indragOpa-parikshipta-smaratUNAbha-jaMghikA

SuklAmbara-dharam-viShNum-SaSi-varNam-caturbhujam|

prasanna-vadanam-dhyAyEt-sarva-vighnOpaSAntayE||

SrI gurbhyOnamaH

AdhArE taruNArkabiMbaruciram hEmaprabham vAgbhavam

bIjam manmathamindragOpasadruSam hrutpaMkajE samsthitam|

viSHNu brahma padasthaSakti kalitam sOmaprabhAbhAsuram

yE dhyAaMti padatrayam tavaSivEyaMti saukhyam padam||

indragOpa-parikshipta-smara-tUNAbha-jamghikA

indragOpa-parikshipta – Surrounded by Indragopa fire-flies

smara – Manmatha

tUNAbha – quiver like

jamghika – calf muscles

Indragopa fire flies are red in colour. Amma’s calf muscles are red in colour and look like Manmatha’s quiver.

jaMghOrU varuNasyaऽtha tEjasA saMbabhUvatuH

(SrImaddEvIbhagavatam – Canto 5- 72 Sl)

anangavaratUNIradarpOnmathanajaMghikA

(Brahmanda Puranam – Uttara bhagam – Ch 37-70Sl)

While Hayagriva swami in Brahmanda Purana states that Amma’s calf muscles formed with Varuna’s tejus are competing with Ananga’s quiver in their lustre, Durvasa muni praises the same in Arya Dvisati as janghAjitakAmajaitratUNIrAm - calf muscles are winning Kamadeva’s quiver.

lAvanyakadalI-tulya-jaMghA-yugala-maMDitAm

 (Vamakeswara tantra – 125)

No arrows and no quivers!! The beauty of finest lavanya personified Amma’s calf muscles in Vamakeswara tantra is compared to very tender banana stems.

Sankara Bhagavatpada in Soundarya lahari 83rd sloka parAjEtum rudram dviguNa Saragarbhau girisutE, described Amma’s calf muscles to be better than Manmatha’s quiver!! Manmatha wanted to distract Sambhu from the deep tapas, so that Sambhu gets enchanted by Amma’s beauty and agrees for the wedlock.  But he felt his five flowery arrows are not sufficient for this task. So, he chose arrows that are better than his and also double in number.  Adi Sankara  says, the arrows that Manmatha chose are none other than Amma’s ten toes that are stored in the quiver called her calf muscles. These arrows are having sharp edges, nails that are sharpened due to brushing against the crowns of suras.

 

While there are several names to Manmatha, smara is used only twice in the enire sahasranama stotra by Vagdevatas. Smara means memory/remember. This is done through mind and whatever is thought about in the mind,  issues out in action through indriyas. Smara is used in two namas describing these two, mind (nama indicating place of mind/eyebrows) and the other, the heart (that makes all the indriyas get into action) are described with Smara.

So the first nama where smara is used is vadana-smara-mangalya-gruha-tOrana-cillikA.

kAmastadagrE samavartatAdhi manasO rEtaH prathamam yadAsIt

(rug vEda – 10.129.04)

The very first creation from the ParamBrahma’s mind, is the kama, the desire to create. So, the smara in this nama is indicative of Kameswara.

The second nama refers to the heart. This is the so called secondary or peripheral heart which is nothing but the calf muscles.

The blood from heart reaches entire body through arteries and from various parts it goes back to the heart through veins. Calf muscles help blood to get pumped back from feet to the heart, against gravity. Due to this functionality, calf muscles are known as secondary heart.

kEtumAlEpi bhagavAn kAmadEvarUpENa lakshmyAH

 ( SrImadbhAgavatam – 5.18.15)

In Bhagavatam, Kamadeva is idenfied with Vishnu.

 

The calf muscles help spread (vyApnOtIti vishNuH) energy through entire body to activate the indriyas to do any kind of action. So here, the smara refers to Vishnu.

SarIravAngmanObhiryatkarma prArabhatE naraH 

(Bhagavad-Gita 18.15)

Esha hi draShTA spraSHTA SrOtA ghrAtA rasayitA mantA boddhA  kartA vijnAnatmA  puruShaH

 (Prasnopanishat 4.9)

Vijnana personified Atma Purusha does three types of actions (kayaka, vacika, manasika) through indriyas.

Praying that Amma’s calf muslces bestow complete control over my mind and indriyas.

SrImatrEnamaH