pada-dvaya-prabhAjAla-parAkruta-sarOruhA

शुक्लाम्बरधरम् विष्णुम् शशिवर्णम् चतुर्भुजम्|

प्रसन्नवदनम् ध्यायेत् सर्व विघ्नोपशान्तये||

श्रीगुरुभ्योनमः

दधानो भास्वत्तामममृतनिलयो लोहितवपु-

र्विनम्राणाम् सौम्यो गुरुरपि कवित्वम् च कलयन्|

गतौ मन्दो गङ्गाधरमहिषि! कामाक्षि! भजताम्

तमः केतुर्मातस्त्व चरण पद्मो विजयते! 

(मूक पञ्चशति-पादारविन्द शतकम् – 59)

Oh! Empress of Gangadhara!! Kamakshi!! Your feet exhibit the nature of the planet Surya (Sun) due to their brightness, Chandra (Moon) for their character of showering your disciples with nectar (amrutatva), Angaraka (Mars) in view of their redness, Budha (Mercury) by virtue of their tenderness, Guru (Jupiter) because of  the characteristic of imparting knowledge to your devotees, Sukra (Venus) in bestowing poetic skills to your worshippers, Sani (Saturn) owing to their slow motion, Rahu (tamaH) and Ketu (enemy) for removing the darkness of your faithful believers. This way, praying to your lotus feet, you grant all the worldly pleasures that are presented by the navagrahas.  

pada-dvaya-prabhAjAla-parAkruta-sarOruhA

pada-dvaya – pair of feet

prabhAjala – brightness

parAkruta – defeats

सरस्याम् रोहतीति सरसीरुहम्; रुह बीज जन्मनि प्रादुर्भावे च

sarOruha – one that is born from saras (lake/water) – lotus

This nama with dvaya describes the lotus feet of Amma. Pranams to Amma whose feet’s radiance defeats that of lotuses.

पद्यते गम्यते अनेनेति पादः Since one’s feet are used to take steps for walking, these are called pAda. The third and the last dvaya used in the Sakthi kuta part of Amma in this nama (पदद्वयप्रभाजालपराकृतसरॊरुहा), is indicative of the Kriya Sakthi and is symbolic of the duo Uma and Maheswara.

Vagdevatas only mentioned that Amma’s feet’s lustre wins over that of lotuses. But Adi Sankara in Soundarya lahari 87th sloka, हिमानी हन्तव्यम् हिमगिरि निवासैक चतुरौ listed all the features in which Amma’s feet are surpassing lotuses. To begin with, lotuses wither away in snow. But the lotus feet of Amma whose maternal and husband’s abodes are the snow mountains, have got a natural efflorescence. Secondly, lotuses bloom when the sun rises and fade away during sunsets (moon ascends), whereas Amma’s feet are eternally blossomed to show mercy on her devotees. The third point on which lotuses are scored over by Amma’s feet is that, lotuses have goddess Lakshmi bestridden on them. But Amma’s feet grant Lakshmi to her devotees. Due to these reasons, Sankara Bhagavatpada claims that Amma’s lotus feet outshine the lotuses!!

In the previous nama, Vagdevatas praised the brightness of Amma’s toenails and in this nama they are eulogising that of her feet. While toenails are a part of the feet, what is the secret behind describing toenails and feet’s lustre separately in two namas? As seen in the previous nama, if toenails are indicative of the anatha koti Brahmanda srushti, what do the feet indicate?

Hidden meaning:

Vagdevatas compared the brilliance of the feet with those of lotuses.  Though Amma’s feet are addressed as  lotuses (padAmbuja, pAdAbja) directly elsewhere in the same stotra, they have not referred to the feet as lotuses in this nama.

Let us see the two things that are being compared here. One is padadvaya and saroruha, the other.

We have seen the secret behind the cognizable creation, given in the following Nasadiya sukta mantra.

आसीत्तमसागूढम् अग्रे प्रकेतम् सलिलम् सर्वमा इदम्| (10.129.03)

Further,

तामिद् गर्भम् प्रथमम् दध्र आपो यत्र देवा स्समगच्छन्त विश्वे|

(ऋग्वेद -10.82.06)

आप एवदमग्र आसुः (बृहदारण्यकोपनिषद् 5.5.1)

आप एव ससर्जाऽऽदौ तासु वीर्यमवासृजत् 

(मत्स्य पुराणम् 2.28, मनुस्मृति 1.08)

यदमोघ मपामन्तरुप्तम् बीजमजत्वया

अतश्चराचरम् विश्वम् प्रभवस्तस्य गीयसे

 (कुमारसंभवम् – द्वितीय सर्ग -5)

All these statements from the scriptures regarding creation, talk about salilam, apa, i.e., water. When Parameswara desired to create, He first created the primordial cosmic waters and put the seed in it. All the manifested mobile, immobile creation have evolved from that seed. Since saras refers to water-body, the one that has sprouted from the saras, the saroruha, is suggestive of this manifested creation.

Amma’s feet are brighter than the saroruha means that, the feet’s (padadvaya) radiance is much more than that of the perceptible infinite creation.

The entire creation has evolved from one and only one Param Brahma, the Supreme Consciousness. This Param Brahma is called (Pradhana) Purusha in the scriptures.

पुराण्यनेन सृष्टानि नृतिर्यगृषिदेवताः | 
शेते जीवेन रूपेण पुरेषु पुरुषो ह्यसौ| 

(श्रीमद्भागवतम् 7.14.37)

The source of creation, sustenance and absorbance, the Supreme Consciousness created human beings (nru), animals/insects (tiryak),  seers (rushi), other God forms (devatas) and then He himself entered into the creation. That is why He is called Purusha.

पुरिशयनायात्पुरुषः Since He is dwelling in the entire creation, He is called Purusha.

एतावानस्य महिमाऽतो ज्यायाँश्च पूरुषः| 

(ऋग्वेदम् – पुरुषसूक्तम् – 10.90.03)

The whole grand creation consisting of infinitely many cosmic eggs, is due to Purusha’s huge own capacity, intelligence and capability.

सत्यम् ज्ञानम् अनन्तम् ब्रह्म (तैत्तिरीयोपनिषद् 2.1.1)

हन्त ते कथयिष्यामि दिव्या ह्यात्मविभूतयः|

प्राधान्य्तः कुरुश्रेष्ठ नास्तन्त्यो विस्तरस्य मे|| 

(श्रीमद्भगवद्गीत 10.19)

The Brahma’s expanse of manifestation is very vast.

पादोऽस्य  विश्वा भूतानि त्रिपादस्यामृतम् दिवि|

 (ऋग्वेदम् – पुरुषसूक्तम् – 10.90.03)

But in order to design/create such a vast expanse consisting of many cosmic eggs (Brahmandas), only one pAda measure of Parameswara’s capacity is being used. The rest three pAdAs is the bright energy filled celestial sky. In Vedic terminology, pAda means one quarter measure, and so four pAdAs means full. Now, if we look at the numerical representation of padadvaya, pada (feet) are indicative of the number 2 and dvaya represents 2, so padadvaya is indicative of two times two, ie., four, which is supposed to be the total effulgence of Pradhana Purusha.

The entire manifested creation that has crores and crores of Cosmic eggs, has taken place with just one fourth of the wholesome lustre of the पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदम् Pursha. The same is said by Lord Krishna in Bhagavadgita 10.42^nd sloka विष्टभ्याहमिदम् कृत्स्नम् एकांशेन स्थितो जगत्|

A fraction of the resplendence of Siva and Sakthi combined  (prior to creation) Sat-cit-ananda  known as ParamBrahma or Pradhana Purusha is used for the above mentioned creation.

So, this nama seems to be indicating that the magnificence/effulgence of the projected creation comprising of anantha koti Brahmandas (saroruha) is negligible, in comparison with that of the wholesome Parameswara’s.

Praying that soon I may have the darshan of Amma’s glowing feet,

श्रीमात्रेनमः