slokas in the Bhagavata

[Guest guest]

Dear Professor Narendran : These four slOkAs

of salutation of Sri KrishNA by His mother

Devaki in Kamsa's jail are indeed profound ones in

their depth of meaning . I thought our Bhakthi list

members might enjoy reading about them too !

Hence , I am copying them on this note to you .

Best Wishes , V.Sadagopan

 

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Paliath Narendran, INTERNET:dran

TO: V. Sadagopan, 75041,3037

DATE: 1/28/98 11:16 AM

 

RE: slokas in the Bhagavata

 

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Paliath Narendran <dran

75041.3037

slokas in the Bhagavata

 

 

Dear Dr. Sadagopan,

 

In the krshNaavataara chapter of the Bhagavata, these 4 beautiful

slokas appear in Devaki's stuti. Can you explain their meaning to

me? (The language of the Bhagavata is a little difficult for me.)

 

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

ruupam yattat praahuravyaktamaadyam

brahmajyotirnirguNam nirvikaaram

sattaamaatram nirviSesham niriiham

sa tvam saakshaad vishNuradhyaatmadiipa:

 

nashTe loke dviparaardhaavasaane

mahaabhuuteshvaadibhuutam gateshu

vyaktevyaktam kaalavegena yaate

bhavaaneka: SishyateSeshasamj~na:

 

yoyam kaalastasya tevyaktabandho!

ceshTaamaahuSceshTate yena viSvam

nimeshaadirvatsaraanto mahiiyan

tam tveSaanam kshemadhaama prapadye

 

martyo mrtyuvyaalabhiita: palaayan

lokaan sarvaan nirbhayam naadhaygacchat

tvatpaadaabjam praapya yadrchayaadya

sustha: Sete mrtyurasmaadapaiti

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

 

There is no hurry; please take your time.

 

Regards,

Narendran

 

--

---------

Paliath Narendran

Associate Professor URL: http://www.cs.albany.edu/~dran/

Department of Computer Science phone: (518)442-3387

University at Albany --- SUNY fax: (518)442-5638

Albany, NY 12222

---------

 

Slokam 1 : Tvam SaakshAdh VishNu : Thou art

indeed ( verily ) Maha VishNu .

 

( tvam ) Adhyama dheepa: Thou art the Light Spiritual.

Thou art the celestial lamp in the hearts of Yogis

and BhakthAs .

 

Thou art indeed , what the philosophers describe

( rUpam yathatth prAhu: ) as the first ( aadhyam ) ,

the unmanifest ( avyaktham ),the vast ( Brahma) ,

the luminous ( jyothi ) , the one beyond the guNAs

( nirguNam ) , the changeless ( nirvikAram ) ,

the pure being ( Suddha satthvam / SatthAmAtram ) ,

the unmodified ( nirvisEsahm ) and the desireless

( Nireeham / Kaama rahitham ) .

 

The vedic and Upanishadic salutations are

made by Devaki here .

 

Slokam 2 : This salutation is about the Ucchishta

Brahmam aspect of the Lord saluted so well by

the Atharva Veda ManthrAs .

 

DviparArdhAvasAnE LokhE nashtE = when the whole

universe with its creations is reduced to its

casual condition at the end of DwiparArdhA

( the cycle of four yugAs ) ,

 

mahA bhUthEshvAdhibhUtham gathEshu =

when all the great elements ( pancha bhUthAs )

have gone into the original element ( You ) ,

when they have reached layam inside You

 

vyakthE avyaktham kaala vEgEna yAthE =

when at that time , all that is manifest

has relapsed into unmanifested causal

condition ,

 

BhavAnEka: sishyathE sEsah samkja : =

Thou alone , recognized as the ALL ,

remain . Nothing and none else. Thou

art the Sarva Seshi .

 

Slokam 3 : Avyaktha Bhandho!KshEma DhAma !

( tvAMham ) PrapadhyE = O Master of Mula

Prakruthi! O supreme Shelter ! O provider

of all auspicious boons ! I seek refuge

at Your lotus feet .

 

yOyam kaalastasya thE--chEshtA chEshtathE yEna

visavam aahu: , nimEshAdhi VathsarAnthO

maheeyAmstham tvesAnam = The whole (passage ) of

Time , measured by the units such as a moment ,

Year et al and all the way to the infinitude

of DviparArdha is just the time it takes

for the wink of Your eye ! This indeed represents

the dynamics of the universe ! I take refuge

in You , my Varadan and Rakshakan !

 

SlOkam 4 : (Oh ) Aadhya = Oh Primeval One !

 

MarthyO mrithyu vyAla bheetha := Man Afraid of

(the bite of ) the serpent of death ,

 

LOkhAn sarvAn palAyan nirbhayam nAdhyagacchath =

runs from place to place , but finds no haven

of protection .

 

yadhrucchayAdhya tvath pAdhAbhjam prApya

svastha: sEthE= ( That frightened man

running from place to place to escape the

chasing serpent of death ) , he reaches by

some good fortune , Your Lotus feet and then

lives there in utter tranquility .

 

mrithyurasmmAdhapaithi = Death withdraws

from the man thereafter .

 

At the end of these four slOkAs ,

Devaki as the Mother of the Lord is

overcome by Aj~nanam and gets afraid of

any harm coming to her "baby " from

KamsA and begs the Lord to withdraw

His transcendental form , glorious

with its four arms sporting Sudarsanam ,

Paanchajanyam , mace and the Lotus .

 

In the last slokam of this set , DEvaki

says : " That Thou , who carries the entire

universe within thy stomach during MahA PraLayam ,

hast been born of my womb ! This act of Thine is

a great joke payed on the World ! This joke

is Your way of hiding Your divine identity

through imitation of human ways ( NrulOkasya

viDampanam hi tath ! ) .

 

Sri KrishNArpaNamasthu

 

V.Sadagopan