Sri Nrusimha PanchAmrutha Sthothram--Part 2

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs of Sri Nava Nrusimhas of AhObilam :

 

In the earlier posting , I referred to the splendid way

in which Chakravathi Thirumahan used 12 names

to seat Sri MaalOlan in his heart cage in the spirit of

DvAdasa Naama Panjara Sthuthi .

 

One of the unusual combination of two NaamAs ,

into one name " NaarAyaNAchyutha " is a thought

provoking usage by Sri Rama .This is the 12th and the

last namA of the first slokam .

 

The greatness of the Name " NaarAyaNa " is celebrated

as the elaboration of the first part of PraNavam (A) .

The Various slokAs of Naaradheeya Kalpam (AshtAkshara

Brahma VidhyA) reveal to us the greatness and the profound

significance of NaarayaNa sabdham . It is part of Moola Manthram .

Indeed , it is the most significant part of Moola Manthram .

That is why it is considered as Dharaka -Poshaka - Bhogya

Sabdham as the resident of the golden cage of AshtAkshari .

Further , The central doctrines of Sri VaishNavAs are

the three rahasyams : AshtAkshari, Dhvayam and

Sarama Slokam . Our Acharyas and Sri RamachandrA's

Achaarya ( Sage VasishtA ) have instructed us that one

is born in Thirumanthiram , grows in Dhvayam and ends

with Sarama Slokam . All of them have at their core

Sriman NaarAyaNan . That is why Sage Naaradha

states that NaarAyaNA is AshtAkshara Svarupi :

 

vyaktham hi BhagavAn Deva: SakshAnnArAyaNa: Svayam I

AshtAkshara svarupENa mukhEshu parivarthatEh II

 

(Meaning ) : It is very clear and unquestionable .

Sriman NaarAyaNan , the treasure house of the

six guNAs such as J~nanam , Balam , Isvaryam etal

roams in the faces of the reciter of moola manthram

made up of eight aksharAs . This is the glory of NaarAyaNa

parAyaNA :

 

Elsewhere , Sage NaradhA reveals that he has taken

refuge in the Manthram celebrating NaarAyaNa sabdham

this way :

 

AaseenA vaa sayanaa vaa thishtanthO yathra kuthra vaa I

NamO NaarAyaNAyEthi mantraika saraNA vayam II

 

(Meaning ) : Whether we are seated , resting or standing ,

whether we are here or there , We have taken refuge in

the manthram , " NamO NaarAyaNAya " .

 

Sri RamA saluted Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan in

the Vaidhika Taantric way at Ahobilam through

the invocation of the NaarAyaNa sabdham

in the very first slokam of his eulogy .

 

The word Acyutha was attached by Him to the naamA,

"NaarAyaNA " to salute Sri Narasimhan of Ahobilam as

" NaarAyaNAchyuthan " . The Achyutha naamam is a

reminder of Sriman NaarAyaNA's ancient tattvam stated

in the Sarama slokam . He will not abandon anyone , who

truly surrenders to Him and seek refuge at His lotus feet.

He is therefore Natha Sathyan ( true to those , who bow before

Him ). He is the protector of those , who do kaimkaryam to HIm

(Kinkara sathyan ). He never lets them down. He is

the SaraNAgatha Sathyan .

 

Many milleniums later , Swami Desikan composed a hundred

verses on the Achyuthan of Thiruvaheendhrapuram and celebrated

the NaarAyaNAchyutha Tattvam . One of the verses of this magnificient

poem (Achyutha Sathakam ) of Swami Desikan sums up

brilliantly and assertively the reasons behind the usage of

this compound name , " NaarAyaNAchyuathan " :

 

na kalu tava sadhrusAbhyadhikA :

Naatha tvameva Sarvaloka SaraNya : I

yehtAvath J~nanasaaramithi j~aathum

ThridasanaathEtara vichinthA II

 

(Meaning ) : O DevanAyakA ! O Achyutha !

O SaraNAgatha SathyA ! There is no one in all

the worlds , who is equal to or superior to you .

You are the sole protector of SaraNAgathAs .

This is the essence of all SaasthrAs. Research

on and study (vichinhtA ) of all the SaasthrAs is

to arrive at this discovery .

 

Slokam 2:

 

devaassamasthA : kalu yogi mukhyA :

Gandharva VidhyAdhara kinnarAsccha I

Yath paadhamoolam sathatham namanthi

tham Naarasimham saraNam gathOsmi II

 

(meaning ) : I have taken refuge

(performed SaraNAgathi) to that Naarasimhan ,

whose lotus feet are constantly saluted indeed

by all the DEvAs , Parama Yogis , GandharvAs

and KinnarAs .

 

The use of the word "Kalu " in this slokam

by Sri RamabhadhrA is very meaningful.

The word " Kalu " is used in poetry to lay stress

on the word by which it is preceded. Here that

preceding word is "SamasthA : " . Sri Rama

uses "Kalu " here to assert that all --DevAs ,

Parama Yogis , GandharvAs, KinnarAs and all

who are not even listed -- are assembled at

the lotus feet (Paadha mmolam ) and are offering their

salutations. " Kalu " is used as a particle in

syllogistic speech and means , "indeed ,

verily , certainly " .

 

Slokam 3 :

 

vEdhAn samasthAn KALU saasthragarbhAn

vidhyApalEh keerthimatheemcha Lakshmeem I

Yasya PrasAdhAth sathatham labhanthE

tham Naarasimham saraNam gathOsmi II

 

(meaning ) : I have taken refuge (performed

SaraNAgathi ) to that Narasimhan by whose grace

one obtains without fail the fruits of Brahma VidyA

elaborated in the VedAs and in heart of the saasthrAs .

I have chosen that Narasimhan , who blesses one

with keerthi and permanent wealth , as the means

for my saraNAgathi .

 

Slokam 4 :

 

BrahmA Sivasthvam PurushOtthamasccha

NaarAyaNOsow maruthAm Pathisccha I

ChandhrArka vaayvAgni MaruthgaNAsccha

TvamEvatham tvaam Sathatham NathOsmi II

 

This slokam is the essence of the Vedic Principle ,

" Ucchishta or Ut-sista Brahmam that reveals the Lord

as the final reality or the one that exists as the undecaying self ,

when all else is gone. He takes the form of all the Gods of

many attributes and functions. Sri RamA recognizes

Sri Narasimha BhagavAn as Brahma , SivA , PurushOtthama,

NarAyaNA , Maruth DevAs , Vaayu , Moon , Sun , Agni and

every divine principle . Sri RamaA says that he salutes that grandest

of Grand priciples , Sri NarasimhA as Ucchishta Brahmam

and Aadhi Murthy( Moolam ) .

 

This slOkam is of the ssence of many passages of the VedAs.

The echos of this slOkam are heard in these illustrative

Veda Manthrams:

 

sarvE asmin dEvA eka vruthO bhavanthi ( Atharva Vedam XII.4.21)

(meaning ) : All the DevAs merge out and become one in Him alone.

 

Rg Vedic Passages ( RV .II .1.4, 1.6 and 1.7):

 

(meaning ) : You are the One known as Agni , King VaruNA ,

MitrA , AAryamaan or amsA .--- You are the Dravinodha (giver

of wealth ) , deva , savithru , ratnadhaa (the store of gems) ,

bhaga (the effulgent ) and nrupathi ( hte Lord of men ) -- You

are the one , whom seers call by various names , such as IndrA ,

MitrA , VaruNA , Agni , DivyA, SuparNA , GaruthmAn , YamA and

Matarisvan .

 

Yajur vedam salutes the supreme Lord as the One everlasting

principle , even if He is saluted with different names :

 

" He alone is Agni , the same He is AdityA, the same one

is known as Vaayu ,and Chandramaa .He again is the same

one known as SukrA , Brahman , Apaah or Prajaapathi .

( Yajur Vedam : XXXII .1 ).

 

SlOkam 5 :

 

svapnEapi nityam jagathAm TrayANAm

srashtAcha hanthA vipurapramEya : I

TraathA tvamevakasthrividhOvibhinna:

tham tvAm Nrusimham sathatham nathOsmi II

 

(meaning ) ; I salute forever that Nrusimhan , who creates , protects

and destroys the three worlds and their beings .He is indeed

the supreme Lord and matchless in attributes and glory .He is

the creator , protector and destroyer in all states of existence

and is divided in three forms to perform these functions for

loka Kshemam and for his play . I salute that Parabrahmam ,

Sri Lakshmi Narasimhan of Ahobilam always .

 

The rest of the verses of this Sthothram deal with Sri RamA's

AarAdhanam of Maalolan , the celebration of that worship

by the Devaas through the showering of flowers (Pushpa Vrushti )

and the acclamation of the assembled sages and the pala

sruthi . These are the verses covering the above happenings

at Ahobilam :

 

ithi sthuthvA Raghu Sreshta :

PoojayaamAsa Tham Viphum I

 

Pushpa Vrushti : papaathAsu

Tasya Devasya Moordhani II

 

Saadhusaadhvidhitham prOchu :

DevArishi gaNaissaha I

 

DevA oochu :

 

RaaghavENa krutham Sthothram

PANCHAAMRUTHAMANUTTHAMAM I

patanthiyE dhvija varA :

teshAm svargasthu saasvatha : II

 

Sri Nrusimha PanchAmrutha Sthothram SampoorNam

 

MahA PrabhAva : , Sri NaarayaNa Naarasimha : ,

NaarayaNa Veerasimha : , NaarayaNa Krurasimha: ,

NaarayaNa divyasimha : , NaarayaNa Vyaagrasimha : ,

NaarayaNa pucchasimha: , NaarAyaNa poorNasimha: ,

NaarAyaNa Roudhrasimha: ,

 

BheeshaNa bhadra simha: , Vihvala nEthra simha: ,

Brumhitha bhooth asimha: , Nirmala chithra simha: ,

Nirjitha Kaala Simha: , Kalpitha kalpa Simha: ,

Kaamatha kaama simha : , Bhuvanaika PoorNa simha : ,

KaalAgni Rudra Simha : .Anantha Simha Raaja Simha :

 

Jaya Simha Roopa Simha : ,

Narsimha Roopa Simha: ,

RaNa Simha Roopa Simha : ,

Abhayankara Roopa Simha : ,

HiraNyakasipu Haari Simha : ,

PrahlAdha Varada Simha : ,

BhakthAbheeshtadhAyee Simha : ,

Lakshmi Nrusimha Roopa Simha : ,

Adhyadhbuhtha Roopa Simha : ,

Sri Nrusimha Deva : Aathmana:

sakala bhootha vyApthim --nija

bhruthya bhaashitham cha Satyam vidhAthum

Prapanna RakshaNAya parispotitha

than MahAsthambhE Paryadhrusyatha

Paryadhrusyatha

 

Satyam VidhAthum nija bhruthya bhaashitham

vyaapthimcha bhoothEshvakhilEshuchAthmana:

 

adhrusyathAdhadhbutha roopamudhvahan

sthambEh sabhAyAm na Mrugam na Maanusham .

 

The above passages are a combination used as

Nrusimha Gadhyam by MahA VidvAn ,

Sri SanthAna GopalaacchAr Swami in his

upanyAsams . They are a mixture of Sri PommEri

POthannA's Telegu Bhagavatham and Sri Nrusimha

Sahasra Naamams .

 

I will conclude this posting with a slokam

from Sri Nrusimha MangaLam composed by

SrivaN^ satakOpa Srinivasa Yatheendhra MahA Desikan

of Ahobila Mutt :

 

Sarva Vedaantha vEdhyAya karaNAya MahaathmanE I

Sarvaloka SaraNyAya Sri NrusimhAya MangaLam II

 

Oppiliappan Koil VaradAchAri Sadagopan