Naama 362-385: The Lord as the consort of Sri Mahalakshmi

362. sarvalakṣaṇalakṣaṇyaḥ · सर्वलक्षणलक्षण्यः

The one who is recognised as the Supreme Deity by all the distinguishing marks that proclaim His good fortune, the most important of which is the constant embrace of Sri Mahalakshmi.

(oṃ) sarvalakṣaṇalakṣaṇyāya namaḥ

One should meditate upon the Lord who is the consort of Lakshmi, who has the splendour of the inner part of a lotus, and whose hands are adorned by Lakshmi and the Sudarshana Chakra. His mantra praises Him as "O Lotus-eyed Lord! The Sea of Bliss and Good Fortune!"

363. lakṣmīvān · लक्ष्मीवान्

The one who is always in the company of Sri Mahalakshmi.

(oṃ) lakṣmīvatē namaḥ

The Lord says in the Lakshmi Tantra, "At the time of My marriage with Lakshmi, I playfully revealed the great secret that the Supreme Reality is a couple, and not Narayana alone nor Lakshmi alone. I also revealed that, like Myself, Lakshmi is eternal. She has resorted to Me, and I have resorted to Her." So the Lord and Thaayaar are always together.

364. samitiñjayaḥ · समितिञ्जयः

The one who wins over all the jeevaathmas and removes the distress caused by their doubts about being the servants of the Lord. Since Lakshmi is the mother of the universe and the Lord is its father, He always does things that bring joy to all.

(oṃ) samitiñjayāya namaḥ

His mantra describes Him as "the conqueror of all distress" (akhila duḥkha jayaḥ). The Lord wins over the jeevaathmas by removing their mistaken feeling of independence from Him, which is the source of all their distress.

विक्षरो रोहितो मार्गो हेतुर्दामोदरः सहः ।

महीधरो महाभागो वेगवानमिताशनः ॥ ४० ॥

vikṣarō rōhitō mārgō hēturdāmōdaraḥ sahaḥ |

mahīdharō mahābhāgō vēgavānamitāśanaḥ || 40 ||

365. vikṣaraḥ · विक्षरः

The one whose love for His devotees never wanes.

(oṃ) vikṣarāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar explains that the Lord's love for His devotees, described in the previous naamas, never becomes less. While human love often fades with time, the Lord's love only grows.

366. rōhitaḥ · रोहितः

The one whose complexion has the red colour of the inside of a lotus.

(oṃ) rōhitāya namaḥ

Nammazhwar describes the Lord's beautiful red lotus eyes, red lips, red feet, red hands, red lotus navel, and the red lotus on His chest (Thaayaar), all shining together (thiruc ceyya kamalak kaṇṇum sevvāyum sevvadiyum).

367. mārgaḥ · मार्गः

The one who is always sought after by His worshippers, for He bestows the fruits that they desire.

(oṃ) mārgāya namaḥ

His mantra describes Him as "the one who bestows the fruits desired" (vāñchita siddhipradaḥ). Nammazhwar describes the Lord as "the dark cloud who Himself becomes the companion on the way for those who have reached His feet."

368. hētuḥ · हेतुः

The one who is the cause for the fulfilment of the desires of His devotees.

(oṃ) hētavē namaḥ

We see the effects in the world around us, but we often do not see the cause behind them. The Lord is the cause behind every good thing that happens to His devotees.

369. dāmōdaraḥ · दामोदरः

The one who was tied around His waist with a rope by Yasoda. He is also the one who holds all the worlds in His belly.

(oṃ) dāmōdarāya namaḥ

Even though Krishna had the power to free Himself, when He was tied up by Yasoda, He shed tears and did not free Himself, out of His love for His devoted mother. This quality of the Lord is so endearing that even Sri Mahalakshmi wishes she had the good fortune of Yasoda.

370. sahaḥ · सहः

The one who patiently puts up with His devotees binding Him with a rope, threatening Him, and scolding Him.

(oṃ) sahāya namaḥ

Nammazhwar marvels, "What wonder! The simplicity of the one who stood tied to the mortar, sobbing!" (etthiṟam! uralinōdu iṇaindhirundhu Engiya eḷivē). The great Ramanuja is said to have fallen into a trance for six months while contemplating this single pasuram.

371. mahīdharaḥ · महीधरः

The one who protects and supports the earth by removing the burden of the wicked from it.

(oṃ) mahīdharāya namaḥ

When this naama occurred earlier as the 319th naama, it referred to Parasurama removing the burden of the wicked kings. Here, in the context of Lord Krishna, it refers to His protecting and supporting the earth by removing the burden of the wicked from it.

372. mahābhāgaḥ · महाभागः

The one who had the great fortune of being chosen voluntarily as consort by Neela Devi, the sixteen thousand celestial maidens, Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, and others.

(oṃ) mahābhāgāya namaḥ

Nammazhwar sings of the Lord "whose soft feet are pressed by the Lady of the lotus and by the Lady of the earth" (malar magaḷ maṟṟum maṇ magaḷ pidikkum mel adiyān).

373. vēgavān · वेगवान्

The one who, even as a little child exhibiting human qualities, is quick in showing His irresistible supreme sovereignty.

(oṃ) vēgavatē namaḥ

Even as a child, He displayed His irresistible supremacy: He destroyed Putana, broke Sakatasura, and lifted the Govardhana mountain on His little finger. Nammazhwar's Thiruvaimozhi (6.4) is full of these wondrous deeds.

374. amitāśanaḥ · अमिताशनः

The one who ate up all the food that the cowherds of Gokulam had collected for the worship of Indra.

(oṃ) amitāśanāya namaḥ

When the cowherds saw this, they were struck with wonder and asked Him, "Who are You? Are You a deva or an asura?"

उद्भवः क्षोभणो देवः श्रीगर्भः परमेश्वरः ।

करणं कारणं कर्ता विकर्ता गहनो गुहः ॥ ४१ ॥

udbhavaḥ kṣōbhaṇō dēvaḥ śrīgarbhaḥ paramēśvaraḥ |

karaṇaṃ kāraṇaṃ kartā vikartā gahanō guhaḥ || 41 ||

375. udbhavaḥ · उद्भवः

The one who, having allowed Himself to be bound by Yasoda, cuts the bonds of samsara of those who meditate upon Him.

(oṃ) udbhavāya namaḥ

Nammazhwar's disciple, Madhurakavi Azhwar, begins his Kanninun Siruttambu by referring to this very incident: the Lord who allowed Himself to be tied with a small rope. Those who meditate on this incident are released from the bonds of samsara (dāmōdaraṃ bandhaharam).

376. kṣōbhaṇaḥ · क्षोभणः

The one who, at the time of creation, creates a commotion in prakruti, which binds the jeevaathmas.

(oṃ) kṣōbhaṇāya namaḥ

Sri Sankara also quotes the Vishnu Purana, which describes how the Lord, entering into prakruti and the purusha at the time of creation, sets them in motion.

377. dēvaḥ · देवः

The one who binds the jeevaathmas with the strings of prakruti and plays with them, like hunters who catch tigers and boars in the forest.

(oṃ) dēvāya namaḥ

Nammazhwar describes the Lord as "the one who enjoys this play, with His many wonders that delude us" (palapala māya mayakkugaḷāl inbuṟum iv viḷaiyāṭṭudaiyān).

378. śrīgarbhaḥ · श्रीगर्भः

The one who has Sri Mahalakshmi always with Him and delights her by playing with her in this sport of creation.

(oṃ) śrīgarbhāya namaḥ

The Vishnu Purana says, "Lakshmi is never separated from Vishnu."

379. paramēśvaraḥ · परमेश्वरः

The one whose supreme rulership becomes fruitful because He gets the voluntary embrace of Sri Mahalakshmi.

(oṃ) paramēśvarāya namaḥ

The Ramayana says, "Rama shone very much with the beautiful Sita, just as the mighty Vishnu, the Lord of the devas, shines with Lakshmi."

380. karaṇam · करणम्

The one who is the greatest means for attaining Him. The ear, eye, and other organs are called means (karaṇa) only because they have a tiny particle of this power of the Lord.

(oṃ) karaṇāya namaḥ

The Upanishad says, "Narayana is the eye and that which is seen; Narayana is the ear and that which is heard."

381. kāraṇam · कारणम्

The one who makes all beings endowed with organs of sense and action do their respective tasks.

(oṃ) kāraṇāya namaḥ

The word karaṇam means "that by which an act is done" (kriyatē anēna iti karaṇam). Our eyes, ears, and minds, the very instruments by which we know and act, are given to us by the Lord and work only by His power. He is also the only means (upāya) by which He Himself can be attained.

382. kartā · कर्ता

The one who is the independent agent in all acts. Since the jeevaathmas are His own, He considers their joys and sorrows as His own.

(oṃ) kartrē namaḥ

When the people of His kingdom were in distress, Sri Rama felt even more distressed than they did, and in their festivities, He rejoiced like a father rejoices in the joy of his child.

383. vikartā · विकर्ता

The one who, since He identifies Himself with all beings, experiences their joys and sorrows as if they were His own. He has no joy or sorrow of His own; He feels them only for the sake of others.

(oṃ) vikartrē namaḥ

In truth, the Lord does not undergo any change; He is avikāra. Yet because the universe is His body and is constantly changing, He is said to undergo modifications. He has no joy or sorrow of His own from His actions, but He feels the joys and sorrows of His devotees as His own.

384. gahanaḥ · गहनः

The one who is beyond the understanding of all because of this magnificent quality of considering the knowledge, abode, enjoyment, and instruments of enjoyment of the jeevaathmas as His own and protecting them.

(oṃ) gahanāya namaḥ

The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says, "He who dwells in the earth, whom the earth does not know" (yaḥ pṛthivyāṃ tiṣṭhan … yaṃ pṛthivī na vēda). Nammazhwar says that He is hard to reach even for the thoughts of the devas (viṇṇavarkku eṇṇal ariyān). He is inside all of us, and yet we do not know Him.

385. guhaḥ · गुहः

The one who, in this way, protects all and is therefore the saviour.

(oṃ) guhāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar derives the naama from guh, "to protect" (gūhati rakṣati iti guhaḥ). Nammazhwar calls Him "Kanna Perumaan, whose very nature is to protect" (kākkum iyalvinan kaṇṇa perumān). One commentator compares this protection to that of a mother, who shelters the child in her womb even before it is born. Sri Sankara adds that He hides Himself by His maayaa from those who are not devoted to Him.