Bhaagyaadaa Lakshmi Baarammaa- an interpretation

                                              (Melukote Yadugiri Nacchiyaar or Lakshmi)

This Purandara Dasa song is nearly as famous as JagadOddhArana. Sung usually in Madhyamavati, this creates an auspicious atmosphere right away at home or in temples. it is a must-sing item in any South Indian wedding. It is included in any Dasa composition concert or any Carnatic concert held on Fridays, auspicious for Lakshmi. 

Here is a link to the MSS version. I give below the correct lyric as I understand it.

bhAgyAdA lakShmI bArammA nammammA nI sau
bhAgyAdA lakShmI bArammA

hejjaya mele hhejjeyanikkuta gejje kAlgaLa dhvaniya madutha
sajjana sAdhu pUjeya vELege majjigeyoLagina beNNeyante
(bhAgyAdA)

kanaka vrStiya kareyuta bAre manakE manadA siddhiya tOrE
dinakara kOTi tEjadi hoLeyuva janakarAyana kumAri begA
(bhAgyAdA)

attittalagalade bhaktara maneyali nitya mahOtsava nitya sumangaLa
satyava tOruta sAdhu sajjanara cittadi hoLeyuvA putthaLi gombe
(bhAgyAdA)

sankhye illAda bhAgyava koTTu kankaNa kaiya tiruvuta bAre
kunkumAnkite pankaja lOcane venkaTaramaNana binkada rANI
(bhAgyAdA)

sakkare tuppada kAluve harisi shukravArada pUjeya vELage
akkareyuLLa aLagiri rangana cokka purandara viThalana rANI
(bhAgyAdA)

The literal translation would be that this song is welcoming the gracious goddess of wealth and prosperity to come and reside in our home, showering us with gold, gifts and plenty. Lakshmi is also praised in the song as the consort of Rama (=Janaka's daughter Sita) and the consort of Vishnu.

Whilst our desiring and praying for plenty is a common enough theme for lots of Hindu prayers, I have often thought about what this song could mean to someone not craving for materal well-being. Does one still pray to Lakshmi then!? Like many other songs of Purandara Dasa, I believe this song also has two levels of meaning -the material and the spiritual. People who don't want to be bothered with the esoteric would be quite happy to pray for gold and goodies. But shall we look a little deeper here!?

In school, I was taught a shloka in the Sanskrit class. It went as "udyOginam purushasimham upaiti Lakshmi.." The idea was that when someone strove hard with focus and efficiency, Lakshmi or prosperity would smile on him. In fact the shloka admonishes one not to simply depend on Fate but to strive hard. Even if one fails then one wouldn't wonder if it was for want of trying. So the two necessary conditions for success are effort(preparedness) and grace(opportunity).

So opportunity knocks for the brave. And one can get immeasurably rich in worldly terms, as so many success stories illustrate. Everyone knows that being at the right time in the right place is important, and a good amount of luck seems to work in some people's favour. But unless one strives with focus and efficiency, one will also surely lose any such lucky windfall, again as so many real life stories tell us.

But is prosperity all of the material kind only? I am very much in agreement with Osho when he says that there is inner wealth and outer wealth. He says some are rich externally, but poor within. And vice versa. What he means is that if one cannot see the ultimate futility of material wealth in fulfilling the abiding goals of human existence, and pursues material wealth as the only goal all his life, one is poor within. So one stops running after external wealth when one aquires inner wealth. However, Osho agrees with Abraham Maslow that unless one finds material peace and prosperity, it is extremely unlikely or difficult to start working on inner richness. There are exceptional people like Kabir and Nachiketa who did not crave for material wealth despite their humble station in life. They had the rare insight to see that inner wealth and well-being were what really mattered and worked for it, not caring to better themselves in external terms. Such examples are the exceptions that prove the rule that inner poverty will go only after outer well-being. The more common model for an aspirant on the spiritual path is Buddha, born a rich prince only to see its futility and embrace the begging bowl and become a mendicant. So also the Hindu way of life which extols Dharma and Artha before Moksha.

Now let me give you the alternate, higher meaning of this prayer, in my own mind:

bhAgyAdA lakShmI bArammA nammammA nI sau
bhAgyAdA lakShmI bArammA

Oh mother of mine, goddess of prosperity, please enlighten me on the true meaning of prosperity! (Remember another word for prosperity is Aishwarya or the attribute of Ishwara=God! So unless one moves godward, there is no true prosperity).

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hejjaya mele hhejjeyanikkuta gejje kAlgaLa dhvaniya madutha
sajjana sAdhu pUjeya vELege majjigeyoLagina beNNeyante
(bhAgyAdA)

My godward path is made up of small steps, slow and steady. And the truth of the all-pervasive godhood will dawn on me much like the butter inherent in curd manifests itself when churned. That churning is the form of true seeking, true prayer, and may I be granted the inclination to true prayer. 

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kanaka vrStiya kareyuta bAre manakE manadA siddhiya tOrE
dinakara kOTi tEjadi hoLeyuva janakarAyana kumAri begA
(bhAgyAdA)

Oh mother mine, please show my mind its true potential, the potential to rise above the mundane and reach its fulfillment. 

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attittalagalade bhaktara maneyali nitya mahOtsava nitya sumangaLa
satyava tOruta sAdhu sajjanara cittadi hoLeyuvA putthaLi gombe
(bhAgyAdA)

Oh mother, once firmly established, my inner wealth will be so resplendent that I shall not swerve from the right path to godhood.

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sankhye illAda bhAgyava koTTu kankaNa kaiya tiruvuta bAre
kunkumAnkite pankaja lOcane venkaTaramaNana binkada rANI
(bhAgyAdA)

All materal wealth is subject to counting, and that means it can grow as well as diminish. The true wealth is inner wealth, beyond measurement, beyond increase or decrease. It is self-complete and total.

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sakkare tuppada kAluve harisi shukravArada pUjeya vELage
akkareyuLLa aLagiri rangana cokka purandara viThalana rANI
(bhAgyAdA)

This godly nature is more sweet than any eatable, it is more lovable than any person. it is more beautiful than anything else. God is the true essence of all beauty, all prosperity, all love. That is your ultimate grace, oh mother! Please grant me that grace, please come home to my inner being.

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