3.3 Prapatthi to Sri Mahalakshmi

Sloka 3

नालीकसम्भवभवादिसुराभिवाद्ये

नानाविधाकृतकवाङ्मयमौलिवेद्ये

पाथोधिपुत्रि परिवक्षसि नित्यहृद्ये

भान्तीमनन्यशरणो भवतीं प्रपद्ये

nālīkasambhavabhavādisurābhivādye

nānāvidhākṛtakavāṅmayamaulivedye

pāthodhiputri parivakṣasi nityahṛdye

bhāntīmananyaśaraṇo bhavatīṁ prapadye

நாலீகஸம்ப₄வப₄வாதி₃ஸுராபி₄வாத்₃யே

நாநாவிதா₄க்ருதகவாங்மயமௌலிவேத்₃யே

பாதோ₂திபுத்ரி பதிவக்ஷஸி நித்யஹ்ருத்₃யே

பா₄ந்தீமநந்யஶரணோ ப₄வதீம் ப்ரபத்₃யே

Commentary:

Daughter of the Ocean! The One worshipped by Brahma and Siva, The One known through unpretentious head of the Vedas-the Upanishads!, I, the one without any other refuge, surrender to you, the One who remains beautifully on the Beloved’s chest.

கடலின் கன்னியே! நாபிக்கமலத்தில் தோன்றிய பிரம்மா, மற்றும் சிவனால் வணங்கப்படுபவளே! செயற்கை இல்லாத வாக்கான வேதத்தின் சிரசான உபநிஷத்துக்களால்அறியப்படுபவளே! புகலொன்றில்லா அடியேன், மிகப்பிடித்தமான கணவனின் மார்பில் அழகாக விளங்கும் தேவரீரை சரணமாக அடைகிறேன்.

Commentary: (from www.sadagopan.org, alamelumanga series) 

While paying obeisance to elders, one states his lineage such as gotram, pravaram 

etc. This is called abhivAdanam. As Sri MahA Lakshmi is their Mother, the 

DevAs, BrahmA and RudrA worship Her by reciting abhivAdanam. She resides on 

the chest of Sri NArAyaNa who has the hue of a dark cloud that has the lightning 

embedded in it (nIlamuNDa minnanna mEni perumAn - NammAzhvAr, Tiruviruttam). 

She Herself looks like a lightning that illumines the dark sky. In this Slokam 

prapatti is mentioned while in the previous slokam Bhakti was mentioned. 

In this slokam, the poet performs prapatti to PirAtti. This slokam is similar to Sri 

AlavandhAr’s Catussloki first slokam (kAntaste), mentioning that the DevAs, 

BrahmA and RudrA worship Her refers to the paratvam of PirAtti. She is Whom 

the Upanishads adore. 

As in the case of AcArya RaamAnuja in SaraNAgati gadyam, Sri VenkatAdhvari 

Kavi performs Prapatti at the sacred feet of MahA Lakshmi as one who has no 

other recourse (ananya SaraNan).