By Shri Venkatesa Prasanna Tadipatri
Shri Vadirajaru has written many works in Sanskrit and Kannada. One that is commonly recited in marriages is the Lakshmi Shobhana Haadu. It is long, but I would like to post a translation and commentary on it based on what my father taught. I also used the book by Sri K Hayavadana Puranik for this translation.
There was a marriage in the house of an Arasappa nayaka. The groom however was bitten by a snake. It so happened that Shri Vadirajaru was passing by and Nayaka begged him to save the groom. Placing the groom on his lap, Shri Vadirajaru sprinkled water on him and recited the Shobhane Haadu. The poison went away and the groom sat up, back to normal. This is the power of the Shri Vadiraja Teertha's composition, and more importantly the power of Lord Narayana and Shri Lakshmi's blessings.
Some people think that Sri Vadirajaru showed disrespect towards Shiva in calling him "maruLagihyanu", "kaaminige sOta", etc.in the Shobhane Haadu. However, this certainly cannot be the case, as Sri Vadirajaru has composed several devotional songs on Shiva, like "dhavaLa gangeya gangaadhara mahaalinga". In this song, the final verse has "shrI hayavadanannu anudina nenevante mADO", where shri Vadirajaru uses his ankita (every Haridasa has a signature, which is really the name of Lord Vishnu at the end of the verse. For Shri Vadirajaru it is Hayavadana), to ask Shiva to make him think of Vishnu every day. Why would he compose devotional songs on Shiva if he was disrespectful towards Shiva? It does not make sense.
The Shobhane Haadu is not some ordinary composition - it was used to revive a groom that people thought had died. This shows the power of not only the song, but also the composer. Where did Shri Vadirajaru get this strength from? His philosophy is one and the same as that of Sri Rayaru. The power behind both their miracles is revealed in the Rayaru Ashtottara - "shrI raaghavendro hari paadakanja niShevaNaalla bdha samastasampat" - by serving the feet of Lord Vishnu, they acquired everything.
The Shobhane Haadu, like many of their other works, brings out the greatness of Vishnu. As Lakshmi goes through a sort of process of elimination pointing out the flaws of various devatas, we can see that Vishnu does not possess such defects. The point is not to criticize other devatas (as we saw "tanna makkaLa kunda taane pELuvudakke mannadi naachi"...Lakshmi was shy to point out the flaws of her children), but to establish one of the principles that both Shri Vadirajaru and Sri Rayaru believed in - that of Vishnu sarvottamatva and sampUrNatva: the idea that Vishnu alone is above everything else, is perfect, and free from defects.
Purely from the point of view of Laxmi, He did not lose his body like Manmatha, wasn't weakened by Brahmahatya dosha like Indra, and did not enter a frenzied state like Shiva did when Sati died. Whereas devatas like Shiva depend on someone else for their position, Vishnu does not. All other devatas besides Vishnu and Lakshmi are appointed to their position at the beginning of the kalpa and when they achieve Moksha (yes, it may sound surprising, but Brahma, Indra, Shiva, etc. are striving for Moksha), another devata fills their place.
The description of Shiva's behavior seems to bother people and perhaps requires a bit more clarification. The story goes that when Sati consumes her body, Shiva gets so enraged that he beheads Daksha prajapati, his father-in-law. This is shocking in a number of ways. Shiva's behavior does not get Sati back, he beheads his own father-in- law who is a devata, and most importantly, he could not foresee or prevent this from happening as he was acting under the command of Narayana. Can the same thing be said of Rama for example? No, because the very reason that Vishnu took birth as a man was to kill Ravana. Ravana's abduction of Sita increased his sin and led to his own demise. But even then, Ravana was given a chance. Had he returned Sita, Rama would have head back, so Rama was not in some sort of frenzied state to kill Ravana.
Furthermore, though Rama acted as though he was upset at the loss of Sita, she is eternally with Rama. Lakshmi is known as "nitya aviyogini", eternally inseparable from Vishnu. Ravana cannot touch, let alone abduct the real Lakshmi devi, who is the presiding deity of matter itself. When Shiva is criticized for killing his father-in-law, what about Krishna killing his cousin Shishupala and his uncle Kamsa? The difference here is that Daksha Prajapati is a devata, who is good by nature but made a mistake. Shishupala and Kamsa were wicked. As Krishna points out in his Gita upadesha to Arjuna, it is a kshatriya's duty to punish those who are wicked. Though Vishnu has no obligation, had he left them alone because they were his relatives, he would not be setting a good example for the world and would be going against his own teachings. Far from acting out of vengeance, Krishna , honoring the promise made to his aunt, forgives Shishupala 100 times.
"Enu karuNanidhiyo..." What about Vishnu, as Parashurama avatara, killing his own mother?
He does so on his father's orders, and more importantly is able to immediately bring her back to life.
Shri Vadirajaru has written many works in Sanskrit and Kannada. One that is commonly recited in marriages is the Lakshmi Shobhana Haadu. It is long, but I would like to post a translation and commentary on it.
There was a marriage in the house of an Arasappa nayaka. The groom however was bitten by a snake. It so happened that Shri Vadirajaru was passing by and Nayaka begged him to save the groom. Placing the groom on his lap, Shri Vadirajaru sprinkled water on him and recited the Shobhane Haadu. The poison went away and the groom sat up, back to normal. This is the power of the Shri Vadiraja Teertha's composition, and more importantly the power of Lord Narayana and Shri Lakshmi's blessings.
Here is the Mangalacharane shloka.
shObhanavennire suraroLu subhaganige
shObhanavenni suguNanige
shObhanavennire trivikramaraayage
shObhanavenni surapriyage
This is quite an appropriate Mangalacharane shloka, because the word "shobhana" means mangaLa, or auspicious. When used for elders, the word "shobhana" is a form of stuti, for those younger it is a blessing. By describing Lord Narayana, the bimba (the original), as shobhana, we, as pratibimbas (reflections of Him) receive his blessing. This bimba- pratibimba bhaava is the essence of Shri Madhvacharya's philosophy.
Subhaga also means auspicious & bringing good fortune. Lord Narayana has saubhagyavati Lakshmi as his consort. He is the personification of auspiciousness, so we must bear in mind that it is not because of Lakshmi that he is auspicious.The devatas (suraru) bring auspiciousness, but Lord Vishnu is not only the most auspicious among all the devatas, but he is within all of them, enabling them to bring us good fortune.
SuguNa means good qualities. The Lord is full of good qualities. He is sarvaguNa sampUrNaH sarva dosha vivarjita: free from all flaws.
Trivikrama refers to the Vamana avatara, where Lord Narayana covered the 3 worlds with his 3 steps. He is the real "raaya" or king.
Surapriya means dear to the other Devatas. It was Narayana who, in the form of Mohini gave devatas Amruta, allowing them to vanquish the asuras. He supported Mandara parvata in the churning of the ocean that produced the Amruta. Furthermore, as Krishna stated - "aham Adirhi devaanaam" --he is the one who created the other devatas. So he is dear to them from many different angles.
If we analyze this Mangalacharana shloka carefully we can see a reference to the deshataH, kaalataH, gunataH vyaapti of the Lord (completeness with respect to space, time, and qualities). As "trivikrama", he shows his vyaapti in terms of space, since with one mere step he covered the entire world. He is "suguna", full of positive qualities, so guNataH vyaapti has been shown as well. What about kaalataH vyaapti? When it is said that he is "suraroLu subhaga", countless devatas have come and will come, and he is subhaga among all of them. It is not just that he surpasses the devatas in this kalpa, but in previous kalpas and future kalpas as well. Whereas other devatas, Brahma, Shiva, Indra, etc. acquire that padavi/position and eventually someone else acquires it, that is not true of Vishnu. So who else should we describe as "shobhana" but the auspicious Lord Vishnu, who is surapriya from time immemorial and will always be surapriya?
lakShmInaaraayaNara charaNakke
sharaNembe pakShivaahannageraguve
pakShivaahannageraguve anudina
rakShisali namma vadhuvarara || 1 ||
Shri Vadirajaru says here that he surrenders to the feet (charaNa) of Shri Lakshmi and Shri Narayana. When reciting this, we too must have the anusandhana (mindset) that we are doing sharaNaagati to their feet.
Pakshivahana means having a bird as his vehicle. Lord Vishnu is Garudavahana. Why is he described as such here? If we recall the circumstances under which this was recited, the groom was poisoned by the bite of a snake. Garuda is often described as naagaari ( the enemy of snakes). As Shri Madhvacharya put it beautifully in the Dvadasha Stotra:
naagaarirugrabalapauruSha Apa viShnuvaahatvam uttamajavo |
yadapAngaleshamAshritya shakra mukhadevagaNairachintyaM |
shrIryatkaTaakSha balavatyajitam namaami ||
The enemy of the snakes, the powerful Garuda, has the distinction of being the vehicle of Lord Vishnu.Indra and the other devatas cannot even conceive of the greatness of Garuda. This is all due to the grace of Shri Lakshmi, who is powerful due to a mere side-glance of the undefeatable Lord Narayana. I bow to that "ajita -naamaka paramaatma".
Lord Narayana protects from the poison that is samsara, so where is the surprise in his saving the groom from the bite of a mere ordinary snake? In saying "eraguve", Shri Vadirajaru is bowing to the Lord, not only once, but "anudina", day after day.
Paksha can also mean arm, and if we think of Hanuman who lifted sanjeevani with one hand, pakshi can refer to the powerful Vayu devaru. Pakshivahana can thus also mean Lord Vishnu, having Vayu as his vehicle. Just as in English, where vehicle can mean that through which we accomplish something, Vayu devaru can be considered a vehicle of the Lord in this sense. Vayu, in his forms of Hanuma, Bhima, and Madhva, is "Bhagavatkaarya sadhaka" - he performs duties of and for Lord Vishnu.
We can take "rakshisali" as both a praarthane (a request) and aashirvada (a blessing). Shri Vadirajaru is requesting the Lord to protect the bride & groom, and those who recite this will have His blessing.
The union of Lakshmi-Narayana is the ideal union. In marriage, the bride's father should have the mindset that he is giving the indwelling Lakshmi to Narayana dwelling in son-in-law. With this mindset, a married couple will have the blessings of Lord Narayana & Lakshmi and have a blissful marriage.
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# 2
pAlasAgaravannu lIleya kaDeyalu |
baale mahalakShumi udisidaLu |
baale mahalakShumi udisidaLaa dEvi |
pAlisali namma vadhuvarara || 2 ||
pAlasAgara - the milky ocean
lIleya - with ease, as a sort of play
kaDeyalu - when churned
baale mahalakShumi- the youthful Goddess Lakshmi
udisidaLu - sprang forth
pAlisali - may she (and Narayana within her) protect
vadhuvarara - the bride & groom.
When the milky ocean was churned by Lord Narayana in a playful manner, the youthful Goddess Lakshmi sprang forth (but wasn't born). May both of them protect our bride & groom.
We normally say that the devas & asuras churned the milky ocean, but really it was Lord Narayana who supported the Mandara parvata, in the form of Kurma. When the devatas & asuras struggled to bring the mountain, it was Lord Narayana who effortlessly placed it on Garuda and brought it to the ocean. It was Lord Narayana who resided in them, giving them the strength to churn the ocean.
Another point to clarify is that many people think Shiva first drank the Halahala poison that came from the churning. However, it was Vayu devaru, who, under the command of Lord Narayana who drank most of it, which had no effect on him. The little portion that was left was consumed by Shiva, who swooned from it, and also became "nIlakaNTha", having a bluish throat. So we can see from this that Vayu deva is far above Shiva, and of course Narayana is far above both.
For Narayana, who is pUrnAnanda, all this is mere play, that is why "lIleya kaDeyalu" is used. The choice of words used by Vadiraja is very important. Lakshmi was not born then (not janisidaLu), but udisidaLu, the analogy being the sun. When we say surya-udaya happened, it does not mean the sun comes into existence every day, but rather makes itself visible to us then. Likewise, Lakshmi, who is beginningless and has no birth makes herself visible during the churning of the ocean. Also, just because she is beginningless we must not think that she looks old. Rather she is "baale", having youthful beauty. She is prakRti abhimani, so whereas materialistic things decay over time, because she is non-material, she is not affecting by things like aging.
For someone like Goddess Lakshmi, we can see that no one else except Lord Narayana, not even other devatas who acquire material bodies, is a match.
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# 3
bommana praLaydali tannarasiyoDagUDi |
summaneyaagi malagippa |
namma nArAyaNagu I rammegaDigaDigu |
janmaveMbudu avatAra || 3 ||
bommana praLayadali - When Brahma gets destroyed
tanna arasiyoDa kUDi - seated with his (Narayana's) consort Lakshmi
summaneyaagi - carefree
malagippa - he lay
namma nArAYaNagu I ramEgu - Both Narayana and Lakshmi
aDigaDigu - at each step of the way
janmaveMbudu - are "born" only in the sense that
avataara - they take avatara (manifest themselves)
After praLaya(destruction) of Brahma, and before the next creation, Narayana lies (on Aladadele, a leaf), with his consort Lakshmi. He is carefree, in that there is nothing for him to achieve. For both Narayana & Lakshmi, whenever it is said they "take birth", they only manifest themselves. It is only an avatara, and they are not born.
As mentioned earlier, for Narayana & Ramaa (Lakshmi), birth is only a manifestation, since both are beginningless and have no destruction. Though no jIva undergoes birth or death (as stated in the 2nd chapter of the Gita), all other beings have birth in the sense of acquiring bodies, and death, in that their bodies get destroyed, even for Brahma.
To get an idea of Brahma's lifespan, 1 human year is 1 day for the devatas. 4 320 000 000 human years, or 12 million years for the devatas, equals one day of Brahma. He lives for 100 years, and then pralaya occurs. Whereas some beings may still keep their bodies from one day of Brahma to the next, after the pralaya at the end of Brahma's lifetime, nothing remains manifest (though we mustn't forget that there is no destruction for any of the jIvas, just their bodies).
At this time Narayana takes the form of a magnificent newborn child, lying on a leaf, which is the form Lakshmi takes. She also takes the form of various ornaments on the Lord. Between pralaya & the next srushti, Narayana does not perform any tasks that he did during Brahma's lifetime.
We can also take "summaneyaagi malagippa" in the sense that Narayana does not have karmabandhana, he is not tied down by his actions. Whereas we take birth because of our past karma, for Narayana and Lakshmi, it is only because of their own wish that they take avatara.
Ramaa means one who rejoices. Lakshmi rejoices in the form of Lord Narayana. One meaning of Narayana is he whose abode is the ocean. In this case, it is the pralayajala - the ocean that exists between one cycle of creation and the next, on which Narayana resides taking the form of a newborn. Lakshmi (Ramaa) rejoices in being close to Lord Narayana both in the form of the leaf and the ornaments decorating Him. Narayana has many other meanings, such as being free from 'ara' or flaws. We have already seen that he is free from flaws like karmabandha and acquiring a body that undergoes destruction. We shall see more of this later on in the Shobhane Haadu, but first Lakshmi is described in the next few verses.
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# 4
Before proceeding with the next few verses, look at the 2nd letter (as written in an Indian language) in each of the lines for each verse. Shri Vadirajaru has shown his poetic skill by using the same letter.
kaMbukaNThada sutta kaTTida mangaLasUtra |
aMbujaveraDu karayugadi |
aMbujaveraDu karayugadi dharisi
pItaaMbaravuTTu meredaLu || 4 ||
kaMbukaNThada sutta - Around her conch-like neck
kaTTida mangaLasutra - the mangalasutra (wedding necklace) was tied.
eraDu karayugadi - in each of her 2 hands.
ambuja - A lotus flower
dharisi - was held
uTTu - Wearing
pItambara - a yellow/white dress
meredaLu - she walked about.
Shri Lakshmi's neck which produces sounds as beautiful as a conch had the Mangalasutra tied around it.Her 2 hands each held a lotus flower. She walked about wearing a yellow (or white) dress.
Lakshmi is the goddess of mangalya, or good fortune, so she would certainly appear with her Mangalasutra. But normally, the Mangalasutra is tied at the time of marriage, yet at this time (the churning of the ocean), she has not yet chosen Lord Narayana. How can she already have Mangalasutra? Her union with Lord Narayana is eternal, since time immemorial. So she always has Mangalasutra. Also, the form of both Lakshmi and Narayana is aprakrita, non-material, so when clothes, ornaments are described on them, they are not physical material objects. The mangalasutra, pItambara, etc. are part of their very form.
So if Lakshmi & Narayana are always united, what is the purpose of their svayamvara & marriage ceremony? It is only a sort of play, to give pleasure to other devatas and their devotees.
Two of Lakshmi's arms are described in this verse, the other two in the next verse. There is a deeper significance to the lotus. Brahma was born out of the lotus, and so is bhaavi Brahma, that is Vayu devaru. Garuda is said to be the abhimani (controlling deity) for pItambara.
The order in which the form of Lakshmi is described is important. First and foremost, by pointing out her Mangalasutra, it shows her dependence on Lord Narayana, and her eternal union with Him. Next, describing the lotuses, it symbolizes the fact that she is the mother of the highest among the jIvas - Brahma & Vayu. This is followed by Garuda (symbolized by Pitambara) and other devatas. Again, as pointed out earlier, Narayana & Lakshmi are unique, whereas for other devatas, like Brahma, Vayu, etc, it is simply a position they occupy during a kalpa. Other devatas acquire that position, then achieve Moksha, and another devata will occupy that position (for example, in the next kalpa, Shiva will become Shesha, then Garuda, then achieve Moksha).
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# 5
ondu karadinda abhayavanIvaLe
mattondu kaiyinda varagaLa |
kundilladaananda sandOha uNisuva |
indire namma salahali || 5 ||
ondu karadinda - with one hand
IvaLe - she gives
abhayavannu - freedom from fear
mattondu kaiyinda - with another hand
varagaLu - she grants wishes
indire - That Indira devi, Lakshmi, who
uNisuva - gives us
sandoha =samUha - a lot of
kundillada - flawless
aananda - joy
salahali - may she protect
namma - us
Indira devi (that is Lakshmi)gives freedom from fear(abhaya) with one hand. With the other she grants our wishes. She gives us flawless happiness (not just in this world, but also Moksha). May she protect us.
Once again there is a rationale behind the order which Shri Vadirajaru describes Goddess Lakshmi. First she grants abhaya, then varagaLa. What use is wealth to someone who always lives in fear? What do we fear? We fear our enemies. Who are our worst enemies? The ariShad (6 enemies) are not outside, but internal: kama (desire), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (delusion), mada (arrogance), matsarya (jealousy). We need Lakshmi's and Narayana's blessing to protect us from all this.
After conquering these 6 internal enemies, we won't be asking for wishes out of greed, nor will we be asking out of jealousy ("my neighbor has xyz and I want that as well"). Free from delusion, we will ask for what will really deliver us from Samsara: jnana (knowledge), bhakti (devotion), & vairagya (dispassion toward material pursuits). This is the type of "vara" that Kanakadasaru asks in the "Isha ninna charaNa bhajane":
"jnAna bhakti koTTu, ninna dhyaanadalli iTTu,
enna hIna buddhi biDiso munna, Janardhana"
What does flawless happiness mean(kundillada aananda)? Those joys which are dharmic, not against dharma are flawless. The joy that one gets by doing good deeds is real joy, not some twisted pleasure from hurting others.
But there is a deeper meaning. Happiness we get while in samsara is fleeting. Whereas moksha, which is the enjoyment of our own innate happiness is eternal. It is this eternal happiness, freedom from the bondage of samsara that is the real happiness to seek from Sri Lakshmi & Narayana.
Finally when we say protect us, we should always have the mindset that it is because of her blessings (and antaryami Narayana) that we are enjoying prosperity, and thus show them our gratitude.
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# 6
poLeva kAnchiya dAma uliva kiMkiNigaLu|
naliva kaalanduge ghalukenalu |
naLanaLisuva muddumOgada cheluve lakShmi |
salahali namma vadhuvarara || 6 ||
poLeva - shining (hoLeyuva)
kanchiya daama - golden belt
uliva kinkiNigaLu - jingling bells on her feet
naliva kaalanduge - ankle bracelets are rejoicing.
ghaluk enalu - made a "ghaluk" sound
naLanaLisuva muddumOgada - she who has an attractive
face shining with effulgence
cheluve lakShmi - may that beautiful Lakshmi
salahali - protect
namma vadhuvarara- our bride & groom
The beautiful Goddess Lakshmi is adorned with a shining golden belt,with jingling bells on her feet. Her ankle bracelets are rejoicing and making a "ghaluk" sound. May that Lakshmi, with an attractive face shining with effulgence, protect our bride & groom.
Lakshmi's ornaments are described in two ways. Either they are jaDa objects, made by Vishwakarma, or they are part of Lakshmi's very svarupa. If it's Lakshmi's svarupa, it is chetana (sentient), so we can talk of the bracelets (=Lakshmi) enjoying herself. Or if we take it as jaDa (material object), it can reflect Lakshmi's personality, so it seems like it's enjoying itself. If we take it as Lakshmi svarupa, the sound it makes praises Vishnu. It is not only all words that describe Vishnu (in their primary sense), but even ordinary sounds describe Vishnu. Of course, ordinary humans do not have the capability to see this, but for such a high being as Goddess Lakshmi, she can see how even these sounds describe Lord Vishnu.
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# 7
rannada molegaTTu chinnadaabharaNagaLa |
chenne mahalakShumi dharisidaLe |
chenne mahalakShumi dharisadaLaa dEvi |
tanna manneya vadhuvarara salahali || 7
rannada - adorned with jewels (ratnada)
molegaTTu - strung together
chinnada - and golden
aabharaNagaLa - ornaments
dharisadaLe - were held by
chenne mahalakShumi - the beautiful Lakshmi
dEvi - may that goddess
salahali - protect
tanna manneya - her household (maneya has double n for poetic reasons)
vadhuvarara- our bride & groom
The beautiful Goddess Lakshmi was adorned with jewels strung together. May that Mahalakshmi devi, bearing golden ornaments, protect her household bride & groom.
Lakshmi is described as wearing golden oranaments in many places, including the Shri Sukta.
hiraNya varNaaM hariNIM suvarNarajatasrajaaM |
chandrAM hiraNmayIM lakShmIm jAtavedO ma aavaha ||
O Jaataveda (Vishnu), bring Sri Lakshmi to me, that Lakshmi who has the complexion of a golden deer, adorned with golden & silver garlands, who shines like the moon and who has a golden form.
There are many meanings for Jataveda, but one meaning is that it is he who knows everyone's births. This can't apply to any other devata, because anyone below Brahma is born at some point (the jIva is not born, but they acquire bodies). Some people mistakenly think that it refers to Agni, but how can Agni bring someone much higher than him like Goddess Lakshmi?
Another point to note in this verse is the use of "tanna maneya". One of the central concepts to Sri Madhvacharya's philosophy is that of Bimba-pratibimba. There is a distinction between the Lord and the jIva. The jIvas are reflections of the Lord, that is, they depend on Him for existence & functionality. In a similar fashion, we can think of all weddings as a reflection of the wedding between Narayana-Lakshmi. Of course there are significant differences, since the union between Narayana & Lakshmi is eternal unlike other marriages.
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# 8
kumBhakuchada mElE imbiTTa haaragaLu |
tumbiguruLa mukhakamala |
tumbiguruLa mukhakamala mahalakShumi jaga |
dambe vadhuvarara salahali || 8
kumBhakuchada mEle - On her breasts like kalasha
(this is in the sense of describing a mother, see note below)
imbiTTa haaragaLu - garlands were placed beautifully (imphaagi)
mukhakamala - her lotus-like face had
tumbiguruLa - curly hair as black as a bee (tumbiyante)
mahalakShmi jagadambe - That mother of the world, Lakshmi
salahali - may she protect
vadhuvarara- our bride & groom
The mother of the universe, Goddess Lakshmi has garlands placed beautifully on her breasts which are like kalashas. Her lotus-like face has curly hair as black as a bee. May she protect our bride & groom.
First, we should understand that Lakshmi's body is aprakrita, that is, non-material. Describing her breasts may seem a bit strange, but it will be viewed differently by different types of souls. Asuras will get delusioned and look at Lakshmi, seeking to possess her (which is in a way Hari dvesha, since only Narayana is able to be Lakshmi's consort, and they're striving after what Narayana has). Good souls will understand that such a description just brings out Lakshmi's beauty and look upon her as a mother. When viewed in the latter sense, it doesn't have the vulgar meaning we sometimes associate with description of a woman's breast. Also, we must keep in mind who wrote this Shobhane song. Shri Vadirajaru is commonly believed to be Vayu in the next kalpa (though there is some controvery on this). Vayu would certainly look upon Lakshmi as a mother.
The reference to bees and lotuses is very interesting. Just as bees pollinate flowers, here her face is described as lotus-like, and the color of her hair is described as black as a bee. Also, just as natural as it is for bees & flowers to go together, likewise Lakshmi's hair complements her face (and vice versa).
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# 9
muttina OleyaniTTaLe mahalakShmi |
kastUri tilaka dharisidaLe |
kastUri tilaka dharisidaLA dEvi sa |
rvatra vadhuvarara salahali || 9
mahalakshmi - Shri Lakshmi devi
iTTaLe - wore
Oleyanu - earrings
muttina - made of pearl
dharisadaLe - she wore
kastUri - fragrant substance
tilaka - mark on the forehead
salahali - may she protect
vadhuvarara - bride and groom
sarvatra - everywhere
Shri Lakshmi devi wore earrings made of pearl and had kasturi tilaka on her forehead. May she protect brides & grooms everywhere.
Chandra is considered to be abhimani devata for pearl. So as a result, they have the ability to drive away sin and increase wealth & vitality. It looks like pearls adorn Lakshmi, but in reality, pearls have Lakshmi sannidhana in them. It is Lakshmi's presence that makes pearls auspicious.
Kasturi is a cure for many diseases & is considered pure. There is a gradation among kasturi - the greatest is reddish purple (kamala) in color, followed by yellowish brown(pingala), and the lowest is bluish black (krishna)
By saying "sarvatra", we can see that it is not just the groom that Shri Vadirajaru revived who is protected, but all brides & grooms. Hence the tradition of reciting this song at many marriages. Note the clarification later on in verse 11.
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# 10
ambuja nayanagaLa bimbAdharada shashi |
bimbadanteseva mUgutimaNiya shashi |
bimbadanteseva mUgutimaNiya mahalakShmi |
umbudakIyali vadhuvararge || 10
ambuja - lotus
nayanagaLa - eyes
adhara - lips like
bimba - Donde haNNu (ivy gourd, as a fruit)
mUgutimaNiya - having a nose
ring eseva - that shines
bimbadante - like the image of
shashi- the moon
Iyali - may she give
vadhuvararge - to the bride and groom
umbudake - what they need for eating (svarupa ananda)
Lakshmi's eyes are lotus-like. Her lips are red like the fruit of the ivy gourd. Her nose ring shines as brightly as the image of the moon. May she give us what we need to eat, not just in this world, but also the ultimate goal that the soul hungers for, its own svarupa ananda, Moksha.
In Sanskrit, beautiful eyes are often compared to a lotus, because it remains pure & untouched by the water it is in. This is especially true for Lakshmi. Even though she is Prakriti abhimani (the controller for the primordial matter), she is untouched by all the changes matter goes through. Lips are often compared to donde haNNu because of its redness. We have to be careful when translating this verse, because the first "bimba" refers to the fruit, but the second & third "shashi bimba" refers to the image of the moon.
If taken literally, umbudake Iyali means give us what we need to eat, but we can get that from any local restaurant, why ask Lakshmi for that? As the soul travels through samsara, it hungers for eternal happiness. Experiencing this innate happiness is the ultimate goal of existence, and this "svarupa Ananda" experience is obtained only in Moksha, when the soul is freed from the bondage of samsara. Just as people are able to eat different quantities of food, so too, the experience of joy in Moksha is also different. The joy that Brahma & Vayu experience in Moksha is far greater than what ordinary souls experience. Shri Madhvacharya, whose doctrine Sri Vadirajaru propounded, showed using scriptures that there is no "oneness" in salvation. Each soul experiences its own innate happiness in Moksha, and there is a distinction among souls not just here in samsara, but also in Moksha.
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# 11
muttinakShateyiTTu navaratnada mukuTava |
nettiya mEle dharisidaLe |
nettiya mEle dharisidaLA dEvi tanna |
bhaktiya janara salahali || 11
devi - Lakshmi devi
iTTu - bore
akShata - mantrakshate, normally unbroken rice sprinkled on the head
muttina - made of pearls
nettiya mele - On her head
dharisidaLe - was a
mukuTava - crown
navaratnada - made of 9 gems
salahali - may she protect
janara - those people
tanna bhaktiya - who have devotion towards her
Shri Lakshmi devi had mantrakshate on her head which was made of pearls. Also on her head was a crown which had 9 jewels in it. May she protect those people who are devoted to her.
Normally mantrakshate is made of rice, but the mantrakshate on Lakshmi is made of pearls, which brings out her splendor. When she is described as having a crown with 9 gems, there can be no doubt that she is the goddess of wealth and prosperity.
It is interesting to note that Shri Vadirajaru explicitly says "tanna bhaktiya janara salahali". She only protects those who seek her blessing. If someone spurns Lakshmi or her pati Lord Vishnu, why should she protect them? Also, one cannot simply approach Lakshmi for some selfish material desire and otherwise ignore her. To seek her blessing one must continuously have genuine devotion towards her.
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# 12
kundamandAra jAji kusumagaLa vR^indava |
chendada turubili turubidaLe |
kundaNa varNada kOmale mahalakShmi kR^ipe |
yinda vadhuvarara salahali ||12
kunda - mallige, white flower
mandaara - red flower
jAji - white flower
vRndava - clusters of
kusumagaLa - these flowers
chendada - were beautifully
turubidaLe - tucked in
turubili - her locks of hair
kundaNa - golden
varNada - color
komale - soft, delicate
mahalakshmi - Shri Lakshmi devi
kR^ipeyinda - with compassion
salahali - may she protect
vadhuvarara - the bride & groom
Shri Mahalakshmi Devi had clusters of mallige, mandaara, and jAji flowers tucked beautifully in her locks of hair. She has a golden complexion. May this soft & delicate consort of Lord Vishnu protect the bride and groom out of her compassion.
For someone like goddess Lakshmi, there is nothing to be achieved by performing any actions in the world. Even for Brahma, Saraswati, Shiva, & Indra, they are yet to achieve Moksha, so they still have to do sadhana. They have certain duties to perform. For the bad karma that Shiva and Indra do, for example, the amount of joy that they have in Moksha is reduced. Brahma, Saraswati, Vayu, & Bharati do not do such bad karma. Vishnu & Lakshmi are far above them in that they are eternally free from samsara and do not have to strive for Moksha. So the question is why do they perform actions? Here we need to understand the "kR^ipeyinda" word. It is out of compassion that they help other souls. There is no obligation that they have to fulfill, nor will the amount of joy they experience be diminished if they don't help other souls.
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# 13
endendU bADada aravinda mAleya |
indire poLeva koraLali |
indire poLeva koraLali dharisidaLe ava |
Lindu vadhuvarara salahali || 13
endendU - The never
bADada - withering
aravinda mAleya - garland of lotus flowers
dharisidaLe - was worn
indire - by Shri Lakshmi
poLeva - on her beautiful
koraLali -neck.
avaLu - May she
salahali protect
vadhuvarara - the bride and groom
indu - today (immediately).
Shri Lakshmi's beautiful neck was adorned with a garland of lotus flowers that never wither. May she protect our bride and groom today itself.
It is natural that since Lakshmi is a divine Goddess, the garland of flowers on her neck are not made of ordinary flowers that wither. We can also look at this in a deeper sense. Just the way that Lakshmi bears a garland that never withers, with her grace, we too will never have to wither away from hunger, etc.
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# 14
devAnga paTTeya mElu hoddikeya |
bhAve mahalakShmi dharisidaLe |
bhAve mahalakShmi dharisidaLA dEvi tanna |
sEvaka janara salahali || 14
bhAve - The lady (bhAme) known as
mahalakShmi - Lakshmi devi
dharisidaLe - wore
mElu hoddikeya - upper cloth
devAnga paTTeya - The devanga community makes clothes & is
known for its quality clothing
dEvi - That goddess,
salahali - may she protect
janara - those people
sEvaka - who worship
tanna - her.
Lakshmi Devi wore an upper cloth made by the Devanga community, who are known to make clothes of high quality. May that goddess protect those who worship her.
Here the clothing she wears is said to be made by the Devanga community, and in the previous verse the garland of flowers is a gift by the deity Varuna. But we should keep in mind that she is wearing this just to honor them. In other words, she does not depend on others for clothes and ornaments. She existed long before Varuna and the Devanga community came into existence and certainly had beautiful clothing and garlands of flowers even then.
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# 15
I lakShmIdEviya kAlungura phalakenalu |
lOlAkShi mellane naDetandaLu |
sAlAgi kuLLirdasurara sabheya kaNDu
AlOchisidaLu manadalli || 15
I - This
lakShmIdEviya - Goddes Lakshmi's
kAlungura - rings on her feet
ghalakenalu - were making a 'ghal-ghal' sound
lOlAkShi - Her eyes were looking here and there
mellane - as she slowly
naDetandaLu - walked into
sabheya - the hall
(a)surara - where the devas(gods), asuras(demons),
humans, and others
kuLLirda - were seated
sAlAgi - in a row.
kaNDu - Seeing them
AlOchisidaLu - she thought
manadalli - in her mind.
This goddess Lakshmi's rings on her feet were making a 'ghal-ghal'sound (similar to what was mentioned in verse 6). Her eyes were looking around as she slowly walked into the hall where the devas(gods), asuras(demons), humans, and others were seated in a row. Seeing them, she thought in her mind...
At first glance, the verse seems to say the hall where the suras (gods) were seated. However, based on the Bhagavata verse:
tasyAM chakruH spR^ihAm sarve sasuraasuramaanavAH |
rUpaudAryavayovarNa mahimAkShipta chetasAH ||
Gods, demons, humans, without any distinction, upon beholding the beautiful form of Lakshmi became enchanted by her (and sought to have her). However, as a clarification, the gods, since they are enlightened and know the status of Lakshmi (she is like a mother to them), did not seek to possess her. They were merely seated with the asuras and humans who actually did desire her.
So to make sure there is no contradiction between Vadirajaru's work and the Bhagavata Purana, we need to do what is called 'shleshaalankara'. That is, we take the phrase "kuLLirdasurara" and split it as either kuLLirda + surara, or kuLLirda + asurara. Splitting it the first way, we get the gods being seated there. The second way, we get those who are not gods (a+sura), that is, the humans, demons, and others (like gandharvas). This way, we get the same meaning as the Bhagavata.
One other point of clarification is the "alochisidaLu". It is said that apart from Vishnu, Lakshmi has full knowledge of everything and does not have to think to get that (In the Harikathamrutasara it is said "jagadudarana ativimala- guNarUpagaLanu aalochanadi...", she has to think to understand
the attributes and forms of Vishnu, and even then "bage bageya nUtanava kANuta", she sees new things in Him). So here we need to understand Lakshmi thinking about others, instead of going directly to Vishnu, as mere play, an act. If she went directly to Vishnu, we may get the doubt that perhaps there was someone else who is right for Lakshmi, but she did not think about that person. However Lakshmi's thought process clarifies this.
What does Lakshmi think about the others there? We shall see in the future verses.
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# 16
tanna makkaLa kunda tAne pELuvudakke |
mannadi naachi mahalakShmi |
tannAmadindali kareyade obbobbara |
unnanta dOShagaLaneNisidaLu || 16
mahalakShmi - Shri Lakshmi devi
nAchi - hesitated
mannadi - in her mind
pELuvudakke - to say
tAne - herself
kunda (dOSha)- the flaws of
tanna - her
makkaLa - children.
kareyade - Without calling
tan - them
nAmadindali - by their names,
eNisidaLu - she counted
unnanta (unnata)- the great
dOShagaLanu - flaws
obbobbara - of each one.
In her mind, Shri Lakshmi devi hesitated to herself to say the flaws of her children, the other devatas by naming them as every name happens to be her husbands name ONLY. Still, their flaws need to be pointed out, to show that Narayana is fre from doshas. That's why, while counting the great flaws of each one, she didn't call them by their names.
We shall see in future verses that the language used is "kaamanirjitanu *obba*", kAminige sOta *obba*", etc. This also indicates that Lakshmi is not saying this out loud, but thinking it in her mind.
In Skandapurana, Brahma says to Samudra Raja that Shiva, Brahma, and all the devataas (except Vishnu obviously) are children of your daughter (interestingly, so is Samudra Raja himself). In fact one of the names given to Lakshmi is "jaganmaata", mother of the world.
There are several reasons why Lakshmi devi was shy to say the flaws of the devatas, and why she didn't call them by name. First of all, saying flaws is equivalent to yelling at someone, that's why names are not said by Lakshmi, because it would have an accusatory tone to it. Furthermore, the devatas are all great devotees of Vishnu and have good qualities, so Lakshmi was hesitant to point out their flaws. A great person is always hesitant to point out his own great qualities and the flaws of others.
Shri Vadirajaru is relying on Bhagavata when describing the flaws that Lakshmi sees, so there is certainly a basis in shastra and cannot be dismissed as Vadirajaru's own imagination. But why should Lakshmi think about their flaws at all? This is a sort of process of elimination. Only he who is without any flaws "niraniShTa niravadya" is the right match for her, which as we shall see is Lord Vishnu.
Another interesting interpretation of this verse is that the reason Lakshmi was shy to say their names is because all names in their primary sense denote Vishnu:
naamaani sarvANi yamAvishanti |
tam vai viShNuM paramamudaaharanti ||
In Indian culture, it is customary for a wife to not call the husband by name. Even names like Rudra & Brahma: "rudro. bahushirA...", "brahmaNyo brahmakR^t brahmA brahma..." are found in Vishnu sahasranama. So how can Lakshmi call the names of other devatas, when in their primary sense, they denote her eternal husband, Lord Vishnu?
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# 17
Lakshmi starts enumerating the flaws of all the being that assembled there. Why should she do that? They are all her children only that came to witness her "reenacted marriage to Lord Sri Hari". We have to remember that it is not like any mundane family setup. They are all great devotees of the Lord and enjoy even this kind of listing their flaws to intermix with praising of the Lord. People who are used to make prayers know mantras like
"papo.aham papakarmo.aham papAtmA pApasambhavaH
trAhi mAm kR^ipayA kR^ishNa sharaNAgatavatsala".
A devotee surrenders to the Lord not only by saying that, but also feeling that always. the devata-s are great devotees of the Lord. Thus these words coming from Laxmi makes them feel happy only. Knowing them too well, Laxmi utters these words pointing out their flaws, yet these words making them very happy only.
kelavaru taleyUri tapagaidu puNyava |
gaLisiddarEnU phalavilla |
jvalisuva kopadi shaapava koDuvaru |
lalaneyanivaru olisuvare || 17
kelavaru - Some beings (Rishis)
taleya Uri - have their head buried (meaning completely submerged by
resting their thoughts on the Lord)
tapagaidu - doing tapas
gaLisiddarU - Though obtaining
puNyava - merit,
EnU phalavilla- it's of no use (for their spouse if).
jvalisuva - With burning
kopadi - anger
koDuvaru - they give
shaapavu - curses.
olisuvare - Can they protect
lalaneyanu - woman / wife ?
"Some beings (Rishis) have their thoughts submerged on the Lord and doing tapas. Though obtaining puNya from such tapas, it's of no use to their spouse, as they cannot give perfect happiness to their spouses. Furthermore, some of them curse others, out of burning anger, in the process losing the puNya they have obtained. How can such individuals protect us women?" .
Lakshmi says these words about the rishis to indicate all supremacy of the Lord.
There are many important ideas being conveyed here. First of all, at the Svayamvara, which is only a pretence, the question of Lakshmi considering others does not even arise. More over all those devatas and rishis, who have assembled there came only witness this drama and are pleased even to imagine that the all compassionate Lord will excuse their flaws and Laxmi reporting the flaws to the Lord is to make the Lord bless them, by excusing their flaws.
Lakshmi is eternally wedded to Vishnu, but is giving these words as an apppeal to the Lord. As an example, let us consider the case of Kardama Rishi & his wife Devahuti. Kardama was engaged in Tapas for such a long time. He was married to Devahuti, a princess, who being married to a sage had to live such a difficult life. Her condition being weak over time. Of course, eventually, through a dip in Bindu Sarovar, she regained her original form. This incident is only to remind that even such great rishis are subject to such pitfalls.
Laxmi, who is ever-wedded to Sri Hari, shows how the Lord is devoid of all flaws and full of all virtues including protecting His devotees.
In the second half, a reference is made to those like Vishvamitra. Despite being the one who saw Gayatri mantra, and doing tapas for 10000 years, he is very well-known for his anger against Vasishta. Likewise, Shiva burned Manmatha with his glance just because he was disturbed while doing tapas. Contrast this to how Krishna bore 100 insults from Shishupala and did not at all give way to anger. What is the difference here? The difference is that those other deities are under the influence of prakriti. As Sri Krishna points out,
anger comes about because of Rajo Guna:
"Kaama eSha krodha eSha rajoguNa samudbhavaH".
Lakshmi is the abhimani devata for Prakriti, and Vishnu is above Lakshmi as per taratamya. So the two of them are not affected by anger, though it affects the rest.
Of course for aparoksha jnanis such as Lord Shiva, such instances of anger reduce their excess puNya, and are a way of working off their prarabdha karma. They do not really suffer for their actions the way we do.
How can such devatas and rishis who give way to anger be able to support someone like Goddess Lakshmi? Lakshmi wants her spouse to be above such anger.
Finally, there is a message here that despite all the wealth and good qualities we have, if we give way to needless anger, it is not good for those around us.
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# 18
ella shaastravanOdi durlabha j~naanava |
kallisi koDuva gurugaLu |
ballida dhanakke maruLAgi ibbaru |
sallada purOhitakkoLagaadaru || 18
Odi - Having read
ella - all the
shaastravannu - scriptures
gurugaLu - teachers
kallisi koDuva- (=kalisi) teach the
durlabha - difficult to obtain
j~naaanava - knowledge.
ibbaru - 2 of them
maruLagi - sold themselves for
ballida - powerful
dhanakke - wealth
oLagaadaru - yielded to
sallada - harm-rendering
purOhitakke - Paurohitya (priesthood).
Having read all the scriptures, gurus/teachers teach knowledge that is difficult to obtain. But 2 of them (Shukracharya & Brhaspati) sold themselves so they can get more wealth, becoming Purohitas. Lakshmi devi points out the flaws in those two, who have an exalted place in the world.
Brhaspati is the guru for the devatas. Shukracharya is the guru for the daityas. Both are worthy of worship. Even though Shukracharya is the guru for the evil daityas, it is a position that he is appointed to, so that does not make him bad.
However, there are instances when both of them were driven by a desire for more wealth. Brhaspati sought the wealth of the king of the Maruts though he already had plenty of wealth. Shukracharya used his yogic powers to take the wealth of Kubera himself. As a result, Lakshmi is pointing out the flaws of these two, who are so drawn by wealth.
A purohita should strive for the hita or good of the people, and should not be swayed by wealth. A purohita should have 8 important qualities: he seeks the good of the people, knows shruti & smruti, tells the truth, keeps his mind & body pure, protects the Vedas, follows achaara (proper conduct), uses either mantra powers or political influence to protect the people from any harm, and does not have any malicious intents in his actions, thoughts, or words.
As in the previous verse, there is a message here that we should try to incorporate in our lives. We should not be driven by greed, a desire for more wealth. Furthermore, we should not turn the knowledge of shastras that we obtain into something that we sell for profit. Why is paurohitya called harm-rendering?
It is because of the inherent possibility to yield to temptations. In spite of the inherent problems, they yielded to it(Paurohitya).
In all these verses, the underlying message is that all those in this samsAra have to undergo prArabdha and Lord Sri Hari alone is not bound by any prArabdha, He Himself being the controller of all.
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# 19
In the next verse, Sri Lakshmi devi points out how certain devatas succumb to Kama.
kaamanirjitanobba kaaminige sOtobba |
bhaaminiya hinde haaridava |
kaamaandhanaagi muniya kaaminigaididanobba |
kaamadi gurutalpagaamiyobba || 19
obba - One
kaamanirjitanu - was conquered by desire.
obba - One
kaaminige sOta - having lost to desire,
haaridava - ran
hinde - after
bhaaminiya - Mohini Rupa of Vishnu.
kaamaandhanaagi - Blinded by desire,
obba - one
aididanu = hondidanu, went after
muniya - a Rishi's
kaaminige - wife.
kaamadi - Out of desire,
obba - one
gaami - slept with
gurutalpa- the wife of his Guru.
One of the devatas, Brahma, was conquered by desire and sought his own daughter, Saraswati. Another one, Shiva, having lost to desire went after the Mohini form of Lord Vishnu. One devata, Indra, blinded by desire went after Ahalya, the wife of Gautama Rishi. Yet another devata, Chandra, slept with Tara, the wife of his own guru, Brihaspati.
Before one gets any misconceptions, it is important to point out that Brahma, Shiva, Indra, and Chandra are all devatas, meaning they are aparoksha jnAnis. They have directly perceived Vishnu and are not affected by base desires like ordinary humans, their only real desire being that of Moksha. Nonetheless, from time to time, because of prarabdha karma they may temporarily deviate.
Here we also need to make a distinction between the case of Brahma and Indra, versus that of Shiva and Chandra. Brahma and Indra acted in accordance with Vishnu's direct command, but not Shiva & Chandra. Brahma as the creator, created Saraswati along with all the other beings. However, her suitable consort as ordained by Vishnu is none other than Brahma himself. That is why, though it may seem strange, Brahma accepted Saraswati as his consort, who in a sense is his daughter. As for Indra, he was told to reduce the excess punya that Gautama Rishi had earned. When Gautama Rishi saw Indra with his wife Ahalya, he cursed Indra. Cursing one's superior is normally papa, but in this case it compensated for the excess punya that Gautama Rishi learned from his penance. Indra simply portrayed himself as being "kaamaandha", when in reality he was acting as per Vishnu's command. In fact, going after Ahalya isn't even seen as a flaw, since he is praised in stotras as being "Ahalyaa jaara".
Likewise for Brahma. Some people who recite this verse use the paThantara "kaamavarjitanu" (free from desire) instead of kaama nirjitanu. But in Lakshmi's eyes, even appearing to have a flaw is in reality a flaw. This is not to be found in Lord Vishnu as we shall see later. As for Shiva, with Parvati at his side, when he saw the Mohini Rupa of Vishnu, he was so enchanted by her beauty that he lost control of himself and ran after her. This is the power of Vishnu's maya. Chandra, overcome by desire, slept with his Guru's wife who later bore a child. In the case of Shiva and Chandra, one cannot say that it was merely a show. If Lakshmi rejected those who appeared to show desire, certainly those who actually acted driven by desire are ruled out as well.
Another thing to note in this verse is that the 2 women that are referred to- Ahalya (Gautama Rishi's wife) and Tara (Brihaspati's wife) are both considered to be a pativrata stri, meaning they are devoted to their husband. Though circumstances may have led them away from their husband, mentally they were dedicated to their husband.
Lakshmi does not want someone who succumbs to kAma as her husband, just as we saw that in the previous verses she does not want someone who succumbs to greed or anger. She wants as her husband someone who has conquered the 6 internal enemies, including Kama(desire), Krodha (anger), and Lobha (greed).
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# 20
Lakshmi continues about how other devatas are dependent on someone else.
nashvaraishvaryava bayasuvanobba para |
raashrayisi baaLuva Ishvaranobba |
haasyava mADi halludurisikoNDavanobba a |
dR^ishyaanghriyobba okkaNNanobba || 20
obba - One of the devatas
bayasuva - seeks
nashvara - Fleeting, not permanent
aishvaryava - fame, material wealth.
obba - one
aashrayisi - depending
parara - on someone else,
baaLuva - reigns
Ishvara - as the lord.
obba - Another one
mADi - having
haasyava - laughed,
hallu - his teeth
udurisikoNDavanu - were made to fall out.
obba - One has
adR^ishya - invisible
anghri - feet.
obba - Another one
okkaNNa - has only one eye.
One of the devatas, Indra, seeks impermanent, fleeting wealth. Another one, Shiva, though he is known as Ishvara, reigns as lord while depending on those higher than him. One devata, Pusha, laughed and as a result had his teeth broken. Another devata, Shesha, has no visible feet. One (either Jayantha or Shukra) has only one eye.
At first glance, it may seem puzzling how all of these descriptions are related. When analyzed more closely, each of these devatas are shown to not be independent, rather they depend on someone else. The fame and wealth that Indra has is not permanent. If he were really independent, he would have chosen to always be in a state of prosperity. Shiva, though he is known as Ishwara, depends on Vishnu, Lakshmi, Brahma, and Vayu for his ability to rule. Pusha lost his teeth and thus relies on soft flour offered in yajnas. Shesha, in his snake form, has no visible feet. Both Jayantha and Shukra, having only one eye lack the capability to see with both eyes. Lakshmi does not want someone with any sort of dependency.
What Indra seeks is called "nashvara aishvarya", because there are instances when he lost his privileged status, so his aishvarya is destructible, not lasting. He even had to run away from his kingdom on certain occasions. He was humbled by Krishna during the Govardhana episode. He was scared if people did too much tapas, because they could possibly achieve his position.
The para here can mean someone else or those higher than Shiva (Vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi, and Vayu). Shiva is constantly engaged in tapas thinking of Vishnu. Being a devotee of Vishnu, he bears the name of Vishnu (Ishvara, which occurs in Vishnu Sahasranama). But his dependency on someone else is evident in that even to acquire the position of being the Destroyer, he needed the grace of Vishnu.
asya devasya mILhuSho vayaa |
viShNoreShasya prabhR^ithe havirbhiH |
vide hi rudrO rudriyaM mahitvaM || (shruti)
During the time of Daksha's head being chopped off, Pusha laughed at Rudra. Out of anger, Rudra broke his teeth. Since then Pusha lacks teeth and as a result, during yajna-s, only soft flour is offered to Pusha.
Vadirajaru is very careful in the wording here. He does not say that Shesha does not have feet, but rather that they are not visible. Shesha in mUla rupa does have feet.
In the Dvadasha stotra,
"sharvaadi vandya charaNa...ashritya nAgapati",
His feet are worshipped by Shiva and others. It's just that in the form of a snake, his feet are not visible.
Jayantha, the son of Indra, lost his eye when in the form of a crow, he troubled Sita. As for Shukra, he lost his eye when he assumed a small form to try to stop Bali from washing the feet of Vamana. In both cases it was Vishnu (as Rama or as Vamana) who took away their eyes, because of their own wrongdoing.
Though, all the devata-s are children of Lakshmi, she points out their flaws to indicate that her eternal consort Narayana alone is completely flawless and that like her, all the devata-s also worship the Lord as a flawless being.
One of the reasons for the flawlessness and completeness of the Lord is His total non-dependence. The term "aiashvarya" means not only physical or material wealth, but also other things like wealth of knowledge, wealth of fame, wealth of qualities, etc and also rulership or Lordship. Lord Hari alone eternally has all kinds of weath and also total Lordship.
All others have partial wealth for partial times. Lakshmi herself has all these types of wealth at all times, but not the same extent as Lord Hari.
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# 21
maavana kondobba maruLaagihyanu gaDa |
haarvana kondobba baLalida |
jIvara kondobba kulagEDyendenisida |
shivanindobba bayalaada || 21
obba - One devata
konda - killed
maavana - his father-in-law.
maruLaagihyanu=maruLaagiddaane - and became dazed as a result.
gaDa - Incredible!
obba - Another one
konda - killed
haarvana - a Brahmin
baLalida - and became weak as a result.
obba - One
konda - killed
jIvara - living beings
enisida - and was called
kulagEdyendu - a destroyer of families.
obba - Another one
bayalaada -lost his body
shivaninda - because of Shiva.
Shiva killed his father-in-law Daksha Prajapati and went about in a dazed state, for losing Satidevi. Shocking, but true! Another devata, Indra, killed Vritrasura who was a Brahmin, and became weak as a result (Brahmahatya dosha).
The demigod Yama is known as a destroyer of families, because he kills living beings. Manmatha lost his body because of Shiva.
Daksha Prajapati was upset with Shiva because he thought that the latter, being his son-in-law did not show him enough respect. Shiva's consort Sati, due to attachment to her father, went to her father's house and gets humiliated by her father's behavior, called forth the fire inside her and gave up her body. Shiva was so infuriated by this, he cut off the head of his father-in-law, Daksha Prajapati. Later, Daksha Prajapati's head was replaced with that of a goat and brought back to life. However, it is shocking (hence the use of the word 'gaDa') that Shiva, who is known as the Lord, Ishwara, could not protect his own consort. Not only that, but after she had committed atma-tyaga he showed his anger. What use was it? It did not bring back Sati Devi.
One's father-in-law is to be respected, yet Shiva killed Daksha Prajapati. The surprising nature of this behavior from such a high devata is meant by the word 'gaDa'.
'gaDa' can also be applied to Indra's behavior, in killing Vritrasura. Not only was Vritrasura a Brahmin, but he was also a Vaishnava. Indra had quite a bit of difficulty killing him and resorted to tricky means,pretending to be his friend. In fact, once in battle, when Indra drops his weapon, Vrtra asks him to pick it up, saying that both of them are under the control of Hari, it is Vrtra's destiny to be killed, and Indra's to kill him. These words shock Indra, since they came from an asura. The word used in this verse to describe Vritra is 'haarva'. p's and h's being interchangeable in old Kannada, paarva means someone who acquired the knowledge that the Lord Lord Vishnu is all-supreme.
Vritra was not an ordinary asura, he was the Gandharva Chitraketu, born as an asura due to a curse. So by his very nature he is a Vaishnava. For killing such a Brahmin Indra became so weak afterwards, doing all kinds of prayaschitta. Of course, Indra, being a devata is not affected by sin, however due to his prarabdha karma he had to suffer.
We need to interpret "jIvara kondobba" carefully. As pointed out in the Gita, the jIva itself never dies, it is eternal. So what does "killing jIvas" mean?
This is a Bahuvrihi compound, that which has a jIva, namely the body. Yama, the Lord of Death has the post of leading the soul away from its body, death being nothing more than the separation of the soul from the body. Yama does not really have a bad name and is known as Dharmaraaja, as we shall see in the next verse. So the term 'kulagEdi' can also be interpreted as referring to the brother of Yama, known as Mrtyu. It is this Mrtyu who comes to take away Markandeya, not Yama.
Manmatha, the god of love, also holds a very high position in the deva taratamya (equal to Indra). To get Shiva attracted to Paravti, Manmatha released an enchanting arrow at Shiva, who was engaged in tapas. Shiva was temporarily affected by it, but as soon as he realized who caused it, he opened his 3rd eye and burned Manmatha to ashes. The devas are known as amara (immortal), yet Manmatha was burned to ashes. This too is incredible - 'gaDa'! Later however Manmatha's body was restored.
Lakshmi lists these various defects in the devatas and it is evident that all of them are dependent on Lord Vishnu. These defects are indicative of dependence. From eternity her consort is Lord Sri Hari, who alone is Independent. Though the question of her choosing any one else does not arise, this stage is set only to indicate the supremacy of Lord Narayana.
=======================
# 22
dharma unTobbanalli hemmeya hesarige
ammamma takka guNavilla |
kShammeya biTTobba narakadali jIvara
marmava meTTi kolisuva ||22
dharma - Righteousness
unTu - is there
obbanalli - in one of them
hemmeya - as per his proud
hesarige - name.
ammamma - My God!
takka - The matching
guNavilla - qualities are not there.
biTTu - Setting aside
kShammeya - forgiveness,
obba - one of them
kolisuva - kills (tortures)
jIvara - souls
narakadali - in Hell,
meTTi - trampling on
marmava - their vital organs.
Dharma or righteousness is present in Yama Dharmaraja, just as his proud name indicates. My God! He doesn't have the qualities to match his name. Setting aside forgiveness, he tortures souls in Hell, trampling on their vital organs.
Here we must not take vital organs to mean that of the physical body, since they souls no longer have physical body in Hell. The body referred to is the yaatana sharIra.
Yama Dharmaraja is appointed to a position where he gives pain to the souls in Naraka. Though well-versed in Dharma, he doesn't have the opportunity to show forgiveness because he deals with the wicked souls sent to Hell. This is one interpretation of why he doesn't have the qualities to suit his name.
Also, Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, who is an avatara of Yama, while in the forest during Vanavasa did not want to punish the Kauravas. It is the duty of the Kshatriya to fight against the evil and protect the good. Duryodhana had tried to burn the Pandavas alive, molest their wife, cheat them out of their wealth, and try to kill them numerous times, so he is certainly someone who deserves to be punished. Bhima and Draupadi had to convince him that war was the right course of action, similar to how Krishna convinced Arjuna on the Kurukshetra field. It is surprising that an avatara of Yama Dharmaraja himself was confused about what Dharma really is.
The groom befitting Lakshmi should be someone who is not just Dharma by name but who actually knows Dharma. As Jagannatha Dasaru describes in his song "Dasoham", "dharmaviduttama dharmanidhe", the one who knows Dharma more than anyone else, who is the abode of Dharma is Lord Narayana.
But a question can be raised. Yamadharma raja punishes those in Hell, but since Hari is the real doer, He is the one punishing the bad souls.
Why isn't this a defect on his part?
First of all, in the eyes of the world, lokadrishti, it is Yama who is torturing the souls. In tattvadrishti, the eyes of philosophy, this isn't a flaw either for Yama or Vishnu, since they are just giving the souls in Hell what they deserve. If the souls were tortured because of some cruel desire on the part of Yama or Vishnu, then it would certainly be a defect, but such is not the defect. The 'defect' on the part of Yama is that he was assigned such a role. He does not have the freedom to be assigned some other position besides that of torturing souls. This asvaatantrya( lack of independence) is present in Yama, but not Vishnu.
====================
# 23
The next verse talks about Bali Chakravarti
khaLanante obba tanage sallada bhaagyava |
ballidaganji barigaida |
durlabha muktige dUravendenisuva paa |
taaLa taLakke iLida gaDa || 23
ante - As though
khaLanu - someone who is wicked,
obba - one person
barigaida = bari kai aada: came back empty-handed, having gifted away
bhagyava - wealth
sallada - that is inappropriate
tanage - for him,
anji - in fear of
ballidage = baliShThaninda: one who is more powerful.
iLida - He descended
taLakke - to the surface of
paataaLa - the pAtALa loka,
endenisuva - which is called, but not actually
dUravu - far from
durlabha - the difficult to attain
muktige - state of Moksha.
gaDa =aashcharya: Wow!
As though he were someone who is wicked, Bali Chakravarti became empty-handed after he lost the wealth that was inappropriate for him, fearing the more powerful Vamana avatara of Vishnu. He descended to the surface of pAtALa loka, which is called (but isn't actually) far from the state of Moksha.
Bali chakravarti will be Indra in next manvantara. But at the time of Vamana avatara, he tried to take the position of Indra before the end of his tenure (Indra only occupies the post of ruling Swarga for a limited time). Thus Vishnu took the form of Vamana to take back what did not belong to Bali.
Another time Bali was taken by kalipravesha and tried to steal Vishnu's crown. Fearing Vishnu and Garuda, he gave it back. So this verse could refer to that as well.
Bali is a moksha-yogya jIva, fit for moksha. So by descending to pAtALa loka it did not hinder his path to moksha. pAtALa loka (the nether world) is merely known as being far from Moksha.
Vamana actually blessed Bali. However his charity had some tamasic aspect to it. First of all, he should not have taken what belonged to Indra. Second of all, the real owner is the Lord Himself. When giving dAna, he should not think that he is really giving dAna to the Lord. He should have the feeling that he is giving to Lord what the Lord owns similar to "kereya nIranu kerege teredu".
============
# 24
ellaraayuShyava shimshumaaradeva |
sallIleyinda tolagisuva |
olle naanivara nityamuttaideyendu |
ballavarenna bhajisuvaru || 24
shimshumaaradeva - Narayana in the form of shimshumaara (scorpion form in
which He controls time)
sallIleyinda - as a sort of play
tolagisuva - takes away or diminishes
ellara - everyone's
aayushyava - life.
naanu - I
olle - do not accept
ivara - these (whose life span is brought to an end, in the sense that the
physical body is destroyed, meaning I am appropriate for only Lord Hari)
nityamuttaideyendu - Being with him, I eternally have a husband
ballavaru - The wise
bhajisuvaru - praise
enna - me.
Narayana, as kaalaniyamaka (controller of time), in the form of a shimshumaara, takes away everyone's life. For him, this is all just a sort of play. The wise praise Lakshmi as eternally having a husband. Only Narayana is appropriate for her, since other deities are not eternal.
Though the devas are known as "amara" -eternal, when the time for the mahapralaya or Brahma-kalpAnta pralaya (great destruction) comes, even Brahma, Shiva, Indra, and other deities, have their physical bodies removed. Shiva is certainly known as the destroyer, but he destroys, the ones upto certain level only. Brahma as the creator, creates only the ones below him. The creator and destroyer of both is Vishnu. These other deities are not eternal the way Narayana is, because they only hold their positions for a limited span of time. In fact it is Narayana, as the controller of time who takes away the life force of not just humans but also these deities. In the eternal chain of Brahmakalpas, in each kalpa, Mukhyaprana from prior kalpa is brought to Brahmapadavi (the rank of Brahma). The one earlier than Mukhyaprana (known as lAtavya)from prior kalpa is made as Mukhyaprana in the current kalpa. Rudra from prior kalpa will be made as Shesha in current kalpa. The earlier one in Shesha/Rudra gaNa from prior kalpa will be made as Rudra in the current kalpa. Brahma, Shesha, Garuda and all those whose sAdhana is complete will go to moksha.
When one Brahma goes to moksha, he is followed by another Brahma and the cycle goes on. The lifespan of Brahma and other deities is but a blink of an eye for Lakshmi. So she would she would choose only Lord Narayana as her consort. This is all a poetic presentation. The question of choosing does not arise. She is known as "nitya aviyogini" and "nityamukta" (eternally present with Hari and eternall liberated. So, she never had a physical body).
Sri Vadirajaru is very clever with the use of words. He prefixed lIla with the word 'sat', meaning good. We must not think that Narayana derives some sort of sick pleasure from destroying other deities. Jagannatha Dasaru in the Harikathamrutasaara gave a nice analogy:
"maLala manegaLa maaDi kelavu kaaladoLaaDi mOdadi tuLidu keDisuva
teradi lakumI ramaNa lOkagaLa"...
just the way a child enjoys creating sandcastles and then destroying them, with no ill intent in destroying it, so too, the consort of Lakshmi, Lord Narayana creates and destroys the world. Birth and death are a part of living in samsara, affecting everything from a blade of grass all the way up to Brahma himself. The kaalaniyamka, Lord Vishnu who is free from this, is the only one that is a suitable match for Lakshmi.
=========================
# 25
prakR^itiya guNadinda kaTTuvaDedu naanaa
vikR^itigoLagaagi bhavadalli
sukhaduHkhavumba bommaadi jIvaru
duHkhake dUraLenipa enageNeye || 25
bommaadi jIvaru - The souls starting from Brahma
kaTTuvaDedu - are bound by
guNadinda - the ropes of
prakR^itiya - the Primordial Matter, Prakriti.
oLagaagi - They undergo
naanaa - various
vikR^itige - defects
bhavadalli - in this Samsara.
sukhaduHkhavumba - They experience sorrow and happiness.
eNeye - Are they equal
enage - to me,
dUraLenipa - far removed from
duHkhake - any sorrow?
Lakshmi devi describes how all the souls starting from Brahma are bound by the ropes of Prakriti's 3 guNas - sattva, rajas, and tamas. All these souls undergo defects since they are in samsara. They experience both sorrow and happiness.
The word guNa has a double meaning in Sanskrit and Sri Vadirajaru uses that here. It can mean rope or quality. Prakriti is composed of 3 qualities - sattva, rajas, and tamas. These qualities tie us down in samsara. Arjuna asks Krishna in the Gita what causes one to do sin even though unwilling. Krishna replies:
"kaama eSha krodha eSha rajoguna samudbhavaH".
It is Rajasic qualities like desire and anger that cause us to do bad deeds which we would not normally do. Being in samsara, the jIvas are affected by this.
The vikaara, or defect involved in transformation can either refer to manovikaara, the mind being swayed by desire, anger, greed, etc. Or it can refer to vikaara in the sense that the jIva's body undergoes change, and the jIva becomes associated with several bodies through reincarnation. Lakshmi is of course free from both of these. As the controlling deity of Prakriti, the three gunas have no effect on her.
Here a question arises - what about Brahma, Saraswati, Vayu, and Bharati? Aren't they above this? For the most part yes. Unlike other souls, they do not have attachment to their bodies, which Krishnapoints out is the cause of happiness and sorrow
"maatraa sparshaastu kaunteya sitOShNasukhaduHkhadaaH".
However, for a split second, to show that they are not in mukti state, they too may be touched by duHkha. Even for Brahma, it is said that :
"aj~nAnaM tu chaturvAraM dvivAraM bhayameva cha shoko.api tAvAn"
"[For Brahma] There are four occasions when ignorance is shown and twice when fear is shown and only that many times there is touch of sorrow".
So, the following things are to be understood in this context.
1. In all these four occasions, they lasted "ara xaNa" (half an instant)
2. As an order and will of Sri Hari, Brahma accepted this.
3. There is no "mano vikAra(perturbance of mind)" because of these situations.
Are they equal to Lakshmi, who being nityamuktaLu, and the abhimani devata for Prakriti, is never subject to sorrow? No, none of those are equal to Lakshmi, so she will not marry them. She is free from samsara and would only want someone who is also ever-liberated, not affected by duHkha, and that is Vishnu.
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# 26
obbanavana maga mattobbanavana momma |
obbanavanige shayanaaha |
obbanavana poruva mattibbaravaniganji |
abbaradalaavaaga suLivaru || 26
obbanu - One of them is
avana - His (Narayana's)
maga - son.
mattobbanu - Another one is
avana - His (Narayana's)
momma =mommaga - grandson.
obbanu - one of them
shayana Aha - became a bed
avanige - for him.
obbanu - One of them
poruva =horuva - carries
avana -him.
mattu - And
ibbaru - two of them,
anji - fearing
avanige - him,
suLivaru - are spinning around
abbaradali - in the sky
aavaaga =yaavaagalu - always
Brahma is the son of Narayana. Shiva is Narayana's grandson. Shesha is known as Narayana's bed. Garuda carries Narayana. Two others, Chandra and Surya, are always moving across the sky, fearing Him.
The "avanu" here can be taken as Shimshumara rupa of Narayana, as described in the previous verse. Or, "avanu" can be taken as a translation of the Sanskrit word "tat", which in its primary sense denotes Brahman (who is the same as Vishnu, and appears in the Vishnu Sahasranama).
For humans, a bride would never say she wants the grandfather or father of a prospective groom. But for devatas, the more seniority one has, the longer they live. Also, devatas are not affected by old age. At the time of pralaya (the final destruction at the end of each kalpa), the devatas get "destroyed" (laya) in the reverse order that they were created (with the exception of Narayana and Lakshmi of course). So for Lakshmi Devi, she would not choose someone who is a son, grandson, etc, but the original Father of them all.
When it is said that Shesha is a bed for Narayana or that Garuda carries Vishnu, we should not think that He is dependent on them. In fact, there was an instance where Garuda thinks he is independently able to carry Vishnu. But as soon as he thinks that, he is unable to do so. It is really Vishnu, present inside of Garuda, who carries Himself. It is not that Shesha and Garuda are doing favors for Vishnu, but the other way around.
Why is it mentioned that they fear God? Here the fear is not to be interpreted as the normal "mortal fear", but it is devotion-filled, respect-filled awe. Here the apprehension is about one's own ability, but not about the fear of getting punished. We should not see this at our level.
In the Upanishads, it is mentioned "The wind blows fearing God", etc. This is all devotion-filled fear. The gods are j~nAnis and so they are not afraid that God will punish them. They always want to show devotion and their fear is that at any time this devotion may decrease because of some small negligence. They do not want that to happen, so they constantly strive to be their best.
The fear that is described here is not combined with hatred, like it is for asuras. We fear what we don't know, and a being that is infinite is unfathomable for the other devatas. In the Bhagavad Gita, when Arjuna beholds the Vishvrupa of Krishna, it is too much for him to comprehend and is actually frightened by the infinite nature of Krishna.
Lakshmi does not want someone who fears someone else. She wants the Being who is the real support for the world - Lord Vishnu.
===============
# 27
obbanaavana naamakanji bechchuva gaDa |
sarbarigaava amR^itava |
sarbarigaava amR^itavanuNisuva ava |
nobbane niraniShTa niravadya || 27
obbanu - One person
anji - fearing
avana - his
naamake - name,
bechchuva - becomes heated up. (gets perturbed)
gaDa - It's surprising!
aava = yaavanu - He who
uNisuva - gives
amR^itavanu - immortality
sarbarige =sarvarige - to everyone,
avanobbane - he alone is
niraniShTa - not undesirable, not inauspicious
niravadya - and not blameworthy.
Those like Kali (the worst among Asuras) become heated up with fear upon hearing the name of Yama, but it's surprising, because Yama himself fears Vishnu. Vishnu gives Moksha, or immortality, to everyone. He alone is not inauspicious, not undesirable, and cannot be blamed for anything.
Yama is known as the God of death, so he is feared, but in reality, the ultimate God of Death, the destroyer of Yama, Shiva, Brahma, and other deities is Vishnu himself.
Yet at the same time, not only is Vishnu the Destroyer, feared by even Yama, but Vishnu is also the one who grants immortality. The "amRutavanuNisuva" can be taken in multiple senses. If we take sarvaru as all the devatas, Vishnu, in the form of Mohini, gave Amruta to all the devatas at the time of samudra mathana (churning of the ocean). If we take sarvaru as all sattvic souls, he grants moksha (permanent liberation from samsara) to them. Or, we can include rajasic and tamasic souls, who go to their final destinations, a samsara-equivalent for rajasic souls, and andha tamas (eternal Hell) for tamasic souls. Vishnu alone is capable of granting the appropriate final state to souls. Yet another interpretation of "amRutava" is nityatva. All souls are eternal, with neither beginning nor end. However, this does not mean that they exist independently. As per the shloka:
dravyaM karma cha kAlashcha svabhAvo jIva eva cha |
yadanugrahataH santi na santi yadupekShayaa ||
souls and matter exist because of the grace of Lord Narayana, and would not exist if he did not wish it so. Even for eternal objects, Narayana makes them exist, thus making them eternal. Yet no one is making Narayana exist.
Why do we say that Narayana alone grants moksha? If we take any other deity (with the exception of Lakshmi), they attain that position (of Brahma, Shiva, etc.) and eventually leave that position. They certainly cannot grant moksha to themselves. We also run into a dilemma if we say, for example, that Shiva can grant Moksha. Before Shiva attained his position, the current Shesha was in that position. Can Shiva grant Moksha to someone who was in that position before? That would be like a junior in college deciding who can graduate. He himself has not completed the requirements yet, how can he pass judgment on those who are ahead of him? Nor can we say that Brahma or Garuda can grant moksha, because they themselves have not achieved moksha. How can they grant moksha to others? Surely if they had such power, they would grant themselves moksha first! Only someone free from samsara can grant moksha. Why not Lakshmi? Because Lakshmi is not addressing herself in this verse, so that can only be Lord Vishnu himself.
Lord Narayana is full of auspicious qualities only, so he is niranishTa. We have seen that all other beings have at least one shortcoming, that they cannot grant moksha. They also do not fully comprehend Vishnu and are dependent on Him. So that is why Vishnu alone is called niravadya, and no one else can share that attribute.
Can God be blamed for other things in the world? In Western religion, one of the difficult problems that comes up is the problem of evil. If God created everything, didn't he create evil as well? If he created all souls equally, why do some tread the path of evil? Or, if they can act independently, then can't God be accused of not having total independence? If he didn't create them all equally, can't he be accused of partiality?
In Indian thought, souls are intrinsically sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic and exist from time immemorial. They are uncreated, so God cannot be blamed for the way they are. However, this does not mean that they can exist or act independently. It is God who makes each soul act as per its svabhava (innate nature). He keeps his independence and also cannot be accused of any partiality. Thus, the problem of evil is solved and we have established that God is truly niravadya.
=========================
# 28
niraniShTa niravadya emba shrutyarthava
oredu nODalu naraharige |
narakayaatane salla duritaatidUranige
marULa mana bandante nuDiyadiru || 28
niraniShTa - "He is not undesirable, nor is anything undesirable to Him;
niravadya - He is not blameworthy"
emba shrutyarthava - so proclaim the essence of the Shruti statements.
oredu nODalu - When tested in the whetstone of prAmAnya, we see that
naraharige - Narayana
salla - does not
narakayaatane - suffer in Naraka (Hell).
marULa - Oh deluded one!
nuDiyadiru - Do not describe
duritaatidUranige - that Narahari who is far removed from all sorrow,
mana bandante =manassige bandante - by your own misconceptions.
When we analyze the shruti vaakya "niraniShTa niravadya", it is evident that Narayana never suffers naraka. Do not be deluded by opposing statements and describe that Narahari who is free from all sorrow according to your own misconceptions.
"orekallu" is a type of stone that is used to test the purity of gold. The analogy made here is that we can test the purity of Shruti statements. But what is the equivalent of the stone? The soul itself has a saakshi indriya which can determine the validity of a pramana. According to Dvaita philosophy, pramanas (the means to knowledge) can be of 3 types: pratyaksha (direct perception), anumana (logic), and aagama (shastra). This is a very complex topic, so only a brief summary will be given here. Each of the 3 types of pramanas has its own domain. For example, we cannot establish chemistry and physics equations through shastra, that can only come through Pratyaksha. The flawlessness of Vishnu cannot be established through Pratyaksha, but only through aagama. It is also important to note the concept of svatah-praamanya, that is we do not need one pramana to show that another is valid, because then that second one needs to be validated, and we get an infinite chain. All 3 pramanas have inherent validity associated with them.
Now of course there could be defects, like jaundiced eyes preventing valid pratyaksha, or aagama statements written by someone who is ignorant, deceitful, etc. will be invalid. With Shruti statements, this is not a problem, because the Vedas are considered to be unauthored. They are heard, revealed to various Rishis throughout time, but exist since time immemorial.
Thus, we can see for ourselves the truth of shruti statements describing Vishnu as not undesirable and not blameworthy. But what about statements that seem contrary to it, like instances when Rama seemed to be sad upon losing Sita, or Parasurama losing in battle to Rama and Bhishma? Shruti statements carry higher weightage, so other statements need to be reintepreted in this context.
We can interpret those instances where Vishnu appears to be blameworthy as part of His greater plan (like killing Ravana for the papa of abducting Sita, or killing the asura who asked to dwell inside Parasurama).It serves to delude those who seek to find flaws in Vishnu (mohaka dveshabhaajaam) and causes happiness to the wise (pramadada sudhiyaam).
There is a verse of the Hari Vayu Stuti which simultaneously describes the encounter between Rama and Parasurama as well as between Bhima and Hanuman (gacchan saugandhikaartham...) and how it is "krIDaamaatram", just a play. Hanuman & Bhima are one and the same, as are Rama and Parasurama, so when it is said that one was afraid of his other form (bhIShayaam aasa), it should not be taken literally.
Furthermore, as Vadirajaru points out, Vishnu is durita-atiduura, very far from sorrow. What causes sorrow? As Krishna points out in the Gita:
"naasato vidyate bhaavo naabhaavo vidyate sataH"
From bad deeds, there can be no happiness. No sorrow can result from good deeds. Vishnu has never committed any bad deeds, nor is he even bound by karma, since he is svatantra. So where is the question of him experiencing sorrow, let alone suffering in Naraka?
There is a lot of meaning embedded in this verse. One question that may arise is who would say that Vishnu suffers in Naraka. There have been some commentators who directly say this, but others who imply it. According to Advaita, there is no distinction between Brahman (God) and the jIvas (individual souls). What this means is that the souls who suffer in Naraka are one and the same as God! If there is a distinction, then that school of thought can no longer be considered Advaita, since nothing apart from Brahman exists. One of the fundamental principles of Dvaita philosophy is the distinction between jiva and Brahman. Vadirajaru will mention this again in a later verse, and has written many works, including the Yuktimallika expounding on the distinction between Vishnu and other souls.
==========
# 29
ondondu guNagaLu iddavu ivaralli |
sandaNisive bahu dOSha |
kundeLLaShTillada mukundane tanagendu |
indire patiya nenedaLu || 29
ondondu - Just one or two
guNagaLu - merits
iddavu - are there
ivaralli - in these other devatas.
bahu - But many
dOSha - flaws
sandaNisive - are present in them.
indire - Lakshmi
nenedaLu - thought
patiya - of her consort
mukundane - "That Mukunda (Narayana),
illada - without even
eLLaShTu - a tiny (like a sesame seed)
kundu - flaw,
tanagendu - only he is fit for me".
Other devatas have only a few merits, but many flaws are present in them. Lakshmi thought of her eternal consort, Mukunda (Vishnu), who doesn't have even a tiny flaw. Only such a being is fit for her.
Shiva, Brahma, Indra, etc. are great devatas with many merits, yet they are described as having very few merits. When compared with the infinite qualities that Narayana has, any finite number of qualities that the devata-s have (or even all their combined qualities) is like effectively nothing. This isn't meant to belittle them, but to show how Vishnu far surpasses them. The flaws the other devatas have are traits like being bound by Prakriti (as mentioned in the "prakR^tiya guNadinda" verse), not being independent, and the list of defects entioned since the 16th verse. Yet though flaws were pointed out for so many devatas, no flaws at all were mentioned for Vishnu. Since he is "niraniShTa niravadya", Vishnu does not have even a tiny flaw.
When Lakshmi has to choose between those who have flaws and relatively few merits (compared to infinity), and someone who is perfect, flawless, possessing infinite auspicious traits, and not blameworthy in any way, the choice for Lakshmi is obvious. And again, "patiya nenedaLu", she thought of her consort, not someone who will be her consort. In other words, Narayana is already her consort. Unlike any other god & goddess couple, Lakshmi and Narayana have been together since time immemorial.
Mukunda is one who grants Moksha, freedom from samsara. Brahma, Shiva, Vayu, Indra, and other devatas, as well as Rishis, gandharvas, humans and other living beings depend on Him for salvation. To grant Moksha, one cannot be bound by samsara. Apart from Vishnu & Lakshmi, no one else has been eternally free from samsara. It is only fitting for nitya muktaLu (Lakshmi) to have nitya muktanu (Narayana) as a consort.
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# 30
dEvarShi viprara kondu tannudaradoLiTTu |
tIvirda harige duritava |
bhaavaj~narembare aagaaladele mEle
shivana lingava nilisuvare || 30
kondu - Having killed
dEva - other gods,
R^iShi - R^ishis,
viprara - and brahmins,
iTTu - Narayana places them
tanna - in his
udaradoLu - abdomen. (at the time of Pralaya)
bhaavaj~naru - Do those who know the truth
embare - say
tIvirda - that the complete and perfect
harige - Lord Hari
duritava - has any flaws? (No)
aaga - At that time of Pralaya,
nilisuvare - did Narayana worship
mEle - on the
aladele - banyan tree leaf
lingava - a linga
shivana - of Shiva? (No)
At the Pralaya time (the destruction of the universe), Narayana kills other devatas, R^ishis, and Brahmins, and places them within his abdomen. Do the wise say that Lord Hari has any defects as a result? No. He is perfect and does not gain anything from destroying others. At that time, did Narayana worship Shiva linga on the Banyan tree leaf where he lay, as a form of prayaschitta (repentance)? No.
What this verse refers to is the claim made by some that Rama worshipped Shiva Linga at Rameshwaram to drive away the sin of killing Ravana. He destroys so many beings (as mentioned earlier in "ellaraayuShyava shimshumaara deva...") and does not incur any sin for it. For killing just one person, that too someone as wicked as Ravana, does it make sense to say that Rama worshipped Shivalinga to remove brahmahatya dosha? If Rama has to establish Shivalinga to rid himself of Brahmahatya dosha, then at the time of pralaya, he should have done the same. Vishnu lies on a Banyan tree leaf after the Pralaya, so he could have chosen that as a place to establish a Shivalinga to repent for killing all the Brahmins, Rishis, and Devatas. But of course, that is not the case. In fact, they say that a mere glance of the bridge constructed to go to Lanka and kill Ravana, can remove Brahmahatya dosha. But why establish Shivalinga at Rameshwaram? Vibheeshana and Shiva are devotees of Rama. Just the way Rama honored Vibheeshana by doing abhisheka, likewise the linga established at Rameshwaram was to honor Shiva. Someone who understands this knows the true nature, or bhava of Narayana and is called bhavaj~na.
One meaning of the word 'Hari' is explained in the verse below.
brahmANamindram rudram cha yamam varuNameva cha |
nihatya harate yasmaat tasmaaddharirihocyate ||
It also is to be noted that He does not eat the Brhamanda to satisfy His hunger. If several bRahmandas can reside in His hair-root (this is again symbolic as He does not have physical hair), how can one Brahmanda suffice to satisfy His hunger. The next verse further explains the point that He is devoid of any hunger, thirst, etc.
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# 31
hasivu tR^iShe jaremaraNa rOgarujinagaLemba |
asura pishaachigaLa bhayavemba |
vyasana barabaaradu emba naaraayaNage |
pashu modalaagi neneyadu || 31
emba - For
naaraayaNage - Narayana,
vyasana - sorrow
barabaaradu - does not arise due to
emba - any of the following:
hasivu - hunger,
tR^iShe - thirst,
jare - old age,
maraNa - death,
rOga - physical or
rujinagaLu - mental diseases,
bhayavemba - fear of
asura - demons
pishaachigaLa - and ghosts.
neneyadu - Do not think that
pashu =pasu - (he has) hunger
modalaagi - or any of the other afflictions above.
(Note: the word order was changed quite a bit when translating from Kannada to English. The 3rd line is especially awkward to translate literally into English - That Narayana for whom it is that sorrow does not arise).
Narayana is not affected by sorrow due to hunger, thirst, old age, death, physical or mental disease, fear of demons or ghosts. Do not think that he suffers from hunger, etc. the way other beings do.
There are several reasons why Narayana is untouched by such things. First of all, he is independent. If he falls prey to such defects, then that means that there is something outside his control. Narayana has aprakrita sharIra - a non-material body, so the defects in mortal bodies, like old age, death, disease, etc. are not present. Narayana is sarvadoSha vivarjitaH - free from all defects. And since it is Narayana who frees us from samsara, he himself must be free from whatever is plaguing those in samsara.
We can find instances where Narayana in one of his avataras showed that not only is he free from the defects in mortal, but he is able to remove the such defects in others.
When the Pandavas are in exile, Durvasa, well-known for his anger, arrives for dinner. There is nothing left to eat, and Draupadi prays to Krishna for help. Krishna takes one morsel of food in the akshaya patra (which keeps producing food until Draupadi has eaten. She had already eaten when Durvasa arrived). He made Durvasa and his disciples feel no hunger, who then, quite embarrassed, left. How can Krishna be affected by hunger when he can remove the hunger in others?
Once, Balarama was affected by shaivajvara. A weapon was used against him, which resulted in his feeling sick. Krishna embraced him and removed fever. Krishna removes the diseases others have. In cases where Narayana appears to be affected by sickness, it is only for show. For example, when Rama appeared to be weakened by naagastra in battle, he only does it as a favor to Garuda. Garuda wanted an opportunity to serve the Lord, and this was a perfect occasion.
Jambavanta who was old even in Rama's time gave his daughter to Krishna. In return Krishna made him youthful again. So Krishna is not affected by old age. Furthermore, Narayana has been taking avataras since time immemorial, in each kalpa. How can He be affected by old age?
In another occasion, Parikshit was affected by Brahmastra. Krishna revived him, showing not only that he can give life, but also that his strength is even greater than that of Brahmastra. Someone who can bring others back from the dead has no fear of death. There are countless instances of asuras like Ravana (killed by Rama), Hiranyaksha (killed by Varaha), Hiranyakashipu (killed by Narasimha), all of whom had powerful boons, but were vanquished at the hands of Vishnu. There are no asuras or pishachis that Lord Vishnu fears.
The word Narayana mentioned in this verse has several different meanings:
na - different from cetana & jaDa
a - adhika
ra - removes all defects
a - uttama
ya - removes defects in devotees
na - different from all the flaws present in others
"aapo naaraa iti prokta" - the waters are called Nara. Narayana has as his abode (aashraya) the milky ocean, where he lies upon shesha.
If we take naaraa to mean those who are liberated (mukta), he is the aashraya or abode for them as well.
Ara means flaw or defect. He who does not have flaws (na ara) is known as Narayana.
Naaraa can also mean vedas. In this context, aashraya can mean He who is pratipadya, or addressed by the vedas. The Vedas ultimately describe only Vishnu, as Krishna points out in the Gita.
We see the stark contrast between Lord Narayana who is ever-liberated, and those beings in samsara, who undergo a mix of sorrow and happiness. There is no way that the two can be one and the same. This jIva-Ishwara bheda is another message that we should take away from this verse.
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# 32
taa duhkhiyaadare surararatiya kaLedu |
mOdavIvudake dharegaagi |
maadhava baahane kesaroLu muLugidava parara |
baadhipa kesara biDisuvane || 32
taa - If he
aadare - were
duhkhi- affected by sorrow,
maadhava - would Madhava
baahane - come down
dharegaagi - to earth
kaLedu - to take away
aratiya = duhkha - the sorrow
surara - of the other gods
Ivudake - and give them
mOdava - happiness?
muLugidava - Can someone drowned
kesaroLu - in mud
biDisuvane - remove
kesara - the filth
baadhipa - that troubles
parara - others?
If Madhava (Vishnu) is affected by sorrow, would he come down to earth to take away the sorrow afflicting the other gods and give them happiness? No. Can someone drowned in mud remove the filth that troubles others? No.
When reciting this verse, we have to be careful splitting surararatiya. It is surara + aratiya. Rati is sukha and arati is duhkha.
Unlike the other devatas, Vishnu does not take birth due to some curse. As Krishna mentioned in the Gita, the purpose of his avataras is two-fold.
"paritraaNaaya saadhUnaam vinaashaaya cha duShkR^itaam
dharmasamsthaapanaaya sambhavaami yuge yuge"
He takes birth to protect the good people and destroy the wicked, thus re-establishing Dharma. Of course he can punish the wicked without taking an avatara, but he wants to bless the good people with his presence.There is nothing that he gains from taking an avatara.
The jIva in samsara is unable to remove its sorrow on its own, so it relies on someone else. That someone else is the Lord who is the controller of the universe. For him to remove our sorrow he should not rely on someone else, nor should he himself be affected by sorrow. If he cannot remove his own sorrow, how can he remove the sorrow of others? Hence the analogy of someone drowned in mud being unable to remove the dirt covering others.
Jiveshwara bheda (the difference between Jiva & Brahman) is brought out clearly in this verse. The jIva is affected by sorrow and bound in samsara. Brahman is ever liberated, untouched by sorrow. The two must be completely different. If there is identity between the infinite God and the finite soul, then it is God himself who is bound in samsara, and the very idea of praying to God to remove our sorrows and grant us the ultimate joy, Moksha, becomes meaningless. Such cannot be the case.
There is another subtle point in this verse. In the mud analogy, the mud is something external that covers us, it is not what we really are and needs to be removed. A jIva fit for moksha is by its nature blissful, but drowning in samsara, because of its contact with external objects and attachment to them, experiences sorrow. So in granting us moksha, the Lord allows us to experience the happiness found in our own innate nature, unsullied by the effects of samsara.
The word "Madhava" has several different meanings. maa can mean jnana, and dhava can mean jagatpati. Or dhava can mean abode, so abode of knowledge. Being the abode of knowledge, Vishnu cannot be affected by ignorance. madhu can mean sukha. He who gives such joy is known as maadhava. Like a madhu (bee), which gives sweet honey, Vishnu gives the sweet nectar of immortality or freedom from samsara to those eligible jIvas. Another meaning is "maa dhuuyate". That is, he is not one who fears. Because Vishnu is all-pervading, all-powerful, and all-knowing, there is nothing that can cause him any fear. A well-known meaning given for Madhava is one who killed the daitya known as Madhu. The most common meaning for Madhava is Maa (Lakshmi) + Dhava (pati), that is, the Lord and consort of Lakshmi.
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# 33
bommanaalayadalli iddavage laya uNTe |
janma layavilladavanige |
ammiyanuNisidda yashodeyaagiddaLe |
amma ivage hasi tR^iSheyuNTe || 33
iddavage - Does Vishnu, who was present
aa-in that
layadalli-destruction
bommana- of Brahma
uNTe - undergo
laya - destruction?
janma - Or does birth exist
avanige -for he
layavillada- who has no destruction?
yashode - Did Yashoda
ammiyanuNisidda - who fed Krishna milk
iddaLe - exist
aaga - at the time of Pralaya?
amma - Wow!
ivage - Does someone like this
uNTe - have
hasi - hunger
tR^iShe - or thirst?
Vishnu does not undergo destruction, since he was present even when Brahma himself was destroyed, in the previous kalpa. Does someone who does not undergo destruction undergo birth? No. When Vishnu alone existed between the last Pralaya and the next creation, was Yashoda there to feed him, the way she fed Krishna? No. So someone like this does not suffer from the pangs of hunger and thirst.
Bomma refers to chaturmukha Brahma, as in Bommana praLayadalli, bommaadi jIvaru, in previous verses. At first glance, it may appear that aalaya refers to abode. However, if aalaya refers to the abode of Brahma, there is no connection between residing with Brahma and not having destruction. In other words, one can easily imagine someone residing with Brahma and undergoing destruction. Also, past tense (iddavage) would imply that Vishnu used to be in Brahma's abode, but not any more, which doesn't make sense either. Sri Vadirajaru is well-known for his logical abilities, so we must look for an alternative meaning.
Whereas, if we split it as aa laya, that destruction of Brahma=mahaapralaya (There are other types of laya in between, where Brahma still persists), then it makes more sense. How can someone who continues to exist even when Brahma himself is destroyed (bodily destruction, not destruction of the jIva), undergo any type of destruction? The destruction of Brahma's body happens after the destruction of the bodies of various other jIvas. So this shows that Vishnu is distinct from any of them. When others get destroyed, He does not. Or poetic license allows for what is called dhmaata (dirgha svara), so bommana laya becomes bommanaalaya, with a long A. Another reason to interpret this as laya (destruction) and not aalaya (abode) is that the next verse also refers to praLaya, so this makes sense in context.
Bomma can sometimes refer to Parabrahma (that is Vishnu). bommanAlaya would then be Vaikuntha. So, another considered meaning is "Can there be a destruction for one who resides in Vaikuntha?" But this is also not right, because merely residing in Vaikuntha need not take away the laya or destruction.
The key point is that the absence of destruction is due to His independence and All-controllership. Though the jivas also do not have destruction, they have bodily destruction. Even that is not there for Sri Hari and it is also indicated that even in the "kalpAnta pralaya" of chaturmukha Brahma, when all the gross bodies of all the jivas are destroyed, Lord Hari, whose body is non-different from His Soul continues to control and rule even at that time. The eternality of the jivas is protected by Sri Hari Himself.
The second paada asks if someone without laya can have janma? No. He does not have praagabhava (non-existence before). In other words, he was there at the time of Srishti, since he was around after the previous pralaya. The cycle of destruction and creation has been happening since time immemorial. If Vishnu had ever come into existence, it would invalidate what was said in the first line, that Vishnu was there when the previous Brahma was destroyed. So Vishnu is without birth or death.
Some may think that Krishna, an avatara of Vishnu, is subject to the pangs of hunger and thirst, since he was fed by Yashoda like any other baby. But if Lord Vishnu really depends on a mother to feed him, what about at the time of Pralaya. Sri Vadirajaru asks us if Yashoda there to feed him when Vishnu alone existed after the Mahapralaya. No, no one else was present (as we saw earlier, kondu tannudaradoLiTTu, after bodily destruction, the jIvas were resting within the abdomen of Vishnu). Clearly, Krishna, who is Vishnu himself, does not depend on Yashoda or anyone else to feed him, nor does he ever suffer from hunger or thirst. Krishna merely puts on this act to give Yashoda the joy of feeding her baby. There is nothing the Lord gains from it.
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# 34
Aga bhakshya bhOjyavittu pUjisuva |
yOgigaLuNTe dhanadhaanya |
aaga dorakombude paakamaaDuva vahni |
mattaagalellihudu vichaarisiro || 34
Aga - At that time of Pralaya
uNTe - were there
yOgigaLu - learned devotees
pUjisuva - who worshipped Narayana
ittu =koTTu- by offering
bhakshya - entrees and
bhOjyavu - delicacies?
aaga - At that time
dhana - were wealth
dhaanya - and grains
dorakombude =dorakuvude - available (present)?
matte - Furthermore
aagale- at that time,
elli - where
ihudu - was
vahni - the fire
paakamaaDuva -for cooking?
vichaarisiro - Think (ask) about it.
At the time of Pralaya, were there any devotees who offered entrees or desserts to Narayana(Bhakshya refers to entrees, or filling items like rice. Bhojya refers to delicacies like laDDu)? No. Were wealth and grains present at that time? No. Furthermore, at that time, where was the fire to cook such food? Think about this.
This verse dispels the myth that Narayana is dependent on his devotees to offer Naivedya or food to him, as well as the notion that he is like ordinary mortals who need food to survive. Sri Vadirajaru points out that
at the time of Pralaya, no devotees offer Narayana food, nor was there any means of obtaining or cooking such food. There are statements which say that nothing was there at the time of Pralaya besides Narayana (Eko naarayaNaasit) Here a clarification must be made. This does not mean nothing else existed, since jIvas are eternal and exist at all times and so is primordial matter (mUla prakriti). It means that all other jIvas were in an inactive state, and that the world was not manifest. Narayana cannot depend on food or naivedya offered by devotees, because the physical world had not yet been made from mUla prakRiti, and the jIvas who would offer such food are in a dormant state.
But if Narayana does not depend on the Naivedya that we offer, why should we offer it? Krishna states in the Gita:
yajJNashiShTaashinaH santo muchyante sarvakalbiShaiH|
bhuNJate te tvagham paapaa ye pachantyaatmakaaraNaat | Gita 3-13
The righteous who partake the remains of sacrifice (yajJNashiShTa)are freed from sins, but the impious(paapaa) who eat food for their own selfish sake eat sin (agha). In other words we should think about the Lord and be grateful to Him for the food He has given us. This concept exists in many other cultures as well, for example Christians saying grace before meals, though the exact equivalent of a yajna may not be there. Here yajna does not necessarily mean Ashvamedha, Rajasuya, etc, but maanasika yajna, where mentally we offer the food that we have to the Lord.
Then one might ask why does the Lord partake of such food if he does not gain anything from it? He accepts food to bless devotees. For example, Krishna accepted the Avalakki(flattened rice) that Sudama offered out of devotion. Narayana is purNananda so does not derive any satisfaction or pleasure from eating.
Vishnu is known as yajnabhokta. When we leave naivedya, it may not look like Lord eats any of it, but he consumes a subtle portion of the food not visible to us. Not only does he consume this subtle portion of the food left as Naivedya, but residing within us he digests the food that we eat. As the verse from Chapter 15 of the Gita states:
aham vaishvaanaro bhUtva prANinaam dehamaashritaH |
prANaapaanasamaayuktaa pachaamyannam chaturvidhaM ||
In the form of Vaishvanara agni, he resides in our stomach and consumes the four types of food, acting through Vayu Deva. The proof for this is that Madhvacharya, who is Vayu deva, while in Kerala, consumed hundreds of bananas, something no human could consume, after eating lunch, when someone wanted to test if he was really Vayu Deva. Not only did he consume all of it, the size of his stomach remained the same as before. We can make sense of this if we understand the Gita verse above. It is Lord Krishna who gives Vayu deva the strength to digest the food within us.
This jaTharaagni consumes food when present, but for humans, when we are hungry, with no food present, it is this same jaTharagni that causes us the pain of starvation. Devatas are not bound by hunger and with their yogasiddhi are not affected by starvation. Lord Vishnu of course being the controller of all this certainly does not suffer from hunger.
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# 35
rOgavanIva vaatapittashleShma |
aaga kUDuvude rameyoDane ||
bhogisuvavage duritava nenevare |
I gunanidhige eNeyuNTe || 35
aaga - At the time of pralaya,
rOgavanIva - were disease-causing
vaata - gassiness
pitta - headache
shleShma - kapha=excess phlegm
kUDuvude - present in Narayana?
nenevare - Will people think
bhogisuvavage - that someone who enjoys
rameyoDane - being around Lakshmi
duritava - ever experiences sorrow or difficulties?
eNeyuNTe - Is anyone equal to
I - this
gunanidhige - abode of good qualities?
At the time of Pralaya, did Narayana suffer from any bodily defects arising from an imbalance in doShas (bodily humors), like gassiness, headache, excess phlegm, etc? No. Will people think that someone who enjoys being around Lakshmi (in reality being with his own forms residing in Lakshmi) ever experiences sorrow or difficulties? Is anyone equal to this abode of good qualities? No.
Vaata, pitta, kapha (uShNa) refer to bodily humors (doShas). kapha is phlegm. One gets phlegm when one catches cold, which is dimunition of heat. Every one needs vaata, pitta and ushNa to go with the vital activities. When they are balanced, that is good quality and indicative of good health. Their imbalance is the root cause of disease, even though they are needed for vitalization. Their imbalance can happen two ways - either reduction or increase. Both are problematic.
vaata => vAyu tatva or wind characteristic in our body. If that is low, it leads to dullness, due to fatigue. If it is more, it leads to different kind of dullness, due to inability to handle.
pitta => paitya rasa or bile juice and its characteristic. It aids emulsification, digestion, and assimilation. If it is less, the above things get affected and leads to problems. If it is more, it leads to giddiness, aggressive temparament, and even depression and other serious mental diseases.
uShNa => heat inside the body. While we use external heat like fire to cook food, the heat inside our body helps to burn the food to produce calories, and then a different kind of heat burns calories to produce energy. Then another kind of heat is used to burn energy to produce action. If heat is less, it leads to bodily cold and results in kapha or shleShma. If it is more, it leads to boils. Sometimes, an unusual fluctuation can cause both kinds - phlegm and fever. Basically an imbalance of these lead to various kinds of diseases and complications. Their balance is guNa and imbalance is doSha.
It is also known that the diseases are caused by the sins committed in prior births. The Lord has no births. Some may mistake His incarnations for His births and some of His actions as sins (like thinking that Sri Krishna had contact with "para stris", etc.) All those doubts are expelled here. "RameyoDane bhogisuva" = meaning that He always joins only Lakshmi - even that he does so as to give her joy. he is "AtmArAma (does not need others for joy)". When He joined the gopika-s, He joins the LakShmi present in them only and yet gives them also immense joy through His inconceivable powers. So he does not have the flaw of "paranArI sanga".
He is eternally blissful. During Pralaya, when these prAkritika vAta, pitta and shleShma don't even exist, where is the question of His getting the diseases from their imbalance? In that case, when He creates all these during creation process, where is the question of His getting affected during creation?
The previous verse naturally flows into this. Often times gassiness, headache, etc. are due to the food that we eat. When Narayana does not even have hunger or thirst, nor is there any means of cooking food at the time of Pralaya where is the question of defects arising from his diet? Furthermore Narayana and Lakshmi have a non-material body and so are not affected by such doShas that humans are subject to. Since Narayana does not have such an imbalance in bodily humors during the time of praLaya, of course when he creates the world during Srishti, he will certainly not create something which gives him such a bodily imbalance.
He who enjoys with Lakshmi by his side and has Lakshmi under his control is not affected by rajo guNa and tamo guNa, since they are under her control. Rajo guNa and tamo guNa drive us to do sin, and the cause for our physical and mental diseases is these past sins. So delusion/ignorance or passion arising from such guNas do not affect Lord Narayana, thus he does not commit sins, and as a result does not suffer from bodily or mental defects. Furthermore, being svatantra, he makes sure that other jIvas experience the results of their past puNya and papa, but there is nothing controlling him.
Thus we see through Sri Vadirajaru's logic that Narayana is free from hunger, thirst, and imbalance in vaata, pittha, kapha for all time, and is also eternally free from defects arising from prakriti. This is also true for Lakshmi.
Narayana is guNa nidhi, the abode of auspicious qualities and is not affected by doSha (defects or fluctuations in bodily humors). There is no one equal to him, not even Lakshmi. Though Lakshmi too is unaffected by Prakriti, she derives this strength from Lord Vishnu, as he alone is independent.
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# 36
ramme dEviyaranappikoNDippudu |
rammeyarasage rati kANiro ||
ammoghavIryavu chalisidare praLayadali |
kumaarar yaake janisaru || 36 ||
ippudu - Narayana was
appikoNDu - embracing
ramme- Lakshmi
dEviyaranu- Devi (her many forms)
kANiro - See
rati- that it was only lIla (a play)
rammeyarasage-for Lakshmipati
chalisidare- If he released
vIryavu-virility
ammogha-which is never futile
yaake-why weren't
kumaarar-any children
janisaru-born
praLayadali- at the time of Pralaya
Narayana was embracing the various forms of Lakshmi devi at the time of Pralaya. However he did not derive any pleasure from it, since it was just a form of lila, a sort of play.
The question of deriving pleasure comes for only "apUrNa" beings. The Lord is pUrNa in every way including being joyful. He eternally has infinite bliss and is the source of bliss for all, including Lakshmi.
Whenever He appears to be deriving joy, that is only apparent and is for Asura mohana. Thus it is only lIla. So, this one sentence says all three namely - He is not deriving any joy, He gives joy to Lakshmi and it is only
Lila for Him.
If he is like any ordinary being with a material body, subject to lust, when embracing Lakshmi during the long time of Pralaya he should have given birth to many children, but didn't. Nor can it be said that he is impotent, because he has "ammogha vIrya"
Some of the language in this verse may seem a bit strange, but what Sri Vadirajaru intends to do is systematically show that Narayana is not subject to human shortcomings like anger, hunger, diseases, and in this case, lust.
When embracing Lakshmi, he does not have any desire for her. For him it is just "rati", a play that he puts on. He is aatmaa raama, being independent, does not gain happiness from anyone else. However out of compassion, he wishes to bless her with his presence.
Even ordinary amukta devatas are capable of producing children without touching a woman, just by wishing to have a child. For example, Surya gave Karna to Kunti without even touching her. When other devatas, whose status was bestowed to them by Lord Narayana, can do this, what about Lord Narayana himself?
The reason no children were born during praLaya was because he wished to wait until the next Srshti, so jIvas can have a world in which to do their sadhana. Narayana as Krishna showed that he is certainly capable of producing children by mere wish, as he gave birth to 10 sons and one daughter with each of his 16000 wives. This only happens when he wishes it, not otherwise. For the Lord, it does not happen out of lust.
Another point to note in the verse is the use of the plural form "ramme deviyaru". Lakshmi is only one being, but the use of the plural brings out the concept of Lakshmi being in multiple forms. How can Lakshmi exist in multiple forms and be embraced by the same Narayana in several forms? This itself shows that these are not ordinary beings. Another reason for mentioning multiple forms is to hint that all those 16000 wives had Lakshmi's presence in them and the Lord touches only Lakshmi's forms in them.
==============
# 37
Ekatra nirNIta shAstrArtha paratrApi |
bEkemba nyAyava tiLiduko ||
shrIkR^iShNanobbane sarvadOShakke si |
lukkanembOdu salahalike || 37
tiLiduko -Understand that
nyAyava - the logical statement
artha - "The meaning
shAstra- of the scriptures
nirNIta - established
Ekatra - in one place
paratra - needs to be taken elsewhere
api - as well."
bEkemba - is needed here.
shrIkR^iShNanu - Lord Krishna
obbane - alone
silukkanu - is free from
sarvadOShakke - all flaws
embodu - Understanding this
salahalike - will lead to our salvation
There is a statement in the scriptures "Ekatra nirNIta shAstrArtha paratrApi", which means that whatever is established in one location is implied elsewhere as well. We need to apply this in the case of Lord Krishna, the only one who is free from all defects. With this mindset, we will attain salvation.
Some may have wondered why the past few verses have referred specifically to the time of Pralaya when pointing out that Lord Vishnu is free from hunger, disease, and did not need to worship other deities. Here Sri Vadirajaru explains his logic. He gives a scriptural statement, pointing out that since Vishnu is shown to be free of these defects at the time of Pralaya, this needs to be extended to all other times as well.
We shouldn't think that Vishnu's absence of defects is similar to the case of Vikramaditya's throne. This throne was special in that so long as someone sat on it they were extremely intelligent, but then back to normal when they got off the throne. Here there is nothing that causes Vishnu to be free from defects only during the time of Pralaya. Why not? Because at the time of Pralaya there is nothing else active besides Lord Vishnu. So he is inherently free from defects, and this naturally extends to all other times as well.
Sri Vadirajaru has chosen the name Sri Krishna in this verse. He is one and the same as Lord Vishnu. Since Vishnu has been shown to be free from thirst and hunger, it is to be understood that during Krishna avatara too, he does not depend on Yashoda to feed him (ammIyanuNisidda yashodeyaagiddaLe - Yashoda was not there to quench his thirst during Pralaya) or rely on Shiva to bless him with a child (aagaaladele mEle shivanalingava nilisuvare - there was no Shiva Linga that he worshipped)
How will understanding this lead to our salvation? We need a correct understanding of the Lord in order to seek his blessings. There is no other being that can be said to be free from all defects at all times, because the rest at least have the defect that they are inactive at the time of Pralaya. How can such beings protect us when they themselves are unconscious at that time? We must seek someone who is in control at all times, and that is Lord Vishnu.
===============
# 38
ella jagava nungi dakkisikoNDavage
salladu rOgarujinavu
balla vaidyara kELi ajIrti mUlavalla
dilla samasta rujinavu || 38
avage - He who
dakkisikoNDu - digests
ella - all
jagava - the worlds
nungi - after swallowing them
salladu - does not have
rOga - mental diseases
rujinavu - or physical diseases
kELi - Ask
balla - any knowledgeable
vaidyara - doctor.
rujinavu - Diseases
samasta - are all
illa - not there
allade - unless
mUlavu - the root cause
ajIrti - is indigestion.
That Lord Narayana who swallows all the worlds and digests them at the time of Pralaya does not have any mental or physical diseases. Ask any competent doctor, who will say that all diseases have indigestion as their root cause. The Lord digests the universe in the sense that swallowing it does not cause Him any inconvenience.
For humans, there are rules like filling half your stomach with food, a quarter with water, and leaving a quarter empty. But no such rule exists for Lord Hari. He swallows the entire world at the time of Pralaya, so the question of him having indigestion does not arise, nor does he have any of the diseases resulting from indigestion.
The energy in our stomachs which digests food is known as jaTharagni. It can be divided into 4 categories: tIkShNa (which results in pitta if there is insufficient food), manda (resulting in kapha, if there is too much food), sama, and vishama (which results in vaata).
We see that so many of the diseases in the world can be traced back to the food we eat. On one hand, malnutrition, not getting enough vitamins and nutrients can cause physical problems, and on the other hand, obsesity, high blood sugar, high cholesterol result from too much of certain foods. Furthermore, the food we eat contains so many artificial ingredients, some even carcinogenic, that those cause problems as well.
For the Lord to swallow the entire world, complete with all of its defects shows that he is untouched by diseases that afflict the rest of us. This also shows that he does not have a material (Prakrita) body. For someone to cure our diseases, he must be free from them. The real bhava-roga-vaidya is Lord Narayana and he is the one who will protect us.
===============
# 39
intha mUrutiya oLakomba naraka
bahubhraanta nInellinda tOruvelo
santeya maruLa hOgelo ninna maata
santaru kELi sogasaru || 39
nInu - Oh, you who are
bahu - really
bhraanta - deluded,
ellinda - where will
tOruvelo - you show
naraka - a hell
oLakomba - that can contain
intha - such a
mUrutiya - form (of Narayana)?
santeya maruLa - Oh, frivolous man,
hOgelo - keep off!
kELi - Hearing
ninna - your
maata - words,
santaru - wise people
sogasaru - will not be pleased.
Oh you (an opponent) who are really deluded, how can you show a Hell that can contain Lord Narayana? You can't. Oh, frivolous man, keep off! Hearing your words, wise people will not be pleased.
The opponents, who like to twist things may argue "You people claim that Lord is present everywhere and so He must be present in Hell also, which means that He is undergoing punishment in Hell".
In the past verses we have seen how Lord Narayana is unaffected by hunger, thirst, disease, and death (hasivu tR^She jare maraNa). So He certainly cannot undergo any suffering in Hell.
He is present there also as all pervading force to control everything there also, which is crudely like a prison officer being there in prison wards to control things there. The Lord is "sarvaantaryaami" and unless He is there, driving everything from inside, nothing happens. But He is always unaffected.
The jaTharagni that affects humans has no effect on him, so he cannot suffer from that in Hell. Thinking of Narayana in the form of Lord Rama, Hanuman was saved when his tail was set on fire. How can the fires of Hell have any effect on Lord Narayana Himself?
Lord Narayana swallows the entire universe (ella jagava nungi..), and this includes Hell, so there is no question of it affecting Him. Furthermore, what sort of Hell could even contain a being that swallows the entire universe? Narayana continues to exist even when Brahma and Shiva are destroyed (bommana aa layadilli iddavage laya unTe?), so such a being certainly cannot be made to undergo any bodily destruction either.
In this verse, Goddess Lakshmi points out that only frivolous people would think that Narayana experiences Hell or any other kind of suffering. Those who are wise would understand Lord Hari's nature and not be misled by frivolous people who say that Narayana suffers.
But who will say such things? For example, someone may argue that as the charioteer for Arjuna, Krishna did treacherous to defeat the Kauravas, so he will suffer in Hell for that. Here we can use the logic Sri Vadirajaru has used earlier "ekatra nirNIta shaastraartha paratraapi", what is established in shastra in one place applies elsewhere as well. Krishna is the same as Lord Narayana. First of all, as pointed out above, he is larger than the entire universe, since it is contained within him (as Krishna shows to both Arjuna and Yashoda), so there is no Hell to contain him. Second of all, Krishna is satya sankalpa, so does not perform any bad deeds. Finally, Krishna has himself stated in the Gita -
"sarva dharmaan parityajya maam ekam sharaNam vraja aham tvaa sarva paapebhyo mokShayiShyaami maa shuchaH" -
if you surrender yourself to Krishna, he will free us from all sins. So how can someone who frees others from sin himself be affected by them?
============
# 40
shrI naaraayaNara janani janakara
naanemba vaadi nuDiyelO |
jaaNaradarindariya mUlarUpava tOri |
shrI naarasimhana avataara || 40
For him who argues that Lord Narasimha has parents, he fails to prove that for Mularupa or for Narasimha avatAra. Consequently due to lack of exposure to scriptures in the right direction, he fails to comprehend that the Lord has no parents in all His avataras also, while the wise ones realize and enjoy such knowledge.
For him who argues that jIva and paramatma are the same (Advaita), that is, that they are the same as Narayana, who is the mother and father of everything, Sri Vadirajaru is challenging them to explain. The wise would know through the scriptures by the grace of the Lord and proper Gurus as well that the original form of Narayana, which is the same as his incarnation as Narasimha.
Sri Vadirajaru has been pointing out throughout the verse the flawless nature of Lord Narayana, who is ever free from ignorance and other defects. So it should be obvious that the individual soul, such as you and me, cannot be one and the same as Narayana. This jIva-Brahma bheda is one of the central tenets of the philosophy taught by Sri Madhvacharya.
=========
# 41
ambudhiya udakadali oDedu mUDida kUrma |
emba shrI hariya pitanaaru |
emba shrI hariya pitanaaru adarinda sva |
yambhugaLella avataara || 41
yaaru - Who is
pitanu - the father
kUrma - of Kurma (the tortoise form)
emba - of
shrI hariya - Lord Hari,
mUDida - which arose (udbhavisida)
oDedu - out of (by breaking)
udakadali - (in) the water
ambudhiya - of the ocean
adarinda - Therefore
ella - all of
avataara - his forms
svayambhugaLu - are born of his own will
Who is the father of the Kurma avatar of Lord Hari? No one, since it arose out of the water in the ocean. Therefore, all his forms are svayambhu - born of his own will.
For Narasimha avatara, one could raise the doubt that there are discrepancies as to how Narayana took avatara. The Bhagavata Purana describes Narasimha avatara as arising from pillar. Whereas in the Harivamsha (which is an appendix to the Mahabharata), he takes avatara in the forest and then enters Hiranyakashipu's court. In the version in the Harivamsha, someone could raise a doubt as to whether Narayana has parents, since he appeared in the forest, with no one else present. But in the Bhagavata account, it is clear that He has no parents, since others saw him appearing from the pillar. The different versions in the puranas are the different ways the avatAra happendd in different manvantaras.
In this verse, an unambiguous instance where Narayana has no parents is shown, the Kurma avatara. As everyone was watching, Lord Hari assumed the form of a tortoise during the churning of the ocean. So no matter which account we take, it is evident that Narayana takes birth of his own will. Now we need to take the quote mentioned earlier : "ekatra nirNItaH shaastraartha paratraapi". Since during Kurma avatara, Narayana takes birth of his own will, the same must hold for his other avataras.
A doubt may arise - if the Bhagavata and Harivamsha give different accounts of Narasimha taking avatara, isn't there a contradiction? Both Puranas (like the Bhagavata) and Itihasas (like the Mahabharata) are pramana (valid sources of knowledge). The differences are due to different incidents in different manvantaras. In one manvantara, Narasimha takes avatara from a pillar, and in another he appears in the forest and enters Hiranyakashipu's court. This way, the apparent contradiction is resolved.
Also, in this context, it should be remembered that even in avataras like Sri Rama and Sri Krishna, he really did not have garbhavAsa and did not go thru the delivery, but due to his achinyadbhutashakti gave such experience to his devotees to fulfill the boon. Otherwise how can one explain Sri Krishna having all four weapons as soon as he "is born" to Devaki?
==============
# 42
devakiya garbhadali dEvanavatarisida |
bhaavavanu balla vivekigaLu ||
I vasudheyoLage kR^iShNage janmava
Ava pariyalli nuDiveyo || 42
garbhadali - In the womb
devakiya - of Devaki
dEvanu - Lord Krishna
avatarisida - incarnated.
vivekigaLu - The wise
balla - are capable of understanding
bhaavavanu - the meaning of this.
Ava - in what
pariyalli - way
nuDiveyo - can you say that
kR^iShNage - Krishna
janmava - takes birth
I - on this
vasudheyoLage - earth,
Lord Krishna incarnated, appearing to come from Devaki's womb. However the wise are capable of understanding that Lord Krishna does not undergo any kind of birth.
Unlike humans who must spend 9 months inside their mother's womb, and are born because of their past karma, Lord Krishna neither has to be trapped in a womb, nor is he forced to undergo birth. After all, being the controller of all, why would anything bind Him?
The word 'deva' comes from the root 'div', which means, among many things, krIDa, or play. For him, appearing to take birth is just a sort of play. By thinking of how it is play for him, he removes the sorrow of our being born again and again in this samsara.
So why does he incarnate? As Krishna states in the Gita:
yadaa yadaa hi dharmasya glaanir bhavati bhaarata | abhyuttaanam adharmasya tadaatmaanam sR^ijaamyaham ||
When Dharma starts to fall in the world, and there is an increase in Adharma, Lord Vishnu takes birth of His own will. So he blesses the good with his presence, and punishes the wicked. Of course he can punish the wicked without taking birth, but then his devotees would not get the opportunity to see Him and be near Him.
The other devatas are amazed at this play of Lord Vishnu, because someone who is forever free from Samsara, who has nothing to achieve, takes birth acting as though he were human though he is not, simply to please his devotees.
==========
# 43
AvALisuvaaga yashOdAdEvige |
dEva tannoLage hudugidda |
bhuvanavellava tOriddudillave
A viShNu garbhadoLaDaguvane || 43
AvALisuvaaga - While yawning
dEva - Lord Krishna
tOriddu - showed
yashOdAdEvige - Yashoda Devi
ellava - the entire
bhuvana - universe
hudugidda - concealed
tannoLage - within him
idu illave - Isn't that so?
A - Can that
viShNu - Vishnu
aDaguvane - be contained
garbhadoLu - within any womb?
While yawning, Lord Krishna showed his mother Yashoda the entire universe which is concealed within Him. Can such a Krishna, who is the same as Lord Vishnu be contained within his mother's womb? No.
Note: for those who know Kannada, "AvALisuvaaga" is used instead of "akaLisuvaaga" so that the second letter is va, to match the other lines. Also toriddudillave is split as : toriddu+idu+illave.
In this verse, it is further pointed out that Vishnu in any of his avatara-s cannot be contained within a mother's womb. If the whole universe is contained within Him, as He showed Yashoda, how can He be bound by any physical limitations?
The word Vishnu itself means vyaapta or all-pervasive. It would be absurd for an all pervasive Being to be trapped inside a womb for 9 months. As mentioned earlier, appearing to the world as being born is just a play, or Lila for Him. In fact, this is what the word deva conveys in this verse. If one wonder whether Vishnu in his avatara form as Krishna still has attributes like being all-pervasive:
pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam pUrNaat pUrNamudachyate |
pUrNasya pUrNamaadaaya pUrNamevaavashiShyate ||
Both the original form (Vishnu) and avatara (such as Krishna) is perfect (infinite). But they are not 2 separate beings, this avatara came from that. When an infinite Being incarnates, there is no diminution - both the avatara and mUla are still infinite/perfect.
In other words when Vishnu is described as limitless, perfect, infinite, in any of His avataaras, He still retains those properties. If Vishnu cannot be bound by physical limitations, the same holds for Krishna.
Vadirajaru is careful in the choice of words - Vishnu is present everywhere even inside the womb of Yashoda (if He were not, He would not be omnipresent), but what is meant here is that Krishna cannot be contained within the womb, that is, physically limited by Yashoda's womb, so the word 'aDaguvane' is used.
===============
# 44
aaneya maanadalli aDagisidavaruNTe |
anEka kOTi ajaaNDava |
aNu rOma kUpadali ALda shrIhariya |
janani jaTharavu oLagombude || 44
uNTe - Is there
aDagisidavaru - anyone who could fit
aaneya- an elephant
maanadalli- in a measuring cup (aLate paatre)?
shrIhariya - That Lord Hari
ALda- who who rules and controls
anEka- Several
kOTi- crore
ajaaNDava- universes (Brahmandas)
aNu- in a tiny
rOma- hair
kUpadali- root,
oLagombude - can he be contained
janani- in a mother's
jaTharavu- womb?
Is there anyone, who could hold a large elepahant in a small measuring cup? Is there any mother's womb that can hold Lord Sri Hari, who places, rules and controls several Brahmandas within His tiny hair roots? Both are impossible.
There is a verse in the Hari Kathamruta saara which conveys a similar meaning:
ondu rUpadoLondavayavado
Londu rOmadoLondu dEshadi
pondi ippavajaanDanantaananta kOTigaLu
hinde maarkaaNDeya kaaNane
onde rUpadi sr^ShTi pralayava
indirEshanoLEnidacchari aprameya sada || 7-24
In each form, each part, each hair of the Lord, there are an infinite number of Brahmandas. Lord Vishnu showed Markandeya the creation and destruction of the universe through one of his forms. The universe is itself difficult to comprehend, so the Being containing infinite such universes is indeed 'aprameya'.
Here an interesting question arises. At any given time there is only one Brahmanda, or universe. How are they talking of multiple Brahmandas? For Lord Vishnu, the past, present, and future are all the same. Taking the infinite time that has passed and is yet to come, there are infinite Brahmandas, and Lord Vishnu contains each one of them.
Someone who is all-pervading and who holds the universe within him during each kalpa, can never be contained within a mother's womb, and thus does not experience being trapped in garbhavasa.
Furthermore, the word for Brahmanda used here is ajaanda. Aja means Brahma, which is split as a+ja. Brahma, the creator, was himself born from Lord Vishnu (denoted by the letter 'a'). As the primordial cause, the creator of even Brahma, Lord Vishnu has no birth.
By using the word Hari, Sri Vadirajaru reminds us that Sri Hari takes away our sins (paapa parihaara), freeing us from samsara so that we do not keep taking birth (and undergoing garbhavasa) over and over again. For Sri Hari to free us from garbhavasa, he must be above it.
============
# 45
In the previous verse, it was shown that Krishna does not undergo any kind
of birth. This verse shows that he is not affected by Kama, the deity and
desire itself.
adarinda kR^iShNanige janmavembudu salla |
madananivana kumaaranu |
kadanadi kaNegaLa ivanedegesevane |
sudatErigivanintu silukuvane || 45
adarinda - As a result
salla - there is no
embudu - such thing as
janma - birth
kR^iShNanige - for Krishna.
madananu - Kama deva
ivana - is his
kumaaranu - son.
kadanadi - Standing in opposition
esevane - would Kama deva shoot
kaNegaLa - arrows (causing love)
ivana - against his father's
edege - chest?
intu - In this way
ivanu - would he
silukuvane - be enchanted by
sudatErige - women (those with beautiful teeth)?
As a result of what was described in the previous verse, Krishna never undergoes birth. Furthermore, Kama deva, who causes desire is his son. Would Kama deva shoot arrows causing love against his own father's chest? No. So Krishna can never be struck by love for women.
Kamadeva can cause desire between a man and woman, but since he is the son of Narayana, he could not have caused the desire that resulted in him being born. He could only cause desire between a man and woman after he comes into existence, not before.
But an objection may be raised, in that Kama caused attraction between Shiva and Parvati, as well as Brahma and Saraswati, yet he was born to them as well (Shanmukha, the son of Shiva is Kama deva). The answer to this is that Kama first came into existence as Narayana's son. Only later was he reincarnated as Shiva's son. So Kama deva caused the attraction between Shiva and Parvati with his enchanting arrows, then after being burned by Shiva, was reincarnated as his son. In the case of Narayana, he did not exist earlier, so could not have caused any attraction between Narayana and Lakshmi.
But if Krishna danced with the Gopikas, and had 16000 wives, how could it not be said that he is enchanted by women? One time, the celestial apsaras accompanied by Kama went to Krishna in his other form as Veda Vyasa. Veda Vyasa was not distracted the least bit, and just smiled, as Kama's arrows were futile and could not cause any desire in him.
Lord Krishna and Veda Vyasa are one and the same. Krishna points this out in the Gita referring to himself as "VedantakR^it". Also, the Rshi for the Vishnu Sahasranama is "Veda Vyaso bhagavan Rshi". Furthermore, even the meaning of "Gopala" refers to both. Go can mean cow as well as the Vedas. Pala means protector. In one avatara, Krishna protected the cows in Gokul. In another avatara, Veda Vyasa protected the meaning of the Vedas. In both cases he is Gopala.
So why did Krishna enjoy with gopikas, and 16000 wives? It was mere play for him. Elders take joy in the games that their kids play, likewise Krishna pretended to lose to Kama deva, and be affected by the desire that Kama deva produces in others. But in reality as shown above he is not affected by desire, as the controlling deity of desire, Kama deva is his own son and under his control.
Lord Krishna is svatantra, all independent, so if he were affected by desire, it would mean he is not the all-controlling force. Krishna is not born of prakriti, so not affected by rajo guna, which causes desire. This is what links the first half of the verse to the second. Because Krishna does not have birth in any material sense ("janmavembudu salla"), he is not affected by kama, the way those born of prakriti are. As a result, the answer to the question "sudatiyarige silukuvane?", can he be enchanted by beautiful women, is a definite no.
===============
# 46
adarinda kR^ShNanige paranaarisangava kO |
vidaraada budharu nuDivare
sadarave I maatu sarvavEdangaLu
mudadinda taavu stutisuvavu || 46
adarinda - Therefore
budharu - will wise people
kOvidaraada - who understand Narayana
nuDivare - say that
kR^ShNanige - Krishna
paranaarisangava - has contact with other women?
I - Are these
maatu - words
sadarave =sariyaa - appropriate?
sarvavEdangaLu - All the vedas
taavu - you
stutisuvavu - praise Him
mudadinda =modadinda - out of happiness.
Therefore (after what was mentioned in the previous verse), will wise people who understand Narayana say that Krishna has contact with or is affected by other women? No. Are such words appropriate? No, because the vedas praise him as being flawless, He cannot succumb to kaama.
It is a question that many people have, that if Krishna is an incarnation of the Lord, why did he go after women, have so many wives? Isn't this a defect on his part? In fact Parikshit asked this question to Shuka Muni - how can Krishna who is supposed to show Dharma to others do such acts?
Shuka muni replies that the sins of others get burnt just by thinking of Krishna. Fire does not get impure by what gets put into it, but it has the capability to burn other things. If the sins of so many get burnt away just by thinking of Krishna, then how can Krishna himself be affected by sin? Shuka also gives another example. Just because Shiva can consume halahala poison doesn't mean others can. We should follow the advice that they preach, not try to mimic what they do.
When Krishna was with so many Gopikas, was he really after so many women? No, because Lakshmi was present in each of the Gopikas, he was with his own consort, not going after some other women. But Narayana does not even have desire for Lakshmi, because He is svaramana (gaining happiness from himself, not others). Because she is such a great devotee of Him, He blesses her with his presence. It is out of compassion that He is with Lakshmi, not because He is struck by love.
As the previous verse points out, the arrows of Cupid (Kaama) have no effect on Him, so the question of Him going after other women doesn't even arise. The 16000 sons of Agni wished to be born as women so they can be with Krishna, so as a result of the boon, Krishna married them. Krishna is showing his compassion towards his devotees. There is nothing He gains.
The word used in this verse to describe someone who is knowledgeable is Kovida. Ka denotes Paramatma, as is pointed out in the Kenopanishad. Someone who understands the nature of Paramatma (though of course, ultimately, only the Lord truly understands Himself, not even Lakshmi can fathom his infinite auspicious qualities), such a person is Kovida. Budha by itself just means someone who is wise, so Sri Vadirajaru has qualified it with the adjective Kovidaraada.
Another point to note in the verse is how the Vedas are described as praising him out of happiness, and are addressed as taavu (you all). Because Vedas are by themselves jaDa (insentient), we need to take this to mean the abhimani devatas (controlling deities) for the Vedas, such as Lakshmi, Saraswati. They would not praise someone who does "paranaarisanga", and furthermore Narayana is described as perfect and having no defect, so what Krishna did with the Gopikas, marrying 16000 wives all need to be understood as part of His Lila, a sort of play.
=================
# 47
enda bhaagavatada chandada maatanu
manda maanava manasige
tanduko jagake kaivalya vIva mu
kundage kundu korate salladu || 47
manda - O foolish
maanava - human,
tanduko - commit
manasige - to memory
chandada - the wonderful
maatanu - words
enda - as told
bhaagavatada - in the Bhagavata Purana.
mukundage - Sri Hari
vIva - who gives
kaivalya - Moksha
jagake - to the world
salladu - does not have
kundu - defects
korate - or shortcomings.
Oh foolish human, learn and internalize the wonderful words told in the Bhagavata Purana (that many of the previous verses are based on). Lord Mukunda (Sri Hari) who gives Moksha to the world, does not have any defects or shortcomings.
In the previous verses, it was pointed out that Krishna does not have desire for women, depend on Yashoda to feed him, suffer from sorrow, or have any mortal afflictions. Because many people still think otherwise, Sri Vadirajaru addresses them as "manda maanava", because they have not grasped the meaning of the Bhagavata Purana which describes Krishna as being flawless and not subject to such human defects. The "chandada maatu" described here follows along the same lines as the "sarvavEdangaLu mudadinda taavu stutisuvavu" described in the previous verse.
The Bhagavata Purana is one of the 18 Puranas, and carries with it the meaning of the Vedas and is in accordance with the Brahma Sutras. In fact the opening verse of the Bhagavata itself makes reference to the Gayatri mantra, through the use of the word "Dhimahi". It was composed by Sri Veda Vyasa, who is an incarnation of Vishnu, at the request of Narada.
The way fire is considered a test for gold, war is a test for the warrior, likewise for the learned, the real test is their knowledge of the Bhagavata Purana.
The meaning of Mukunda is one who gives Moksha, Lord Vishnu. He frees us from sin. By meditating upon him as one who is not affected by kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya, through his grace we too can conquer these ariShat (6 enemies). Also, as shown earlier in the verse "taa dukhiyaadare...", if Vishnu Himself is affected by sorrow, how can He come to earth to remove the sorrows of others? By pointing out that He has no shortcomings, it shows that His actions are not done for the sake of obtaining anything for Himself because He is svaramana.
Moksha is called kaivalya, because it is the only thing that once we obtain there is nothing left to obtain. Salvation is the ultimate goal of mankind. To clarify, it is not that all souls attain moksha. It is only those who are innately sattvik that strive towards it and thus attain it. And to do so they require the grace of Sri Mukunda. Moksha itself is perfect joy. One who grants moksha to all the deserving ones naturally has to be free of defects and devoid of shortcomings.
===============
# 48
hattu varuShada keLage makkaLaaTikeyalli
chitta striyarige eraguvude
artiyindarchisida gOkulada kanneyara
satya sankalpa beratidda || 48
keLage - Under
varuShada - the age of
hattu - 10 years,
makkaLu - when children
aaTikeyalli - are playing,
chitta - would their minds
eraguvude - go after
striyarige - women?
satya - He who has pure
sankalpa - thoughts
beratidda -spent time
kanneyara - with the girls
gOkulada - of Gokul
archisida - who worshipped Him
artiyinda - with devotion.
Would the minds of children younger than 10 years of age go after women? No, of course not, because it is an age when they are playing. Not only was Krishna a young child in Gokul, but he is also Satya Sankalpa, always thinking pure thoughts. He spent time with the Gopikas because they worshipped Him with devotion.
There are those who think that Krishna went after the women in Gokul because he was desirous of women, but Sri Vadirajaru points out the absurdity of this. Krishna was a 7-year old boy at the time. At that age, kids play, not fantasize about women. How can Krishna be accused of that?
The women in Gokul were also of a very young age, between 10 and 12 years of age. The word used in this verse "kanneyara" reminds us of the definitions used in the Bhagavata : dashavarShaa cha kanyakaa | sampraapte dvaadashe varShe kumaarItyabhidIyate. Those 10 years of age are called kanyakaa. Upon reaching 12 years of age, they are known as Kumaris. So most of the Gopikas were between 10 and 12 years, not grown women.
Furthermore, Krishna did not go secretly to meet them, rather went with his friends "vayasaiH aavR^itaH tatra". So this cannot be taken in the sense of someone wanting to meet their secret lovers.
How did the Gopikas get the privilege of being with Krishna? They have Lakshmi avesha (her special presence) because they obtained boons after doing tapas. Without Lakshmi's presence within them, Krishna would not be with the Gopikas. He is satya sankalpa, so fulfills their boons. There is no selfish motive on his part, nothing that he gains from being with the Gopikas.
Satya Sankalpa can have various definitions. One is that his thoughts are pure - there is no greed, lust, anger, or other human defects motivating his actions. Also what he desires, his sankalpa, will definitely be satya, or true. Because he is the only independent force in the universe, if he will something to happen, that is exactly what will happen. Furthermore, his actions are just. In the case of the Gopikas , they had prayed to be blessed with the presence of the Lord, so because of their devotion, Sri Krishna granted their wish.
===============
# 49
hattu mattaaru saasira strIyaralli
hattu hattenipa kramadinda
putrara vIryadali sRuShTisidavaruNTe
artiyinda sRuShTi harigidu || 49
uNTe - Is there anyone
vIryadali - who has the potency
sRuShTisidavaru - to create
hattu hattu enipa- 10
putrara - children
kramadinda - sequentially, in each of his
aaru - 6
mattu -more than
hattu - 10
saasira - thousand
strIyaralli - wives?
idu - This
sRuShTi - creation
artiyinda - was an expression of the joy
harige - of Sri Hari.
Krishna had 16000 wives, and had 10 children with each of those wives. Is there anyone who has the potency to produce so many children? No.
Sri Krishna showed that he is no ordinary human being, because an ordinary person would not be able to spend time with 16000 people, let alone produce 10 children with each of them.
Sri Vadirajaru clarifies that this was 'artiyinda' not 'kaamadinda'. Sri Krishna does not desire for anything in the world, so he certainly would not have lust for women. His fathering so many children is just an expression of his innate joy - aananda udreka. Just the way that when we laugh or smile, we don't do it with some motive or desire in mind, it is a natural expression of our joy, likewise, this is an expression of Sri Hari's innate joy.
Though Sagara chakravarti had 60000 sons, he had a boon from Shiva, and also could not produce evenly with both wives. Krishna produced 160000 children without depending on any boons. Furthermore he showed that he is the ultimate controller, because each wife had exactly the same number of children. Furthermore, all His children looked just like Him. As the saying goes "Hari chitta satya", when Lord Hari desired to produce 10 children that look like Him with each of his wives, that is exactly what happened.
It is important to point out that though Krishna's children looked exactly like him, they did not possess his strength or other qualities. There is no other being besides Sri Hari who possesses the qualities of
sarva svatantrya (independence), sarva guNa sampURnaH (perfection), sarva dosha vivarjitaH (flawlessness), and pUrNaananda (infinite bliss).
====================
# 50
This 50th verse in Lakshmi Shobhane coincides with the Aradhane of its author, Sri Vadirajaru(1480-1600). The actual Aradhane day was last week, Phalguna Krishna Tritiya. The Lakshmi Shobhane Haadu is but one of the many works written by Sri Vadirajaru. The depth of his works as well the extent of his knowledge of shaastra and tarka (scriptures and logic) is truly remarkable. A list of many, but not all of his works is given here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vadirajatirtha
rOma rOma kUpa kOTi vR^ikangaLa
nirmisi gOpaalara teraLisida
namma shrIkRuShNanu makkaLa sR^ijisuva ma-
himme ballavarige salahalike || 50
rOma rOma - From each of his hair's
kUpa - roots,
nirmisi - Krishna created
kOTi - several crore
vR^ikangaLa - wolves
teraLisida - pushing away
gOpaalara - the residents of Gokul.
ballavarige - Those who understand
mahimme - the greatness
namma - of our
shrIkRuShNanu - Sri Krishna's
sR^ijisuva -way of creating
makkaLa - children
salahalike -will be protected.
From his hair's roots, Sri Krishna created several crore wolves to push the Gopalakas away from Gokul. Our Sri Krishna will protect those who understand the greatness of how he created children.
One clarification in this verse is that it is not "vR^ikShangaLu" as some people mistakenly say but "vr^ikangaLu". vR^ikSha means tree. vR^ik means wolf. It doesn't make sense to say that trees drive the residents of Gokul to Vrindavana, so it should be vR^ik meaning wolf.
Sri Krishna created crores of wolves to scare the residents of Gokul into leaving for Vrindavana. They became so comfortable residing in Gokul that they refused to go to the beautiful Vrindavana, which Krishna felt would be a more appropriate place for the Gopalakas and Gopikas. In the case of wolves being created, Krishna clearly has no desire on his part at all. In the previous verse, it was mentioned that he produced 160 000 children. To show that Krishna does not produce children out of desire the way ordinary humans do, the example of his creating wolves is given. One must understand that Krishna's actions are divine, without any selfish motive. The Gita states:
janma karma cha mE divyamEvam yo vetti tattvataH
tyaktvaa dEham punarjanma naiti maamEti so.rjuna
He who understands the true nature of the birth of the Lord and His actions, casting aside his body he is not reborn but attains Moksha, being in the presence of Sri Krishna.
In earlier verses we have seen how Krishna does not reside in the womb and is not born the way humans are. Here it is pointed out that he is capable of actions not only impossible for humans (like creating 100's of thousands of children or crores of wolves), but is also not motivated by petty desires that humans have.
Another point to note about these wolves is mentioned by Sri Madhvacharya in his Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya. These are not ordinary wolves, but avatara of Krishna himself since they have the mark of Narayana, the Shrivatsa chihne. It may seem strange that he sent wolves towards the residents of Gokul, but he did so for their ultimate good, so that they would go towards a better place, Vrindavana.
By understanding Krishna's flawless nature, that his actions are different from those performed by others (not binding, not done with any desire to achieve something) he will protect us, meaning grant us ultimate liberation from samsara.
====================
# 51
maNNannEke medde emba yashOdege
saNNa baayoLage jagangaLa
kaNNaare tOrida namma shrIkR^iShNana
ghannate ballavarige salahalike || 51
namma - Our
shrIkR^iShNana - Sri Krishna
kaNNaare - directly
tOrida - showed
saNNa - in his small
baayoLage - mouth
jagangaLa - all the worlds
yashOdege - to Yashoda
emba - who had asked him
Eke - "Why
medde - did you savor the taste
maNNannu - of mud?"
ballavarige - Understanding
ghannate - his greatness
salahalike - will protect us.
# 52
naarada sanakaadi modalaada yOgigaLu
naariyarige maruLaahare
Orante shrIkR^iShNanaDigaDigeraguvare
aaraadhisutta bhajisuvare || 52
naariyarige - Do women cause
naarada - Narada Muni,
sanakaadi - Rishis like Sanaka
modalaada - and other
yOgigaLu - wise individuals
maruLaahare - to be enchanted?
eraguvare - Would such Rishis bow to
shrIkR^iShNana - Lord Krishna
aDigaDige - at each of step of the way
Orante - Would they persist in
aaraadhisutta - worshipping him
bhajisuvare - and having devotion for Him?
Do Narada, Rishis like Sanaka, and other wise individuals become enchanted by women? No. Would they persistently bow to Lord Krishna, worship Him at each chance they get, and have devotion for Him if He were enchanted by women? No, so it follows that Krishna, who is worshipped by so many yogis, is not enchanted by women.
In this verse, Sri Vadirajaru uses "kaimutya nyaaya" to show that when Sanaka, Narada, etc. are themselves normally not affected by desire for women, how could the Lord they worship be affected by women? Furthermore, as Sri Madhvacharya points out in the Dwadasha Stotra:
shaDvarga nigraha nirasta samasta dOShaan dhyaayanti viShNum R^iShayaH
yadapaangalesham aashritya yaan api sametya na yaati duHkhamshrIryat kaTaakSha balavatI ajitam namaami
Rishis who have conquered the six enemies (lust, anger, greed, delusion, arrogance, and envy) meditate upon Lord Vishnu, and also have the power to free those who approach them from sorrow. However they were able to do so through the grace of Lakshmi who derives her strength from Lord Vishnu (whose avatar is Sri Krishna).
So when it is through Lord Krishna's grace that Rishi's have conquered desire, it goes without saying that Krishna himself is not affected by desire. This is what "kaimutya nyaaya" is.
Again, Sri Vadirajaru is very careful with the words chosen in this verse. The Rishis are described as "YogigaLu". In the Gita, yoga is often used in the sense of a means to knowledge (jnaanopaaya). Thus, when Narada, Sanaka, etc. are described as yogis, they possess knowledge. What knowledge? The knowledge that Krishna is the epitome of perfection. They worship Sri Krishna understanding his nature. Instead of seeking external pleasures, they seek the Paramatma who is residing within everything. Such wise Rishis know that Krishna Paramatma is not affected by desire, and themselves do not possess such materialistic desires.
This verse also follows along the same lines as the previous verse:
"kesaroLu muLugidava parara baadhipa kesara biDisuvane?"
For Krishna to free others from desire, he himself must not be affected by it.
One other clarification in this verse is the use of sanakaadi followed by modalaada. It is not repetitive. The 'aadi' used with Sanaka refers specifically to 4 Rishis: Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumaara, Sanatsujaata.
modalaada refers to other Rishis.
=============
# 53
ambuja sambhava triyambaka modalaada
nambidavarige varavitta
sambhramada suraru eLLaShTu kOpakke
imbiddarivana bhajisuvare || 53
itta - Lord Narayana gave
varavu - boons
avarige - to those
nambida - who believed in him, such as
sambhava - Brahma who was born from
ambuja - a lotus,
tri - Shiva, who has 3
ambaka - eyes
modalaada - etc.
imbiddare - If Narayana had
eLLaShTu - even the slightest iota
kOpakke - of anger,
suraru - Would the deities
bhajisuvare - worship
ivana - him
sambhramada - out of enthusiasm
Lord Narayana gave boons to those who had faith in Him such as Brahma, who was born from a lotus, Shiva, who has 3 eyes, and other devatas. If there was a scope for Lord Vishnu to have even the slightest amount of anger, would the devatas worship him out of enthusiasm? No.
There is a double meaning for sambhrama. Bhrama can also mean delusion, so on occasion when the devatas are affected by ignorance, they may do something wrong. However, the all-forgiving Sri Hari does not hold such faults against them. Thus the devatas have more devotion for Sri Hari because the Lord will not get angry about their shortcomings.
Narayana's consort Lakshmi is the abhimani devata for Prakriti, so since krodha(anger), is caused by RajoGuna, which is under her control, he is not affected by such anger. Furthermore, one gets angry when things do not go the way we intend it. For someone who is the controller of everything, and who has nothing to achieve, there is no scope for Him to get angry.
The devatas do not worship Lord Vishnu out of fear but out of genuine devotion. They realize that Vishnu is the primary cause, the one independent entity in the universe upon which all else rests, so because of this, they show their devotion for Him. Also, being satvik, it is in their nature to be drawn to the divine. This is in stark contrast to Hiranyakashipu, who forced others to worship him. When they did not, the asura got angry. For Lord Vishnu there is nothing He gains by others praising him.
An objection may be raised that Narayana in his Narasimha avatara did display anger. A distinction needs to be made between anger which arises due to ignorance, not having one's way, and the display put on by Lord Vishnu. To protect those who are good, like Prahlada, Lord Vishnu punishes the wicked, like Hiranyakashipu. The display of anger is to strike fear into the hearts of the wicked. Since everything happens according to the will of Sri Hari, it is not possible for Him to get angry because events do not turn a certain way. Being omniscient, He is not affected by the ignorance which leads to anger either.
===============
# 54
avananguShThava toLeda gangaadEvi
paavanaLenisi mereyaLe
jIvana sEruva paapava kaLevaLu
I vaasudEvage eNeyunTe || 54
gangaadEvi - The goddess Ganga
toLeda - who washed
avana - his (Narayana's)
anguShThava - toe
mereyaLe - attained glory
enisi - becoming known
paavanaLu - as she who purifies
kaLevaLu - She removes
paapava - the sins
sEruva - committed
jIvana - by the souls.
eNeyunTe - Is there anyone equal
I - to this
vaasudEvage - Vasudeva?
The Goddess Ganga who washed the toe of Narayana was gloriously known as the Purifier. She removes the sins that are committed by various souls. Is anyone equal to this Vasudeva, whose toe gave Ganga such purifying power?
Some people think that Krishna committed sins like stealing butter, running after women, causing unfair deaths of people in Kurukshetra war,etc. But this verse dispels any notion that he is affected by sin.
The river Ganga is considered to purify us, removing our sins. How did she get such an ability? It is her contact with the feet of Lord Vishnu that gave her the power to remove sins. So when Vishnu gave Ganga the ability to remove the sins of others, how can he himself be affected by any sort of sin?
It is said that if one approaches Ganga during the time of Dashara and worships her, then 10 types of sins from 10 lifetimes will be removed. The word Ganga itself means that approaching which our sins are removed: "gamayati nirgamayati paapam". Another name for Ganga is Punya. And the Mahabharata says
"na gangaa sadR^isham tIrtham na dEvaH kEshavaat paraH"
There is no pilgrimage place equal to the Ganga, and no deity higher than Keshava (Narayana).
Sri Vadirajaru poetically describes how Ganga sprang forth in his Dashavatara Stuti:
shr^ingaarapaadanakhatungaagrabhinnakanakaangaaNDapaatitaTini |
tungaatimangaLatarangaabhibhUtabhajakaangaagha vaamana namaH |
When Vamana took his 3 steps, as he covered the earth and the heavens, the nail of his toe touched the outer edge of the Brahmanda. It made a small hole, which allowed the pure water outside to flow in. Brahma collected this water and used it to wash the feet of Narayana. It is this very water that became the purifying river Ganga.
It is not the water itself that removes our sins, it is the abhimani devata, Ganga devi who purifies us, and ultimately it is Narayana who both gave her this ability (in Vamana avatara), and who resides within her, removing the sins of those who approach the Ganga river with devotion.
==============
# 55
kilbiShaviddare agrapUjeyanu
sarbaraayara sabheyoLage
ubbida manadinda dharmaja maaDuvane
kobbadirelo paravaadi || 55
iddare - If Krishna were
kilbiSha - a sinner
dharmaja - would Dharmaraja
maaDuvane - have honored him with
agrapUjeyanu - the primary worship
ubbida - with such great
manadinda - pride
sabheyoLage - in the hall
sarbaraayara - where all the kings were seated?
elo - Oh, you
paravaadi - who argues against this,
kobbadiru - don't be arrogant.
If Krishna were a sinner, would Dharmaraja Yudhishtira have taken great pride in honoring Him with Agrapuja in the hall where all the kings were seated? If you argue against this, it is out of arrogance.
During the Rajasuya yajna that Yudhishtira performed, he decided to do the first worship (Agra puja) to Sri Krishna. In this verse, this example is given to further show that Krishna is ever free from sin.
Dharmaraja is an avatara of Yama (Dharmaja means born of Dharma), so he punishes those who are wicked. He would never honor the wicked. For Krishna to be honored by Yudhishtira, Krishna must be free from sin. Later during the war, Dharmaraja was concerned about telling a small lie that Ashwattama was dead. So if Krishna had committed great sins (like Shishupala accused), Yudhishtira would never have even considered honoring Him.
Why honor Krishna when Parashurama and Veda Vyasa, also Narayana avatara were present? If Parashurama or Veda Vyasa were honored, people may think "oh, they were Brahmins, so they were honored". To dispel any notion that Krishna is just some ordinary cowherd or that his deeds were sinful, Yudhishtira chose to honor the Krishna avatara of Narayana. Of course all forms of Vishnu are the same.
Shishupala accuses Krishna of strihatya for killing Pootana, and gohatya for killing dhenukaasura. But both of them were wicked. On the other hand, Shishupala must really have arrogance because he had committed really wicked deeds like trying to steal a horse from Vasudeva trying to stop a yajna, or trying to steal Akroora's wife, yet he is accusing Krishna. For insulting Krishna, the Lord of the worlds and insulting all those who were seated, including his devotees like Bheeshma and Yudhishtira, Shishupala lost his head to Krishna's chakra.
Sri Vadirajaru is telling us not to be like Shishupala. Lord Krishna who was honored by Yama Dharmaraja himself is far superior to us. Out of arrogance we should never think that Krishna is either some ordinary cowherd or someone who has committed sins, because ultimately we will have to approach Him to free us from our sins.
==============
# 56
saavillada harige narakayaatane salla
jIvantarige narakadali |
nOvanIvane nimma yamadEvanu
gOva, nI hariya guNavariya || 56
harige - Narayana
saavillada - who has no death
salla - does not
yaatane - go to
naraka - Hell.
nimma - Would your
yamadEvanu - deity Yama
Ivane - cause
nOvanu - pain
narakadali - in Hell
jIvantarige - to those who are alive?
gOva - O cowherd
nI - did you
ariya - understand
guNavu - the traits of
hariya - Sri Hari?
Lord Narayana who has no death never undergoes suffering in Naraka. In Hell, would your Yama deva torture those who are still alive? O cowherd, did you understand Lord Hari's traits? No.
In the previous verse it was shown that since Yudhishtira (an avatara of Yama) worshipped Sri Krishna, he could not have any defects or flaws. Still, if someone gets a doubt that maybe after the end of Krishna avatara perhaps he suffers in Hell, this verse points out the absurdity of that.
Krishna, like all of Sri Hari's avatara-s is immortal. He has no beginning or end. At the time when Krishna ends his avatara, it is not really his death, but rather just for show. He creates a mock body, leaves that behind and is no longer visible to the world. For Krishna, he is one and the same as his body, so there is no such thing as death, which is a separation of the soul from the body, for him.
Yama does not torture in Hell those who are not dead. For example, when Savitri follows him, he says that she cannot come. Because Krishna cannot die, even the possibility of his being tortured in Hell is not there. There are many other reasons why this is not possible. As stated in the previous verse, Krishna had not committed any sin, so does not suffer in Hell. Also, He was the one who appointed Yama deva, so why would he suffer at the hands of Yama? Furthermore, everything is under his control, so what would cause Him to suffer? And as stated in the "taa dukhiyaadare...", Krishna removes the sorrows of others, so of course he does not experience any sorrow.
For all these reasons, Sri Vadirajaru addresses those who may raise such arguments as "gova", a cowherd. In other words such a person who argues that Sri Krishna suffers in Hell is too simple to understand such concepts. Another meaning is that the way a cowherd protects the cows, likewise, we protect our own bodies for fear of losing them. By understanding the traits of Sri Hari, we can appeal to Him to protect us when we eventually lose this body,
Hari can also mean one who takes the wicked souls out of their body and punishes them in Hell, in other words Yama deva. When Sri Vadirajaru asks "hariya guNavariya", it could also mean do you understand Yama's traits? It is not possible for Him to punish the immortal, all independent, ever righteous Sri Hari.
=============
# 57
narakavaaLuva yamadharmaraaya
tannanarajanmadoLage poraLisi
maraLi tannarakadali poraLisi koluvanu
kuru ninna kuhaka koLadalli || 57
yamadharmaraaya - Would the demigod Yama
aaLuva - who rules over
narakava - Hell
poraLisi- send
tanna=tannannu - himself
narajanmadoLage- into a human birth
maraLi- and again
poraLisi- send
tan=tanna - himself
narakadali- to Hell
koluvanu - to be tortured?
kuru- O naive person
ninna- your
kuhaka - bad arguments
koLadalli - lie in the mud
Would Yama Dharma Raja who rules over Hell make himself be born as a human, then afterwards torture himself in his own Hell? No. O naive person, your argument lies in the mud.
There are those who argue that if there are rules for right and wrong, Narayana too is bound by them, and must suffer in Hell when He breaks them. In this verse, the example of Yudhishtira is given. The deity governing Hell, Yama Dharmaraja was born as Dharmaraja Yudhishtira. However, being the deity who controls Hell it would be silly for him to torture himself. So for the ruler of the entire universe, Sri Hari, why would He make Himself experience Hell? Sri Hari is not bound by any actions, but does so merely as show, to guide the good and mislead the wicked into thinking he is just an ordinary human.
Yudhishtira ascended to Svarga, but he was given a glimpse of Naraka. People think it was for lying about Ashwatthama's death, but it was not for that. Krishna had instructed Yudhishtira to just say that Ashwatthama is dead, so Drona would drop his weapons and not fight. Instead of following this, Yudhishtira mistakenly thought that what Krishna said is wrong. There is no greater Dharma than Krishna's words, and if one follows it, Krishna himself is there to protect us, since everything, including reaping the fruits of our actions is under His control. Yudhishtira did not actually experience Hell, but for disobeying Krishna he was given a glimpse of it.
If an argument is made that even a person who makes the rules has to pay a price for disobeying those rules, so God has to pay the price for breaking the rules just as Yudhisthira had to pay, then such an argument is refuted here in two ways:
1. Yudhisthira did not break his rule, but disobeyed he Lord, so he was punished for that
2. He had a glimpse of naraka not by actually seeing it, but mistaking an illusory "non-naraka" as naraka.
No devata, including Yama, ever experiences Naraka. So Krishna, who is far above them, certainly does not experience Naraka.
========
# 58
bommana nUru varuSha pariyanta praLayadalli
summaneyaagi malagirda namma
naaraayaNage hasi tR^iShe jare maraNa du
Shkarma duHkhangaLu toDasuvare ||
praLayadalli - During the time of destruction pariyanta -which lasted as
long as nUru - the 100 varuSha - year lifespan bommana - of Brahma,
malagirda - Sri Hari lay summaneyaagi - carefree.
namma - For our
naaraayaNage - Narayana ,
hasi - hunger
tR^iShe -thirst
jare - disease
maraNa - death
duHkhangaLu - or sorrow arising
duShkarma - from past sins
toDasuvare - do not apply.
During the great destruction which lasted as long as the 100 year lifespan of Brahma, Sri Hari lay peacefully, carefree. Do hunger, disease, thirst, death, or sorrow arising from past sins apply to Him? No.
It seems like the ideas in this verse were mentioned before. For example, the third verse is
"bommana praLayadalli...summaneyaagi malagippa...janmavembudu avataara".
And there is also another previous verse "hasi tR^iShe jare maraNa...pashu modalaagi neneyadu".
But in the third verse, Sri Vadirajaru was speaking. Here Lakshmi devi is describing Sri Hari. Also, the third verse just says "janmavembudu avataara", without going into the details. Here, it is pointed out that not only is he not born due to past sins, but also, at no point in time is Sri Hari affected by hunger, thirst, etc.
Summane can be taken in two different senses. Though Sri Hari is lying down, he is not asleep. Sleep is something we can not control, and also is a sign of exhaustion. But such is not the case for the Lord. Also, he is lying down without being affected by the disease, hunger, and thirst mentioned in the second half of the verse.
An interesting point to note is that even the Jivas are not affected by thirst or hunger in praLaya state, but that is because they are inactive. The unique characteristic of Sri Hari is pointed out by Sri Madhvacharya:
yadasupti gato.pi hari sukhavaan
sukharUpiNam aahurato nigamaaH
He is in a blissful state not because he is blissfully asleep (this is true of jIvas like us, who during deep sleep enjoy bliss).
Never being affected by sleep, Sri Hari is by his very nature the personification of bliss. The Vedas extoll his innate blissful nature. Those jivas in mukti also do not have sorrow, but before attaining moksha, they did experience sorrow. Also, even the joy they experience in moksha, that is because of Sri Hari. Unlike the jIva who is at some point in samsara, Sri Hari is always in a blissful state and does not rely on anyone else for his experiencing joy.
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# 59
rakkasarastragaLinda gaayavaDeyada
akShayakaayada sirikR^iShNa
tuchCha yamabhatara shastrakaLukuvanalla
huchcha nI hariya guNavariya || 59
sirikR^iShNa - Sri Krishna
akShaya -who has an indestructible
kaayada - body
gaayavaDeyada - that is never wounded
astragaLinda - by the weapons
rakkasara - of the demons.
tuchCha - The lowly
yama - Yama Deva's
bhatara - servants'
shastrake - weapons
aLukuvanalla - do not bother him at all.
huchcha - O foolish person,
nI - do you
ariya -understand
hariya -Sri Hari's
guNava - attributes?
Sri Krishna has an indestructible body that is never wounded by the weapons of the demons. The lowly weapons of Yama deva's servants cannot bother him at all. O foolish person, do you understand Sri Hari's attributes? No.
In the Bhagavad Gita, both the jIva and paramaatma are described as being indestructible:
nainam chhindanti shastraaNi na chainam dahati paavakaH |
na chainam kledayantyaapo na shoShayati maarutah || 2-23
Weapons do not cut the soul or Sri Krishna, fire does not burn it, water does not moisten it, nor can it be withered by the wind.
For the jIva, the body is separate from the soul. For the Lord, his body, soul, attributes, are all one and the same - akshaya. The embodied soul and the Lord are both satchidaananda. They are aprAkR^ita (non-material) made of consciousness and bliss, so of course weapons cannot damage it.
There was an instance when Yama himself ran away from the asura Kalanemi fearing his life. Narayana defeated Kalanemi easily, so it shows that He is far more powerful than Yama.
On another occasion, Narakaasura obtained the shataghnI weapon from Brahma and used it against Krishna, who swallowed it easily, showing that weapons don't hurt him. Similarly during the Kurukshetra, when Bhagadatta fired the Vaishnavastra against Arjuna, Krishna blocked it, and the weapon turned into a garland of flowers. When such powerful weapons are swallowed by Sri Krishna or turn into flowers, how could any of the weapons of Yama or his servants, far less powerful than the Vaishnavastra or Shataghni harm him?
If one argues that maybe in Hell, Krishna obtains a yaatana sharIra (for experiencing sorrow) like other souls do, one can only obtain such a body after death. And as pointed out earlier, diseases or death do not affect Sri Krishna, so there is no question of Him obtaining some temporary body to experience sorrow in Hell. So people who may argue this way have not really comprehended the attributes of Sri Krishna.
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# 60
kichcha nungidanu namma shrI kR^iShNanu
tuchcha narakadoLu analanige
bechchuvanalla adarindivage naraka
mechchuvaralla budharella || 60
namma - Our
shrI kR^iShNanu - Sri Krishna
nungidanu - who swallowed
kichcha - forest fire
bechchuvanalla - isn't bothered by
tuchcha - the lowly
analanige - fire
narakadoLu - in Hell
adarinda - Therefore
ivage - his being in
naraka - Hell
mechchuvaralla - isn't accepted by
budharella - the wise
Our Sri Krishna swallowed the forest fire. He is not bothered by the lowly fire in Hell. Therefore, the idea that He experiences Hell is not accepted by the wise.
Krishna was heading back with gopalakas after doing kaliyamardhana, when all of a sudden, in the middle of the night, there was a forest fire. In a blink of an eye, he swallowed the fire, which shows that fire cannot bother him at all.
A similar incident happened at the time when Pralambaasura was killed by Balarama. The cows in Gokul wandered off, and when the gopalakas found them, they were surrounded by a forest fire. Krishna asked everyone to close their eyes. Once again, Sri Krishna swallowed the fire in a mere blink of an eye.
When forest fires do not even singe Sri Krishna, the idea that the fire in Hell can burn him doesn't make any sense. Furthermore, as pointed out in the previous verse, since Sri Krishna is jnaanaanandamaya (made of
consciousness and bliss), neither fire nor weapons, nor any of the elements can harm Him.
There are those who may argue that Sri Krishna committed sins and thus would have to suffer in Hell for them. Sri Vadiarajaru explains why such objections do not make any sense. Neither did Vishnu in any of his avataras commit any sins, nor is it possible for Him to suffer for them.
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# 61
maneyali kShameya taaLda vIra bhaTa
raNarangadalli kShamisuvane
aNuvaagi namma hitake manadoLagina kR^iShNa
muniva kaalakke mahattaaha || 61||
vIra bhaTa - Would a warrior
taaLda - who shows
kShameya - forgiveness
maneyali - at home
kShamisuvane - show forgiveness
raNarangadalli - on the battlefield?
aNuvaagi - In a minuscule form
kR^iShNa - Sri Krishna
manadoLagina - who resides in our mind
namma - for our
hitake - wellbeing
kaalakke - At the time
muniva - of death
aaha - he is said to
mahat - have grown.
Would a warrior who shows mercy at home show mercy on the battlefield? No.
Likewise the same Sri Krishna who resides in each of our minds giving us joy, in such a small form, takes a large form at the time of Pralaya.
Here an example is given of a warrior who may be very forgiving at home. But on the battlefield when he has to fight enemies, certainly he is not forgiving. So we see these contradictory attributes in the same person.
Likewise, Sri Krishna is said to be aNoraNIyaan mahato mahIyaan (smaller than the smallest, larger than the largest). Though he can assume such a minute form, residing within our minds, during the time of Pralaya (destruction), he expands and assumes a pervasive form. Sri Vadirajaru is giving an example to show how contradictory attributes can exist in one and the same person.
Note the contrast between Lord Vishnu and other deities. Whereas other abhimani devatas (those residing within our body controlling our various organs) get destroyed at the time of Pralaya, rather than diminishing in strength, Lord Vishnu expands and assumes a large pervasive (vyaapta) form.
Becoming mahat is taking up the virAtsvarUpa and doing samhAra kArya. If a question is asked "How can such a gracious Lord do such a ferocious samhAra kArya?", it is answered here. When the praLaya kAla comes (muniva kalakke), he becomes huge and engulfs everything. Nothing affects Sri Krishna, but he affects everything else by being the cause for its existence and bringing about its destruction.
But how does "namma hitake" tie into the verse? This verse can also be given a nearly opposite meaning. Instead of "taaLda", there is a pAThaantara "taaLada". So the meaning would be:
A warrior who does NOT show forgiveness at home, would such a warrior show forgiveness on the battlefield? No, by "kaimutya nyaaya". If someone is not forgiving at home, certainly on the battlefield when facing an enemy he would certainly not be showing mercy.
The analogy when the verse is interpreted this way is that Sri Krishna resides in our minds for our own prosperity. It is because of Him that we are able to think, learn, feel joy, and do everything else that the mind does. Another name for Sri Krishna is "Hrishikesha" - controller of our sense organs.
When he resides in our minds giving joy, how could he himself wither away due to the effects of time? Normally it is Time that causes matter to wither and decay over time. Our once youthful bodies through the effect of time become old, likewise various material objects break down and disintegrate over time.
Why is this not true of Sri Krishna? There are several reasons
1)Someone who is the primary cause behind everyone's ability to experience joy would certainly not himself suffer to old age, decay, etc.
2)The mind itself does not decay the way the body does. We see many cases where people in old age still have sharp minds. When the mind itself is not affected by time (ignoring mental diseases, etc.), how can Sri Krishna who resides within it, more subtle than the mind be be diminished through the passage of time?
3)Sri Krishna is sarvatantra svatantra (all independent). Everything, including time itself is under his control, so certainly the passage of time would have no effect on Him.
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# 62
thaaya poTTeyinda mUlarUpava thOri
aayudha sahita poravaNTa
nyaaya kOvidaru puTTidanembare
baayige bandante bogaLadiru || 62 ||
thOri-Showing
mUla-his original
rUpava-form
poravaNTa=horavaNTa-he came out
thaaya-of his Mother's
poTTeyinda-womb
sahita-bearing
aayudha-weapons
kOvidaru-would wise men
nyaaya-who know logic
embare- say that
puTTidanu-he was born
bogaLadiru-Don't say meaningless phrases
bandante-that come
baayige-to your mouth
Sri Krishna came out of his mother's womb, showing his original form, bearing weapons. Would wise men who know logic, say that Krishna was born the way humans are? No. Don't say meaningless phrases that come to your mind.
In Kannada, bogALodu means barking, for example the sound made by a dog, which makes no sense. "baayige bandante" means whatever comes to your mind (literally, mouth, since one is not thinking it through). What Sri Vadirajaru is implying here is that those who think that Sri Krishna was born just the way humans are, after spending several months in a womb, such people make arguments without thinking. Their arguments don't make sense.
Since Sri Krishna appeared in this world bearing chakra, shankha, and other weapons, he could not have actually come out of the womb, because logically such weapons would tear apart the mother. Also he did not come out as a newborn baby, but possessing his original form.
This verse also implies that Sri Krishna can not experience the sorrow of being trapped in a womb because he would need a mortal body for that (like for experiencing naraka, a yaatana sharIra is required). Since his body is apraakRita (body that is not made of matter but satchidaananda), the pain that affects a praakRita body(one made of matter) doesn't touch him.
Furthermore, similar to what was pointed out in the "narakavaaLuva yamadharmaraaya" verse, just the way Yama dharma raja would not subject himself to Naraka, there is no reason for Krishna who causes other souls to acquire bodies to himself undergo being trapped inside a womb. Of course being all-pervasive, Krishna is everywhere, including inside Devaki's womb, but by no means is He restricted to such a cramped space.
This verse is not punarukti because earlier what was described is whether he can fit inside a womb (A viShNu garbhadoLaDaguvane) and that he does not suffer from hunger, disease, etc. (devakiya garbhadali...) Here it is described that he doesn't have garbhavaasa. This is important because to free others from the birth and death cycle, He must be above it.
=================
# 63
uTTa pItaambara toTTa bhUShaNangaLu
iTTa navaratnada mukuTavu
meTTida kuruha edeyalli tOrida shrI
viThala puTTidanenabahude || 63
shrI viThala-Krishna
tOrida-showed himself
uTTa-wearing
pIta-yellow
ambara-clothes,
toTTa-adorned by
bhUShaNangaLu- ornaments,
iTTa-having
mukuTavu-a crown
navaratnada- with 9 jewels
meTTida-and bearing
kuruha-the Shrivatsa marking
edeyalli- on his chest
enabahude-Can one say that
puTTidane - he was born?
When Sri Krishna appeared to Devaki, he showed himself wearing yellow clothes, adorned by ornaments, having a crown with 9 jewels, and bearing the Srivatsa marking on his chest. Could one say that such a being was born the way ordinary humans are?
Sri Vadirajaru describes the way Sri Krishna appeared in this world, which was quite unlike any ordinary human baby. No one comes out of the womb wearing clothes or having a crown with 9 jewels, but such was the case for Sri Krishna. More importantly, the Srivatsa marking on him symbolizes Lakshmi and shows his divinity. The Ramayana describes this marking as being red.
Some say that the Srivatsa marking came from Bhrgu muni placing his foot on Vishnu, but if it were due to some other cause that Vishnu acquired such markings, why would He continue to bear the marking when choosing to take the avatara of Krishna? The 'Sri' in Srivatsa denotes Lakshmi and it is fitting that Vishnu, her consort, bear such a marking.
Another paaTha for the verse has 'meTTada' instead of 'meTTida', which gives the opposite meaning. Taken this way, it means that the markings on Lord Vishnu were not made. In other words, the Srivatsa marking exists on Him since time immemorial.
Just the way Vishnu existed since time immemorial, so does Lakshmi. Neither of them was some other deity in a previous birth. However such is not the case for any other deity. Brahma for example was Vayu in the previous Kalpa. The Shesha in this Kalpa was Shiva in the previous one. The union between Vishnu and Lakshmi is unique in that it has existed since time immemorial and will continue forever, and the Srivatsa marking on Lord Vishnu symbolizes that eternal union.
There was an Incident where Vadirajaru told a Jain king that if one of his Jaina statues showed the presence of Vishnu, he must give it to Vadirajaru's Matha. Indeed, it transformed into Vitthala devaru, complete with pitambara and shrivatsa marking. No sculptor carved it, but it happened naturally. This statue is still worshipped in Sode matha today. If an ordinary stone can appear with pitambara and shrivatsa, where is the surprise in Lord Vishnu Himself appearing in that fashion?
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# 64
R^iSha hamsa mahiSha mUShakavaahanavEri
maa -nisarante suLiva surarella |
eseva dEvEshaanara sahasakke maNidaru |
kusumanaabhanige sariyuNTe || 64
Eri - Climbing
vaahana-vehicles such as
hamsa- the greatest among
R^iSha- bulls (Nandi),
mahiSha- a buffalo,
mUShaka - and a rodent,
ella - all the
suraru - deities
suLiva - went around
maanisarante = manuShyarante - like ordinary humans.
maNidaru - They lost
eseva - trying to fire weapons against
Isha - the Lord
dEva - of the gods, Lord Krishna
anara = anala - because of his fiery
sahasakke - strength and power
sariyuNTe - Is there any equal to Sri Krishna,
kusumanaabhanige - from whose navel the primordial lotus sprung forth?
Shiva climbed his Nandi vehicle, Yama climbed his buffalo, Ganesha climbed his rodent mount, and likewise other deities climbed their vehicles acted like ordinary humans, trying to fight against Lord Krishna. They lost to the fiery strength of Sri Krishna. Is there anyone equal to Sri Krishna, from whom the primordial lotus sprung forth?
This verse has quite a few concepts in it. In previous verses, it was described how Sri Krishna does not suffer from hunger, thirst, death, naraka, or being trapped inside womb. Now his position among other deities is mentioned.
The context being described is when Sri Krishna went with Satyabhama to obtain Parijata flowers from Indraloka. The other deities did not like this and tried to stop him One would expect ordinary humans to exhibit behavior like being angry at the Lord, but it is surprising that devatas like Yama, Shiva, and Ganesha would do such a thing. That is why Sri Vadirajaru describes them as "maanisarante", acting like humans, because at that particular time, they were affected by ignorance, thinking that they could fight against Sri Krishna himself.
Though Brahma's vehicle is "hamsa" (swan), in this case that cannot be the meaning, because Vayu and Brahma are above the influence of wicked forces. They would never try to oppose Krishna at any point, because at all times Brahma and Vayu have the understanding of who Krishna is.
Next it is described that the deities lost trying to fight Sri Krishna. "eseva" can be taken as either Krishna threw them, or that the arrows and other weapons thrown against Krishna were futile. Why? Because the "saahasa" of Sri Krishna was like a fire. At the time of Pralaya, Sri Krishna consumes the entire universe as even the bodies of these other deities are destroyed, so what chance could they stand trying to fight?
Another reason why they could not vanquish Krishna is that during the time of creation, it is from the lotus that sprung forth from Sri Vishnu's navel that Brahma was born and subsequently other deities. Being the cause for the very existence of the other deities, how could they defeat him in battle?
It is for this reason that Sri Vadirajaru asks us to consider whether there is anyone equal to "kusumanaabha", to which the answer is of course no.
=================
# 65
ondondu guNagaLu iddAvu ivaralli
sandaNisive bahu dOSha
kundeLLiShTillada mukundane tanagendu
indire patiya nenedaLu || 65
This also came in verse 29, which started the description of Hari's flawlessness. Now it is a conclusion to what Lakshmi was thinking.
Again,it basically describes how other deities may have a few positive qualities, but have many flaws. But Lakshmi thought of her consort Lord Vishnu who has no flaws.
The 'ivaralli' refers to other deities. For a more detailed explanation please see the commentary on verse 29.
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# 66
intu chintisi rame santa raamana padava
santOShamanadi nenevuta
santOShamanadi nenevuta tanna
kaantaniddeDege naDedaLu ||66
intu =hIge - In this way
rame - Lakshmi
chintisi - thought
santa =shaantavaagi - calmly
raamana - about Sri Rama's
padava - feet
santOSha - with a happy
manadi - mind
nenevuta - she continued to think
naDedaLu - and walked
eDege - to the place
idda - where
tanna - her
kaantanu - dear one was.
In this way, Lakshmi thought calmly of Sri Rama's feet. She continued to think of Him, her mind full of joy, and walked to the place where her dear consort Lord Vishnu was.
An alternate meaning of 'santa' is someone who is good (for example, seen earlier in 'santaru keLi sogasaru'). The Lord is of course the personification of what is good.
'padava' is used to describe the feet of great person, like aananda tirtha bhagavatpaadaru, Tikakrtpaadaru. Though Lord Vishnu is the consort of Lakshmi, he is far superior to everything else in the universe, as everything depends on Him, but He does not depend on anything.
Though this verse looks very straightforward, there is quite a bit of depth in the meaning of the one word Rama. The one word Rama has the equivalent meaning of 1000 names. As Shiva tells Parvati,"sahasranaama tattulyam raama naama varaanane".
This translation is based on the Kannada explanation given by Hayavadana Puranik. In it, he has given an interpretation of Rama for verses 30 to 65. The meaning of Rama as relevant to verses 30 to 45 will be given in this verse, and the rest will be continued in the next posting
The "ondondu guNagaLu..." verse is verse 29 as well as verse 65, so that is why the word Rama has been explained for this set of verses. The format given below is the Shobhane verse number, followed by the part of the verse that is relevant in quotes, followed by the Sanskrit explanation of 'Rama', followed by the English translation. If there are special notes about how 'Rama' breaks up, that is denoted with an asterisk.
30 - "devarShi viprara kondu..."
raH agnitulya amah kaalaparimiti shUnyashcha - Rama consumes everyone at the time of Pralaya like fire. He is also not bound by time. In other words, whereas the lifespan has expired for other deities at the time of Pralaya, it is not true for Vishnu.
*Ra can mean agni. ma means measurable. a+ma means immeasurable.
31 - "hasi tRuShe jare maraNa..."
riNanti lOkakShayakaarINi bhayaani aa samyak mInaati naashayati - Rama completely destroys those things which plague our world, like hunger, thirst, fear, etc.
*Ra and ma can both mean to destroy. aa+ma means to completely destroy.
32 - "taa duhkhiyaadare surararatiya..."
ram sukham aa samantaat nirmaati - Rama took birth on earth to give joy to good people.
*Ram can mean joy. maa means to spread.
33 - "bommana aalayadalli iddavage..."
laye.pi ramate amah kaalaparimiti shUnyashcha - Even in the time of Pralaya Rama resides. He is not bound by time.
34 - "aaga bhakShya...paaka mADuva vahni..."
rENa jaaTharaagninaa amaH na mIyate - Rama is not affected by jatharagni, and also has no need of fire to cook, for example at the time of the Pralaya.
*ra= agni, and rENa means by fire.
35 - "rOgavanIva...rameyoDane..."
ramaayaa ayam - Rama is with Ramaa devi.
* Ramaa is another name for Lakshmi.
36 - "rammedeviyaranappi...ammoghavIryavu chalisidare..."
ram agnitulyam nijavIryam na mayate gacchati apagacchati yasmaat sa - Rama is not like an ordinary mortal who releases sperm out of lust.
* Ra means fire, and is compared to the potent male sperm.
37 - "Ekatra nirNita...sarvadOShakke..."
raH sukharUpaH amaH parimiti shUnyaH pURNashcha - Rama is full of bliss Because he has no limitations, he is complete and perfect.
38 - "ella jagava nungi..."
raH ramate aa samantaat jagat layakaale mInAti hinasti
bhakShaNena - Rama swallows all worlds at the time of Pralaya and remains blissful. In other words. In other words, for us ordinary humans, we may eat something and fall sick, but the Lord is able to consume the entire universe with no side effects.
39 - "intha mUrutiya oLagomba naraka..."
ramate atha cha aa samantaat vyaaptam maa maanam yasya - Rama does not experience sorrow in Hell, because his infinite form cannot be bound in Hell. In other words, such an all-pervasive being cannot be put inside Hell to undergo suffering.
*a+ma means limitless not just with respect to time, but also space. ramate points out his blissful nature, so He cannot suffer in Hell
40 - "shrI naaraayaNara janani...narasimhana..."
raH agniriva amaH svasharIra nirmaatR^i pitraadi shUnyashcha - Rama is like a fire. The demon Hiranyakashipu who had acquired boons from Brahma could not escape the wrath of Narasimha, another avatara of Vishnu. Also, Narasimha was not born from a father and mother and thus was not limited by them (the bodies of living creatures are limited by the traits they get from their parents, but this is not true of the Lord)
* rah means fire, and is used to describe Narasimha , for example "daha daha narasimha sahya vIryaahitam me"
41 - "ambudhiya udakadali...pitanaaru"
jale ramate svasharIra nirmaatR^i pitraadi shUnyashcha - Rama enjoys being in the water in his earlier avatara as kurma. Here too, He does not have the limitations of having only what was passed on to him by his father/mother the way for example an ordinary tortoise would.
*a+ma means not having the limitations of a physical body given to us by our parents.
42 - "devakiya garbhadali..."
garbhe ramate amaH svasharIra nirmaaNa rahitashcha - Rama enjoys being in the womb. Whereas ordinary mortals are trapped in the womb, for someone who is all pervasive, not bound by any physical limitations, this is not true. He is not born like other living beings. No one created His body.
*a+ma means though technically he is within the womb of Devaki (in Krishna avatara),he is present everywhere and is not in any way trapped in a womb
43 - "aavaaLisuvaga ...bhuvanavellava..."
nidraalasya naaTyena ramamaaNaH vadane ayam aparimitam jagat darshayati - Rama during his avatara as Krishna enjoys putting on a play for Yashoda showing the unlimited world within him.
* ram means to enjoy, and as Krishna, showing the world within his mouth while yawning was just a play. Here a+ma describes the limitless universe that Krishna showed Yashoda in his mouth.
44 - ramamANaH rOmakUpEShu aparimita brahmaaNDa dhaarakascha - Rama as a sort of play, bears the limitless brahmanda on his hairs. As was pointed out, there is only one Brahmanda at any given time, but the reason it is a play or leela for the Lord is because He has the power to make it appear as multiple universes. For example, when Yashoda looked inside the world Krishna showed in His mouth, she saw herself looking inside Krishna's mouth. It was not some other universe or something illusory.
This is a continuation of the meaning of "Rama" as relevant to the verses between "ondondu guNagaLu ..."
First the verse number, then the Kannada text that is relevant, followed by the Sanskrit meaning of Rama is given.
After that is the English translation and any special notes on Rama (preceded by *)
45 - "adarinda kRSHNanige...sudatErigivanu silukuvane"
rAbhI ramaNIyaabhiH strIbhirapi ameyam- Rama (or Krishna) cannot be obtained by any women, not even Lakshmi.
People think Krishna was somehow enchanted by women, but when Vishnu is not enchanted by Lakshmi herself, how could an ordinary woman enchant him? That too, in this verse, it was pointed out that Kama (or cupid) is the son of Vishnu, so he would not use arrows against his own father, meaning,the arrows of love or desire have no effect on Vishnu.
46 - "adarinda kRSHNanige...paranaari sangava...sarva vedangaLu...stutisuvavu"
ramaNIya vedavaagbhiH aa samyak paranaari sangadOSha rahitatvena mEya Rama is known by the beautiful vedas as one who is truly free of being attached to any woman.
*ram is used to describe the Vedas. In the Bhagavad Gita for example, "yaamimaam puShpitaam vaacham", the words of the Vedas are described as flowery. aa can mean completely. Here meyaH is used to mean he is known by the Vedas,as in "vedaischa sarvair aham eva vedyo", also in the Gita.
47 - "enda bhaagavatada...jagake kaivalyavIva mukunda"
ram jIvasvarUpasukham muktau aa samyak maapayati anubhaavayati - Rama is the one who, in his form as Mukunda, makes each sattvik jIva experience its "svarupa sukha" on innate joy, in Moksha,
*ram refers to the soul's innate joy. maapayati means to cause to experience
48 - "hattu varShada ...chitta striyarige...satya sankalpa beretidda"
svena ramaNaartham A IShat maaH ramaaveshayukta gOpalalanaaH yasya saH -
By His own grace, he gives joy Gopis, who are endowed with the Avesha of Ramaa devi (Lakshmi devi). Even in His avatAras, God will not touch any woman who does not have the Avesha of Laksmi.
49 - "hattu mattaaru saasira striyaralli..."
ramate chaasau aa samantaat ShoDaSha sahasra strIShvapi maaH dasha
dasha putra sampadaaH janayati cha Rama, as a play, in his Krishna avatara had 10 sons with each of his 16000 wives, and was known by them.
Many of us probably do not even meet 16000 people in our lives, but to have 10 children with each of those 16000 wives, that seems extraordinary. For someone who manages the entire world with billions of people, since time immemorial, forever, bearing 160000 children is nothing.
*mAh means to know, and in this context means that he was known by each of his 16000 wives and the 10 sons with that wife
50 - "rOma rOma kUpa kOTi vRkangaLu..."
ramate chaasau aa samantaat gokule maan himsravrkaan janayati cha -
Rama, as a play, in his Krishna avatar caused wolves to be created so that people would leave Gokul for their own safety. Note that it is not "Vrksha" but "Vrka" meaning wolves.
*maan --those which are ferocious (from mI dhAtu - in this context gives the meaning of manyu - or tend to kill) = vR^ikAn
51 - "maNNaneke medde...saNNa baayoLage jagangaLa"
mRdbhakShaNena ramamaaNaschaasau vadane amam aparimitam jagat yasya sa
cha - Rama, as a play, in his Krishna avatar pretended to eat mud, but within his mouth showed the limitless world.
* amam refers to the limitless world. Indeed when Yashoda looked inside Krishna's mouth, she saw the world, within which she saw herself looking in Krishna's mouth.
52 - "naarada sanakaadi..."
ramante yogino naaradaadayo.smin - Rama, in whom Narada and other Rishis rejoice
* ramante is the plural form, meaning various Rishis like Narada rejoice in the Lord. There is no need to split up "ma" here.
53 - "ambuja sambhava...nambidavarige varavitta"
rANAm bhaktebhyo varadaayakaanaam brahmaadInaamapi aa samantaat maa abhIShTasampat yasmaat saH -
Rama is the one who gives the true wealth (moksha) to Brahma and others, granting their wishes.
*rAti = gives or brings about; so raaNaam = varadAyakAnAm (those who give boons)
maa = sampat
54 - "avananguShThava toLeda gangaadevi..."
ram paapadaahe agnitulyaa aa samantaat lokeShu maa pravahatI gangaa yasmaat saH -
Rama's feet (in his avatara as Vamana) caused the the Ganga river to flow, which is like a fire in burning away our sins
*ram meaning fire is compared to the Ganga river. maa means to flow
55 - "kilbiShaviddare agrapUjeyanu.."
ramaNIya raajasUya sabhaayaam aa samyak sarvottamatvakhyaapakatayaa maanitaH agrapUjavidhinaa
Rama, in his Krishna avatar was honored at the wonderful raajasUya yajna as one who is superior to all else. Though various elders like Bheeshma, Drona, etc. were present, Krishna was first honored. This is what upset some wicked people like Shishupala.
*maanitaH means honored.
56 - "saavillada harige narakayaatane..."
narakaabhaavaat sadaa ramate, amaH na pramIyate cha - Because he never experiences Naraka (Hell), he is eternally blissful.
pramIyate = mIyate = pramIyate = not knowable thru pratyaksha pramAna; not knowable completely by Agama pramANa.
57 - "narakavaaLuva yama..."
raa shabdo vishvavachano maschaapIshvara vaachakaH |
vishvaanaamIshvaro yo hi tena raamaH prakIrtitaH
Rama would not make himself experience naraka since he is the Lord of everything.
*ra = vishva = world (that which gives us all materialistic things (we get all material things from world. Of course the world is created by Lord and so He is the prime giver and the world is just a jaDa giver)
mah = IshvaraH = Lord
rANAm mah = Lord of the worlds.
58 - "bommana nUru varSha pariyanta praLayadali..."
ramamANashchaasau aa samantaat maa jagaddhimsaarUpa praLayaH yasya sa cha
Rama, at the time of the great destruction was enjoying himself. How can one enjoy at the time of destruction?
Jagannatha Dasaru described this in the Harikathamrutasara "maLala manegaLa maaDi...", it is like the way kids build a sandcastle but then when they are finished, destroy it as a sort of play, not out of anger.
*maa means destruction.
59 - "rakkasarastragaLinda...akShaya kaayada.."
ramate akshaya kaayEna na mIyate himsyatE cha raakShasaastraiH - Rama enjoys having a body that cannot be destroyed by any weapons of the demons. There was an incident in the Kurukshetra war when a powerful weapon lands on Krishna and turns into a garland of flowers, whereas had it been anyone else it would have killed them.
*mIyate is the passive form of maa, and as in the previous verse means destruction.
60 - "kiccha nungidanu namma shrI Krishna..."
rENa naarakaagninaa amaH na mIyate na himsyate - Rama is untouched by the fires of hell, since in his Krishna avatara, he swallowed an entire forest fire in the blink of an eye.
*rENa means "by the fire", and is the singular 3rd (instrumental) case of ram.
61 - "maneya kShameya taaLda...aNuvaagi namma hitakke..muniva kaalakke mahattaaha"
ramate chaasau antarmanasi aa IShat maa maanam yasya sa cha | tathaa
raH agniriva kupitaschaasau aa samantaat maa maanam yasya sa cha-
Rama rejoices within the minds of others in a small form. In a large form, like a fire he consumes the world at the time with a large form. In this verse, an example was given of a soldier who may be very forgiving at home, but that same soldier shows no mercy in battle, which seem to b opposing traits. Likewise the same Lord can assume both a minute form as well as a large one (aNoraNiyaan mahato mahIyaan =smaller than the smallest, larger than the largest)
*maa = mAnam = parimANam = size
"A mAnaM" can mean "Ishat mAnaM" or "samantAt mAnaM" = small size or big size.
62 - "taaya poTTeyinda mUla rUpava tori .."
ramate garbhe.pi aa samyak mUlarUpENaiva mEyaH prakaTo bhavati bahiH nirgamakaale
Rama rejoices while in the womb (is not bound or trapped by it), since he is omnipresent he is there as well. When he is born it is only that he makes himself known at that time, he is not born like ordinary humans. Furthermore his avataras are complete manifestations of Vishnu.
*maa - to make himself known. aa - means completely, in other words it is not a partial or reduced form of the Lord. In fact, as the verse "pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam...", when one takes a portion of infinity that
too is infinite. So for the Lord who is infinite, so are his avataras.
63 - "uTTa pItaambara...meTTida kuruha edeyalli..."
ram ramaNIyam aa alpaparimaaNam cha mam bhRgupaadaaghaataanumaapaka chihnam yasya saH
Rama bears the marks of Bhrgu muni on his chest.
*aa = Ishat = alpaparimaNa
maH = anumApaka or mark; mam is dvitIya vibhakti ; (raM is also dvitIya vibhakti), which means that he has that mark.
64 - "RuShabhamsamahiSha...kusumanaabhanige sariyunTe"
raashabda vaachya rudraadivishvena amaH aparimEyaH paraakrama yasya saH -
Rama possesses the unmeasurable strength that even those like Rudra and others cannot compare to.
*raa is used to refer to Rudra in this context. ama - means unknown.
If they had known his strength, they would not have come to fight him.
Thinking of all this, Lakshmi approached the feet of Rama or Vishnu. What was given above was just the meanings thought by us ordinary humans.Lakshmi who is far above us, can probably think of countless more
meanings, and rejoicing in the Lord, she approaches him. The next verse will describe how she approaches him.
================
# 67
kandarpakOTigaLa geluva saundaryada
chandavaagidda cheluvana
indire kaNDu ivane tanage pati
yendavana baLige naDedaLu || 67
cheluvana - This handsome one
idda - has
chandavaagi - perfect features
geluva - that surpass
saundaryada - the beauty of
kOTigaLa - millions of
kandarpa - Manmathas (Cupid).
indire - Lakshmi
kaNDu - seeing this
endu - she thought
ivane - only He (Vishnu)
tanage - is her
pati - husband
naDedaLu - She walked
baLige - to where
avana - he was
Lakshmi saw that Vishnu has perfect features that surpass the beauty of millions of Manmathas. She thought that only Lord Vishnu is fit to be her husband and walked to where he was.
In the previous verse, a few of the various meanings of Rama were given. Now the beauty of the same Lord Vishnu is described through the eyes of Lakshmi. Since all of Vishnu's avataras are the same, describing the beauty of Rama is the same as describing the beauty of Vishnu.
Manmatha or Cupid is the deity who brings about kaama or the feeling of love and is associated with beauty. So naturally, a being assigned to such a post must himself be handsome. Another name for Manmatha is Kandarpa. As a result of his beauty, he has 'darpa' or pride thinking that no one is as handsome as He is.
But in this verse, Lakshmi describes the beauty of Lord Vishnu as exceeding Manmatha several million fold. In fact it is even more so, because Lord Vishnu surpasses other deities not by a finite amount, but by an infinite amount. Because there is no blemish or defect in Lord Vishnu's beauty, Lakshmi describes it as "chandavaagi idda". No matter how wonderful the beauty of Manmatha may be, it has at least the one defect that he was given such a body, and is thus dependent on someone else. But this isn't true for the all-independent Lord Vishnu.
This leads to another interpretation of "kandarpa koTigaLa". In each kalpa, there is a Manmatha. As one Manmatha attains Moksha, another one acquires that position. So since time immemorial and for all eternity, there have been such Manmathas. Each and every single one of them was given the position and beauty by Lord Vishnu based on their past karma. So Vishnu not only surpasses the Manmatha in one kalpa but all Manmathas in all kalpas, the past, present, and future.
There are 32 qualities that determine beauty. Vayu and those who will attain that position in the future have all 32 qualities. Whereas other deities, such as Manmatha, have less. Lord Narayana's qualities are immeasurable. They surpass even that of Vayu and Brahma, so they certainly exceed that of Manmatha.
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# 68
ittarada surara sutta nODuta lakShmi
chittava koDade nasunaguta
chittava koDade nasunaguta bandu puru
Shottamana kaNDu namisidaLu || 68
lakShmi - Lakshmi devi
nODuta - saw
ittarada - two rows of
surara - deities
sutta - around her
koDade - Without giving
chittava - any thought to them
nasunaguta - she smiled gently
kaNDu - seeing
puruShottamana - the supreme Lord Vishnu
bandu - she came and
namisidaLu - bowed before Him.
Lakshmi devi saw two rows of deities around her. Without even thinking about them, she smiled gently and approached the Supreme Lord Vishnu, bowing before Him.
There were many deities who came to the Mantap, where the swayamvara was taking place. Though the deities may have flaws, as pointed out earlier, they all realize that the only fitting consort for Lakshmi is Vishnu, and came to witness the marriage.
This is really a unique marriage for several reasons, because children never attend their parents' marriage, yet in this case, Lakshmi and Vishnu, are like the mother and father of the whole universe and all the other beings present are like their children, as pointed out earlier "obbanavana maga mattobbanavana mommaga".
And though it is Lakshmi's swayamvara, it was pointed out that she already has the wedding necklace "kambukaNThada sutta kaTTida mangaLasutra", since she is eternally wedded to Lord Vishnu.
These are just some of the reasons why Lakshmi may be gently smiling. Another reason was pointed out by Sri Vadirajaru in another one of his works, the Srishagunadarpanam:
devi tvam lalanaaratnam devo.sau puruShottamaH
Lakshmi is the lalanaa ratnam, meaning a jewel among females. Vishnu is the highest not just among males, but all beings. So there really is no other being who would be a match for Lakshmi.
Though other deities may have several good traits, they certainly have their flaws, as was pointed out "ondondu guNagaLu iddaavu ivaralli, sandaNisive bahudOSha", however "kundu eLLiShTillade mukundane tanage endu, indire patiya nenedaLu". The reason she is smiling could be because of the contrast between the "bahudOSha"(many flaws) of other deities and the "kundu eLLiShtillada" of Vishnu.
In the 15th Chapter of the Gita, Krishna describes the distinction between Kshara and akshara purusha:
dvaavimau puruShau loke kSharaschaakshara eva cha |kSharaH sarvaaNi bhUtaani kUThastho.kshara uchate ||
There are two types of beings in the world - Kshara (destructible) consisting of all beings, and akshara which remains unchanging. All beings are described as undergoing destruction. But earlier in the Gita, Krishna has said that souls are indestructible. What is meant is that though souls are eternally existing, their bodies undergo destruction (they acquire new bodies. This is true even for devatas). There is something else which is kUThastha -never changing. Akshara means indestructible. Whereas the souls have bodily destruction, this Akshara refers to Lakshmi who never loses her body.In the next verse, Krishna describes something different from this kShara and akshara.
uttamaH puruShastvanyaH paramaatmetyudaahR^itaH |
yo loka trayamaavishya bibhartyavyaya IshvaraH ||
The supreme being is known as Paramatma, who enters the three worlds and supports them (and in the following verse, Krishna identifies that he is this supreme being or Purushottama.
In this verse, Vadirajaru uses this very word Purushottama. Like Lakshmi, Lord Vishnu too never undergoes bodily destruction. No other deity is fit to be her consort, because they are all "Kshara", and she is "Akshara".
Finally, the word Purusha has quite a few meanings behind it. Purusha can refer to Lord Vishnu's pUrNatva or perfection. Also, Lord Vishnu dwells within our bodies which are often compared to a city(puri) with 9 gates, and is called Purusha as a result. Puru Sanoti means one who gives moksha. purE saH means one who existed before, meaning before the kalpa and the cycle of creation started. Certainly Lakshmi's consort cannot be someone who is bound in samsara when she herself is ever-liberated. The only being that meets this criteria is Lord Vishnu, and that is whom she approaches with devotion.
=================
# 69
naanaa kusumagaLinda maaDida maaleya
shrInaari tanna karadali
pIna kandharada trivikramaraayana kora
LIna mEliTTu namisidaLu || 69
shrInaari- Lakshmi
tanna-with her own
karadali-hands
iTTu-placed
maaleya- a garland
maaDida- made from
naanaa- various
kusumagaLinda- flowers
mEle-upon
koraLIna-the neck of
trivikramaraayana- Vishnu, the Lord of the 3 worlds
pIna- who has a complete
kandharada-neck
namisidaLu-and worshipped him.
Lakshmi with her hands placed a garland made from various flowers upon the neck of Vishnu, the Lord of the 3 worlds, who has a complete neck. She then worshipped him.
pIna means full, but in the context of Vishnu, Sri Madhvacharya has given a very wonderful meaning in the Dwadasha Stotra:
santatam chintayet kaNTham bhaasvat kaustubhabhaasakaM
vaikunThasyaakhilaa vedA udgIryante.anisham yataH
One should always meditate upon the throat of Lord Vishnu, which shines like the Kaustubha gem, and from which the infinite vedas are always flowing.
The fullness of Vishnu's throat refers to the Vedas which continuously flow from it. What we have now as the Vedas is just a small finite portion. In reality, the Vedas represent knowledge, which has no bounds and is
infinite. Lord Vishnu, who is omniscient possesses this knowledge.
Another point to make is regarding the flowers offered to Lord Vishnu. There are certain types of flowers which are 'nishiddha' or inappropriate. It should be understood that those are not in the garland that Lakshmi
places, but only those flowers which are 'vihita' or appropriate .
What is the significance of Trivikrama? Normally this refers to Vamana avatara, but here there is no description of Vamana Avatara. Of course all the avataras of Vishnu are the same, but in his Rg Bhashya, Sri
Madhvacharya provides an interesting explanation of what Trivikrama means:
vedaan kaalaanguNaan lokaan devamaanuShadaanavaan
chetanaachetanaanmishraan trINi padaa vichakrame
One who surpasses the 3 vedas,times,gunas,worlds, [deities, humans, demons], and the [chetana, achetana, mishra] is known as Trivikrama.
This may require a bit more elaboration. The Vedas which are available to us today are sometimes classified into 3 divisions - Rg, Yajus, Sama. For a being who continuously recites the Vedas and is the Being described by them, he certainly surpasses them.
Vishnu surpasses the 3 times, meaning the past, present, and future. He is described as "kalaatIta" because he is not limited by time in any way, not only existing since time immemorial and existing forever, but also causing everything else to exist at those times.
The gunas are known as Sattvika, Tamasika, and Rajasika. The universe is considered a modification of these qualities. When Lakshmi herself is not bound by them, certainly Lord Vishnu is not either.
The 3 worlds can be roughly though of as Heaven, Earth, and Hell, or upper, middle, and lower worlds. Of course one should not think of this in an astronomical sense - through a telescope we see planets, but no Heaven or Hell. But in Vishnu's Vamana avatara, in his 3 strides, he covered all 3. What we see is only the "middle world".
The 3 types of beings are devas (deities), maanuShaan (humans), and daanavaan(demons). The devatas are assigned their positions due to the grace of the Lord. No matter how powerful the boons are that the daanavas acquire from other deities, they are no match for Lord Vishnu, as was the case with Ravana, Hiranyakashipu, Shishupala, etc. Finally, for us humans to eventually achieve moksha, we rely on the grace of Lord Vishnu.
Souls can also be classified as sattvika, rajasika, and tamasika, meaning good, mixed, and wicked. Here chetana and achetana do not mean sentient and insentient, because what would mishra or mixed be? Sattvika souls, including the deities and good humans eventually achieve moksha. Mixed souls, those humans who are not bad, but simply strive for a materialistic life, remain in samsara. Those daityas, and the lowest among humans, those who continually become a menace for society are eventually sent to Hell. For each of these types of beings to achieve their final goals, it is only possible because of Lord Vishnu. He is not bound by this process of doing sadhana in samsara and then achieving liberation, so he surpasses them all.
Finally, though Lakshmi too is not bound by samsara, when it is said "namisidaLu", we can see that Vishnu surpasses even Goddess Lakshmi.
===================
# 70
uTTa pombaTTeya toTTaabharaNagaLu
iTTa navaratnada mukuTavu
duShTa mardananemba kaDeya peNDegaLa
vaTTida harige vadhuvaadaLu || 70
aadaLu-she(Lakshmi) became
vadhu- the consort
harige-of that Lord Hari
uTTa- who wears
pom=hoNNu - golden
baTTeya- clothes
toTTa - is adorned with
aabharaNagaLu- ornaments
iTTa- has
mukuTavu- a crown
navaratnada- with 9 precious gems
vaTTida-and possesses
peNDegaLa- heaps of
kaDeya - wrist ornaments (meaning titles)
emba-like
duShTa - "Killer of
mardana - the wicked"
Lakshmi became the consort of that Lord Hari who wears golden clothes, is adorned with ornaments, has a crown with 9 precious gems, and possesses heaps of titles like "duShTamardana" or killer of the wicked.
It is customary that this kind of ornament called "kaDe" is given to a person when he or she wins any title. So "kaDe" represents a title. The more such ornaments one has, the more titles the person is entitled to.
Here no one gives those titles to the Lord, but the word itself symbolically represents the title, which in the case of the Lord, eternally and truthfully describe a specific aspect.Since He has an infinite number of titles,the author poetically describes that the Lord has an infinite number (or heaps) of wrist ornaments (meaning infinite number of titles such as "duShTa mardana")
Lakshmi is eternally the consort of Lord Hari, we must not take "vadhuvaadaLu" to mean that she was not His consort before. Also, the ornaments, golden clothes that are described are non-different from Lord
Vishnu himself. Since Lord Hari is all-independent, he does not need ordinary material wealth to enhance his glory. Furthermore, for a being who eternally exists, there is no other substance that can decorate Him or enhance His beauty. Anything that is made of ordinary matter will decay over time, so how can such a transient temporary ornament or clothing adorn Him forever?That is why these ornaments should not be taken to mean the gold and clothing we find here.
He is not only adorned physically, but also in terms of the titles he has acquired. So many of the wicked people in the Mahabharata, Ramayana, etc. have been killed by an avatara of Vishnu, showing that even if wicked people like Hiryanyakashipu, Ravana, etc. acquire boons, ultimately there is a higher force who will punish them.
=======
# 71
kombu chengahaLegaLu taaLa maddaLegaLu |
tambaTe bhEri paTahagaLu |
bhom bhom emba shankha doLLu maurigaLu
ambudhiya maneyalesedavu || 71
ambudhiya - The ocean
maneya - wedding hall
esedavu - resounded
bhom bhom - with the 'bhom bhom' sound
emba - made by
shankha - the conch
doLLu - heavy drum
maurigaLu - smaller drum
kombu - long curved horn,
chem - brass
kahaLegaLu - metal horns,
taaLa - finger cymbals,
maddaLegaLu - double sided drum,
tambaTe - tambourine,
bhEri - small kettle drum,
paTahagaLu - and large kettle drum
The marriage hall in the ocean where the divine wedding between Lord Narayana and Goddess Lakshmi took place resounded with the 'bhom bhom' sound made by the conch, heavy and light drums, brass horns both straight and curved, finger cymbals, double sided drum, tambourines, as well as small and large kettle drums.
Various horns, cymbals, and drums are described in this verse, and it is difficult to translate some of them into English. The taaLa is quite common and is found today, often used in bhajans. The maddale or mardala is also common, which is the drum played with two hands and looks quite similar to the Mridangam. The Kombu is an instrument still found in Kerala today, which is C-shaped.
Sri Vadirajaru lists so many musical instruments to give us an idea of the sound that was produced. The instruments are not soft stringed instruments or flutes but loud horns and drums. At many Indian weddings there is such a loud musical sound, the reason being to drive away any evil spirits who may seek to do harm. Of course here in Narayana and Lakshmi's wedding, no one can harm them, but the purpose is the same - to drive away the wicked.
These instruments are not only played in weddings, but also in war. Why would the same instruments be used? In war, warriors fight against their enemies. We must fight the 6 enemies within ourselves, such as kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya (desire, anger, lust, delusion, arrogance, and jealousy). Like battle drums preparing the warrior to fight, these same musical instruments prepare us to fight our internal enemies. Conquering the 6 internal enemies: kama,krodha, etc. is essential for a happy married life.
The reason for this loud noise can be described as:
aagamaartham tu dEvaanaam gamanaartham tu rakShasaaM
It is for the purpose of inviting the deities(good), and for making the asuras(wicked) go away.
What is it about the sound that attracts the deities? Lord Narayana is sarvashabdavaachya - not just described by all words, but all sounds. Even the sounds made by the horn and the drum are perceived by the deities as describing the Lord. We of course do not have the capacity to understand that, but higher beings certainly do.
The very names of the musical instruments have a significance behind them:
shankha = "shaamyati ashubham asmaad" - all inauspicious things go away.
kombu or shrnga = "shrNaati shatrUn" - tortures enemies.
kahaLe = kam- "sukham", ahalati -"dadaati" - gives joy
taaLa = taanDava - dance fearful to enemies
maddaLe = mardala - destroys the inauspicious, doing mardana.
bhEri = "bibhyati shatravaH asyaaH" - enemies fear this sound
The twofold purpose behind the sound is to drive away those wicked forces within us, and invite the good forces. We should also give thought to how the sounds are not just some sort of noise, but auspicious sounds that describe the Lord.
===============
# 72
arghya paadyaachamana modalaada
ShODashanarghya pUjeyittanaLiyage |
oggida manadinda dhaareyeredane sindhu
sadgatiyittu salahenda || 72
sindhu-Sagara, the ocean deity
ittanu-performed
ShODasha-16 types of
anarghya - priceless
pUje-worship
aLiyage-for his son-in-law
arghya-offering water
paadya-washing the feet
aachamana-offering water
modalaada-etc
oggida-With a full
manadinda-heart
eredane-he poured
dhaare-water (did kanyadaana)
enda-and said
salaho- "protect me
ittu-by giving me
sadgati-moksha"
The deity of the Ocean, Sagara performed priceless worship consisting of 16 types of service for the Lord Himself,who came as his son-in-law, such as arghya, paadya, achamana, etc. With a full heart, he poured water symbolizing kanyadaana or offering his daughter Lakshmi. Sagara said to Lord Narayana "protect me by giving me salvation".
Shodasha upachara consists of 16 types of service which are offered to the Lord When such upachAras are done to the guest also, the thinking should be that it is for the antaryAmi Lord. The upachara includes offering them a seat, washing their feet reciting purusha sukta, feeding madhuparka (a combination of honey, curds, and ghee), then offering new clothes and garlands.
King Sagara offered his daughter Lakshmi with the understanding that she is Narayana's consort since time immemorial. The "oggida mana" or full heart (manas literally means mind) in this verse brings out the idea that unlike an ordinary father giving away his daughter, here King Sagara is giving his daughter to Lord Vishnu himself, so Sagara is delighted to have received such an opportunity.
In Hindu marriages, the daughter is given away and this is called Kanyadaana. This should not be taken to mean that women are some sort of an object, because the scriptures also say that a household where women shed tears will never prosper. Rather kanyadana means that the father is entrusting the son-in-law with protecting his daughter. Also the concept of dana is that once you have given something away, you cannot take it back to give it away elsewhere, which is why there was no concept of divorce and remarriage. The groom in turn says
"dharme chaarthe cha kaama naaticharaami" meaning that in the 3 goals in life -
dharma (righteousness), artha (wealth), and kaama (desire) he will not overstep his bounds with his wife.
Of course the situation is different when it comes to Lord Vishnu since what he does is always in accordance with Dharma, does not have any desire for material wealth nor does he have any unfulfilled desires. Furthermore, his consort Lakshmi does not need to be protected from anything else since she is ever liberated and free from sorrow.
Another interesting point to note in this verse is Sagara requesting protection. Some people are under the misconception that the various deities like Indra, Agni, Sagara, etc. have already attained moksha. But like us, they too are in samsara and they too seek liberation, and it is through the Lord's grace that this can happen. Their position, for example in the case of Sagara, being the ocean deity is only temporary. They have acquired it due to their past karma, and by performing their duties will eventually attain Moksha.
This is the sadgati that Sagara requests and this is what we too must seek.
======================
# 73
vEdOkta mantra pELi vasiShTha naarada moda |
laada munIndraru mudadinda ||
vadhuvarara mEle shObhanadakShateyanu |
mOdavIyutta taLedaru || 73
vasiShTha-Vasishta
naarada- Narada
modalaada- and other
munIndraru- great ascetics
pELi-recited
vEdOkta mantra-mantras from the Vedas
mudadinda-With joy
taLedaru - they showered
shObhanada-auspicious, full of blessings
akShateyanu- mantrakshate
mEle-on the
vadhu-bride
varara-and groom
Iyutta-by giving
mOda -happiness
Vasishta, Narada and other great ascetics recited mantras in accordance with the Vedas. They joyously showered auspicious mantrakshate (colored rice), full of their prayers, on the bride and groom (Lakshmi Narayana), making everyone happy.
Normally the elders sprinkle akshate giving their blessings. Here the Rishis seek the blessings of Lakshmi Narayana. We pour akshate in two ways. As a form of blessing, akShate is poured (for example, from elders). When doing pUja, akShate is poured as a form of worship, where we are seeking the blessings of the Lord and this is what is happening here.
The divine wedding ceremony between Lakshmi and Narayana is described here. In the previous verse, the kanyadaana, where Varuna has given Lakshmi to Narayana has occurred. Now the antarpaTa between Lakshmi and Narayana is happening.
In the antarpaTa, the bride faces west, and the groom faces east.They are separated by a cloth, and are each standing on rice. Meanwhile various mantras are recited. For example:
sumuhUrtaa saavadhaanaaH sulagnaa saavadhaanaa
This is announcing that the time of muhurta is approaching, telling everyone to be ready. Normally, the bride's father worships Ganesha and Varuna. Here, the bride's father is himself Varuna. So instead of worshipping himself, he worships Lord Vishnu who is inside Ganesha. Likewise, we too should think about the indwelling Lord Hari when worshipping other deities.
At this point in the ceremony, during antarpaTa, the mangalashtaka is recited. tadeva lagnam sudinam tadeva...lakShmIpate tEnghriyugam smaraami
"Only that time is auspicious, that day is auspicious when thinking of the feet of Lakshmi's consort Sri Hari". When the separating cloth is removed, the bride and groom sprinkle jeerige bella (cumin & brown sugar) on each other.
Depending on the custom, kanyadaana can occur before or after antarpaTa. In the Lakshmi Shobhane haadu, the kanyadaana has already occurred ( see previous verse, "dhaareyeredane"). However, Shaunaka suggests kanyadaana take place afterwards.
Next, the bride and groom exchange the garlands they wear. At this point the surya sukta is recited, which is the groom addressing the bride "First Soma gave you to a gandharva. Then the Gandharva gave you to Agni (the fire). Now the fire (Agni) gives you to me, along with wealth, children & prosperity." The bride and groom are blessed as follows: "May you live in together as one, with no differences, May you live a full life blessed with children and grandchildren. Oh maiden, may you live at home following proper etiquette and behavior. May you bring out the best in the household and in your husband, bringing happiness and devotion to God. May Indra and Prajapati bless you with progeny. Through the blessings of Vayu, Saraswati, and other deities, may the minds of the husband and wife be compatible."
This mantra was seen by suryaadevi. (Vedas are eternal and are perceived, not written). Suryaadevi is none other than Lakshmi herself. This mantra describes the background of her marriage, but there is also a deeper significance to Soma, Gandharva, and Agni.
Soma first and foremost means Narayana: sUte amrtam -"he who gives immortality, or Moksha". So the groom must have the understanding that it is through the blessings of the Lord that he is marrying the bride.
taasaam sOmOdadat shaucham gandharvaaH shikShitaam giram agnischa
sarvabhakShatvam tasmaanniShkalmaShaaH striyaH
Chandra or Soma is the controlling deity of the mind, and through his blessings the bride gets purity of mind. "gaam sushikShitaam vaachaam dharatIti gandharvaaH" Gandharvas are known for their beautiful voice.
Through their blessings, beautiful voice and words are given to the bride. Agni, or fire is the all purifier. Fire consumes impurities, thus symbolically it gives physical purity to the bride. Through kaaya,vaak,manasa (body, speech, and mind) the bride is purified by these deities. By protecting these 3 aspects of the bride, they are known as pati (paalayatIti pati). The fourth and final pati, or husband, is the human one, namely the groom.
As a note, one should not take Chandra and Agni literally. It is not the physical moon or fire that gives purity to the bride. Rather the abhimani devatas, Chandra and Agni give purify of mind and body to the bride. As a result the women (striyaH) are without defect (niShkalmaShaaH)
However in the case of Lakshmi Narayana, these deities do not purify Lakshmi. Rather it is the reverse. Chandra, the Gandharvas and Agni obtain their ability to purify the mind, speech, and body of ordinary humans through the strength of Lakshmi. This is similar to how in the Purusha Sukta it is said "chandramaa manaso jaata..." Chandra is born from the mind of Narayana (Purusha) and thus obtained the post of being the controlling deity for the mind.
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# 75
dEva naariyarella bandodagi paaThakaru |
Ovi paaDutta kuNidaru ||
dEva taruvina hUvina maLegaLu |
shrIvarana mEle karedaru || 75
ella - All the
dEva - divine
naariyaru - women (Apsara)
bandu - came
odagi - and assembled together
paaThakaru - Those who recite (Gandharva)
paaDutta - were singing
Ovi - out of devotion
kuNidaru - and danced.
maLegaLu karedaru - They showered
hUvina - flowers
dEva - from divine
taruvina - trees
mEle - upon
shrI - the bride
varana - and groom
All the Apsaras (divine women) came and assembled together at the wedding of Lakshmi and Narayana. Along with the Gandharvas, they sang out of devotion and danced. They showered flowers from divine trees upon the bride and groom.
Here deva naari refers to Apsaras, and paathakaru refers to the Gandharvas who are famous for their beautiful voices. maLe means rain and kare means call, but "maLegaLu karedaru" is an expression meaning to shower upon.
Apsara literally means ap=water + sara=born, those born at the time of the churning of the ocean. However there are many others, such as those born from Brahma, Agni, Manmatha, etc, so it doesn't exclusively have this meaning. It should be taken as ap=beauty + sara=having. Examples of Apsaras are Urvashi, Menaka, famous for their beauty.
Gandharva can mean ga = words, dhaarayanti = hold, or having a beautiful voice. Also, it can be split as gandha = ananda or joy, and arvanti = having.
There are 2 types of Gandharvas - deva gandharva and manushya gandharva as mentioned earlier. The distinction is that deva gandharvas are saamsha - meaning they can reside in multiple bodies. For example, the same soul Indra, who is actually a great Devata in 8th kaksha,can reside as an Amsha inside Arjuna's body. We of coursecannot do that and are 'niramsha', being only able to reside in a single body.
Manushya gandharvas are also niramsha. Tumburu mentioned in the previous verse is an example of a deva gandharva.
There are many ways of worshipping the Lord, and Apsaras and Gandharvas do so through song and dance. This is not just until Moksha, but even after Moksha, they express their devotion towards the Lord through such means.
The divine tree mentioned in this verse doesn't just refer to the famous kalpavrksha, but also the other 4 boon granting trees - mandaara, paarijaata, santaana, and harichandana.
Gandharva and Apsaras are much higher than us in gradation and will always be, even in Moksha. For such high beings to show such devotion gives us an idea of the greatness of Lakshmi and Narayana.
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# 76
muttu ratnagaLinda tettisida
haseya navaratna maNTapadi pasarisi
ratna maNTapadi pasarisi kR^iShNana
muttaideyarella karedaru || 76
maNTapadi- In a mantap
navaratna- with 9 kinds of jewels
haseya- a platform
tettisida-studded with
muttu-pearls
ratnagaLinda-and other precious stones
pasarisi- was spread out
ella-All the
muttaideyar - married women
karedaru- called
kR^iShNana- Sri Krishna (and his consort)
In a mantap with 9 kinds of jewels, there was a platform studded with pearls and other precious stones. All the married women present called Sri Krishna and his consort Lakshmi.
Muttaideyaru means vrddha sumangaLi, elderly married women. But we shouldn't take this to mean that they are old. Rather it refers to their being jnana vrddha - elderly in terms of knowledge. Of course, their knowledge doesn't compare to the Omniscient Lord Vishnu or that of Lakshmi, who is omniscient in everything except when it comes to Lord Vishnu.
Though this verse specifically mentions that only Krishna was called, it is implied that both Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi are called, since the newly married couple is called together to be seated.
What is interesting is that it is not just that the Mantap is physically grand, but it also has the special presence of Lakshmi, as she herself dwells inside the jewels adorning the Mantapa, while at the same time, in another form is the bride.
In those days, it was traditional that after elders bless the newly married, they would sing devotional songs. It still occurs in modern marriages, but it is not as common as before.
Rather than sitting on plain floor, wood, or stone, it is recommended to be seated on tigerskin, darbha (a special type of grass) or deerskin. For Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, they are not affected by where they sit, but for ordinary humans, it is said that the type of material we sit on affects our mood and the way we think.
====================
# 77
shEShashayanane baa dOSha dUrane baa |
bhaasura kaaya hariye baa |
bhaasura kaaya hariye baa shrIkR^iShNa vi- |
laasadindemma hasege baa || 77
baa - Come forward
shEShashayanane - you who lie upon Shesha
baa - Come forward
dOSha - imperfection
dUrane - far from
baa - Come forward
hariye - Lord Hari
bhaasura - with an effulgent
kaaya - body
shrIkR^iShNa - Sri Krishna
vilaasadinda - playfully
baa - come forward
emma - onto our
hasege - marriage platform
Come forward you who lie upon the serpent Shesha! Come forward you who are far from imperfection! Come forward Lord Hari, possessing an effulgent body. Sri Krishna, playfully come forward onto our marriage platform.
In the previous verse, the muttaideyaru (married women) invited Sri Krishna and his consort onto the wedding platform. In this verse they are addressing Him as they invite Him.
Even though Vishnu lies upon Shesha, really he is giving Shesha support, just the way he supports everything else in the universe. Lying upon Shesha is a unique characteristic of Vishnu, that is why it is described here before the other verses where they invite the Lord.
Even those liberated souls who attain a similar form (saarupya) or reside in the same world (saalokya) do not have this unique characteristic of Vishnu, resting upon Shesha. Like the way a servant does not desire the king's throne, so too, the liberated souls do not have the desire to have Shesha or Garuda as their vehichle or resting place. However, liberated souls may have other characteristics similar to the Lord, such as holding the chakra and shankha.
It is just a play for Sri Krishna, because they are acting as though newlyweds, even though they have been together for eternity, that is why the married women use the word "vilaasadinda" when inviting Him. Unlike other deities, there is no flaw in Him, as Lakshmi points out "kundelliShTillada mukundane tanagendu". This too is a unique characteristic of Sri Hari, as even Lakshmi has the flaw that she is dependent on Sri Hari and not understanding him completely.
The effulgence that is referred to is the Jnaananandamaya body of the Lord. Unlike our material bodies, made up of matter and subject to disease, old age, etc, the body of the Lord is made of jnaana (knowledge) and ananda (bliss). It is difficult to imagine a substance made of knowledge and bliss, but the jIva that is in our body, the "I", that is also said to be made of consciousness, knowledge and bliss.
Bhaasura kaaya can also refer to the Lord shining forth in the minds of devoteesthe Lord shining. Another meaning of bhaasura kaya is that the effulgent bodies of the liberated souls, also made up of knowledge and bliss, those too are protected by the Lord. Kaayodu in Kannada means to protect. This clarifies a point mentioned earlier about saarupya and saalokya mukti. Though liberated souls may possess a similar form to the Lord or reside in the same world, they depend on the Lord for continuing to be in such a state.
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# 78
kanjalOchanane baa manjuLa mUrti baa
kunjara vara daayakane baa
kunjara vara daayakane baa shrIkR^iShNa ni-
ranjana namma hasege baa || 78
baa - Come forward
lOchanane - you with eyes
kanja - like a lotus
baa - Come forward
manjuLa - you with a beautiful
mUrti - form
baa - Come forward
daayakane - one who has granted
vara - a boon
kunjara - to the elephant
baa - Come forward
shrIkR^iShNa - Lord Krishna
baa - Come forward
niranjana - one who is flawless
baa - Come forward
namma - to our
hasege - wedding platform
Come forward you with eyes like a lotus! Come forward you with a beautiful form! Come forward you with a beautiful form! Come forward you who granted a boon to the elephant Gajendra! Come forward Lord Krishna! Come forward to our wedding platform oh flawless one!
Kanja means born in the water, and refers to the lotus flower. A lotus is soft, so it is compared to the Lord's eyes, which are soft and compassionate. Also, the leaves of a lotus are unique in that though they may reside in dirty water, they remain untouched. Likewise, though the Lord is omnipresent, he is untouched by the defects of samsara and the decay of the material world. And of course, a flower is fragrant and beautiful, and is compared to the beautiful form (manjuLa mUrti) of the Lord.
The elephant here refers to Gajendra. Hoohoo and haahaa are the names of 2 gandharvas, who incidentally were reborn as Virata and Drupada during the Mahabharata time period. They decided to play a joke on some Rishis, and assumed the form of an elephant and an alligator. The Gandharva in the form of the elephant played with the Rshi, giving him some joy initially, but then troubled the Rshi. The Gandharva in the form of the alligator tried to scare the Rshi. The Rshi realized what was going on and cursed them to be born as actual alligator and an elephant. However because the gandharva who assumed an elephant form initially caused some joy, he was cursed to be born as an elephant only after being born as a king. After being born as a king, the Gandharva yet again did not treat Rishis with respect and was cursed to be born as an elephant. So both curses had the same effect and in his next birth, he was born as an elephant. One day, this "Gajendra" (king of elephants) was in the water, and his feet was gripped by the other Gandharva, now born as an alligator. With no one else to turn to, he prayed to Lord Vishnu, who killed the alligator, thus liberating that Gandharva from the curse. And Gajendra, the Gandharva born as a king, then an elephant, was blessed with a beautiful body.
If we feel that we have no one else to turn to, we should realize that Lord Vishnu is there for us, and even in the toughest of times, if we pray to Him, he will protect us, as everything is in His control.
There is also a deeper significance to "kanja" (born in the water). Water is a solvent and has the property of cohesiveness. sneha in Sanskrit means cohesiveness and like its English translation also means friendship (sticking together). The Lord is our companion. Water is a purifier and likewise the Lord purifies us, and frees us from our sins, just like he did for Gajendra and countless other devotees.
Water is truly a unique substance. It supports life on so many levels from the cells in our bodies to maintaining the Earth's climate, so we can understand why one Sanskrit word for water - "aapa" comes from aa=samantaat(truly)+pa=paalayati (protects), or that which truly protects us. But "aapa" can also mean metaphysically what protects us, meaning what will give us good births and prosperity in the future, namely our good deeds, our karma. We must dedicate our actions to Lord Krishna, and the medium, the being who acts as the intermediate is Vayu Deva. That is why it is said:
"tasminnapo maatarishvaa dadhaati".
Maatarishva is another name for Vayu. dadhaati means samarpane (to dedicate our actions). Aapa means actions in this context, not water literally. It is Vayu deva who dedicates what we do to the Lord. With this understanding, we should perform good deeds, and that will ensure the grace of Sri Krishna and Vayu deva. That will in turn ensure our prosperity.
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# 79
aadikaaladalli aaladeleya mEle
shrIdEviyaroDane pavaDisida
shrIdEviyaroDane pavaDisida shrIkR^iShNa
mOdadindemma hasege baa || 79
aadi - At the beginning of
kaaladalli - time
shrIkR^iShNa - Lord Krishna
pavaDisida - lay down
mEle - on
aalada - a banyan
eleya - leaf
shrIdEviyaroDane - with Goddess Lakshmi.
mOdadinda - Out of joy
baa - come
emma - to our
hasege - wedding platform
At the time of creation, Lord Krishna was with Lakshmi, lying on a banyan leaf. O Krishna, out of joy, come to our wedding platform!
As in the previous verses, the married women are asking the bride and groom, Sri Krishna and Goddess Lakshmi to come to the wedding platform.
In the previous verse, there was a reference to how Sri Krishna gave a boon to a Gandharva in the form of an elephant, rescuing him from the clutches of an alligator. We should not find ourselves leading an animalistic life or get trapped in the clutches of this samsara. To escape, we too, like the Gandharva born as an elephant (an elephant symbolizes arrogance, worldly desires, etc.) must turn to Lord Krishna to liberate us. What is so special about Him? He alone was present even at the time of creation. He is the source of all that exists. If we turn to anyone else, whoever that may be, that being ultimately depends on the Lord, so why not turn directly to the source, the Lord Himself?
This verse indicates that worldly involvement is ok, if done in moderation. The Lord does not seek any pleasures, but gives joy to others who seek refuge in Him. He is surrounded by Lakshmi, who is in the form of darkness, the banyan leaf, and the water. Joys sanctioned by the scriptures can be had, as prasAda of the Lord.
There are some verses in the scriptures that suggest that there was only one entity that existed before creation (and after the previous pralaya):
sadEva somyedamagra aasIt EkamEvaadvitIyaM
"Dear one, 'sat' alone existed in the beginning. He is the only one who is without any parallel"
brahma vaa idamagraasIdekameva "Brahma alone existed before this"
aatmaivamidamagra aasIt "Atman alone existed before this"
But elsewhere it is also said that the jIva is eternal without any beginning and end. And other entities too, like matter and time are without beginning and end. So how do we resolve this? The various souls existed, but they did not acquire bodies yet. As for matter, though primordial matter existed (moola prakriti), the universe that it would transform into did not exist. The only active entity was the Lord himself.
Lakshmi is unique. Unlike other souls she does not acquire bodies, and she is also "nitya aviyogini", meaning always with the Lord. That is the significance of the "shrIdEviyaroDane" in this verse. Brahma (not Chaturmukha Brahma) and Atman (Paramatma, not jIvatma) are other names for Vishnu, and when it is said that Vishnu alone existed, it should be taken as Vishnu along with Lakshmi, since they are inseparable. Lakshmi pervades all the space and time that Narayana pervades, however depends on Him for her existence.
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# 80
aadi kaaraNanaagi aaga malagiddu |
mOda jIvara tannudaradali |
mOda jIvara tannudaradali imbiTTa a- |
naadi mUrutiye hasege baa || 80
aadi- As the primary
kaaraNanaagi- cause
aaga- at that time (of destruction)
malagiddu- he lay down
imbiTTa- keeping within
tanna- his
udaradali- abdomen
mOda- the joyful
jIvara- souls
mUrutiye- O you with a form
anaadi- that has no beginning
baa- come
hasege- to the wedding platform
As the primary cause, during the time of Pralaya, Lord Vishnu lay down, keeping within his abdomen the joyful souls. O you with a form that has no beginning, come to the wedding platform
In the last verse, Lord Vishnu was described as being with his consort Goddess Lakshmi before the creation of the universe. This verse talks of his children, us, namely the souls. Though the souls have no beginning and
are uncreated, they are pratibimbas or reflections of the primary form, Lord Vishnu. Note the use of the word 'murti' in this verse referring to the bimba-pratibimba bhaava between the Paramatma and Jivatma.
The Lord is the primary cause, creating bodies for the souls to carry out their karma and a world to reside in. Prior to the creation of the world, the jivas are in a dormant state, inside the abdomen of Lord Vishnu.The jivas are categorized as saatvika (good), rajasika (mixed), and tamasika (bad), and each of those include both liberated and nonliberated souls. Moksha for saatvika souls is eternal joy. Moksha for rajasika souls is eternally in a mixed state of both joy and sorrow. Moksha for tamasika souls is eternally in a state of suffering.
Yet here, Sri Vadirajaru uses the phrase 'moda jIvaru'. Satvika souls are inherently blissful, but what about rajasika and tamasika? After one pralaya and before the start of the next creation, rajasika souls are not cycling through samsara, so the absence of the mix of sorrow and joy in samsara is their temporary state of happiness. As for tamasika souls, they are in a dormant state so because they are not experiencing suffering due to contact with the material world, they mistake that for joy. However, for those tamasika souls who have already reached their final destination (eternal Naraka), there is no break from their suffering.
The compassion of the Lord is that he keeps all souls existing. He doesn't just kill off the wicked souls but allows them to continue along their path towards their final destination.
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# 81
chinmayavenipa nimma manegaLalli jyo
tirmayavaada padmadalli
rammeyaroDagUDi ramisuva shrIkR^iShNa
namma maneya hasege baa || 81
shrIkR^iShNa - O Krishna
enipa - You who are
chinmaya - made of consciousness
ramisuva - you who enjoy
oDagUDi - sitting together
rammeyar - with Lakshmi
padmadalli - in the lotus
aada - which
jyotirmaya - shines forth
nimma - in your
manegaLalli -houses
baa - Come to
hasege - the wedding platform
namma - in our
maneya - house
O Krishna, you who are made of consciousness, you who enjoy sitting together with Lakshmi, in the shining lotus in your houses. O Sri Krishna, come to the wedding platform in our house.
This verse shows the problems encountered when trying to translate literally from Kannada to English. Though the word for word translation in English seems disconnected, in Kannada (like other Indian languages), there can be long descriptive phrases, and word order can be changed for poetic reasons. Also the positioning of words can allow for multiple meanings.
Here chinmayavenipa and rammeyaroDagUDi ramisuva both describe Sri Krishna. But chinmaya can also be used to describe manegaLu (houses). In this sense, it doesn't mean made of consciousness, but divine or golden.
The abode of the Lord is not subject to the decay of the physical world around us. It is non-material, apraakR^ita. In this verse it refers to shwetadvipa, anantaasana and vaikuntha. Lakshmi is always with Lord Narayana, as she is inseparable from Him.
Also, Sri Krishna does not derive enjoyment from Lakshmi, because he is all-independent. So the ramisuva should be taken as Sri Krishna enjoying his own form dwelling within Lakshmi. But Lakshmi on the other hand does enjoy bliss from being with Krishna.
We should think of Lakshmi Narayana dwelling not just in the divine abode, but also within us, in the hrdaya guha - the home within our hearts. This is hinted by Sri Vadirajaru's use of 'padma', referring to "Hrdaya Kamala". Within each of us, our heart is a beautiful place where the Lord resides in a special form.
Another point to note is that Rammeyaru is used, which is the plural form. Each form of the Lord is associated with a form of Lakshmi. It is difficult to imagine but the same Lakshmi and Narayana are enjoying together in multiple paired forms.
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# 82
naanaavataaradali nambida surarige |
anandavIva karuNi baa |
aanandavIva karuNi baa shrIkR^iShNa
shrInaariyaroDane hasege baa || 82
karuNi - O compassionate one,
naanaa - in your many
avataaradali - incarnations
Iva - you give
aananda - joy
surarige - to those deities
nambida - who believe in you
shrIkR^iShNa - O lord Krishna
baa - come
hasege - to the wedding platform
oDane - with
shrInaariyar - Goddess Lakshmi
O compassionate one, in your many incarnations, you give joy to those deities who believe in you. O Lord Krishna, come to the wedding platform with Goddess Lakshmi.
"naanaa avataaradali" can be taken as referring to both the deities and Lord Vishnu. That is, other deities show devotion to the Lord in all his forms, and also when the deities assume different forms they show devotion to the Lord.
The joy referred to here refers to both aihika and paaramarthika, both here and in the beyond. Lord Vishnu gives the deities joy while they are in samsara, as well as the ultimate joy, Moksha.
Believing in the Lord is more than just accepting his existence. It is having a correct understanding of the Lord, and through it, showing devotion towards Him. A correct understanding means that the Lord is different and superior to all of us, that He is full of auspicious qualities and is flawless, and that there is no distinction between any of His forms - they are all the same.
The choice of words in this verse follows a logical flow. The Lord does not gain anything by assuming different forms. He takes such forms because it gives pleasure, or aananda, to those deities (as well as other devotees) who believe in Him. By doing so, Lord Vishnu is showing his compassion, or Karuna. Also, when taking such forms, He is accompanied by Lakshmi, who is always His consort.
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# 83
bommana maneyalli rannada pIThadi kuLitu |
ommanadi nEhava maaDuva
nirmala pUjeya kaigomba shrIkR^iShNa para-
bommamUrutiye hasege baa || 83
bommana- In Brahma's
maneyalli- abode
kuLitu- sitting on
rannada- a jeweled
pIThadi- seat
ommanadi- with a steadfast mind
maaDuva- (Brahma) was showing
nEhava=snehava - devotion
nirmala-This pure
pUjeya- worship
kaigomba- was accepted
shrIkR^iShNa- by Sri Krishna
mUrutiye- Oh, you who possess a form
parabomma- superior to Brahma
baa- Come
hasege- to the wedding platform
In Brahma's abode, sitting on a jeweled seat, with a steadfast mind, Brahma was showing devotion towards the Lord. Oh Sri Krishna, you who accept such pure worship, you who possess a form superior to Brahma, come to the wedding platform.
For true devotees of the Lord, worship is higher than anything else.
As it is said in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad :
aatmanastu kaamaaya sarvam priyam bhavati
Everything is dear only because of Atman (here it is Paramatma not Jivatma). kaamaaya means "ichchaya", through the will of the Lord. True devotees see the Lord in everything and constantly meditate upon him. Material pleasures do not interest them. They are interested in "sahabhoga", the joy of being with the Lord.
Brahma's abode here refers to Satyaloka, the highest of the worlds. For such a divine being to worship someone, that being must be even higher, and he is described as "parabomma", superior to even Brahma. So this verse also shows taratamya.
The puja that Brahma performs is described as 'nirmala'. It should be performed with devotion, not just following the right practices, but also "ommanadi", with a steadfast mind, thinking of the Lord. Of course, Brahma is far superior to us, so we cannot perform it at the level he does, but we should perform our daily worship with as much focus and devotion as we can.
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# 84
mukhyaprANana maneyalli bhaaratiyaaga- |
likki baDisida rasaayanava |
sakkaregUDida paayasava saviyuva |
rakkasa vairiye hasege baa || 84
maneyalli - In the house of
mukhyaprANana - Vayu
aagalikki - At that time
bhaaratiyu - Bharati
baDisida - served
rasaayanava - rasaayana/sIkarni (milk sweet)
paayasava - The pudding
gUDida - filled with
sakkare - sugar
saviyuva - was enjoyed by you
vairiye - O enemy
rakkasa = Rakshasara - of the evil
baa - Come
hasege - to the wedding platform
In the house of Vayu, Bharati served rasaayana(sIkarni) to the Lord. The paayasa (pudding) was filled with sugar. O Lord, you enjoyed this. O enemy of the evil, come to the wedding platform.
In this verse, the way Vayu and Bharati serve the Lord is described. Not only are they offerring sweets to the Lord, but they also dwell within the food itself, and offer it to the Lord. Bharati is the abhimani devata for paayasa, and Vayu is anna abhimani. Anna doesn't just mean rice, but any type of food. One can think of them as the controlling force dwelling within the food, enabling us to get nutrients from the food when we eat, as well as giving us the sensation of taste.
In the previous verse, Brahma was described. Vayu will be the next Brahma, and they can be thought of as brothers. The way Brahma performed puja was described earlier. Here too, Vayu is performing another kind of puja, serving the Lord by offerring Him food. Of course the Lord does not need any such food, but he is merely blessing his devotees by giving them another way of worshipping Him.
Sometimes the food we eat can have a harmful effect on us, and this can be caused by evil forces. Just as there are abhimani devatas, there are abhimani daityas, who trouble others and accumulate sin as a result. Lord Vishnu is 'rakkasa vairi' - the enemy of such evil forces. They are under his control, and by praying to the Lord with devotion, we will not be troubled by such daityas.
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# 85
rudrana maneyalli rudraaNi deviyaru
bhadramanTapadi kuLLirisi
svaadannagaLanu baDisalu kaigomba
muddu narasimha hasege baa || 85
maneyalli - In the home of
rudrana - Shiva,
deviyaru - the Goddess
rudraaNi - Parvati
kuLLirisi = kUDisi - seated you
bhadra - in an auspicious
manTapadi - manTap
svaad - Tasty
annagaLanu - food
baDisalu - was served
kaigomba - which was accepted by you
muddu - O soft
narasimha - Lord Narasimha
baa - come
hasege - to the wedding platform
In the home of Shiva, the Goddess Parvati seated you in an auspicious mantap. Tasty food was served, which you accepted, O soft Lord Narasimha. Come to the wedding platform.
Proceeding according to Taratamya, after describing Brahma and Vayu, next Shiva's serving the Lord is being described. just the way Saraswati and Brahma served the Lord together, as well as Vayu and Bharati, here too Shiva is serving the Lord along with his consort Parvati.
We commonly hear "muddu Krishna", where Krishna is being described as soft, so it may seem strange that Narasimha who is usually portrayed as fearsome is described as "muddu". But the Lord is only frightening to his enemies. He shows affection to his devotees. Furthermore, Sri Vadirajaru is pointing out how all the forms of the Lord are the same, by using "muddu Narasimha".
Shiva's abode is Kailasa. Though it is an austere place, for welcoming the Lord, there is a grand mantapa. Neither Lord Shiva nor Lord Vishnu has any need for a well decorated mantapa or tasty food, but this is an act of devotion that Shiva is showing.
Shiva is considered the abhimani devata for food as well. What we offer to Lord Shiva is then offered by him to Lord Vishnu. Whereas only the subtle essence of the food we offer as naivedya is accepted by Lord Vishnu, here the food itself that Shiva offers is accepted by Vishnu.
There is another significance of why Narasimha is mentioned here. The Lord resides in Shiva in that form. So Shiva is physically offering food to the Lord as well as offering it as a form of worship to the form of Lord Vishnu residing within Him. It is this Narasimha form of Lord Vishnu that gives Shiva the strength to destroy at the time of Pralaya.
================
# 86
garuDana mElEri gagana maargadalli
tarataradi stutipa surastrIyara
mereva gandharvara gaanava saviyuva
narahari namma hasege baa || 86
Eri - Climbing
mEle - on top of
garuDana - Garuda
mereva - being glorious
maargadalli - in the entire path
gagana - of the sky,
stutipa - he was praised
tarataradi - in various ways
sura - by the divine
strIyara - women.
narahari - O Lord Hari
saviyuva - you enjoyed
gaanava - the songs
gandharvara - of the Gandharvas
baa - Come
namma - to our
hasege - wedding platform
Climbing on top of Garuda and being glorious in the entire path of the sky,Lord Vishnu was praised in various ways by the Devapatnis and Apsaras. O Lord Hari, you enjoyed the songs sung by the Gandharvas. Come to our wedding platform.
Garuda is the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. In the gradation of deities (taratamya), he is on the same level as Shesha and Rudra, which is why he is mentioned next to the verse describing Rudra. Though Garuda is the vehicle of the Lord, one should not think that Garuda is supporting Vishnu. In reality, Vishnu resides within and supports Garuda.
Garuda is in the form of an eagle, but there are deeper meanings to the word. 'giratIti garuDa' - one who swallows poison is known as Garuda. He is capable of stopping not only the poison of snakes, but the poisonous things in our life, the inauspicious events. He takes away the amangala, and brings mangala or auspiciousness.
So it is quite appropriate that the form of Vishnu residing within Garuda is Narahari. Hari means one who takes away our sins, paapa parihaaraka, but also amangala parihaaraka. Since Vishnu resides within Garuda and supports him, it is really Vishnu who enables Garuda to take away the sins of others, protecting us from the poison of inauspicious things.
Another meaning of Garuda is someone who possesses 'Garuth'. Garuth means the unique wings of Garuda, whose flapping doesn't produce noise, but rather Sama Veda hymns which are praising Lord Vishnu. Garuda is also the abhimani devata for the Vedas.
In the next Kalpa, both Shesha and Garuda attain mukti. Rudra becomes Shesha, and the next in line in Garuda gaNa becomes Garuda. They are all equal in terms of knowledge, strength, power, and beauty.
The word surastriyaru is used in this verse. It can mean either Apsaras, who are celestial dancers, or it can refer to devata patni, the wives of the deities.
Narahari means the same as Narasimha. It also means 'puruShottama', the greatest among all beings.
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# 87
nimmaNNana maneyalli sudharma sabheyalli |
ummeyarasa namisida ||
dharmarakShakanenipa kR^iShNa kR^ipeyinda pa |
ramma mUrutiye hasege baa || 87
maneyalli = In the abode of
nimma = your
aNNana = elder brother Indra,
sabheyalli = known as the hall
sudharma = of righteousness
sudharma sabhe = Indra's abode
umme = Uma (Parvati)'s
arasa = consort, Lord Shiva
namisida = worshipped you
kR^iShNa = O Krishna,
enipa = you who are known as
rakshaka = the "Protector
dharma = of Righteousness"
kR^ipeyinda = Out of compassion
paramma = O Supreme
mUrutiye = Being
baa = come to the
hasege = wedding platform
In the abode of your elder brother Indra, which is known as the "Hall of Righteousness", Parvati's consort Lord Shiva worshipped you O Lord Krishna. You are known as "dharma rakshaka", the protector of righteousness.Come to the wedding platform O Supreme Being.
At first glance it seems like Krishna's brother refers to Balarama, but actually it is Indra, because "sudharma sabha" is the name of Indraloka. Aditi's first born son is Indra, and her 12th born is Vamana (another avatara of Vishnu), that's why Krishna's elder brother is Indra. For this reason, another name for Lord Vishnu is "Upendra" because he is a little brother of Indra.
Sri Vadirajaru points out that in Indra's hall, Shiva worshipped not Indra, but Lord Vishnu. In the ranking of deities (taratamya), Shiva is far superior to Indra but is a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Shiva, the consort of Parvati, continuously worships Lord Vishnu and his various forms.
Even Indra feels that "avamaanaH sa cha mayaa pR^iShThathaH kriyatE munE laalanIyo mayaa baala ityEvam bhraatR^igauravaat" (from Harivamsha) In other words Indra feels affection (laalanIyaH) towards his little brother or 'thamma' (bhraatR^i). The composer of this Shobhane verse, Sri Vadirajaru, humorously points out that Indra, the older brother of one Avatara of Vishnu was not worshipped by Shiva, rather it's Krishna Paramatma that Shiva worships.
In this quote from HariVamsha, Indra feels insulted (avamaanaH sa cha mayaa) that "hey Krishna is my younger brother, how can he insult me like this?" What was the insult? Indra's younger brother Vamana created Vaikuntha, a much greater abode than Indra loka. In other words, someone Indra considers his little brother far surpassed him.
We can see the amazing intellect of Sri Vadirajaru in writing this verse, because it takes a while just to understand this one Shobhane verse in the context of another verse from Harivamsha, which is an addendum to the Mahabharata, where we find the Bhagavad Gita & Vishnu Sahasranama (describing how Krishna is none other than the Supreme Paramatma). So how much more is the greatness of Sri Vadirajaru's guru, Sri Madhvacharyaru, who wrote 2 commentaries on the Gita, a commentary on the entire Mahabharata, Brahma Sutra, and the 10 Upanishads and countless other works?
When Vishnu assumes Vamana, Rama, Krishna and other avataras, Shiva worships him and is considered a great devotee of Vishnu. In a Kannada dasarapadagalu written by Vijaya Dasaru, there is a song "thaila dhaareyante manasu koDu hariyalli shambho, kailaasa vaasa, gowrIsha Isha", asking Shiva, who resides in Kailasa to make our minds focus on Vishnu. In what manner? Like a continuous flow of oil which has "sneha" or cohesiveness. Sneha in Sanskrit has a double meaning -- the physical force of cohesion allowing particles to stick to each other, as well as "friendship/affection". So we should ask Shiva to give us this "sneha" towards Lord Krishna.
============
# 88
As we get into later verses, the meaning becomes very complicated. This next verse has quite a bit of depth to it, and by the grace of Sri Hari Vayu Gurugalu and Sri Vadirajaru I'll explain it as best
as I can.
indrana maneghOgi aditige kuNDalavittu
andada pUjeya kaigoNDu |
andada pUjeya kaigONDU surataruva
indiregitta hariye baa || 88
Aditi - mother of devatas, including Indra and Vamana
kuNDala = earrings
ittu = returned
kaigoNDU = kaigoLLodu (tokkoLLodu), taking
andada = Adaradinda: pompous, grand
pUje = worship
surataruva = sura vrkSha (paarijata vRikSha) tree with divine flowers
surarinda = worship done by the angels like Indra. Indra is an
"archangel", tier 1 angel.
indirege = satyabhaamage
itta = gave
After killing Narakasura, Krishna went to the abode of Indra (svarga), and gave back Aditi's earrings that Narakasura stole. Indra and other angels performed Andada or majestic worship out of "aadara". Krishna brings the divine tree bearing divine flowers to Satyabhama/Rukmini who is an incarnation of Lakshmi.
There is a scope for misinterpretation. This kuNDala has nothing to do with the episode in the Mahabharata Karna's kundala that Indra took. And I have used the word "archangel" for Indra, Indra is the king of the gods, but he is king of the gods below him (not Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, Vayu) The English translation "god" is not exactly correct, devata actually corresponds to the Western concept of "angels", divine servants of Supreme God or Paramatman. What is the significance of Kalpavrksha?
To give a parallel to Christianity, often around Christmas time, they consider christmas trees to be almost holy, decorating them, singing songs about God around them,etc. "Kalpavrksha" means that whatever we desire, based on our "kalpana", that tree will give it. It's not an exact parallel, but it's similar.
What is the relationship between Satyabhama and Rukmini?
Is there any connection with "ummeyarasa" found in verse 87, Rudra, the husband of Parvati? No, verse 87 ties to the verse 86 before "Rudrana maneyalli Rudraanideviyaru". According to Taratamya, after describing how Rudra worshipped Vishnu, now how Indra worshipped Krishna is described.
In the previous verse, Shiva worshipped Vishnu in Indra loka. Here Indra and other deities worship Krishna. In the descriptions found in the Bhagavata and Hari Vamsha, Indra gave Krishna kalpavrksha in one case, in another he fought Krishna, and Krishna got Kalpavrksha. So which version is correct? Did Indra fight Krishna or did he give Krishna the kalpavrksha?
First Krishna gets the flowers for Rukmini, Indra gives it on his own. Satyabhama gets jealous and upset (which is just a play, since she is the same as Rukmini, a form of Lakshmi). Krishna asks what he can get her (this time it is Satyabhama), and then he goes to Indra loka, fights Indra and gets kalpavrksha for his real wife and consort Lakshmi, who is both Rukmini & Satyabhama
"devategala ahankaara asuraaveshagaLu aLidu antaHkaraNa shuddha vaayitu"
Andada pUje means with a shuddha antaHkaraNa, pure heart.
=================
# 89
nimma neneva muni hR^idayadali nelasida
dharma rakShakanenisuva
sammatavaagidda pUjeya kaigomba ni -
ssIma mahima hasege baa || 89
nelasida- You reside
hR^idayadali- in the hearts
muni- of the sages
neneva- who meditate
nimma- upon you
enisuva - You are called
rakShakanu- the protector
dharma- of rigtheousness
kaigomba- You partake (and are the instigator)
pUjeya- the worship
aagidda- that is done
sammata - as per taratamya (in an appropriate manner)
nissIma- [Lord Vishnu] with your limitless
mahima- greatness
baa - Come
hasege - to the wedding platform
Oh Lord Vishnu,
You reside in the hearts of those sages who meditate upon you.
You are called the protector of righteousness.
You partake the worship that is done in an appropriate manner and as per Taratamya, by the Rishis (sages).
You greatness knows no bounds.
Come to the wedding platform!
Here, Sri Vadirajaru describes how Vishnu resides within the sages who meditate upon him. In the previous verses, the way the deities worship the Lord was described, so now the presence of Vishnu in the sages is described.
Note how these verses are in descending taratmya order. After describing the angels or deities, now the Rishis or sages are described. In Dvadasha stotra, Rishis are described as "ShaDvarga nigraha nirasta samasta dOShAH, dhyaayanti viShNum rshayo yad apaangalesham aashritya, yaan api sametya na yaati duhkham...". One does not get any sorrow by approaching these true sages, because they have conquered the 6 enemies: kaama, krodha, lobha, moha,mada maatsarya (lust, greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and jealousy)
Furthermore the puja performed by such sages is done with a pure mind, not for some selfish gain or for show, the way many ordinary people do puja. It is this kind of worship that is very dear for the Lord.
Sages perform karma, but mostly they achieve "aparoksha jnaana" by meditating upon the Lord. Chakravarti (emperors) mostly perform actions with devotion towards the Lord. Jnana, bhakti, and karma are needed by
all those souls who wish to achieve Moksha, regardless of whether they are humans, devatas, or Rishis.
There is a very beautiful explanation of this verse:
tandetaayigaLaada nimma kalyANotsava maaDuvudU makkaLaada namma dharma.
It is the duty of us, God's children, to celebrate your wedding (either through recitation of Shobhane or by doing Srinivasa Kalyana, etc.). adannu kaigONDu suprItanaaguvudU ninna dharma Here "dharma" means attribute or svabhava. There is no binding duty for Lord Vishnu. He accepts our worship because he is "karuNaasagara", an ocean of benevolence. So it is the Lord's innate attribute to be pleased by the actions that we perform.
"kaigoNDu" can mean partake. But we should also realize that as the ultimate Doer, the unseen force behind everything in this universe, He is the real instigator. He enables the Rishis to perform their puja, but also accepts what is offered in the puja.
As it is pointed out in Dvadasha Stotra "amanda guNa saaropi, mandahaasena vIkShitaH".. it is very puzzing why the Lord smiles. He has everything, nothing is lacking. Normally, humans smile or are happy when they receive something that they did not have before. But for Lord Krishna, it his very nature of being joyful, blissful. He accepts what devotees offer to Him. His smile or "mandahaasa" is an expression of his inherent bliss.
In this shobhane verse, the devataa striyaru are inviting him to the wedding platform. They are asking Him out of devotion, so Lord Krishna grants their wish.
May that Lord Sri Krishna grant our wishes and what we offer as pUja, with devotion and true knowledge. May he be the protector of our Dharma, always putting us on the right path in life.
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# 90
muttina sattige navaratnada chaamara|
sutta naliva surastrIyara|
nR^ityava nODutta chitravaadyaMgaLa saM
pattina hariye hasege baa || 90
hariye-Lord Vishnu,
saMpattina-who has the wealth of
muttina-pearl
sattige-necklaces,
chaamara- brush-like fan (in Hindi, Chowrie)
navaratnada-studded with 9 jewels,
surastrIyara-female deities
naliva-dancing
sutta-around him
nODutta-watching
nR^ityava-their dance
chitra - accompanied by a variety of
vaadyaMgaLa- musical instruments
baa-Come
hasege-to the wedding platform
Lord Vishnu who has the wealth of pearl necklaces, surrounded by people doing Chamara seva (fanning him), watched the female deities dance before him, playing a variety of musical instruments. O Lord, come to the wedding platform.
Sri Vadirajararu, in his Shobhane Haadu describes how various beings worship the Lord. In this description, he follows taratamya, in descending order. In verse 83, Brahma's worship of the Lord was described, followed by that of Vayu in verse 84. In verses 85-88, Rudra, Garuda, and Indra's worship of Lord Vishnu was described. And in the previous verse, the next class of beings, the Rishis,were described serving the Lord. After the Rishis, next Sri Vadirajaru describes the Gandharvas, so surastrIyaru must refer to the consorts of these Gandharvas.
Another interesting interpretation of this verse is that it is not multiple women, but rather Lakshmi herself assuming several different forms. During the time of pralaya, when no one else is there, it is only Lakshmi who worships Lord Vishnu in a variety of ways, fanning, dancing, and playing instruments. At other times, she is the abhimani devate of all the jadas, and controls all other tattvabhimani devatas. She resides in all these objects, and worships through those who worship the Lord. That is why the dasaru says "kOTi kOTi bhrityariralu hATakAmbarana sEve, sATi illade mADutihaLu, Enu dhanyalo lakumi yentha mAnyalO", describing how fortunate and unparalleled Lakshmi is among the crores of devotees who worship the Lord.
Of course Lord Vishnu has no need of all this, but Lakshmi and other deities perform this worship out of joy, knowing they are serving the one being on whom everything else in the universe depends on.
==============
# 91
enalu naguta bandu haseya mEle |
vanite lakShumiyoDagUDi |
ananta vaibhavadi kuLita kR^iShNana naalku |
dinadutsavava naDesidaru || 91
enalu - After they said this,
bandu - he came
naguta - smiling
oDagUDi - and sat with
vanite - the divine lady
lakShumi - Lakshmi
mEle - upon
haseya - the wedding platform
naDesidaru - They performed
utsavava - the wedding ceremony
naalku - lasting 4
dinada - days
kR^iShNana - for Lord Krishna
kuLita - who was sitting
ananta - with infinite
vaibhavadi - grandeur
After saying this 'hasege baa', Lord Krishna came smiling, and sat with the divine Goddess Lakshmi upon the wedding platform. They performed a wedding ceremony which lasted 4 days for Lord Krishna, who was sitting with infinite grandeur.
Since verse 77, the muttaideyaru (married women) invited Lord Krishna to the wedding platform, with the refrain 'hasege baa'. Finally in this verse, Lord Krishna accepts their invitation and comes to the wedding platform accompanied by his eternal consort Sri Lakshmi.
Many weddings are performed with grandeur, but that of Lord Vishnu and Mahalakshmi is beyond compare, because the bride and groom are none other than the mother and father of the whole universe, and are worshipped by all the beings present, including devatas, gandharvas, Rishis.
There are many interpretations of why Lord Krishna is smiling. He is innately blissful. It is not that he gains anything from the worship of his devotees, but his smile is an acceptance of what they offer. Another reason for the smile is that though Lakshmi is eternally with Lord Vishnu, their marriage is taking place, so it is a sort of play. And though marriage is usually performed by elders, here there is no one elder. Quite the opposite, the marriage is performed by their children.
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# 92
attErenipa gange yamune sarasvati
bhaaratti modalaada surastrIyaru |
muttinakShateyanu shObhanavenuta ta
mmartiyaLiyage taLedaru || 92
gange-Ganga
yamune-Yamuna
sarasvati-Saraswati
bhaaratti-Bharati
modalaada- and other
surastrIyaru- divine goddesses
enipa- who are called
attEru- Mothers in law
taLedaru- showered
muttina - pearly
akShateyanu-auspicious rice
tamma-on their
artiya-beloved
aLiyage-son-in-law
enuta- while saying
shObhana-"May everything be auspicious"
Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Bharati, and other divine goddesses, who are called mothers-in-law for Lord Krishna, showered pearly akshate on their beloved son-in-law, while saying "Shobhana", or "Let everything be auspicious".
Though Lakshmi is eternal and uncreated, she took birth as the daughter of Varuna. As a result, the consorts of Varuna can be called mothers-in-law for Lord Vishnu, even though he has been eternally wedded to Lakshmi. But it may be somewhat puzzling why Saraswati and Bharati are referred to as "atteru".
Saraswati is the consort of Brahma, and Bharati is the consort of Vayu. So we cannot take them as the consorts of Varuna. However, one interpretation is that here, a different Saraswati and a different Bharati are being referred to. Just the way the Ganga and Yamuna rivers have abhimani devata-s, likewise the same holds for the Saraswati and Bharati rivers. These abhimani devata-s are different from the consorts of Brahma and Vayu.
Another interpretation is to use what is called "chhatri nyaaya". When it is said that "Those umbrella bearers are walking", it refers not only to those people carrying umbrellas, but also others who are with them. Here, though only Ganga and Yamuna are consorts of Varuna, they may be accompanied by the consorts of Brahma and Vayu, Saraswati and Bharati.
One phrase to note in this verse is "muttinakShate". Akshate is normally colored rice, but for grand weddings, instead of using rice, they use real pearls. The marriage between Lord Hari and Lakshmi is the most grand wedding of all, so "muttinakShate" is indeed appropriate.
In reality, Sri Hari does not have any elders, like mothers, fathers, or mother-in-laws, father-in-laws. But to bring across the point that we should respect the rivers and their abhimani devata-s, Sri Vadirajaru starts this verse with "attErenipa..."
================
#93
ratnadaaratige sutta muttane tuMbi
muttaiderella dhavaLada
muttaiderella dhavaLada padana paa
Duttalettidare sirivarage || 93
aaratige - For the sake of performing Arati
ratnada - with jewels
ella - all the
muttaideru - older sumangali women
tuMbi - gathered
sutta muttane - around
ettidare - They did Arati
siri - for Lakshmi
varage - and the groom Lord Vishnu
paaDutta - while reciting
dhavaLada - pure
padana - words
All the vruddha sumangaLiyaru gathered around for the sake of performing Arati with jewels. They did the Arati for the bride and groom, Lakshmi Narayana, while reciting pure words.
There are many kinds of Arati. Sometimes ghee is used, other times oil. This is a divine Arati, so what is described here is a special 'ratnadaarati', studded with gems, which shows the grandeur of the wedding ceremony. Also, this ratnadaarati has a special flame that does not go out due to wind or water.
There are a few different ways of interpreting this verse. 'muttu' means pearl in Kannada, so 'ratnadaaratige sutta, muttane tumbi' can also mean that the Arati itself was surrounded with pearls. Or "sutta mutta" together can mean "around", as in the devata striyaru gathered around.
Muttaideru means vrddha sumanNGaLiyaru, or elder married women. The beings here are not ordinary humans, but rather consorts of devatas. They do not go through old age like humans. So the muttaideru look young but have been around for many years.
Finally, dhavaLada has an alternate meaning. It is also the name of a Chandas, which consists of 4 lines, where lines 1,2, and 4 each have 18 short syllables and 1 long syllable. Line 3 has 15 short syllables and 1 long syllable. So it is possible that they were praising the Lord by reciting verses in this form. In most modern languages, it is quite hard to write poems like this, not only having a fixed number of syllables, but making sure each line has all short (laghu) syllables except for the last one, which is a long (guru). The richness in sanskrit vocabulary and the flexibility in word order make this possible, but it's also possible in other languages though it is much harder. For divine beings, with much higher intellectual powers, to compose verses like this would have been a trivial task. And they composed these verses to praise the highest Being they know of, the Lord Himself.
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#94
bomma - Brahma
kUDe - along with
tanna - his
arasi - consort Saraswati
bandu - came and
eragida - worshipped (Vishnu)
ummeya - Parvati's
arasa - consort Shiva
namisida - worshipped (Vishnu)
ellaru - All the
ammararu - deities
salisidaru - offered
bage bage - a variety of
uDugoregaLa - gifts
arasage - to the consort of
rammeya - Lakshmi
Brahma, along with his consort Saraswati, came and worshipped Lord Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi. Parvati's consort, Shiva also bowed before Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi. All the deities offered a variety of gifts to the Lord.
Now it is towards the end of the wedding ceremony between Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi. Brahma, Shiva, and other deities offer gifts and seek the blessings of the Lord. Usually in a wedding, the elders bless the married couple, but here it is the reverse, where the elders seek the blessings of the married couple, since it is none other than the Lord Himself.
ammararu should be understood as 'amararu' meaning deities. To match the other lines in this verse there is an extra 'm'. This verse is straightforward, so moving to the next verse, which describes the gifts that were given:
=======================
#95
satyalOkada bomma kaustubharatnavanitta
mukta suraru mudadinda
muttina kaNThI sara mukhyapraaNanitta
mastaka maNiya shivanitta || 95
bomma - Brahma, the ruler
satyalOkada - of Satyaloka
itta - gave
kaustubharatnavanu - jeweled pendant
mukta - The liberated
suraru - deities
mudadinda - gave out of joy
muttina - pearl
kaNThI - necklaces
mukhyapraaNanu - Vayu
itta - gave
sara - a chain
shivanu - Shiva
itta - gave
mastaka maNiya - a head ornament
Brahma gave kaustubhamaNi (jeweled pendant), the liberated deities gave pearl pendant (kaNThI), mukhyapraaNa gave necklace (sara), and Shiva gave a head ornament (mastaka maNi).
The Lord has no need for any gifts, however by accepting them, he is blessing his devotees. Brahma, Shiva, Vayu, and the liberated deities are abhimani devatas for the gifts they have given. They also reside within them in another form. When Lord Vishnu wears these various pendants, necklaces, and head ornaments, these deities get the joy of being in constant contact with the Lord.
We shouldn't be under the impression that Lord Vishnu did not have these before they were given as gifts. Just the way Lakshmi has always been with Lord Vishnu, but appeared once again from the ocean, likewise the Lord had these necklaces and pendants earlier, but they were just given as gifts again, which is known as 'punarudbhaava'.
It is interesting to note that it is not just the present Brahma, Vayu, and Shiva who were witnessing the ceremony, but 'mukta suraru', that is the Brahmas, Shivas, and Vayus from earlier Kalpas, who had achieved salvation. So even after mukti, they get to witness the marriage of Lord Narayana with Mahalakshmi.
=========================
#96
tannarasi kUDe savinuDi nuDivaaga
vadannadalliddagni keDadante |
vahnipratiShTeya maaDi avanoLagidda
tannaahutiyitta surarige || 96
nuDivaaga -While speaking
savi - sweet, cool
nuDi - words
kUDe - with
tanna - his
arasi - consort
keDadante - without extinguishing
agni - the fire
idda - residing
vadannadalli - in his mouth
pratiShTeya maaDi - he kindled
vahni - the fire
idda - residing
avanoLage - within him
itta - and gave
tanna - his
aahuti - offering
surarige - to the deities
As Lord Vishnu spoke cool words to his consort Lakshmi, he made sure not to extinguish the fire residing in his mouth by kindling the fire within him, giving strength to Agni deva and other deities in the form of aahuti.
This verse is somewhat difficult to translate directly. Sri Vadiraja is pointing out poetically how Lord Vishnu on one hand has fire emanating from his mouth, but is also able to speak cool calming words. Normally, once the wedding ceremony is over, the groom speaks cool sweet words to the new bride, but in this case the groom is none other than the Lord Himself, who has fire emanating from his mouth.
There are many references to this throughout the scriptures. In the Purusha Sukta, the birth of Vayu, Agni and Indra is described as "mukhaat indraH ca agniH ca praaNaat vaayuH ajaayata".
Indra and Agni were born from the mouth of Lord Vishnu, and Vayu was born from his breath. In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna beholds the divine cosmic form of Lord Krishna, and sees fire emanating from his mouth.
So in this verse, Sri Vadirajaru draws attention to how interesting it is that the same mouth which can produce the fire of destruction, the same mouth from which Agni was born can also produce the opposite - cool calming words, while speaking to his consort Lakshmi.
During the marriage ceremony we rely on fire while performing various homas. But in the case of the Lord, it is not that he depends on fire or Agni deva. Lord Vishnu is the one who gives strength to Agni and other devata-s. The aahuti that is described refers to Lord Vishnu's prEraNa shakti - the instigatory power of the Lord.
Normally, aahuti refers to offering that is done as a worship, which is put in the homa. Agni, being the messenger of the devata-s, carries the subtle form of what we offer to the other devata-s.
For Lord Vishnu, when others give aahuti, be it devatas or manushyas, aahuti is a form of worship, but when Lord Vishnu gives aahuti to other devatas, it is not a form of worship, but refers to the strength that he gives to other devatas (in this case it is Agni).
This is similar to how we use mantraakShate. When people put Mantrakshate on an idol it is a form of worship. However, when older people put Mantrakshate on younger people, it is a blessing. Likewise, in this case, Lord Vishnu is not offering aahuti as a form of worship, but blessing Agni and the other devata-s with the strength to carry on their activities.
==============
#97
kobbida khaLarODisi amR^itaanna UTakke
ubbida haruShadali uNisalu |
ubbida haruShadali uNisabEkendu sindhu |
sarbarigeDeya maaDisida || 97
ODisi- Driving away
kobbida- the arrogant
khaLara - daityas,
sindhu- Varuna
ubbida- who was filled with
haruShadali- joy
maaDisida- prepared
eDeya- meals
sarbarige- for everyone
uNisabEkendu- as he wanted to feed
amR^ita - nectar
anna- rice
UTakke- meals
Driving away the arrogant daityas, Varuna was filled with joy as he prepared nectar-like meals for everyone.
In any auspicious event, wicked people like Daityas try to ruin everything, so they must be driven away. They are referred to as being arrogant, because at the time of the churning of the ocean, they wanted the amruta, or nectar only for themselves. Despite all their wicked acts, they felt that they deserved the nectar of immortality.
What must be clarified here is that it is not Varuna who drove away the Daityas. Rather, he asked his son-in-law, Lord Vishnu, to drive them away. The sequence of events is described in the Padma Purana and Skanda Purana.
First, during the churning of the ocean, the divine nectar or amruta arises. Then Lakshmi herself comes. During the Swayamvara, Lakshmi places the garland on Vishnu, choosing Him as her consort. Lord Vishnu assumes the Mohini form to distract the Daityas, taking back the nectar they had stolen. The devatas consume the nectar which they had earned. The Daityas were driven away and finally the wedding between Lakshmi and Narayana takes place, without the nuisance of any Daityas.
The phrase "ubbida haruShadali uNisalu/uNisabekendu" is repeated because amruta should be taken in two different senses. In the first sense, amruta, meaning the real nectar of immortality was consumed by the devatas. In the second sense, the food which was served at the wedding by Varuna was nectar-like as it was divine.
The next verse describes the form Lord Vishnu assumes.
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#98
maavana maneyalli dEvarigautaNava daa
navaru keDisade biDarendu daa -
navaru keDisade biDarendu shrIkR^iShNa
dEva strIvEShava dharisida || 98
maneyalli- In the abode of his
maavana- father-in-law,
daanavaru- the daityas
biDarendu- wouldn't resist
keDisade- spoiling
autaNava- the feast
dEvarige- for the devatas
shrIkR^iShNa- Lord Krishna
dharisida- assumed
dEva- divine
strI - female
vEShava- form
In the abode of his father-in-law, Lord Krishna assumed a divine female form(Mohini Rupa), thinking that the Daitays wouldn't resist spoiling the feast that was prepared for the Devatas.
The Daityas initially stole the nectar, not wanting to give any to the Devatas. To show their wicked intentions, Lord Vishnu initially let them do this. To distract the asuras and recover the nectar, Lord Vishnu assumed Mohini Rupa. The Asuras were so enchanted by the form of the Lord, that they handed over the nectar. Lord Vishnu then distributed the nectar to those who rightfully deserved it, the devatas.
At this point, one daitya, Rahu, pretended to be a devata. Just as he was about to consume the nectar, Lord Vishnu killed him with his Chakra. This demon Rahu is different from the deity Rahu who is worshipped as part of the Navagraha.
It is interesting to point out how the word 'daanavaru' is split across the two verses. Perhaps Sri Vadirajaru is hinting at the way one daanava, Rahu, was split.
tasya niHsaratE vaaNI jahnukanyaa pravaahavat |
Urjitaa saa shrIryatkaTaakSha balavatyajitam namaami |
 |
| Art by Smt.Vani Rao, Baton Rouge,LA |
There was a marriage in the house of an Arasappa nayaka. The groom however was bitten by a snake. It so happened that Shri Vadirajaru was passing by and Nayaka begged him to save the groom. Placing the groom on his lap, Shri Vadirajaru sprinkled water on him and recited the Shobhane Haadu. The poison went away and the groom sat up, back to normal. This is the power of the Shri Vadiraja Teertha's composition, and more importantly the power of Lord Narayana and Shri Lakshmi's blessings.
Some people think that Sri Vadirajaru showed disrespect towards Shiva in calling him "maruLagihyanu", "kaaminige sOta", etc.in the Shobhane Haadu. However, this certainly cannot be the case, as Sri Vadirajaru has composed several devotional songs on Shiva, like "dhavaLa gangeya gangaadhara mahaalinga". In this song, the final verse has "shrI hayavadanannu anudina nenevante mADO", where shri Vadirajaru uses his ankita (every Haridasa has a signature, which is really the name of Lord Vishnu at the end of the verse. For Shri Vadirajaru it is Hayavadana), to ask Shiva to make him think of Vishnu every day. Why would he compose devotional songs on Shiva if he was disrespectful towards Shiva? It does not make sense.
The Shobhane Haadu is not some ordinary composition - it was used to revive a groom that people thought had died. This shows the power of not only the song, but also the composer. Where did Shri Vadirajaru get this strength from? His philosophy is one and the same as that of Sri Rayaru. The power behind both their miracles is revealed in the Rayaru Ashtottara - "shrI raaghavendro hari paadakanja niShevaNaalla bdha samastasampat" - by serving the feet of Lord Vishnu, they acquired everything.
The Shobhane Haadu, like many of their other works, brings out the greatness of Vishnu. As Lakshmi goes through a sort of process of elimination pointing out the flaws of various devatas, we can see that Vishnu does not possess such defects. The point is not to criticize other devatas (as we saw "tanna makkaLa kunda taane pELuvudakke mannadi naachi"...Lakshmi was shy to point out the flaws of her children), but to establish one of the principles that both Shri Vadirajaru and Sri Rayaru believed in - that of Vishnu sarvottamatva and sampUrNatva: the idea that Vishnu alone is above everything else, is perfect, and free from defects.
Purely from the point of view of Laxmi, He did not lose his body like Manmatha, wasn't weakened by Brahmahatya dosha like Indra, and did not enter a frenzied state like Shiva did when Sati died. Whereas devatas like Shiva depend on someone else for their position, Vishnu does not. All other devatas besides Vishnu and Lakshmi are appointed to their position at the beginning of the kalpa and when they achieve Moksha (yes, it may sound surprising, but Brahma, Indra, Shiva, etc. are striving for Moksha), another devata fills their place.
The description of Shiva's behavior seems to bother people and perhaps requires a bit more clarification. The story goes that when Sati consumes her body, Shiva gets so enraged that he beheads Daksha prajapati, his father-in-law. This is shocking in a number of ways. Shiva's behavior does not get Sati back, he beheads his own father-in- law who is a devata, and most importantly, he could not foresee or prevent this from happening as he was acting under the command of Narayana. Can the same thing be said of Rama for example? No, because the very reason that Vishnu took birth as a man was to kill Ravana. Ravana's abduction of Sita increased his sin and led to his own demise. But even then, Ravana was given a chance. Had he returned Sita, Rama would have head back, so Rama was not in some sort of frenzied state to kill Ravana.
Furthermore, though Rama acted as though he was upset at the loss of Sita, she is eternally with Rama. Lakshmi is known as "nitya aviyogini", eternally inseparable from Vishnu. Ravana cannot touch, let alone abduct the real Lakshmi devi, who is the presiding deity of matter itself. When Shiva is criticized for killing his father-in-law, what about Krishna killing his cousin Shishupala and his uncle Kamsa? The difference here is that Daksha Prajapati is a devata, who is good by nature but made a mistake. Shishupala and Kamsa were wicked. As Krishna points out in his Gita upadesha to Arjuna, it is a kshatriya's duty to punish those who are wicked. Though Vishnu has no obligation, had he left them alone because they were his relatives, he would not be setting a good example for the world and would be going against his own teachings. Far from acting out of vengeance, Krishna , honoring the promise made to his aunt, forgives Shishupala 100 times.
"Enu karuNanidhiyo..." What about Vishnu, as Parashurama avatara, killing his own mother?
He does so on his father's orders, and more importantly is able to immediately bring her back to life.
Shri Vadirajaru has written many works in Sanskrit and Kannada. One that is commonly recited in marriages is the Lakshmi Shobhana Haadu. It is long, but I would like to post a translation and commentary on it.
There was a marriage in the house of an Arasappa nayaka. The groom however was bitten by a snake. It so happened that Shri Vadirajaru was passing by and Nayaka begged him to save the groom. Placing the groom on his lap, Shri Vadirajaru sprinkled water on him and recited the Shobhane Haadu. The poison went away and the groom sat up, back to normal. This is the power of the Shri Vadiraja Teertha's composition, and more importantly the power of Lord Narayana and Shri Lakshmi's blessings.
Here is the Mangalacharane shloka.
shObhanavennire suraroLu subhaganige
shObhanavenni suguNanige
shObhanavennire trivikramaraayage
shObhanavenni surapriyage
This is quite an appropriate Mangalacharane shloka, because the word "shobhana" means mangaLa, or auspicious. When used for elders, the word "shobhana" is a form of stuti, for those younger it is a blessing. By describing Lord Narayana, the bimba (the original), as shobhana, we, as pratibimbas (reflections of Him) receive his blessing. This bimba- pratibimba bhaava is the essence of Shri Madhvacharya's philosophy.
Subhaga also means auspicious & bringing good fortune. Lord Narayana has saubhagyavati Lakshmi as his consort. He is the personification of auspiciousness, so we must bear in mind that it is not because of Lakshmi that he is auspicious.The devatas (suraru) bring auspiciousness, but Lord Vishnu is not only the most auspicious among all the devatas, but he is within all of them, enabling them to bring us good fortune.
SuguNa means good qualities. The Lord is full of good qualities. He is sarvaguNa sampUrNaH sarva dosha vivarjita: free from all flaws.
Trivikrama refers to the Vamana avatara, where Lord Narayana covered the 3 worlds with his 3 steps. He is the real "raaya" or king.
Surapriya means dear to the other Devatas. It was Narayana who, in the form of Mohini gave devatas Amruta, allowing them to vanquish the asuras. He supported Mandara parvata in the churning of the ocean that produced the Amruta. Furthermore, as Krishna stated - "aham Adirhi devaanaam" --he is the one who created the other devatas. So he is dear to them from many different angles.
If we analyze this Mangalacharana shloka carefully we can see a reference to the deshataH, kaalataH, gunataH vyaapti of the Lord (completeness with respect to space, time, and qualities). As "trivikrama", he shows his vyaapti in terms of space, since with one mere step he covered the entire world. He is "suguna", full of positive qualities, so guNataH vyaapti has been shown as well. What about kaalataH vyaapti? When it is said that he is "suraroLu subhaga", countless devatas have come and will come, and he is subhaga among all of them. It is not just that he surpasses the devatas in this kalpa, but in previous kalpas and future kalpas as well. Whereas other devatas, Brahma, Shiva, Indra, etc. acquire that padavi/position and eventually someone else acquires it, that is not true of Vishnu. So who else should we describe as "shobhana" but the auspicious Lord Vishnu, who is surapriya from time immemorial and will always be surapriya?
lakShmInaaraayaNara charaNakke
sharaNembe pakShivaahannageraguve
pakShivaahannageraguve anudina
rakShisali namma vadhuvarara || 1 ||
Shri Vadirajaru says here that he surrenders to the feet (charaNa) of Shri Lakshmi and Shri Narayana. When reciting this, we too must have the anusandhana (mindset) that we are doing sharaNaagati to their feet.
Pakshivahana means having a bird as his vehicle. Lord Vishnu is Garudavahana. Why is he described as such here? If we recall the circumstances under which this was recited, the groom was poisoned by the bite of a snake. Garuda is often described as naagaari ( the enemy of snakes). As Shri Madhvacharya put it beautifully in the Dvadasha Stotra:
naagaarirugrabalapauruSha Apa viShnuvaahatvam uttamajavo |
yadapAngaleshamAshritya shakra mukhadevagaNairachintyaM |
shrIryatkaTaakSha balavatyajitam namaami ||
The enemy of the snakes, the powerful Garuda, has the distinction of being the vehicle of Lord Vishnu.Indra and the other devatas cannot even conceive of the greatness of Garuda. This is all due to the grace of Shri Lakshmi, who is powerful due to a mere side-glance of the undefeatable Lord Narayana. I bow to that "ajita -naamaka paramaatma".
Lord Narayana protects from the poison that is samsara, so where is the surprise in his saving the groom from the bite of a mere ordinary snake? In saying "eraguve", Shri Vadirajaru is bowing to the Lord, not only once, but "anudina", day after day.
Paksha can also mean arm, and if we think of Hanuman who lifted sanjeevani with one hand, pakshi can refer to the powerful Vayu devaru. Pakshivahana can thus also mean Lord Vishnu, having Vayu as his vehicle. Just as in English, where vehicle can mean that through which we accomplish something, Vayu devaru can be considered a vehicle of the Lord in this sense. Vayu, in his forms of Hanuma, Bhima, and Madhva, is "Bhagavatkaarya sadhaka" - he performs duties of and for Lord Vishnu.
We can take "rakshisali" as both a praarthane (a request) and aashirvada (a blessing). Shri Vadirajaru is requesting the Lord to protect the bride & groom, and those who recite this will have His blessing.
The union of Lakshmi-Narayana is the ideal union. In marriage, the bride's father should have the mindset that he is giving the indwelling Lakshmi to Narayana dwelling in son-in-law. With this mindset, a married couple will have the blessings of Lord Narayana & Lakshmi and have a blissful marriage.
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# 2
pAlasAgaravannu lIleya kaDeyalu |
baale mahalakShumi udisidaLu |
baale mahalakShumi udisidaLaa dEvi |
pAlisali namma vadhuvarara || 2 ||
pAlasAgara - the milky ocean
lIleya - with ease, as a sort of play
kaDeyalu - when churned
baale mahalakShumi- the youthful Goddess Lakshmi
udisidaLu - sprang forth
pAlisali - may she (and Narayana within her) protect
vadhuvarara - the bride & groom.
When the milky ocean was churned by Lord Narayana in a playful manner, the youthful Goddess Lakshmi sprang forth (but wasn't born). May both of them protect our bride & groom.
We normally say that the devas & asuras churned the milky ocean, but really it was Lord Narayana who supported the Mandara parvata, in the form of Kurma. When the devatas & asuras struggled to bring the mountain, it was Lord Narayana who effortlessly placed it on Garuda and brought it to the ocean. It was Lord Narayana who resided in them, giving them the strength to churn the ocean.
Another point to clarify is that many people think Shiva first drank the Halahala poison that came from the churning. However, it was Vayu devaru, who, under the command of Lord Narayana who drank most of it, which had no effect on him. The little portion that was left was consumed by Shiva, who swooned from it, and also became "nIlakaNTha", having a bluish throat. So we can see from this that Vayu deva is far above Shiva, and of course Narayana is far above both.
For Narayana, who is pUrnAnanda, all this is mere play, that is why "lIleya kaDeyalu" is used. The choice of words used by Vadiraja is very important. Lakshmi was not born then (not janisidaLu), but udisidaLu, the analogy being the sun. When we say surya-udaya happened, it does not mean the sun comes into existence every day, but rather makes itself visible to us then. Likewise, Lakshmi, who is beginningless and has no birth makes herself visible during the churning of the ocean. Also, just because she is beginningless we must not think that she looks old. Rather she is "baale", having youthful beauty. She is prakRti abhimani, so whereas materialistic things decay over time, because she is non-material, she is not affecting by things like aging.
For someone like Goddess Lakshmi, we can see that no one else except Lord Narayana, not even other devatas who acquire material bodies, is a match.
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# 3
bommana praLaydali tannarasiyoDagUDi |
summaneyaagi malagippa |
namma nArAyaNagu I rammegaDigaDigu |
janmaveMbudu avatAra || 3 ||
bommana praLayadali - When Brahma gets destroyed
tanna arasiyoDa kUDi - seated with his (Narayana's) consort Lakshmi
summaneyaagi - carefree
malagippa - he lay
namma nArAYaNagu I ramEgu - Both Narayana and Lakshmi
aDigaDigu - at each step of the way
janmaveMbudu - are "born" only in the sense that
avataara - they take avatara (manifest themselves)
After praLaya(destruction) of Brahma, and before the next creation, Narayana lies (on Aladadele, a leaf), with his consort Lakshmi. He is carefree, in that there is nothing for him to achieve. For both Narayana & Lakshmi, whenever it is said they "take birth", they only manifest themselves. It is only an avatara, and they are not born.
As mentioned earlier, for Narayana & Ramaa (Lakshmi), birth is only a manifestation, since both are beginningless and have no destruction. Though no jIva undergoes birth or death (as stated in the 2nd chapter of the Gita), all other beings have birth in the sense of acquiring bodies, and death, in that their bodies get destroyed, even for Brahma.
To get an idea of Brahma's lifespan, 1 human year is 1 day for the devatas. 4 320 000 000 human years, or 12 million years for the devatas, equals one day of Brahma. He lives for 100 years, and then pralaya occurs. Whereas some beings may still keep their bodies from one day of Brahma to the next, after the pralaya at the end of Brahma's lifetime, nothing remains manifest (though we mustn't forget that there is no destruction for any of the jIvas, just their bodies).
At this time Narayana takes the form of a magnificent newborn child, lying on a leaf, which is the form Lakshmi takes. She also takes the form of various ornaments on the Lord. Between pralaya & the next srushti, Narayana does not perform any tasks that he did during Brahma's lifetime.
We can also take "summaneyaagi malagippa" in the sense that Narayana does not have karmabandhana, he is not tied down by his actions. Whereas we take birth because of our past karma, for Narayana and Lakshmi, it is only because of their own wish that they take avatara.
Ramaa means one who rejoices. Lakshmi rejoices in the form of Lord Narayana. One meaning of Narayana is he whose abode is the ocean. In this case, it is the pralayajala - the ocean that exists between one cycle of creation and the next, on which Narayana resides taking the form of a newborn. Lakshmi (Ramaa) rejoices in being close to Lord Narayana both in the form of the leaf and the ornaments decorating Him. Narayana has many other meanings, such as being free from 'ara' or flaws. We have already seen that he is free from flaws like karmabandha and acquiring a body that undergoes destruction. We shall see more of this later on in the Shobhane Haadu, but first Lakshmi is described in the next few verses.
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# 4
Before proceeding with the next few verses, look at the 2nd letter (as written in an Indian language) in each of the lines for each verse. Shri Vadirajaru has shown his poetic skill by using the same letter.
kaMbukaNThada sutta kaTTida mangaLasUtra |
aMbujaveraDu karayugadi |
aMbujaveraDu karayugadi dharisi
pItaaMbaravuTTu meredaLu || 4 ||
kaMbukaNThada sutta - Around her conch-like neck
kaTTida mangaLasutra - the mangalasutra (wedding necklace) was tied.
eraDu karayugadi - in each of her 2 hands.
ambuja - A lotus flower
dharisi - was held
uTTu - Wearing
pItambara - a yellow/white dress
meredaLu - she walked about.
Shri Lakshmi's neck which produces sounds as beautiful as a conch had the Mangalasutra tied around it.Her 2 hands each held a lotus flower. She walked about wearing a yellow (or white) dress.
Lakshmi is the goddess of mangalya, or good fortune, so she would certainly appear with her Mangalasutra. But normally, the Mangalasutra is tied at the time of marriage, yet at this time (the churning of the ocean), she has not yet chosen Lord Narayana. How can she already have Mangalasutra? Her union with Lord Narayana is eternal, since time immemorial. So she always has Mangalasutra. Also, the form of both Lakshmi and Narayana is aprakrita, non-material, so when clothes, ornaments are described on them, they are not physical material objects. The mangalasutra, pItambara, etc. are part of their very form.
So if Lakshmi & Narayana are always united, what is the purpose of their svayamvara & marriage ceremony? It is only a sort of play, to give pleasure to other devatas and their devotees.
Two of Lakshmi's arms are described in this verse, the other two in the next verse. There is a deeper significance to the lotus. Brahma was born out of the lotus, and so is bhaavi Brahma, that is Vayu devaru. Garuda is said to be the abhimani (controlling deity) for pItambara.
The order in which the form of Lakshmi is described is important. First and foremost, by pointing out her Mangalasutra, it shows her dependence on Lord Narayana, and her eternal union with Him. Next, describing the lotuses, it symbolizes the fact that she is the mother of the highest among the jIvas - Brahma & Vayu. This is followed by Garuda (symbolized by Pitambara) and other devatas. Again, as pointed out earlier, Narayana & Lakshmi are unique, whereas for other devatas, like Brahma, Vayu, etc, it is simply a position they occupy during a kalpa. Other devatas acquire that position, then achieve Moksha, and another devata will occupy that position (for example, in the next kalpa, Shiva will become Shesha, then Garuda, then achieve Moksha).
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# 5
ondu karadinda abhayavanIvaLe
mattondu kaiyinda varagaLa |
kundilladaananda sandOha uNisuva |
indire namma salahali || 5 ||
ondu karadinda - with one hand
IvaLe - she gives
abhayavannu - freedom from fear
mattondu kaiyinda - with another hand
varagaLu - she grants wishes
indire - That Indira devi, Lakshmi, who
uNisuva - gives us
sandoha =samUha - a lot of
kundillada - flawless
aananda - joy
salahali - may she protect
namma - us
Indira devi (that is Lakshmi)gives freedom from fear(abhaya) with one hand. With the other she grants our wishes. She gives us flawless happiness (not just in this world, but also Moksha). May she protect us.
Once again there is a rationale behind the order which Shri Vadirajaru describes Goddess Lakshmi. First she grants abhaya, then varagaLa. What use is wealth to someone who always lives in fear? What do we fear? We fear our enemies. Who are our worst enemies? The ariShad (6 enemies) are not outside, but internal: kama (desire), krodha (anger), lobha (greed), moha (delusion), mada (arrogance), matsarya (jealousy). We need Lakshmi's and Narayana's blessing to protect us from all this.
After conquering these 6 internal enemies, we won't be asking for wishes out of greed, nor will we be asking out of jealousy ("my neighbor has xyz and I want that as well"). Free from delusion, we will ask for what will really deliver us from Samsara: jnana (knowledge), bhakti (devotion), & vairagya (dispassion toward material pursuits). This is the type of "vara" that Kanakadasaru asks in the "Isha ninna charaNa bhajane":
"jnAna bhakti koTTu, ninna dhyaanadalli iTTu,
enna hIna buddhi biDiso munna, Janardhana"
What does flawless happiness mean(kundillada aananda)? Those joys which are dharmic, not against dharma are flawless. The joy that one gets by doing good deeds is real joy, not some twisted pleasure from hurting others.
But there is a deeper meaning. Happiness we get while in samsara is fleeting. Whereas moksha, which is the enjoyment of our own innate happiness is eternal. It is this eternal happiness, freedom from the bondage of samsara that is the real happiness to seek from Sri Lakshmi & Narayana.
Finally when we say protect us, we should always have the mindset that it is because of her blessings (and antaryami Narayana) that we are enjoying prosperity, and thus show them our gratitude.
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# 6
poLeva kAnchiya dAma uliva kiMkiNigaLu|
naliva kaalanduge ghalukenalu |
naLanaLisuva muddumOgada cheluve lakShmi |
salahali namma vadhuvarara || 6 ||
poLeva - shining (hoLeyuva)
kanchiya daama - golden belt
uliva kinkiNigaLu - jingling bells on her feet
naliva kaalanduge - ankle bracelets are rejoicing.
ghaluk enalu - made a "ghaluk" sound
naLanaLisuva muddumOgada - she who has an attractive
face shining with effulgence
cheluve lakShmi - may that beautiful Lakshmi
salahali - protect
namma vadhuvarara- our bride & groom
The beautiful Goddess Lakshmi is adorned with a shining golden belt,with jingling bells on her feet. Her ankle bracelets are rejoicing and making a "ghaluk" sound. May that Lakshmi, with an attractive face shining with effulgence, protect our bride & groom.
Lakshmi's ornaments are described in two ways. Either they are jaDa objects, made by Vishwakarma, or they are part of Lakshmi's very svarupa. If it's Lakshmi's svarupa, it is chetana (sentient), so we can talk of the bracelets (=Lakshmi) enjoying herself. Or if we take it as jaDa (material object), it can reflect Lakshmi's personality, so it seems like it's enjoying itself. If we take it as Lakshmi svarupa, the sound it makes praises Vishnu. It is not only all words that describe Vishnu (in their primary sense), but even ordinary sounds describe Vishnu. Of course, ordinary humans do not have the capability to see this, but for such a high being as Goddess Lakshmi, she can see how even these sounds describe Lord Vishnu.
=================
# 7
rannada molegaTTu chinnadaabharaNagaLa |
chenne mahalakShumi dharisidaLe |
chenne mahalakShumi dharisadaLaa dEvi |
tanna manneya vadhuvarara salahali || 7
rannada - adorned with jewels (ratnada)
molegaTTu - strung together
chinnada - and golden
aabharaNagaLa - ornaments
dharisadaLe - were held by
chenne mahalakShumi - the beautiful Lakshmi
dEvi - may that goddess
salahali - protect
tanna manneya - her household (maneya has double n for poetic reasons)
vadhuvarara- our bride & groom
The beautiful Goddess Lakshmi was adorned with jewels strung together. May that Mahalakshmi devi, bearing golden ornaments, protect her household bride & groom.
Lakshmi is described as wearing golden oranaments in many places, including the Shri Sukta.
hiraNya varNaaM hariNIM suvarNarajatasrajaaM |
chandrAM hiraNmayIM lakShmIm jAtavedO ma aavaha ||
O Jaataveda (Vishnu), bring Sri Lakshmi to me, that Lakshmi who has the complexion of a golden deer, adorned with golden & silver garlands, who shines like the moon and who has a golden form.
There are many meanings for Jataveda, but one meaning is that it is he who knows everyone's births. This can't apply to any other devata, because anyone below Brahma is born at some point (the jIva is not born, but they acquire bodies). Some people mistakenly think that it refers to Agni, but how can Agni bring someone much higher than him like Goddess Lakshmi?
Another point to note in this verse is the use of "tanna maneya". One of the central concepts to Sri Madhvacharya's philosophy is that of Bimba-pratibimba. There is a distinction between the Lord and the jIva. The jIvas are reflections of the Lord, that is, they depend on Him for existence & functionality. In a similar fashion, we can think of all weddings as a reflection of the wedding between Narayana-Lakshmi. Of course there are significant differences, since the union between Narayana & Lakshmi is eternal unlike other marriages.
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# 8
kumBhakuchada mElE imbiTTa haaragaLu |
tumbiguruLa mukhakamala |
tumbiguruLa mukhakamala mahalakShumi jaga |
dambe vadhuvarara salahali || 8
kumBhakuchada mEle - On her breasts like kalasha
(this is in the sense of describing a mother, see note below)
imbiTTa haaragaLu - garlands were placed beautifully (imphaagi)
mukhakamala - her lotus-like face had
tumbiguruLa - curly hair as black as a bee (tumbiyante)
mahalakShmi jagadambe - That mother of the world, Lakshmi
salahali - may she protect
vadhuvarara- our bride & groom
The mother of the universe, Goddess Lakshmi has garlands placed beautifully on her breasts which are like kalashas. Her lotus-like face has curly hair as black as a bee. May she protect our bride & groom.
First, we should understand that Lakshmi's body is aprakrita, that is, non-material. Describing her breasts may seem a bit strange, but it will be viewed differently by different types of souls. Asuras will get delusioned and look at Lakshmi, seeking to possess her (which is in a way Hari dvesha, since only Narayana is able to be Lakshmi's consort, and they're striving after what Narayana has). Good souls will understand that such a description just brings out Lakshmi's beauty and look upon her as a mother. When viewed in the latter sense, it doesn't have the vulgar meaning we sometimes associate with description of a woman's breast. Also, we must keep in mind who wrote this Shobhane song. Shri Vadirajaru is commonly believed to be Vayu in the next kalpa (though there is some controvery on this). Vayu would certainly look upon Lakshmi as a mother.
The reference to bees and lotuses is very interesting. Just as bees pollinate flowers, here her face is described as lotus-like, and the color of her hair is described as black as a bee. Also, just as natural as it is for bees & flowers to go together, likewise Lakshmi's hair complements her face (and vice versa).
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# 9
muttina OleyaniTTaLe mahalakShmi |
kastUri tilaka dharisidaLe |
kastUri tilaka dharisidaLA dEvi sa |
rvatra vadhuvarara salahali || 9
mahalakshmi - Shri Lakshmi devi
iTTaLe - wore
Oleyanu - earrings
muttina - made of pearl
dharisadaLe - she wore
kastUri - fragrant substance
tilaka - mark on the forehead
salahali - may she protect
vadhuvarara - bride and groom
sarvatra - everywhere
Shri Lakshmi devi wore earrings made of pearl and had kasturi tilaka on her forehead. May she protect brides & grooms everywhere.
Chandra is considered to be abhimani devata for pearl. So as a result, they have the ability to drive away sin and increase wealth & vitality. It looks like pearls adorn Lakshmi, but in reality, pearls have Lakshmi sannidhana in them. It is Lakshmi's presence that makes pearls auspicious.
Kasturi is a cure for many diseases & is considered pure. There is a gradation among kasturi - the greatest is reddish purple (kamala) in color, followed by yellowish brown(pingala), and the lowest is bluish black (krishna)
By saying "sarvatra", we can see that it is not just the groom that Shri Vadirajaru revived who is protected, but all brides & grooms. Hence the tradition of reciting this song at many marriages. Note the clarification later on in verse 11.
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# 10
ambuja nayanagaLa bimbAdharada shashi |
bimbadanteseva mUgutimaNiya shashi |
bimbadanteseva mUgutimaNiya mahalakShmi |
umbudakIyali vadhuvararge || 10
ambuja - lotus
nayanagaLa - eyes
adhara - lips like
bimba - Donde haNNu (ivy gourd, as a fruit)
mUgutimaNiya - having a nose
ring eseva - that shines
bimbadante - like the image of
shashi- the moon
Iyali - may she give
vadhuvararge - to the bride and groom
umbudake - what they need for eating (svarupa ananda)
Lakshmi's eyes are lotus-like. Her lips are red like the fruit of the ivy gourd. Her nose ring shines as brightly as the image of the moon. May she give us what we need to eat, not just in this world, but also the ultimate goal that the soul hungers for, its own svarupa ananda, Moksha.
In Sanskrit, beautiful eyes are often compared to a lotus, because it remains pure & untouched by the water it is in. This is especially true for Lakshmi. Even though she is Prakriti abhimani (the controller for the primordial matter), she is untouched by all the changes matter goes through. Lips are often compared to donde haNNu because of its redness. We have to be careful when translating this verse, because the first "bimba" refers to the fruit, but the second & third "shashi bimba" refers to the image of the moon.
If taken literally, umbudake Iyali means give us what we need to eat, but we can get that from any local restaurant, why ask Lakshmi for that? As the soul travels through samsara, it hungers for eternal happiness. Experiencing this innate happiness is the ultimate goal of existence, and this "svarupa Ananda" experience is obtained only in Moksha, when the soul is freed from the bondage of samsara. Just as people are able to eat different quantities of food, so too, the experience of joy in Moksha is also different. The joy that Brahma & Vayu experience in Moksha is far greater than what ordinary souls experience. Shri Madhvacharya, whose doctrine Sri Vadirajaru propounded, showed using scriptures that there is no "oneness" in salvation. Each soul experiences its own innate happiness in Moksha, and there is a distinction among souls not just here in samsara, but also in Moksha.
==============
# 11
muttinakShateyiTTu navaratnada mukuTava |
nettiya mEle dharisidaLe |
nettiya mEle dharisidaLA dEvi tanna |
bhaktiya janara salahali || 11
devi - Lakshmi devi
iTTu - bore
akShata - mantrakshate, normally unbroken rice sprinkled on the head
muttina - made of pearls
nettiya mele - On her head
dharisidaLe - was a
mukuTava - crown
navaratnada - made of 9 gems
salahali - may she protect
janara - those people
tanna bhaktiya - who have devotion towards her
Shri Lakshmi devi had mantrakshate on her head which was made of pearls. Also on her head was a crown which had 9 jewels in it. May she protect those people who are devoted to her.
Normally mantrakshate is made of rice, but the mantrakshate on Lakshmi is made of pearls, which brings out her splendor. When she is described as having a crown with 9 gems, there can be no doubt that she is the goddess of wealth and prosperity.
It is interesting to note that Shri Vadirajaru explicitly says "tanna bhaktiya janara salahali". She only protects those who seek her blessing. If someone spurns Lakshmi or her pati Lord Vishnu, why should she protect them? Also, one cannot simply approach Lakshmi for some selfish material desire and otherwise ignore her. To seek her blessing one must continuously have genuine devotion towards her.
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# 12
kundamandAra jAji kusumagaLa vR^indava |
chendada turubili turubidaLe |
kundaNa varNada kOmale mahalakShmi kR^ipe |
yinda vadhuvarara salahali ||12
kunda - mallige, white flower
mandaara - red flower
jAji - white flower
vRndava - clusters of
kusumagaLa - these flowers
chendada - were beautifully
turubidaLe - tucked in
turubili - her locks of hair
kundaNa - golden
varNada - color
komale - soft, delicate
mahalakshmi - Shri Lakshmi devi
kR^ipeyinda - with compassion
salahali - may she protect
vadhuvarara - the bride & groom
Shri Mahalakshmi Devi had clusters of mallige, mandaara, and jAji flowers tucked beautifully in her locks of hair. She has a golden complexion. May this soft & delicate consort of Lord Vishnu protect the bride and groom out of her compassion.
For someone like goddess Lakshmi, there is nothing to be achieved by performing any actions in the world. Even for Brahma, Saraswati, Shiva, & Indra, they are yet to achieve Moksha, so they still have to do sadhana. They have certain duties to perform. For the bad karma that Shiva and Indra do, for example, the amount of joy that they have in Moksha is reduced. Brahma, Saraswati, Vayu, & Bharati do not do such bad karma. Vishnu & Lakshmi are far above them in that they are eternally free from samsara and do not have to strive for Moksha. So the question is why do they perform actions? Here we need to understand the "kR^ipeyinda" word. It is out of compassion that they help other souls. There is no obligation that they have to fulfill, nor will the amount of joy they experience be diminished if they don't help other souls.
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# 13
endendU bADada aravinda mAleya |
indire poLeva koraLali |
indire poLeva koraLali dharisidaLe ava |
Lindu vadhuvarara salahali || 13
endendU - The never
bADada - withering
aravinda mAleya - garland of lotus flowers
dharisidaLe - was worn
indire - by Shri Lakshmi
poLeva - on her beautiful
koraLali -neck.
avaLu - May she
salahali protect
vadhuvarara - the bride and groom
indu - today (immediately).
Shri Lakshmi's beautiful neck was adorned with a garland of lotus flowers that never wither. May she protect our bride and groom today itself.
It is natural that since Lakshmi is a divine Goddess, the garland of flowers on her neck are not made of ordinary flowers that wither. We can also look at this in a deeper sense. Just the way that Lakshmi bears a garland that never withers, with her grace, we too will never have to wither away from hunger, etc.
==========
# 14
devAnga paTTeya mElu hoddikeya |
bhAve mahalakShmi dharisidaLe |
bhAve mahalakShmi dharisidaLA dEvi tanna |
sEvaka janara salahali || 14
bhAve - The lady (bhAme) known as
mahalakShmi - Lakshmi devi
dharisidaLe - wore
mElu hoddikeya - upper cloth
devAnga paTTeya - The devanga community makes clothes & is
known for its quality clothing
dEvi - That goddess,
salahali - may she protect
janara - those people
sEvaka - who worship
tanna - her.
Lakshmi Devi wore an upper cloth made by the Devanga community, who are known to make clothes of high quality. May that goddess protect those who worship her.
Here the clothing she wears is said to be made by the Devanga community, and in the previous verse the garland of flowers is a gift by the deity Varuna. But we should keep in mind that she is wearing this just to honor them. In other words, she does not depend on others for clothes and ornaments. She existed long before Varuna and the Devanga community came into existence and certainly had beautiful clothing and garlands of flowers even then.
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# 15
I lakShmIdEviya kAlungura phalakenalu |
lOlAkShi mellane naDetandaLu |
sAlAgi kuLLirdasurara sabheya kaNDu
AlOchisidaLu manadalli || 15
I - This
lakShmIdEviya - Goddes Lakshmi's
kAlungura - rings on her feet
ghalakenalu - were making a 'ghal-ghal' sound
lOlAkShi - Her eyes were looking here and there
mellane - as she slowly
naDetandaLu - walked into
sabheya - the hall
(a)surara - where the devas(gods), asuras(demons),
humans, and others
kuLLirda - were seated
sAlAgi - in a row.
kaNDu - Seeing them
AlOchisidaLu - she thought
manadalli - in her mind.
This goddess Lakshmi's rings on her feet were making a 'ghal-ghal'sound (similar to what was mentioned in verse 6). Her eyes were looking around as she slowly walked into the hall where the devas(gods), asuras(demons), humans, and others were seated in a row. Seeing them, she thought in her mind...
At first glance, the verse seems to say the hall where the suras (gods) were seated. However, based on the Bhagavata verse:
tasyAM chakruH spR^ihAm sarve sasuraasuramaanavAH |
rUpaudAryavayovarNa mahimAkShipta chetasAH ||
Gods, demons, humans, without any distinction, upon beholding the beautiful form of Lakshmi became enchanted by her (and sought to have her). However, as a clarification, the gods, since they are enlightened and know the status of Lakshmi (she is like a mother to them), did not seek to possess her. They were merely seated with the asuras and humans who actually did desire her.
So to make sure there is no contradiction between Vadirajaru's work and the Bhagavata Purana, we need to do what is called 'shleshaalankara'. That is, we take the phrase "kuLLirdasurara" and split it as either kuLLirda + surara, or kuLLirda + asurara. Splitting it the first way, we get the gods being seated there. The second way, we get those who are not gods (a+sura), that is, the humans, demons, and others (like gandharvas). This way, we get the same meaning as the Bhagavata.
One other point of clarification is the "alochisidaLu". It is said that apart from Vishnu, Lakshmi has full knowledge of everything and does not have to think to get that (In the Harikathamrutasara it is said "jagadudarana ativimala- guNarUpagaLanu aalochanadi...", she has to think to understand
the attributes and forms of Vishnu, and even then "bage bageya nUtanava kANuta", she sees new things in Him). So here we need to understand Lakshmi thinking about others, instead of going directly to Vishnu, as mere play, an act. If she went directly to Vishnu, we may get the doubt that perhaps there was someone else who is right for Lakshmi, but she did not think about that person. However Lakshmi's thought process clarifies this.
What does Lakshmi think about the others there? We shall see in the future verses.
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# 16
tanna makkaLa kunda tAne pELuvudakke |
mannadi naachi mahalakShmi |
tannAmadindali kareyade obbobbara |
unnanta dOShagaLaneNisidaLu || 16
mahalakShmi - Shri Lakshmi devi
nAchi - hesitated
mannadi - in her mind
pELuvudakke - to say
tAne - herself
kunda (dOSha)- the flaws of
tanna - her
makkaLa - children.
kareyade - Without calling
tan - them
nAmadindali - by their names,
eNisidaLu - she counted
unnanta (unnata)- the great
dOShagaLanu - flaws
obbobbara - of each one.
In her mind, Shri Lakshmi devi hesitated to herself to say the flaws of her children, the other devatas by naming them as every name happens to be her husbands name ONLY. Still, their flaws need to be pointed out, to show that Narayana is fre from doshas. That's why, while counting the great flaws of each one, she didn't call them by their names.
We shall see in future verses that the language used is "kaamanirjitanu *obba*", kAminige sOta *obba*", etc. This also indicates that Lakshmi is not saying this out loud, but thinking it in her mind.
In Skandapurana, Brahma says to Samudra Raja that Shiva, Brahma, and all the devataas (except Vishnu obviously) are children of your daughter (interestingly, so is Samudra Raja himself). In fact one of the names given to Lakshmi is "jaganmaata", mother of the world.
There are several reasons why Lakshmi devi was shy to say the flaws of the devatas, and why she didn't call them by name. First of all, saying flaws is equivalent to yelling at someone, that's why names are not said by Lakshmi, because it would have an accusatory tone to it. Furthermore, the devatas are all great devotees of Vishnu and have good qualities, so Lakshmi was hesitant to point out their flaws. A great person is always hesitant to point out his own great qualities and the flaws of others.
Shri Vadirajaru is relying on Bhagavata when describing the flaws that Lakshmi sees, so there is certainly a basis in shastra and cannot be dismissed as Vadirajaru's own imagination. But why should Lakshmi think about their flaws at all? This is a sort of process of elimination. Only he who is without any flaws "niraniShTa niravadya" is the right match for her, which as we shall see is Lord Vishnu.
Another interesting interpretation of this verse is that the reason Lakshmi was shy to say their names is because all names in their primary sense denote Vishnu:
naamaani sarvANi yamAvishanti |
tam vai viShNuM paramamudaaharanti ||
In Indian culture, it is customary for a wife to not call the husband by name. Even names like Rudra & Brahma: "rudro. bahushirA...", "brahmaNyo brahmakR^t brahmA brahma..." are found in Vishnu sahasranama. So how can Lakshmi call the names of other devatas, when in their primary sense, they denote her eternal husband, Lord Vishnu?
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# 17
Lakshmi starts enumerating the flaws of all the being that assembled there. Why should she do that? They are all her children only that came to witness her "reenacted marriage to Lord Sri Hari". We have to remember that it is not like any mundane family setup. They are all great devotees of the Lord and enjoy even this kind of listing their flaws to intermix with praising of the Lord. People who are used to make prayers know mantras like
"papo.aham papakarmo.aham papAtmA pApasambhavaH
trAhi mAm kR^ipayA kR^ishNa sharaNAgatavatsala".
A devotee surrenders to the Lord not only by saying that, but also feeling that always. the devata-s are great devotees of the Lord. Thus these words coming from Laxmi makes them feel happy only. Knowing them too well, Laxmi utters these words pointing out their flaws, yet these words making them very happy only.
kelavaru taleyUri tapagaidu puNyava |
gaLisiddarEnU phalavilla |
jvalisuva kopadi shaapava koDuvaru |
lalaneyanivaru olisuvare || 17
kelavaru - Some beings (Rishis)
taleya Uri - have their head buried (meaning completely submerged by
resting their thoughts on the Lord)
tapagaidu - doing tapas
gaLisiddarU - Though obtaining
puNyava - merit,
EnU phalavilla- it's of no use (for their spouse if).
jvalisuva - With burning
kopadi - anger
koDuvaru - they give
shaapavu - curses.
olisuvare - Can they protect
lalaneyanu - woman / wife ?
"Some beings (Rishis) have their thoughts submerged on the Lord and doing tapas. Though obtaining puNya from such tapas, it's of no use to their spouse, as they cannot give perfect happiness to their spouses. Furthermore, some of them curse others, out of burning anger, in the process losing the puNya they have obtained. How can such individuals protect us women?" .
Lakshmi says these words about the rishis to indicate all supremacy of the Lord.
There are many important ideas being conveyed here. First of all, at the Svayamvara, which is only a pretence, the question of Lakshmi considering others does not even arise. More over all those devatas and rishis, who have assembled there came only witness this drama and are pleased even to imagine that the all compassionate Lord will excuse their flaws and Laxmi reporting the flaws to the Lord is to make the Lord bless them, by excusing their flaws.
Lakshmi is eternally wedded to Vishnu, but is giving these words as an apppeal to the Lord. As an example, let us consider the case of Kardama Rishi & his wife Devahuti. Kardama was engaged in Tapas for such a long time. He was married to Devahuti, a princess, who being married to a sage had to live such a difficult life. Her condition being weak over time. Of course, eventually, through a dip in Bindu Sarovar, she regained her original form. This incident is only to remind that even such great rishis are subject to such pitfalls.
Laxmi, who is ever-wedded to Sri Hari, shows how the Lord is devoid of all flaws and full of all virtues including protecting His devotees.
In the second half, a reference is made to those like Vishvamitra. Despite being the one who saw Gayatri mantra, and doing tapas for 10000 years, he is very well-known for his anger against Vasishta. Likewise, Shiva burned Manmatha with his glance just because he was disturbed while doing tapas. Contrast this to how Krishna bore 100 insults from Shishupala and did not at all give way to anger. What is the difference here? The difference is that those other deities are under the influence of prakriti. As Sri Krishna points out,
anger comes about because of Rajo Guna:
"Kaama eSha krodha eSha rajoguNa samudbhavaH".
Lakshmi is the abhimani devata for Prakriti, and Vishnu is above Lakshmi as per taratamya. So the two of them are not affected by anger, though it affects the rest.
Of course for aparoksha jnanis such as Lord Shiva, such instances of anger reduce their excess puNya, and are a way of working off their prarabdha karma. They do not really suffer for their actions the way we do.
How can such devatas and rishis who give way to anger be able to support someone like Goddess Lakshmi? Lakshmi wants her spouse to be above such anger.
Finally, there is a message here that despite all the wealth and good qualities we have, if we give way to needless anger, it is not good for those around us.
===============
# 18
ella shaastravanOdi durlabha j~naanava |
kallisi koDuva gurugaLu |
ballida dhanakke maruLAgi ibbaru |
sallada purOhitakkoLagaadaru || 18
Odi - Having read
ella - all the
shaastravannu - scriptures
gurugaLu - teachers
kallisi koDuva- (=kalisi) teach the
durlabha - difficult to obtain
j~naaanava - knowledge.
ibbaru - 2 of them
maruLagi - sold themselves for
ballida - powerful
dhanakke - wealth
oLagaadaru - yielded to
sallada - harm-rendering
purOhitakke - Paurohitya (priesthood).
Having read all the scriptures, gurus/teachers teach knowledge that is difficult to obtain. But 2 of them (Shukracharya & Brhaspati) sold themselves so they can get more wealth, becoming Purohitas. Lakshmi devi points out the flaws in those two, who have an exalted place in the world.
Brhaspati is the guru for the devatas. Shukracharya is the guru for the daityas. Both are worthy of worship. Even though Shukracharya is the guru for the evil daityas, it is a position that he is appointed to, so that does not make him bad.
However, there are instances when both of them were driven by a desire for more wealth. Brhaspati sought the wealth of the king of the Maruts though he already had plenty of wealth. Shukracharya used his yogic powers to take the wealth of Kubera himself. As a result, Lakshmi is pointing out the flaws of these two, who are so drawn by wealth.
A purohita should strive for the hita or good of the people, and should not be swayed by wealth. A purohita should have 8 important qualities: he seeks the good of the people, knows shruti & smruti, tells the truth, keeps his mind & body pure, protects the Vedas, follows achaara (proper conduct), uses either mantra powers or political influence to protect the people from any harm, and does not have any malicious intents in his actions, thoughts, or words.
As in the previous verse, there is a message here that we should try to incorporate in our lives. We should not be driven by greed, a desire for more wealth. Furthermore, we should not turn the knowledge of shastras that we obtain into something that we sell for profit. Why is paurohitya called harm-rendering?
It is because of the inherent possibility to yield to temptations. In spite of the inherent problems, they yielded to it(Paurohitya).
In all these verses, the underlying message is that all those in this samsAra have to undergo prArabdha and Lord Sri Hari alone is not bound by any prArabdha, He Himself being the controller of all.
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# 19
In the next verse, Sri Lakshmi devi points out how certain devatas succumb to Kama.
kaamanirjitanobba kaaminige sOtobba |
bhaaminiya hinde haaridava |
kaamaandhanaagi muniya kaaminigaididanobba |
kaamadi gurutalpagaamiyobba || 19
obba - One
kaamanirjitanu - was conquered by desire.
obba - One
kaaminige sOta - having lost to desire,
haaridava - ran
hinde - after
bhaaminiya - Mohini Rupa of Vishnu.
kaamaandhanaagi - Blinded by desire,
obba - one
aididanu = hondidanu, went after
muniya - a Rishi's
kaaminige - wife.
kaamadi - Out of desire,
obba - one
gaami - slept with
gurutalpa- the wife of his Guru.
One of the devatas, Brahma, was conquered by desire and sought his own daughter, Saraswati. Another one, Shiva, having lost to desire went after the Mohini form of Lord Vishnu. One devata, Indra, blinded by desire went after Ahalya, the wife of Gautama Rishi. Yet another devata, Chandra, slept with Tara, the wife of his own guru, Brihaspati.
Before one gets any misconceptions, it is important to point out that Brahma, Shiva, Indra, and Chandra are all devatas, meaning they are aparoksha jnAnis. They have directly perceived Vishnu and are not affected by base desires like ordinary humans, their only real desire being that of Moksha. Nonetheless, from time to time, because of prarabdha karma they may temporarily deviate.
Here we also need to make a distinction between the case of Brahma and Indra, versus that of Shiva and Chandra. Brahma and Indra acted in accordance with Vishnu's direct command, but not Shiva & Chandra. Brahma as the creator, created Saraswati along with all the other beings. However, her suitable consort as ordained by Vishnu is none other than Brahma himself. That is why, though it may seem strange, Brahma accepted Saraswati as his consort, who in a sense is his daughter. As for Indra, he was told to reduce the excess punya that Gautama Rishi had earned. When Gautama Rishi saw Indra with his wife Ahalya, he cursed Indra. Cursing one's superior is normally papa, but in this case it compensated for the excess punya that Gautama Rishi learned from his penance. Indra simply portrayed himself as being "kaamaandha", when in reality he was acting as per Vishnu's command. In fact, going after Ahalya isn't even seen as a flaw, since he is praised in stotras as being "Ahalyaa jaara".
Likewise for Brahma. Some people who recite this verse use the paThantara "kaamavarjitanu" (free from desire) instead of kaama nirjitanu. But in Lakshmi's eyes, even appearing to have a flaw is in reality a flaw. This is not to be found in Lord Vishnu as we shall see later. As for Shiva, with Parvati at his side, when he saw the Mohini Rupa of Vishnu, he was so enchanted by her beauty that he lost control of himself and ran after her. This is the power of Vishnu's maya. Chandra, overcome by desire, slept with his Guru's wife who later bore a child. In the case of Shiva and Chandra, one cannot say that it was merely a show. If Lakshmi rejected those who appeared to show desire, certainly those who actually acted driven by desire are ruled out as well.
Another thing to note in this verse is that the 2 women that are referred to- Ahalya (Gautama Rishi's wife) and Tara (Brihaspati's wife) are both considered to be a pativrata stri, meaning they are devoted to their husband. Though circumstances may have led them away from their husband, mentally they were dedicated to their husband.
Lakshmi does not want someone who succumbs to kAma as her husband, just as we saw that in the previous verses she does not want someone who succumbs to greed or anger. She wants as her husband someone who has conquered the 6 internal enemies, including Kama(desire), Krodha (anger), and Lobha (greed).
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# 20
Lakshmi continues about how other devatas are dependent on someone else.
nashvaraishvaryava bayasuvanobba para |
raashrayisi baaLuva Ishvaranobba |
haasyava mADi halludurisikoNDavanobba a |
dR^ishyaanghriyobba okkaNNanobba || 20
obba - One of the devatas
bayasuva - seeks
nashvara - Fleeting, not permanent
aishvaryava - fame, material wealth.
obba - one
aashrayisi - depending
parara - on someone else,
baaLuva - reigns
Ishvara - as the lord.
obba - Another one
mADi - having
haasyava - laughed,
hallu - his teeth
udurisikoNDavanu - were made to fall out.
obba - One has
adR^ishya - invisible
anghri - feet.
obba - Another one
okkaNNa - has only one eye.
One of the devatas, Indra, seeks impermanent, fleeting wealth. Another one, Shiva, though he is known as Ishvara, reigns as lord while depending on those higher than him. One devata, Pusha, laughed and as a result had his teeth broken. Another devata, Shesha, has no visible feet. One (either Jayantha or Shukra) has only one eye.
At first glance, it may seem puzzling how all of these descriptions are related. When analyzed more closely, each of these devatas are shown to not be independent, rather they depend on someone else. The fame and wealth that Indra has is not permanent. If he were really independent, he would have chosen to always be in a state of prosperity. Shiva, though he is known as Ishwara, depends on Vishnu, Lakshmi, Brahma, and Vayu for his ability to rule. Pusha lost his teeth and thus relies on soft flour offered in yajnas. Shesha, in his snake form, has no visible feet. Both Jayantha and Shukra, having only one eye lack the capability to see with both eyes. Lakshmi does not want someone with any sort of dependency.
What Indra seeks is called "nashvara aishvarya", because there are instances when he lost his privileged status, so his aishvarya is destructible, not lasting. He even had to run away from his kingdom on certain occasions. He was humbled by Krishna during the Govardhana episode. He was scared if people did too much tapas, because they could possibly achieve his position.
The para here can mean someone else or those higher than Shiva (Vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi, and Vayu). Shiva is constantly engaged in tapas thinking of Vishnu. Being a devotee of Vishnu, he bears the name of Vishnu (Ishvara, which occurs in Vishnu Sahasranama). But his dependency on someone else is evident in that even to acquire the position of being the Destroyer, he needed the grace of Vishnu.
asya devasya mILhuSho vayaa |
viShNoreShasya prabhR^ithe havirbhiH |
vide hi rudrO rudriyaM mahitvaM || (shruti)
During the time of Daksha's head being chopped off, Pusha laughed at Rudra. Out of anger, Rudra broke his teeth. Since then Pusha lacks teeth and as a result, during yajna-s, only soft flour is offered to Pusha.
Vadirajaru is very careful in the wording here. He does not say that Shesha does not have feet, but rather that they are not visible. Shesha in mUla rupa does have feet.
In the Dvadasha stotra,
"sharvaadi vandya charaNa...ashritya nAgapati",
His feet are worshipped by Shiva and others. It's just that in the form of a snake, his feet are not visible.
Jayantha, the son of Indra, lost his eye when in the form of a crow, he troubled Sita. As for Shukra, he lost his eye when he assumed a small form to try to stop Bali from washing the feet of Vamana. In both cases it was Vishnu (as Rama or as Vamana) who took away their eyes, because of their own wrongdoing.
Though, all the devata-s are children of Lakshmi, she points out their flaws to indicate that her eternal consort Narayana alone is completely flawless and that like her, all the devata-s also worship the Lord as a flawless being.
One of the reasons for the flawlessness and completeness of the Lord is His total non-dependence. The term "aiashvarya" means not only physical or material wealth, but also other things like wealth of knowledge, wealth of fame, wealth of qualities, etc and also rulership or Lordship. Lord Hari alone eternally has all kinds of weath and also total Lordship.
All others have partial wealth for partial times. Lakshmi herself has all these types of wealth at all times, but not the same extent as Lord Hari.
================
# 21
maavana kondobba maruLaagihyanu gaDa |
haarvana kondobba baLalida |
jIvara kondobba kulagEDyendenisida |
shivanindobba bayalaada || 21
obba - One devata
konda - killed
maavana - his father-in-law.
maruLaagihyanu=maruLaagiddaane - and became dazed as a result.
gaDa - Incredible!
obba - Another one
konda - killed
haarvana - a Brahmin
baLalida - and became weak as a result.
obba - One
konda - killed
jIvara - living beings
enisida - and was called
kulagEdyendu - a destroyer of families.
obba - Another one
bayalaada -lost his body
shivaninda - because of Shiva.
Shiva killed his father-in-law Daksha Prajapati and went about in a dazed state, for losing Satidevi. Shocking, but true! Another devata, Indra, killed Vritrasura who was a Brahmin, and became weak as a result (Brahmahatya dosha).
The demigod Yama is known as a destroyer of families, because he kills living beings. Manmatha lost his body because of Shiva.
Daksha Prajapati was upset with Shiva because he thought that the latter, being his son-in-law did not show him enough respect. Shiva's consort Sati, due to attachment to her father, went to her father's house and gets humiliated by her father's behavior, called forth the fire inside her and gave up her body. Shiva was so infuriated by this, he cut off the head of his father-in-law, Daksha Prajapati. Later, Daksha Prajapati's head was replaced with that of a goat and brought back to life. However, it is shocking (hence the use of the word 'gaDa') that Shiva, who is known as the Lord, Ishwara, could not protect his own consort. Not only that, but after she had committed atma-tyaga he showed his anger. What use was it? It did not bring back Sati Devi.
One's father-in-law is to be respected, yet Shiva killed Daksha Prajapati. The surprising nature of this behavior from such a high devata is meant by the word 'gaDa'.
'gaDa' can also be applied to Indra's behavior, in killing Vritrasura. Not only was Vritrasura a Brahmin, but he was also a Vaishnava. Indra had quite a bit of difficulty killing him and resorted to tricky means,pretending to be his friend. In fact, once in battle, when Indra drops his weapon, Vrtra asks him to pick it up, saying that both of them are under the control of Hari, it is Vrtra's destiny to be killed, and Indra's to kill him. These words shock Indra, since they came from an asura. The word used in this verse to describe Vritra is 'haarva'. p's and h's being interchangeable in old Kannada, paarva means someone who acquired the knowledge that the Lord Lord Vishnu is all-supreme.
Vritra was not an ordinary asura, he was the Gandharva Chitraketu, born as an asura due to a curse. So by his very nature he is a Vaishnava. For killing such a Brahmin Indra became so weak afterwards, doing all kinds of prayaschitta. Of course, Indra, being a devata is not affected by sin, however due to his prarabdha karma he had to suffer.
We need to interpret "jIvara kondobba" carefully. As pointed out in the Gita, the jIva itself never dies, it is eternal. So what does "killing jIvas" mean?
This is a Bahuvrihi compound, that which has a jIva, namely the body. Yama, the Lord of Death has the post of leading the soul away from its body, death being nothing more than the separation of the soul from the body. Yama does not really have a bad name and is known as Dharmaraaja, as we shall see in the next verse. So the term 'kulagEdi' can also be interpreted as referring to the brother of Yama, known as Mrtyu. It is this Mrtyu who comes to take away Markandeya, not Yama.
Manmatha, the god of love, also holds a very high position in the deva taratamya (equal to Indra). To get Shiva attracted to Paravti, Manmatha released an enchanting arrow at Shiva, who was engaged in tapas. Shiva was temporarily affected by it, but as soon as he realized who caused it, he opened his 3rd eye and burned Manmatha to ashes. The devas are known as amara (immortal), yet Manmatha was burned to ashes. This too is incredible - 'gaDa'! Later however Manmatha's body was restored.
Lakshmi lists these various defects in the devatas and it is evident that all of them are dependent on Lord Vishnu. These defects are indicative of dependence. From eternity her consort is Lord Sri Hari, who alone is Independent. Though the question of her choosing any one else does not arise, this stage is set only to indicate the supremacy of Lord Narayana.
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# 22
dharma unTobbanalli hemmeya hesarige
ammamma takka guNavilla |
kShammeya biTTobba narakadali jIvara
marmava meTTi kolisuva ||22
dharma - Righteousness
unTu - is there
obbanalli - in one of them
hemmeya - as per his proud
hesarige - name.
ammamma - My God!
takka - The matching
guNavilla - qualities are not there.
biTTu - Setting aside
kShammeya - forgiveness,
obba - one of them
kolisuva - kills (tortures)
jIvara - souls
narakadali - in Hell,
meTTi - trampling on
marmava - their vital organs.
Dharma or righteousness is present in Yama Dharmaraja, just as his proud name indicates. My God! He doesn't have the qualities to match his name. Setting aside forgiveness, he tortures souls in Hell, trampling on their vital organs.
Here we must not take vital organs to mean that of the physical body, since they souls no longer have physical body in Hell. The body referred to is the yaatana sharIra.
Yama Dharmaraja is appointed to a position where he gives pain to the souls in Naraka. Though well-versed in Dharma, he doesn't have the opportunity to show forgiveness because he deals with the wicked souls sent to Hell. This is one interpretation of why he doesn't have the qualities to suit his name.
Also, Dharmaraja Yudhishtira, who is an avatara of Yama, while in the forest during Vanavasa did not want to punish the Kauravas. It is the duty of the Kshatriya to fight against the evil and protect the good. Duryodhana had tried to burn the Pandavas alive, molest their wife, cheat them out of their wealth, and try to kill them numerous times, so he is certainly someone who deserves to be punished. Bhima and Draupadi had to convince him that war was the right course of action, similar to how Krishna convinced Arjuna on the Kurukshetra field. It is surprising that an avatara of Yama Dharmaraja himself was confused about what Dharma really is.
The groom befitting Lakshmi should be someone who is not just Dharma by name but who actually knows Dharma. As Jagannatha Dasaru describes in his song "Dasoham", "dharmaviduttama dharmanidhe", the one who knows Dharma more than anyone else, who is the abode of Dharma is Lord Narayana.
But a question can be raised. Yamadharma raja punishes those in Hell, but since Hari is the real doer, He is the one punishing the bad souls.
Why isn't this a defect on his part?
First of all, in the eyes of the world, lokadrishti, it is Yama who is torturing the souls. In tattvadrishti, the eyes of philosophy, this isn't a flaw either for Yama or Vishnu, since they are just giving the souls in Hell what they deserve. If the souls were tortured because of some cruel desire on the part of Yama or Vishnu, then it would certainly be a defect, but such is not the defect. The 'defect' on the part of Yama is that he was assigned such a role. He does not have the freedom to be assigned some other position besides that of torturing souls. This asvaatantrya( lack of independence) is present in Yama, but not Vishnu.
====================
# 23
The next verse talks about Bali Chakravarti
khaLanante obba tanage sallada bhaagyava |
ballidaganji barigaida |
durlabha muktige dUravendenisuva paa |
taaLa taLakke iLida gaDa || 23
ante - As though
khaLanu - someone who is wicked,
obba - one person
barigaida = bari kai aada: came back empty-handed, having gifted away
bhagyava - wealth
sallada - that is inappropriate
tanage - for him,
anji - in fear of
ballidage = baliShThaninda: one who is more powerful.
iLida - He descended
taLakke - to the surface of
paataaLa - the pAtALa loka,
endenisuva - which is called, but not actually
dUravu - far from
durlabha - the difficult to attain
muktige - state of Moksha.
gaDa =aashcharya: Wow!
As though he were someone who is wicked, Bali Chakravarti became empty-handed after he lost the wealth that was inappropriate for him, fearing the more powerful Vamana avatara of Vishnu. He descended to the surface of pAtALa loka, which is called (but isn't actually) far from the state of Moksha.
Bali chakravarti will be Indra in next manvantara. But at the time of Vamana avatara, he tried to take the position of Indra before the end of his tenure (Indra only occupies the post of ruling Swarga for a limited time). Thus Vishnu took the form of Vamana to take back what did not belong to Bali.
Another time Bali was taken by kalipravesha and tried to steal Vishnu's crown. Fearing Vishnu and Garuda, he gave it back. So this verse could refer to that as well.
Bali is a moksha-yogya jIva, fit for moksha. So by descending to pAtALa loka it did not hinder his path to moksha. pAtALa loka (the nether world) is merely known as being far from Moksha.
Vamana actually blessed Bali. However his charity had some tamasic aspect to it. First of all, he should not have taken what belonged to Indra. Second of all, the real owner is the Lord Himself. When giving dAna, he should not think that he is really giving dAna to the Lord. He should have the feeling that he is giving to Lord what the Lord owns similar to "kereya nIranu kerege teredu".
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# 24
ellaraayuShyava shimshumaaradeva |
sallIleyinda tolagisuva |
olle naanivara nityamuttaideyendu |
ballavarenna bhajisuvaru || 24
shimshumaaradeva - Narayana in the form of shimshumaara (scorpion form in
which He controls time)
sallIleyinda - as a sort of play
tolagisuva - takes away or diminishes
ellara - everyone's
aayushyava - life.
naanu - I
olle - do not accept
ivara - these (whose life span is brought to an end, in the sense that the
physical body is destroyed, meaning I am appropriate for only Lord Hari)
nityamuttaideyendu - Being with him, I eternally have a husband
ballavaru - The wise
bhajisuvaru - praise
enna - me.
Narayana, as kaalaniyamaka (controller of time), in the form of a shimshumaara, takes away everyone's life. For him, this is all just a sort of play. The wise praise Lakshmi as eternally having a husband. Only Narayana is appropriate for her, since other deities are not eternal.
Though the devas are known as "amara" -eternal, when the time for the mahapralaya or Brahma-kalpAnta pralaya (great destruction) comes, even Brahma, Shiva, Indra, and other deities, have their physical bodies removed. Shiva is certainly known as the destroyer, but he destroys, the ones upto certain level only. Brahma as the creator, creates only the ones below him. The creator and destroyer of both is Vishnu. These other deities are not eternal the way Narayana is, because they only hold their positions for a limited span of time. In fact it is Narayana, as the controller of time who takes away the life force of not just humans but also these deities. In the eternal chain of Brahmakalpas, in each kalpa, Mukhyaprana from prior kalpa is brought to Brahmapadavi (the rank of Brahma). The one earlier than Mukhyaprana (known as lAtavya)from prior kalpa is made as Mukhyaprana in the current kalpa. Rudra from prior kalpa will be made as Shesha in current kalpa. The earlier one in Shesha/Rudra gaNa from prior kalpa will be made as Rudra in the current kalpa. Brahma, Shesha, Garuda and all those whose sAdhana is complete will go to moksha.
When one Brahma goes to moksha, he is followed by another Brahma and the cycle goes on. The lifespan of Brahma and other deities is but a blink of an eye for Lakshmi. So she would she would choose only Lord Narayana as her consort. This is all a poetic presentation. The question of choosing does not arise. She is known as "nitya aviyogini" and "nityamukta" (eternally present with Hari and eternall liberated. So, she never had a physical body).
Sri Vadirajaru is very clever with the use of words. He prefixed lIla with the word 'sat', meaning good. We must not think that Narayana derives some sort of sick pleasure from destroying other deities. Jagannatha Dasaru in the Harikathamrutasaara gave a nice analogy:
"maLala manegaLa maaDi kelavu kaaladoLaaDi mOdadi tuLidu keDisuva
teradi lakumI ramaNa lOkagaLa"...
just the way a child enjoys creating sandcastles and then destroying them, with no ill intent in destroying it, so too, the consort of Lakshmi, Lord Narayana creates and destroys the world. Birth and death are a part of living in samsara, affecting everything from a blade of grass all the way up to Brahma himself. The kaalaniyamka, Lord Vishnu who is free from this, is the only one that is a suitable match for Lakshmi.
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# 25
prakR^itiya guNadinda kaTTuvaDedu naanaa
vikR^itigoLagaagi bhavadalli
sukhaduHkhavumba bommaadi jIvaru
duHkhake dUraLenipa enageNeye || 25
bommaadi jIvaru - The souls starting from Brahma
kaTTuvaDedu - are bound by
guNadinda - the ropes of
prakR^itiya - the Primordial Matter, Prakriti.
oLagaagi - They undergo
naanaa - various
vikR^itige - defects
bhavadalli - in this Samsara.
sukhaduHkhavumba - They experience sorrow and happiness.
eNeye - Are they equal
enage - to me,
dUraLenipa - far removed from
duHkhake - any sorrow?
Lakshmi devi describes how all the souls starting from Brahma are bound by the ropes of Prakriti's 3 guNas - sattva, rajas, and tamas. All these souls undergo defects since they are in samsara. They experience both sorrow and happiness.
The word guNa has a double meaning in Sanskrit and Sri Vadirajaru uses that here. It can mean rope or quality. Prakriti is composed of 3 qualities - sattva, rajas, and tamas. These qualities tie us down in samsara. Arjuna asks Krishna in the Gita what causes one to do sin even though unwilling. Krishna replies:
"kaama eSha krodha eSha rajoguna samudbhavaH".
It is Rajasic qualities like desire and anger that cause us to do bad deeds which we would not normally do. Being in samsara, the jIvas are affected by this.
The vikaara, or defect involved in transformation can either refer to manovikaara, the mind being swayed by desire, anger, greed, etc. Or it can refer to vikaara in the sense that the jIva's body undergoes change, and the jIva becomes associated with several bodies through reincarnation. Lakshmi is of course free from both of these. As the controlling deity of Prakriti, the three gunas have no effect on her.
Here a question arises - what about Brahma, Saraswati, Vayu, and Bharati? Aren't they above this? For the most part yes. Unlike other souls, they do not have attachment to their bodies, which Krishnapoints out is the cause of happiness and sorrow
"maatraa sparshaastu kaunteya sitOShNasukhaduHkhadaaH".
However, for a split second, to show that they are not in mukti state, they too may be touched by duHkha. Even for Brahma, it is said that :
"aj~nAnaM tu chaturvAraM dvivAraM bhayameva cha shoko.api tAvAn"
"[For Brahma] There are four occasions when ignorance is shown and twice when fear is shown and only that many times there is touch of sorrow".
So, the following things are to be understood in this context.
1. In all these four occasions, they lasted "ara xaNa" (half an instant)
2. As an order and will of Sri Hari, Brahma accepted this.
3. There is no "mano vikAra(perturbance of mind)" because of these situations.
Are they equal to Lakshmi, who being nityamuktaLu, and the abhimani devata for Prakriti, is never subject to sorrow? No, none of those are equal to Lakshmi, so she will not marry them. She is free from samsara and would only want someone who is also ever-liberated, not affected by duHkha, and that is Vishnu.
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# 26
obbanavana maga mattobbanavana momma |
obbanavanige shayanaaha |
obbanavana poruva mattibbaravaniganji |
abbaradalaavaaga suLivaru || 26
obbanu - One of them is
avana - His (Narayana's)
maga - son.
mattobbanu - Another one is
avana - His (Narayana's)
momma =mommaga - grandson.
obbanu - one of them
shayana Aha - became a bed
avanige - for him.
obbanu - One of them
poruva =horuva - carries
avana -him.
mattu - And
ibbaru - two of them,
anji - fearing
avanige - him,
suLivaru - are spinning around
abbaradali - in the sky
aavaaga =yaavaagalu - always
Brahma is the son of Narayana. Shiva is Narayana's grandson. Shesha is known as Narayana's bed. Garuda carries Narayana. Two others, Chandra and Surya, are always moving across the sky, fearing Him.
The "avanu" here can be taken as Shimshumara rupa of Narayana, as described in the previous verse. Or, "avanu" can be taken as a translation of the Sanskrit word "tat", which in its primary sense denotes Brahman (who is the same as Vishnu, and appears in the Vishnu Sahasranama).
For humans, a bride would never say she wants the grandfather or father of a prospective groom. But for devatas, the more seniority one has, the longer they live. Also, devatas are not affected by old age. At the time of pralaya (the final destruction at the end of each kalpa), the devatas get "destroyed" (laya) in the reverse order that they were created (with the exception of Narayana and Lakshmi of course). So for Lakshmi Devi, she would not choose someone who is a son, grandson, etc, but the original Father of them all.
When it is said that Shesha is a bed for Narayana or that Garuda carries Vishnu, we should not think that He is dependent on them. In fact, there was an instance where Garuda thinks he is independently able to carry Vishnu. But as soon as he thinks that, he is unable to do so. It is really Vishnu, present inside of Garuda, who carries Himself. It is not that Shesha and Garuda are doing favors for Vishnu, but the other way around.
Why is it mentioned that they fear God? Here the fear is not to be interpreted as the normal "mortal fear", but it is devotion-filled, respect-filled awe. Here the apprehension is about one's own ability, but not about the fear of getting punished. We should not see this at our level.
In the Upanishads, it is mentioned "The wind blows fearing God", etc. This is all devotion-filled fear. The gods are j~nAnis and so they are not afraid that God will punish them. They always want to show devotion and their fear is that at any time this devotion may decrease because of some small negligence. They do not want that to happen, so they constantly strive to be their best.
The fear that is described here is not combined with hatred, like it is for asuras. We fear what we don't know, and a being that is infinite is unfathomable for the other devatas. In the Bhagavad Gita, when Arjuna beholds the Vishvrupa of Krishna, it is too much for him to comprehend and is actually frightened by the infinite nature of Krishna.
Lakshmi does not want someone who fears someone else. She wants the Being who is the real support for the world - Lord Vishnu.
===============
# 27
obbanaavana naamakanji bechchuva gaDa |
sarbarigaava amR^itava |
sarbarigaava amR^itavanuNisuva ava |
nobbane niraniShTa niravadya || 27
obbanu - One person
anji - fearing
avana - his
naamake - name,
bechchuva - becomes heated up. (gets perturbed)
gaDa - It's surprising!
aava = yaavanu - He who
uNisuva - gives
amR^itavanu - immortality
sarbarige =sarvarige - to everyone,
avanobbane - he alone is
niraniShTa - not undesirable, not inauspicious
niravadya - and not blameworthy.
Those like Kali (the worst among Asuras) become heated up with fear upon hearing the name of Yama, but it's surprising, because Yama himself fears Vishnu. Vishnu gives Moksha, or immortality, to everyone. He alone is not inauspicious, not undesirable, and cannot be blamed for anything.
Yama is known as the God of death, so he is feared, but in reality, the ultimate God of Death, the destroyer of Yama, Shiva, Brahma, and other deities is Vishnu himself.
Yet at the same time, not only is Vishnu the Destroyer, feared by even Yama, but Vishnu is also the one who grants immortality. The "amRutavanuNisuva" can be taken in multiple senses. If we take sarvaru as all the devatas, Vishnu, in the form of Mohini, gave Amruta to all the devatas at the time of samudra mathana (churning of the ocean). If we take sarvaru as all sattvic souls, he grants moksha (permanent liberation from samsara) to them. Or, we can include rajasic and tamasic souls, who go to their final destinations, a samsara-equivalent for rajasic souls, and andha tamas (eternal Hell) for tamasic souls. Vishnu alone is capable of granting the appropriate final state to souls. Yet another interpretation of "amRutava" is nityatva. All souls are eternal, with neither beginning nor end. However, this does not mean that they exist independently. As per the shloka:
dravyaM karma cha kAlashcha svabhAvo jIva eva cha |
yadanugrahataH santi na santi yadupekShayaa ||
souls and matter exist because of the grace of Lord Narayana, and would not exist if he did not wish it so. Even for eternal objects, Narayana makes them exist, thus making them eternal. Yet no one is making Narayana exist.
Why do we say that Narayana alone grants moksha? If we take any other deity (with the exception of Lakshmi), they attain that position (of Brahma, Shiva, etc.) and eventually leave that position. They certainly cannot grant moksha to themselves. We also run into a dilemma if we say, for example, that Shiva can grant Moksha. Before Shiva attained his position, the current Shesha was in that position. Can Shiva grant Moksha to someone who was in that position before? That would be like a junior in college deciding who can graduate. He himself has not completed the requirements yet, how can he pass judgment on those who are ahead of him? Nor can we say that Brahma or Garuda can grant moksha, because they themselves have not achieved moksha. How can they grant moksha to others? Surely if they had such power, they would grant themselves moksha first! Only someone free from samsara can grant moksha. Why not Lakshmi? Because Lakshmi is not addressing herself in this verse, so that can only be Lord Vishnu himself.
Lord Narayana is full of auspicious qualities only, so he is niranishTa. We have seen that all other beings have at least one shortcoming, that they cannot grant moksha. They also do not fully comprehend Vishnu and are dependent on Him. So that is why Vishnu alone is called niravadya, and no one else can share that attribute.
Can God be blamed for other things in the world? In Western religion, one of the difficult problems that comes up is the problem of evil. If God created everything, didn't he create evil as well? If he created all souls equally, why do some tread the path of evil? Or, if they can act independently, then can't God be accused of not having total independence? If he didn't create them all equally, can't he be accused of partiality?
In Indian thought, souls are intrinsically sattvic, rajasic, or tamasic and exist from time immemorial. They are uncreated, so God cannot be blamed for the way they are. However, this does not mean that they can exist or act independently. It is God who makes each soul act as per its svabhava (innate nature). He keeps his independence and also cannot be accused of any partiality. Thus, the problem of evil is solved and we have established that God is truly niravadya.
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# 28
niraniShTa niravadya emba shrutyarthava
oredu nODalu naraharige |
narakayaatane salla duritaatidUranige
marULa mana bandante nuDiyadiru || 28
niraniShTa - "He is not undesirable, nor is anything undesirable to Him;
niravadya - He is not blameworthy"
emba shrutyarthava - so proclaim the essence of the Shruti statements.
oredu nODalu - When tested in the whetstone of prAmAnya, we see that
naraharige - Narayana
salla - does not
narakayaatane - suffer in Naraka (Hell).
marULa - Oh deluded one!
nuDiyadiru - Do not describe
duritaatidUranige - that Narahari who is far removed from all sorrow,
mana bandante =manassige bandante - by your own misconceptions.
When we analyze the shruti vaakya "niraniShTa niravadya", it is evident that Narayana never suffers naraka. Do not be deluded by opposing statements and describe that Narahari who is free from all sorrow according to your own misconceptions.
"orekallu" is a type of stone that is used to test the purity of gold. The analogy made here is that we can test the purity of Shruti statements. But what is the equivalent of the stone? The soul itself has a saakshi indriya which can determine the validity of a pramana. According to Dvaita philosophy, pramanas (the means to knowledge) can be of 3 types: pratyaksha (direct perception), anumana (logic), and aagama (shastra). This is a very complex topic, so only a brief summary will be given here. Each of the 3 types of pramanas has its own domain. For example, we cannot establish chemistry and physics equations through shastra, that can only come through Pratyaksha. The flawlessness of Vishnu cannot be established through Pratyaksha, but only through aagama. It is also important to note the concept of svatah-praamanya, that is we do not need one pramana to show that another is valid, because then that second one needs to be validated, and we get an infinite chain. All 3 pramanas have inherent validity associated with them.
Now of course there could be defects, like jaundiced eyes preventing valid pratyaksha, or aagama statements written by someone who is ignorant, deceitful, etc. will be invalid. With Shruti statements, this is not a problem, because the Vedas are considered to be unauthored. They are heard, revealed to various Rishis throughout time, but exist since time immemorial.
Thus, we can see for ourselves the truth of shruti statements describing Vishnu as not undesirable and not blameworthy. But what about statements that seem contrary to it, like instances when Rama seemed to be sad upon losing Sita, or Parasurama losing in battle to Rama and Bhishma? Shruti statements carry higher weightage, so other statements need to be reintepreted in this context.
We can interpret those instances where Vishnu appears to be blameworthy as part of His greater plan (like killing Ravana for the papa of abducting Sita, or killing the asura who asked to dwell inside Parasurama).It serves to delude those who seek to find flaws in Vishnu (mohaka dveshabhaajaam) and causes happiness to the wise (pramadada sudhiyaam).
There is a verse of the Hari Vayu Stuti which simultaneously describes the encounter between Rama and Parasurama as well as between Bhima and Hanuman (gacchan saugandhikaartham...) and how it is "krIDaamaatram", just a play. Hanuman & Bhima are one and the same, as are Rama and Parasurama, so when it is said that one was afraid of his other form (bhIShayaam aasa), it should not be taken literally.
Furthermore, as Vadirajaru points out, Vishnu is durita-atiduura, very far from sorrow. What causes sorrow? As Krishna points out in the Gita:
"naasato vidyate bhaavo naabhaavo vidyate sataH"
From bad deeds, there can be no happiness. No sorrow can result from good deeds. Vishnu has never committed any bad deeds, nor is he even bound by karma, since he is svatantra. So where is the question of him experiencing sorrow, let alone suffering in Naraka?
There is a lot of meaning embedded in this verse. One question that may arise is who would say that Vishnu suffers in Naraka. There have been some commentators who directly say this, but others who imply it. According to Advaita, there is no distinction between Brahman (God) and the jIvas (individual souls). What this means is that the souls who suffer in Naraka are one and the same as God! If there is a distinction, then that school of thought can no longer be considered Advaita, since nothing apart from Brahman exists. One of the fundamental principles of Dvaita philosophy is the distinction between jiva and Brahman. Vadirajaru will mention this again in a later verse, and has written many works, including the Yuktimallika expounding on the distinction between Vishnu and other souls.
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# 29
ondondu guNagaLu iddavu ivaralli |
sandaNisive bahu dOSha |
kundeLLaShTillada mukundane tanagendu |
indire patiya nenedaLu || 29
ondondu - Just one or two
guNagaLu - merits
iddavu - are there
ivaralli - in these other devatas.
bahu - But many
dOSha - flaws
sandaNisive - are present in them.
indire - Lakshmi
nenedaLu - thought
patiya - of her consort
mukundane - "That Mukunda (Narayana),
illada - without even
eLLaShTu - a tiny (like a sesame seed)
kundu - flaw,
tanagendu - only he is fit for me".
Other devatas have only a few merits, but many flaws are present in them. Lakshmi thought of her eternal consort, Mukunda (Vishnu), who doesn't have even a tiny flaw. Only such a being is fit for her.
Shiva, Brahma, Indra, etc. are great devatas with many merits, yet they are described as having very few merits. When compared with the infinite qualities that Narayana has, any finite number of qualities that the devata-s have (or even all their combined qualities) is like effectively nothing. This isn't meant to belittle them, but to show how Vishnu far surpasses them. The flaws the other devatas have are traits like being bound by Prakriti (as mentioned in the "prakR^tiya guNadinda" verse), not being independent, and the list of defects entioned since the 16th verse. Yet though flaws were pointed out for so many devatas, no flaws at all were mentioned for Vishnu. Since he is "niraniShTa niravadya", Vishnu does not have even a tiny flaw.
When Lakshmi has to choose between those who have flaws and relatively few merits (compared to infinity), and someone who is perfect, flawless, possessing infinite auspicious traits, and not blameworthy in any way, the choice for Lakshmi is obvious. And again, "patiya nenedaLu", she thought of her consort, not someone who will be her consort. In other words, Narayana is already her consort. Unlike any other god & goddess couple, Lakshmi and Narayana have been together since time immemorial.
Mukunda is one who grants Moksha, freedom from samsara. Brahma, Shiva, Vayu, Indra, and other devatas, as well as Rishis, gandharvas, humans and other living beings depend on Him for salvation. To grant Moksha, one cannot be bound by samsara. Apart from Vishnu & Lakshmi, no one else has been eternally free from samsara. It is only fitting for nitya muktaLu (Lakshmi) to have nitya muktanu (Narayana) as a consort.
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# 30
dEvarShi viprara kondu tannudaradoLiTTu |
tIvirda harige duritava |
bhaavaj~narembare aagaaladele mEle
shivana lingava nilisuvare || 30
kondu - Having killed
dEva - other gods,
R^iShi - R^ishis,
viprara - and brahmins,
iTTu - Narayana places them
tanna - in his
udaradoLu - abdomen. (at the time of Pralaya)
bhaavaj~naru - Do those who know the truth
embare - say
tIvirda - that the complete and perfect
harige - Lord Hari
duritava - has any flaws? (No)
aaga - At that time of Pralaya,
nilisuvare - did Narayana worship
mEle - on the
aladele - banyan tree leaf
lingava - a linga
shivana - of Shiva? (No)
At the Pralaya time (the destruction of the universe), Narayana kills other devatas, R^ishis, and Brahmins, and places them within his abdomen. Do the wise say that Lord Hari has any defects as a result? No. He is perfect and does not gain anything from destroying others. At that time, did Narayana worship Shiva linga on the Banyan tree leaf where he lay, as a form of prayaschitta (repentance)? No.
What this verse refers to is the claim made by some that Rama worshipped Shiva Linga at Rameshwaram to drive away the sin of killing Ravana. He destroys so many beings (as mentioned earlier in "ellaraayuShyava shimshumaara deva...") and does not incur any sin for it. For killing just one person, that too someone as wicked as Ravana, does it make sense to say that Rama worshipped Shivalinga to remove brahmahatya dosha? If Rama has to establish Shivalinga to rid himself of Brahmahatya dosha, then at the time of pralaya, he should have done the same. Vishnu lies on a Banyan tree leaf after the Pralaya, so he could have chosen that as a place to establish a Shivalinga to repent for killing all the Brahmins, Rishis, and Devatas. But of course, that is not the case. In fact, they say that a mere glance of the bridge constructed to go to Lanka and kill Ravana, can remove Brahmahatya dosha. But why establish Shivalinga at Rameshwaram? Vibheeshana and Shiva are devotees of Rama. Just the way Rama honored Vibheeshana by doing abhisheka, likewise the linga established at Rameshwaram was to honor Shiva. Someone who understands this knows the true nature, or bhava of Narayana and is called bhavaj~na.
One meaning of the word 'Hari' is explained in the verse below.
brahmANamindram rudram cha yamam varuNameva cha |
nihatya harate yasmaat tasmaaddharirihocyate ||
He is called Hari because he kills and does away with Brahma, Rudra, Yama, Indra, Varuna, etc.
So ultimately it is not Shiva who is the destroyer, because after praLaya only Lord Hari remains (with Lakshmi of course). Munis like Markandeya were actually blessed with a glimpse of what Hari looks like at the time of pralaya, dark in complexion adorned with the Shrivatsa chihne, and lying on a Banyan leaf.
Hari is pUrna, so does not gain anything through destruction. Destruction occurs so the next cycle of creation can occur again. We must understand that the destruction of devas, r^ishis, etc. refers to the bodily destruction, since the jIva is eternal. If we take it as absolute destruction, then the "udaradoLiTTu" would not make sense. He removes their gross bodies (sthUladeha) and keeps them with their svarUpa deha and Lingadeha inside His abdomen. Though it might seem that destroying all these beings is cruel, we must understand that there is no wicked tendency on the part of Vishnu, and that this is a natural part of thecreation-destruction cycle. For the next Brahma or Shiva to fill the post, the current one has to be freed from his gross body to enable leading that jIva to moksha or to lead it towards the appropriate sAdhana in the next kalpa. And for the current Brahma to achieve moksha, his body must be destroyed at the time of Pralaya. Lord Hari is the one who makes this happen. Certainly he does not have to do any repentance for keeping the cosmic cycle running.
It also is to be noted that He does not eat the Brhamanda to satisfy His hunger. If several bRahmandas can reside in His hair-root (this is again symbolic as He does not have physical hair), how can one Brahmanda suffice to satisfy His hunger. The next verse further explains the point that He is devoid of any hunger, thirst, etc.
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# 31
hasivu tR^iShe jaremaraNa rOgarujinagaLemba |
asura pishaachigaLa bhayavemba |
vyasana barabaaradu emba naaraayaNage |
pashu modalaagi neneyadu || 31
emba - For
naaraayaNage - Narayana,
vyasana - sorrow
barabaaradu - does not arise due to
emba - any of the following:
hasivu - hunger,
tR^iShe - thirst,
jare - old age,
maraNa - death,
rOga - physical or
rujinagaLu - mental diseases,
bhayavemba - fear of
asura - demons
pishaachigaLa - and ghosts.
neneyadu - Do not think that
pashu =pasu - (he has) hunger
modalaagi - or any of the other afflictions above.
(Note: the word order was changed quite a bit when translating from Kannada to English. The 3rd line is especially awkward to translate literally into English - That Narayana for whom it is that sorrow does not arise).
Narayana is not affected by sorrow due to hunger, thirst, old age, death, physical or mental disease, fear of demons or ghosts. Do not think that he suffers from hunger, etc. the way other beings do.
There are several reasons why Narayana is untouched by such things. First of all, he is independent. If he falls prey to such defects, then that means that there is something outside his control. Narayana has aprakrita sharIra - a non-material body, so the defects in mortal bodies, like old age, death, disease, etc. are not present. Narayana is sarvadoSha vivarjitaH - free from all defects. And since it is Narayana who frees us from samsara, he himself must be free from whatever is plaguing those in samsara.
We can find instances where Narayana in one of his avataras showed that not only is he free from the defects in mortal, but he is able to remove the such defects in others.
When the Pandavas are in exile, Durvasa, well-known for his anger, arrives for dinner. There is nothing left to eat, and Draupadi prays to Krishna for help. Krishna takes one morsel of food in the akshaya patra (which keeps producing food until Draupadi has eaten. She had already eaten when Durvasa arrived). He made Durvasa and his disciples feel no hunger, who then, quite embarrassed, left. How can Krishna be affected by hunger when he can remove the hunger in others?
Once, Balarama was affected by shaivajvara. A weapon was used against him, which resulted in his feeling sick. Krishna embraced him and removed fever. Krishna removes the diseases others have. In cases where Narayana appears to be affected by sickness, it is only for show. For example, when Rama appeared to be weakened by naagastra in battle, he only does it as a favor to Garuda. Garuda wanted an opportunity to serve the Lord, and this was a perfect occasion.
Jambavanta who was old even in Rama's time gave his daughter to Krishna. In return Krishna made him youthful again. So Krishna is not affected by old age. Furthermore, Narayana has been taking avataras since time immemorial, in each kalpa. How can He be affected by old age?
In another occasion, Parikshit was affected by Brahmastra. Krishna revived him, showing not only that he can give life, but also that his strength is even greater than that of Brahmastra. Someone who can bring others back from the dead has no fear of death. There are countless instances of asuras like Ravana (killed by Rama), Hiranyaksha (killed by Varaha), Hiranyakashipu (killed by Narasimha), all of whom had powerful boons, but were vanquished at the hands of Vishnu. There are no asuras or pishachis that Lord Vishnu fears.
The word Narayana mentioned in this verse has several different meanings:
na - different from cetana & jaDa
a - adhika
ra - removes all defects
a - uttama
ya - removes defects in devotees
na - different from all the flaws present in others
"aapo naaraa iti prokta" - the waters are called Nara. Narayana has as his abode (aashraya) the milky ocean, where he lies upon shesha.
If we take naaraa to mean those who are liberated (mukta), he is the aashraya or abode for them as well.
Ara means flaw or defect. He who does not have flaws (na ara) is known as Narayana.
Naaraa can also mean vedas. In this context, aashraya can mean He who is pratipadya, or addressed by the vedas. The Vedas ultimately describe only Vishnu, as Krishna points out in the Gita.
We see the stark contrast between Lord Narayana who is ever-liberated, and those beings in samsara, who undergo a mix of sorrow and happiness. There is no way that the two can be one and the same. This jIva-Ishwara bheda is another message that we should take away from this verse.
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# 32
taa duhkhiyaadare surararatiya kaLedu |
mOdavIvudake dharegaagi |
maadhava baahane kesaroLu muLugidava parara |
baadhipa kesara biDisuvane || 32
taa - If he
aadare - were
duhkhi- affected by sorrow,
maadhava - would Madhava
baahane - come down
dharegaagi - to earth
kaLedu - to take away
aratiya = duhkha - the sorrow
surara - of the other gods
Ivudake - and give them
mOdava - happiness?
muLugidava - Can someone drowned
kesaroLu - in mud
biDisuvane - remove
kesara - the filth
baadhipa - that troubles
parara - others?
If Madhava (Vishnu) is affected by sorrow, would he come down to earth to take away the sorrow afflicting the other gods and give them happiness? No. Can someone drowned in mud remove the filth that troubles others? No.
When reciting this verse, we have to be careful splitting surararatiya. It is surara + aratiya. Rati is sukha and arati is duhkha.
Unlike the other devatas, Vishnu does not take birth due to some curse. As Krishna mentioned in the Gita, the purpose of his avataras is two-fold.
"paritraaNaaya saadhUnaam vinaashaaya cha duShkR^itaam
dharmasamsthaapanaaya sambhavaami yuge yuge"
He takes birth to protect the good people and destroy the wicked, thus re-establishing Dharma. Of course he can punish the wicked without taking an avatara, but he wants to bless the good people with his presence.There is nothing that he gains from taking an avatara.
The jIva in samsara is unable to remove its sorrow on its own, so it relies on someone else. That someone else is the Lord who is the controller of the universe. For him to remove our sorrow he should not rely on someone else, nor should he himself be affected by sorrow. If he cannot remove his own sorrow, how can he remove the sorrow of others? Hence the analogy of someone drowned in mud being unable to remove the dirt covering others.
Jiveshwara bheda (the difference between Jiva & Brahman) is brought out clearly in this verse. The jIva is affected by sorrow and bound in samsara. Brahman is ever liberated, untouched by sorrow. The two must be completely different. If there is identity between the infinite God and the finite soul, then it is God himself who is bound in samsara, and the very idea of praying to God to remove our sorrows and grant us the ultimate joy, Moksha, becomes meaningless. Such cannot be the case.
There is another subtle point in this verse. In the mud analogy, the mud is something external that covers us, it is not what we really are and needs to be removed. A jIva fit for moksha is by its nature blissful, but drowning in samsara, because of its contact with external objects and attachment to them, experiences sorrow. So in granting us moksha, the Lord allows us to experience the happiness found in our own innate nature, unsullied by the effects of samsara.
The word "Madhava" has several different meanings. maa can mean jnana, and dhava can mean jagatpati. Or dhava can mean abode, so abode of knowledge. Being the abode of knowledge, Vishnu cannot be affected by ignorance. madhu can mean sukha. He who gives such joy is known as maadhava. Like a madhu (bee), which gives sweet honey, Vishnu gives the sweet nectar of immortality or freedom from samsara to those eligible jIvas. Another meaning is "maa dhuuyate". That is, he is not one who fears. Because Vishnu is all-pervading, all-powerful, and all-knowing, there is nothing that can cause him any fear. A well-known meaning given for Madhava is one who killed the daitya known as Madhu. The most common meaning for Madhava is Maa (Lakshmi) + Dhava (pati), that is, the Lord and consort of Lakshmi.
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# 33
bommanaalayadalli iddavage laya uNTe |
janma layavilladavanige |
ammiyanuNisidda yashodeyaagiddaLe |
amma ivage hasi tR^iSheyuNTe || 33
iddavage - Does Vishnu, who was present
aa-in that
layadalli-destruction
bommana- of Brahma
uNTe - undergo
laya - destruction?
janma - Or does birth exist
avanige -for he
layavillada- who has no destruction?
yashode - Did Yashoda
ammiyanuNisidda - who fed Krishna milk
iddaLe - exist
aaga - at the time of Pralaya?
amma - Wow!
ivage - Does someone like this
uNTe - have
hasi - hunger
tR^iShe - or thirst?
Vishnu does not undergo destruction, since he was present even when Brahma himself was destroyed, in the previous kalpa. Does someone who does not undergo destruction undergo birth? No. When Vishnu alone existed between the last Pralaya and the next creation, was Yashoda there to feed him, the way she fed Krishna? No. So someone like this does not suffer from the pangs of hunger and thirst.
Bomma refers to chaturmukha Brahma, as in Bommana praLayadalli, bommaadi jIvaru, in previous verses. At first glance, it may appear that aalaya refers to abode. However, if aalaya refers to the abode of Brahma, there is no connection between residing with Brahma and not having destruction. In other words, one can easily imagine someone residing with Brahma and undergoing destruction. Also, past tense (iddavage) would imply that Vishnu used to be in Brahma's abode, but not any more, which doesn't make sense either. Sri Vadirajaru is well-known for his logical abilities, so we must look for an alternative meaning.
Whereas, if we split it as aa laya, that destruction of Brahma=mahaapralaya (There are other types of laya in between, where Brahma still persists), then it makes more sense. How can someone who continues to exist even when Brahma himself is destroyed (bodily destruction, not destruction of the jIva), undergo any type of destruction? The destruction of Brahma's body happens after the destruction of the bodies of various other jIvas. So this shows that Vishnu is distinct from any of them. When others get destroyed, He does not. Or poetic license allows for what is called dhmaata (dirgha svara), so bommana laya becomes bommanaalaya, with a long A. Another reason to interpret this as laya (destruction) and not aalaya (abode) is that the next verse also refers to praLaya, so this makes sense in context.
Bomma can sometimes refer to Parabrahma (that is Vishnu). bommanAlaya would then be Vaikuntha. So, another considered meaning is "Can there be a destruction for one who resides in Vaikuntha?" But this is also not right, because merely residing in Vaikuntha need not take away the laya or destruction.
The key point is that the absence of destruction is due to His independence and All-controllership. Though the jivas also do not have destruction, they have bodily destruction. Even that is not there for Sri Hari and it is also indicated that even in the "kalpAnta pralaya" of chaturmukha Brahma, when all the gross bodies of all the jivas are destroyed, Lord Hari, whose body is non-different from His Soul continues to control and rule even at that time. The eternality of the jivas is protected by Sri Hari Himself.
The second paada asks if someone without laya can have janma? No. He does not have praagabhava (non-existence before). In other words, he was there at the time of Srishti, since he was around after the previous pralaya. The cycle of destruction and creation has been happening since time immemorial. If Vishnu had ever come into existence, it would invalidate what was said in the first line, that Vishnu was there when the previous Brahma was destroyed. So Vishnu is without birth or death.
Some may think that Krishna, an avatara of Vishnu, is subject to the pangs of hunger and thirst, since he was fed by Yashoda like any other baby. But if Lord Vishnu really depends on a mother to feed him, what about at the time of Pralaya. Sri Vadirajaru asks us if Yashoda there to feed him when Vishnu alone existed after the Mahapralaya. No, no one else was present (as we saw earlier, kondu tannudaradoLiTTu, after bodily destruction, the jIvas were resting within the abdomen of Vishnu). Clearly, Krishna, who is Vishnu himself, does not depend on Yashoda or anyone else to feed him, nor does he ever suffer from hunger or thirst. Krishna merely puts on this act to give Yashoda the joy of feeding her baby. There is nothing the Lord gains from it.
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# 34
Aga bhakshya bhOjyavittu pUjisuva |
yOgigaLuNTe dhanadhaanya |
aaga dorakombude paakamaaDuva vahni |
mattaagalellihudu vichaarisiro || 34
Aga - At that time of Pralaya
uNTe - were there
yOgigaLu - learned devotees
pUjisuva - who worshipped Narayana
ittu =koTTu- by offering
bhakshya - entrees and
bhOjyavu - delicacies?
aaga - At that time
dhana - were wealth
dhaanya - and grains
dorakombude =dorakuvude - available (present)?
matte - Furthermore
aagale- at that time,
elli - where
ihudu - was
vahni - the fire
paakamaaDuva -for cooking?
vichaarisiro - Think (ask) about it.
At the time of Pralaya, were there any devotees who offered entrees or desserts to Narayana(Bhakshya refers to entrees, or filling items like rice. Bhojya refers to delicacies like laDDu)? No. Were wealth and grains present at that time? No. Furthermore, at that time, where was the fire to cook such food? Think about this.
This verse dispels the myth that Narayana is dependent on his devotees to offer Naivedya or food to him, as well as the notion that he is like ordinary mortals who need food to survive. Sri Vadirajaru points out that
at the time of Pralaya, no devotees offer Narayana food, nor was there any means of obtaining or cooking such food. There are statements which say that nothing was there at the time of Pralaya besides Narayana (Eko naarayaNaasit) Here a clarification must be made. This does not mean nothing else existed, since jIvas are eternal and exist at all times and so is primordial matter (mUla prakriti). It means that all other jIvas were in an inactive state, and that the world was not manifest. Narayana cannot depend on food or naivedya offered by devotees, because the physical world had not yet been made from mUla prakRiti, and the jIvas who would offer such food are in a dormant state.
But if Narayana does not depend on the Naivedya that we offer, why should we offer it? Krishna states in the Gita:
yajJNashiShTaashinaH santo muchyante sarvakalbiShaiH|
bhuNJate te tvagham paapaa ye pachantyaatmakaaraNaat | Gita 3-13
The righteous who partake the remains of sacrifice (yajJNashiShTa)are freed from sins, but the impious(paapaa) who eat food for their own selfish sake eat sin (agha). In other words we should think about the Lord and be grateful to Him for the food He has given us. This concept exists in many other cultures as well, for example Christians saying grace before meals, though the exact equivalent of a yajna may not be there. Here yajna does not necessarily mean Ashvamedha, Rajasuya, etc, but maanasika yajna, where mentally we offer the food that we have to the Lord.
Then one might ask why does the Lord partake of such food if he does not gain anything from it? He accepts food to bless devotees. For example, Krishna accepted the Avalakki(flattened rice) that Sudama offered out of devotion. Narayana is purNananda so does not derive any satisfaction or pleasure from eating.
Vishnu is known as yajnabhokta. When we leave naivedya, it may not look like Lord eats any of it, but he consumes a subtle portion of the food not visible to us. Not only does he consume this subtle portion of the food left as Naivedya, but residing within us he digests the food that we eat. As the verse from Chapter 15 of the Gita states:
aham vaishvaanaro bhUtva prANinaam dehamaashritaH |
prANaapaanasamaayuktaa pachaamyannam chaturvidhaM ||
In the form of Vaishvanara agni, he resides in our stomach and consumes the four types of food, acting through Vayu Deva. The proof for this is that Madhvacharya, who is Vayu deva, while in Kerala, consumed hundreds of bananas, something no human could consume, after eating lunch, when someone wanted to test if he was really Vayu Deva. Not only did he consume all of it, the size of his stomach remained the same as before. We can make sense of this if we understand the Gita verse above. It is Lord Krishna who gives Vayu deva the strength to digest the food within us.
This jaTharaagni consumes food when present, but for humans, when we are hungry, with no food present, it is this same jaTharagni that causes us the pain of starvation. Devatas are not bound by hunger and with their yogasiddhi are not affected by starvation. Lord Vishnu of course being the controller of all this certainly does not suffer from hunger.
==============
# 35
rOgavanIva vaatapittashleShma |
aaga kUDuvude rameyoDane ||
bhogisuvavage duritava nenevare |
I gunanidhige eNeyuNTe || 35
aaga - At the time of pralaya,
rOgavanIva - were disease-causing
vaata - gassiness
pitta - headache
shleShma - kapha=excess phlegm
kUDuvude - present in Narayana?
nenevare - Will people think
bhogisuvavage - that someone who enjoys
rameyoDane - being around Lakshmi
duritava - ever experiences sorrow or difficulties?
eNeyuNTe - Is anyone equal to
I - this
gunanidhige - abode of good qualities?
At the time of Pralaya, did Narayana suffer from any bodily defects arising from an imbalance in doShas (bodily humors), like gassiness, headache, excess phlegm, etc? No. Will people think that someone who enjoys being around Lakshmi (in reality being with his own forms residing in Lakshmi) ever experiences sorrow or difficulties? Is anyone equal to this abode of good qualities? No.
Vaata, pitta, kapha (uShNa) refer to bodily humors (doShas). kapha is phlegm. One gets phlegm when one catches cold, which is dimunition of heat. Every one needs vaata, pitta and ushNa to go with the vital activities. When they are balanced, that is good quality and indicative of good health. Their imbalance is the root cause of disease, even though they are needed for vitalization. Their imbalance can happen two ways - either reduction or increase. Both are problematic.
vaata => vAyu tatva or wind characteristic in our body. If that is low, it leads to dullness, due to fatigue. If it is more, it leads to different kind of dullness, due to inability to handle.
pitta => paitya rasa or bile juice and its characteristic. It aids emulsification, digestion, and assimilation. If it is less, the above things get affected and leads to problems. If it is more, it leads to giddiness, aggressive temparament, and even depression and other serious mental diseases.
uShNa => heat inside the body. While we use external heat like fire to cook food, the heat inside our body helps to burn the food to produce calories, and then a different kind of heat burns calories to produce energy. Then another kind of heat is used to burn energy to produce action. If heat is less, it leads to bodily cold and results in kapha or shleShma. If it is more, it leads to boils. Sometimes, an unusual fluctuation can cause both kinds - phlegm and fever. Basically an imbalance of these lead to various kinds of diseases and complications. Their balance is guNa and imbalance is doSha.
It is also known that the diseases are caused by the sins committed in prior births. The Lord has no births. Some may mistake His incarnations for His births and some of His actions as sins (like thinking that Sri Krishna had contact with "para stris", etc.) All those doubts are expelled here. "RameyoDane bhogisuva" = meaning that He always joins only Lakshmi - even that he does so as to give her joy. he is "AtmArAma (does not need others for joy)". When He joined the gopika-s, He joins the LakShmi present in them only and yet gives them also immense joy through His inconceivable powers. So he does not have the flaw of "paranArI sanga".
He is eternally blissful. During Pralaya, when these prAkritika vAta, pitta and shleShma don't even exist, where is the question of His getting the diseases from their imbalance? In that case, when He creates all these during creation process, where is the question of His getting affected during creation?
The previous verse naturally flows into this. Often times gassiness, headache, etc. are due to the food that we eat. When Narayana does not even have hunger or thirst, nor is there any means of cooking food at the time of Pralaya where is the question of defects arising from his diet? Furthermore Narayana and Lakshmi have a non-material body and so are not affected by such doShas that humans are subject to. Since Narayana does not have such an imbalance in bodily humors during the time of praLaya, of course when he creates the world during Srishti, he will certainly not create something which gives him such a bodily imbalance.
He who enjoys with Lakshmi by his side and has Lakshmi under his control is not affected by rajo guNa and tamo guNa, since they are under her control. Rajo guNa and tamo guNa drive us to do sin, and the cause for our physical and mental diseases is these past sins. So delusion/ignorance or passion arising from such guNas do not affect Lord Narayana, thus he does not commit sins, and as a result does not suffer from bodily or mental defects. Furthermore, being svatantra, he makes sure that other jIvas experience the results of their past puNya and papa, but there is nothing controlling him.
Thus we see through Sri Vadirajaru's logic that Narayana is free from hunger, thirst, and imbalance in vaata, pittha, kapha for all time, and is also eternally free from defects arising from prakriti. This is also true for Lakshmi.
Narayana is guNa nidhi, the abode of auspicious qualities and is not affected by doSha (defects or fluctuations in bodily humors). There is no one equal to him, not even Lakshmi. Though Lakshmi too is unaffected by Prakriti, she derives this strength from Lord Vishnu, as he alone is independent.
=============
# 36
ramme dEviyaranappikoNDippudu |
rammeyarasage rati kANiro ||
ammoghavIryavu chalisidare praLayadali |
kumaarar yaake janisaru || 36 ||
ippudu - Narayana was
appikoNDu - embracing
ramme- Lakshmi
dEviyaranu- Devi (her many forms)
kANiro - See
rati- that it was only lIla (a play)
rammeyarasage-for Lakshmipati
chalisidare- If he released
vIryavu-virility
ammogha-which is never futile
yaake-why weren't
kumaarar-any children
janisaru-born
praLayadali- at the time of Pralaya
Narayana was embracing the various forms of Lakshmi devi at the time of Pralaya. However he did not derive any pleasure from it, since it was just a form of lila, a sort of play.
The question of deriving pleasure comes for only "apUrNa" beings. The Lord is pUrNa in every way including being joyful. He eternally has infinite bliss and is the source of bliss for all, including Lakshmi.
Whenever He appears to be deriving joy, that is only apparent and is for Asura mohana. Thus it is only lIla. So, this one sentence says all three namely - He is not deriving any joy, He gives joy to Lakshmi and it is only
Lila for Him.
If he is like any ordinary being with a material body, subject to lust, when embracing Lakshmi during the long time of Pralaya he should have given birth to many children, but didn't. Nor can it be said that he is impotent, because he has "ammogha vIrya"
Some of the language in this verse may seem a bit strange, but what Sri Vadirajaru intends to do is systematically show that Narayana is not subject to human shortcomings like anger, hunger, diseases, and in this case, lust.
When embracing Lakshmi, he does not have any desire for her. For him it is just "rati", a play that he puts on. He is aatmaa raama, being independent, does not gain happiness from anyone else. However out of compassion, he wishes to bless her with his presence.
Even ordinary amukta devatas are capable of producing children without touching a woman, just by wishing to have a child. For example, Surya gave Karna to Kunti without even touching her. When other devatas, whose status was bestowed to them by Lord Narayana, can do this, what about Lord Narayana himself?
The reason no children were born during praLaya was because he wished to wait until the next Srshti, so jIvas can have a world in which to do their sadhana. Narayana as Krishna showed that he is certainly capable of producing children by mere wish, as he gave birth to 10 sons and one daughter with each of his 16000 wives. This only happens when he wishes it, not otherwise. For the Lord, it does not happen out of lust.
Another point to note in the verse is the use of the plural form "ramme deviyaru". Lakshmi is only one being, but the use of the plural brings out the concept of Lakshmi being in multiple forms. How can Lakshmi exist in multiple forms and be embraced by the same Narayana in several forms? This itself shows that these are not ordinary beings. Another reason for mentioning multiple forms is to hint that all those 16000 wives had Lakshmi's presence in them and the Lord touches only Lakshmi's forms in them.
==============
# 37
Ekatra nirNIta shAstrArtha paratrApi |
bEkemba nyAyava tiLiduko ||
shrIkR^iShNanobbane sarvadOShakke si |
lukkanembOdu salahalike || 37
tiLiduko -Understand that
nyAyava - the logical statement
artha - "The meaning
shAstra- of the scriptures
nirNIta - established
Ekatra - in one place
paratra - needs to be taken elsewhere
api - as well."
bEkemba - is needed here.
shrIkR^iShNanu - Lord Krishna
obbane - alone
silukkanu - is free from
sarvadOShakke - all flaws
embodu - Understanding this
salahalike - will lead to our salvation
There is a statement in the scriptures "Ekatra nirNIta shAstrArtha paratrApi", which means that whatever is established in one location is implied elsewhere as well. We need to apply this in the case of Lord Krishna, the only one who is free from all defects. With this mindset, we will attain salvation.
Some may have wondered why the past few verses have referred specifically to the time of Pralaya when pointing out that Lord Vishnu is free from hunger, disease, and did not need to worship other deities. Here Sri Vadirajaru explains his logic. He gives a scriptural statement, pointing out that since Vishnu is shown to be free of these defects at the time of Pralaya, this needs to be extended to all other times as well.
We shouldn't think that Vishnu's absence of defects is similar to the case of Vikramaditya's throne. This throne was special in that so long as someone sat on it they were extremely intelligent, but then back to normal when they got off the throne. Here there is nothing that causes Vishnu to be free from defects only during the time of Pralaya. Why not? Because at the time of Pralaya there is nothing else active besides Lord Vishnu. So he is inherently free from defects, and this naturally extends to all other times as well.
Sri Vadirajaru has chosen the name Sri Krishna in this verse. He is one and the same as Lord Vishnu. Since Vishnu has been shown to be free from thirst and hunger, it is to be understood that during Krishna avatara too, he does not depend on Yashoda to feed him (ammIyanuNisidda yashodeyaagiddaLe - Yashoda was not there to quench his thirst during Pralaya) or rely on Shiva to bless him with a child (aagaaladele mEle shivanalingava nilisuvare - there was no Shiva Linga that he worshipped)
How will understanding this lead to our salvation? We need a correct understanding of the Lord in order to seek his blessings. There is no other being that can be said to be free from all defects at all times, because the rest at least have the defect that they are inactive at the time of Pralaya. How can such beings protect us when they themselves are unconscious at that time? We must seek someone who is in control at all times, and that is Lord Vishnu.
===============
# 38
ella jagava nungi dakkisikoNDavage
salladu rOgarujinavu
balla vaidyara kELi ajIrti mUlavalla
dilla samasta rujinavu || 38
avage - He who
dakkisikoNDu - digests
ella - all
jagava - the worlds
nungi - after swallowing them
salladu - does not have
rOga - mental diseases
rujinavu - or physical diseases
kELi - Ask
balla - any knowledgeable
vaidyara - doctor.
rujinavu - Diseases
samasta - are all
illa - not there
allade - unless
mUlavu - the root cause
ajIrti - is indigestion.
That Lord Narayana who swallows all the worlds and digests them at the time of Pralaya does not have any mental or physical diseases. Ask any competent doctor, who will say that all diseases have indigestion as their root cause. The Lord digests the universe in the sense that swallowing it does not cause Him any inconvenience.
For humans, there are rules like filling half your stomach with food, a quarter with water, and leaving a quarter empty. But no such rule exists for Lord Hari. He swallows the entire world at the time of Pralaya, so the question of him having indigestion does not arise, nor does he have any of the diseases resulting from indigestion.
The energy in our stomachs which digests food is known as jaTharagni. It can be divided into 4 categories: tIkShNa (which results in pitta if there is insufficient food), manda (resulting in kapha, if there is too much food), sama, and vishama (which results in vaata).
We see that so many of the diseases in the world can be traced back to the food we eat. On one hand, malnutrition, not getting enough vitamins and nutrients can cause physical problems, and on the other hand, obsesity, high blood sugar, high cholesterol result from too much of certain foods. Furthermore, the food we eat contains so many artificial ingredients, some even carcinogenic, that those cause problems as well.
For the Lord to swallow the entire world, complete with all of its defects shows that he is untouched by diseases that afflict the rest of us. This also shows that he does not have a material (Prakrita) body. For someone to cure our diseases, he must be free from them. The real bhava-roga-vaidya is Lord Narayana and he is the one who will protect us.
===============
# 39
intha mUrutiya oLakomba naraka
bahubhraanta nInellinda tOruvelo
santeya maruLa hOgelo ninna maata
santaru kELi sogasaru || 39
nInu - Oh, you who are
bahu - really
bhraanta - deluded,
ellinda - where will
tOruvelo - you show
naraka - a hell
oLakomba - that can contain
intha - such a
mUrutiya - form (of Narayana)?
santeya maruLa - Oh, frivolous man,
hOgelo - keep off!
kELi - Hearing
ninna - your
maata - words,
santaru - wise people
sogasaru - will not be pleased.
Oh you (an opponent) who are really deluded, how can you show a Hell that can contain Lord Narayana? You can't. Oh, frivolous man, keep off! Hearing your words, wise people will not be pleased.
The opponents, who like to twist things may argue "You people claim that Lord is present everywhere and so He must be present in Hell also, which means that He is undergoing punishment in Hell".
In the past verses we have seen how Lord Narayana is unaffected by hunger, thirst, disease, and death (hasivu tR^She jare maraNa). So He certainly cannot undergo any suffering in Hell.
He is present there also as all pervading force to control everything there also, which is crudely like a prison officer being there in prison wards to control things there. The Lord is "sarvaantaryaami" and unless He is there, driving everything from inside, nothing happens. But He is always unaffected.
The jaTharagni that affects humans has no effect on him, so he cannot suffer from that in Hell. Thinking of Narayana in the form of Lord Rama, Hanuman was saved when his tail was set on fire. How can the fires of Hell have any effect on Lord Narayana Himself?
Lord Narayana swallows the entire universe (ella jagava nungi..), and this includes Hell, so there is no question of it affecting Him. Furthermore, what sort of Hell could even contain a being that swallows the entire universe? Narayana continues to exist even when Brahma and Shiva are destroyed (bommana aa layadilli iddavage laya unTe?), so such a being certainly cannot be made to undergo any bodily destruction either.
In this verse, Goddess Lakshmi points out that only frivolous people would think that Narayana experiences Hell or any other kind of suffering. Those who are wise would understand Lord Hari's nature and not be misled by frivolous people who say that Narayana suffers.
But who will say such things? For example, someone may argue that as the charioteer for Arjuna, Krishna did treacherous to defeat the Kauravas, so he will suffer in Hell for that. Here we can use the logic Sri Vadirajaru has used earlier "ekatra nirNIta shaastraartha paratraapi", what is established in shastra in one place applies elsewhere as well. Krishna is the same as Lord Narayana. First of all, as pointed out above, he is larger than the entire universe, since it is contained within him (as Krishna shows to both Arjuna and Yashoda), so there is no Hell to contain him. Second of all, Krishna is satya sankalpa, so does not perform any bad deeds. Finally, Krishna has himself stated in the Gita -
"sarva dharmaan parityajya maam ekam sharaNam vraja aham tvaa sarva paapebhyo mokShayiShyaami maa shuchaH" -
if you surrender yourself to Krishna, he will free us from all sins. So how can someone who frees others from sin himself be affected by them?
============
# 40
shrI naaraayaNara janani janakara
naanemba vaadi nuDiyelO |
jaaNaradarindariya mUlarUpava tOri |
shrI naarasimhana avataara || 40
In this verse one may get
the feeling that the grammar is not right. Also, one will be made to feel the
lack of scope for proper "anvaya" or "word arrangement".
But this has many dimensions in it, which give rise to such mistaken notion
that grammar accuracy and word structure are lacking.
Apparent difficulties:
Is the verse talking
about the mother and father of Lord NarayaNa or Lord Narayana as mother and
father? The natural tendency is the latter. If so, why is it in the reverse
order? Even granting either of them, "Shri Narayanaru" is plural and
"janani janakaru" is plural, where as "naanu" is singular.
Similarly "jaaNaru(the wise ones)" is plural and "ariya(does not
know)" is singular.
One may say "In
Kenopanishad, the shruti says 'te vidAm chakAra('te' is plural, 'vidAm chakAra'
is singular)' and Rayaru explains that 'vidAm chakAra' is to be taken as 'vidAM
chakruH' - plural".
Even if the
"vachana" is ignored, how can the wise not know? If the wise ones
themselves do not know, then what is the big deal that an Advaita vaadi or any
other vaaddi also does not know?
"mUlarUpava
tOri" ? It makes sense to say 'Lord shows avatAra rUpas'. Why say 'Lord
shows mUlarUpa'? So, what does this mean? If we associate 'tOri' with next
phrase "tOri shrI naarasimhana avataara", then 'mUlarUpava' goes with
prior phrase. Then how will the prior phrase parse? In total, what is being
conveyed here? Everything seems like slippery slope.
Resolution:
Let us see how all these
difficulties can be resolved?
Anvaya-1:
Here we note tantranyaaya
(certain words like 'emba', which are connectors are repeated, because the
original text has condensed such repetition by using only once. So 'emba' is
'emba emba').
So, the anvaya goes as -
shrI naaraayaNara janani
janakara naanu emba emba vaadi nuDiyelO.
which will mean -
shrI naaraayaNara janani
janakarannu naanu nuDiyuve ennuvaMthA vaadi nuDiyO, nODONa (ninage samAdhAna
muMde siguttade).
"Oh objector, you
claim 'I will tell the parents of Lord Narayana', tell me, let me see (as the
reply is on the way)"
So, here the vachana
issue is resolved as "I" is not associated with "shrI naaraayaNaru".
Still why plural for that? Because it is referring to many forms of Lord
NaaraayaNa and His avataaras.
What is the context here?
If an objector comes up with an argument -
"Sri Rama and Sri
Krishna are described to have parents. Even Sri Vamana Sri Parashurama are
described to have parents. Sri Matsya, Kurma and Varaha rUpis are not described
as having parents, there is no clear description, how these avatAras came about.
So, the objector goes as follows.
1. If the objector argues
"I make a claim that even these avatAras may have parents", then we
counter-argue "mUlarUpava janani janakara tOri nuDiyelO". (After
showing the parents of MularUpa, speak about His parents).
2. If the objector argues
"In MularUpa, He may not have parents, but in avatAra rUpas, He has",
then we counter-argue "shrI naarasimhana avataara janani janakara tOri
nuDiyelO". (After showing the parents of shrI naarasimha avataara, speak
about His parents).
3. If the objector argues
"In one avatAra, He may not have parents, but in other avatAra rUpas, He
has", then we counter-argue as follows.
Again from tantranyAya,
take "ariya" twice in "jaaNaradarindariya".
jaaNaru adarinda ariya
(vaadi, neenu) ariya.
Here "adu" is
"that" - the distant thing, which refers to "guhyatama
shaastra" (the hidden scriptures).
The first
"ariya" is in the sense of "ariyuttiruvAga"(this removes
the issue of vachana) and second "ariya" is in the sense of
"ariyuttilla" (not knowing). This also removes the issue of vachana.
"While the wise ones
are knowing from those hiddent scriptures that the Lord does not have parents,
oh objector, you are not knowing it."
Why is the claim that the
scriptures are hidden?
Lord Krishna says -
"iti guhyatamaM
shAstramidamuktaM mayA.anagha |
etatbuddhvA
buddhimAnsyAtkRutakRutyashcha bhArata" - 15-20
("Oh sinless Arjuna,
this most secret scriptural knowledge has been imparted to you by me, by
knowing which, you will be come wise and accomplished.")
Why is Lord Krishna
saying that it is hidden or secret? Any one can buy and read all those books.
Access to the information is not same as access to the knowledge. It is
self-evident that even today many have wrong understanding of the scriptures.
The Lord is aprAkRuta in
both His MularUpa and AvatAra Rupas. For aprAkRuta Rupa, parents cannot be
there. Lord Krishna also says -
"avajAnanti mAM
mUDhA mAnuShIM tanumAshritam | - 9-11
("Only the ignorant
ones think that I have mortalbody").
So, the wise do know that
the Lord in any form will never have parents. It is described in Bhagavata, how
Sri Krishna was born with four hands bearing four weapons and crown, etc. Is it
possible to come out of a womb like that? As he was born, all the gods come and
pray Him.(just an infant?)
Anvaya-2:
Here the anvaya goes as -
janani janakara shrI
naaraayaNara naanu emba vaadi nuDiyelO. (ninage samAdhAna muMde siguttade).
which will mean -
"Oh objector, you
clam "I am Lord NaaraayaNa, who is both father and mother of the
universe". Then tell me so, let me see (as the reply is on the way)"
Here how can plural
"NaraayaNaru" be associated with singular "naanu"? The
purpose is two fold. Just as the singular can not be associated with plural,
"vaadi(you)" can not be equated with the Lord. It is as if you are
saying "I am NaaraayaNa-s". It is not grammatically absurd, it is
logically also absurd. Saying "NaaraayaNaru" is to show respect to
the Lord in this context as when some one is trying to equate to you, I want to
set you apart by showing tremendous respect. Then thirdly the plural signifies
many forms taken by the Lord. So, the Advaitin vaadi has to face several issues
as how can he try to equate himself to Lord NaaraayaNa, when he has just one
destructible body and the Lord has infinite non-materialistic bodies, each
indestructible and non-different from Him? The preposterous aspect is stressed
in multiple ways.
jaaNaru mUlarUpava shrI
naarasimhana avataara tOri adarinda ariya (vaadi, neenu) ariya.
Here "tOri"
does not mean "by showing". It means "by showing the
jnAna".
"adarinda" also
indicates such a pure knowledge, which is from the grace of the Lord and proper
Gurus as well.
While the wise ones are
explaining the nature of Lord's MularuPa and Narasimha avataara and understand
it, you Advaita vaadi, are not knowing it. (As you are incapable of either
becoming His Mularupa or Narasimha avataara, being incapable of even
comprehending.)
vaadi - Oh objector, you
who argue
naanemba - claiming
"I will tell" or claiming "I am Him"
shrI naaraayaNara - Lord
Narayana,
janani - who is the
mother
janakara - and father of
everything.
(Mother and father of
Lord Narayana or Lord Narayana, who is mother and father of all)
nuDiyelO - go ahead and
explain.
jaaNaru- The wise
ariya - while they know,
you do not know
adarinda- from
that(incident, event or shAstra)
tOri - can you show?
;after showing.
mUlarUpava - the original
form of Narayana
avataara -which is the
same as the incarnation of
shrI naarasimhana - Narasimha.
For him who argues that Lord Narasimha has parents, he fails to prove that for Mularupa or for Narasimha avatAra. Consequently due to lack of exposure to scriptures in the right direction, he fails to comprehend that the Lord has no parents in all His avataras also, while the wise ones realize and enjoy such knowledge.
For him who argues that jIva and paramatma are the same (Advaita), that is, that they are the same as Narayana, who is the mother and father of everything, Sri Vadirajaru is challenging them to explain. The wise would know through the scriptures by the grace of the Lord and proper Gurus as well that the original form of Narayana, which is the same as his incarnation as Narasimha.
This verse is complicated and can be interpreted several ways.
1)Narayana has no mother and father, and is the mother and father of the world.
But you have parents - how can you be the same?
2)If it is argued that in
avatara form, Narayana has parents, like Kausalya & Dasharatha for Rama and
Devaki & Vasudeva for Krishna, then take Narasimha, who appeared from a
pillar. Are you the same as Him?
3)Are you capable of
showing yourself to be the original form of Narayana? Narasimha appeared in the
exact form that would kill Hiranyakashipu, without breaking Brahma's boon. Can
you really say you are the same as that Narasimha?
4)If you try to make
arguments in support of jaganmithyatva (believed by a follower of jIva-Brahma
aikya), then if the tongue itself is a product of illusion, how can arguments
made by you in support of jaganmithyatva be valid?
5)Narayana in his
original form shows himself to be antaryami, present even in a pillar. Are you
able to do that? How can you be the same as the omnipresent Lord
Narayana?
6)Narayana in any of his
forms never has to be carried in a womb for 9 months to take avatara.
"ajAyamAno bahudhA vijAyate" : The Unborn takes birth (avataara) in
several ways He takes birth of his own will. Not just Narasimha, Kurma
avataara, but all of them. But this is not the case for you - how can you be
the same as him?
7)Look at the fate of
Hiranyakashipu who considered himself to be God, that there was no one greater
than him. He was killed by Narasimha, who showed that there is a
paramatma superior to jIvAtma. Is this any different from the ekajIva Advaita,
where there is no greater Being ?
8)If there is only one
soul, how can we even make sense of Narasimha protecting Prahlada and killing
Hiranyakashipu if they are all one and the same soul, as per Advaita?
Sri Vadirajaru has been pointing out throughout the verse the flawless nature of Lord Narayana, who is ever free from ignorance and other defects. So it should be obvious that the individual soul, such as you and me, cannot be one and the same as Narayana. This jIva-Brahma bheda is one of the central tenets of the philosophy taught by Sri Madhvacharya.
=========
# 41
ambudhiya udakadali oDedu mUDida kUrma |
emba shrI hariya pitanaaru |
emba shrI hariya pitanaaru adarinda sva |
yambhugaLella avataara || 41
yaaru - Who is
pitanu - the father
kUrma - of Kurma (the tortoise form)
emba - of
shrI hariya - Lord Hari,
mUDida - which arose (udbhavisida)
oDedu - out of (by breaking)
udakadali - (in) the water
ambudhiya - of the ocean
adarinda - Therefore
ella - all of
avataara - his forms
svayambhugaLu - are born of his own will
Who is the father of the Kurma avatar of Lord Hari? No one, since it arose out of the water in the ocean. Therefore, all his forms are svayambhu - born of his own will.
For Narasimha avatara, one could raise the doubt that there are discrepancies as to how Narayana took avatara. The Bhagavata Purana describes Narasimha avatara as arising from pillar. Whereas in the Harivamsha (which is an appendix to the Mahabharata), he takes avatara in the forest and then enters Hiranyakashipu's court. In the version in the Harivamsha, someone could raise a doubt as to whether Narayana has parents, since he appeared in the forest, with no one else present. But in the Bhagavata account, it is clear that He has no parents, since others saw him appearing from the pillar. The different versions in the puranas are the different ways the avatAra happendd in different manvantaras.
In this verse, an unambiguous instance where Narayana has no parents is shown, the Kurma avatara. As everyone was watching, Lord Hari assumed the form of a tortoise during the churning of the ocean. So no matter which account we take, it is evident that Narayana takes birth of his own will. Now we need to take the quote mentioned earlier : "ekatra nirNItaH shaastraartha paratraapi". Since during Kurma avatara, Narayana takes birth of his own will, the same must hold for his other avataras.
A doubt may arise - if the Bhagavata and Harivamsha give different accounts of Narasimha taking avatara, isn't there a contradiction? Both Puranas (like the Bhagavata) and Itihasas (like the Mahabharata) are pramana (valid sources of knowledge). The differences are due to different incidents in different manvantaras. In one manvantara, Narasimha takes avatara from a pillar, and in another he appears in the forest and enters Hiranyakashipu's court. This way, the apparent contradiction is resolved.
Also, in this context, it should be remembered that even in avataras like Sri Rama and Sri Krishna, he really did not have garbhavAsa and did not go thru the delivery, but due to his achinyadbhutashakti gave such experience to his devotees to fulfill the boon. Otherwise how can one explain Sri Krishna having all four weapons as soon as he "is born" to Devaki?
==============
# 42
devakiya garbhadali dEvanavatarisida |
bhaavavanu balla vivekigaLu ||
I vasudheyoLage kR^iShNage janmava
Ava pariyalli nuDiveyo || 42
garbhadali - In the womb
devakiya - of Devaki
dEvanu - Lord Krishna
avatarisida - incarnated.
vivekigaLu - The wise
balla - are capable of understanding
bhaavavanu - the meaning of this.
Ava - in what
pariyalli - way
nuDiveyo - can you say that
kR^iShNage - Krishna
janmava - takes birth
I - on this
vasudheyoLage - earth,
Lord Krishna incarnated, appearing to come from Devaki's womb. However the wise are capable of understanding that Lord Krishna does not undergo any kind of birth.
Unlike humans who must spend 9 months inside their mother's womb, and are born because of their past karma, Lord Krishna neither has to be trapped in a womb, nor is he forced to undergo birth. After all, being the controller of all, why would anything bind Him?
The word 'deva' comes from the root 'div', which means, among many things, krIDa, or play. For him, appearing to take birth is just a sort of play. By thinking of how it is play for him, he removes the sorrow of our being born again and again in this samsara.
So why does he incarnate? As Krishna states in the Gita:
yadaa yadaa hi dharmasya glaanir bhavati bhaarata | abhyuttaanam adharmasya tadaatmaanam sR^ijaamyaham ||
When Dharma starts to fall in the world, and there is an increase in Adharma, Lord Vishnu takes birth of His own will. So he blesses the good with his presence, and punishes the wicked. Of course he can punish the wicked without taking birth, but then his devotees would not get the opportunity to see Him and be near Him.
The other devatas are amazed at this play of Lord Vishnu, because someone who is forever free from Samsara, who has nothing to achieve, takes birth acting as though he were human though he is not, simply to please his devotees.
==========
# 43
AvALisuvaaga yashOdAdEvige |
dEva tannoLage hudugidda |
bhuvanavellava tOriddudillave
A viShNu garbhadoLaDaguvane || 43
AvALisuvaaga - While yawning
dEva - Lord Krishna
tOriddu - showed
yashOdAdEvige - Yashoda Devi
ellava - the entire
bhuvana - universe
hudugidda - concealed
tannoLage - within him
idu illave - Isn't that so?
A - Can that
viShNu - Vishnu
aDaguvane - be contained
garbhadoLu - within any womb?
While yawning, Lord Krishna showed his mother Yashoda the entire universe which is concealed within Him. Can such a Krishna, who is the same as Lord Vishnu be contained within his mother's womb? No.
Note: for those who know Kannada, "AvALisuvaaga" is used instead of "akaLisuvaaga" so that the second letter is va, to match the other lines. Also toriddudillave is split as : toriddu+idu+illave.
In this verse, it is further pointed out that Vishnu in any of his avatara-s cannot be contained within a mother's womb. If the whole universe is contained within Him, as He showed Yashoda, how can He be bound by any physical limitations?
The word Vishnu itself means vyaapta or all-pervasive. It would be absurd for an all pervasive Being to be trapped inside a womb for 9 months. As mentioned earlier, appearing to the world as being born is just a play, or Lila for Him. In fact, this is what the word deva conveys in this verse. If one wonder whether Vishnu in his avatara form as Krishna still has attributes like being all-pervasive:
pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam pUrNaat pUrNamudachyate |
pUrNasya pUrNamaadaaya pUrNamevaavashiShyate ||
Both the original form (Vishnu) and avatara (such as Krishna) is perfect (infinite). But they are not 2 separate beings, this avatara came from that. When an infinite Being incarnates, there is no diminution - both the avatara and mUla are still infinite/perfect.
In other words when Vishnu is described as limitless, perfect, infinite, in any of His avataaras, He still retains those properties. If Vishnu cannot be bound by physical limitations, the same holds for Krishna.
Vadirajaru is careful in the choice of words - Vishnu is present everywhere even inside the womb of Yashoda (if He were not, He would not be omnipresent), but what is meant here is that Krishna cannot be contained within the womb, that is, physically limited by Yashoda's womb, so the word 'aDaguvane' is used.
===============
# 44
aaneya maanadalli aDagisidavaruNTe |
anEka kOTi ajaaNDava |
aNu rOma kUpadali ALda shrIhariya |
janani jaTharavu oLagombude || 44
uNTe - Is there
aDagisidavaru - anyone who could fit
aaneya- an elephant
maanadalli- in a measuring cup (aLate paatre)?
shrIhariya - That Lord Hari
ALda- who who rules and controls
anEka- Several
kOTi- crore
ajaaNDava- universes (Brahmandas)
aNu- in a tiny
rOma- hair
kUpadali- root,
oLagombude - can he be contained
janani- in a mother's
jaTharavu- womb?
Is there anyone, who could hold a large elepahant in a small measuring cup? Is there any mother's womb that can hold Lord Sri Hari, who places, rules and controls several Brahmandas within His tiny hair roots? Both are impossible.
There is a verse in the Hari Kathamruta saara which conveys a similar meaning:
ondu rUpadoLondavayavado
Londu rOmadoLondu dEshadi
pondi ippavajaanDanantaananta kOTigaLu
hinde maarkaaNDeya kaaNane
onde rUpadi sr^ShTi pralayava
indirEshanoLEnidacchari aprameya sada || 7-24
In each form, each part, each hair of the Lord, there are an infinite number of Brahmandas. Lord Vishnu showed Markandeya the creation and destruction of the universe through one of his forms. The universe is itself difficult to comprehend, so the Being containing infinite such universes is indeed 'aprameya'.
Here an interesting question arises. At any given time there is only one Brahmanda, or universe. How are they talking of multiple Brahmandas? For Lord Vishnu, the past, present, and future are all the same. Taking the infinite time that has passed and is yet to come, there are infinite Brahmandas, and Lord Vishnu contains each one of them.
Someone who is all-pervading and who holds the universe within him during each kalpa, can never be contained within a mother's womb, and thus does not experience being trapped in garbhavasa.
Furthermore, the word for Brahmanda used here is ajaanda. Aja means Brahma, which is split as a+ja. Brahma, the creator, was himself born from Lord Vishnu (denoted by the letter 'a'). As the primordial cause, the creator of even Brahma, Lord Vishnu has no birth.
By using the word Hari, Sri Vadirajaru reminds us that Sri Hari takes away our sins (paapa parihaara), freeing us from samsara so that we do not keep taking birth (and undergoing garbhavasa) over and over again. For Sri Hari to free us from garbhavasa, he must be above it.
============
# 45
In the previous verse, it was shown that Krishna does not undergo any kind
of birth. This verse shows that he is not affected by Kama, the deity and
desire itself.
adarinda kR^iShNanige janmavembudu salla |
madananivana kumaaranu |
kadanadi kaNegaLa ivanedegesevane |
sudatErigivanintu silukuvane || 45
adarinda - As a result
salla - there is no
embudu - such thing as
janma - birth
kR^iShNanige - for Krishna.
madananu - Kama deva
ivana - is his
kumaaranu - son.
kadanadi - Standing in opposition
esevane - would Kama deva shoot
kaNegaLa - arrows (causing love)
ivana - against his father's
edege - chest?
intu - In this way
ivanu - would he
silukuvane - be enchanted by
sudatErige - women (those with beautiful teeth)?
As a result of what was described in the previous verse, Krishna never undergoes birth. Furthermore, Kama deva, who causes desire is his son. Would Kama deva shoot arrows causing love against his own father's chest? No. So Krishna can never be struck by love for women.
Kamadeva can cause desire between a man and woman, but since he is the son of Narayana, he could not have caused the desire that resulted in him being born. He could only cause desire between a man and woman after he comes into existence, not before.
But an objection may be raised, in that Kama caused attraction between Shiva and Parvati, as well as Brahma and Saraswati, yet he was born to them as well (Shanmukha, the son of Shiva is Kama deva). The answer to this is that Kama first came into existence as Narayana's son. Only later was he reincarnated as Shiva's son. So Kama deva caused the attraction between Shiva and Parvati with his enchanting arrows, then after being burned by Shiva, was reincarnated as his son. In the case of Narayana, he did not exist earlier, so could not have caused any attraction between Narayana and Lakshmi.
But if Krishna danced with the Gopikas, and had 16000 wives, how could it not be said that he is enchanted by women? One time, the celestial apsaras accompanied by Kama went to Krishna in his other form as Veda Vyasa. Veda Vyasa was not distracted the least bit, and just smiled, as Kama's arrows were futile and could not cause any desire in him.
Lord Krishna and Veda Vyasa are one and the same. Krishna points this out in the Gita referring to himself as "VedantakR^it". Also, the Rshi for the Vishnu Sahasranama is "Veda Vyaso bhagavan Rshi". Furthermore, even the meaning of "Gopala" refers to both. Go can mean cow as well as the Vedas. Pala means protector. In one avatara, Krishna protected the cows in Gokul. In another avatara, Veda Vyasa protected the meaning of the Vedas. In both cases he is Gopala.
So why did Krishna enjoy with gopikas, and 16000 wives? It was mere play for him. Elders take joy in the games that their kids play, likewise Krishna pretended to lose to Kama deva, and be affected by the desire that Kama deva produces in others. But in reality as shown above he is not affected by desire, as the controlling deity of desire, Kama deva is his own son and under his control.
Lord Krishna is svatantra, all independent, so if he were affected by desire, it would mean he is not the all-controlling force. Krishna is not born of prakriti, so not affected by rajo guna, which causes desire. This is what links the first half of the verse to the second. Because Krishna does not have birth in any material sense ("janmavembudu salla"), he is not affected by kama, the way those born of prakriti are. As a result, the answer to the question "sudatiyarige silukuvane?", can he be enchanted by beautiful women, is a definite no.
===============
# 46
adarinda kR^ShNanige paranaarisangava kO |
vidaraada budharu nuDivare
sadarave I maatu sarvavEdangaLu
mudadinda taavu stutisuvavu || 46
adarinda - Therefore
budharu - will wise people
kOvidaraada - who understand Narayana
nuDivare - say that
kR^ShNanige - Krishna
paranaarisangava - has contact with other women?
I - Are these
maatu - words
sadarave =sariyaa - appropriate?
sarvavEdangaLu - All the vedas
taavu - you
stutisuvavu - praise Him
mudadinda =modadinda - out of happiness.
Therefore (after what was mentioned in the previous verse), will wise people who understand Narayana say that Krishna has contact with or is affected by other women? No. Are such words appropriate? No, because the vedas praise him as being flawless, He cannot succumb to kaama.
It is a question that many people have, that if Krishna is an incarnation of the Lord, why did he go after women, have so many wives? Isn't this a defect on his part? In fact Parikshit asked this question to Shuka Muni - how can Krishna who is supposed to show Dharma to others do such acts?
Shuka muni replies that the sins of others get burnt just by thinking of Krishna. Fire does not get impure by what gets put into it, but it has the capability to burn other things. If the sins of so many get burnt away just by thinking of Krishna, then how can Krishna himself be affected by sin? Shuka also gives another example. Just because Shiva can consume halahala poison doesn't mean others can. We should follow the advice that they preach, not try to mimic what they do.
When Krishna was with so many Gopikas, was he really after so many women? No, because Lakshmi was present in each of the Gopikas, he was with his own consort, not going after some other women. But Narayana does not even have desire for Lakshmi, because He is svaramana (gaining happiness from himself, not others). Because she is such a great devotee of Him, He blesses her with his presence. It is out of compassion that He is with Lakshmi, not because He is struck by love.
As the previous verse points out, the arrows of Cupid (Kaama) have no effect on Him, so the question of Him going after other women doesn't even arise. The 16000 sons of Agni wished to be born as women so they can be with Krishna, so as a result of the boon, Krishna married them. Krishna is showing his compassion towards his devotees. There is nothing He gains.
The word used in this verse to describe someone who is knowledgeable is Kovida. Ka denotes Paramatma, as is pointed out in the Kenopanishad. Someone who understands the nature of Paramatma (though of course, ultimately, only the Lord truly understands Himself, not even Lakshmi can fathom his infinite auspicious qualities), such a person is Kovida. Budha by itself just means someone who is wise, so Sri Vadirajaru has qualified it with the adjective Kovidaraada.
Another point to note in the verse is how the Vedas are described as praising him out of happiness, and are addressed as taavu (you all). Because Vedas are by themselves jaDa (insentient), we need to take this to mean the abhimani devatas (controlling deities) for the Vedas, such as Lakshmi, Saraswati. They would not praise someone who does "paranaarisanga", and furthermore Narayana is described as perfect and having no defect, so what Krishna did with the Gopikas, marrying 16000 wives all need to be understood as part of His Lila, a sort of play.
=================
# 47
enda bhaagavatada chandada maatanu
manda maanava manasige
tanduko jagake kaivalya vIva mu
kundage kundu korate salladu || 47
manda - O foolish
maanava - human,
tanduko - commit
manasige - to memory
chandada - the wonderful
maatanu - words
enda - as told
bhaagavatada - in the Bhagavata Purana.
mukundage - Sri Hari
vIva - who gives
kaivalya - Moksha
jagake - to the world
salladu - does not have
kundu - defects
korate - or shortcomings.
Oh foolish human, learn and internalize the wonderful words told in the Bhagavata Purana (that many of the previous verses are based on). Lord Mukunda (Sri Hari) who gives Moksha to the world, does not have any defects or shortcomings.
In the previous verses, it was pointed out that Krishna does not have desire for women, depend on Yashoda to feed him, suffer from sorrow, or have any mortal afflictions. Because many people still think otherwise, Sri Vadirajaru addresses them as "manda maanava", because they have not grasped the meaning of the Bhagavata Purana which describes Krishna as being flawless and not subject to such human defects. The "chandada maatu" described here follows along the same lines as the "sarvavEdangaLu mudadinda taavu stutisuvavu" described in the previous verse.
The Bhagavata Purana is one of the 18 Puranas, and carries with it the meaning of the Vedas and is in accordance with the Brahma Sutras. In fact the opening verse of the Bhagavata itself makes reference to the Gayatri mantra, through the use of the word "Dhimahi". It was composed by Sri Veda Vyasa, who is an incarnation of Vishnu, at the request of Narada.
The way fire is considered a test for gold, war is a test for the warrior, likewise for the learned, the real test is their knowledge of the Bhagavata Purana.
The meaning of Mukunda is one who gives Moksha, Lord Vishnu. He frees us from sin. By meditating upon him as one who is not affected by kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya, through his grace we too can conquer these ariShat (6 enemies). Also, as shown earlier in the verse "taa dukhiyaadare...", if Vishnu Himself is affected by sorrow, how can He come to earth to remove the sorrows of others? By pointing out that He has no shortcomings, it shows that His actions are not done for the sake of obtaining anything for Himself because He is svaramana.
Moksha is called kaivalya, because it is the only thing that once we obtain there is nothing left to obtain. Salvation is the ultimate goal of mankind. To clarify, it is not that all souls attain moksha. It is only those who are innately sattvik that strive towards it and thus attain it. And to do so they require the grace of Sri Mukunda. Moksha itself is perfect joy. One who grants moksha to all the deserving ones naturally has to be free of defects and devoid of shortcomings.
===============
# 48
hattu varuShada keLage makkaLaaTikeyalli
chitta striyarige eraguvude
artiyindarchisida gOkulada kanneyara
satya sankalpa beratidda || 48
keLage - Under
varuShada - the age of
hattu - 10 years,
makkaLu - when children
aaTikeyalli - are playing,
chitta - would their minds
eraguvude - go after
striyarige - women?
satya - He who has pure
sankalpa - thoughts
beratidda -spent time
kanneyara - with the girls
gOkulada - of Gokul
archisida - who worshipped Him
artiyinda - with devotion.
Would the minds of children younger than 10 years of age go after women? No, of course not, because it is an age when they are playing. Not only was Krishna a young child in Gokul, but he is also Satya Sankalpa, always thinking pure thoughts. He spent time with the Gopikas because they worshipped Him with devotion.
There are those who think that Krishna went after the women in Gokul because he was desirous of women, but Sri Vadirajaru points out the absurdity of this. Krishna was a 7-year old boy at the time. At that age, kids play, not fantasize about women. How can Krishna be accused of that?
The women in Gokul were also of a very young age, between 10 and 12 years of age. The word used in this verse "kanneyara" reminds us of the definitions used in the Bhagavata : dashavarShaa cha kanyakaa | sampraapte dvaadashe varShe kumaarItyabhidIyate. Those 10 years of age are called kanyakaa. Upon reaching 12 years of age, they are known as Kumaris. So most of the Gopikas were between 10 and 12 years, not grown women.
Furthermore, Krishna did not go secretly to meet them, rather went with his friends "vayasaiH aavR^itaH tatra". So this cannot be taken in the sense of someone wanting to meet their secret lovers.
How did the Gopikas get the privilege of being with Krishna? They have Lakshmi avesha (her special presence) because they obtained boons after doing tapas. Without Lakshmi's presence within them, Krishna would not be with the Gopikas. He is satya sankalpa, so fulfills their boons. There is no selfish motive on his part, nothing that he gains from being with the Gopikas.
Satya Sankalpa can have various definitions. One is that his thoughts are pure - there is no greed, lust, anger, or other human defects motivating his actions. Also what he desires, his sankalpa, will definitely be satya, or true. Because he is the only independent force in the universe, if he will something to happen, that is exactly what will happen. Furthermore, his actions are just. In the case of the Gopikas , they had prayed to be blessed with the presence of the Lord, so because of their devotion, Sri Krishna granted their wish.
===============
# 49
hattu mattaaru saasira strIyaralli
hattu hattenipa kramadinda
putrara vIryadali sRuShTisidavaruNTe
artiyinda sRuShTi harigidu || 49
uNTe - Is there anyone
vIryadali - who has the potency
sRuShTisidavaru - to create
hattu hattu enipa- 10
putrara - children
kramadinda - sequentially, in each of his
aaru - 6
mattu -more than
hattu - 10
saasira - thousand
strIyaralli - wives?
idu - This
sRuShTi - creation
artiyinda - was an expression of the joy
harige - of Sri Hari.
Krishna had 16000 wives, and had 10 children with each of those wives. Is there anyone who has the potency to produce so many children? No.
Sri Krishna showed that he is no ordinary human being, because an ordinary person would not be able to spend time with 16000 people, let alone produce 10 children with each of them.
Sri Vadirajaru clarifies that this was 'artiyinda' not 'kaamadinda'. Sri Krishna does not desire for anything in the world, so he certainly would not have lust for women. His fathering so many children is just an expression of his innate joy - aananda udreka. Just the way that when we laugh or smile, we don't do it with some motive or desire in mind, it is a natural expression of our joy, likewise, this is an expression of Sri Hari's innate joy.
Though Sagara chakravarti had 60000 sons, he had a boon from Shiva, and also could not produce evenly with both wives. Krishna produced 160000 children without depending on any boons. Furthermore he showed that he is the ultimate controller, because each wife had exactly the same number of children. Furthermore, all His children looked just like Him. As the saying goes "Hari chitta satya", when Lord Hari desired to produce 10 children that look like Him with each of his wives, that is exactly what happened.
It is important to point out that though Krishna's children looked exactly like him, they did not possess his strength or other qualities. There is no other being besides Sri Hari who possesses the qualities of
sarva svatantrya (independence), sarva guNa sampURnaH (perfection), sarva dosha vivarjitaH (flawlessness), and pUrNaananda (infinite bliss).
====================
# 50
This 50th verse in Lakshmi Shobhane coincides with the Aradhane of its author, Sri Vadirajaru(1480-1600). The actual Aradhane day was last week, Phalguna Krishna Tritiya. The Lakshmi Shobhane Haadu is but one of the many works written by Sri Vadirajaru. The depth of his works as well the extent of his knowledge of shaastra and tarka (scriptures and logic) is truly remarkable. A list of many, but not all of his works is given here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vadirajatirtha
rOma rOma kUpa kOTi vR^ikangaLa
nirmisi gOpaalara teraLisida
namma shrIkRuShNanu makkaLa sR^ijisuva ma-
himme ballavarige salahalike || 50
rOma rOma - From each of his hair's
kUpa - roots,
nirmisi - Krishna created
kOTi - several crore
vR^ikangaLa - wolves
teraLisida - pushing away
gOpaalara - the residents of Gokul.
ballavarige - Those who understand
mahimme - the greatness
namma - of our
shrIkRuShNanu - Sri Krishna's
sR^ijisuva -way of creating
makkaLa - children
salahalike -will be protected.
From his hair's roots, Sri Krishna created several crore wolves to push the Gopalakas away from Gokul. Our Sri Krishna will protect those who understand the greatness of how he created children.
One clarification in this verse is that it is not "vR^ikShangaLu" as some people mistakenly say but "vr^ikangaLu". vR^ikSha means tree. vR^ik means wolf. It doesn't make sense to say that trees drive the residents of Gokul to Vrindavana, so it should be vR^ik meaning wolf.
Sri Krishna created crores of wolves to scare the residents of Gokul into leaving for Vrindavana. They became so comfortable residing in Gokul that they refused to go to the beautiful Vrindavana, which Krishna felt would be a more appropriate place for the Gopalakas and Gopikas. In the case of wolves being created, Krishna clearly has no desire on his part at all. In the previous verse, it was mentioned that he produced 160 000 children. To show that Krishna does not produce children out of desire the way ordinary humans do, the example of his creating wolves is given. One must understand that Krishna's actions are divine, without any selfish motive. The Gita states:
janma karma cha mE divyamEvam yo vetti tattvataH
tyaktvaa dEham punarjanma naiti maamEti so.rjuna
He who understands the true nature of the birth of the Lord and His actions, casting aside his body he is not reborn but attains Moksha, being in the presence of Sri Krishna.
In earlier verses we have seen how Krishna does not reside in the womb and is not born the way humans are. Here it is pointed out that he is capable of actions not only impossible for humans (like creating 100's of thousands of children or crores of wolves), but is also not motivated by petty desires that humans have.
Another point to note about these wolves is mentioned by Sri Madhvacharya in his Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya. These are not ordinary wolves, but avatara of Krishna himself since they have the mark of Narayana, the Shrivatsa chihne. It may seem strange that he sent wolves towards the residents of Gokul, but he did so for their ultimate good, so that they would go towards a better place, Vrindavana.
By understanding Krishna's flawless nature, that his actions are different from those performed by others (not binding, not done with any desire to achieve something) he will protect us, meaning grant us ultimate liberation from samsara.
====================
# 51
maNNannEke medde emba yashOdege
saNNa baayoLage jagangaLa
kaNNaare tOrida namma shrIkR^iShNana
ghannate ballavarige salahalike || 51
namma - Our
shrIkR^iShNana - Sri Krishna
kaNNaare - directly
tOrida - showed
saNNa - in his small
baayoLage - mouth
jagangaLa - all the worlds
yashOdege - to Yashoda
emba - who had asked him
Eke - "Why
medde - did you savor the taste
maNNannu - of mud?"
ballavarige - Understanding
ghannate - his greatness
salahalike - will protect us.
Yashoda asked Bala Krishna "Why did you enjoy eating mud". In his small mouth, Krishna directly showed the various worlds to her. Understanding Lord Krishna's greatness will protect us.
Many of us have heard of this story of Krishna opening his mouth to Yashoda showing not mud but all the worlds within him. An interesting insight is why Krishna chose to put mud in his mouth. Rather than being some childish act, there is a rule in this universe: "na nirupaadaana sR^iShTi" - no creation is possible without some material cause. Here, the mud Krishna put in his mouth served as a material cause for the various worlds shown to Yashoda. Of course the Lord can create without any material, but He chooses nto to violate his own laws. He is also demonstrating his achintyaadbhuta shakti (unimaginable power). With one small handful of mud he can create entire worlds.
Sri Vadirajaru gives this example of creating worlds out of mud, and the previous verse's example of creating crores of wolves from his hair roots to show that there is no surprise in Krishna bearing 10 children with each of his 16000 wives.
Yashoda saw herself in the worlds that Krishna showed. So it can either be interpreted as this very same universe that Krishna showed or a universe just like this that Krishna created, transforming the mud.
When it is said that the Lord is the cause for the world, there is a distinction to be made between material and efficient cause. When a potter makes a pot out of clay, the clay is the material cause, the potter is the efficient cause. The Lord is only the efficient cause for the world, not the material cause. In other words, it is not that He transforms himself into the world. Nor is there any sort of "creation ex nihilo", creating the world out of nothing. The original matter that is used to create the world is mUla prakRiti, existing since time immemorial. This incident points out that though universe is within Him it is different from Him.
How will understanding this incident protect us? By understanding that the universe is contained within Lord Krishna, it also follows that He has everything under his control. Through his grace, we need not be afraid of anything since He will protect us.
=================# 52
naarada sanakaadi modalaada yOgigaLu
naariyarige maruLaahare
Orante shrIkR^iShNanaDigaDigeraguvare
aaraadhisutta bhajisuvare || 52
naariyarige - Do women cause
naarada - Narada Muni,
sanakaadi - Rishis like Sanaka
modalaada - and other
yOgigaLu - wise individuals
maruLaahare - to be enchanted?
eraguvare - Would such Rishis bow to
shrIkR^iShNana - Lord Krishna
aDigaDige - at each of step of the way
Orante - Would they persist in
aaraadhisutta - worshipping him
bhajisuvare - and having devotion for Him?
Do Narada, Rishis like Sanaka, and other wise individuals become enchanted by women? No. Would they persistently bow to Lord Krishna, worship Him at each chance they get, and have devotion for Him if He were enchanted by women? No, so it follows that Krishna, who is worshipped by so many yogis, is not enchanted by women.
In this verse, Sri Vadirajaru uses "kaimutya nyaaya" to show that when Sanaka, Narada, etc. are themselves normally not affected by desire for women, how could the Lord they worship be affected by women? Furthermore, as Sri Madhvacharya points out in the Dwadasha Stotra:
shaDvarga nigraha nirasta samasta dOShaan dhyaayanti viShNum R^iShayaH
yadapaangalesham aashritya yaan api sametya na yaati duHkhamshrIryat kaTaakSha balavatI ajitam namaami
Rishis who have conquered the six enemies (lust, anger, greed, delusion, arrogance, and envy) meditate upon Lord Vishnu, and also have the power to free those who approach them from sorrow. However they were able to do so through the grace of Lakshmi who derives her strength from Lord Vishnu (whose avatar is Sri Krishna).
So when it is through Lord Krishna's grace that Rishi's have conquered desire, it goes without saying that Krishna himself is not affected by desire. This is what "kaimutya nyaaya" is.
Again, Sri Vadirajaru is very careful with the words chosen in this verse. The Rishis are described as "YogigaLu". In the Gita, yoga is often used in the sense of a means to knowledge (jnaanopaaya). Thus, when Narada, Sanaka, etc. are described as yogis, they possess knowledge. What knowledge? The knowledge that Krishna is the epitome of perfection. They worship Sri Krishna understanding his nature. Instead of seeking external pleasures, they seek the Paramatma who is residing within everything. Such wise Rishis know that Krishna Paramatma is not affected by desire, and themselves do not possess such materialistic desires.
This verse also follows along the same lines as the previous verse:
"kesaroLu muLugidava parara baadhipa kesara biDisuvane?"
For Krishna to free others from desire, he himself must not be affected by it.
One other clarification in this verse is the use of sanakaadi followed by modalaada. It is not repetitive. The 'aadi' used with Sanaka refers specifically to 4 Rishis: Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatkumaara, Sanatsujaata.
modalaada refers to other Rishis.
=============
# 53
ambuja sambhava triyambaka modalaada
nambidavarige varavitta
sambhramada suraru eLLaShTu kOpakke
imbiddarivana bhajisuvare || 53
itta - Lord Narayana gave
varavu - boons
avarige - to those
nambida - who believed in him, such as
sambhava - Brahma who was born from
ambuja - a lotus,
tri - Shiva, who has 3
ambaka - eyes
modalaada - etc.
imbiddare - If Narayana had
eLLaShTu - even the slightest iota
kOpakke - of anger,
suraru - Would the deities
bhajisuvare - worship
ivana - him
sambhramada - out of enthusiasm
Lord Narayana gave boons to those who had faith in Him such as Brahma, who was born from a lotus, Shiva, who has 3 eyes, and other devatas. If there was a scope for Lord Vishnu to have even the slightest amount of anger, would the devatas worship him out of enthusiasm? No.
There is a double meaning for sambhrama. Bhrama can also mean delusion, so on occasion when the devatas are affected by ignorance, they may do something wrong. However, the all-forgiving Sri Hari does not hold such faults against them. Thus the devatas have more devotion for Sri Hari because the Lord will not get angry about their shortcomings.
Narayana's consort Lakshmi is the abhimani devata for Prakriti, so since krodha(anger), is caused by RajoGuna, which is under her control, he is not affected by such anger. Furthermore, one gets angry when things do not go the way we intend it. For someone who is the controller of everything, and who has nothing to achieve, there is no scope for Him to get angry.
The devatas do not worship Lord Vishnu out of fear but out of genuine devotion. They realize that Vishnu is the primary cause, the one independent entity in the universe upon which all else rests, so because of this, they show their devotion for Him. Also, being satvik, it is in their nature to be drawn to the divine. This is in stark contrast to Hiranyakashipu, who forced others to worship him. When they did not, the asura got angry. For Lord Vishnu there is nothing He gains by others praising him.
An objection may be raised that Narayana in his Narasimha avatara did display anger. A distinction needs to be made between anger which arises due to ignorance, not having one's way, and the display put on by Lord Vishnu. To protect those who are good, like Prahlada, Lord Vishnu punishes the wicked, like Hiranyakashipu. The display of anger is to strike fear into the hearts of the wicked. Since everything happens according to the will of Sri Hari, it is not possible for Him to get angry because events do not turn a certain way. Being omniscient, He is not affected by the ignorance which leads to anger either.
===============
# 54
avananguShThava toLeda gangaadEvi
paavanaLenisi mereyaLe
jIvana sEruva paapava kaLevaLu
I vaasudEvage eNeyunTe || 54
gangaadEvi - The goddess Ganga
toLeda - who washed
avana - his (Narayana's)
anguShThava - toe
mereyaLe - attained glory
enisi - becoming known
paavanaLu - as she who purifies
kaLevaLu - She removes
paapava - the sins
sEruva - committed
jIvana - by the souls.
eNeyunTe - Is there anyone equal
I - to this
vaasudEvage - Vasudeva?
The Goddess Ganga who washed the toe of Narayana was gloriously known as the Purifier. She removes the sins that are committed by various souls. Is anyone equal to this Vasudeva, whose toe gave Ganga such purifying power?
Some people think that Krishna committed sins like stealing butter, running after women, causing unfair deaths of people in Kurukshetra war,etc. But this verse dispels any notion that he is affected by sin.
The river Ganga is considered to purify us, removing our sins. How did she get such an ability? It is her contact with the feet of Lord Vishnu that gave her the power to remove sins. So when Vishnu gave Ganga the ability to remove the sins of others, how can he himself be affected by any sort of sin?
It is said that if one approaches Ganga during the time of Dashara and worships her, then 10 types of sins from 10 lifetimes will be removed. The word Ganga itself means that approaching which our sins are removed: "gamayati nirgamayati paapam". Another name for Ganga is Punya. And the Mahabharata says
"na gangaa sadR^isham tIrtham na dEvaH kEshavaat paraH"
There is no pilgrimage place equal to the Ganga, and no deity higher than Keshava (Narayana).
Sri Vadirajaru poetically describes how Ganga sprang forth in his Dashavatara Stuti:
shr^ingaarapaadanakhatungaagrabhinnakanakaangaaNDapaatitaTini |
tungaatimangaLatarangaabhibhUtabhajakaangaagha vaamana namaH |
When Vamana took his 3 steps, as he covered the earth and the heavens, the nail of his toe touched the outer edge of the Brahmanda. It made a small hole, which allowed the pure water outside to flow in. Brahma collected this water and used it to wash the feet of Narayana. It is this very water that became the purifying river Ganga.
It is not the water itself that removes our sins, it is the abhimani devata, Ganga devi who purifies us, and ultimately it is Narayana who both gave her this ability (in Vamana avatara), and who resides within her, removing the sins of those who approach the Ganga river with devotion.
==============
# 55
kilbiShaviddare agrapUjeyanu
sarbaraayara sabheyoLage
ubbida manadinda dharmaja maaDuvane
kobbadirelo paravaadi || 55
iddare - If Krishna were
kilbiSha - a sinner
dharmaja - would Dharmaraja
maaDuvane - have honored him with
agrapUjeyanu - the primary worship
ubbida - with such great
manadinda - pride
sabheyoLage - in the hall
sarbaraayara - where all the kings were seated?
elo - Oh, you
paravaadi - who argues against this,
kobbadiru - don't be arrogant.
If Krishna were a sinner, would Dharmaraja Yudhishtira have taken great pride in honoring Him with Agrapuja in the hall where all the kings were seated? If you argue against this, it is out of arrogance.
During the Rajasuya yajna that Yudhishtira performed, he decided to do the first worship (Agra puja) to Sri Krishna. In this verse, this example is given to further show that Krishna is ever free from sin.
Dharmaraja is an avatara of Yama (Dharmaja means born of Dharma), so he punishes those who are wicked. He would never honor the wicked. For Krishna to be honored by Yudhishtira, Krishna must be free from sin. Later during the war, Dharmaraja was concerned about telling a small lie that Ashwattama was dead. So if Krishna had committed great sins (like Shishupala accused), Yudhishtira would never have even considered honoring Him.
Why honor Krishna when Parashurama and Veda Vyasa, also Narayana avatara were present? If Parashurama or Veda Vyasa were honored, people may think "oh, they were Brahmins, so they were honored". To dispel any notion that Krishna is just some ordinary cowherd or that his deeds were sinful, Yudhishtira chose to honor the Krishna avatara of Narayana. Of course all forms of Vishnu are the same.
Shishupala accuses Krishna of strihatya for killing Pootana, and gohatya for killing dhenukaasura. But both of them were wicked. On the other hand, Shishupala must really have arrogance because he had committed really wicked deeds like trying to steal a horse from Vasudeva trying to stop a yajna, or trying to steal Akroora's wife, yet he is accusing Krishna. For insulting Krishna, the Lord of the worlds and insulting all those who were seated, including his devotees like Bheeshma and Yudhishtira, Shishupala lost his head to Krishna's chakra.
Sri Vadirajaru is telling us not to be like Shishupala. Lord Krishna who was honored by Yama Dharmaraja himself is far superior to us. Out of arrogance we should never think that Krishna is either some ordinary cowherd or someone who has committed sins, because ultimately we will have to approach Him to free us from our sins.
==============
# 56
saavillada harige narakayaatane salla
jIvantarige narakadali |
nOvanIvane nimma yamadEvanu
gOva, nI hariya guNavariya || 56
harige - Narayana
saavillada - who has no death
salla - does not
yaatane - go to
naraka - Hell.
nimma - Would your
yamadEvanu - deity Yama
Ivane - cause
nOvanu - pain
narakadali - in Hell
jIvantarige - to those who are alive?
gOva - O cowherd
nI - did you
ariya - understand
guNavu - the traits of
hariya - Sri Hari?
Lord Narayana who has no death never undergoes suffering in Naraka. In Hell, would your Yama deva torture those who are still alive? O cowherd, did you understand Lord Hari's traits? No.
In the previous verse it was shown that since Yudhishtira (an avatara of Yama) worshipped Sri Krishna, he could not have any defects or flaws. Still, if someone gets a doubt that maybe after the end of Krishna avatara perhaps he suffers in Hell, this verse points out the absurdity of that.
Krishna, like all of Sri Hari's avatara-s is immortal. He has no beginning or end. At the time when Krishna ends his avatara, it is not really his death, but rather just for show. He creates a mock body, leaves that behind and is no longer visible to the world. For Krishna, he is one and the same as his body, so there is no such thing as death, which is a separation of the soul from the body, for him.
Yama does not torture in Hell those who are not dead. For example, when Savitri follows him, he says that she cannot come. Because Krishna cannot die, even the possibility of his being tortured in Hell is not there. There are many other reasons why this is not possible. As stated in the previous verse, Krishna had not committed any sin, so does not suffer in Hell. Also, He was the one who appointed Yama deva, so why would he suffer at the hands of Yama? Furthermore, everything is under his control, so what would cause Him to suffer? And as stated in the "taa dukhiyaadare...", Krishna removes the sorrows of others, so of course he does not experience any sorrow.
For all these reasons, Sri Vadirajaru addresses those who may raise such arguments as "gova", a cowherd. In other words such a person who argues that Sri Krishna suffers in Hell is too simple to understand such concepts. Another meaning is that the way a cowherd protects the cows, likewise, we protect our own bodies for fear of losing them. By understanding the traits of Sri Hari, we can appeal to Him to protect us when we eventually lose this body,
Hari can also mean one who takes the wicked souls out of their body and punishes them in Hell, in other words Yama deva. When Sri Vadirajaru asks "hariya guNavariya", it could also mean do you understand Yama's traits? It is not possible for Him to punish the immortal, all independent, ever righteous Sri Hari.
=============
# 57
narakavaaLuva yamadharmaraaya
tannanarajanmadoLage poraLisi
maraLi tannarakadali poraLisi koluvanu
kuru ninna kuhaka koLadalli || 57
yamadharmaraaya - Would the demigod Yama
aaLuva - who rules over
narakava - Hell
poraLisi- send
tanna=tannannu - himself
narajanmadoLage- into a human birth
maraLi- and again
poraLisi- send
tan=tanna - himself
narakadali- to Hell
koluvanu - to be tortured?
kuru- O naive person
ninna- your
kuhaka - bad arguments
koLadalli - lie in the mud
Would Yama Dharma Raja who rules over Hell make himself be born as a human, then afterwards torture himself in his own Hell? No. O naive person, your argument lies in the mud.
There are those who argue that if there are rules for right and wrong, Narayana too is bound by them, and must suffer in Hell when He breaks them. In this verse, the example of Yudhishtira is given. The deity governing Hell, Yama Dharmaraja was born as Dharmaraja Yudhishtira. However, being the deity who controls Hell it would be silly for him to torture himself. So for the ruler of the entire universe, Sri Hari, why would He make Himself experience Hell? Sri Hari is not bound by any actions, but does so merely as show, to guide the good and mislead the wicked into thinking he is just an ordinary human.
Yudhishtira ascended to Svarga, but he was given a glimpse of Naraka. People think it was for lying about Ashwatthama's death, but it was not for that. Krishna had instructed Yudhishtira to just say that Ashwatthama is dead, so Drona would drop his weapons and not fight. Instead of following this, Yudhishtira mistakenly thought that what Krishna said is wrong. There is no greater Dharma than Krishna's words, and if one follows it, Krishna himself is there to protect us, since everything, including reaping the fruits of our actions is under His control. Yudhishtira did not actually experience Hell, but for disobeying Krishna he was given a glimpse of it.
If an argument is made that even a person who makes the rules has to pay a price for disobeying those rules, so God has to pay the price for breaking the rules just as Yudhisthira had to pay, then such an argument is refuted here in two ways:
1. Yudhisthira did not break his rule, but disobeyed he Lord, so he was punished for that
2. He had a glimpse of naraka not by actually seeing it, but mistaking an illusory "non-naraka" as naraka.
No devata, including Yama, ever experiences Naraka. So Krishna, who is far above them, certainly does not experience Naraka.
========
# 58
bommana nUru varuSha pariyanta praLayadalli
summaneyaagi malagirda namma
naaraayaNage hasi tR^iShe jare maraNa du
Shkarma duHkhangaLu toDasuvare ||
praLayadalli - During the time of destruction pariyanta -which lasted as
long as nUru - the 100 varuSha - year lifespan bommana - of Brahma,
malagirda - Sri Hari lay summaneyaagi - carefree.
namma - For our
naaraayaNage - Narayana ,
hasi - hunger
tR^iShe -thirst
jare - disease
maraNa - death
duHkhangaLu - or sorrow arising
duShkarma - from past sins
toDasuvare - do not apply.
During the great destruction which lasted as long as the 100 year lifespan of Brahma, Sri Hari lay peacefully, carefree. Do hunger, disease, thirst, death, or sorrow arising from past sins apply to Him? No.
It seems like the ideas in this verse were mentioned before. For example, the third verse is
"bommana praLayadalli...summaneyaagi malagippa...janmavembudu avataara".
And there is also another previous verse "hasi tR^iShe jare maraNa...pashu modalaagi neneyadu".
But in the third verse, Sri Vadirajaru was speaking. Here Lakshmi devi is describing Sri Hari. Also, the third verse just says "janmavembudu avataara", without going into the details. Here, it is pointed out that not only is he not born due to past sins, but also, at no point in time is Sri Hari affected by hunger, thirst, etc.
Summane can be taken in two different senses. Though Sri Hari is lying down, he is not asleep. Sleep is something we can not control, and also is a sign of exhaustion. But such is not the case for the Lord. Also, he is lying down without being affected by the disease, hunger, and thirst mentioned in the second half of the verse.
An interesting point to note is that even the Jivas are not affected by thirst or hunger in praLaya state, but that is because they are inactive. The unique characteristic of Sri Hari is pointed out by Sri Madhvacharya:
yadasupti gato.pi hari sukhavaan
sukharUpiNam aahurato nigamaaH
He is in a blissful state not because he is blissfully asleep (this is true of jIvas like us, who during deep sleep enjoy bliss).
Never being affected by sleep, Sri Hari is by his very nature the personification of bliss. The Vedas extoll his innate blissful nature. Those jivas in mukti also do not have sorrow, but before attaining moksha, they did experience sorrow. Also, even the joy they experience in moksha, that is because of Sri Hari. Unlike the jIva who is at some point in samsara, Sri Hari is always in a blissful state and does not rely on anyone else for his experiencing joy.
=============
# 59
rakkasarastragaLinda gaayavaDeyada
akShayakaayada sirikR^iShNa
tuchCha yamabhatara shastrakaLukuvanalla
huchcha nI hariya guNavariya || 59
sirikR^iShNa - Sri Krishna
akShaya -who has an indestructible
kaayada - body
gaayavaDeyada - that is never wounded
astragaLinda - by the weapons
rakkasara - of the demons.
tuchCha - The lowly
yama - Yama Deva's
bhatara - servants'
shastrake - weapons
aLukuvanalla - do not bother him at all.
huchcha - O foolish person,
nI - do you
ariya -understand
hariya -Sri Hari's
guNava - attributes?
Sri Krishna has an indestructible body that is never wounded by the weapons of the demons. The lowly weapons of Yama deva's servants cannot bother him at all. O foolish person, do you understand Sri Hari's attributes? No.
In the Bhagavad Gita, both the jIva and paramaatma are described as being indestructible:
nainam chhindanti shastraaNi na chainam dahati paavakaH |
na chainam kledayantyaapo na shoShayati maarutah || 2-23
Weapons do not cut the soul or Sri Krishna, fire does not burn it, water does not moisten it, nor can it be withered by the wind.
For the jIva, the body is separate from the soul. For the Lord, his body, soul, attributes, are all one and the same - akshaya. The embodied soul and the Lord are both satchidaananda. They are aprAkR^ita (non-material) made of consciousness and bliss, so of course weapons cannot damage it.
There was an instance when Yama himself ran away from the asura Kalanemi fearing his life. Narayana defeated Kalanemi easily, so it shows that He is far more powerful than Yama.
On another occasion, Narakaasura obtained the shataghnI weapon from Brahma and used it against Krishna, who swallowed it easily, showing that weapons don't hurt him. Similarly during the Kurukshetra, when Bhagadatta fired the Vaishnavastra against Arjuna, Krishna blocked it, and the weapon turned into a garland of flowers. When such powerful weapons are swallowed by Sri Krishna or turn into flowers, how could any of the weapons of Yama or his servants, far less powerful than the Vaishnavastra or Shataghni harm him?
If one argues that maybe in Hell, Krishna obtains a yaatana sharIra (for experiencing sorrow) like other souls do, one can only obtain such a body after death. And as pointed out earlier, diseases or death do not affect Sri Krishna, so there is no question of Him obtaining some temporary body to experience sorrow in Hell. So people who may argue this way have not really comprehended the attributes of Sri Krishna.
=============
# 60
kichcha nungidanu namma shrI kR^iShNanu
tuchcha narakadoLu analanige
bechchuvanalla adarindivage naraka
mechchuvaralla budharella || 60
namma - Our
shrI kR^iShNanu - Sri Krishna
nungidanu - who swallowed
kichcha - forest fire
bechchuvanalla - isn't bothered by
tuchcha - the lowly
analanige - fire
narakadoLu - in Hell
adarinda - Therefore
ivage - his being in
naraka - Hell
mechchuvaralla - isn't accepted by
budharella - the wise
Our Sri Krishna swallowed the forest fire. He is not bothered by the lowly fire in Hell. Therefore, the idea that He experiences Hell is not accepted by the wise.
Krishna was heading back with gopalakas after doing kaliyamardhana, when all of a sudden, in the middle of the night, there was a forest fire. In a blink of an eye, he swallowed the fire, which shows that fire cannot bother him at all.
A similar incident happened at the time when Pralambaasura was killed by Balarama. The cows in Gokul wandered off, and when the gopalakas found them, they were surrounded by a forest fire. Krishna asked everyone to close their eyes. Once again, Sri Krishna swallowed the fire in a mere blink of an eye.
When forest fires do not even singe Sri Krishna, the idea that the fire in Hell can burn him doesn't make any sense. Furthermore, as pointed out in the previous verse, since Sri Krishna is jnaanaanandamaya (made of
consciousness and bliss), neither fire nor weapons, nor any of the elements can harm Him.
There are those who may argue that Sri Krishna committed sins and thus would have to suffer in Hell for them. Sri Vadiarajaru explains why such objections do not make any sense. Neither did Vishnu in any of his avataras commit any sins, nor is it possible for Him to suffer for them.
===========
# 61
maneyali kShameya taaLda vIra bhaTa
raNarangadalli kShamisuvane
aNuvaagi namma hitake manadoLagina kR^iShNa
muniva kaalakke mahattaaha || 61||
vIra bhaTa - Would a warrior
taaLda - who shows
kShameya - forgiveness
maneyali - at home
kShamisuvane - show forgiveness
raNarangadalli - on the battlefield?
aNuvaagi - In a minuscule form
kR^iShNa - Sri Krishna
manadoLagina - who resides in our mind
namma - for our
hitake - wellbeing
kaalakke - At the time
muniva - of death
aaha - he is said to
mahat - have grown.
Would a warrior who shows mercy at home show mercy on the battlefield? No.
Likewise the same Sri Krishna who resides in each of our minds giving us joy, in such a small form, takes a large form at the time of Pralaya.
Here an example is given of a warrior who may be very forgiving at home. But on the battlefield when he has to fight enemies, certainly he is not forgiving. So we see these contradictory attributes in the same person.
Likewise, Sri Krishna is said to be aNoraNIyaan mahato mahIyaan (smaller than the smallest, larger than the largest). Though he can assume such a minute form, residing within our minds, during the time of Pralaya (destruction), he expands and assumes a pervasive form. Sri Vadirajaru is giving an example to show how contradictory attributes can exist in one and the same person.
Note the contrast between Lord Vishnu and other deities. Whereas other abhimani devatas (those residing within our body controlling our various organs) get destroyed at the time of Pralaya, rather than diminishing in strength, Lord Vishnu expands and assumes a large pervasive (vyaapta) form.
Becoming mahat is taking up the virAtsvarUpa and doing samhAra kArya. If a question is asked "How can such a gracious Lord do such a ferocious samhAra kArya?", it is answered here. When the praLaya kAla comes (muniva kalakke), he becomes huge and engulfs everything. Nothing affects Sri Krishna, but he affects everything else by being the cause for its existence and bringing about its destruction.
But how does "namma hitake" tie into the verse? This verse can also be given a nearly opposite meaning. Instead of "taaLda", there is a pAThaantara "taaLada". So the meaning would be:
A warrior who does NOT show forgiveness at home, would such a warrior show forgiveness on the battlefield? No, by "kaimutya nyaaya". If someone is not forgiving at home, certainly on the battlefield when facing an enemy he would certainly not be showing mercy.
The analogy when the verse is interpreted this way is that Sri Krishna resides in our minds for our own prosperity. It is because of Him that we are able to think, learn, feel joy, and do everything else that the mind does. Another name for Sri Krishna is "Hrishikesha" - controller of our sense organs.
When he resides in our minds giving joy, how could he himself wither away due to the effects of time? Normally it is Time that causes matter to wither and decay over time. Our once youthful bodies through the effect of time become old, likewise various material objects break down and disintegrate over time.
Why is this not true of Sri Krishna? There are several reasons
1)Someone who is the primary cause behind everyone's ability to experience joy would certainly not himself suffer to old age, decay, etc.
2)The mind itself does not decay the way the body does. We see many cases where people in old age still have sharp minds. When the mind itself is not affected by time (ignoring mental diseases, etc.), how can Sri Krishna who resides within it, more subtle than the mind be be diminished through the passage of time?
3)Sri Krishna is sarvatantra svatantra (all independent). Everything, including time itself is under his control, so certainly the passage of time would have no effect on Him.
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# 62
thaaya poTTeyinda mUlarUpava thOri
aayudha sahita poravaNTa
nyaaya kOvidaru puTTidanembare
baayige bandante bogaLadiru || 62 ||
thOri-Showing
mUla-his original
rUpava-form
poravaNTa=horavaNTa-he came out
thaaya-of his Mother's
poTTeyinda-womb
sahita-bearing
aayudha-weapons
kOvidaru-would wise men
nyaaya-who know logic
embare- say that
puTTidanu-he was born
bogaLadiru-Don't say meaningless phrases
bandante-that come
baayige-to your mouth
Sri Krishna came out of his mother's womb, showing his original form, bearing weapons. Would wise men who know logic, say that Krishna was born the way humans are? No. Don't say meaningless phrases that come to your mind.
In Kannada, bogALodu means barking, for example the sound made by a dog, which makes no sense. "baayige bandante" means whatever comes to your mind (literally, mouth, since one is not thinking it through). What Sri Vadirajaru is implying here is that those who think that Sri Krishna was born just the way humans are, after spending several months in a womb, such people make arguments without thinking. Their arguments don't make sense.
Since Sri Krishna appeared in this world bearing chakra, shankha, and other weapons, he could not have actually come out of the womb, because logically such weapons would tear apart the mother. Also he did not come out as a newborn baby, but possessing his original form.
This verse also implies that Sri Krishna can not experience the sorrow of being trapped in a womb because he would need a mortal body for that (like for experiencing naraka, a yaatana sharIra is required). Since his body is apraakRita (body that is not made of matter but satchidaananda), the pain that affects a praakRita body(one made of matter) doesn't touch him.
Furthermore, similar to what was pointed out in the "narakavaaLuva yamadharmaraaya" verse, just the way Yama dharma raja would not subject himself to Naraka, there is no reason for Krishna who causes other souls to acquire bodies to himself undergo being trapped inside a womb. Of course being all-pervasive, Krishna is everywhere, including inside Devaki's womb, but by no means is He restricted to such a cramped space.
This verse is not punarukti because earlier what was described is whether he can fit inside a womb (A viShNu garbhadoLaDaguvane) and that he does not suffer from hunger, disease, etc. (devakiya garbhadali...) Here it is described that he doesn't have garbhavaasa. This is important because to free others from the birth and death cycle, He must be above it.
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# 63
uTTa pItaambara toTTa bhUShaNangaLu
iTTa navaratnada mukuTavu
meTTida kuruha edeyalli tOrida shrI
viThala puTTidanenabahude || 63
shrI viThala-Krishna
tOrida-showed himself
uTTa-wearing
pIta-yellow
ambara-clothes,
toTTa-adorned by
bhUShaNangaLu- ornaments,
iTTa-having
mukuTavu-a crown
navaratnada- with 9 jewels
meTTida-and bearing
kuruha-the Shrivatsa marking
edeyalli- on his chest
enabahude-Can one say that
puTTidane - he was born?
When Sri Krishna appeared to Devaki, he showed himself wearing yellow clothes, adorned by ornaments, having a crown with 9 jewels, and bearing the Srivatsa marking on his chest. Could one say that such a being was born the way ordinary humans are?
Sri Vadirajaru describes the way Sri Krishna appeared in this world, which was quite unlike any ordinary human baby. No one comes out of the womb wearing clothes or having a crown with 9 jewels, but such was the case for Sri Krishna. More importantly, the Srivatsa marking on him symbolizes Lakshmi and shows his divinity. The Ramayana describes this marking as being red.
Some say that the Srivatsa marking came from Bhrgu muni placing his foot on Vishnu, but if it were due to some other cause that Vishnu acquired such markings, why would He continue to bear the marking when choosing to take the avatara of Krishna? The 'Sri' in Srivatsa denotes Lakshmi and it is fitting that Vishnu, her consort, bear such a marking.
Another paaTha for the verse has 'meTTada' instead of 'meTTida', which gives the opposite meaning. Taken this way, it means that the markings on Lord Vishnu were not made. In other words, the Srivatsa marking exists on Him since time immemorial.
Just the way Vishnu existed since time immemorial, so does Lakshmi. Neither of them was some other deity in a previous birth. However such is not the case for any other deity. Brahma for example was Vayu in the previous Kalpa. The Shesha in this Kalpa was Shiva in the previous one. The union between Vishnu and Lakshmi is unique in that it has existed since time immemorial and will continue forever, and the Srivatsa marking on Lord Vishnu symbolizes that eternal union.
There was an Incident where Vadirajaru told a Jain king that if one of his Jaina statues showed the presence of Vishnu, he must give it to Vadirajaru's Matha. Indeed, it transformed into Vitthala devaru, complete with pitambara and shrivatsa marking. No sculptor carved it, but it happened naturally. This statue is still worshipped in Sode matha today. If an ordinary stone can appear with pitambara and shrivatsa, where is the surprise in Lord Vishnu Himself appearing in that fashion?
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# 64
R^iSha hamsa mahiSha mUShakavaahanavEri
maa -nisarante suLiva surarella |
eseva dEvEshaanara sahasakke maNidaru |
kusumanaabhanige sariyuNTe || 64
Eri - Climbing
vaahana-vehicles such as
hamsa- the greatest among
R^iSha- bulls (Nandi),
mahiSha- a buffalo,
mUShaka - and a rodent,
ella - all the
suraru - deities
suLiva - went around
maanisarante = manuShyarante - like ordinary humans.
maNidaru - They lost
eseva - trying to fire weapons against
Isha - the Lord
dEva - of the gods, Lord Krishna
anara = anala - because of his fiery
sahasakke - strength and power
sariyuNTe - Is there any equal to Sri Krishna,
kusumanaabhanige - from whose navel the primordial lotus sprung forth?
Shiva climbed his Nandi vehicle, Yama climbed his buffalo, Ganesha climbed his rodent mount, and likewise other deities climbed their vehicles acted like ordinary humans, trying to fight against Lord Krishna. They lost to the fiery strength of Sri Krishna. Is there anyone equal to Sri Krishna, from whom the primordial lotus sprung forth?
This verse has quite a few concepts in it. In previous verses, it was described how Sri Krishna does not suffer from hunger, thirst, death, naraka, or being trapped inside womb. Now his position among other deities is mentioned.
The context being described is when Sri Krishna went with Satyabhama to obtain Parijata flowers from Indraloka. The other deities did not like this and tried to stop him One would expect ordinary humans to exhibit behavior like being angry at the Lord, but it is surprising that devatas like Yama, Shiva, and Ganesha would do such a thing. That is why Sri Vadirajaru describes them as "maanisarante", acting like humans, because at that particular time, they were affected by ignorance, thinking that they could fight against Sri Krishna himself.
Though Brahma's vehicle is "hamsa" (swan), in this case that cannot be the meaning, because Vayu and Brahma are above the influence of wicked forces. They would never try to oppose Krishna at any point, because at all times Brahma and Vayu have the understanding of who Krishna is.
Next it is described that the deities lost trying to fight Sri Krishna. "eseva" can be taken as either Krishna threw them, or that the arrows and other weapons thrown against Krishna were futile. Why? Because the "saahasa" of Sri Krishna was like a fire. At the time of Pralaya, Sri Krishna consumes the entire universe as even the bodies of these other deities are destroyed, so what chance could they stand trying to fight?
Another reason why they could not vanquish Krishna is that during the time of creation, it is from the lotus that sprung forth from Sri Vishnu's navel that Brahma was born and subsequently other deities. Being the cause for the very existence of the other deities, how could they defeat him in battle?
It is for this reason that Sri Vadirajaru asks us to consider whether there is anyone equal to "kusumanaabha", to which the answer is of course no.
=================
# 65
ondondu guNagaLu iddAvu ivaralli
sandaNisive bahu dOSha
kundeLLiShTillada mukundane tanagendu
indire patiya nenedaLu || 65
This also came in verse 29, which started the description of Hari's flawlessness. Now it is a conclusion to what Lakshmi was thinking.
Again,it basically describes how other deities may have a few positive qualities, but have many flaws. But Lakshmi thought of her consort Lord Vishnu who has no flaws.
The 'ivaralli' refers to other deities. For a more detailed explanation please see the commentary on verse 29.
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# 66
intu chintisi rame santa raamana padava
santOShamanadi nenevuta
santOShamanadi nenevuta tanna
kaantaniddeDege naDedaLu ||66
intu =hIge - In this way
rame - Lakshmi
chintisi - thought
santa =shaantavaagi - calmly
raamana - about Sri Rama's
padava - feet
santOSha - with a happy
manadi - mind
nenevuta - she continued to think
naDedaLu - and walked
eDege - to the place
idda - where
tanna - her
kaantanu - dear one was.
In this way, Lakshmi thought calmly of Sri Rama's feet. She continued to think of Him, her mind full of joy, and walked to the place where her dear consort Lord Vishnu was.
An alternate meaning of 'santa' is someone who is good (for example, seen earlier in 'santaru keLi sogasaru'). The Lord is of course the personification of what is good.
'padava' is used to describe the feet of great person, like aananda tirtha bhagavatpaadaru, Tikakrtpaadaru. Though Lord Vishnu is the consort of Lakshmi, he is far superior to everything else in the universe, as everything depends on Him, but He does not depend on anything.
Though this verse looks very straightforward, there is quite a bit of depth in the meaning of the one word Rama. The one word Rama has the equivalent meaning of 1000 names. As Shiva tells Parvati,"sahasranaama tattulyam raama naama varaanane".
This translation is based on the Kannada explanation given by Hayavadana Puranik. In it, he has given an interpretation of Rama for verses 30 to 65. The meaning of Rama as relevant to verses 30 to 45 will be given in this verse, and the rest will be continued in the next posting
The "ondondu guNagaLu..." verse is verse 29 as well as verse 65, so that is why the word Rama has been explained for this set of verses. The format given below is the Shobhane verse number, followed by the part of the verse that is relevant in quotes, followed by the Sanskrit explanation of 'Rama', followed by the English translation. If there are special notes about how 'Rama' breaks up, that is denoted with an asterisk.
30 - "devarShi viprara kondu..."
raH agnitulya amah kaalaparimiti shUnyashcha - Rama consumes everyone at the time of Pralaya like fire. He is also not bound by time. In other words, whereas the lifespan has expired for other deities at the time of Pralaya, it is not true for Vishnu.
*Ra can mean agni. ma means measurable. a+ma means immeasurable.
31 - "hasi tRuShe jare maraNa..."
riNanti lOkakShayakaarINi bhayaani aa samyak mInaati naashayati - Rama completely destroys those things which plague our world, like hunger, thirst, fear, etc.
*Ra and ma can both mean to destroy. aa+ma means to completely destroy.
32 - "taa duhkhiyaadare surararatiya..."
ram sukham aa samantaat nirmaati - Rama took birth on earth to give joy to good people.
*Ram can mean joy. maa means to spread.
33 - "bommana aalayadalli iddavage..."
laye.pi ramate amah kaalaparimiti shUnyashcha - Even in the time of Pralaya Rama resides. He is not bound by time.
34 - "aaga bhakShya...paaka mADuva vahni..."
rENa jaaTharaagninaa amaH na mIyate - Rama is not affected by jatharagni, and also has no need of fire to cook, for example at the time of the Pralaya.
*ra= agni, and rENa means by fire.
35 - "rOgavanIva...rameyoDane..."
ramaayaa ayam - Rama is with Ramaa devi.
* Ramaa is another name for Lakshmi.
36 - "rammedeviyaranappi...ammoghavIryavu chalisidare..."
ram agnitulyam nijavIryam na mayate gacchati apagacchati yasmaat sa - Rama is not like an ordinary mortal who releases sperm out of lust.
* Ra means fire, and is compared to the potent male sperm.
37 - "Ekatra nirNita...sarvadOShakke..."
raH sukharUpaH amaH parimiti shUnyaH pURNashcha - Rama is full of bliss Because he has no limitations, he is complete and perfect.
38 - "ella jagava nungi..."
raH ramate aa samantaat jagat layakaale mInAti hinasti
bhakShaNena - Rama swallows all worlds at the time of Pralaya and remains blissful. In other words. In other words, for us ordinary humans, we may eat something and fall sick, but the Lord is able to consume the entire universe with no side effects.
39 - "intha mUrutiya oLagomba naraka..."
ramate atha cha aa samantaat vyaaptam maa maanam yasya - Rama does not experience sorrow in Hell, because his infinite form cannot be bound in Hell. In other words, such an all-pervasive being cannot be put inside Hell to undergo suffering.
*a+ma means limitless not just with respect to time, but also space. ramate points out his blissful nature, so He cannot suffer in Hell
40 - "shrI naaraayaNara janani...narasimhana..."
raH agniriva amaH svasharIra nirmaatR^i pitraadi shUnyashcha - Rama is like a fire. The demon Hiranyakashipu who had acquired boons from Brahma could not escape the wrath of Narasimha, another avatara of Vishnu. Also, Narasimha was not born from a father and mother and thus was not limited by them (the bodies of living creatures are limited by the traits they get from their parents, but this is not true of the Lord)
* rah means fire, and is used to describe Narasimha , for example "daha daha narasimha sahya vIryaahitam me"
41 - "ambudhiya udakadali...pitanaaru"
jale ramate svasharIra nirmaatR^i pitraadi shUnyashcha - Rama enjoys being in the water in his earlier avatara as kurma. Here too, He does not have the limitations of having only what was passed on to him by his father/mother the way for example an ordinary tortoise would.
*a+ma means not having the limitations of a physical body given to us by our parents.
42 - "devakiya garbhadali..."
garbhe ramate amaH svasharIra nirmaaNa rahitashcha - Rama enjoys being in the womb. Whereas ordinary mortals are trapped in the womb, for someone who is all pervasive, not bound by any physical limitations, this is not true. He is not born like other living beings. No one created His body.
*a+ma means though technically he is within the womb of Devaki (in Krishna avatara),he is present everywhere and is not in any way trapped in a womb
43 - "aavaaLisuvaga ...bhuvanavellava..."
nidraalasya naaTyena ramamaaNaH vadane ayam aparimitam jagat darshayati - Rama during his avatara as Krishna enjoys putting on a play for Yashoda showing the unlimited world within him.
* ram means to enjoy, and as Krishna, showing the world within his mouth while yawning was just a play. Here a+ma describes the limitless universe that Krishna showed Yashoda in his mouth.
44 - ramamANaH rOmakUpEShu aparimita brahmaaNDa dhaarakascha - Rama as a sort of play, bears the limitless brahmanda on his hairs. As was pointed out, there is only one Brahmanda at any given time, but the reason it is a play or leela for the Lord is because He has the power to make it appear as multiple universes. For example, when Yashoda looked inside the world Krishna showed in His mouth, she saw herself looking inside Krishna's mouth. It was not some other universe or something illusory.
This is a continuation of the meaning of "Rama" as relevant to the verses between "ondondu guNagaLu ..."
First the verse number, then the Kannada text that is relevant, followed by the Sanskrit meaning of Rama is given.
After that is the English translation and any special notes on Rama (preceded by *)
45 - "adarinda kRSHNanige...sudatErigivanu silukuvane"
rAbhI ramaNIyaabhiH strIbhirapi ameyam- Rama (or Krishna) cannot be obtained by any women, not even Lakshmi.
People think Krishna was somehow enchanted by women, but when Vishnu is not enchanted by Lakshmi herself, how could an ordinary woman enchant him? That too, in this verse, it was pointed out that Kama (or cupid) is the son of Vishnu, so he would not use arrows against his own father, meaning,the arrows of love or desire have no effect on Vishnu.
46 - "adarinda kRSHNanige...paranaari sangava...sarva vedangaLu...stutisuvavu"
ramaNIya vedavaagbhiH aa samyak paranaari sangadOSha rahitatvena mEya Rama is known by the beautiful vedas as one who is truly free of being attached to any woman.
*ram is used to describe the Vedas. In the Bhagavad Gita for example, "yaamimaam puShpitaam vaacham", the words of the Vedas are described as flowery. aa can mean completely. Here meyaH is used to mean he is known by the Vedas,as in "vedaischa sarvair aham eva vedyo", also in the Gita.
47 - "enda bhaagavatada...jagake kaivalyavIva mukunda"
ram jIvasvarUpasukham muktau aa samyak maapayati anubhaavayati - Rama is the one who, in his form as Mukunda, makes each sattvik jIva experience its "svarupa sukha" on innate joy, in Moksha,
*ram refers to the soul's innate joy. maapayati means to cause to experience
48 - "hattu varShada ...chitta striyarige...satya sankalpa beretidda"
svena ramaNaartham A IShat maaH ramaaveshayukta gOpalalanaaH yasya saH -
By His own grace, he gives joy Gopis, who are endowed with the Avesha of Ramaa devi (Lakshmi devi). Even in His avatAras, God will not touch any woman who does not have the Avesha of Laksmi.
49 - "hattu mattaaru saasira striyaralli..."
ramate chaasau aa samantaat ShoDaSha sahasra strIShvapi maaH dasha
dasha putra sampadaaH janayati cha Rama, as a play, in his Krishna avatara had 10 sons with each of his 16000 wives, and was known by them.
Many of us probably do not even meet 16000 people in our lives, but to have 10 children with each of those 16000 wives, that seems extraordinary. For someone who manages the entire world with billions of people, since time immemorial, forever, bearing 160000 children is nothing.
*mAh means to know, and in this context means that he was known by each of his 16000 wives and the 10 sons with that wife
50 - "rOma rOma kUpa kOTi vRkangaLu..."
ramate chaasau aa samantaat gokule maan himsravrkaan janayati cha -
Rama, as a play, in his Krishna avatar caused wolves to be created so that people would leave Gokul for their own safety. Note that it is not "Vrksha" but "Vrka" meaning wolves.
*maan --those which are ferocious (from mI dhAtu - in this context gives the meaning of manyu - or tend to kill) = vR^ikAn
51 - "maNNaneke medde...saNNa baayoLage jagangaLa"
mRdbhakShaNena ramamaaNaschaasau vadane amam aparimitam jagat yasya sa
cha - Rama, as a play, in his Krishna avatar pretended to eat mud, but within his mouth showed the limitless world.
* amam refers to the limitless world. Indeed when Yashoda looked inside Krishna's mouth, she saw the world, within which she saw herself looking in Krishna's mouth.
52 - "naarada sanakaadi..."
ramante yogino naaradaadayo.smin - Rama, in whom Narada and other Rishis rejoice
* ramante is the plural form, meaning various Rishis like Narada rejoice in the Lord. There is no need to split up "ma" here.
53 - "ambuja sambhava...nambidavarige varavitta"
rANAm bhaktebhyo varadaayakaanaam brahmaadInaamapi aa samantaat maa abhIShTasampat yasmaat saH -
Rama is the one who gives the true wealth (moksha) to Brahma and others, granting their wishes.
*rAti = gives or brings about; so raaNaam = varadAyakAnAm (those who give boons)
maa = sampat
54 - "avananguShThava toLeda gangaadevi..."
ram paapadaahe agnitulyaa aa samantaat lokeShu maa pravahatI gangaa yasmaat saH -
Rama's feet (in his avatara as Vamana) caused the the Ganga river to flow, which is like a fire in burning away our sins
*ram meaning fire is compared to the Ganga river. maa means to flow
55 - "kilbiShaviddare agrapUjeyanu.."
ramaNIya raajasUya sabhaayaam aa samyak sarvottamatvakhyaapakatayaa maanitaH agrapUjavidhinaa
Rama, in his Krishna avatar was honored at the wonderful raajasUya yajna as one who is superior to all else. Though various elders like Bheeshma, Drona, etc. were present, Krishna was first honored. This is what upset some wicked people like Shishupala.
*maanitaH means honored.
56 - "saavillada harige narakayaatane..."
narakaabhaavaat sadaa ramate, amaH na pramIyate cha - Because he never experiences Naraka (Hell), he is eternally blissful.
pramIyate = mIyate = pramIyate = not knowable thru pratyaksha pramAna; not knowable completely by Agama pramANa.
57 - "narakavaaLuva yama..."
raa shabdo vishvavachano maschaapIshvara vaachakaH |
vishvaanaamIshvaro yo hi tena raamaH prakIrtitaH
Rama would not make himself experience naraka since he is the Lord of everything.
*ra = vishva = world (that which gives us all materialistic things (we get all material things from world. Of course the world is created by Lord and so He is the prime giver and the world is just a jaDa giver)
mah = IshvaraH = Lord
rANAm mah = Lord of the worlds.
58 - "bommana nUru varSha pariyanta praLayadali..."
ramamANashchaasau aa samantaat maa jagaddhimsaarUpa praLayaH yasya sa cha
Rama, at the time of the great destruction was enjoying himself. How can one enjoy at the time of destruction?
Jagannatha Dasaru described this in the Harikathamrutasara "maLala manegaLa maaDi...", it is like the way kids build a sandcastle but then when they are finished, destroy it as a sort of play, not out of anger.
*maa means destruction.
59 - "rakkasarastragaLinda...akShaya kaayada.."
ramate akshaya kaayEna na mIyate himsyatE cha raakShasaastraiH - Rama enjoys having a body that cannot be destroyed by any weapons of the demons. There was an incident in the Kurukshetra war when a powerful weapon lands on Krishna and turns into a garland of flowers, whereas had it been anyone else it would have killed them.
*mIyate is the passive form of maa, and as in the previous verse means destruction.
60 - "kiccha nungidanu namma shrI Krishna..."
rENa naarakaagninaa amaH na mIyate na himsyate - Rama is untouched by the fires of hell, since in his Krishna avatara, he swallowed an entire forest fire in the blink of an eye.
*rENa means "by the fire", and is the singular 3rd (instrumental) case of ram.
61 - "maneya kShameya taaLda...aNuvaagi namma hitakke..muniva kaalakke mahattaaha"
ramate chaasau antarmanasi aa IShat maa maanam yasya sa cha | tathaa
raH agniriva kupitaschaasau aa samantaat maa maanam yasya sa cha-
Rama rejoices within the minds of others in a small form. In a large form, like a fire he consumes the world at the time with a large form. In this verse, an example was given of a soldier who may be very forgiving at home, but that same soldier shows no mercy in battle, which seem to b opposing traits. Likewise the same Lord can assume both a minute form as well as a large one (aNoraNiyaan mahato mahIyaan =smaller than the smallest, larger than the largest)
*maa = mAnam = parimANam = size
"A mAnaM" can mean "Ishat mAnaM" or "samantAt mAnaM" = small size or big size.
62 - "taaya poTTeyinda mUla rUpava tori .."
ramate garbhe.pi aa samyak mUlarUpENaiva mEyaH prakaTo bhavati bahiH nirgamakaale
Rama rejoices while in the womb (is not bound or trapped by it), since he is omnipresent he is there as well. When he is born it is only that he makes himself known at that time, he is not born like ordinary humans. Furthermore his avataras are complete manifestations of Vishnu.
*maa - to make himself known. aa - means completely, in other words it is not a partial or reduced form of the Lord. In fact, as the verse "pUrNamadaH pUrNamidam...", when one takes a portion of infinity that
too is infinite. So for the Lord who is infinite, so are his avataras.
63 - "uTTa pItaambara...meTTida kuruha edeyalli..."
ram ramaNIyam aa alpaparimaaNam cha mam bhRgupaadaaghaataanumaapaka chihnam yasya saH
Rama bears the marks of Bhrgu muni on his chest.
*aa = Ishat = alpaparimaNa
maH = anumApaka or mark; mam is dvitIya vibhakti ; (raM is also dvitIya vibhakti), which means that he has that mark.
64 - "RuShabhamsamahiSha...kusumanaabhanige sariyunTe"
raashabda vaachya rudraadivishvena amaH aparimEyaH paraakrama yasya saH -
Rama possesses the unmeasurable strength that even those like Rudra and others cannot compare to.
*raa is used to refer to Rudra in this context. ama - means unknown.
If they had known his strength, they would not have come to fight him.
Thinking of all this, Lakshmi approached the feet of Rama or Vishnu. What was given above was just the meanings thought by us ordinary humans.Lakshmi who is far above us, can probably think of countless more
meanings, and rejoicing in the Lord, she approaches him. The next verse will describe how she approaches him.
================
# 67
kandarpakOTigaLa geluva saundaryada
chandavaagidda cheluvana
indire kaNDu ivane tanage pati
yendavana baLige naDedaLu || 67
cheluvana - This handsome one
idda - has
chandavaagi - perfect features
geluva - that surpass
saundaryada - the beauty of
kOTigaLa - millions of
kandarpa - Manmathas (Cupid).
indire - Lakshmi
kaNDu - seeing this
endu - she thought
ivane - only He (Vishnu)
tanage - is her
pati - husband
naDedaLu - She walked
baLige - to where
avana - he was
Lakshmi saw that Vishnu has perfect features that surpass the beauty of millions of Manmathas. She thought that only Lord Vishnu is fit to be her husband and walked to where he was.
In the previous verse, a few of the various meanings of Rama were given. Now the beauty of the same Lord Vishnu is described through the eyes of Lakshmi. Since all of Vishnu's avataras are the same, describing the beauty of Rama is the same as describing the beauty of Vishnu.
Manmatha or Cupid is the deity who brings about kaama or the feeling of love and is associated with beauty. So naturally, a being assigned to such a post must himself be handsome. Another name for Manmatha is Kandarpa. As a result of his beauty, he has 'darpa' or pride thinking that no one is as handsome as He is.
But in this verse, Lakshmi describes the beauty of Lord Vishnu as exceeding Manmatha several million fold. In fact it is even more so, because Lord Vishnu surpasses other deities not by a finite amount, but by an infinite amount. Because there is no blemish or defect in Lord Vishnu's beauty, Lakshmi describes it as "chandavaagi idda". No matter how wonderful the beauty of Manmatha may be, it has at least the one defect that he was given such a body, and is thus dependent on someone else. But this isn't true for the all-independent Lord Vishnu.
This leads to another interpretation of "kandarpa koTigaLa". In each kalpa, there is a Manmatha. As one Manmatha attains Moksha, another one acquires that position. So since time immemorial and for all eternity, there have been such Manmathas. Each and every single one of them was given the position and beauty by Lord Vishnu based on their past karma. So Vishnu not only surpasses the Manmatha in one kalpa but all Manmathas in all kalpas, the past, present, and future.
There are 32 qualities that determine beauty. Vayu and those who will attain that position in the future have all 32 qualities. Whereas other deities, such as Manmatha, have less. Lord Narayana's qualities are immeasurable. They surpass even that of Vayu and Brahma, so they certainly exceed that of Manmatha.
==============
# 68
ittarada surara sutta nODuta lakShmi
chittava koDade nasunaguta
chittava koDade nasunaguta bandu puru
Shottamana kaNDu namisidaLu || 68
lakShmi - Lakshmi devi
nODuta - saw
ittarada - two rows of
surara - deities
sutta - around her
koDade - Without giving
chittava - any thought to them
nasunaguta - she smiled gently
kaNDu - seeing
puruShottamana - the supreme Lord Vishnu
bandu - she came and
namisidaLu - bowed before Him.
Lakshmi devi saw two rows of deities around her. Without even thinking about them, she smiled gently and approached the Supreme Lord Vishnu, bowing before Him.
There were many deities who came to the Mantap, where the swayamvara was taking place. Though the deities may have flaws, as pointed out earlier, they all realize that the only fitting consort for Lakshmi is Vishnu, and came to witness the marriage.
This is really a unique marriage for several reasons, because children never attend their parents' marriage, yet in this case, Lakshmi and Vishnu, are like the mother and father of the whole universe and all the other beings present are like their children, as pointed out earlier "obbanavana maga mattobbanavana mommaga".
And though it is Lakshmi's swayamvara, it was pointed out that she already has the wedding necklace "kambukaNThada sutta kaTTida mangaLasutra", since she is eternally wedded to Lord Vishnu.
These are just some of the reasons why Lakshmi may be gently smiling. Another reason was pointed out by Sri Vadirajaru in another one of his works, the Srishagunadarpanam:
devi tvam lalanaaratnam devo.sau puruShottamaH
Lakshmi is the lalanaa ratnam, meaning a jewel among females. Vishnu is the highest not just among males, but all beings. So there really is no other being who would be a match for Lakshmi.
Though other deities may have several good traits, they certainly have their flaws, as was pointed out "ondondu guNagaLu iddaavu ivaralli, sandaNisive bahudOSha", however "kundu eLLiShTillade mukundane tanage endu, indire patiya nenedaLu". The reason she is smiling could be because of the contrast between the "bahudOSha"(many flaws) of other deities and the "kundu eLLiShtillada" of Vishnu.
In the 15th Chapter of the Gita, Krishna describes the distinction between Kshara and akshara purusha:
dvaavimau puruShau loke kSharaschaakshara eva cha |kSharaH sarvaaNi bhUtaani kUThastho.kshara uchate ||
There are two types of beings in the world - Kshara (destructible) consisting of all beings, and akshara which remains unchanging. All beings are described as undergoing destruction. But earlier in the Gita, Krishna has said that souls are indestructible. What is meant is that though souls are eternally existing, their bodies undergo destruction (they acquire new bodies. This is true even for devatas). There is something else which is kUThastha -never changing. Akshara means indestructible. Whereas the souls have bodily destruction, this Akshara refers to Lakshmi who never loses her body.In the next verse, Krishna describes something different from this kShara and akshara.
uttamaH puruShastvanyaH paramaatmetyudaahR^itaH |
yo loka trayamaavishya bibhartyavyaya IshvaraH ||
The supreme being is known as Paramatma, who enters the three worlds and supports them (and in the following verse, Krishna identifies that he is this supreme being or Purushottama.
In this verse, Vadirajaru uses this very word Purushottama. Like Lakshmi, Lord Vishnu too never undergoes bodily destruction. No other deity is fit to be her consort, because they are all "Kshara", and she is "Akshara".
Finally, the word Purusha has quite a few meanings behind it. Purusha can refer to Lord Vishnu's pUrNatva or perfection. Also, Lord Vishnu dwells within our bodies which are often compared to a city(puri) with 9 gates, and is called Purusha as a result. Puru Sanoti means one who gives moksha. purE saH means one who existed before, meaning before the kalpa and the cycle of creation started. Certainly Lakshmi's consort cannot be someone who is bound in samsara when she herself is ever-liberated. The only being that meets this criteria is Lord Vishnu, and that is whom she approaches with devotion.
=================
# 69
naanaa kusumagaLinda maaDida maaleya
shrInaari tanna karadali
pIna kandharada trivikramaraayana kora
LIna mEliTTu namisidaLu || 69
shrInaari- Lakshmi
tanna-with her own
karadali-hands
iTTu-placed
maaleya- a garland
maaDida- made from
naanaa- various
kusumagaLinda- flowers
mEle-upon
koraLIna-the neck of
trivikramaraayana- Vishnu, the Lord of the 3 worlds
pIna- who has a complete
kandharada-neck
namisidaLu-and worshipped him.
Lakshmi with her hands placed a garland made from various flowers upon the neck of Vishnu, the Lord of the 3 worlds, who has a complete neck. She then worshipped him.
pIna means full, but in the context of Vishnu, Sri Madhvacharya has given a very wonderful meaning in the Dwadasha Stotra:
santatam chintayet kaNTham bhaasvat kaustubhabhaasakaM
vaikunThasyaakhilaa vedA udgIryante.anisham yataH
One should always meditate upon the throat of Lord Vishnu, which shines like the Kaustubha gem, and from which the infinite vedas are always flowing.
The fullness of Vishnu's throat refers to the Vedas which continuously flow from it. What we have now as the Vedas is just a small finite portion. In reality, the Vedas represent knowledge, which has no bounds and is
infinite. Lord Vishnu, who is omniscient possesses this knowledge.
Another point to make is regarding the flowers offered to Lord Vishnu. There are certain types of flowers which are 'nishiddha' or inappropriate. It should be understood that those are not in the garland that Lakshmi
places, but only those flowers which are 'vihita' or appropriate .
What is the significance of Trivikrama? Normally this refers to Vamana avatara, but here there is no description of Vamana Avatara. Of course all the avataras of Vishnu are the same, but in his Rg Bhashya, Sri
Madhvacharya provides an interesting explanation of what Trivikrama means:
vedaan kaalaanguNaan lokaan devamaanuShadaanavaan
chetanaachetanaanmishraan trINi padaa vichakrame
One who surpasses the 3 vedas,times,gunas,worlds, [deities, humans, demons], and the [chetana, achetana, mishra] is known as Trivikrama.
This may require a bit more elaboration. The Vedas which are available to us today are sometimes classified into 3 divisions - Rg, Yajus, Sama. For a being who continuously recites the Vedas and is the Being described by them, he certainly surpasses them.
Vishnu surpasses the 3 times, meaning the past, present, and future. He is described as "kalaatIta" because he is not limited by time in any way, not only existing since time immemorial and existing forever, but also causing everything else to exist at those times.
The gunas are known as Sattvika, Tamasika, and Rajasika. The universe is considered a modification of these qualities. When Lakshmi herself is not bound by them, certainly Lord Vishnu is not either.
The 3 worlds can be roughly though of as Heaven, Earth, and Hell, or upper, middle, and lower worlds. Of course one should not think of this in an astronomical sense - through a telescope we see planets, but no Heaven or Hell. But in Vishnu's Vamana avatara, in his 3 strides, he covered all 3. What we see is only the "middle world".
The 3 types of beings are devas (deities), maanuShaan (humans), and daanavaan(demons). The devatas are assigned their positions due to the grace of the Lord. No matter how powerful the boons are that the daanavas acquire from other deities, they are no match for Lord Vishnu, as was the case with Ravana, Hiranyakashipu, Shishupala, etc. Finally, for us humans to eventually achieve moksha, we rely on the grace of Lord Vishnu.
Souls can also be classified as sattvika, rajasika, and tamasika, meaning good, mixed, and wicked. Here chetana and achetana do not mean sentient and insentient, because what would mishra or mixed be? Sattvika souls, including the deities and good humans eventually achieve moksha. Mixed souls, those humans who are not bad, but simply strive for a materialistic life, remain in samsara. Those daityas, and the lowest among humans, those who continually become a menace for society are eventually sent to Hell. For each of these types of beings to achieve their final goals, it is only possible because of Lord Vishnu. He is not bound by this process of doing sadhana in samsara and then achieving liberation, so he surpasses them all.
Finally, though Lakshmi too is not bound by samsara, when it is said "namisidaLu", we can see that Vishnu surpasses even Goddess Lakshmi.
===================
# 70
uTTa pombaTTeya toTTaabharaNagaLu
iTTa navaratnada mukuTavu
duShTa mardananemba kaDeya peNDegaLa
vaTTida harige vadhuvaadaLu || 70
aadaLu-she(Lakshmi) became
vadhu- the consort
harige-of that Lord Hari
uTTa- who wears
pom=hoNNu - golden
baTTeya- clothes
toTTa - is adorned with
aabharaNagaLu- ornaments
iTTa- has
mukuTavu- a crown
navaratnada- with 9 precious gems
vaTTida-and possesses
peNDegaLa- heaps of
kaDeya - wrist ornaments (meaning titles)
emba-like
duShTa - "Killer of
mardana - the wicked"
Lakshmi became the consort of that Lord Hari who wears golden clothes, is adorned with ornaments, has a crown with 9 precious gems, and possesses heaps of titles like "duShTamardana" or killer of the wicked.
It is customary that this kind of ornament called "kaDe" is given to a person when he or she wins any title. So "kaDe" represents a title. The more such ornaments one has, the more titles the person is entitled to.
Here no one gives those titles to the Lord, but the word itself symbolically represents the title, which in the case of the Lord, eternally and truthfully describe a specific aspect.Since He has an infinite number of titles,the author poetically describes that the Lord has an infinite number (or heaps) of wrist ornaments (meaning infinite number of titles such as "duShTa mardana")
Lakshmi is eternally the consort of Lord Hari, we must not take "vadhuvaadaLu" to mean that she was not His consort before. Also, the ornaments, golden clothes that are described are non-different from Lord
Vishnu himself. Since Lord Hari is all-independent, he does not need ordinary material wealth to enhance his glory. Furthermore, for a being who eternally exists, there is no other substance that can decorate Him or enhance His beauty. Anything that is made of ordinary matter will decay over time, so how can such a transient temporary ornament or clothing adorn Him forever?That is why these ornaments should not be taken to mean the gold and clothing we find here.
He is not only adorned physically, but also in terms of the titles he has acquired. So many of the wicked people in the Mahabharata, Ramayana, etc. have been killed by an avatara of Vishnu, showing that even if wicked people like Hiryanyakashipu, Ravana, etc. acquire boons, ultimately there is a higher force who will punish them.
=======
# 71
kombu chengahaLegaLu taaLa maddaLegaLu |
tambaTe bhEri paTahagaLu |
bhom bhom emba shankha doLLu maurigaLu
ambudhiya maneyalesedavu || 71
ambudhiya - The ocean
maneya - wedding hall
esedavu - resounded
bhom bhom - with the 'bhom bhom' sound
emba - made by
shankha - the conch
doLLu - heavy drum
maurigaLu - smaller drum
kombu - long curved horn,
chem - brass
kahaLegaLu - metal horns,
taaLa - finger cymbals,
maddaLegaLu - double sided drum,
tambaTe - tambourine,
bhEri - small kettle drum,
paTahagaLu - and large kettle drum
The marriage hall in the ocean where the divine wedding between Lord Narayana and Goddess Lakshmi took place resounded with the 'bhom bhom' sound made by the conch, heavy and light drums, brass horns both straight and curved, finger cymbals, double sided drum, tambourines, as well as small and large kettle drums.
Various horns, cymbals, and drums are described in this verse, and it is difficult to translate some of them into English. The taaLa is quite common and is found today, often used in bhajans. The maddale or mardala is also common, which is the drum played with two hands and looks quite similar to the Mridangam. The Kombu is an instrument still found in Kerala today, which is C-shaped.
Sri Vadirajaru lists so many musical instruments to give us an idea of the sound that was produced. The instruments are not soft stringed instruments or flutes but loud horns and drums. At many Indian weddings there is such a loud musical sound, the reason being to drive away any evil spirits who may seek to do harm. Of course here in Narayana and Lakshmi's wedding, no one can harm them, but the purpose is the same - to drive away the wicked.
These instruments are not only played in weddings, but also in war. Why would the same instruments be used? In war, warriors fight against their enemies. We must fight the 6 enemies within ourselves, such as kama, krodha, lobha, moha, mada, matsarya (desire, anger, lust, delusion, arrogance, and jealousy). Like battle drums preparing the warrior to fight, these same musical instruments prepare us to fight our internal enemies. Conquering the 6 internal enemies: kama,krodha, etc. is essential for a happy married life.
The reason for this loud noise can be described as:
aagamaartham tu dEvaanaam gamanaartham tu rakShasaaM
It is for the purpose of inviting the deities(good), and for making the asuras(wicked) go away.
What is it about the sound that attracts the deities? Lord Narayana is sarvashabdavaachya - not just described by all words, but all sounds. Even the sounds made by the horn and the drum are perceived by the deities as describing the Lord. We of course do not have the capacity to understand that, but higher beings certainly do.
The very names of the musical instruments have a significance behind them:
shankha = "shaamyati ashubham asmaad" - all inauspicious things go away.
kombu or shrnga = "shrNaati shatrUn" - tortures enemies.
kahaLe = kam- "sukham", ahalati -"dadaati" - gives joy
taaLa = taanDava - dance fearful to enemies
maddaLe = mardala - destroys the inauspicious, doing mardana.
bhEri = "bibhyati shatravaH asyaaH" - enemies fear this sound
The twofold purpose behind the sound is to drive away those wicked forces within us, and invite the good forces. We should also give thought to how the sounds are not just some sort of noise, but auspicious sounds that describe the Lord.
===============
# 72
arghya paadyaachamana modalaada
ShODashanarghya pUjeyittanaLiyage |
oggida manadinda dhaareyeredane sindhu
sadgatiyittu salahenda || 72
sindhu-Sagara, the ocean deity
ittanu-performed
ShODasha-16 types of
anarghya - priceless
pUje-worship
aLiyage-for his son-in-law
arghya-offering water
paadya-washing the feet
aachamana-offering water
modalaada-etc
oggida-With a full
manadinda-heart
eredane-he poured
dhaare-water (did kanyadaana)
enda-and said
salaho- "protect me
ittu-by giving me
sadgati-moksha"
The deity of the Ocean, Sagara performed priceless worship consisting of 16 types of service for the Lord Himself,who came as his son-in-law, such as arghya, paadya, achamana, etc. With a full heart, he poured water symbolizing kanyadaana or offering his daughter Lakshmi. Sagara said to Lord Narayana "protect me by giving me salvation".
Shodasha upachara consists of 16 types of service which are offered to the Lord When such upachAras are done to the guest also, the thinking should be that it is for the antaryAmi Lord. The upachara includes offering them a seat, washing their feet reciting purusha sukta, feeding madhuparka (a combination of honey, curds, and ghee), then offering new clothes and garlands.
King Sagara offered his daughter Lakshmi with the understanding that she is Narayana's consort since time immemorial. The "oggida mana" or full heart (manas literally means mind) in this verse brings out the idea that unlike an ordinary father giving away his daughter, here King Sagara is giving his daughter to Lord Vishnu himself, so Sagara is delighted to have received such an opportunity.
In Hindu marriages, the daughter is given away and this is called Kanyadaana. This should not be taken to mean that women are some sort of an object, because the scriptures also say that a household where women shed tears will never prosper. Rather kanyadana means that the father is entrusting the son-in-law with protecting his daughter. Also the concept of dana is that once you have given something away, you cannot take it back to give it away elsewhere, which is why there was no concept of divorce and remarriage. The groom in turn says
"dharme chaarthe cha kaama naaticharaami" meaning that in the 3 goals in life -
dharma (righteousness), artha (wealth), and kaama (desire) he will not overstep his bounds with his wife.
Of course the situation is different when it comes to Lord Vishnu since what he does is always in accordance with Dharma, does not have any desire for material wealth nor does he have any unfulfilled desires. Furthermore, his consort Lakshmi does not need to be protected from anything else since she is ever liberated and free from sorrow.
Another interesting point to note in this verse is Sagara requesting protection. Some people are under the misconception that the various deities like Indra, Agni, Sagara, etc. have already attained moksha. But like us, they too are in samsara and they too seek liberation, and it is through the Lord's grace that this can happen. Their position, for example in the case of Sagara, being the ocean deity is only temporary. They have acquired it due to their past karma, and by performing their duties will eventually attain Moksha.
This is the sadgati that Sagara requests and this is what we too must seek.
======================
# 73
vEdOkta mantra pELi vasiShTha naarada moda |
laada munIndraru mudadinda ||
vadhuvarara mEle shObhanadakShateyanu |
mOdavIyutta taLedaru || 73
vasiShTha-Vasishta
naarada- Narada
modalaada- and other
munIndraru- great ascetics
pELi-recited
vEdOkta mantra-mantras from the Vedas
mudadinda-With joy
taLedaru - they showered
shObhanada-auspicious, full of blessings
akShateyanu- mantrakshate
mEle-on the
vadhu-bride
varara-and groom
Iyutta-by giving
mOda -happiness
Vasishta, Narada and other great ascetics recited mantras in accordance with the Vedas. They joyously showered auspicious mantrakshate (colored rice), full of their prayers, on the bride and groom (Lakshmi Narayana), making everyone happy.
Normally the elders sprinkle akshate giving their blessings. Here the Rishis seek the blessings of Lakshmi Narayana. We pour akshate in two ways. As a form of blessing, akShate is poured (for example, from elders). When doing pUja, akShate is poured as a form of worship, where we are seeking the blessings of the Lord and this is what is happening here.
The divine wedding ceremony between Lakshmi and Narayana is described here. In the previous verse, the kanyadaana, where Varuna has given Lakshmi to Narayana has occurred. Now the antarpaTa between Lakshmi and Narayana is happening.
In the antarpaTa, the bride faces west, and the groom faces east.They are separated by a cloth, and are each standing on rice. Meanwhile various mantras are recited. For example:
sumuhUrtaa saavadhaanaaH sulagnaa saavadhaanaa
This is announcing that the time of muhurta is approaching, telling everyone to be ready. Normally, the bride's father worships Ganesha and Varuna. Here, the bride's father is himself Varuna. So instead of worshipping himself, he worships Lord Vishnu who is inside Ganesha. Likewise, we too should think about the indwelling Lord Hari when worshipping other deities.
At this point in the ceremony, during antarpaTa, the mangalashtaka is recited. tadeva lagnam sudinam tadeva...lakShmIpate tEnghriyugam smaraami
"Only that time is auspicious, that day is auspicious when thinking of the feet of Lakshmi's consort Sri Hari". When the separating cloth is removed, the bride and groom sprinkle jeerige bella (cumin & brown sugar) on each other.
Depending on the custom, kanyadaana can occur before or after antarpaTa. In the Lakshmi Shobhane haadu, the kanyadaana has already occurred ( see previous verse, "dhaareyeredane"). However, Shaunaka suggests kanyadaana take place afterwards.
Next, the bride and groom exchange the garlands they wear. At this point the surya sukta is recited, which is the groom addressing the bride "First Soma gave you to a gandharva. Then the Gandharva gave you to Agni (the fire). Now the fire (Agni) gives you to me, along with wealth, children & prosperity." The bride and groom are blessed as follows: "May you live in together as one, with no differences, May you live a full life blessed with children and grandchildren. Oh maiden, may you live at home following proper etiquette and behavior. May you bring out the best in the household and in your husband, bringing happiness and devotion to God. May Indra and Prajapati bless you with progeny. Through the blessings of Vayu, Saraswati, and other deities, may the minds of the husband and wife be compatible."
This mantra was seen by suryaadevi. (Vedas are eternal and are perceived, not written). Suryaadevi is none other than Lakshmi herself. This mantra describes the background of her marriage, but there is also a deeper significance to Soma, Gandharva, and Agni.
Soma first and foremost means Narayana: sUte amrtam -"he who gives immortality, or Moksha". So the groom must have the understanding that it is through the blessings of the Lord that he is marrying the bride.
taasaam sOmOdadat shaucham gandharvaaH shikShitaam giram agnischa
sarvabhakShatvam tasmaanniShkalmaShaaH striyaH
Chandra or Soma is the controlling deity of the mind, and through his blessings the bride gets purity of mind. "gaam sushikShitaam vaachaam dharatIti gandharvaaH" Gandharvas are known for their beautiful voice.
Through their blessings, beautiful voice and words are given to the bride. Agni, or fire is the all purifier. Fire consumes impurities, thus symbolically it gives physical purity to the bride. Through kaaya,vaak,manasa (body, speech, and mind) the bride is purified by these deities. By protecting these 3 aspects of the bride, they are known as pati (paalayatIti pati). The fourth and final pati, or husband, is the human one, namely the groom.
As a note, one should not take Chandra and Agni literally. It is not the physical moon or fire that gives purity to the bride. Rather the abhimani devatas, Chandra and Agni give purify of mind and body to the bride. As a result the women (striyaH) are without defect (niShkalmaShaaH)
However in the case of Lakshmi Narayana, these deities do not purify Lakshmi. Rather it is the reverse. Chandra, the Gandharvas and Agni obtain their ability to purify the mind, speech, and body of ordinary humans through the strength of Lakshmi. This is similar to how in the Purusha Sukta it is said "chandramaa manaso jaata..." Chandra is born from the mind of Narayana (Purusha) and thus obtained the post of being the controlling deity for the mind.
==============
# 75
dEva naariyarella bandodagi paaThakaru |
Ovi paaDutta kuNidaru ||
dEva taruvina hUvina maLegaLu |
shrIvarana mEle karedaru || 75
ella - All the
dEva - divine
naariyaru - women (Apsara)
bandu - came
odagi - and assembled together
paaThakaru - Those who recite (Gandharva)
paaDutta - were singing
Ovi - out of devotion
kuNidaru - and danced.
maLegaLu karedaru - They showered
hUvina - flowers
dEva - from divine
taruvina - trees
mEle - upon
shrI - the bride
varana - and groom
All the Apsaras (divine women) came and assembled together at the wedding of Lakshmi and Narayana. Along with the Gandharvas, they sang out of devotion and danced. They showered flowers from divine trees upon the bride and groom.
Here deva naari refers to Apsaras, and paathakaru refers to the Gandharvas who are famous for their beautiful voices. maLe means rain and kare means call, but "maLegaLu karedaru" is an expression meaning to shower upon.
Apsara literally means ap=water + sara=born, those born at the time of the churning of the ocean. However there are many others, such as those born from Brahma, Agni, Manmatha, etc, so it doesn't exclusively have this meaning. It should be taken as ap=beauty + sara=having. Examples of Apsaras are Urvashi, Menaka, famous for their beauty.
Gandharva can mean ga = words, dhaarayanti = hold, or having a beautiful voice. Also, it can be split as gandha = ananda or joy, and arvanti = having.
There are 2 types of Gandharvas - deva gandharva and manushya gandharva as mentioned earlier. The distinction is that deva gandharvas are saamsha - meaning they can reside in multiple bodies. For example, the same soul Indra, who is actually a great Devata in 8th kaksha,can reside as an Amsha inside Arjuna's body. We of coursecannot do that and are 'niramsha', being only able to reside in a single body.
Manushya gandharvas are also niramsha. Tumburu mentioned in the previous verse is an example of a deva gandharva.
There are many ways of worshipping the Lord, and Apsaras and Gandharvas do so through song and dance. This is not just until Moksha, but even after Moksha, they express their devotion towards the Lord through such means.
The divine tree mentioned in this verse doesn't just refer to the famous kalpavrksha, but also the other 4 boon granting trees - mandaara, paarijaata, santaana, and harichandana.
Gandharva and Apsaras are much higher than us in gradation and will always be, even in Moksha. For such high beings to show such devotion gives us an idea of the greatness of Lakshmi and Narayana.
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# 76
muttu ratnagaLinda tettisida
haseya navaratna maNTapadi pasarisi
ratna maNTapadi pasarisi kR^iShNana
muttaideyarella karedaru || 76
maNTapadi- In a mantap
navaratna- with 9 kinds of jewels
haseya- a platform
tettisida-studded with
muttu-pearls
ratnagaLinda-and other precious stones
pasarisi- was spread out
ella-All the
muttaideyar - married women
karedaru- called
kR^iShNana- Sri Krishna (and his consort)
In a mantap with 9 kinds of jewels, there was a platform studded with pearls and other precious stones. All the married women present called Sri Krishna and his consort Lakshmi.
Muttaideyaru means vrddha sumangaLi, elderly married women. But we shouldn't take this to mean that they are old. Rather it refers to their being jnana vrddha - elderly in terms of knowledge. Of course, their knowledge doesn't compare to the Omniscient Lord Vishnu or that of Lakshmi, who is omniscient in everything except when it comes to Lord Vishnu.
Though this verse specifically mentions that only Krishna was called, it is implied that both Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi are called, since the newly married couple is called together to be seated.
What is interesting is that it is not just that the Mantap is physically grand, but it also has the special presence of Lakshmi, as she herself dwells inside the jewels adorning the Mantapa, while at the same time, in another form is the bride.
In those days, it was traditional that after elders bless the newly married, they would sing devotional songs. It still occurs in modern marriages, but it is not as common as before.
Rather than sitting on plain floor, wood, or stone, it is recommended to be seated on tigerskin, darbha (a special type of grass) or deerskin. For Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, they are not affected by where they sit, but for ordinary humans, it is said that the type of material we sit on affects our mood and the way we think.
====================
# 77
shEShashayanane baa dOSha dUrane baa |
bhaasura kaaya hariye baa |
bhaasura kaaya hariye baa shrIkR^iShNa vi- |
laasadindemma hasege baa || 77
baa - Come forward
shEShashayanane - you who lie upon Shesha
baa - Come forward
dOSha - imperfection
dUrane - far from
baa - Come forward
hariye - Lord Hari
bhaasura - with an effulgent
kaaya - body
shrIkR^iShNa - Sri Krishna
vilaasadinda - playfully
baa - come forward
emma - onto our
hasege - marriage platform
Come forward you who lie upon the serpent Shesha! Come forward you who are far from imperfection! Come forward Lord Hari, possessing an effulgent body. Sri Krishna, playfully come forward onto our marriage platform.
In the previous verse, the muttaideyaru (married women) invited Sri Krishna and his consort onto the wedding platform. In this verse they are addressing Him as they invite Him.
Even though Vishnu lies upon Shesha, really he is giving Shesha support, just the way he supports everything else in the universe. Lying upon Shesha is a unique characteristic of Vishnu, that is why it is described here before the other verses where they invite the Lord.
Even those liberated souls who attain a similar form (saarupya) or reside in the same world (saalokya) do not have this unique characteristic of Vishnu, resting upon Shesha. Like the way a servant does not desire the king's throne, so too, the liberated souls do not have the desire to have Shesha or Garuda as their vehichle or resting place. However, liberated souls may have other characteristics similar to the Lord, such as holding the chakra and shankha.
It is just a play for Sri Krishna, because they are acting as though newlyweds, even though they have been together for eternity, that is why the married women use the word "vilaasadinda" when inviting Him. Unlike other deities, there is no flaw in Him, as Lakshmi points out "kundelliShTillada mukundane tanagendu". This too is a unique characteristic of Sri Hari, as even Lakshmi has the flaw that she is dependent on Sri Hari and not understanding him completely.
The effulgence that is referred to is the Jnaananandamaya body of the Lord. Unlike our material bodies, made up of matter and subject to disease, old age, etc, the body of the Lord is made of jnaana (knowledge) and ananda (bliss). It is difficult to imagine a substance made of knowledge and bliss, but the jIva that is in our body, the "I", that is also said to be made of consciousness, knowledge and bliss.
Bhaasura kaaya can also refer to the Lord shining forth in the minds of devoteesthe Lord shining. Another meaning of bhaasura kaya is that the effulgent bodies of the liberated souls, also made up of knowledge and bliss, those too are protected by the Lord. Kaayodu in Kannada means to protect. This clarifies a point mentioned earlier about saarupya and saalokya mukti. Though liberated souls may possess a similar form to the Lord or reside in the same world, they depend on the Lord for continuing to be in such a state.
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# 78
kanjalOchanane baa manjuLa mUrti baa
kunjara vara daayakane baa
kunjara vara daayakane baa shrIkR^iShNa ni-
ranjana namma hasege baa || 78
baa - Come forward
lOchanane - you with eyes
kanja - like a lotus
baa - Come forward
manjuLa - you with a beautiful
mUrti - form
baa - Come forward
daayakane - one who has granted
vara - a boon
kunjara - to the elephant
baa - Come forward
shrIkR^iShNa - Lord Krishna
baa - Come forward
niranjana - one who is flawless
baa - Come forward
namma - to our
hasege - wedding platform
Come forward you with eyes like a lotus! Come forward you with a beautiful form! Come forward you with a beautiful form! Come forward you who granted a boon to the elephant Gajendra! Come forward Lord Krishna! Come forward to our wedding platform oh flawless one!
Kanja means born in the water, and refers to the lotus flower. A lotus is soft, so it is compared to the Lord's eyes, which are soft and compassionate. Also, the leaves of a lotus are unique in that though they may reside in dirty water, they remain untouched. Likewise, though the Lord is omnipresent, he is untouched by the defects of samsara and the decay of the material world. And of course, a flower is fragrant and beautiful, and is compared to the beautiful form (manjuLa mUrti) of the Lord.
The elephant here refers to Gajendra. Hoohoo and haahaa are the names of 2 gandharvas, who incidentally were reborn as Virata and Drupada during the Mahabharata time period. They decided to play a joke on some Rishis, and assumed the form of an elephant and an alligator. The Gandharva in the form of the elephant played with the Rshi, giving him some joy initially, but then troubled the Rshi. The Gandharva in the form of the alligator tried to scare the Rshi. The Rshi realized what was going on and cursed them to be born as actual alligator and an elephant. However because the gandharva who assumed an elephant form initially caused some joy, he was cursed to be born as an elephant only after being born as a king. After being born as a king, the Gandharva yet again did not treat Rishis with respect and was cursed to be born as an elephant. So both curses had the same effect and in his next birth, he was born as an elephant. One day, this "Gajendra" (king of elephants) was in the water, and his feet was gripped by the other Gandharva, now born as an alligator. With no one else to turn to, he prayed to Lord Vishnu, who killed the alligator, thus liberating that Gandharva from the curse. And Gajendra, the Gandharva born as a king, then an elephant, was blessed with a beautiful body.
If we feel that we have no one else to turn to, we should realize that Lord Vishnu is there for us, and even in the toughest of times, if we pray to Him, he will protect us, as everything is in His control.
There is also a deeper significance to "kanja" (born in the water). Water is a solvent and has the property of cohesiveness. sneha in Sanskrit means cohesiveness and like its English translation also means friendship (sticking together). The Lord is our companion. Water is a purifier and likewise the Lord purifies us, and frees us from our sins, just like he did for Gajendra and countless other devotees.
Water is truly a unique substance. It supports life on so many levels from the cells in our bodies to maintaining the Earth's climate, so we can understand why one Sanskrit word for water - "aapa" comes from aa=samantaat(truly)+pa=paalayati (protects), or that which truly protects us. But "aapa" can also mean metaphysically what protects us, meaning what will give us good births and prosperity in the future, namely our good deeds, our karma. We must dedicate our actions to Lord Krishna, and the medium, the being who acts as the intermediate is Vayu Deva. That is why it is said:
"tasminnapo maatarishvaa dadhaati".
Maatarishva is another name for Vayu. dadhaati means samarpane (to dedicate our actions). Aapa means actions in this context, not water literally. It is Vayu deva who dedicates what we do to the Lord. With this understanding, we should perform good deeds, and that will ensure the grace of Sri Krishna and Vayu deva. That will in turn ensure our prosperity.
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# 79
aadikaaladalli aaladeleya mEle
shrIdEviyaroDane pavaDisida
shrIdEviyaroDane pavaDisida shrIkR^iShNa
mOdadindemma hasege baa || 79
aadi - At the beginning of
kaaladalli - time
shrIkR^iShNa - Lord Krishna
pavaDisida - lay down
mEle - on
aalada - a banyan
eleya - leaf
shrIdEviyaroDane - with Goddess Lakshmi.
mOdadinda - Out of joy
baa - come
emma - to our
hasege - wedding platform
At the time of creation, Lord Krishna was with Lakshmi, lying on a banyan leaf. O Krishna, out of joy, come to our wedding platform!
As in the previous verses, the married women are asking the bride and groom, Sri Krishna and Goddess Lakshmi to come to the wedding platform.
In the previous verse, there was a reference to how Sri Krishna gave a boon to a Gandharva in the form of an elephant, rescuing him from the clutches of an alligator. We should not find ourselves leading an animalistic life or get trapped in the clutches of this samsara. To escape, we too, like the Gandharva born as an elephant (an elephant symbolizes arrogance, worldly desires, etc.) must turn to Lord Krishna to liberate us. What is so special about Him? He alone was present even at the time of creation. He is the source of all that exists. If we turn to anyone else, whoever that may be, that being ultimately depends on the Lord, so why not turn directly to the source, the Lord Himself?
This verse indicates that worldly involvement is ok, if done in moderation. The Lord does not seek any pleasures, but gives joy to others who seek refuge in Him. He is surrounded by Lakshmi, who is in the form of darkness, the banyan leaf, and the water. Joys sanctioned by the scriptures can be had, as prasAda of the Lord.
There are some verses in the scriptures that suggest that there was only one entity that existed before creation (and after the previous pralaya):
sadEva somyedamagra aasIt EkamEvaadvitIyaM
"Dear one, 'sat' alone existed in the beginning. He is the only one who is without any parallel"
brahma vaa idamagraasIdekameva "Brahma alone existed before this"
aatmaivamidamagra aasIt "Atman alone existed before this"
But elsewhere it is also said that the jIva is eternal without any beginning and end. And other entities too, like matter and time are without beginning and end. So how do we resolve this? The various souls existed, but they did not acquire bodies yet. As for matter, though primordial matter existed (moola prakriti), the universe that it would transform into did not exist. The only active entity was the Lord himself.
Lakshmi is unique. Unlike other souls she does not acquire bodies, and she is also "nitya aviyogini", meaning always with the Lord. That is the significance of the "shrIdEviyaroDane" in this verse. Brahma (not Chaturmukha Brahma) and Atman (Paramatma, not jIvatma) are other names for Vishnu, and when it is said that Vishnu alone existed, it should be taken as Vishnu along with Lakshmi, since they are inseparable. Lakshmi pervades all the space and time that Narayana pervades, however depends on Him for her existence.
==========
# 80
aadi kaaraNanaagi aaga malagiddu |
mOda jIvara tannudaradali |
mOda jIvara tannudaradali imbiTTa a- |
naadi mUrutiye hasege baa || 80
aadi- As the primary
kaaraNanaagi- cause
aaga- at that time (of destruction)
malagiddu- he lay down
imbiTTa- keeping within
tanna- his
udaradali- abdomen
mOda- the joyful
jIvara- souls
mUrutiye- O you with a form
anaadi- that has no beginning
baa- come
hasege- to the wedding platform
As the primary cause, during the time of Pralaya, Lord Vishnu lay down, keeping within his abdomen the joyful souls. O you with a form that has no beginning, come to the wedding platform
In the last verse, Lord Vishnu was described as being with his consort Goddess Lakshmi before the creation of the universe. This verse talks of his children, us, namely the souls. Though the souls have no beginning and
are uncreated, they are pratibimbas or reflections of the primary form, Lord Vishnu. Note the use of the word 'murti' in this verse referring to the bimba-pratibimba bhaava between the Paramatma and Jivatma.
The Lord is the primary cause, creating bodies for the souls to carry out their karma and a world to reside in. Prior to the creation of the world, the jivas are in a dormant state, inside the abdomen of Lord Vishnu.The jivas are categorized as saatvika (good), rajasika (mixed), and tamasika (bad), and each of those include both liberated and nonliberated souls. Moksha for saatvika souls is eternal joy. Moksha for rajasika souls is eternally in a mixed state of both joy and sorrow. Moksha for tamasika souls is eternally in a state of suffering.
Yet here, Sri Vadirajaru uses the phrase 'moda jIvaru'. Satvika souls are inherently blissful, but what about rajasika and tamasika? After one pralaya and before the start of the next creation, rajasika souls are not cycling through samsara, so the absence of the mix of sorrow and joy in samsara is their temporary state of happiness. As for tamasika souls, they are in a dormant state so because they are not experiencing suffering due to contact with the material world, they mistake that for joy. However, for those tamasika souls who have already reached their final destination (eternal Naraka), there is no break from their suffering.
The compassion of the Lord is that he keeps all souls existing. He doesn't just kill off the wicked souls but allows them to continue along their path towards their final destination.
=================
# 81
chinmayavenipa nimma manegaLalli jyo
tirmayavaada padmadalli
rammeyaroDagUDi ramisuva shrIkR^iShNa
namma maneya hasege baa || 81
shrIkR^iShNa - O Krishna
enipa - You who are
chinmaya - made of consciousness
ramisuva - you who enjoy
oDagUDi - sitting together
rammeyar - with Lakshmi
padmadalli - in the lotus
aada - which
jyotirmaya - shines forth
nimma - in your
manegaLalli -houses
baa - Come to
hasege - the wedding platform
namma - in our
maneya - house
O Krishna, you who are made of consciousness, you who enjoy sitting together with Lakshmi, in the shining lotus in your houses. O Sri Krishna, come to the wedding platform in our house.
This verse shows the problems encountered when trying to translate literally from Kannada to English. Though the word for word translation in English seems disconnected, in Kannada (like other Indian languages), there can be long descriptive phrases, and word order can be changed for poetic reasons. Also the positioning of words can allow for multiple meanings.
Here chinmayavenipa and rammeyaroDagUDi ramisuva both describe Sri Krishna. But chinmaya can also be used to describe manegaLu (houses). In this sense, it doesn't mean made of consciousness, but divine or golden.
The abode of the Lord is not subject to the decay of the physical world around us. It is non-material, apraakR^ita. In this verse it refers to shwetadvipa, anantaasana and vaikuntha. Lakshmi is always with Lord Narayana, as she is inseparable from Him.
Also, Sri Krishna does not derive enjoyment from Lakshmi, because he is all-independent. So the ramisuva should be taken as Sri Krishna enjoying his own form dwelling within Lakshmi. But Lakshmi on the other hand does enjoy bliss from being with Krishna.
We should think of Lakshmi Narayana dwelling not just in the divine abode, but also within us, in the hrdaya guha - the home within our hearts. This is hinted by Sri Vadirajaru's use of 'padma', referring to "Hrdaya Kamala". Within each of us, our heart is a beautiful place where the Lord resides in a special form.
Another point to note is that Rammeyaru is used, which is the plural form. Each form of the Lord is associated with a form of Lakshmi. It is difficult to imagine but the same Lakshmi and Narayana are enjoying together in multiple paired forms.
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# 82
naanaavataaradali nambida surarige |
anandavIva karuNi baa |
aanandavIva karuNi baa shrIkR^iShNa
shrInaariyaroDane hasege baa || 82
karuNi - O compassionate one,
naanaa - in your many
avataaradali - incarnations
Iva - you give
aananda - joy
surarige - to those deities
nambida - who believe in you
shrIkR^iShNa - O lord Krishna
baa - come
hasege - to the wedding platform
oDane - with
shrInaariyar - Goddess Lakshmi
O compassionate one, in your many incarnations, you give joy to those deities who believe in you. O Lord Krishna, come to the wedding platform with Goddess Lakshmi.
"naanaa avataaradali" can be taken as referring to both the deities and Lord Vishnu. That is, other deities show devotion to the Lord in all his forms, and also when the deities assume different forms they show devotion to the Lord.
The joy referred to here refers to both aihika and paaramarthika, both here and in the beyond. Lord Vishnu gives the deities joy while they are in samsara, as well as the ultimate joy, Moksha.
Believing in the Lord is more than just accepting his existence. It is having a correct understanding of the Lord, and through it, showing devotion towards Him. A correct understanding means that the Lord is different and superior to all of us, that He is full of auspicious qualities and is flawless, and that there is no distinction between any of His forms - they are all the same.
The choice of words in this verse follows a logical flow. The Lord does not gain anything by assuming different forms. He takes such forms because it gives pleasure, or aananda, to those deities (as well as other devotees) who believe in Him. By doing so, Lord Vishnu is showing his compassion, or Karuna. Also, when taking such forms, He is accompanied by Lakshmi, who is always His consort.
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# 83
bommana maneyalli rannada pIThadi kuLitu |
ommanadi nEhava maaDuva
nirmala pUjeya kaigomba shrIkR^iShNa para-
bommamUrutiye hasege baa || 83
bommana- In Brahma's
maneyalli- abode
kuLitu- sitting on
rannada- a jeweled
pIThadi- seat
ommanadi- with a steadfast mind
maaDuva- (Brahma) was showing
nEhava=snehava - devotion
nirmala-This pure
pUjeya- worship
kaigomba- was accepted
shrIkR^iShNa- by Sri Krishna
mUrutiye- Oh, you who possess a form
parabomma- superior to Brahma
baa- Come
hasege- to the wedding platform
In Brahma's abode, sitting on a jeweled seat, with a steadfast mind, Brahma was showing devotion towards the Lord. Oh Sri Krishna, you who accept such pure worship, you who possess a form superior to Brahma, come to the wedding platform.
For true devotees of the Lord, worship is higher than anything else.
As it is said in the Brhadaranyaka Upanishad :
aatmanastu kaamaaya sarvam priyam bhavati
Everything is dear only because of Atman (here it is Paramatma not Jivatma). kaamaaya means "ichchaya", through the will of the Lord. True devotees see the Lord in everything and constantly meditate upon him. Material pleasures do not interest them. They are interested in "sahabhoga", the joy of being with the Lord.
Brahma's abode here refers to Satyaloka, the highest of the worlds. For such a divine being to worship someone, that being must be even higher, and he is described as "parabomma", superior to even Brahma. So this verse also shows taratamya.
The puja that Brahma performs is described as 'nirmala'. It should be performed with devotion, not just following the right practices, but also "ommanadi", with a steadfast mind, thinking of the Lord. Of course, Brahma is far superior to us, so we cannot perform it at the level he does, but we should perform our daily worship with as much focus and devotion as we can.
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# 84
mukhyaprANana maneyalli bhaaratiyaaga- |
likki baDisida rasaayanava |
sakkaregUDida paayasava saviyuva |
rakkasa vairiye hasege baa || 84
maneyalli - In the house of
mukhyaprANana - Vayu
aagalikki - At that time
bhaaratiyu - Bharati
baDisida - served
rasaayanava - rasaayana/sIkarni (milk sweet)
paayasava - The pudding
gUDida - filled with
sakkare - sugar
saviyuva - was enjoyed by you
vairiye - O enemy
rakkasa = Rakshasara - of the evil
baa - Come
hasege - to the wedding platform
In the house of Vayu, Bharati served rasaayana(sIkarni) to the Lord. The paayasa (pudding) was filled with sugar. O Lord, you enjoyed this. O enemy of the evil, come to the wedding platform.
In this verse, the way Vayu and Bharati serve the Lord is described. Not only are they offerring sweets to the Lord, but they also dwell within the food itself, and offer it to the Lord. Bharati is the abhimani devata for paayasa, and Vayu is anna abhimani. Anna doesn't just mean rice, but any type of food. One can think of them as the controlling force dwelling within the food, enabling us to get nutrients from the food when we eat, as well as giving us the sensation of taste.
In the previous verse, Brahma was described. Vayu will be the next Brahma, and they can be thought of as brothers. The way Brahma performed puja was described earlier. Here too, Vayu is performing another kind of puja, serving the Lord by offerring Him food. Of course the Lord does not need any such food, but he is merely blessing his devotees by giving them another way of worshipping Him.
Sometimes the food we eat can have a harmful effect on us, and this can be caused by evil forces. Just as there are abhimani devatas, there are abhimani daityas, who trouble others and accumulate sin as a result. Lord Vishnu is 'rakkasa vairi' - the enemy of such evil forces. They are under his control, and by praying to the Lord with devotion, we will not be troubled by such daityas.
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# 85
rudrana maneyalli rudraaNi deviyaru
bhadramanTapadi kuLLirisi
svaadannagaLanu baDisalu kaigomba
muddu narasimha hasege baa || 85
maneyalli - In the home of
rudrana - Shiva,
deviyaru - the Goddess
rudraaNi - Parvati
kuLLirisi = kUDisi - seated you
bhadra - in an auspicious
manTapadi - manTap
svaad - Tasty
annagaLanu - food
baDisalu - was served
kaigomba - which was accepted by you
muddu - O soft
narasimha - Lord Narasimha
baa - come
hasege - to the wedding platform
In the home of Shiva, the Goddess Parvati seated you in an auspicious mantap. Tasty food was served, which you accepted, O soft Lord Narasimha. Come to the wedding platform.
Proceeding according to Taratamya, after describing Brahma and Vayu, next Shiva's serving the Lord is being described. just the way Saraswati and Brahma served the Lord together, as well as Vayu and Bharati, here too Shiva is serving the Lord along with his consort Parvati.
We commonly hear "muddu Krishna", where Krishna is being described as soft, so it may seem strange that Narasimha who is usually portrayed as fearsome is described as "muddu". But the Lord is only frightening to his enemies. He shows affection to his devotees. Furthermore, Sri Vadirajaru is pointing out how all the forms of the Lord are the same, by using "muddu Narasimha".
Shiva's abode is Kailasa. Though it is an austere place, for welcoming the Lord, there is a grand mantapa. Neither Lord Shiva nor Lord Vishnu has any need for a well decorated mantapa or tasty food, but this is an act of devotion that Shiva is showing.
Shiva is considered the abhimani devata for food as well. What we offer to Lord Shiva is then offered by him to Lord Vishnu. Whereas only the subtle essence of the food we offer as naivedya is accepted by Lord Vishnu, here the food itself that Shiva offers is accepted by Vishnu.
There is another significance of why Narasimha is mentioned here. The Lord resides in Shiva in that form. So Shiva is physically offering food to the Lord as well as offering it as a form of worship to the form of Lord Vishnu residing within Him. It is this Narasimha form of Lord Vishnu that gives Shiva the strength to destroy at the time of Pralaya.
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# 86
garuDana mElEri gagana maargadalli
tarataradi stutipa surastrIyara
mereva gandharvara gaanava saviyuva
narahari namma hasege baa || 86
Eri - Climbing
mEle - on top of
garuDana - Garuda
mereva - being glorious
maargadalli - in the entire path
gagana - of the sky,
stutipa - he was praised
tarataradi - in various ways
sura - by the divine
strIyara - women.
narahari - O Lord Hari
saviyuva - you enjoyed
gaanava - the songs
gandharvara - of the Gandharvas
baa - Come
namma - to our
hasege - wedding platform
Climbing on top of Garuda and being glorious in the entire path of the sky,Lord Vishnu was praised in various ways by the Devapatnis and Apsaras. O Lord Hari, you enjoyed the songs sung by the Gandharvas. Come to our wedding platform.
Garuda is the vehicle of Lord Vishnu. In the gradation of deities (taratamya), he is on the same level as Shesha and Rudra, which is why he is mentioned next to the verse describing Rudra. Though Garuda is the vehicle of the Lord, one should not think that Garuda is supporting Vishnu. In reality, Vishnu resides within and supports Garuda.
Garuda is in the form of an eagle, but there are deeper meanings to the word. 'giratIti garuDa' - one who swallows poison is known as Garuda. He is capable of stopping not only the poison of snakes, but the poisonous things in our life, the inauspicious events. He takes away the amangala, and brings mangala or auspiciousness.
So it is quite appropriate that the form of Vishnu residing within Garuda is Narahari. Hari means one who takes away our sins, paapa parihaaraka, but also amangala parihaaraka. Since Vishnu resides within Garuda and supports him, it is really Vishnu who enables Garuda to take away the sins of others, protecting us from the poison of inauspicious things.
Another meaning of Garuda is someone who possesses 'Garuth'. Garuth means the unique wings of Garuda, whose flapping doesn't produce noise, but rather Sama Veda hymns which are praising Lord Vishnu. Garuda is also the abhimani devata for the Vedas.
In the next Kalpa, both Shesha and Garuda attain mukti. Rudra becomes Shesha, and the next in line in Garuda gaNa becomes Garuda. They are all equal in terms of knowledge, strength, power, and beauty.
The word surastriyaru is used in this verse. It can mean either Apsaras, who are celestial dancers, or it can refer to devata patni, the wives of the deities.
Narahari means the same as Narasimha. It also means 'puruShottama', the greatest among all beings.
=============
# 87
nimmaNNana maneyalli sudharma sabheyalli |
ummeyarasa namisida ||
dharmarakShakanenipa kR^iShNa kR^ipeyinda pa |
ramma mUrutiye hasege baa || 87
maneyalli = In the abode of
nimma = your
aNNana = elder brother Indra,
sabheyalli = known as the hall
sudharma = of righteousness
sudharma sabhe = Indra's abode
umme = Uma (Parvati)'s
arasa = consort, Lord Shiva
namisida = worshipped you
kR^iShNa = O Krishna,
enipa = you who are known as
rakshaka = the "Protector
dharma = of Righteousness"
kR^ipeyinda = Out of compassion
paramma = O Supreme
mUrutiye = Being
baa = come to the
hasege = wedding platform
In the abode of your elder brother Indra, which is known as the "Hall of Righteousness", Parvati's consort Lord Shiva worshipped you O Lord Krishna. You are known as "dharma rakshaka", the protector of righteousness.Come to the wedding platform O Supreme Being.
At first glance it seems like Krishna's brother refers to Balarama, but actually it is Indra, because "sudharma sabha" is the name of Indraloka. Aditi's first born son is Indra, and her 12th born is Vamana (another avatara of Vishnu), that's why Krishna's elder brother is Indra. For this reason, another name for Lord Vishnu is "Upendra" because he is a little brother of Indra.
Sri Vadirajaru points out that in Indra's hall, Shiva worshipped not Indra, but Lord Vishnu. In the ranking of deities (taratamya), Shiva is far superior to Indra but is a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Shiva, the consort of Parvati, continuously worships Lord Vishnu and his various forms.
Even Indra feels that "avamaanaH sa cha mayaa pR^iShThathaH kriyatE munE laalanIyo mayaa baala ityEvam bhraatR^igauravaat" (from Harivamsha) In other words Indra feels affection (laalanIyaH) towards his little brother or 'thamma' (bhraatR^i). The composer of this Shobhane verse, Sri Vadirajaru, humorously points out that Indra, the older brother of one Avatara of Vishnu was not worshipped by Shiva, rather it's Krishna Paramatma that Shiva worships.
In this quote from HariVamsha, Indra feels insulted (avamaanaH sa cha mayaa) that "hey Krishna is my younger brother, how can he insult me like this?" What was the insult? Indra's younger brother Vamana created Vaikuntha, a much greater abode than Indra loka. In other words, someone Indra considers his little brother far surpassed him.
We can see the amazing intellect of Sri Vadirajaru in writing this verse, because it takes a while just to understand this one Shobhane verse in the context of another verse from Harivamsha, which is an addendum to the Mahabharata, where we find the Bhagavad Gita & Vishnu Sahasranama (describing how Krishna is none other than the Supreme Paramatma). So how much more is the greatness of Sri Vadirajaru's guru, Sri Madhvacharyaru, who wrote 2 commentaries on the Gita, a commentary on the entire Mahabharata, Brahma Sutra, and the 10 Upanishads and countless other works?
When Vishnu assumes Vamana, Rama, Krishna and other avataras, Shiva worships him and is considered a great devotee of Vishnu. In a Kannada dasarapadagalu written by Vijaya Dasaru, there is a song "thaila dhaareyante manasu koDu hariyalli shambho, kailaasa vaasa, gowrIsha Isha", asking Shiva, who resides in Kailasa to make our minds focus on Vishnu. In what manner? Like a continuous flow of oil which has "sneha" or cohesiveness. Sneha in Sanskrit has a double meaning -- the physical force of cohesion allowing particles to stick to each other, as well as "friendship/affection". So we should ask Shiva to give us this "sneha" towards Lord Krishna.
============
# 88
As we get into later verses, the meaning becomes very complicated. This next verse has quite a bit of depth to it, and by the grace of Sri Hari Vayu Gurugalu and Sri Vadirajaru I'll explain it as best
as I can.
indrana maneghOgi aditige kuNDalavittu
andada pUjeya kaigoNDu |
andada pUjeya kaigONDU surataruva
indiregitta hariye baa || 88
Aditi - mother of devatas, including Indra and Vamana
kuNDala = earrings
ittu = returned
kaigoNDU = kaigoLLodu (tokkoLLodu), taking
andada = Adaradinda: pompous, grand
pUje = worship
surataruva = sura vrkSha (paarijata vRikSha) tree with divine flowers
surarinda = worship done by the angels like Indra. Indra is an
"archangel", tier 1 angel.
indirege = satyabhaamage
itta = gave
After killing Narakasura, Krishna went to the abode of Indra (svarga), and gave back Aditi's earrings that Narakasura stole. Indra and other angels performed Andada or majestic worship out of "aadara". Krishna brings the divine tree bearing divine flowers to Satyabhama/Rukmini who is an incarnation of Lakshmi.
There is a scope for misinterpretation. This kuNDala has nothing to do with the episode in the Mahabharata Karna's kundala that Indra took. And I have used the word "archangel" for Indra, Indra is the king of the gods, but he is king of the gods below him (not Vishnu, Brahma, Shiva, Vayu) The English translation "god" is not exactly correct, devata actually corresponds to the Western concept of "angels", divine servants of Supreme God or Paramatman. What is the significance of Kalpavrksha?
To give a parallel to Christianity, often around Christmas time, they consider christmas trees to be almost holy, decorating them, singing songs about God around them,etc. "Kalpavrksha" means that whatever we desire, based on our "kalpana", that tree will give it. It's not an exact parallel, but it's similar.
What is the relationship between Satyabhama and Rukmini?
Is there any connection with "ummeyarasa" found in verse 87, Rudra, the husband of Parvati? No, verse 87 ties to the verse 86 before "Rudrana maneyalli Rudraanideviyaru". According to Taratamya, after describing how Rudra worshipped Vishnu, now how Indra worshipped Krishna is described.
In the previous verse, Shiva worshipped Vishnu in Indra loka. Here Indra and other deities worship Krishna. In the descriptions found in the Bhagavata and Hari Vamsha, Indra gave Krishna kalpavrksha in one case, in another he fought Krishna, and Krishna got Kalpavrksha. So which version is correct? Did Indra fight Krishna or did he give Krishna the kalpavrksha?
First Krishna gets the flowers for Rukmini, Indra gives it on his own. Satyabhama gets jealous and upset (which is just a play, since she is the same as Rukmini, a form of Lakshmi). Krishna asks what he can get her (this time it is Satyabhama), and then he goes to Indra loka, fights Indra and gets kalpavrksha for his real wife and consort Lakshmi, who is both Rukmini & Satyabhama
"devategala ahankaara asuraaveshagaLu aLidu antaHkaraNa shuddha vaayitu"
Andada pUje means with a shuddha antaHkaraNa, pure heart.
=================
# 89
nimma neneva muni hR^idayadali nelasida
dharma rakShakanenisuva
sammatavaagidda pUjeya kaigomba ni -
ssIma mahima hasege baa || 89
nelasida- You reside
hR^idayadali- in the hearts
muni- of the sages
neneva- who meditate
nimma- upon you
enisuva - You are called
rakShakanu- the protector
dharma- of rigtheousness
kaigomba- You partake (and are the instigator)
pUjeya- the worship
aagidda- that is done
sammata - as per taratamya (in an appropriate manner)
nissIma- [Lord Vishnu] with your limitless
mahima- greatness
baa - Come
hasege - to the wedding platform
Oh Lord Vishnu,
You reside in the hearts of those sages who meditate upon you.
You are called the protector of righteousness.
You partake the worship that is done in an appropriate manner and as per Taratamya, by the Rishis (sages).
You greatness knows no bounds.
Come to the wedding platform!
Here, Sri Vadirajaru describes how Vishnu resides within the sages who meditate upon him. In the previous verses, the way the deities worship the Lord was described, so now the presence of Vishnu in the sages is described.
Note how these verses are in descending taratmya order. After describing the angels or deities, now the Rishis or sages are described. In Dvadasha stotra, Rishis are described as "ShaDvarga nigraha nirasta samasta dOShAH, dhyaayanti viShNum rshayo yad apaangalesham aashritya, yaan api sametya na yaati duhkham...". One does not get any sorrow by approaching these true sages, because they have conquered the 6 enemies: kaama, krodha, lobha, moha,mada maatsarya (lust, greed, anger, delusion, arrogance, and jealousy)
Furthermore the puja performed by such sages is done with a pure mind, not for some selfish gain or for show, the way many ordinary people do puja. It is this kind of worship that is very dear for the Lord.
Sages perform karma, but mostly they achieve "aparoksha jnaana" by meditating upon the Lord. Chakravarti (emperors) mostly perform actions with devotion towards the Lord. Jnana, bhakti, and karma are needed by
all those souls who wish to achieve Moksha, regardless of whether they are humans, devatas, or Rishis.
There is a very beautiful explanation of this verse:
tandetaayigaLaada nimma kalyANotsava maaDuvudU makkaLaada namma dharma.
It is the duty of us, God's children, to celebrate your wedding (either through recitation of Shobhane or by doing Srinivasa Kalyana, etc.). adannu kaigONDu suprItanaaguvudU ninna dharma Here "dharma" means attribute or svabhava. There is no binding duty for Lord Vishnu. He accepts our worship because he is "karuNaasagara", an ocean of benevolence. So it is the Lord's innate attribute to be pleased by the actions that we perform.
"kaigoNDu" can mean partake. But we should also realize that as the ultimate Doer, the unseen force behind everything in this universe, He is the real instigator. He enables the Rishis to perform their puja, but also accepts what is offered in the puja.
As it is pointed out in Dvadasha Stotra "amanda guNa saaropi, mandahaasena vIkShitaH".. it is very puzzing why the Lord smiles. He has everything, nothing is lacking. Normally, humans smile or are happy when they receive something that they did not have before. But for Lord Krishna, it his very nature of being joyful, blissful. He accepts what devotees offer to Him. His smile or "mandahaasa" is an expression of his inherent bliss.
In this shobhane verse, the devataa striyaru are inviting him to the wedding platform. They are asking Him out of devotion, so Lord Krishna grants their wish.
May that Lord Sri Krishna grant our wishes and what we offer as pUja, with devotion and true knowledge. May he be the protector of our Dharma, always putting us on the right path in life.
================
# 90
muttina sattige navaratnada chaamara|
sutta naliva surastrIyara|
nR^ityava nODutta chitravaadyaMgaLa saM
pattina hariye hasege baa || 90
hariye-Lord Vishnu,
saMpattina-who has the wealth of
muttina-pearl
sattige-necklaces,
chaamara- brush-like fan (in Hindi, Chowrie)
navaratnada-studded with 9 jewels,
surastrIyara-female deities
naliva-dancing
sutta-around him
nODutta-watching
nR^ityava-their dance
chitra - accompanied by a variety of
vaadyaMgaLa- musical instruments
baa-Come
hasege-to the wedding platform
Lord Vishnu who has the wealth of pearl necklaces, surrounded by people doing Chamara seva (fanning him), watched the female deities dance before him, playing a variety of musical instruments. O Lord, come to the wedding platform.
Sri Vadirajararu, in his Shobhane Haadu describes how various beings worship the Lord. In this description, he follows taratamya, in descending order. In verse 83, Brahma's worship of the Lord was described, followed by that of Vayu in verse 84. In verses 85-88, Rudra, Garuda, and Indra's worship of Lord Vishnu was described. And in the previous verse, the next class of beings, the Rishis,were described serving the Lord. After the Rishis, next Sri Vadirajaru describes the Gandharvas, so surastrIyaru must refer to the consorts of these Gandharvas.
Another interesting interpretation of this verse is that it is not multiple women, but rather Lakshmi herself assuming several different forms. During the time of pralaya, when no one else is there, it is only Lakshmi who worships Lord Vishnu in a variety of ways, fanning, dancing, and playing instruments. At other times, she is the abhimani devate of all the jadas, and controls all other tattvabhimani devatas. She resides in all these objects, and worships through those who worship the Lord. That is why the dasaru says "kOTi kOTi bhrityariralu hATakAmbarana sEve, sATi illade mADutihaLu, Enu dhanyalo lakumi yentha mAnyalO", describing how fortunate and unparalleled Lakshmi is among the crores of devotees who worship the Lord.
Of course Lord Vishnu has no need of all this, but Lakshmi and other deities perform this worship out of joy, knowing they are serving the one being on whom everything else in the universe depends on.
==============
# 91
enalu naguta bandu haseya mEle |
vanite lakShumiyoDagUDi |
ananta vaibhavadi kuLita kR^iShNana naalku |
dinadutsavava naDesidaru || 91
enalu - After they said this,
bandu - he came
naguta - smiling
oDagUDi - and sat with
vanite - the divine lady
lakShumi - Lakshmi
mEle - upon
haseya - the wedding platform
naDesidaru - They performed
utsavava - the wedding ceremony
naalku - lasting 4
dinada - days
kR^iShNana - for Lord Krishna
kuLita - who was sitting
ananta - with infinite
vaibhavadi - grandeur
After saying this 'hasege baa', Lord Krishna came smiling, and sat with the divine Goddess Lakshmi upon the wedding platform. They performed a wedding ceremony which lasted 4 days for Lord Krishna, who was sitting with infinite grandeur.
Since verse 77, the muttaideyaru (married women) invited Lord Krishna to the wedding platform, with the refrain 'hasege baa'. Finally in this verse, Lord Krishna accepts their invitation and comes to the wedding platform accompanied by his eternal consort Sri Lakshmi.
Many weddings are performed with grandeur, but that of Lord Vishnu and Mahalakshmi is beyond compare, because the bride and groom are none other than the mother and father of the whole universe, and are worshipped by all the beings present, including devatas, gandharvas, Rishis.
There are many interpretations of why Lord Krishna is smiling. He is innately blissful. It is not that he gains anything from the worship of his devotees, but his smile is an acceptance of what they offer. Another reason for the smile is that though Lakshmi is eternally with Lord Vishnu, their marriage is taking place, so it is a sort of play. And though marriage is usually performed by elders, here there is no one elder. Quite the opposite, the marriage is performed by their children.
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# 92
attErenipa gange yamune sarasvati
bhaaratti modalaada surastrIyaru |
muttinakShateyanu shObhanavenuta ta
mmartiyaLiyage taLedaru || 92
gange-Ganga
yamune-Yamuna
sarasvati-Saraswati
bhaaratti-Bharati
modalaada- and other
surastrIyaru- divine goddesses
enipa- who are called
attEru- Mothers in law
taLedaru- showered
muttina - pearly
akShateyanu-auspicious rice
tamma-on their
artiya-beloved
aLiyage-son-in-law
enuta- while saying
shObhana-"May everything be auspicious"
Ganga, Yamuna, Saraswati, Bharati, and other divine goddesses, who are called mothers-in-law for Lord Krishna, showered pearly akshate on their beloved son-in-law, while saying "Shobhana", or "Let everything be auspicious".
Though Lakshmi is eternal and uncreated, she took birth as the daughter of Varuna. As a result, the consorts of Varuna can be called mothers-in-law for Lord Vishnu, even though he has been eternally wedded to Lakshmi. But it may be somewhat puzzling why Saraswati and Bharati are referred to as "atteru".
Saraswati is the consort of Brahma, and Bharati is the consort of Vayu. So we cannot take them as the consorts of Varuna. However, one interpretation is that here, a different Saraswati and a different Bharati are being referred to. Just the way the Ganga and Yamuna rivers have abhimani devata-s, likewise the same holds for the Saraswati and Bharati rivers. These abhimani devata-s are different from the consorts of Brahma and Vayu.
Another interpretation is to use what is called "chhatri nyaaya". When it is said that "Those umbrella bearers are walking", it refers not only to those people carrying umbrellas, but also others who are with them. Here, though only Ganga and Yamuna are consorts of Varuna, they may be accompanied by the consorts of Brahma and Vayu, Saraswati and Bharati.
One phrase to note in this verse is "muttinakShate". Akshate is normally colored rice, but for grand weddings, instead of using rice, they use real pearls. The marriage between Lord Hari and Lakshmi is the most grand wedding of all, so "muttinakShate" is indeed appropriate.
In reality, Sri Hari does not have any elders, like mothers, fathers, or mother-in-laws, father-in-laws. But to bring across the point that we should respect the rivers and their abhimani devata-s, Sri Vadirajaru starts this verse with "attErenipa..."
================
#93
ratnadaaratige sutta muttane tuMbi
muttaiderella dhavaLada
muttaiderella dhavaLada padana paa
Duttalettidare sirivarage || 93
aaratige - For the sake of performing Arati
ratnada - with jewels
ella - all the
muttaideru - older sumangali women
tuMbi - gathered
sutta muttane - around
ettidare - They did Arati
siri - for Lakshmi
varage - and the groom Lord Vishnu
paaDutta - while reciting
dhavaLada - pure
padana - words
All the vruddha sumangaLiyaru gathered around for the sake of performing Arati with jewels. They did the Arati for the bride and groom, Lakshmi Narayana, while reciting pure words.
There are many kinds of Arati. Sometimes ghee is used, other times oil. This is a divine Arati, so what is described here is a special 'ratnadaarati', studded with gems, which shows the grandeur of the wedding ceremony. Also, this ratnadaarati has a special flame that does not go out due to wind or water.
There are a few different ways of interpreting this verse. 'muttu' means pearl in Kannada, so 'ratnadaaratige sutta, muttane tumbi' can also mean that the Arati itself was surrounded with pearls. Or "sutta mutta" together can mean "around", as in the devata striyaru gathered around.
Muttaideru means vrddha sumanNGaLiyaru, or elder married women. The beings here are not ordinary humans, but rather consorts of devatas. They do not go through old age like humans. So the muttaideru look young but have been around for many years.
Finally, dhavaLada has an alternate meaning. It is also the name of a Chandas, which consists of 4 lines, where lines 1,2, and 4 each have 18 short syllables and 1 long syllable. Line 3 has 15 short syllables and 1 long syllable. So it is possible that they were praising the Lord by reciting verses in this form. In most modern languages, it is quite hard to write poems like this, not only having a fixed number of syllables, but making sure each line has all short (laghu) syllables except for the last one, which is a long (guru). The richness in sanskrit vocabulary and the flexibility in word order make this possible, but it's also possible in other languages though it is much harder. For divine beings, with much higher intellectual powers, to compose verses like this would have been a trivial task. And they composed these verses to praise the highest Being they know of, the Lord Himself.
==============
#94
bomma tannarasi kUDe banderagida
ummeyarasa namisida
ammararellaru bage bage uDugoregaLa
rammeyarasage salisidaru || 94
bomma - Brahma
kUDe - along with
tanna - his
arasi - consort Saraswati
bandu - came and
eragida - worshipped (Vishnu)
ummeya - Parvati's
arasa - consort Shiva
namisida - worshipped (Vishnu)
ellaru - All the
ammararu - deities
salisidaru - offered
bage bage - a variety of
uDugoregaLa - gifts
arasage - to the consort of
rammeya - Lakshmi
Brahma, along with his consort Saraswati, came and worshipped Lord Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi. Parvati's consort, Shiva also bowed before Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi. All the deities offered a variety of gifts to the Lord.
Now it is towards the end of the wedding ceremony between Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi. Brahma, Shiva, and other deities offer gifts and seek the blessings of the Lord. Usually in a wedding, the elders bless the married couple, but here it is the reverse, where the elders seek the blessings of the married couple, since it is none other than the Lord Himself.
ammararu should be understood as 'amararu' meaning deities. To match the other lines in this verse there is an extra 'm'. This verse is straightforward, so moving to the next verse, which describes the gifts that were given:
=======================
#95
satyalOkada bomma kaustubharatnavanitta
mukta suraru mudadinda
muttina kaNThI sara mukhyapraaNanitta
mastaka maNiya shivanitta || 95
bomma - Brahma, the ruler
satyalOkada - of Satyaloka
itta - gave
kaustubharatnavanu - jeweled pendant
mukta - The liberated
suraru - deities
mudadinda - gave out of joy
muttina - pearl
kaNThI - necklaces
mukhyapraaNanu - Vayu
itta - gave
sara - a chain
shivanu - Shiva
itta - gave
mastaka maNiya - a head ornament
Brahma gave kaustubhamaNi (jeweled pendant), the liberated deities gave pearl pendant (kaNThI), mukhyapraaNa gave necklace (sara), and Shiva gave a head ornament (mastaka maNi).
The Lord has no need for any gifts, however by accepting them, he is blessing his devotees. Brahma, Shiva, Vayu, and the liberated deities are abhimani devatas for the gifts they have given. They also reside within them in another form. When Lord Vishnu wears these various pendants, necklaces, and head ornaments, these deities get the joy of being in constant contact with the Lord.
We shouldn't be under the impression that Lord Vishnu did not have these before they were given as gifts. Just the way Lakshmi has always been with Lord Vishnu, but appeared once again from the ocean, likewise the Lord had these necklaces and pendants earlier, but they were just given as gifts again, which is known as 'punarudbhaava'.
It is interesting to note that it is not just the present Brahma, Vayu, and Shiva who were witnessing the ceremony, but 'mukta suraru', that is the Brahmas, Shivas, and Vayus from earlier Kalpas, who had achieved salvation. So even after mukti, they get to witness the marriage of Lord Narayana with Mahalakshmi.
=========================
#96
tannarasi kUDe savinuDi nuDivaaga
vadannadalliddagni keDadante |
vahnipratiShTeya maaDi avanoLagidda
tannaahutiyitta surarige || 96
nuDivaaga -While speaking
savi - sweet, cool
nuDi - words
kUDe - with
tanna - his
arasi - consort
keDadante - without extinguishing
agni - the fire
idda - residing
vadannadalli - in his mouth
pratiShTeya maaDi - he kindled
vahni - the fire
idda - residing
avanoLage - within him
itta - and gave
tanna - his
aahuti - offering
surarige - to the deities
As Lord Vishnu spoke cool words to his consort Lakshmi, he made sure not to extinguish the fire residing in his mouth by kindling the fire within him, giving strength to Agni deva and other deities in the form of aahuti.
This verse is somewhat difficult to translate directly. Sri Vadiraja is pointing out poetically how Lord Vishnu on one hand has fire emanating from his mouth, but is also able to speak cool calming words. Normally, once the wedding ceremony is over, the groom speaks cool sweet words to the new bride, but in this case the groom is none other than the Lord Himself, who has fire emanating from his mouth.
There are many references to this throughout the scriptures. In the Purusha Sukta, the birth of Vayu, Agni and Indra is described as "mukhaat indraH ca agniH ca praaNaat vaayuH ajaayata".
Indra and Agni were born from the mouth of Lord Vishnu, and Vayu was born from his breath. In the Bhagavad Gita, Arjuna beholds the divine cosmic form of Lord Krishna, and sees fire emanating from his mouth.
So in this verse, Sri Vadirajaru draws attention to how interesting it is that the same mouth which can produce the fire of destruction, the same mouth from which Agni was born can also produce the opposite - cool calming words, while speaking to his consort Lakshmi.
During the marriage ceremony we rely on fire while performing various homas. But in the case of the Lord, it is not that he depends on fire or Agni deva. Lord Vishnu is the one who gives strength to Agni and other devata-s. The aahuti that is described refers to Lord Vishnu's prEraNa shakti - the instigatory power of the Lord.
Normally, aahuti refers to offering that is done as a worship, which is put in the homa. Agni, being the messenger of the devata-s, carries the subtle form of what we offer to the other devata-s.
For Lord Vishnu, when others give aahuti, be it devatas or manushyas, aahuti is a form of worship, but when Lord Vishnu gives aahuti to other devatas, it is not a form of worship, but refers to the strength that he gives to other devatas (in this case it is Agni).
This is similar to how we use mantraakShate. When people put Mantrakshate on an idol it is a form of worship. However, when older people put Mantrakshate on younger people, it is a blessing. Likewise, in this case, Lord Vishnu is not offering aahuti as a form of worship, but blessing Agni and the other devata-s with the strength to carry on their activities.
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#97
kobbida khaLarODisi amR^itaanna UTakke
ubbida haruShadali uNisalu |
ubbida haruShadali uNisabEkendu sindhu |
sarbarigeDeya maaDisida || 97
ODisi- Driving away
kobbida- the arrogant
khaLara - daityas,
sindhu- Varuna
ubbida- who was filled with
haruShadali- joy
maaDisida- prepared
eDeya- meals
sarbarige- for everyone
uNisabEkendu- as he wanted to feed
amR^ita - nectar
anna- rice
UTakke- meals
Driving away the arrogant daityas, Varuna was filled with joy as he prepared nectar-like meals for everyone.
In any auspicious event, wicked people like Daityas try to ruin everything, so they must be driven away. They are referred to as being arrogant, because at the time of the churning of the ocean, they wanted the amruta, or nectar only for themselves. Despite all their wicked acts, they felt that they deserved the nectar of immortality.
What must be clarified here is that it is not Varuna who drove away the Daityas. Rather, he asked his son-in-law, Lord Vishnu, to drive them away. The sequence of events is described in the Padma Purana and Skanda Purana.
First, during the churning of the ocean, the divine nectar or amruta arises. Then Lakshmi herself comes. During the Swayamvara, Lakshmi places the garland on Vishnu, choosing Him as her consort. Lord Vishnu assumes the Mohini form to distract the Daityas, taking back the nectar they had stolen. The devatas consume the nectar which they had earned. The Daityas were driven away and finally the wedding between Lakshmi and Narayana takes place, without the nuisance of any Daityas.
The phrase "ubbida haruShadali uNisalu/uNisabekendu" is repeated because amruta should be taken in two different senses. In the first sense, amruta, meaning the real nectar of immortality was consumed by the devatas. In the second sense, the food which was served at the wedding by Varuna was nectar-like as it was divine.
The next verse describes the form Lord Vishnu assumes.
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#98
maavana maneyalli dEvarigautaNava daa
navaru keDisade biDarendu daa -
navaru keDisade biDarendu shrIkR^iShNa
dEva strIvEShava dharisida || 98
maneyalli- In the abode of his
maavana- father-in-law,
daanavaru- the daityas
biDarendu- wouldn't resist
keDisade- spoiling
autaNava- the feast
dEvarige- for the devatas
shrIkR^iShNa- Lord Krishna
dharisida- assumed
dEva- divine
strI - female
vEShava- form
In the abode of his father-in-law, Lord Krishna assumed a divine female form(Mohini Rupa), thinking that the Daitays wouldn't resist spoiling the feast that was prepared for the Devatas.
The Daityas initially stole the nectar, not wanting to give any to the Devatas. To show their wicked intentions, Lord Vishnu initially let them do this. To distract the asuras and recover the nectar, Lord Vishnu assumed Mohini Rupa. The Asuras were so enchanted by the form of the Lord, that they handed over the nectar. Lord Vishnu then distributed the nectar to those who rightfully deserved it, the devatas.
At this point, one daitya, Rahu, pretended to be a devata. Just as he was about to consume the nectar, Lord Vishnu killed him with his Chakra. This demon Rahu is different from the deity Rahu who is worshipped as part of the Navagraha.
It is interesting to point out how the word 'daanavaru' is split across the two verses. Perhaps Sri Vadirajaru is hinting at the way one daanava, Rahu, was split.
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#99
tanna saundaryadindannanta maDiyaada laa-
vaNyadi mereva nija patiya |
heNNurUpava kaNDu kanne mahalakShumi iva-
ganyarEkendu beragaadaLu || 99
kanne - The youthful
mahalakShumi - goddess Lakshmi
kaNDu - saw
nija - her true
patiya - consort
mereva - gloriously showing
laavaNyadi - his beauty
heNNu - in a female
rUpava - form
annanta - which infinitely
maDiyaada - surpassed
tanna - her own
saundaryadinda - beauty
beragaadaLu - She was stunned
endu - thinking
Eke - why does
ivage - he
anyaru - need anyone else?
The youthful Goddess Lakshmi saw her true consort Lord Vishnu gloriously showing his female form that was infinitely many times more beautiful than her own form. Lakshmi was stunned, thinking "why does he need anyone else?"
When the Amruta (nectar) from the churning of the ocean was snatched away by the demons, Lord Vishnu assumed the Mohini Rupa with the intent of regaining the nectar. Upon seeing how beautiful his form was, his eternal consort Lakshmi was amazed. The form of the Lord was so beautiful that Lakshmi felt her own beauty was nothing compared to it.
Sometimes people of other religions may find it strange that God has a consort. After all, if he is infinitely powerful and perfect, why does he need or want a wife? Since Lord Vishnu is Himself capable of assuming a female form far more beautiful than Lakshmi, this shows that he neither needs nor wants anyone else's beauty, even that of Lakshmi herself.
There is a bit of poetic license in this verse. 'ananta' means infinite, but to stress that the Lord is infinitely more beautiful than Lakshmi, there is an extra 'n', which is also the second syllable in each line. Likewise to emphasize Lakshmi's youthful appearance, kanye is written as 'kanne'.
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#100
laavaNyamayavaada hariya strIvEShakke
bhaavukeyarella maruLaage |
maavara sudheya kramadinda baDisi tanna
sEvaka surariguNisida || 100
bhaavukeyarella - Those who have the power of imagination
maruLaage - became enchanted
hariya - by Lord Hari's
strIvEShakke - female form
mayavaada - which was full of
laavaNya - beauty
maavara - Father-in-law's
sudheya - nectar
kramadinda - gradually
baDisi - served
uNisida - and fed
tanna - to his (Vishnu's)
sEvaka - servants
surarige - the deities
Lord Hari's female form was so beautiful that the Apsaras and divine goddesses, who have the power of imagination, became enchanted. Lord Vishnu then gradually served his father-in-law Varuna's nectar to his servants, the deities, and allowed them to partake of the nectar.
After Lord Vishnu assumed the Mohini form, he took the nectar which was brought up from the churning of the ocean and distributed it to the devatas. His female form was so beautiful that even the Apsaras were enchanted by his form.
It is important to point out the difference in verbs used. In the previous verse, Lakshmi 'beragaadaLu', in other words she was stunned or amazed. Here, for the other deities, the word used is 'maruLaage', which means enchanted, or swept away by emotion. Lakshmi never experiences any kind of moha, delusion, enchantment, etc, but other deities are subject to that.
If the Lord's form is beautiful enough to enchant Apsaras, certainly the demons who had taken part in the churning of the ocean and grabbed the nectar were enchanted by the form of the Lord, which is why they handed over the nectar of immortality. Before they realized what was happening, Lord Vishnu, in the form of Mohini, had already distributed the divine amruta to all the devatas, giving them the strength to vanquish the daityas.
=================
#101
naagana mEle taa malagiddaaga
aagale jagava jatanadi |
aagale jagava jatanadi dharisendu
naagabaliya naDesida || 101
naDesida - He performed
naagabaliya - wedding ceremony for Shesha and 8 diggajas
taa - when he
iddaaga - will be
malagi - sleeping
mEle - on top of
naagana - the serpent,
aagale - at that time
endu - saying
dharisi - "support
jagava - the world
jatanadi - carefully
Vishnu performed the Nagabali wedding ceremony for Shesha and the ashTa diggajas, as if asking them to support the world carefully when he will be sleeping on the serpent Shesha.
The marriage ceremony involves many rituals. One of them is Nagabali, which is done so that Shesha, the serpent on which Vishnu lies, gives the groom strength in life. Here, the irony is that Vishnu himself is the groom and is the one who gives Shesha strength at all times.
Though we may get the impression that Shesha is supporting Vishnu, since Vishnu lies upon Shesha, or that Garuda is supporting Vishnu, since Garuda is his vehicle, it is really the other way around. Lord Vishnu who resides within everything, resides within Garuda and Shesha, giving them the strength to perform their actions.
But it may be puzzling why Vishnu worships Shesha at all. This is similar to how Rama established Shiva Linga. One reason for doing so is to set an example for others. Another reason is to honor the position that Vishnu himself gave to Shiva, Shesha, etc. Furthermore, Vishnu does not worship any other deity. He only worships his own form residing within these other beings. We only worship someone who is greater than us. When Vishnu supports the entire world, why would he need or want to worship any other being?
The scriptures say that the eight divine elephants - Airavata, Pundarika, Vamana, Kumunda, Anjana, Pushpa-danta, Sarva-bhauma, Supratika - support the universe. The divine elephants represent eight divine forces that balance in eight directions. God is present inside them and it is He who supports. Likewise, Sesha takes the support of Vayu Kurma, who takes the support of Lord Kurma and It is the Lord, who supports by being inside them. So, when he is entrsuting the task of "supporting of the universe" to them, He is entrusting the job to Himself. When He is asking them to support carefully, He is implying that they should carefully think that the Lord inside them is the one Who supports.
The word naaga has 2 meanings: elephant and serpent. Repeating the phrase "aagale jagava jatanadi" indicates that Shesha and the diggajas (divine elephants) do not have to do anything now, but may have to do it later. Of course, it is only Sri Hari who supports the universe.
Bali is commonly understood to mean sacrifice, but that is not its real meaning. Just the way yajna normally is thought of as sacrifice, but can mean any kind of worship, likewise bali also means worship.
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#102
kShudheya kaLeva navaratnada maaleya
mudadinda vaaridhi vidhigitta |
chadura haarava vaayudEvarigitta
vidhuvina kaleya shivagitta || 102
mudadinda - Out of joy,
vaaridhi - Varuna
itta - gave
maaleya - a garland
navaratnada - studded with 9 jewels
kaLeva - which satisfies
kShudheya - hunger
vidhige - to Brahma
chadura = chatura - The skillful Varuna
itta - gave
haarava - a garland
vaayudEvarige - to Vayu deva
itta - Varuna gave
kaleya - portion
vidhuvina - Moon
shivage- to Shiva
Out of joy, Varuna gave a garland studded with 9 jewels which satisfies hunger to Brahma. The skillful Varuna gave a garland to Vayu Deva. Varuna also gave a portion of the moon to Shiva. This verse describes the return gifts that were given by Varuna, the father-in-law, to the wedding guests there. Divine beings deserve divine gifts, so items like a garland which appeases hunger were given.
Shiva is normally portrayed as having a crescent moon. It is Varuna who gave him this ornament.
This past weekend was the Aradhane of the composer of the Shobhane Haadu, Sri Vadirajaru. Sri Vadirajaru lived an extraordinary life, living for 120 years before entering Brindavana alive (1480 - 1600).He has composed works in Sanskrit works such as Rukmineesha Vijaya, Teertha Prabandha, teekas on various Upanishads, Yuktimallika, Sanskrit stotras such Dashavatara Stotra, Srishagundarpanam, Roupya Peetha Krishna Stuthi, Kannada works such as Vaikunta Varnane and this Lakshmi Shobhane, various dasarapadas in Kannada, and some works in Tulu as well.
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# 103
# 103
shakra modalaada dikpaalakarige
sokkida chaudanta gajangaLa
ukkida manadinda koTTa varuNa madu -
makkaLaayuShyava beLesenda || 103
ukkida - With an excited
manadinda - mindset,
varuNa - Varuna
koTTa - gave
sokkida - strong
gajangaLa - elephants
chaudanta - with 4 tusks
shakra - to Indra
modalaada - and the other
paalakarige - guardians of
dik - the directions
enda - He implored
beLesu - "Increase
ayuShyava - the lifespans
madumakkaLa - of all brides and grooms"
With an excited mindset, Varuna gave strong elephants which had 4 tusks to Indra and the other guardians of the directions. Varuna implored "Increase the lifespans of all brides and grooms".
There are various deities who guard each direction. Indra is assigned to the post of protecting the Purvadik (East).
Here, Varuna is continuing to give gifts to those who attended the wedding of Lakshmi Narayana. In return he asks Indra and others to bless all brides and grooms by giving them a long happy married life.
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#104
matte dEvEndrage paarijaatavanitta
chittava seLevapsara strIyara |
hattu saavira koTTa varuNa dEva hari
bhaktiya manadi beLesenda || 104
matte - Again
dEva - the deity
varuNa - Varuna
itta - gave
dEvendrage - Indra, the king of deities
paarijaatavanu - the kalpavrksha tree
koTTa - he gave
hattu - 10
saavira - thousand
apsara strIyara - divine damsels
seLeva - who enchant
chittava - the mind
enda - He said
beLesu - "Grow
bhaktiya - devotion
hari - to Vishnu
manadi - in the minds of devotees"
Again, the deity Varuna gave Indra the Kalpavrksha tree as well as 10 thousand divine Apsaras who enchant the mind. Varuna said "Grow devotion toVishnu in the minds of devotees".
Normally, we think of Apsaras as beings that charm and distract men, but they are also engaged in praising Hari. They can enchant our minds away from the Lord, or they can draw our minds toward Him.
It is not enough for us to just live long happy lives, but we should also show devotion to the Lord throughout our life, which is why Varuna asks Indra to grant brides and grooms both a long life and a life filled with devotion to the Lord.
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#105
poLeva navaratnada raashiya tegetegedu |
uLida amararige salisida |
uLida amararige salisida
samudra kaLuhidanavara manegaLige || 105
samudra - Varuna
tegetegedu - liberally took
poLeva - shining
raashiya - heaps
navaratnada - of nine types of gems
salisida - and gifted them
uLida - to the remaining
amararige - devatas
kaLuhidanu - and sent them
avara - to their
manegaLige - homes
Varuna liberally took shining heaps of nine types of gems and gifted them to the remaining devatas. He then sent the guests back to their own homes.
In the previous verses, the gifts given to Indra were described, and now as the wedding ceremony finishes, Varuna gives gifts to the remaining devatas. Gifts are always given at a wedding, but in this case, one is amazed by the richness and splendor of the wedding as the return gifts are heaps of gems, given to countless guests.
Amara means immortal, and it is not just devatas, but also gandharvas, yaksha, and good rakshasas. We normally think of rakshasas as being wicked, but it is a clan, so there are good and bad among them. The good ones naturally are eager to attend the wedding of Narayana and Lakshmi.
As the wedding draws to a close, so does the Shobhane Haadu itself. There is one more verse before Sri Vadirajaru adds his ankita and closing verses.
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#106
unnanta navaratna mayavaada aramaneya |
chennE magaLinda virachisi |
tanna aLiyage sthirava maaDikoTTa
innondu kaDeyaDi iDadante || 106
virachisi - He constructed
unnanta - a tall, grand
aramaneya - royal abode
mayavaada - studded with
navaratna - nine gems
chennE - using his beautiful
magaLinda - daughter
or
chen - following proper
nEmagaLinda - rules
maaDikoTTa - he made
sthirava - a permanent abode
tanna - for his
aLiyage - son-in-law
iDadante - so that he would not
aDi - step out
innondu - in another
kaDe - place
Varuna constructed a tall, grand royal abode studded with nine gems following proper rules (or using his daughter). He made a permanent abode for his son-in-law, Lord Vishnu, so that he would not step out elsewhere.
After the wedding ceremony, Varuna constructed a home for his son-in-law Lord Vishnu. We always see Lord Vishnu lying in the ocean. But we should not think of it as just some barren ocean. Rather, as described here, the abode of Lord Vishnu in kSheera saagara (milky ocean) is divine and a magnificent, royal abode. Varuna constructed this abode so that he can always be blessed with the presence of the Lord.
The phrase "chennEgamaLinda" can be split two ways.
By splitting it as chen +EmagaLinda = niyamagaLinda,
it means that all the proper rules were followed in constructing the abode.
The other way of splitting it has a deeper meaning: chenne+magaLinda, using his beautiful daughter. Lakshmi is the controlling deity for matter itself. Her auspicious presence is there in the building materials that are used to make the abode for Lord Vishnu. Just the way Lakshmi is present in the ornaments that Lord Vishnu wears, likewise, she is present in the abode itself.
Though Vishnu is omnipresent, he has a special presence in this ksheera saagara, visible to all those who approach him. To describe how beautiful the abode was that was constructed, Sri Vadirajaru points out "innondu kaDe iDadante", that is one would not want to step out of such a magnificent abode. But of course Lord Vishnu is present everywhere. And of course, He has no need for any abode or anything else. Because Varuna offered such a gift out of devotion, Lord Vishnu chose to accept it, choosing to bless Varuna for performing such a grand wedding.
The verses from 107 until the end are the final closing verses of the Shobhane verses, where the author seeks the Lord's blessings for those who recite these verses.
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#107
hayavadana tanna priyaLaada lakShumige
jayavitta kShIraambudhiyalli |
jayavitta kShIraambudhiyalli shrI kRuShNa
dayadi nammellara salahali || 107
hayavadana - Hayagriva (Narayana)
itta - gave
tanna - his
priyaLaada - beloved
lakShumige - Lakshmi
jaya - victory
kShIra - in the milky
ambudhiyalli - ocean
shrI kRuShNa - O Lord Krishna
dayadi - out of compassion
salahali - protect
nammellara - all of us
Narayana in the form of Hayagriva gave victory to his beloved consort Lakshmi in his milky ocean abode. O Lord Krishna, out of your compassion, protect all of us.
'Hayavadana' is the ankita or pen name of Sri Vadirajaru. In most of his compositions, he uses this name of Lord Narayana. Each of the many dasarus who have composed songs in Kannada have an ankita, so by recognizing the ankita, we can immediately know who wrote the verse. For example, whenever we see ,"Jagannatha Vitthala", we know that is a composition of Jagannatha dasaru, "nele Adi Keshava" is the ankita for Kanaka Dasaru, etc.
The Hayavadana form of Lord Narayana is horse-shaped. A horse symbolizes speed, so the Hayagriva form symbolizes the speed of the mind which is like the speed of the horse. Lord Narayana quickly gives knowledge to his devotees.
There is a well known verse:
hayagrIva hayagrIva hayagrIveti yo vadEt |tasya niHsaratE vaaNI jahnukanyaa pravaahavat |
He who recites the name of the Lord Hayagriva will have pure words flow from his mouth like the flow of the river Ganga.
The word jaya normally means victory, but it can also mean knowledge. Also, the Lord not only gives victory or knowledge, but enables others to be victorious or knowledgeable. In the Dwadasha Stotra composed by Sri Madhvacharya, this same thought is conveyed:
Urjitaa saa shrIryatkaTaakSha balavatyajitam namaami |
Lakshmi(shrI) became victorious (Urjitaa saa),gaining her strength from a mere side glance (yatkaTaakSha balavatI) of ever-victorious Narayana, to whom I bow to (ajitam namaami). But we must not mistake this to mean that initially she was not victorious, then at some later point, Lord Narayana made her victorious. Lakshmi is always associated with Lord Vishnu, and at all times, it is Lord Narayana who gives her and everyone else strength.
One other interesting point to note is that Vadirajaru wishes to point out the identity of various forms of the Lord, by referring to him as Sri Krishna, Hayavadana, and the consort of Lakshmi in the same verse.
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#108
I padana maaDida vaadiraajEndra munige
shrIpatiyaada hayavadana |
taapava kaLedu tanna shrI charaNasa
mIpadalliTTu salahali || 108
hayavadana - May Hayagriva
aada - who is the
shrIpati - consort of Lakshmi
salahali - protect
indra - the great
munige - sage
vaadiraaja- Vadiraja
maaDida - who made
I - this
padana - verse
iTTu - placing him (Sri Vadiraja)
samIpadalli - near the
shrI - sacred
charaNa - feet
tanna - of Lord Narayana
kaLedu -after freeing him (Sri Vadiraja) from
taapava - troubles (of samsara)
May Lord Narayana in the form of Hayagriva, who is the consort of Lakshmi protect the great sage Vadiraja who made this verse, freeing him from samsara and placing him near the feet of Lord Narayana.
Taapa normally refers to the troubles that we face in life -- adhibhautika ( physical), adhyaatmika (mental), adhidaivika (those beyond our control,fate). This applies to normal people, but of course Sri Vadirajaru is far above this, as evidenced by the fact that he led a healthy life of 120 years. Just the way the "taadukhiyaadare suraraartiya kaLedu.."
describes that Lord Narayana cannot undergo suffering since he removes the suffering of others, Sri Vadirajaru, through the grace of Lord Hayagriva, removed the suffering of countless people throughout his life, so obviously in order to do so, he himself must be free from this taapatraya --
adhibhautika, adhyaatmika, and adhidaivika taapa.
However, Sri Vadirajaru is still in samsara, though he does not suffer from it. So he is asking Lord Narayana to free him from samsara and grant moksha. Vadirajaru asks for blessings of Lord so that the verse can give fruits to his devotees.
One other thing to point out in this verse is the use of "shrI charaNa" One meaning is the sacred feet of Lord Narayana, and another meaning is that there is Lakshmi sannidhana, the auspicious presence of Lakshmi in the feet of Lord Narayana.
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#109
intu svapnadalli koNDADisikoNDA lakShmI
kAntana kandanenisida |
santara mecchina vAdirAjEndra muni
panthadi pELida padavidu || 109
intu - Like this
svapnadalli - in a dream
koNDADisikoNDA - Lord Hari instigated Vadirajaru to recite this
lakShmI - Lakshmi's
kAntana - consort's
kandanu - child
indra - the king
muni - of sages
vAdirAja - Vadirajaru
meccina - who is praised
santara - by saints
enisida - recited this.
idu - This
pada - verse
pELida - was told
panthadi - as per their methodology
In a dream, Narayana, the consort of Lakshmi, instigated Sri Vadirajaru, who is like a child to Lord Narayana, to recite this verse. This same verse was recited by the king of sages who is praised by saints, Sri Vadirajaru, and is written following the methodology of great saints.
In this verse, Sri Vadirajaru points out that this verse was first recited by Sri Vadirajaru to Lord Narayana in a dream. Furthermore, the "koNDADisikONDa" signifies that it was the Lord, who is the primary cause for all actions, who compelled Sri Vadirajaru to recite this verse.
santara panthadi means in the methodology of saints. One meaning is that this verse is written following the same philosophical approach adopted by such great saints as Sri Madhvacharya. Another meaning for 'panthadi' is in the path of Moksha. By reciting this verse with devotion, it will guide us on the path towards Moksha.
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#110
shrIyarasa hayavadana priya vAdirAja
rAya rachisida padavidu |
AyuShya bhaviShya dinadinake hecchuvudu ni
raayaasadinda sukhiparu || 110
rAya - The great
vAdirAja - Vadiraja
priya - who is dear to
shrI - Lakshmi's
arasa - Lord
hayavadana - Hayagriva
rachisida - wrote
idu - this
pada - verse
AyuShya - Lifespan
bhaviShya - and a propserous future
hecchuvudu - will grow
dinadinake - day by day
sukhiparu - Those who recite this will enjoy happiness
niraayaasadinda - without any fatigue
The great Vadirajaru, who is dear to Lakshmi's consort Lord Hayagriva, wrote this Shobhane Haadu. Those who recite this will enjoy happiness, a long lifespan and a propserous future, without any fatigue.
In prior verses, Sri Vadirajaru asks for the Lord's blessings. Now the fruits of reciting this Shobhane Haadu are described. Those who recite it will enjoy a long, happy life. It is not enough to just have a long life, but that life needs to be filled with joy. That is why both AyuShya and bhaviShya are mentioned, because one is of no use without the other. We not only seek happiness in life, but we also wish to avoid difficulties and sorrows, so that is why niraayaasadinda is added to sukhiparu.
One form of the Lord mentioned in an earlier verse is Shimshumara --
"ellaraayuShyava shimshumaara deva...".
It is Lord Narayana who determines everyone's lifespans, so by seeking his blessings, we can lead a long and healthy life. Sri Vadirajaru himself is the proof for this, since he not only led a life of 120 years, but was also free from many of the troubles and difficulties associated with old age.
Reciting this Shobhane verse with devotion we too can receive the blessings of Lakshmi Narayana.
These are the last two verses in the Shobhane Haadu composed by Sri Vadirajaru.
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#111
bommana dinadalli ommomme I maduve
krammadi mADi vinOdisuva |
namma nArAyaNagU I rammegaDigaDigU asu-
rammohanave naranaTane || 111
dinadalli - In one day of
bommana - Brahma
I - this
maduve - wedding
mADi - is performed
ommomme - twice
krammadi - as per tradition
aDigaDigU - Again and again
namma - our
nArAyaNagU - Narayana and
I - this
rammege- Lakshmi
vinOdisuva - enjoy this
naranaTane - human-like drama
mohanave - which deludes
asura - the wicked asuras
In one day of Brahma, this wedding is performed twice, according to tradition. Again and again, Narayana and Lakshmi enjoy this drama of acting like humans, which deludes the wicked asuras.
Time is relative as described in Hindu scriptures. One day for Brahma is made of 1000 mahaayugas. There are 4 yugas in each mahaayuga: krta, treta, dvapara, and kali. As their names suggest, dvapara lasts twice as long as kali, treta is 3 times as long as kali, and krta is 4 times as long. The shortest yuga, kali yuga consists of 1000 divine years, with 1/10 of that before and after, called 'sandhi kala',
so it is 1000 + 100 + 100 = 200 divine years.
The total number of divine years in one mahaayuga is thus: 1200 * (1+2+3+4) = 12000 divine years.
But one day for the devatas is equal to one human year, so a divine year is 360 human years. So the total time for 1 day of Brahma in human years is 360 * 12000 = 4,320,000, or 4.3 million years. There is another way of splitting up a day of Brahma, and that is into manvantaras. There are 14 manvantaras in a day of Brahma. Each has a different name, for the Manu who initiated it (manvantara = manu + antara). Two of them are called raivata and vaivasvata, the current manvantara. This wedding between Lakshmi and Narayana occurs once in raivata and once in vaivasvata manvantara. "ommomme" can mean sometimes, but in this verse it means twice.
Sri Vadirajaru points out that this wedding between Lakshmi Narayana deludes the asuras. When they hear of the marriage taking place, they mistakenly think that Lakshmi and Narayana are like ordinary humans who lived apart then got married. But this is not the case as we saw in the first few verses that Lakshmi had mangalasutra before marriage (as there was always a prior manvantara when the wedding between Lakshmi and Narayana took place). So this wedding is a drama or naranaTane, giving joy to devotees of the Lord but deluding the asuras.
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#112
maduveya maneyalli I padana paaDidare
madumakkaLige mudavahudu |
vadhugaLige vaale bhAgya dinadinake hechchuvudu
madananayyana kR^ipeyinda || 112
I - If this
padana - verse
paaDidare - is recited
maduveya - in the marriage
maneyalli - hall
mudavu - joy
ahudu - is certain
madumakkaLige - for the bride and groom
vadhugaLige - Brides
hechchuvudu - will have more and more
vaale - marital
bhAgya - bliss
dinadinake - day by day
kR^ipeyinda - through the grace of
ayyana - the father of
madanana - Manmatha
If this verse is recited in a marriage hall, the bride and groom will certainly have joy. Brides will have their marital bliss increase day by day through the grace of the father of Manmatha, Lord Narayana.
"vaale" refers to the ornaments worn by a woman during wedding, so vaale bhagya means that she will continue to have such ornaments, meaning she will be happily married to her husband.vAle can also mean Mangalasutra. Thus vAle bhAgya is "sumAngalya" or mAngalyabhAgya.
Just as described, this Shobhane Haadu is commonly recited after a wedding. These final verses are not some ordinary phalastuti. Sri Vadirajaru actually revived Arasappa Nayaka's son, the groom, who was bitten by a snake, which shows the power behind these verses as well as the composer, Sri Vadirajaru, and of course, Lord Narayana, by whose grace all this is possible.
Of all the various names for Lord Narayana, it is interesting that Sri Vadirajaru chose "madananayya", meaning the father of Manmatha, the controlling deity for marital bliss. By thinking of the marriage between Lord Narayana and Lakshmi and by earning his grace, one will certainly have a blissful marriage.
Another interesting point to note is that this Shobhane Haadu ends with the syllable "da" and starts with "lakShmI nArAyaNara charaNakke...", so "lakShmI + da", means that this Shobhane verse will give wealth and prosperity in addition to marital bliss. If the beginning of the pallavi verse is combined with the last letter of the final verse,then it can be taken as "shobhana" +"da", which means giver of auspiciousness.
I hope that you will recite this verse with devotion, understand some of the meaning behind it and earn the grace of Lakshmi Narayana.
Shri KrishNArpaNamastu !!
Thank you so much for this beautiful translation. Appreciate it!
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