Sri Seva Swamy’s Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Introduction:
We will visit the srotria village of arasanipalai, where Sri Lakshmi narayana perumaL blesses us with Maha Lakshmi seated on His left lap. arasanipalai is one of the 18 Vaidika agraharams situated between the two rivers, PaalaRu and Seyyar. dusi Maamandur and nallur are two of such agraharams besides arasanipalai in this region. Many yajnams have been conducted at the nallUr and arasanipalai agraharams by the descendants of Kidaambi acchan Pranatartiharar)who performed MadappaLLi kaimkaryam for acarya Raamanuja (1017-1137 CE). He was one of the greatest acaryas with direct links to acarya Raamanuja. it is Kidaambi acchan, who traveled to Saarada piTham (Sarasvati piTham) in Kashmir at the request of his acaryan to present his acaryan’s commentary on Brahma sUtrams to Saarada devi. The Goddess was so pleased with the great commentary (Bhashyam) of acarya Raamanuja that She named this Bhashyam as “Sri Bhashyam” to show how pleased She was with the authentic and scholarly commentary on Brahma sUtrams.
Kidaambi acchan’s vamsam is linked to atreya gotram; the acaryan of Swamy Desikan (1268-1369 CE) is Sri appuLLar, who arose from that same KiDaambi acchan vamSam. after Swamy Desikan’s time, Sri atreya Kacchi KiDaambi arasanipalai VenkaTadhvari Kavi was born in arasanipalai (1590-1660 CE) and is the celebrated author of many poetic works (viz.), Sri Lakshmi sahasram, visvadarsa campu, Raaghava Yaadaviyam.
Sri atreya Srinivasaraghavachar Swamy is a descendant of the arasanipalai VenkaTadhvari vamSam and was a great admirer of the Sri sUktis of Swamy Desikan. Because of his many kaimkaryams/sevas to propagate Desika darSanam, Swamy was awarded the title of seva Swamy, which he respected more than any other award. Sri seva Swamy was a great upasakar of Sri Hayagrivan. This vimSati on Sri Lakshminarayanan, the deity of arasanipalai is his tribute to the PerumaL from his village of birth. it is aDiyEn’s bhagyam to cover this vimSati in this e-book.
Sri Seva Swamy’s Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam:
Slokam 1:
satyavratakshetra-lalAmabhUto
bAhAsarittIra virAjamAnaH|
makhiprakrshTohyaraSANipAlai
nArAyaNo yatra vibhAti lakshmyA ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
ArasANipAlai, a SrImat agrahAram is on the banks of SeyyARu and has gained fame from all the yAgams performed there by great srautis/ dIkshitAs known for their Vedic scholarship. This srotriya agrahAram is like the distinguished AbharaNam for the satyavrata Kshetram (Hastigiri). At this agrahAram, SrI LakshmI nArAyaNan blesses us with His auspicious sevai, where MahA LakshmI is found seated on His left thigh.
Slokam 2:
Atreya gotrAmbudhi pUrNacandraiH
AcAraSIlairabhito varishThaiH |
ASAsyamAnaH parabhakti-yuktaiH
nArAyaNo bhAti sahaiva lakshmyA ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
SrI LakshmI nArAyaNan resides in the SrI grAmam of ArasANipAlai eulogized by the MahAns (varishThA-s) with immense Parabhakti for You and they are like the Full Moon rising out of the milky ocean of Atreya gotram (Atreya gotrAmbhudhi pUrNa candrAiH). They are great guNaSAlIs known for their AcAram and anushThAnams.
varishThaH means the best among all and the most distinguished ones for their Parabhakti and Vedic scholarship as AcArya PurushAs. AcAram and anushThAnam are the two wings of these great AcAryAs. Oh LakshmI nArAyaNa! You shine resplendent with the mangaLASAsanams of such great devotees hailing from your agrahAram.
Slokam 3:
SrIvaishNavAgresara mAnanIyAH
AcAryavaryA jagati prasiddhAH |
satsampradAya avana baddha dIkshAH
tvayA pradattA jagatAm vibhAnti ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
The great AcAryAs (AcAryavaryA-s) linked to the SrI agrahAram of ArasANipAlai are highly revered (mAnanIyAH) by the foremost among the SrI vaishNavAs of the world (SrIvaishNavAgresara mAnanIyAH). They are sworn to defend our sat-sampradAyam (satsampradAya avana baddha dIkshAH) that starts with You. Starting from KiDaambi AcchAn, they have an unbroken string of great AcAryAs. They have been blessed (given) to this world for its well being by You (tvayA jagatAm pradattAH) !
Slokam 4:
bhAgyam jagatyAm upavarNanIyam
tvadIya sevAphalam Amananti |
astokadivyAdhvaravedibhogye
jAnegrahAre tava bhAgyam etat ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
The worldly opinion is that one gains viSesha bhAgyams by worshipping EmperumAn. This is true. Oh LakshmI nArAyaNa of ArasANipAlai! aDiyEn thinks that th ere are unique advantages to You in terms of the conferral of boons, who come to worship You. Your kshetram is extraordinary since there is no place on earth, where so many yaj~nams have taken place. No other EmperumAn, be it divya deSam or abhimAna sthalam, has this unique distinction. sevArthIs at ArasANipAlai gain special sevA phalan from their worship of You because of the specialty of Your sacred sthalam. The yajna sambandham is very much behind such unique sevA phalans.
Slokam 5:
ishTArthasiddhyai bhavatopadishTam
ishTyAdikam bhUri krtam hi yatra |
yaj~no hi nArAyaNa nAmarUpaH
tvamatra bhAsIti vibhAvaye tvAm ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
Oh LakshmI nArAyaNA! You have instructed the people that they should perform different yAgams and yajnams to gain the phalans of interest to them. VaidikAs have performed many yajnams here at your agrahAram following that upadeSam of Yours. Yajnam is the embodiment of NaarAyaNan (yajno hi nArAyaNa nAma rUpa). Therefore, aDiyEn considers that You are resplendent here with the name of LakshmInArAyaNan. The VishNu sahasra nAmams relating to yajna praise the Lord’s role as yajnapati and yajna bhuk (the enjoyer of the havis offered in the yajnam). He is the yajna guhyan or the secret of the sacrifice. Though the Lord does not need anything, He accepts all the offerings made in the yajnam and enjoys them. He feels satisfied and also satisfies those who perform the yajnams. This secret is understood only by the wise. This is the secret of the yajnam.
Slokam 6:
Atreya gotraika janiprakrshTAH
dvijA dvijatvam pratipadyamAnAH |
bhUyastarAm vishNupade carantaH
vibhAnti tushTastvamihAsi bhUtyai ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
At ArasANipAlai agrahAram, there were many Atreya gotra vamSattArs (Atreya gotraika janiprakrshTAH), who led illustrious lives as AcAryAs and Vedic scholars. They were truly divjAs (antaNars). dvija has two meanings: (1) Twice Born and (2) Birds.
As birds, they flew away from Your kshetram, their place of birth and settled down at other VishNu kshetrams like PerumAL Koil (Vishnu KaancI), Melkote, TirumalA and SrIrangam. The sky (AkASam) is called VishNu Padam. In the sky, only birds roam (vishNu pade carantaH). They all settled at different VishNu kshetrams and distinguished themselves at these places. Oh LakshmI nArAyaNa! You alone live here now at ArasANipAlai with joy as the enjoyer of Your ekAntam (iha tvam tushTaH bhUtai vibhAnti asi).
Slokam 7:
nArAyaNa tvam ramayA sametaH
prAcIm diSam vIkshya muhuH prasannaH |
kuto na jAne paramam rahasyam
yUpojvalam stambhamavekshase kim! ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
Oh nArAyaNa! At ArasANipAlai, You are looking joyously at the eastern direction with Your devi (nArAyaNa tvam ramayA sametaH prAcIm diSam vIkshya muhuH prasannaH). aDiyEn wondered why You are intently looking at the east and are feeling joyous. aDiyEn recognized that there is a parama rahasyam behind Your act. You are looking at the yUpastambham in the east, which is standing in tact over the four hundred and fifty (450) years in spite of all the changes that have taken place in the agrahAram during this long period of time. From Your perspective, it is a jaya stambham that is standing erect.
Slokam 8:
yaj~nasya sAkshI sthira eva loke
yaj~nasthalI cApi vibhAti susthA |
tataH abhijAtAvasataH agrahAraH
viSvaprasiddho api adhunA tvayaiva ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
Oh LakshmI nArAyaNa! You are the witness (sAkshI) for all these yaj~nams that took place here at ArasANipAlai in Your role as sarva sAkshi (Universal witness). You, the yaj~na sAkshi are firmly established here at this yaj~na sthalam (yaj~nasya sAkshI, yaj~nasthalI susthA sthiram vibhAti). The site of yAgam and the yUpa stambham are in tact. It is because of these facts realized through Your anugraham alone that the agrahAram of ArasANipAlai stays famous in the world even today (viSva prasiddho adhunA api tvayaiva vibhAti).
Slokam 9:
kAncyuttarAcottamatAm praNItA
yaj~nairhi sajjaiH kila yAyajUkaiH |
atryanvavAyAnvayavidvagrayaiH
susvadhvaraiH adhvaravedi dIpraiH ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
Kaancipuram is in the northern direction form ArasANipAlai SrI grAmam. At KaancI Lord VaradarAjan shines at the Hayamedha (aSvamedha) agni kuNTham. The migration of the atri gotra yaj~nikAs (yAyajUkaiH) and prapannAs from ArasANipAlai to KaancI and their performance of many yaj~nams at KaancI has made KaancI enhance its superiority and become the noblest of the noble (uttamatAm) among the divya deSams.
Slokam 10:
SrIvAdihamsAmbuda sUrivarya
vamsAvatamsaiH kila vipravaryaiH |
SrI SrInivAsAdhvaribhiH pratishThAm
prAptaH agrahArohyaraSANipAlai ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
Oh Sri LakshmI nArAyaNa! Is it not so that the ArasANipAlai agrahAram that You preside over was established/consecrated by the Vaidika SreshTar, SrI SrInivAsAdhri MahA Desikan, a descendant of the most celebrated SrImat AppuLLAr known also as SrI VaadihamsAmbuvAhar, the maternal uncle of Swamy VedAnta Desikan?
Slokam 11:
pratishThitastvam nijabhUmni nityam
pratishThitaH tvam paramAgrahAre |
punaH pratishThA bhavataH praSasyA
cirAya nArAyaNa sannidhatsva ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
Oh LakshmI nArAyaNaa! Thou art rooted in Your true glory. You have the consecrated residence at this noble agrahAram. Your pratishThA here is one of the purest. May Thou make Your
presence to bless us all for a very long time!
Slokam 12:
yamappayam prAhvayatisma hrshTo
varaprado vAraNaSailamUrdhni |
devAdhirAjah appaya dIkshitosau
kUTastha evAbhavat atrigotre ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
At KaancI, the boon granting Lord (Varadan) is present on top of Hasti Giri. He is the Lord of all the celestials (devAtirAjan). SrI VaradarAjan was very pleased with the grand yaj~nams
performed at His kshetram by SrI SrInivAsAdhvari dIkshitar and addressed the dIkshitar as “appaya”. That SrI SrInivAsAdhvari is the kUTasthar (mUla Purushar) for all descendants of atri
vamSam. Lord VaradarAjan addressed Sri SrInivAsAdhvari as appayya just as He addressed SrI NaDAtUr ammAn with great affection as “ammAL”.
Slokam 13:
kalyANakulyA kamanIyayUpaH
kArSyam kutaH prApa na vedmi tattvam |
kshamasva sarvAnaparAdhavargAn
rddhyai samIkshasva sudhAkaTAkshAt ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
KalyANakulyA is a small stream (rivulet) at ArasANipAlai and there is a beautiful remnants of a yUpa stambham linked to the great yAgams performed there by Veda vitpannAr-s. The rivulet is
dry these days and the yUpa stambham is also damaged. We do not know why they are both affected this way. It must be our sins that must have led to this situation. Oh Lord! Please forgive our sins and through Your compassionate nectarine glances look at us and restore the agrahAram to its ancient glory blessed with all kinds of aiSvaryams!
Slokam 14:
kalyANakulyAmrtavAhinI stAt
yUpaH samucchrAyamupaitu bhUyaH |
tvadIyadhAmojvalatAm upeyAt
ArAdhanam te navatAm pradadyAt ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
Oh Lord! Our prayers are for the flow of water in the KalyANakulyA! May the yUpa stambham grow tall with Your anugraham! May Your Temple gain new lustre! May Your ArAdhanam stand out with newness!
Slokam 15:
kAncIghaTAmbvityabhidhAnabhAjaH
SrIvenkaTAcAryamukhAH kavIndrAH |
Yat sannidhAnAt atulAm pratishThAm
samprApya nArAyaNa samvibhAsi ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
The great poets addressed as Kacchi ghaTAmbu (KiTAmbi) have been celebrated in this world. The gem of a poet (Kavi vidvanmaNi) like SrI VenkaTAdhvari MahA Desikan were born in Your agrahAram here at ArasANipAlai. Your glories in blessing us with such great poets and AcAryans are matchless. It is indeed through such glorious acts that You stand established at this agrahAram with such kIrti!
Slokam 16:
dabhretare dhAmani vardhamAno
dabhram param dhAma samASritosi |
adabhra drshTyA svayamedhamAnaH
bhadrANi nArAyaNa samvidheyAH ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
Oh Lord! You shine with effulgence at the grandest of places such as SrI VaikuNTham; yet, You have elected to reside at a small agrahAram as Your abode. In spite of this, it is our prayer that You with Your all pervasive kaTAksham will grow further and further in Your glories and bless us with all kinds of MangaLams.
Slokam 17:
vidhipraNIte subhage aSvamedhe
samudbhavan SyAmalahavyavAhaH |
astoka bhogyAdhvara-havya bhoktA
nayati aho tAn svapuram sma devaH ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
Lord VaradarAjan arose from the agni KuNTham of the yaj~nam performed by Brahma devan as Neelamegha SyAmaLan. He enjoyed so very much the delicious havis offered at the many yAgams at ArasANipAlai by the local residents that He invited them all to His divya deSam to perform yAgams there for Him.
Slokam 18:
kaliH pradushTaH kavayopi nashTAH
kalyANakulyApyamrtena hInA |
jAtASca dUre sukhajIvikAyai
parantu nArAyaNa susthirosi ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
KalyANakulyA has dried up. The MahAns of this agrahAram have moved on to different places for pursuing a comfortable life (Sukha jIvanam). The age of Kali is a cruel age. The poets from here have vanished. Oh Lord! It is our bhAgyam that You are staying here permanently
Slokam 19:
pUtograhAre makhajAlakrtyA
pUtA sthalI satpadareNupUrNA |
pUtA vayam grAma sunAmadhrtyA
vasema nArAyaNa te kaTAkshaiH ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
This is a sacred agrahAram. The reason for its sanctity is linked to the many sacred yAgams that took place here. The dust from the holy feet of many MahAns is also associated with ArasANipAlai agrahAram. We also add ArasANipAlai to our names and feel sacred. May we thrive and prosper with Your divya kaTAkshams falling on us!
Slokam 20:
SrIsUkta homena krtena bhaktyA
grAmaH samrddhim sakalAm upaitu |
devaH samArAdhana samprahrshTaH
abhIshTadAyI satatam vibhAtu ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
After many years, We are performing SrI sUkta homam with bhakti here. May the sacred agrahAram of ArasANipAlai prosper with all kinds of aiSvaryams! Oh Lord! May Thou be pleased with the tiruvArAdhanams performed by us and fulfill the desires of all of us!
Slokam 21:
atryanvavAye janimetya sevA
ratena mAvasaraghUttamena |
bhaktyA krtam stotramidam paThantaH
lakshmI kaTAksheNa vibhAntu loke ||
Sri Lakshminarayana Slokam Meaning:
May all those who recite this stotram on Lord Sri LakshmI nArAyaNan of the ArasANipAlai agrahAram composed by atri gotra sambhavan, SrInivAsarAghavan, who spends his time in performing kaimkaryams to BhagavAn, His BhAgavatAs and AcAryans, gain LakshmI KaTAksham and prosper!
MangaLa Slokam:
akshmI nArAyaNam devam mandiram nutana nirmitam |
rakshitAm yAgaSAlAm ca drshTvA tushTim bhajemahi ||
MangaLa Slokam Meaning:
May we all be joyous over the darSana saubhAgyam of Lord LakshmI nArAyaNan, the newly renovated temple for Him at ArasANipAlai and the yAgasAlai created there!
Subhamastu! MangaLAni santu!
dAsan,
Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan