कनकधारास्तोत्रं सानुवादम् /34

24
 
asmin akinchanavihan
 
asmin akiñchanavihañgaśiśau
 
dravināmbudhārām dadyāt,

may there be a douwnpour of gold on this (flledgeling

parched in penury.
 

 
The thirsty Chaātaka birds would eagarly await
rain drops to moisten their parched thoats and the
kindly clouds sweetly murmur assent and pour their

rain drops to moisten their parched thoats and the
kindly clouds sweetly murmur assent and pour their
showers in compassion being magnanimous by nature,

being of the noble lineage of Pushkala and AĀvarta :
trishakulais cha
tṛishākulais chātakapakshiņām kulaiḥ prayāchitās toya-

bharaāvalambinaḥ, prayaānti mandam navavāridhāriņo

balaāhakās śrotramanoharasvanaāḥ, RitusamṚitusaṁhāra, 2, 3.

Nīlakaṇṭha Dikshita clearly shows how if water were
īkshita clearly shows how if water were
withheld by the cloud everyone would perish; tvayyud-
grihn
gṛihṅati vāri vārida janaā naśyantyavasśyam kshaṇāt,

Anyaāpadeśaśataka, 68, and shows how without the least
trace of a desire for any return, or even waiting for
a supplication from any, the cloud drenches the world

trace of a desire for any return, or even waiting for
a supplication from any, the cloud drenches the world
with its cool showers and helps people to live happily:

astapratyupakāragandhām akṛitasvaprācrthanāpeksham ap-

yambobhir bhuvam äārdrayanti jaladaā jiīvantyato jantavāḥ,

Anyaāpadeśaśataka, 7. In the same manner Śrī as a

mother, expecting no return but purely by her

compassion, avyājakaruṇā, showers her grace and

nourishes the world. There are certain holies that

achieve what other holies cannot. Ishta is performance
ṭa is performance
of sacrifices and other ritual to win heaven. Purta
is performance of social service to humanity in the
form of planting trees for shade, digging wells and
tanks for thirssūrta
is performance of social service to humanity in the
form of planting trees for shade, digging wells and
tanks for thirsty travellers, creating sheltering abodes to

help homeless folk and so forth which also win heaven.

The compassionate look of Śrī assures heaven without

the performance of any of these, just as a holy plunge

in the waters of the confluence of Gangaṅgā and Yamunā