Hiranmayeem Lakshmeem..

Hiranmayeem Lakshmeem..

composition of Muthuswamy Deekshitar.

In fact it is beautiful verse.. and the great composer Muthuswamy Deekshitar has drawn some very sacred and fitting words from Veda.. to be specific Sreesooktham of Rigvedam..

Sanskrit is amenable to music, but one cannot say creations in Sanskrit are just made for music.. in which respect other languages with lesser demands of grammar and syntax score..

Tamil and old dialects of Hindi are examples..

Kannada is also in a better position there..

But languages like Telugu and Malayalam which are closer to Sanskrit face stiffer challenges but it is to the credit of great composers like Deekshitar, Tyagabrahmam, Shyama Sastri.. and many other greats.. that they have created pure and enchanting music through the medium of such languages..

coming to the Kriti

हिरण्मयीम् लक्ष्मीम् सदा भजामि हीनमानवाश्रयम् त्यजामि

चिरतर सम्पत्प्रदाम् क्षीराम्बुधि तनयाम् हरिवक्षस्थलालयाम् हरिणीम् चरणकिसलयाम् करकमलधृतकुवलयाम् मरकत मणिवलयाम्

श्वेतद्वीपवासिनीम् श्रीकमलाम्बिकाम् पराम् भूतभव्यविलासिनीम् भूसुरपूजिताम् वराम् मातरम् अब्जमालिनीम् माणिक्याभरणधराम् गीतवाद्यविनोदिनीम् गिरिजाम् ताम् इन्दिराम् शीतकिरणनिभवदनाम् श्रितचिन्तामणिसदनाम् पीतवसनाम् गुरुगुह मातुलकान्ताम् ललिताम्

hiraṇmayīm lakṣmīm sadā bhajāmi hīnamānavāśrayam tyajāmi

ciratara sampatpradām kṣīrāmbudhi tanayām harivakṣasthalālayām hariṇīm caraṇakisalayām karakamaladhṛtakuvalayām marakata maṇivalayām

śvetadvīpavāsinīm śrīkamalāmbikām parām bhūtabhavyavilāsinīm bhūsurapūjitām varām mātaram abjamālinīm māṇikyābharaṇadharām gītavādyavinodinīm girijām tām indirām śītakiraṇanibhavadanām śritacintāmaṇisadanām pītavasanām guruguha mātulakāntām lalitām

She is as resplendent as gold...( sure gold is the core of fire Jaatavda and She is one with Jaataveda...)

One has to free himself from the shackles of the mean people who amass wealth by fair means or foul, if the Grace of Lakshmi is to visit him.

She is the source of eternal wealth..

She is the daughter of the Milky ocean..

She lives in the Shreevasta birthmark in the chest of that inimitable Hari..

She is as coy as a doe..

She has feet as soft and pretty as a lotus,,

She holds in her hand a blue lotus ( Deekshitar sees Shakthi,, the Lalithatripura Sundaree everywhere including Lakshmi)

She is surrounded by gems like Marakatam ( after all all the treasures like Shanka Nidhi and Padma nidhi are hers)

She is residing in Shvetadveepa ( Shvetadveepa is the abode of Durga Parameshvari...)

She is the Kamalambika.. the Vidya.. Mahatripurasundari.. She controls the past and future ( the present too ) with her divine grace..

She is worshipped by Brahmins and scholars of Vedas who are considered as devas manifest on this earth..

She is the best among the best..

She is my mother..

She wears a garland of the flower that grows in water.. lily or lotus.. She wears ornaments of manikya ..

She is supremely happy in listening to Vocal and instrumental music..

She is born in the mountain.. that is She is Uma too the daughter of Himavaan .. (Umaa Shailendratanayaa...)

She is Indira.. the Laksmi.. deriving that name from the exalted origin from pure water..

She is as soothing and cool as the rays of the Moon.. (cf... Indiraaam Indu sheetalaam.. in Lakshmi Ashtottaram.)

. She is residing in Chintamani.. the ultimate abode of Vidya.. Mahatripurasundaree..

Dikshitar declares that he is just singing on Lakshmi keeping in his mind that She is just a manifestation of Mahatripura Sundari..

the import will be appreciated more by the Vidya Upasakas more.. and Dikshitar is a great Vidya Worshipper..

She wears bright yellow dress and

she is the aunt.. the maternal uncle's consort of that great guru.. Skanda the Guha ( Guruguha)

In fact every word is crafted to suit the musical cadence, but it has been ensured that grammar and spirit of Sanskrit language does not encounter any compromises..

The mind of the composer is eminently musical and scholarly too.. I feel it is just not human, but something Divine, heavenly..

Ultimately what manifests is the great Vidya Upasakas yearning to see Lalitha Maha Tripurasundari.. in every manifestation of Divinity..

Of course, I listened to the rendering by many Vidvans .. but except a handful, even if all do justice to the music part of it, the Sahityam is a real challenge.. and beyond many except perhaps the best..