lakshmi-nrsimha karavalamba stotram

[Guest guest]

Dear bhAgavatOttamA-s,

 

As inveterate SriVaishnavites not all of us may be inclined to agree

with the philosophy of Sri Sankara 'bhagavatpAda' but his poetry is an

altogether different matter.

 

Sankara's Sanskrit poetry is a magnificent blend of lofty thought and

intense feeling. His hymns like the famous "bhaja-gOvindam" and

"soundarya-lahari" indeed stir the mood of thoughtful "bhakti" in both

SriVaishnava and non-SriVaishnava reader alike.

 

My own favorite Sankara hymn is the "lakshmi-nrsimha karAvalamba

stOtram" sung (it is widely believed) in praise of our Lord at Ahobilam.

It is composed in the attractive metre (or "virutta") called

"vasanta-tilakam"… a delightful arrangement of euphonic 14-syllabled

four-lined stanzas. There are 17 such stanzas each ending with Sankara's

heart-rending cry of despair:

 

"lakshmi-nrsimha mama dEhi karAvalambam !"

 

"Lend me Thy Hand and set me free, Lakshmi-nrsimha!"

 

************ ****************** ****************

 

This "stOtra", or hymn, is more than a prayer to Deity too. It is, I

believe, Sankara's sombre tribute to the pangs of agony which all

spiritual aspirants in the grip of an experience called "virakti"

undergo.

 

"virakti", loosely described in English as stuporous "world-weariness",

is a state of mind which the lonely traveler along the spiritual road,

sooner or later, must inevitably pass through. If you read the accounts

of the Masters, the "purvAchAryA-s" of the Vedic faith, they will all

tell you, almost without exception, that he who pursues "para-tattvam"

i.e the Supreme Truth of SrimanNarayana, must inevitably brave himself

to labour, for sometime at least, under the heavy cloud of a wrenching

world-weariness. The cloud though dark, thick and threatening at first…

the Masters tell us… the cloud however passes away as quickly as it

might appear in the first place.

 

We might find it useful now to spend some time examining "virakti" as a

religious experience. But before we do that we must first learn to

understand and enjoy Sankara's verses. In Verse#3 through Verse #11 of

the "stOtra" the experience of "virakti" has been portrayed in vivid and

masterly metaphor by the 'bhagavathpAdA'. I have pulled out the relevant

lines from the verses and have given below a free translation of them.

Later on in ensuing posts we will discuss 'virakti'.

 

(1)"samsAra-dAva-dahanAtura-BhikarOru-jwAlAvalee-Bhirati-dagDha-tanuruhasya

….".

 

Like hapless strands of hair inflamed,

I burn, I burn, I burn…

In searing blaze ringin' this forest…

This infernal life of mine.

 

 

(2) "samsAra-jAla-pati-tasya …sarvEndriyArTha-baDishArTha-jashOpamasya

prOth-Kandita-prachura-tAluka-mastakasya …".

 

Like fish drawn by lethal bait

And then tangled, impaled and shred…

These mortal coils too have lured and trapped

My soul and every sense …

 

(3) "samsArakoopa-atigOram-agAdamoolam

samprApyadukha-shatha-sarpa-samAkulasya…..".

 

Dark is this well… this life, my world --

An abyss of numberless misery;

Where serpents of sin, agents of distress,

And angels of fear hold sway.

 

(4)"samsAra-Bheekara-kareendra-karABhiGhAta-nishpishta-marma-vapushaha

prANa-prayANa-bhava-bheethi-samAkulasya….".

 

The terrors of life and the pain of death…

The mysteries of life evermore --

Like an ireful tusker in the wilds --

Have maimed me in their hold.

 

(5)"samsAra-sarpaGana-vaktra-BhayOgra-teevra-damshtrA-karAla-vishadag

Dha-vinashta-murthEhE…".

 

This life my world is a serpent's mouth

The fount of human bane

Venom and vile, ruin and dread

Fangs of doom've devoured me.

 

(6) "samsAra-vruksha-maGhabeejam-anantha-karma

shAKhAshatam…karaNa-patram anangapushpam..

Aruh~ya dukhapalinam patha-taha…".

 

An endless Fall's indeed my fate

>From the Tree of Life with sin as its seed

With greed its boughs and lust as leaves

With love as flower and woe its fruit.

 

(7)"samsAra-sAgara-vishAla-karAla-kAla-nakra-graha-grasana-nigraha-vigraha-hasya\

…vyagrasya

rAgani-chayOrmini-peeditasya….".

 

The course of desire, the waves of disquiet

The tides of dread on the High Sea of Life

Into the gaping jaws've me they trawled

To feed me as fare to the Alligators of Time.

 

(8) "samsAra-sAgara nimajjana-muhya-mAnam….."

 

This life my world is sea unbound

Chaos in its waters, nullity its depths--

Leagues around …not a raft in sight!

To sink without trace: my eternal plight.

 

(9) "samsAra-Gora-gahanE charathO murArE….

MArogra-Bhikara-mruga-pravrArdi-tasya…. Arthasya

matsara-nidhAga-nipeedi-tasya….".

 

When I'm not prey in this jungle of nescience

To the beast of Passion: the sovereign of fears--

I bake in the summer-heat of harsh un-love…

A wilted spirit in a wasteland of tears.

 

(10) All the above stanzas end with the common refrain:

"lakshmi-nrsimha mama dEhi karAvalambam !"

 

"Lend me Thy Hand and set me free, Lakshmi-nrsimha!"

 

********** *********** ***********

 

We will study a few of the wonderful verses above in some detail in the

ensuing posts.

 

adiyEn dAsAnu-dAsan,

sudarshan

 

Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com

[Guest guest]

Dear Sudarhan

Your translation is superb as are all your other postings. I thoroughly

enjoyed it and I wish to congartulate you for this Kainkaryam. Please keep it

up.

Dasoham

Anbil Ramaswamy