marALI-manda-gamanA

शुक्लाम्बरधरम् विष्णुम् शशिवर्णम् चतुर्भुजम्|

प्रसन्नवदनम् ध्यायेत् सर्व विघ्नोपशान्तये||

श्रीगुरुभ्योनमः

हंसगमनी-नादजननी|

भवभामिनी-बंधमोचनी||

marALI-manda-gamanA

marALI – female swan

manda-gamanA – one with slow and gentle walk

Pranams to Amma who walks very slowly and gently like a female swan. Amma’s lotus feet and swans, both are waterborne. Moreover, swans are attracted to lotus stalks.

सा राजहम्सैरिव सन्नताङ्गीगतेषु लीलाञ्चित विक्रमेषु|

व्यनीयत प्रत्युपदेशलुब्धैः आदित्सुभिर्नूपुरशिञ्जितानि|| 

(कुमारसंभवम् -1.34)

It looks as though swans taught Amma their gait in exchange for learning the squeaking sounds from Her anklets.

The reason for this could be that

गुरुशुश्रूषया विद्या पुष्कलेन धनेन वा|

अथवा विद्यया विद्या चतुर्धीनोपपद्यते||

Either by serving the preceptor or by presenting sufficient wealth or by imparting their own knowledge, a disciple must procure knowledge.

While Kalidasa mahakavi says Amma’s stride is learnt from swans, AdiSankara Bhagavatpada says in Soundaryalahari 91^st sloka पदन्यासक्रीडा परिचयमिवारब्धु मनसः that it is the swans that learnt their walking style from Amma. According to him, the swans in Amma’s palace tried to imitate Her walk and kept failing. Then Amma, with utmost passion, trained them, by making them follow Her anklets’ jingles. He meant that there is no comparison for Amma’s walk by the lustrous feet adorned with anklets making enchanting sounds.

It is for our understanding that Vagdevatas used swans for comparing Amma’s gait but in reality they are not the swans that we see in the earthly plane.

बीभत्सूनाम् सऽयुजम् हंसमाहुः आपम् दिव्यानाम् सख्येचरन्तम्|

अनुऽस्तुभमनु चर्चूर्यमाणम् इन्द्रम् नि चिक्युः कवयः मनीषा|| 

(ऋग्वेदम् – 10.124.09)

A companion to dispel the darkness caused by ignorance is called Hamsa. This Hamsa that cruises in celestial waters also, is indicative of Param Brahma.

We have seen in the earlier two namas that Param Brahma created infinitely many cosmic eggs consisting of names and forms, from only a fraction of His internal energy/lustre. This nama seems to be suggesting as to how it was done.

Abhinava Gupta in his commentary on Iswara Pratyabhijna, defined spanda as follows.

शुद्धोऽयम् स्पन्दः परमेश्वरस्या चलस्याप्य प्ररूढ रूपान्तरापत्ति लक्षणः किञ्चिच्चलनात्मतया स्फुटरूपत्वात्

Spanda (Pulse) is pure. With very mild movement, formless and attribute-less Parameswara begets forms with attributes (trigunas).

स्पदि किञ्चिच्चलने (धातुपाठम् – 14)

This mild movement is known as spanda. 

This nama seems to be suggesting that the consciousness filled and still Parameswara (marALi) with His inherent independent energy, created a very mild movement (manda-gamanam) that causes the genesis of the manifested creation.

It is said in scriptures that Hamsa also means the soul, vital force.

द्वे ब्रह्मणि वेदितव्ये शब्दब्रह्म परम् च यत्|

शब्दब्रह्माणि निष्णातः परम्-ब्रह्माधिगच्छति ||

 (विष्णुपुराणम् -6.5.64)

Brahma is said to be of two classes, Param Brahma and Sabda Brahma. One who has mastered Sabda Brahma will attain Param Brahma.

सकारेण बहिर्याति हकारेण विशेत् पुनः|

हंसहंसेत्यमुम् मन्त्रम् जीवो जपति नित्य्शः ||

 (विज्ञानभैरव तन्त्र् – 155)

The chain of inhalation and exhalation is the Hamsa maha mantra. One who practices breath control with very slow inhales and exhales, can realize Sabda Brahma thereby can attain the Param Brahma.

Tyagaraja, a nadOpAsaka, sings the same in स्वरराग सुधारसभक्ति, a Sankarabharana kriti, मूलाधारज नादमेरुङ्गुटे मुदमगु मोक्षमुरा meaning mOksham is nothing but knowing the nadam that arises from the Muladhara. We have learnt that the nadam that arises at the Muladhara is nothing but the place of Para-Vak or the Sabda Brahma.

May the secret behind Amma’s swan like gait lighten up my dull intellect,

श्रीमात्रेनमः