In this post in the advaitin list, Prof VK-ji asks a question about the following shloka from Srimad Bhagavatham that Bhishma recites in his final moments:
tam-imam-aham-ajaM sharIra-bhAjAM
hRRidi hRRidi dhiShTitaM Atma-kalpitAnAM /
pratidRRishamiva naikadhArkam-ekaM
samadhigato’smi vidhUta-bheda-mohaH //
It is verse 1.9.42 from Srimad Bhagavatham. An explanation of this stotra by Prof VK-ji is here.
Shri Sunder-ji responds and so does Subbu-ji in this post.
You can listen to an audio rendition of the entire Bhishma Stuti by Pt. Sunder Kidambi here.
Read the rest of this entry >>
Showing posts with label Stotras. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stotras. Show all posts
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Thursday, November 08, 2007
Some more links on Dakshinamurthy Stotram
There was a question asked in advaitin mailing list about sources of text and audio-renditions of Dakshinamurthy Stotram. This post collates some information and links, as I think it will be useful for seekers of truth.
Disambiguation: First some clarifications on what Dakshinamurthy Stotram/Stotra (also written as Dakshinamurty and Dakshinamurthi, Dakshinamurti and even Dakshinamoorthy, Dakshinamoorty, Dakshinamoorthi, Dakshinamoorti) is, because there are quite a a few of them. This post refers to a Dakshinamurthy Stotram with the shloka mouna vyakhya prakatitha parabrahma tattvam as one of its dhyana shloka, and beginning with the words vishvam darpaNa drishya maana nagari tulyam. This stotra text is included at the end of this post. This stotra is also called as "Shri Dakshinamurthy Stotram" and incorrectly referred to as Dakshinamurthy Ashtakam (probably because one of its shlokas has the word ashtakam, in an entirely different meaning). It is not an ashtakam as it has 10 verses. This stotram is extremely famous for Shri Adi Shankara its author, is said to have put in the entire Vedanta into it. A commentary on the stotram named manasollasa, was written by Sureshvara, one of Shri Adi Shankara's main disciples. This fact is surprising because commentaries are usually written for philosophical treatises, not stotras. Here is the disambiguation (1, 2, 3 and 4) by learned members of the advaitin list which confirms my understanding.
My preferred translations: A translation of this stotram is available from advaitin files as a PDF file. This translation was posted as a series of articles by Shri V. Subramanian taking it from a book from his Guru Sri D.S.Subbaramaiya, who wrote a two volume, 1200 pages commentary on a 10 verse stotram (The reader can grasp the amount of Vedanta Shri Shankara has packed into the stotram!). Another translation linked here is by Prof. VK. Though I simply cannot recommend any of these translations highly enough, it is also my opinion that it will take some time and serious effort by a sadhaka, to understand the true and complete meaning of Sri Dakshinamurthy Stotram. This is because the verses are packed with upanishadic meaning.
Other translations on the web: Here is the translation from Sanskrit docs (PDF format). Here is the one by Shri. P. R. Ramachander (which incorrectly refers to the stotram as ashtakam).
Maanasollasa sources and translation: And finally, for the really interested reader, here is the manasollasa (in Sanskrit) by Sureshvara, the famous disciple of Shri Adi Shankara [link from Sanskrit docs]. A translation of the Manasollasa, done by Swami Harshananda is available from Ramakrishna Mission book stores.
Audio commentaries on the stotram: I highly recommend the excellent audio discourses by Shri Swami Paramarthananda and Shri Swami Dayananda Saraswathi from Sastra Prakasika. They can be bought from here, with D30 being the code for the commentary by Swami Dayananda Saraswathi, and P05 for the one by Shri Paramarthananda. (I recommend the MP3 CD's, rather than audio cassettes.)
Audio links (just the stotram): Quite a few artists have done audio renditions of this stotram. Here is a audio link (more specifically, here) of the same. In this page is available another rendition. This page has another one (these last two again incorrectly refer to the stotram as ashtakam).
Transliteration: Here is a transliteration of the stotram text, done by Shri. V. Subramanian on advaitin list.
==================================================
Sri Dakshinamurthy Stotram by Adi Shankaracharya
==================================================
--- Prarthana to Shankaracharya ---
Shruti-smrti-puraanaanaam Aalayam Karunaalayam |
Namaami Bhagavatpada-Shankaram Lokashankaram ||
--- The Stotram ---
Vishwam Darpana-drshyamaana-nagarii-tulyam nijaantargatam
Pashyan aatmani maayayaa bahiriva udbhuutam yathaa nidrayaa |
Ya: saakshaat kurute prabodha-samaye svaatmaanameva advayam
Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 1 ||
Biijasyaantariva-ankuro jagadidam praang-nirvikalpam punar-
Maya-kalpita-desa-kaala-kalanaa-vaichitrya-chitrii-krtam |
Mayaviiva vijrmbhayatyapi maha-yogiva yas svecchayaa
Tasmai Sriguru-murtaye nama idam Sridakshinaamurtaye || 2 ||
Yasyaiva sphuranam sadaatmakam asatkalpaarthagam bhaasate
Saakshaat Tat-tvam-asi-iti vedavachasaa yo bodhayatyaashritaan |
Yat-saakshaat-karanaad bhaven-na punaraavrttir-bhavaambho-nidhau
Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 3 ||
Naanaa-cchidra-ghatodarasthita-mahaa-dipa-prabha-bhasvaram
Jnanam yasya tu chakshuraadi-karana-dvaara bahiH spandate |
Jaanaami-iti tameva bhaantam anu-bhaatyetat samastam jagat
Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 4 ||
Deham praanamapi indriyaanyapi chalaam buddhim cha shunyam viduH
Stri-baala-andha-jadopamaastvahamiti bhraantaa bhrsham vaadinaH |
Maayaa-shakti-vilaasa-kalpita-mahaa-vyaamoha-samhaarine
Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 5 ||
Rahu-grasta-divakarendu-sadrsho maya-samaacchaadanaat
SanmaatraH karanopasamharanato yo'bhut-sushuptaH pumaan |
Praagasvaapsamiti prabodha-samaye yaH pratyabhijnaayate
Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 6 ||
bAlyaadhiShvapi jAgradaadiShu tathA sarvAsvavasthAsvapi
vyAvR^ittaasvanuvartamaanamahamityantaH-sphurantam sadaa |
svAtmaanam prakaTIkaroti bhajatAm yo mudrayaa bhadrayaa
tasmai shrIgurumurtaye nama idam shrIdakShiNAmUrtaye || 7 ||
Vishvam pashyati kArya-kAraNatayA sva-svAmi-sambandhataH
ShiShyAchAryatayA tathaiva pitRR^I-putrAdyAtmanA bhedataH |
Svapne jAgrati vA ya eSha puruSho mAyAparibhrAmitaH
Tasmai ShrIgurumUrtaye nama idam shrIdakshiNaamUrtaye || 8 ||
bhUrambhAmsyanalo-`nilo-`mbaramahar-naatho himAmshuH pumAn-
ityAbhAti charAcharAtmakamidam yasyaiva mUrtyaShTakam |
nAnyat-kinchana vidyate vimRRishatAm yasmAt-parasmAd-vibhO-
stasmai shrIguru-mUrtaye nama idam shrIdakShiNaa-mUrtaye || 9 ||
--- Phala Sruti ---
sarvAtmatvamiti sphuTIkRRitamidam yasmAdamuShmin-stave
tEnAsya shravaNAt tadartha-mananAt dhyAnAccha sankIrtanAt |
sarvAtmatva-mahA-vibhUti-sahitam syAdIshvaratvam svataH
siddhyEt tat punaraShTadhA pariNatam chaishvaryam-avyAhatam || 10 ||
Gurave sarva-lokaanaam bhishaje bhava-roginaam |
Nidhaye sarva-vidyaanaam Dakshinaamurtaye namaH ||
========================= Om Tat Sat ================= Read the rest of this entry >>
Disambiguation: First some clarifications on what Dakshinamurthy Stotram/Stotra (also written as Dakshinamurty and Dakshinamurthi, Dakshinamurti and even Dakshinamoorthy, Dakshinamoorty, Dakshinamoorthi, Dakshinamoorti) is, because there are quite a a few of them. This post refers to a Dakshinamurthy Stotram with the shloka mouna vyakhya prakatitha parabrahma tattvam as one of its dhyana shloka, and beginning with the words vishvam darpaNa drishya maana nagari tulyam. This stotra text is included at the end of this post. This stotra is also called as "Shri Dakshinamurthy Stotram" and incorrectly referred to as Dakshinamurthy Ashtakam (probably because one of its shlokas has the word ashtakam, in an entirely different meaning). It is not an ashtakam as it has 10 verses. This stotram is extremely famous for Shri Adi Shankara its author, is said to have put in the entire Vedanta into it. A commentary on the stotram named manasollasa, was written by Sureshvara, one of Shri Adi Shankara's main disciples. This fact is surprising because commentaries are usually written for philosophical treatises, not stotras. Here is the disambiguation (1, 2, 3 and 4) by learned members of the advaitin list which confirms my understanding.
My preferred translations: A translation of this stotram is available from advaitin files as a PDF file. This translation was posted as a series of articles by Shri V. Subramanian taking it from a book from his Guru Sri D.S.Subbaramaiya, who wrote a two volume, 1200 pages commentary on a 10 verse stotram (The reader can grasp the amount of Vedanta Shri Shankara has packed into the stotram!). Another translation linked here is by Prof. VK. Though I simply cannot recommend any of these translations highly enough, it is also my opinion that it will take some time and serious effort by a sadhaka, to understand the true and complete meaning of Sri Dakshinamurthy Stotram. This is because the verses are packed with upanishadic meaning.
Other translations on the web: Here is the translation from Sanskrit docs (PDF format). Here is the one by Shri. P. R. Ramachander (which incorrectly refers to the stotram as ashtakam).
Maanasollasa sources and translation: And finally, for the really interested reader, here is the manasollasa (in Sanskrit) by Sureshvara, the famous disciple of Shri Adi Shankara [link from Sanskrit docs]. A translation of the Manasollasa, done by Swami Harshananda is available from Ramakrishna Mission book stores.
Audio commentaries on the stotram: I highly recommend the excellent audio discourses by Shri Swami Paramarthananda and Shri Swami Dayananda Saraswathi from Sastra Prakasika. They can be bought from here, with D30 being the code for the commentary by Swami Dayananda Saraswathi, and P05 for the one by Shri Paramarthananda. (I recommend the MP3 CD's, rather than audio cassettes.)
Audio links (just the stotram): Quite a few artists have done audio renditions of this stotram. Here is a audio link (more specifically, here) of the same. In this page is available another rendition. This page has another one (these last two again incorrectly refer to the stotram as ashtakam).
Transliteration: Here is a transliteration of the stotram text, done by Shri. V. Subramanian on advaitin list.
==================================================
Sri Dakshinamurthy Stotram by Adi Shankaracharya
==================================================
--- Prarthana to Shankaracharya ---
Shruti-smrti-puraanaanaam Aalayam Karunaalayam |
Namaami Bhagavatpada-Shankaram Lokashankaram ||
--- The Stotram ---
Vishwam Darpana-drshyamaana-nagarii-tulyam nijaantargatam
Pashyan aatmani maayayaa bahiriva udbhuutam yathaa nidrayaa |
Ya: saakshaat kurute prabodha-samaye svaatmaanameva advayam
Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 1 ||
Biijasyaantariva-ankuro jagadidam praang-nirvikalpam punar-
Maya-kalpita-desa-kaala-kalanaa-vaichitrya-chitrii-krtam |
Mayaviiva vijrmbhayatyapi maha-yogiva yas svecchayaa
Tasmai Sriguru-murtaye nama idam Sridakshinaamurtaye || 2 ||
Yasyaiva sphuranam sadaatmakam asatkalpaarthagam bhaasate
Saakshaat Tat-tvam-asi-iti vedavachasaa yo bodhayatyaashritaan |
Yat-saakshaat-karanaad bhaven-na punaraavrttir-bhavaambho-nidhau
Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 3 ||
Naanaa-cchidra-ghatodarasthita-mahaa-dipa-prabha-bhasvaram
Jnanam yasya tu chakshuraadi-karana-dvaara bahiH spandate |
Jaanaami-iti tameva bhaantam anu-bhaatyetat samastam jagat
Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 4 ||
Deham praanamapi indriyaanyapi chalaam buddhim cha shunyam viduH
Stri-baala-andha-jadopamaastvahamiti bhraantaa bhrsham vaadinaH |
Maayaa-shakti-vilaasa-kalpita-mahaa-vyaamoha-samhaarine
Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 5 ||
Rahu-grasta-divakarendu-sadrsho maya-samaacchaadanaat
SanmaatraH karanopasamharanato yo'bhut-sushuptaH pumaan |
Praagasvaapsamiti prabodha-samaye yaH pratyabhijnaayate
Tasmai Srigurumurtaye nama idam Sridakshinamurtaye || 6 ||
bAlyaadhiShvapi jAgradaadiShu tathA sarvAsvavasthAsvapi
vyAvR^ittaasvanuvartamaanamahamityantaH-sphurantam sadaa |
svAtmaanam prakaTIkaroti bhajatAm yo mudrayaa bhadrayaa
tasmai shrIgurumurtaye nama idam shrIdakShiNAmUrtaye || 7 ||
Vishvam pashyati kArya-kAraNatayA sva-svAmi-sambandhataH
ShiShyAchAryatayA tathaiva pitRR^I-putrAdyAtmanA bhedataH |
Svapne jAgrati vA ya eSha puruSho mAyAparibhrAmitaH
Tasmai ShrIgurumUrtaye nama idam shrIdakshiNaamUrtaye || 8 ||
bhUrambhAmsyanalo-`nilo-`mbaramahar-naatho himAmshuH pumAn-
ityAbhAti charAcharAtmakamidam yasyaiva mUrtyaShTakam |
nAnyat-kinchana vidyate vimRRishatAm yasmAt-parasmAd-vibhO-
stasmai shrIguru-mUrtaye nama idam shrIdakShiNaa-mUrtaye || 9 ||
--- Phala Sruti ---
sarvAtmatvamiti sphuTIkRRitamidam yasmAdamuShmin-stave
tEnAsya shravaNAt tadartha-mananAt dhyAnAccha sankIrtanAt |
sarvAtmatva-mahA-vibhUti-sahitam syAdIshvaratvam svataH
siddhyEt tat punaraShTadhA pariNatam chaishvaryam-avyAhatam || 10 ||
Gurave sarva-lokaanaam bhishaje bhava-roginaam |
Nidhaye sarva-vidyaanaam Dakshinaamurtaye namaH ||
========================= Om Tat Sat ================= Read the rest of this entry >>
Friday, June 10, 2005
Shri Lakshmi Narasimha Karavalamba Stotram and Advaita Vijaya
Lakshmi Narasimha karavalambam Stotam is an amazing stotra written by Shri Adi Sankara in praise of the Nara-smha form of Shri Vishnu. The avatar is said to be one of the few Paripurna avatars of Vishnu. Rama and Krishna are some of the others.
What amazes me about the Stotra is the way it is structured. In every verse, Sankara as the devotee or Jiva, describes the various perils of Samsara, the world or Maya. Each verse ends with the devotee praying to the Lord in Lakshmi-Nrsmha form to save him from the perils of the world. The resulting rhyme is very beautiful. A shloka at the end requests the Swami to save his (the devotee) jiva the way the swami saved Prahlada and other bhaktas like Narada, Ambarisha, Vyasa and Suka.
It is interesting to look at the story behind the Stotra from an Advaita perspective. These seem to be the equivalents.
Prahlada as jiva/soul: He is in union with Brahma, and in Sat-Chit-Ananda at all times and at all places. He feels the presence of non-duality everywhere. He understands the limitation to the powers of maya.
Hiranya-Kasipu as Maya: It first lures the devotee and later threatens with its powers over the world. The maya of course is inferior to the realized-Jiva and cannot destroy, or even torment it. This is because the realized soul sees no difference between pleasure and pain.
Lakshmi-Nrsmha-Swami as the Iswara which saves the soul from the final confrontation. The avatar/form is symbolic of a unity in form as Man-Lion. The destruction of Hiranya-Kasipu happens in the union of dualities like morning/evening, inside/outside, weapon/hands. These opposites however, do not signify a duality but the absence of it. This is because of the boon the Asura asked from Brahma: "the time should neither be morning nor evening, the location should neither be inside nor outside, the utility should neither be weapon nor hands".
The killing of the demon is symbolic to the victory of non-duality over duality. The manifestation of the avatar itself results in the destruction of the stambha, which is immobile and hence signifies ignorance.
--
Postscript: Though he did not mean it, Hiranya-kasipu himself asked for non-duality!!!
--
May Shri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami destroy the ignorance of all of us in the same way!
Lakshmi Narasimha Arpana mastu
Advaita Vijayam Read the rest of this entry >>
What amazes me about the Stotra is the way it is structured. In every verse, Sankara as the devotee or Jiva, describes the various perils of Samsara, the world or Maya. Each verse ends with the devotee praying to the Lord in Lakshmi-Nrsmha form to save him from the perils of the world. The resulting rhyme is very beautiful. A shloka at the end requests the Swami to save his (the devotee) jiva the way the swami saved Prahlada and other bhaktas like Narada, Ambarisha, Vyasa and Suka.
It is interesting to look at the story behind the Stotra from an Advaita perspective. These seem to be the equivalents.
Prahlada as jiva/soul: He is in union with Brahma, and in Sat-Chit-Ananda at all times and at all places. He feels the presence of non-duality everywhere. He understands the limitation to the powers of maya.
Hiranya-Kasipu as Maya: It first lures the devotee and later threatens with its powers over the world. The maya of course is inferior to the realized-Jiva and cannot destroy, or even torment it. This is because the realized soul sees no difference between pleasure and pain.
Lakshmi-Nrsmha-Swami as the Iswara which saves the soul from the final confrontation. The avatar/form is symbolic of a unity in form as Man-Lion. The destruction of Hiranya-Kasipu happens in the union of dualities like morning/evening, inside/outside, weapon/hands. These opposites however, do not signify a duality but the absence of it. This is because of the boon the Asura asked from Brahma: "the time should neither be morning nor evening, the location should neither be inside nor outside, the utility should neither be weapon nor hands".
The killing of the demon is symbolic to the victory of non-duality over duality. The manifestation of the avatar itself results in the destruction of the stambha, which is immobile and hence signifies ignorance.
--
Postscript: Though he did not mean it, Hiranya-kasipu himself asked for non-duality!!!
--
May Shri Lakshmi Narasimha Swami destroy the ignorance of all of us in the same way!
Lakshmi Narasimha Arpana mastu
Advaita Vijayam Read the rest of this entry >>
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