Carnatic Musing 9 – Sri Vara Lakshmi – Sri Ragam – Muthuswamy Dikshitar – Varalakshmi Vratam Special

Audio Link

Pl. listen to the divine voice of MS Subbulakshmi in the following link : https://www.dropbox.com/s/x87kv796u8w2b62/Shri%20Varalakshmi-M%20S%20Amma-q1FmCYxR-xw.mp3?dl=0

and as a tribute to MS Amma by Bombay Jayashri here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ojxcucefwuyucik/Sri%20Varalakshmi%20_%20Bombay%20Jayashri%20%28Album_%20Tribute%20to%20M%20S%20Subbulakshmi%20%29-pxS3uCJns5E.mp3?dl=0

Meaning in English

Salutations to Goddess Varalakshmi, the provider of wealth, the one seated on the lotus flower, who is the abode of charm. I will bow to your beautiful feet repeatedly on every step and occasion.

You are the lady love of Sri Vishnu, the father of Manmadha. You as the one with golden splendour is more radiant and glittering than a crore of the Sun. You are easily accessible to your devotees; you protect people who pray to you. Oh, the one adorned with lotus garland, you are the epitome of absoluteness; you reside in the heart of Lord Vishnu.

On the fifth month of the year, the Friday before the full moon, many women led by Charumathi prays you. Devas and Guruguha offer gems studded garland/ornaments to you. You are an expert in saving the devoted downtrodden by showering them with gold. You are skilled in removing illusion from us and you are praised by Goddess Saraswathi. You provide the way for salvation and your hands provide the boon that is desired by the devotees.

Meaning in Tamil

பல்லவி

தனம்தரும் திருமகளே அலர்மேல் மங்கையே

வனப்புமிகு வண்ணத்து உறைவிடமே – உனது

எழில்மிகு பாதம்தனை இடைவிடாது பணிவேனே

அனுபல்லவி

மன்மத ஜனகன் மாயவனின் உயிரினும் உயிரான பொன்மகளே

பக்தர்கள் எளிதெனவே அணுகும் கோடி சூரிய ஒளி அலைமகளே

அடியார்தமை ஆதரவுடன் காக்கும் ஆம்பல் மாலை அணி அலர்மகளே

நிறை பேரறிவுத் தன்மைமிகு ஶ்ரீதேவியே, ஶ்ரீதரனின் திருமார்புறை ….

தனம்தரும்

சரணம்

ஆவணி முழுநிலவுமுன் கிழமை வெள்ளியில் விரதமிருந்து

ஆம்பல்உறை உனை துதிப்பர் சாருமதியும் பெண்டிரும் !

பொன்மணி மாலை சாற்றி போற்றிடுவர் தேவரும் குருகுகனும்

பொன்மாரி பொழிந்து காத்து அடியார்க்கு அருள் புரியும்

மாயை அகற்றும் வித்தகி, நாவுக்கரசி பாமகள் போற்றும்

முக்திக்கு வித்திடும், வேண்டிய வரம்தனைக் கரம் தரும்…தனம்தரும்

Sanskrit Verses

पल्लवि

श्री वर लक्ष्मि नमस्तुभ्यं वसु प्रदे

श्री सारस पदे रस पदे सपदे पदे पदे

अनुपल्लवि

भावज जनक प्राण वल्लभे सुवर्णाभे

भानु कोटि समान प्रभे भक्त सुलभे

(मध्यम काल साहित्यम्)

सेवक जन पालिन्यै श्रित पङ्कज मालिन्यै

केवल गुणशालिन्यै केशव हृत्खेलिन्यै

चरणम्

श्रावण पौर्णमी पूर्वस्थ शुक्रवारे –

चारुमती प्रभृतिभिः पूजिताकारे

देवादि गुरु गुह समर्पित मणि–मय हारे

दीन जन संरक्षण निपुण कनक धारे

(मध्यम काल साहित्यम्)

भावना भेद चतुरे भारती सन्नुत वरे

कैवल्य वितरण परे काङ्क्षित फल प्रद करे

English Transliteration

pallavi

SrI vara lakshmi namastubhyaM vasu pradE

SrI sArasa padE rasa padE sapadE padE padE

anupallavi

bhAvaja janaka prANa vallabhE suvarNAbhE

bhAnu kOTi samAna prabhE bhakta sulabhE

(madhyama kAla sAhityam)

sEvaka jana pAlinyai Srita pankaja mAlinyai

kEvala guNaSAlinyai kESava hRtkhElinyai

caraNam

SrAvaNa paurNamI pUrvastha SukravArE –

cArumatI prabhRtibhiH pUjitAkArE

dEvAdi guru guha samarpita maNi-maya hArE

dIna jana saMrakshaNa nipuNa kanaka dhArE

(madhyama kAla sAhityam)

bhAvanA bhEda caturE bhAratI sannuta varE

kaivalya vitaraNa parE kAGkshita phala prada karE

Meaning of the Sanskrit Words

पल्लवि

श्री वर लक्ष्मि – Sri Varalakshmi

नमः-तुभ्यं – salutations, to you

वसु प्रदे – wealth,giver

श्री सारस पदे – lotus, resides

रस पदे – charm/pleasure,abode

सपदे – स पदॆ, – good/beautiful feet

पदे पदे – पदॆपदॆ – repeatedly, again and again

अनुपल्लवि

भावज – god of love

जनक – father

प्राण – dear as lifev

वल्लभे – lady love

सुवर्ण-आभे – golden, splendor

भानु – sun

कोटि – one crore

समान – equivalent

प्रभे – illumination

भक्त – devotee

सुलभे – easily reachable

सेवक – those who pray

जन – people

पालिन्यै – protector

श्रित – attached to

पङ्कज – lotus

मालिन्यै – garland

केवल – bare/ (absoluteness)

गुण-शालिन्यै – nature/trait, possess

केशव – vishnu

हृत्-खेलिन्यै – heart, sports/reside

चरणम्

श्रावण – fifth month of the year – normally august

पौर्णमी – full moon

पूर्वस्थ – शुक्र-वारे – most excellent, Friday

चारुमती – Charumathi /lovely lady

प्रभृतिभिः – beginning with

पूजिताकारे – prayed,

देव-आदि – devas and others

गुरु गुह – guru guha

समर्पित – offered

मणि-मय हारे – gems studded garland

दीन जन – down trodden

संरक्षण – save/protect

निपुण – expert

कनक धारे – gold, shower

भावना भेद चतुरे – illusion/imaginary, crack (भेदयति), clever/skillful/adept

भारती – Saraswathi (Voice)

सन्नुत वरे – praised, eminent

कैवल्य – salvation

वितरण परे – bestow, intent

काङ्क्षित – desired/wished

फल प्रद करे- fruit of desire, granting, hands

Note: For those of you who are interested to know the background of Varalakshmi vratham (Puja), here is an interesting story from the Puranas:

The Story behind VARALAKSHMI VRATHAM

The story happens in a beautiful town called Kundinagaram located in the Kingdom of Vidarbha (Vidarba Rajyam). In that Kundinagram town, Goddess Adilakshmi, being pleased by her devotion tells Charumathi in a dream and directed her to perform the vrata to enable Her to fulfil her desires. Charumathi wakes up and tells her husband about the dream. Charumathi along with some neighbourhood women takes bath in the wee hours and prepare a mandapam and invites Varalakshmi Devi. She recites the following sloka along with other women with utmost faith and devotion.

Lakshmi Ksheerasamudra rajatanyam sri rangadhameswareem Dasibootha samastha devavanitham lokaika deepamkuram

Sri manmanda kataksha labdhivibhat brahmendra gangadharam Twamtrayamlokyakutumbhineem sasijavandemukunda priyam

Then she wore nine threads Thoranam to right hand and offers naivadyam to Goddess Lakshmi Devi. On the completion of the first circumstance, she heard she found Gajjelu, Andelu and other ornaments. On the second circumstance, they found kankanams made of navaratnams to their hands. On completion of the third circumstance, they found immense wealth. Then Charumathi offers Tambulam to the brahmin priests and distribute the vrata prasadam to the relatives and lead a happy life. Since then, Hindu women perform this vrata with utmost faith and trust till today. With this, Lord Eswara concludes telling the story to Goddess Parvathi.