abhayAmbikAShTakam - dhyAnam *

[Guest guest]

---------------

abhayAmbikAShTakam - dhyAnam

---------------

nidhenityasmere niravadhiguNe nItinipuNe

nirAghaTaGYAne niyamaparachittaikanilaye .

niyatyAnimuke nikhilanigamAntastutapade

nirAtaN^ke nityaM nigamaya mamapi stutimAm ..

 

O! thou that art the support of all that lives !, O! lady of the ever

smiling countenance and the limitless virtues !, O! Fountain of justice !,

O! Knowledge indefeasible that dwells by choice in the hearts of the devout

ruled by the veda, but thyself acknowledges no law!, O! Thou that

upaniShad-s exalt as the eternal sanctuary from which all fear flee, Seal

thy approval to this panegyric of mine.

 

To evoke and visualizing the deity who is addressed in the upcoming hymn or

japa is a traditional practice. This process termed as ‘dhyAnam’ is defined

as uninterrupted concentration on the divine form like how an oil flows from

one vessel to another 'taila-dhAravat avicchinna smrti-santatiH'. To help a

devotee accomplish this meditation, dhyAna hymns are constructed that

describe the beautiful form of the divine mother. When a devotee understands

them and visualizes the divine form described in them, his waving nature

slowly subsides and mental peace is achieved. As concentration is the key

for japa this becomes an important step.

 

dhyAna hymns are not to be misunderstood for a description of a beautiful

lady, for you cannot visualize a human with four hands and so on. They are

full of symbolism and help the disciple to grasp the ultimate reality and

concentrate on her. Before chanting lalitA sahasranAma we include one or

more dhyana shloka-s, the most popular being,

 

sindUrAruNa vigrahAM trinayanAM mANikya mauli sphurat.h

tArA nAyaka shekharAM smita mukhIm ApIna vakShoruhAm.h .

pANibhyAm alipUrNa ratna chashhakaM raktotpalaM vibhratIM

saumyAM ratna ghaTastha rakta charaNAM dhyAyet.h parAmambikAm.h ..

 

Like wise in abhayAmbikAShTakam Sri dIkshitar meditates on devi with the

todi kritI 'dAkshAyaNI abhayAmbike'. This kritI is a simple and beautiful

one explaining the various aspects of the divine mother. The sAhitya vAkyams

are,

 

Pallavi

dAkshAyaNI abhayAmbike .

varadAbhaya haste namaste ..

Anupallavi

dIkShA santuShTa mAnase .

dInAjanAvana hasta sArase ..

kAN^kshitArtha pradAyini kAmatantra vidhAyini .

sAkshi rUpa prakAshini samasta jagadvilAsini ..

Charanam

sakalaniShkaLa svarUpatejase sakalaloka shR^iShTikAraNa bhrAjase .

sakalabhakta saMrakShaNa yashase sakalayogi manorUpa tatvatapase ..

prabalaguruguhodaye paJNchAnana hR^idAlaye .

bharata mataN^gAdi nute bhAratIsha pUjite ..

 

In this tOdi dhyAna kritI dIxitar slowly proceeds from bedha to abheda

upAsanam. This demands a little explanation. upAsanam is of two types, bheda

upAsanam and abheda upAsanam. With out a prefix upAsanam is normally bheda

upAsanam as the deity that is addressed is always visualized as different

from the self. For a spiritual beginner, only this is possible. He starts

visualizing the ultimatum in a beautiful and pleasing form and slowly stills

his concentration (rUpa dhyAnam). He meditates upon the nature and quality

of the form to help him in an uninterrupted effort (guNa - Ishvarya - kIrti

dhyAnam). As these proceed, he recognizes that his guru is not different

from the deity he is meditating upon (guru svarUpa dhyAnam). He recognizes

the divinity in this guru. He also understands that the knowledge that has

been endowed upon, the scriptures that he has studied is identical with the

deity (veda svarUpa dhyAnam). He feels that the almighty is always looking

after him (Ishvara dhyAnam). As the scriptures teach that the almighty is

all pervading, he starts feeling the divine presence in all that exist,

(virAT svarUpa dhyAnam). If the almighty is seen in all that exist, then the

small I that exist before the one ocean of bliss just dissolves even that.

The sAdakA visualizes the divine in him too.

 

aruNAM karuNA taraN^gitakShIM

dhR^ita pAshAN^kusha pushhpa bANa chApAm.h |

aNimAdi bhirAvR^itAM mayukhaiH

ahamityeva vibhAvaye bhavAnIm.h ||

 

(aham itI eva vibhAvaye bhavAnIm - She is the Self within me)

 

 

At this point bheda upAsanam becomes abheda upasanam. In this stage the

oneness is just an imagination, but through divine grace if it is discovered

as truth, upAsanam becomes nididhyAsam.

>From rUpa dhyAnam a sAdakA is elevated to svarUpa dhyAnam. The ultimate

essence of all knowledge 'svasvarUpAnusantAnam' is achieved. Thus upAsana

leads to nididhyAsanam. This set by step process is the key content of this

kritI.

 

nAmAvaLI-s under specific steps are as follows,

 

rUpa dhyAnam

---------------------

dAkshAyaNi abhayAmbike namaste

varadAbhaya haste namaste

dInAvana hasta sArase namaste

 

kIrti dhyAnam

-------------------

pa~ncAnana hR^idAlaye namaste

bhAratIsha pUjite namaste

sakala yogi manorUpa tatva tapase namaste

kA~nkShitArtha pradAyini namaste

 

gurusvarUpa dhyAnam

--

dIkShA santuShTa mAnase namaste

prabala guruguhodaye namaste

 

vedasvarUpa dhyAnam

 

kAmatantra vidAyini namaste

bharata mata~ngAdi nute namaste

 

IshwarI dhyAnam

--------------------------

sakala loka shR.ShTikAraNa rAjase namaste

sAkShi rUpa prakAshini namaste

 

 

virATsvarUpa dhyAnam (bhuuta bhaavanaH)

------------------------------

samasta jagadvilAsini namaste

 

SvarUpadhyAnam