Divine Ladies

2. chIdakkaDaluLamudhanna thEvagi - Devaki who is like the inner nectar of the seas

This is from Periyazhwar Thirumozhi 1-2-1. Devaki, who had let her son to grow under Yasodha, is called the inner nectar of the seas. In the same hymnal decade, she is also called "thiruvin vaDivokkum thEvagi peRRa", where she is compared to Goddess Mahalakshmi, the dear consort of the Lord, Herself!

The same meaning is intended in calling her "the inner nectar of the seas". It is well known of how the Lord churned the seas for the sake of the Devas and gave them nectar. Really, not one, but two nectars arose from the sea at the time of churning. One, the Lord gave to the Devas; the other, He took for Himself. Bewildered? Look at what Thirumangai Mannan says, "viNNavaramuduNa amudhil varum peNNamudhuNDa emberumAnE!" - dismissing the Devas with the superficial nectar, Thou took the nectar-like lady for Thyself! No doubt, this nectar-like lady is Goddess Mahalakshmi who rose from the seas at the time of churning and made Him worthy of the name "Madhava". "Inner nectar" means "real nectar"; the other nectar is superficial. Hence, the comparison of Devaki to the "inner nectar" of the seas is a comparison to Mother Mahalakshmi.

In Nacchiyar Thirumozhi, "mandharam nATTiyanRu madhurakkozhunjARu koNDa cundaratthOLuDaiyAn", Swami Koorathazhwan interprets "madhurakkozhunjARu" as Mahalakshmi. He, himself, says in Sundarabahu Sthavam, "udadhiga mandarAdri mathimanthana labdhapayO madhurarasEndrAhvasudha sundaradO: parigham".

In short, Devaki is celebrated by comparison with Mahalakshmi. As they look in awe at the fortune of that Goddess who is consort to the Lord Himself, they wonder at this lady Devaki as well, whose fortune was to be the mother of the Birthless One! 

Is it also not true that these two divine women are together in being our greatest benefactors as well?