game, men and women friends will watch the progress of this game. Oh Śrī Devī! You and Your divine consort play a similar game to amuse Yourselves. This game of Yours is watched and cheered by the assembly of nitya sūris, muktas (liberated souls) and Veda Mātās. Your Chess Board is somewhat unique in that it is made up of mūla prakṛti. The colors of the squares on that chess Board are the colors of the three guṇams: white for sattvam, red for rajas and black for tamas. Brahma lokam, Śiva lokam, Indra lokam (svargam) are the places for the rolling of the dice. Brahmā, Śiva, Indra are the pawns used in this game. Both of You roll the dice of their karmas and move the above devas in the appropriate squares. In other words, Both of You amuse Yourselves by assigning Brahmā, Śiva, Indrādi devas to appropriate positions befitting their karmas in the prakṛti maṇḍalam having the three guṇams as their defining features. Both of You enjoy the joy arising from your play. These acts of Yours are according to the dictates of the Vedas. Both of You make these moves with a unified mind set (i.e) without any discord. The nityas (eternally liberated souls) and muktas (liberated jīvans) witness this game.
Additional Observations on the passages of the 7th ślokam of Śrī Stuti :
1) Swāmy Deśikan addresses Śrī Devī here as “viśvādhīśa praṇayini". Oh Periya Pirāṭṭi, who has the right to Your Lord's love! Your Lord is Sarveśvaran (the Emperor of all) and You are the Sarveśvarī (Empress of All). Hence both of You are equally matched for loving the other and display vātsalyam and praṇayam between Yourselves.
2) Both of You are engaged in playing the game of Chess: “yuvayoḥ vibhrama dyūta vṛttiḥ”. “Vibhramaḥ" means playful. "dyūta vṛttiḥ" means the game of Chess. This is a royal game.
3) There is a chess board named mūla prakṛti known for its three colors that is positioned between Yourselves: “yuvayoḥ madhye triguṇa phalakam (asti)”. One needs a chess Board to move the pawns, Minister, Camel, Horse etc. Mūla prakṛti serves as the Board. Its sixty-four squares are alternatively painted with the colors of white or red or black (“nirmita sthāna bhedaṃ triguṇa phalakam").
4) The dices are rolled to determine the extent and direction of the movement of the pawns et al (the devas). The dices are the karmas of the devas. As a result of the roll of the dices, the positions of the devas go up or down or sideways and they attain new positions based on the sweep of their karmas. The divya dampatis play this game with great amusement (“(idaṃ) dyūta vṛttau, brahma-īśa ādyāḥ akṣaśāra pracāraṃ dadhati"). “Akṣaśāram” is the dice that is rolled. Pracāram is the movement from sthānam to sthānam (position to position on the Chess Board). "Pracāraṃ dadhati" means they experience these position changes on the chess Board of mūla prakṛti.
5) Who are the bemused and cheering spectators in this divine chess game? On the four sides of the chess Board are the assembly of nityas and muktas as well as the Vedas, who witness always this most fascinating game played strictly according to the rules ("śrutiṣu, sūri bṛndena paritaḥ sadā paśyantīṣu") by the divya dampahtis. Śrī Devī plays this extraordinary game of chess in a concordant manner with Her Lord and the movements in that game determines the assignments for the devas like Brahmā, Rudra, Indra and others.
Additional Observations on the passages of the 7th ślokam of Śrī Stuti :
1) Swāmy Deśikan addresses Śrī Devī here as “viśvādhīśa praṇayini". Oh Periya Pirāṭṭi, who has the right to Your Lord's love! Your Lord is Sarveśvaran (the Emperor of all) and You are the Sarveśvarī (Empress of All). Hence both of You are equally matched for loving the other and display vātsalyam and praṇayam between Yourselves.
2) Both of You are engaged in playing the game of Chess: “yuvayoḥ vibhrama dyūta vṛttiḥ”. “Vibhramaḥ" means playful. "dyūta vṛttiḥ" means the game of Chess. This is a royal game.
3) There is a chess board named mūla prakṛti known for its three colors that is positioned between Yourselves: “yuvayoḥ madhye triguṇa phalakam (asti)”. One needs a chess Board to move the pawns, Minister, Camel, Horse etc. Mūla prakṛti serves as the Board. Its sixty-four squares are alternatively painted with the colors of white or red or black (“nirmita sthāna bhedaṃ triguṇa phalakam").
4) The dices are rolled to determine the extent and direction of the movement of the pawns et al (the devas). The dices are the karmas of the devas. As a result of the roll of the dices, the positions of the devas go up or down or sideways and they attain new positions based on the sweep of their karmas. The divya dampatis play this game with great amusement (“(idaṃ) dyūta vṛttau, brahma-īśa ādyāḥ akṣaśāra pracāraṃ dadhati"). “Akṣaśāram” is the dice that is rolled. Pracāram is the movement from sthānam to sthānam (position to position on the Chess Board). "Pracāraṃ dadhati" means they experience these position changes on the chess Board of mūla prakṛti.
5) Who are the bemused and cheering spectators in this divine chess game? On the four sides of the chess Board are the assembly of nityas and muktas as well as the Vedas, who witness always this most fascinating game played strictly according to the rules ("śrutiṣu, sūri bṛndena paritaḥ sadā paśyantīṣu") by the divya dampahtis. Śrī Devī plays this extraordinary game of chess in a concordant manner with Her Lord and the movements in that game determines the assignments for the devas like Brahmā, Rudra, Indra and others.
