[Advaita-l] Incorrect comparisons?

[V Subrahmanian]

On Mon, Dec 19, 2011 at 11:53 AM, V Subrahmanian
<v.subrahmanian at gmail.com>wrote:

>
> As I had pointed out earlier in places where vairagyam is intended the
> doSha darshana with regard to wealth is resorted to.  One example is: लक्ष्मीस्तोयतरङ्गभङ्गचपला
>  is an expression in Shankaracharya's shivAparAdhakShamApaNastotram where
> wealth (Lakshmi) is characterized as so fleeting in nature as the fleeting
> nature of the waves :  तोयतरङ्गवत् प्रतिक्षणं भङ्गं प्राप्नोति . Just like
> the waves appear and quickly disappear wealth too....Surely Shankaracharya
> is not doing any Lakshmi-nindA here; He is known to have authored the
> 'kanakadhArA stotram' , a Lakshmi-stuti.


Here are some more cases akin to the above where the word 'Lakshmi' is used
not in the conventional sense of the consort of Lord Narayana but in a
different sense:

श्रीमद्भागवत्‌ में व्यास जी भगवान के इसी स्वरूप को नमन करते हुए लिखते हैं- '
*तक्त्वा सुदुस्त्यजसुरेप्सित* *राज्यलक्ष्मीं,* धर्मिष्ठ  आर्यवचसा
यदगादरण्यं, मायामृगं दयितयेप्सितमन्वधावत्‌, वन्दे महापुरुष ते
चरणारविन्दम्‌।'

In the penultimate verse of the srImannArAyaNIyam of Melpattur
BhattatiripAD we have the last line thus:

हृत्वा निःशेषतापान् प्रदिशतु परमानन्दसन्दोहलक्ष्मीम्

The word श्रीः is commonly used as a synonym for Lakshmi.  This shrIH is
also used in senses other than to denote Lakshmi but in different ones:

In the kaupInapanchakam of ShankarachArya we have:

मूलं तरोः केवलमाश्रयन्तः पाणिद्वयं भोक्तुमत्रयन्तः
कन्थामिव श्रीमपि कुत्सयन्तः कौपीनवन्तः खलु भाग्यवन्तः
Here the word shrIH refers to wealth.  These dispassionate ones discard/are
indifferent to even wealth just as one would be to rags.

There is a popular Yajurveda mantra used during mangaLArati where the last
line is: सा हि श्रीरमृता सताम् [The esoteric Vedic Knowledge is the eternal
wealth of the truly elevated persons.

In Kannada the word 'siri' is used in the place of shrIH, wealth and
Lakshmi.  Here too the word is used in senses other than wealth / Lakshmi
like in 'sirigannaDam gelge' where the language Kannada is regarded as
wealth.

In the Shankaravijayam verse we are considering the idea of Lakshmi is used
to denote wealth.  And a synonym of Lakshmi is used: abdhikanyakA.

As I was about to post this Sri Vidyasankar's post popped up and I am
adding a few lines in response to that too:

Sri Narasimha Bharati SwaminaH (33rd Jagadguru of Sringeri Peetham), in the
composition on Lord Ganesha (gaNaadhipa pancharatnam) says: गिरा गुरुं
श्रिया हरिं जयन्ति यत्पदार्चका: [Those who worship Ganesha would gain
supremacy over Brahmaa by their prowess in language (vocabulary, etc.
proficiency) and Hari by their wealth.]

Sri Bharati Tirtha SwaminaH in the composition on His Guru says: नटते
मुखरङ्गे हि यस्य साक्षात् सरस्वती [On the stage of His mounth/tongue dances
verily Goddess Saraswati]

Regards,
subrahmanian.v


**