Dhruva Stuti

By : Shri Kesava Rao Tadipatri

Audio recitation

Art by Smt.Vani Rao.Baton Rouge,LA

Shri Hari Vayu Gurubhyo namaH.

In 10th adhyAya of 4th skandha, we come across Dhruva stuti.
Dhruva extolls the Lord, VAsudeva, who appeared in front of Dhruva. It runs from verse 6 to 17 (12 verses).
dhruva uvAcha:
yo.antaH pravishya mama vAchamimAM prasuptAM
saJNjIvayatyakhilashaktidharaH svadhAmnA .
anyAMshcha hastacharaNashravaNatvagAdIn.h prANAn.h namo bhagavate
purushhAya tubhyam.h .. 4-10-6 ..

योऽन्तः प्रविश्य मम वाचमिमां प्रसुप्तां 
सञ्जीवयत्यखिलशक्तिधरः स्वधाम्ना।
अन्यांश्च हस्तचरणश्रवणत्वगादीन्‌ प्राणान्‌ नमो भगवते 
पुरुषाय तुभ्यम्‌॥ ४-१०-६॥
yaH-antaH pravishya mama vAcham-imAM prasuptAM
saJNjIvayati-akhila-shakti-dharaH svadhAmnA /
anyAMshcha hasta-charaNa-shravaNa-tvag-AdIn.h
prANAn.h namo bhagavate purushhAya tubhyam.h //

The anvaya is as follows-
yaH akhila-shakti-dharaH antaH pravishya svadhAmnA imAM prasuptAM mama vAcham anyAn
hasta-charaNa-shravaNa-tvag-AdIn.h prANAn.h cha saJNjIvayati, bhagavate tubhyam purushhAya namaH
yo (yaH) = One who
antaH pravishya = entering inside
mama = my
vAcham = the vAgindriya (the sense organ of speech)
imAM = this
prasuptAm = sleeping or dormant
saJNjIvayati = enlivens or vitalizes (samskArAtmanA bodhayati)
akhila-shakti-dharaH = The source of all strength
(So the Lord instigates note only the sense organs,but also gives preraNa to all the tattvAbhimAni devatas)
svadhAmnA = by your self-effulgence
anyAn = other faculties (or other way around)
When the Lord wills, He gives vitality to all the organs. Likewise when He wills, He takes away the vitality from all the organs.
hasta-charaNa-shravaNa-tvagAdIn.h = the hands, the feet, the hearing organs, the skin, etc (the sense organs and the action organs and mind)
prANAn.h = the life force or vital faculties
cha = also (meaning all these are also vitalized)
tubhyam = to You (Who does all this)
bhagavate = the Lord
purushhAya = indweller of all beings (puri shayanAt puruShaH - Each being is like pura or dwelling place for the Lord)
namo = I bow
Dhruva starts praying the Lord, describing veda-siddha-guNas. The entire creation is Brahma-maya and this stuti is in accordance of the qualities as described in Vedas.

"Oh Lord, I bow to You, the indweller of all beings. You stimulate the slumberous sense of speech in me with your self-effulgence, being the source of all strength, not only to the sense organs, etc, but to all the tatvAbhimAni devatas. You also stimulate or invigorate all the other faculties namley the action organs like hands, feet etc, the sense organs like auditory organs, skin, etc and mind, vital faculties etc. as per your will and also retract those capabilities as per your will. I bow to you, such great Lord."

The Lord is the controller of charAcharAtmaka jaDas and chetanas of the entire universe and so when it is said that He instigates all the organs, it is not just the jaDa organs, but He instigates all the abhimAni devatas as well.

ekastvameva bhagavannidamAtmashaktyA
mAyAkhyayoruguNayA mahadAdyasheShaM |
sR^iShTvAnuvishya puruShastadasadguNeshu
nAneva dAruShu vibhAvasuvadvibhAsi ||4-10-7

एकस्त्वमेव भगवन्निदमात्मशक्त्या
मायाख्ययोरुगुणया महदाद्यशेषं।
सृष्ट्वानुविश्य पुरुषस्तदसद्गुणेशु
नानेव दारुषु विभावसुवद्विभासि ॥४-१०-७
Each of these words have lot of significance.
ekaH = just one. This is mentioned to indicate svagatabhedavivarjitatva.
What it means - There is no difference in various forms of the Lord. He is all complete in all His forms. That is irrespective of all the objects, which He pervades. Why it is said - He takes many forms to perform various actions by being inside all those objects. A doubt is likely to pop up in our minds that there is difference in the capabilities of those objects, there is difference in the forms of the Lord in those objects. But that is not the case. The God's form in an ant is also infinite, but He gives only a small bit of power to the ant.

ekaH = also means the greatest. You alone is the greatest and you only act as an independent tattva since everything else is dependent on your Atmashakti. Even the trigunaatmaka jaDa prakRiti, the chetanaatmaka
prakRuti are dependent on you(the Lord).
The word mAya has many meanings. We can see atleast three layers of meanings.
1. mAya = Lord's will - that is His own shakti
2. mAya = Chetana praKruti - the Goddess LakShmi, who is under the control of Lord's shakti
3. mAya = jaDa prakRuti - which is controlled by Lakshmi, who inturn is controlled by the Lord's shakti
In all these 3 layers of meaning - the uruguNas(the powerful qualities) are used for the creation. The uru guNas are sattva, Rajas and Tamas.
They become the material cause for the Mahattattva and the subsequent tattvas like Ahankara tattva, and other created things like panchendriyas, panchabhutas, panchatanmaatras, etc.

He creates this entire universe in one form and present in that in one form and enters again in another form.

The shruti says "tat shR^iShTvA tadevaanuprAvishat | tadanupravishya sacca tyaccaabhavat |" asadguNeShu = amanMgaLaguNeShu = The objects having these three prAkRitika guNas.

Such objects are many in this universe. The Lord pervades all those by taking infinite forms. Eventhough the sticks of firewood are many, the fire inside the firewood is just only one. The sticks may have many shapes, but the fire is not affected by any shape. Also the fire is invisible in the firewood, even though it is present.

"Oh Lord, You are the Supreme one, with no self-inconsistencies, You control by Your own Will Power called mAyA Sakti, which controls the Cetanaa prakRuti, LakShmi, who inturn controls the jaDa prakRuti, consisting of the three guNas, sattva, Rajas and Tamas. From those guNas, You have created the mahat tattva and from there all its successor phenomena like AhankAra tattva, Pancha tanmAtras, Pancha bhUtas, Panchendriyas, etc. Having created all these, You entered them. Having entered all those in Your diverse forms (as their inner Light). Each of your infinite forms is infinitely complete. You shine like the fire in various sticks of firewood, unseen and unaffected by the shapes of the sticks."

tvaddattayA vayunayedamachashhTa vishvaM suptaH prabuddha iva nAtha
bhavatprapannaH .
tasyApavargyasharaNaM tava pAdamUlaM vismaryate kR^itadhiyA
kathamArtabandho || 4-10-8..

त्वद्दत्तया वयुनयेदमचष्ट विश्वं सुप्तः प्रबुद्ध इव नाथ 
भवत्प्रपन्नः।
तस्यापवर्ग्यशरणं तव पादमूलं विस्मर्यते कृतधिया 
कथमार्तबन्धो॥ ४-१०-८॥
tvat-dattayA vayunayA-idam-achashhTa vishvaM
suptaH prabuddha iva nAtha bhavat-prapannaH /
tasya-apavargya-sharaNaM tava pAda-mUlaM
vismaryate kR^itadhiyA katham-Arta-bandho //
The anvaya is as follows-
nAtha Artabandho suptaH bhavat-prapannaH prabuddha iva tvat-dattayA vayunayA idam vishvaM achashhTa | tasya tava apavargya-sharaNaM pAda-mUlaM kR^itadhiyA katham vismaryate ?
nAtha = Oh Lord
Artabandho = Uplifter (like a close relative) of the sorrows of the devotees
suptaH = the sleeping one
bhavat-prapannaH = one who surrendered to you
prabuddha = woken up by you (meaning you evoked knowledge in him)
iva = like that
vayunayA = by the knowldge
tvat-dattayA = given by you
idam = this
vishvaM = universe
achashhTa = apashyat = perceived
tasya tava = such your
apavargya = muktas
sharaNaM = refuge
pAda-mUlaM = the feet that are the source of everything
kR^itadhiyA = kR^itaj~nena = by one who is grateful
katham = how
vismaryate ? = forgotten ?
"Oh Lord, thou art the source of solace for the suffering. You stimulate the slumebring devotees that surrender to you. The knowledgeable ones en-kindled by you, can preceive the universe being driven by you in every resepct. Such is thy sovereignty, that thy feet, the source of all, are also refuge even to the liberated souls. How can your devotees, who are grateful, can ever forget or ignore the glory of thy feet? Only ungrateful beings can ignore or forget."

nUnaM vimR^ishhTamatayastava mAyayA te ye tvAM
bhavApyayavimokshhaNamanyahetoH .
archAnta kalpakataruM kuNapopabhogyamichchhAnti yat.h sparshajaM
niraye.api nR^INAm.h .. 4-10-9 ..

नूनं विमृष्टमतयस्तव मायया ते ये त्वां 
भवाप्ययविमोक्षणमन्यहेतोः।
अर्चान्त कल्पकतरुं कुणपोपभोग्यमिच्छान्ति यत्‌ स्पर्शजं 
निरयेऽपि नॄणाम्‌॥ ४-१०-९॥
nUnaM vimR^ishhTa-matayaH tava mAyayA te
ye tvAM bhava-apyaya-vimokshhaNam-anya-hetoH /
archAnti kalpaka-taruM kuNapa-upabhogyam
ichchhAnti yat.h sparshajaM niraye.api nR^INAm.h //
The anvaya is as follows-
ye bhava-apyaya-vimokshhaNam tvAM kalpaka-taruM tava mAyayA anya-hetoH
archAnti nR^INAm.h niraye.api yat.h sparshajaM kuNapa-upabhogyam
ichchhAnti, te nUnaM vimR^ishhTa-matayaH |
ye = ones who,
bhava-apyaya-vimokshhaNam = liberating from the cycle of samsAra consisting of birth and death (bhava means janana or birth,
apyaya means maraNa or death; so this means jananamaraNAtmakasamsAramuktidam)
tvAM = You
kalpaka-taruM = kalpavR^ikSha
tava = by your
mAyayA = will
anya-hetoH = for other purposes like materaialistic joys (kAmAdyartham) archAnti worship you
nR^INAm.h = for men
niraye.api = even in hell
yat.h = which
sparshajaM = born of sense organs (sensual joys)
kuNapa-upabhogyam = fit for enjoyment by using the body, which actually is jaDa and so equivalent of a corpse
ichchhAnti = desire for (ignoring the Lord)
te = they are
nUnaM = certainly
vimR^ishhTa-matayaH = self-deceiving ones.
"Oh Lord, when you are there like kalpavRukSha ready to relieve from the reel of samsAra, the humans worship you for something else like the sensual joys and they desire for them not knowing that they are equally easy to have even in hell, as they are born of sense organs of corpse-like jaDa deha. Therefore they are certainly self-deceiving ones."

yA nirvR^itistanubhR^itAM tava pAdapadmadhyAnAd.h
bhavajjanakathAshravaNena vA syAt.h .
sA brahmaNi svamahimnyapi nAtha mA bhUt.h kimvantakAsilulitAt.h patatAM
vimAnAt.h .. 4-10-10

या निर्वृतिस्तनुभृतां तव पादपद्मध्यानाद्‌ 
भवज्जनकथाश्रवणेन वा स्यात्‌।
सा ब्रह्मणि स्वमहिम्न्यपि नाथ मा भूत्‌ किम्वन्तकासिलुलितात्‌ पततां विमानात्‌॥ ४-१०-१०
yA nirvR^itiH tanu-bhR^itAM tava pAda-padma-
dhyAnAt - bhavat-jana-kathA-shravaNena vA syAt.h /
sA brahmaNi svamahimni api nAtha mA bhUt.h
kimu antaka-asi-lulitAt.h patatAM vimAnAt.h //
The anvaya is as follows-
nAtha, tava pAda-padma-dhyAnAt, bhavat-jana-kathA-shravaNena vA tanu-bhR^itAM yA nirvR^itiH syAt.h, sA brahmaNi svamahimni api mA bhUt.h | antaka-asi-lulitAt.h vimAnAt.h patatAM kimu ?
nAtha = Oh Lord
pAda-padma-dhyAnAt = meditation of holy feet of
tava = yours
vA = or else
bhavat-jana-kathA-shravaNena = by listening to the episodes of your devotees
tanu-bhR^itAM = bearers of the body (meaning those in samsAra)
yA = which
nirvR^itiH = svarUpa sukhAbhivyakti (manifestation of inherent bliss)
syAt.h = happens
sA = that
brahmaNi = in parabrahma
svamahimni = whose mahima is not under control of any one else (meaning He controls Himself and no one else controls Him)
api = also
mA bhUt.h = will not occur
kimu = what to speak of
antaka-asi-lulitAt.h = caused by termination act of Sri Hari utilizing the kAlachakra
Here antaka means terminator or samhArakarta. The Lord is the ultimate samhArakarta.
asi mans sword. A person can brandish the sword to cuts off something.
Here kAlachakra itself is like a sword. lulitAt means khaNDitAt = or by the act of cutting.
vimAnAt.h = from the vimAna
patatAM = those who fall
This refers to svarga vAsis. Those who accumulate what ever amount of puNya, until their puNya gets exhausted, they enjoy the heavens by flying in the divine planes, etc. When their puNya gets exhausted, the Lord as per the kAlachakra makes them fall from their planes, meaning He terminates their enjoyment in svarga and brings them down to Earth to continue in samsAra.
In suShupti, the heavenly bliss a small amount of svarUpasukha-abhivyakti happens.

Sri YadupatyAchArya mentions in prakAshika
"...parabrahmaNisthitasya alpamuktasyApi muktyanantarabhAvinA
dhyAnAdivyanjakena vinA parabrahmaprAptimAtreNa mAbhUnna bhavati |
suptau parabrahmaprAptAvapi suptyanantaram
parabrahmadhyAnadarshanAdyabhAvena muktisukhAbhAvasyadR^iShTAtvAt |"
परब्रह्मणिस्थितस्य अल्पमुक्तस्यापि मुक्त्यनन्तरभाविना 
ध्यानादिव्यन्जकेन विना परब्रह्मप्राप्तिमात्रेण माभून्न भवति। 
सुप्तौ परब्रह्मप्राप्तावपि सुप्त्यनन्तरम् 
परब्रह्मध्यानदर्शनाद्यभावेन मुक्तिसुखाभावस्यदृष्टात्वात्।
"In deep sleep, the jIva gets into contact with Parabrahma and undergoes that nirvRuti or inherent bliss to some extent. But that withers away after the deep sleep. That, without the benefit of dhyAna of the Lord, is inferior to the bliss arising from the dhyAna of the Lord.".
So this verse meaning is -
"Oh Lord, what ever bliss one enjoys by the meditation of your holy feet or by listening to the episodes of your devotees, such bliss can not be obtained by being in the company of self-effulgent Parabrahma without the accompaniment of shyAna. Then what to speak of the joys of those who fall from heaven having exhausted their puNyakarma? Meaning the plight of such falling ones is even worse."

Shri KrishNArpaNamastu

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