Invocatory Verses-2

मङ्गलश्लोकाः-२

या सृष्टिः स्रष्टुराद्या वहति विधिहुतं या हविर्या च होत्री

ये द्वे कालं विधत्तः श्रुतिविषयगुणा या स्थिता व्याप्य विश्वम् ।

यामाहुः सर्वबीजप्रकृतिरिति यया प्राणिनः प्राणवन्तः

प्रत्यक्षाभिः प्रपन्नः तनुभिरवतु  वः ताभिरष्टाभिरीशः ॥ २ ॥

अ : या स्रष्टुः आद्या सृष्टिः, या विधि-हुतम् हविः वहति, या होत्री च, ये द्वे कालं विधत्तः , या श्रुति-विषय-गुणा विश्वं व्याप्य स्थिता, यां सर्व-बीज-प्रकृतिः इति आहुः, यया प्राणिनः प्राणवन्तः, ताभिः अष्टाभिः प्रत्यक्षाभिः तनुभिः प्रपन्नः ईशः वः अवतु ।

The Almighty endowed with these eight perceptible forms protect  all of you. The form which was created by the creator as the first (among all) (Water); the form which carries the duly offered oblation (Fire); the form which offers the oblation (Offerer of the oblation); the two forms which support the Time (the Sun and the Moon); the form which pervades the universe and which is perceived by the ear ( Space or Ether); the form which is considered as the originator of all seeds (Earth); the form by which all beings breath ( Wind). [Kalidasa; Abhijnanashakuntalam]

Notes: This invocatory verse is sung by the Stage Manager as he enters the stage at the start of the play, Abhijnanashakuntalam. Water is considered to have been created by the Lord at first before everything else. The person who offers the oblation and the fire which carries the oblation are both considered as divine forms. The Sun and the Moon provide a reference for the concept of Time. As per Hindu Philosophy, the space or ether is considered to be characterized by sound perceived by the ear. The poet refers to the forms indirectly by describing their main characteristic. 

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Invocatory Verses-1

मङ्गलश्लोकाः-१

( Invocatory Verses )

Sanskrit poets often start their works paying obeisance to their chosen deities. An attempt is being made here to consolidate and present such verses with prose order in Sanskrit and translation in English. Notes are added where considered necessary. The name of the poet and title of the work is also given.

वागर्थाविव सम्पृक्तौ वागर्थप्रतिपत्तये ।

जगतः पितरौ वन्दे पार्वतीपरमेश्वरौ ॥ १ ॥

अ : वाक्-अर्थौ-इव सम्पृक्तौ जगतः पितरौ पार्वती-परमेश्वरौ वाक्-अर्थ-प्रतिपत्तये वन्दे ।

In order to gain correct perception of  words and their meanings, I bow to Parvati and Parameshvara, who are the parents of the universe and whose association with each other is similar to that of a word and its meaning. [ Kalidasa; Raghuvamsam ]

Notes : The more one ponders on this famous verse the more one perceives its profundity. The association between the word and its meaning is as permanent as the association between Parameshvara and his consort Parvati. After all Paramesvara is Ardhanarishvara, who has assimilated his consort into his own body. Just as the divine pair has created this universe, the association of word and its meaning creates the universe of the spoken and written word. 

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Varadarajastava of Sri. Appayyadikshhita- 35

वरदराजस्तवः-३५

साम्यभ्रमादविनयेन समुन्नतस्य

सव्यं तवाक्षि हरति श्रियमम्बुजस्य ।

तस्यापि तां समधिकाम् तनुते यदन्यत्

दाक्षिण्यमेव दनुजाहित तत्र मूलम् ॥ १०२ ॥

अ : दनुजाहित ! तव सव्यं अक्षि अविनयेन समुन्नतस्य अम्बुजस्य श्रियं हरति । अन्यत् (अक्षि) तस्य अपि तां समधिकां तनुते (इति) यत् तत्र दाक्षिण्यम् एव मूलम् ।

O one who is unfriendly to daanava’s ! your  left eye robs the lustre of the lotus which is proud and discourteous. If the right eye bestows a higher status to the lotus, it is because it is kind towards it.

Notes: The poet plays on the word “daakshinya” which means “ rightsidedness” and also “being kind”.

पद्मानुरागजुषि लोहितकृष्णशुक्लाम्

आसेदुषि प्रकृतिमादृतमीनरूपे ।

श्रुत्यन्तभासिनि मदावलशैलनाथ

त्वल्लोचने त्वयि च भाति न मे विशेषः ॥ १०३ ॥

अ : मदावल-शैल-नाथ ! पद्म-अनुराग-जुषि लोहित-कृष्ण-शुक्लां प्रकृतिम् आसेदुषि आदृत-मीन-रूपे श्रुति-अन्त-भासिनि त्वत्-लोचने त्वयि च विशेषः मे न भाति ।

Lord of Hastishaila ! I do not see any difference between you and your eye. Your eye has the redness of a lotus, is red, black and white by nature, has the appearance of a fish and shines right up to the ear. You are dear to Lakshmi, you are described as red,black and white (in the Vedas), you took the form of a fish and you are seen as the ultimate goal of the Vedas.

Notes: The poet cleverly uses words with double meanings to bring out the apparent similarity between the Lord and his eye.

  

मुक्तः प्रजापतिरयं मम दर्शनादि-

त्यन्यं विधातुमनसस्तव भालजाता ।

घर्माम्बुबिन्दुततिरेव किरीटमूल-

-प्रत्युप्तमौक्तिकततिच्छलतो विभाति ॥ १०४ ॥

अ : अयं प्रजापतिः मम दर्शनात् मुक्तः इति अन्यं विधातुमनसः तव भाल-जाता घर्म-अम्बु-ततिः एव किरीट-मूल-मौक्तिक-तति-छलतः विभाति ।

The group of sweat drops on your temple seems to be in the garb of the group of gems at the bottom of your crown. It looks as if you generated the sweat drops with an intention to create another Brahma as Brahma attained salvation by looking at you.

Notes: The verse alludes to a story in Mahopanishat, wherein it is said that Brahma was born out of the sweat drops of Vishnu when he was meditating. It is also said that Brahma worshipped Vishnu through a horse sacrifice and Vishnu appeared at the end of the sacrifice when Brahma got salvation.

राजन्त्यनर्घमणिसङ्घमये किरीटे

राजीवलोचन न नीलमणिप्रवेकाः ।

आघ्राय गन्धमलिनस्तव कुन्तलानाम्

अन्तः प्रवेष्टुमनसः परितो निलीनाः ॥ १०५ ॥

अ : राजीवलोचन ! अनर्घ-मणि-सङ्घ-मये किरीटे नील-मणि-प्रवेकाः न राजन्ति । अलिनः तव कुन्तलानां गन्धम् आघ्राय अन्तः-प्रवेष्टु-मनसः परितः निलीनाः ।

 Lotus-eyed Lord ! the choicest of sapphire gems on your crown which is made up of a cluster of precious gems do not shine. Bees are swarming around your lock of hair intending to enter it after smelling its fragrance.

आपादमाचिकुरमशेषमङ्ग-

मानन्दवृन्दलसितं सुदृशामसीमम् ।

अन्तर्मम स्फुरतु सन्ततमन्तरात्मन्

अम्भोजलोचन तव श्रितहस्तिशैलम् ॥ १०६ ॥

अ: अन्तरात्मन् अम्भोजलोचन ! तव श्रित-हस्ति-शैलम् आपादम् आचिकुरम् अशेषम् सुदृशाम् असीमम् आनन्द-वृन्द-लसितं अङ्गम् मम अन्तः सततं स्फुरतु ।

O Lotus-eyed Lord who resides in one’s mind ! May your entire form from head to foot, residing at Hastishaila, which is accessible to ladies and realized souls and which is brimming with ultimate joy shine in my mind all the time.

इति श्री अप्पय्यदीक्षितरचितः वरदराजस्तवः समाप्तः

( Thus ends the hymn on Vardaraja composed by Sri. Appayyadikshita)

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Varadarajastava of Sri.Appayyadikshita- 34

वरदराजस्तवः -३४

सञ्चारशालि तव निःश्वसिते समस्त-

वेदेतिहासवपुषि द्विपशैलनाथ ।

नाभीसरोरुहनवारुणमण्डले च

मन्ये मधुव्रतकुलं मधुविद्ययोक्तम् ॥ ९९ ॥

अ : द्विप-शैल-नाथ ! मधुविद्यया उक्तं मधु-व्रत-कुलं तव समस्त-वेद-इतिहास-वपुषि निःश्वसिते नाभी-सरोरुह-नव-अरुण-मण्डले च सञ्चारशालि (इति) मन्ये ।

O Lord of Hastishaila ! In your breath which encompasses all the Vedas and Itihasas (historical narratives) and in the solar-orb of your lake-like navel a swarm of bees hovers around and I believe that it is the same as what is prescribed as Madhuvidya in Chandogya Upanishat.

Notes: Madhuvidya refers to an elaborate metaphor that occurs in Chandogya Upanishat. The sky is the honeycomb at the centre of which the solar orb is the honey. Riks (hymns) are the bees which extract honey from the four Vedas which are the flowers. Offerings made to the fire in the form of ghee, milk etc. by reciting Riks merge with the solar orb and form the honey.

देहाद्वदन्ति जननं मुनयस्तिलानां

देवेन्द्रवन्द्यचरणाम्बुज तावकीनात् ।

नारायणैतदुचितं प्रकटीकरोति

नासाभिधानमिह दिव्यतिलप्रसूनम् ॥ १०० ॥

अ : देवेन्द्र-वन्द्य-चरण-अम्बुज नारायण ! मुनयः तिलानां जननं तावकीनात् देहात् (इति) वदन्ति । इह एतत् नास-अभिधानं दिव्य-तिल-प्रसूनं उचितं प्रकटीकरोति ।

O Narayana, whose feet are worshipped by Indra ! sages declare that Sesamum originated from your body. Your nose which is like a sesumum flower appropriately demonstrates that.

Note: Sesumum is supposed to have originated from the sweat drops of Vishnu.

नेत्रे तव क्व भगवन्क्व च पुण्डरीकं

ब्रूते तयोस्तदुपमानमथापि वेदः ।

सर्वात्मनस्तव समाधिकवस्त्वलाभात्

आकाशवत्स खलु सर्वगतत्वमाह ॥ १०१ ॥

अ : भगवन् ! तव नेत्रे क्व ! पुण्डरीकं च क्व ! अथ अपि वेदः तयोः तत् उपमानं ब्रूते ! सर्व-आत्मनः तव सम-अधिक-वस्तु-अलाभात् आकाशवत् सर्व-गतत्वं आह खलु ।

Lord ! Where are your eyes, where is the lotus ! Even then, the Vedas say that your eyes are like lotus. In the absence of something equal or greater than you,  Vedas after all, declare your omnipresence to be like the sky.

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