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slokas in the Bhagavata

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V. Sadagopan • February 3, 1998 


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 

-------- Forwarded Message ----------

From:	Paliath Narendran, INTERNET:dran@cs.albany.edu
TO:	V. Sadagopan, 75041,3037
DATE:	1/28/98 11:16 AM

RE:	slokas in the Bhagavata

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From: Paliath Narendran 
To: 75041.3037@compuserve.com
Subject: 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