Srimad bhAghavatha- stothras with meanings by Great Devotees-

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Hari Sarvottama Sri Gurubhyo namaha

Vayu Jeevothama

 

SOURCE: Bhaghavatha Pravesha by Sri Sagri Raghavendra Upadhyaya translated

by Anuradha Sridhar published by Sri Vasupradha Charitable Trust, D 2

Mathura Terrace, 72 New Avadi Road, Kilpauk, Chennai 600 010

 

janmAdyasya yato.anvayAditaratashchArtheShvabhiGYaH svarAT.h

tene brahma hR^idA ya Adikavaye muhyanti yaM sUrayaH |

tejovArimR^idAM yathA vinimayo yatra trisargo mR^iShA

dhAmnA svena sadA nirastakuhakaM satyaM paraM dhImahi || (1-1-1)

 

 

 

 

The Lord appears before the devotees to bless them for their enduring

penance & the devotees go into raptures & glorify Him to their heart's

content. Among such compositions some of them highlight certain

extraordinary qualities of the Lord. Certain compositions are in the form

of prayer, which help us to put into practice the noble ideals in our life.

Certain compositions are for asking the Lord for the removal of calamities &

evil forces that trouble us.

 

Hundreds of devotees have praised the Lord in the bhAghavatha as visualized

by them. A few are given here:

 

 

1. nigamakalpatarorgalitaM phalaM shukamukhAdamR^itadravasaMyutam.h |

pibata bhAgavataM rasamAlayaM muhuraho rasikAbhuvi bhAvukAH ||

 

Bhaghavatha is a ripe fruit full of juice. It has fallen from the

kalpavriksha called the Vedas. Sukhacharya further sweetens it. But its

pleasure is eternal. It is something that could be carried over births &

accumulate the nectar called jnAna, bhakthi & Vairagya. Therefore, this

ripe fruit further gets enriched with greater essence by sages like

Sukhacharya. Bhaghavatha contains the message of vedas.

 

 

2. Sri Krishna, soon after His manifestation, showed His enchanting form as

Lord Vishnu to His parents. They saw the enchanting form & were

wonderstruck.

 

tamadbhutaM bAlakamambujexaNaM chaturbhujaM sha~NkhagadAdyudAyudham.h |

shrIvatsalaxmaM galashobhikaustubhaM pItAmbaraM sAndrapayodasaubhagam.h ||

mahArhavaiDUryakirITakuNDalatviShA pariShvakta sahasrakuntalam.h |

uddAmakA~nchya~Ngadaka~NkhaNAdibhiH virochamAnaM vasudeva aixata ||

 

It was a wonder child. He was lotus eyed. He had four shoulders with

'Shanka, Chakra, Gada, Padma & mark of 'Srivatsa' on His chest. He had

Kaustubha gem around His neck & had adorned a silken cloth of burnished gold

(peethambara) around His waist. His complexion was dark as the rain

clouds. He had earrings, armlets & bracelets. After His appearance like

this, He instantaneously turned into a baby even as Vasudeva & Devaki were

watching this enchanting form in total amazement.

 

3. PRATHIPAADYA SANGRAHA- (Establishing the Supremacy of Lord Vishnu) The

12 skandas of the Bhaghavatha, glorifying the greatness of the Lord has

also been condensed into mere four shlokas as expounded by the Lord to His

son Sri Chathurmukha Brahma known as " Sangraha Bhagavatha " .

 

ahamevAsamagre cha nAnyad.h yat.h sadasat.h param.h |

pashcAdahaM tvametachcha yo.avashiShyeta so.asmyaham.h ||

R^ite.arthaM yat.h pratIyeta na pratIyeta chA.atmani |

tad.h vidyAdAtmano mAyAM yathAbhAso yathA tamaH ||

yathA mahanti bhUtAni bhUteShUccAvaceShu tu |

praviShTAnyapraviShTAni tathA teShu na teShvaham.h ||

etAvadeva jiGYAsyaM tacvajiGYAsunA.a.atmanaH |

anvayavyatirekAbhyAM yat.h syAt.h sarvatra sarvadA ||

 

 

I am the only independent entity both before & after creation, as well as

during the sustenance. " " Prakriti, jIva, karma, kAla - in other words - The

cosmos, the soul, the action & the time-- are all under MY control & in no

way they can have any sway over Me. Like the space, I am inside & out of

all beings. As everything is totally dependent on Me for their existence,

I exist with them always & in every place, as I am Omniscient & Omnipresent.

I can also exist independently at all times & all places. " Thus the Lord

has elucidated His four extraordinary qualities. Total independence, being

unattached, Omnipresent & being the ultimate resort for every jIva, in the

" Sangraha BhAghavata " which is the summary of the 18,000 verses of the

bhAghavatha.

 

4. yo.antaH pravishya mama vAchamimAM prasuptAM

sa~njIvayatyakhilashaktidharaH svadhAmnA |

anyAMshcha hastacharaNashravaNatvagAdIn.h prANAnnamo bhagavate puruShAya

tubhyam.h || (dhruvaH) (4-9-6)

 

You are the upholder of all kinds of potency in every soul & due to your

greatness you enter into me & kindle my latent power of speech along with my

other sense organs & activate them. I bow down to You my Lord Purushothama.

 

Dhruva who performed rigorous penance for six months was dumfounded at the

sight of the Lord as Vasudeva. He spoke these words in the form of prayer

in praise of Lord as Hrishikesha, who activated every part of his body which

could be experienced by him.

 

5. namaH pa~NkajanAbhAya namaha pa~NkajamAline|

namaH pa~NkajanetrAya namaste pa~NkajA~Nghraye || ( bhudevi) (10-59-26)

 

I bow down to You who has a lotus like navel, which bears this creation. I

bow down to You who has the lotus as the garland, I bow down to You who has

lotus like eyes & I bow down to the One who has lotus like attractive feet.

 

Bhu devi glorified the Lord in this manner when Sri Krishna destroyed

Narakasura & brought out the deep relation between Lord & Lakshmi who is the

Abhimaani of the lotus. She also brings out the supremacy of the Lord on

this creation, which is in the form of a lotus.

 

6. mantratastantratashcidraM deshakAlArhavastutaH |

sarvaM karoti nishchidraM nAmasa~NkIrtanaM tava|| (Sukracharya) ( 8-23-16)

 

Chanting the Lord's name, when combined with devotion & right knowledge, can

overcome flaws & deficiencies arising out of our actions performed due to

mantra, tantra due to place of action, time of action & also because of non

availability of recourses needed in its performance. This kind of chanting

helps in completion of the action to its fullness.

 

Sri Sukhacharya praises the Lord Trivikrama in this manner, when he is made

to complete the sacrifice started by Bali chakravarthi but cound not

complete the sacrifice as he was subdued earlier.

 

7. tvayopabhuktastraggandhavAso.ala~NkAracarcitAH |

uciChiShTabhojino dAsAstava mAyAM jayemahi|| ( uddhavaH) (11-6-46)

 

Hey Krishna, we cherish the prasada of yours such as garland, sandalpaste,

clothes, ornaments which have adorned You. Thus with Your grace, we get

liberated from the fetters tied around us.

 

Uddhava makes this stothra when he comes to know that Sri Krishna is about

to depart from this world. It tells us how a " sAdhaka " initially should

offer everything that he has for his enjoyment at the feet of the Lord,

before making use of it & therefore this enables him to get released from

his bondage.

 

8. vipadaH santu naH shashvat.h tatra tatra jagatpate |

bhavato darshanaM yat.h syAdapunarbhavadarshanam.h || (kuntidevi)

(1-8-28)

 

Hey Jagadeesha, let crises after crises confront us in every step of our

life. When we meet with such crises, devotees as we are can run to You for

shelter & thus we get Your darshana which brings us salvation.

 

Kunthi says this when Lord Krishna comes to protect Parikshit in the womb of

Uttara Devi from the brahmAstra sent by Ashwatthama. Therefore Kunthi feels

that when a crises can be conerted into a boon by chanting His name, then

crises also becomes a welcome thing for the devotee.

 

9. taM naH samAdishopAyaM yena te charaNAbjayoH|

smR^itiryathA na viramedapi saMsaratAmiha|| ( jarAsandhagR^ihItarAjAnaH)

( 10-73-15)

 

Even as we are struggleing in this samsaara, we should under no

circumstances forget You---please teach us as to how to achieve it.

 

Twenty thousand eight hundred princes who were in the custody of JarAsandha

were freed by Krishna by making Bhima kill Jarasandha. At that time, the

kings prayed to the Lord this way---Each individual should realize that for

remembering the Lord, the grace of the Lord is more essential than the

individual effort.

 

10. duHkhauShadhaM tadapi duHkhamataddhiyA.ahaM |

bhUman.h bhramAmi vada me tava dAsyayogaM || (prahlAdaH) ( 7-9-17)

 

Hey, The Complete One, I am in this samsaara little realizing that the

solution for one crisis is the beginning for another. Therefore let me be

in Your service for ever.

 

After having killed Hiranyakashipu & the Lord in the form of Narasimha sat

on the throne & at that time, Prahalada describes the shortcomings of this

samsaara & prays to develop renunciation in this matter by developing firm

devotion to the Lord.

 

11. sarvaM tadetatpuruShasya bhUmno vR^iNImahe te paritoShaNAya |

(pracetAH) (4-30-40)

 

Let all our practices including honoring & causing happiness to the Brahmins

please You & Make You happy. This is our prayer.

 

Prachetasa, by this prayer, signifies that every act of the sAdhaka must be

done only to please the Lord. Having got this teaching from Rudra, he does

severe penance in the sea for ten thousand years & prays to the Lord in this

manner.

 

12. pAhi pAhi mahAyogin.h devadeva jagatpate |

nAnyaM tvadabhayaM pashye yatra mR^ityuH parasparam.h || (uttarAdevI)

(1-8-9)

 

Hey Jagadeesha ! One who is glorified even by Brahma & all other devathas,

one who has the best of everything, save the foetus in my womb, I pray to

You again & again. I do not find anyone other than You who is fearless in

the world of opposites.

 

Uttara Devi offers such a prayer to prove to the world that the Lord is not

bound by anything & that He is the only Protector. She comes running to

Krishna for protection when the Brahmastra sent by Ashwathama to destroy the

Pandava lineage was haunting her.

 

13. yAdi rAsIsha me kAmAn.h varAMstvaM varadarShabha |

kAmAnAM hR^idyasaMrohaM bhavatastu vR^iNe varam.h || prahlAdaH (7-10-7)

 

Narasimhathe best among the bestower of boons, if You want to bestow me with

a boon, I pray to You to grant me such a boon which will enable me not to

entertain any desire for petty things.

 

Lord Narasimha wanted to grant a boon to Prahalada & asked him to pray for

it. Prahalada then indicates by this prayer that a person who practices

spiritual exercises to obtain the grace of the Lord under no circumstances

should hanker after mundane things of life.

 

14. yathA chared.h bAlahitaM pitA svayaM |

tathA tvamevArhasi naH samIhitum.h || ( pR^ithuH) ( 4-20-31)

 

As a father who understands the needs of a child & acts accordingly, so also

Lord, You understand my needs & do accordingly.

 

This prayer by the King Prithu guides us the way to pray.

 

 

15. shravaNaM kIrtanaM viShNoH smaraNaM pAdasevanaM |

arcanaM vandanaM dAsyaM sakhyamAtmanivedaM ||

iti puMsArpitA viShNau bhaktishchennavalaxaNA |

kriyate bhagavatyaddhA tanmanye.adhItamuttamam.h ||

 

 

Hearing the glories of Lord Vishnu, chanting His names with the right

attitude, thinking of His nature & His supremacy, serving His devotees,

worshipping the Lord, prostrating at the Lord's feet, realizing His

supremacy & serving Him, treating Him as your friend, & totally surrendering

to Him & realising the fact that the Lord is the inner strength of all

beings in both the worlds--here as well as after salvation 'iha & para' are

the different aspects of Bhakthi. Listening to His stories creates

awareness, which becomes the part & parcel of the epitome of Bhakthi.

According to Prahalada, developing these nine types of devotion to the Lord

Vishnu is the best lesson learnt by him. The innate devotion though latent

in ones heart has to be kindled by listening to the glories of the Lord

incessantly.

 

This nine types of devotion are

Shravana, Kirtana, Smarana, Padasevena,

Archana, Vandana, Dasya, Sakhyam, Atmanivedanam

 

16. In the words of an 'Avadhootha' called Kavi. The intense love

developed for God after attaining firm knowledge of God's greatness is

called Bhakthi & the right knowledge is inseparable from bhakthi & the right

knowledge is inseparable from bhakthi which is the nourishing factor for

developing this is simultaneous indifference to worldly pleasures. With the

right knowledge on the supremacy of the Lord & detachment from material

objects is the foundation of firmness in bhakthi. Just as a person enjoys

everything morsel of food he partakes & is able to quench his hunger,

derives mental satisfaction, as well as good health, so also a person in

pursuit of true knowledge develops devotion to the Lord, gains the right

knowledge & develops displeasure for the material things.

 

bhaktiH pareshAnubhavo viraktiH anyatra chaiSha trika ekakAlaH |

prapadyamAnasya yathAshrataH syuH tuShTiH puShTiH xudapAyo.anughAsaM ||

(11-2-42)

 

It is general statement to define bhakthi as obtaining the right knowledge &

developing detachment from worldly pleasures. Bhakthi is present in the

deserving souls in an inert form & it gets kindled as one hears the glories

of the Lord. These three qualities namely DEVOTION, KNOWLEDGE, DETACHMENT

go hand to hand. When there is a lack of even one of the qualities, the

other two cannot become total. Therefore every part of the Bhaghavatha lays

emphasis on the development of these qualities in total. In certain prayers

& teachings found in the Bhaghavatha only one of the aspect is being

highlighted but when studied in a broader perspective, it can be better

understood.

 

When one develops devotion to Vasudeva, it brings about the detachment for

the material world & simultaneously enlightens us on the right knowledge.

Therefore knowledge & devotion gets their true value only when it is

accompanied by devotion. Even Renunciation & Sanyasa carry no weight when

it is devoid of devotion.

 

 

bhAratIramaNa mukhyaprANAntargata shri kR^iShNArpanamasthu