NARAYANEEYAM, DASAKA 94

                          NARAYANEEYAM, DASAKA 94
Narayaneeyam, considered to be a Magnum Opus of Meppathur
Narayanabhattathiri,  is a masterly
summary of  Srimad Bhagavatam in 1034
sanskrit slokas of great poetic merit. 
The whole work is divided into 100 dasakas of mostly ten slokas  each. It was completed in 100 days at the end
of which Bhattathiri, who was suffering from chronic rheumatic disease, was
completely cured and also had a beatific vision of the Lord of Guruvayoor as Venugopala
. In the last sloka of each dasaka Bhattathiri cries out his heart,  praying to the Lord to end his afflictions
and restore his health. Dasakas 91-99 contain the essence of the Eleventh Canto
of Srimadbhagavatam
which focuses on
the sadhanas for Self-realisation or mukti, liberation from the
cycle of births and deaths. As in the previous dasakas,  Bhattathiri directly addresses the Lord of
Guruvayoor in these dasakas also.    
 .        
Given below is the text
of the 94th  dasaka which
describes the rise of the knowledge of the Self in the seeker on the spiritual
path.
शुद्धा
निष्कामधर्मैः प्रवरगुरुगिरा तत्स्वरूपं परं ते
  शुद्धं देहेन्द्रियादिव्यपगतमखिलव्याप्तमावेदयन्ते।
नानात्वस्थौल्यकार्श्यादि
तु गुणजवपुस्सङ्गतोऽध्यासितं ते
  वह्नेर्दारुप्रभेदेष्विव महदणुतादीप्तताशान्तदादि
॥१॥
Purified
by selfless action offered to the Lord, one gets from a competent spiritual
teacher knowledge of the nature of Brahman, pure, devoid of body and senses, omnipresent
and immanent in all beings. Multiplicity, fatness, leanness and other
attributes are superimposed on Brahman because of association with the modes of
prakruti or Maya just like bigness or smallness as well as
brightness and dimness attributable to the wood which is burnt are superimposed
on fire itself which burns wood
आचार्याख्याधस्थारणिसमनुमिलच्छिष्यरूपोत्तरार-
   ण्यावेधोद्भासितेन स्फुटतरपरिबोधाग्निना
दह्यमाने।
कर्मालीवासनातत्कृततनुभुवनभ्रान्तिकान्तारपूरे
   दाह्याभावेन विद्याशिखिनि च विरते
त्वन्मयी खल्ववस्था॥२॥
The
lower part of the arani (two blocks of wood used for creating fire by
friction for vedic rites) is the Teacher, the upper part is the student.  The friction or churning of the two generates
the flame of knowledge which burns the forest of delusion of the body and the
world.  And when there is nothing to burn
the fire of knowledge also dies down and what remains is the state of sachchidananda
which is Your nature or swarupa O Lord!
एवं
त्वत्प्राप्तितोऽन्यो नहि खलु निखिलक्लेशहानेरुपायो
  नैकान्तात्यन्तिकास्ते कृषिवदगदषाड्गुण्यषट्कर्मयोगाः।
दुर्वैकल्यैरकल्या
अपि निगमपथास्तत्फलान्यप्यवाप्ता
   मत्तास्त्वां विस्मरन्तः प्रसजति
पतने यान्त्यनन्तान् विषादान् ॥३॥
Thus
there is no other means of wiping out all the sufferings except by attaining You,
O Lord!.  Other systems do not completely
remove sufferings and, once removed, do not ensure that they do not recur
again. The path of karma enjoined in the Vedas cannot be effective as there are
bound to be unavoidable shortcomings in practising them.  Even if it yields results those treading this
path become conceited and, forgetting You O Lord!, fall to the abyss followed
by endless suffering.  
त्वल्लोकादन्यलोकः क्व नु भयरहितो यत्परार्धद्वयान्ते
   त्वद्भीतः सत्यलोकेऽपि न सुखवसतिः
पद्मभूः पद्मनाभ!।
एवंभावे त्वधर्माजितबहुतमसां का कथा नारकाणां
   तन्मे त्वं छिन्धि बन्धं वरद!
कृपणबन्धो कृपापूरसुन्धो ॥४॥
O Padmanabha! Except your abode
of Vaikuntha which other loka is free from fear?  Even Brahma, the creator, lives in fear of
your kaalaswarupa, as his life ends after the lapse of two parardhas.
Such being the case, what shall we talk about those who, by their deeds not
conforming to dharma, have sinned beyond measure
. Therefore Giver of boons!
Friend of those in misery! Ocean of compassion! Cut asunder my attachments.
याथार्थ्यात् त्वन्मयस्यैव
हि मम न विभो!
वस्तुतो बन्धमोक्षौ
  मायाविद्यातनुभ्यां तव तु विरचितौ
स्वप्नबोधोपमौ तौ।
बद्धे जीवद्विमुक्तिं
गतवति च भिदा तावती तावदेको
  भुङ्क्ते देहद्रुमस्थो विषयफलरसान्
नापरो निर्व्यथात्मा॥५॥
O Lord! the reality is
that there is no fundamental difference between You as Paramatma and me
as the jiva  and there is no
bondage or liberation for me in reality. The apparent difference is caused by
your bodies of avidya (ignorance) and vidya (knowledge) which
correspond to dream state and waking state respectively.  That is the only difference between the bound
and liberated one.   The bound one sits
on the tree which is the body and enjoys the fruits of sense objects.  The liberated one whose nature is Sacchidananda
(Truth, Consciousness and Bliss) does not enjoy the fruits of sense objects,
therefore is not bound. 
जीवन्मुक्तत्वमेवंविधमिति
वचसा किंफलं दूरदूरे
   तन्नामाशुद्धबुद्धेर्न च लघु मनसः
शोधनं भक्तितोऽन्यत्।
तन्मे विष्णो! कृषीष्ठास्त्वयि
कृतसकलप्रार्पणं भक्तिभारं
  येन स्यां मङ्क्षु किञ्चित्गुरुवचनमिलत्त्वत्प्रबोधस्त्वदात्मा
॥६॥
What is the use of talking
about jeevanmukti by mere words. 
It is far removed from those who are not pure in mind and there is
nothing which can purify the mind more easily than bhakti.  Therefore O Vishnu! Bless me with
unwavering devotion surrendering everything to You so that I,  with some help from a guru, gain
knowledge of Your True nature and completely merge my identity in You.  
शब्दब्रह्मण्यपीह प्रयतितमनसस्त्वां
न जानन्ति केचित्
   कष्टं वन्ध्यश्रमास्ते चिरतरमिह
गां बिभ्रते निष्प्रसूतिं।
यस्यां विश्वाभिरामास्सकलमलहरा
दिव्यलीलावताराः
   सच्चित्सान्द्रं च रूपं तव न निगदितं
तां न वाचं भ्रियासम्॥७॥
Those who are more
interested in the Vedas also do not know You and their efforts are
fruitless.  They carry this vedic lore
for long without it bearing fruits.  Let
me not carry the load of words which do not describe your divine incarnations,
your leelas which captivate the hearts of all and purify all  and your sachchidananda swarupa (embodiment
of  Absolute Truth, Consciousness and
Bliss)     
यो यावान् यादृशो वा
त्वमिति किमपि नैवावगच्छामि भूम-
  न्नेवं चानन्यभावस्त्वदनुभजनमेवाद्रिये
चैद्यवैरिन्!।
त्वल्लिङ्गानां त्वदङ्घ्रिप्रियजनसदसां
दर्शनस्पर्शनादि-
  र्भूयान्मे त्वत्प्रपूजानतिनुतिगुणकर्मानुकीर्त्यादरोऽपि
॥८॥  
O Lord! I do not know anything
about Your swarupa (form), Your attributes or Your activities. O Enemy
of Sisupala! Even then  let me worship
you alone, without being distracted by anything else.  Let me see, touch etc. your images or symbols
and all those devotees for whom your lotus feet are very dear. Let me also  develop reverence for your worship, obeisance
and sankirtan (singing about your qualities, exploits and leelas).    
यद्यल्लभ्येत तत्तत्तव
समुपहृतं देव दासोऽस्मि तेऽहं
  त्वद्गेहोन्मार्जनाद्यं भवतु मम मुहुः
कर्म निर्मायमेव;।
सूर्याग्निब्राह्मणात्मादिषु
लसितचतुर्बाहुमाराधये त्वां
  त्वत्प्रेमार्द्रत्वरूपो मम सततमभिष्यन्दतां
भक्तियोगः ॥९॥
O Lord! I am your
servant.  Whatever comes to my hand, let
me offer it to you. Let me have the chance to clean and wipe your temples frequently
without being indifferent.  Let me
worship you,   shining with four hands, in the Sun, Fire,
Brahmin or the Self. Let devotion,  marked by the complete dissolution of my heart
in You,  constantly flow in me, O Lord!
ऐक्यं ते दानहोमव्रतनियमतपस्सांख्ययोगैर्दुरापं
  त्वत्संगेनैव गोप्यः किल सुकृतितमाः
प्रापुरानान्दसान्द्रम्;।
भक्तेष्वन्येषु भूयस्स्वपि
बहुमनुषे भक्तिमेव त्वमासां
  तन्मे त्वद्भक्तिमेव द्रढय हर गदान्
कृष्ण वातालयेश ॥१०॥

O Lord!  Oneness (Union) with You is not attainable by
such means as daana (giving alms, making gifts etc), homa (worship
by offerings made into the fire), vrata (keeping vows), niyama
(control of mind and senses), tapas (observing austerities), Sankhya,
yoga etc.  But gopis, the
most fortunate ones, attained this Oneness (Union) marked by absolute bliss  simply by your company. Though there are many
devotees of Yours, you have given the devotion of gopis a much higher
place.  Therefore O Lord of Guruvayur!
make my bhakti more  firm and
unwavering and take away all my afflictions. 
         

Sri P R Ramamurthy Ji was the author of this website. When he started this website in 2009, he was in his eighties. He was able to publish such a great number of posts in limited time of 4 years. We appreciate his enthusiasm for Sanskrit Literature. Authors story in his own words : http://ramamurthypr1931.blogspot.com/

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