Naama 608-626: The Lord and His inseparable consort, Sri Mahalakshmi

608. śrīvatsavakṣāḥ · श्रीवत्सवक्षाः

The one who has on His chest the Srivatsa mark, the sign of His good fortune in being the beloved consort of Sri Mahalakshmi.

(oṃ) śrīvatsavakṣasē namaḥ

Sri Bhattar interprets the naamas from this one up to the 619th as praising the Lord's eternal relationship with Thaayaar. The Srivatsa mark distinguishes Him from all those whom He rules. The Ramayana says, "He has the Srivatsa on His chest." The Vishnu Purana describes the Lord as wearing the pure soul of the world as the Kaustubha gem, and bearing the primordial matter (pradhāna) as the Srivatsa.

609. śrīvāsaḥ · श्रीवासः

The one who is the abode of Sri Mahalakshmi.

(oṃ) śrīvāsāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar quotes the Ramayana, which describes the Lord as "nitya śrīḥ", the one with whom Lakshmi always resides. The Lord is like a garden of wish-fulfilling (kalpaka) trees, and Lakshmi is like a wish-fulfilling creeper that roams freely and joyfully in that garden. Nammazhwar describes Him as the one on whose chest the Lady of the lotus resides, declaring, "I shall not leave Him even for a moment" (agalagillēn iṟaiyum enṟu alarmēl maṅgai uṟai mārbā).

610. śrīpatiḥ · श्रीपतिः

The eternal and fitting consort of Sri Mahalakshmi.

(oṃ) śrīpatayē namaḥ

Lakshmi accompanies the Lord in whatever form He takes. The Sri Suktam says, "She is the ruler of this universe and the consort of Vishnu" (asyēśānā jagatō viṣṇupatnī). In the Sundara Kandam, Hanuman says, "Only Rama is fit for Sita, and only this dark-eyed Sita is fit for Raghava." Nammazhwar calls the Lord "the bridegroom of Thiru" (thiruvin maṇāḷan), and also "the one who is love itself to the Lady of the beautiful flower, and who is love itself for me."

611. śrīmatāṃ varaḥ · श्रीमतां वरः

The best among those who are blessed by Sri Mahalakshmi.

(oṃ) śrīmatāṃ varāya namaḥ

At the time of the churning of the milky ocean, Lakshmi chose the Lord from among all the devas who were assembled there. He is always the object of Her full and loving glances, while Brahma and the other devas receive only a passing glance from Her after She has taken Her seat on His chest. The Vishnu Purana describes this beautifully: "As the devas looked on, She went to the chest of Hari." Thus He is the best among all those who possess Her grace.

श्रीदः श्रीशः श्रीनिवासः श्रीनिधिः श्रीविभावनः ।

श्रीधरः श्रीकरः श्रेयः श्रीमान् लोकत्रयाश्रयः ॥ ६५ ॥

śrīdaḥ śrīśaḥ śrīnivāsaḥ śrīnidhiḥ śrīvibhāvanaḥ |

śrīdharaḥ śrīkaraḥ śrēyaḥ śrīmān lōkatrayāśrayaḥ || 65 ||

612. śrīdaḥ · श्रीदः

The one who gives Sri Mahalakshmi Her glory, in the form of supreme love that is eternal, ever fresh, and natural.

(oṃ) śrīdāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar says that He is Her very life. The Vishnu Purana says, "She is ever inseparable from Vishnu" (viṣṇōrēṣā anapāyinī). In the Yuddha Kandam, Rama Himself says, "Sita cannot be separated from Me, just as light cannot be separated from the sun" (ananyā hi mayā sītā bhāskarēṇa prabhā yathā). Just as He gives Her this glory, She gives Him His fullness.

613. śrīśaḥ · श्रीशः

The Lord of Sri, and also the one who has Sri as His ruler.

(oṃ) śrīśāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar quotes a description of Lakshmi from the Pancharatra: "Lakshmi is always with the Lord, as His innate qualities in His transcendental form, as a delightful form in His divine body, as His support by Her very nature, and as His devoted servant." The Sanatkumara Samhita describes Her as the ruler of the jeevaathmas, of prakruti, and of the Lord Himself. The Lord does not act without Her consent.

614. śrīnivāsaḥ · श्रीनिवासः

The one who is the eternal support of Sri Mahalakshmi, just as a wish-fulfilling tree supports the divine creeper that clings to it.

(oṃ) śrīnivāsāya namaḥ

This naama occurred earlier as the 185th naama, where it referred to the churning of the milky ocean, from which Lakshmi emerged and took Her place on His chest. Here, Sri Bhattar emphasises the eternal oneness of the Lord and Thaayaar. The Lord of the Seven Hills is worshipped by this very name, Srinivasa.

615. śrīnidhiḥ · श्रीनिधिः

The one in whom Sri Mahalakshmi has been placed, like a gem-studded jewel kept safely in a casket.

(oṃ) śrīnidhayē namaḥ

It is said that Lakshmi is the personification of all the Lord's power, and He treasures Her and keeps Her protected on His chest, covered by His yellow silk garment (pītāmbaram).

616. śrīvibhāvanaḥ · श्रीविभावनः

The one whose greatness is made known by Sri Mahalakshmi.

(oṃ) śrīvibhāvanāya namaḥ

Maricha said to Ravana, "Immeasurable is the splendour of Rama, whose consort is Sita, the daughter of Janaka" (apramēyam hi tat tējaḥ yasya sā janakātmajā). Andal vividly describes the trouble the Lord took to win Thaayaar: without eating or sleeping, He churned the roaring ocean to obtain Her.

617. śrīdharaḥ · श्रीधरः

The one who bears Sri Mahalakshmi by an innate and natural relationship.

(oṃ) śrīdharāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar's words are beautiful: "Just as a gem bears its lustre, a flower its fragrance, the moon its moonlight, and nectar its sweetness, so does the Lord bear Lakshmi, by a relationship that is innate to Him." In the Ramayana, it is said, "It is impossible for Rama to abandon Sita, just as a virtuous man cannot abandon his good name."

618. śrīkaraḥ · श्रीकरः

The one who makes Sri Mahalakshmi incarnate in a suitable form whenever He incarnates in this world.

(oṃ) śrīkarāya namaḥ

The Vishnu Purana says, "When He is born as a deva, She takes the body of a devi, and when He is born as a human, She becomes human" (dēvatvē dēva dēhēyam manuṣyatvē ca mānuṣī). Thus, She came as Sita when He came as Rama, and as Rukmini when He came as Krishna. Nammazhwar describes "our Lord who, together with the Lady of the beautiful flower, rules these seven worlds to bring them joy."

619. śrēyaḥ śrīmān · श्रेयः श्रीमान्

The one who possesses Sri Mahalakshmi, who is resorted to by devotees for attaining the highest good (śrēyas).

(oṃ) śrēyaśśrīmatē namaḥ

Sri Bhattar quotes Trijata's words to the rakshasis in the Sundara Kandam: "Sita, the daughter of Janaka, is easily pleased by those who bow before Her. She alone is capable of protecting us from this great danger." Even to the rakshasis who had tormented Her, Thaayaar shows mercy. In the Kathopanishad, Yama explains the difference between śrēyas, the spiritual good, and prēyas, worldly pleasure. Thaayaar is the one who leads us to śrēyas.

620. lōkatrayāśrayaḥ · लोकत्रयाश्रयः

The one who, together with Sri Mahalakshmi, is the only refuge of all beings in the three worlds, just as a father and mother are the refuge of their children.

(oṃ) lōkatrayāśrayāya namaḥ

In the Vishnu Purana, Indra says to Lakshmi, "You are the mother of all the worlds, and Hari, the God of gods, is the father" (tvam mātā sarva lōkānām dēvadēvō hariḥ pitā).

स्वक्षः स्वङ्गः शतानन्दो नन्दिर्ज्योतिर्गणेश्वरः ।

विजितात्मा विधेयात्मा सत्कीर्तिश्छिन्नसंशयः ॥ ६६ ॥

svakṣaḥ svaṅgaḥ śatānandō nandirjyōtirgaṇēśvaraḥ |

vijitātmā vidhēyātmā satkīrtiśchinnasaṃśayaḥ || 66 ||

621. svakṣaḥ · स्वक्षः

The one whose beautiful eyes are skilled in enjoying the nectar-like ocean of Sri Mahalakshmi's beauty.

(oṃ) svakṣāya namaḥ

Our elders say that the corners of the Lord's eyes are reddish because He is always looking at Thaayaar's beautiful, rosy complexion, while Thaayaar's eyes are dark because She is always enjoying His dark, beautiful form. Thiruppaanazhwar sings of the Lord's long, wide, red-lined eyes, which drove him to distraction.

622. svaṅgaḥ · स्वङ्गः

The one whose divine body is so beautiful that it is worthy of being admired even by Sri Mahalakshmi.

(oṃ) svaṅgāya namaḥ

It is the Lord's beauty that leads Thaayaar to declare that She will not leave Him even for a moment. In the Sundara Kandam, Valmiki describes every aspect of Rama's beauty through sixteen shlokas in the words of Hanuman. Thiruppaanazhwar, after describing the beauty of Lord Ranganatha from His feet to His crown in the Amalanadipiran, concludes, "My eyes, which have seen my nectar-like Lord, will not see anything else."

623. śatānandaḥ · शतानन्दः

The one who has boundless bliss that ever overflows, on account of the mutual love between Him and Sri Mahalakshmi.

(oṃ) śatānandāya namaḥ

Here, the word sata (hundred) does not mean the number one hundred; it stands for the vastness of His bliss. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says, "On a small fraction of this bliss, all other beings live."

624. nandiḥ · नन्दिः

The one who is ever delighted, because He is always with Sri Mahalakshmi at all times, in all places, and in all ways.

(oṃ) nandayē namaḥ

625. jyōtirgaṇēśvaraḥ · ज्योतिर्गणेश्वरः

The Lord of the hosts of radiant nityasuris, such as Adisesha and Vishvaksena, who are always at the service of the Lord and Thaayaar.

(oṃ) jyōtirgaṇēśvarāya namaḥ

The Purusha Suktam says, "The wise desire to attain the place of the radiant ones" (marīcīnām padamicchanti vēdhasaḥ). Nammazhwar describes the Lord as the master of the ever-vigilant immortals (ayarvaṟum amarargaḷ adhipati). The nityasuris shine with the wealth of their service (kaiṅkarya śrī) to the Lord and Thaayaar.