Friday, August 14, 2009

A shloka from Madhusudana Saraswathi's gUDArtha diipika

Introducing Chapter of 13 Gita, Madhusudana, in His gUDArtha-dIpika says

dhyanaabhyaasanavashiikR^itena manasaa tannirguNaM nishhkriyaM jyotiH kiMchanaM yogino yadi paraM pashyanti pashyantu te | asmaakaM tu tadeva locanachamatkaaraaya bhuuyaachchiraM kaalindiipulinodare kimapi yanniilaM maho dhaavati ||

ध्यनाभ्यासनवशीकृतेन मनसा तन्निर्गुणं निष्क्रियं ज्योतिः किंचनं योगिनो यदि परं पश्यन्ति पश्यन्तु ते | अस्माकं तु तदेव लोचनचमत्काराय भूयाच्चिरं कालिन्दीपुलिनोदरे किमपि यन्नीलं महो धावति ||


If the yogis, with their minds which have been brought under control through the practise of meditation, see some such transcendental light that is without qualities and action, let them see!

But, for filling our eyes with astonishment, let there be forever that indescribable Blue (Light) alone which runs about hither and thither on the sands of the kaaLindi (Yamuna)!




The following was posted on advaitin list:


Concluding His commentary on 15th chapter of Gita, here is what Madhusudana Sarawathi has to say:

vaMshiivibhUshhitakaraannavaniiradaabhaatpiitaambaraadaruNabimbaphalaadharoshhTh
at.h
|
pUrNedusundaramukhaadaravindanetraatkR^iShNaatparaM kimapi tattvamahaM na jaane
||

I do not know any reality other than krishna whose hands are adorned with a flute, whose lustre is like that of a rain-cloud, who wears a yellow cloth, whose lips are reddish like the Bimba-fruit, whose face is beautiful like the full moon, and whose eyes are like lotuses.

sadaa sadaanandapade nimagnaM mano manobhaavamapaakaroti |
gataagataayaasamapaasya sadhaH paraaparaatiitamupaiti tatvam.h ||

The mind that is ever merged in the state of constant Bliss removes (all) mentations, (and) by eradicating the sorrows consequent on (repeated) births and deaths it attains at once the Reality transcending cause and effect.

shaivaH saurashcha gaaNeshaa vaishhNavaaH shaktipUjakaaH |
bhavanti yanmayaaH sarve sohamasmi paraH shivaH ||

I am that supreme Auspicious One in whom get identified all the followers of Shiva, of the Sun, of Ganesha, of Vishnu, and the worshippers of Shakti.



Shri S.N.Sastri says:


Madhusudana Sarasvati, who was a great devotee of Krishna and also a great advaitin, has, in the above shloka, first described Krishna and then identified him with the supreme brahman.

Another great devotee-poet, Narayana Bhattatiri, has, in the first shloka of his great work nArAyaNIyam, done the opposite. He has first described the supreme brahman and then identified it with Krishna, the Lord of GuruvAyUr. The shloka is given below:

sAndrAnandAvabodhAtmakam anupamitam kAladeshAvadhibhyAm
nirmuktam nityamuktam nigamashatasahasreNa nirbhAsyamAnam |
aspaShTam dRiShTamAtre punarurupuruSharthAtmakam brahma tattvam
tat tAvat bhAti sAkShAt gurupavanapure hanta bhAgyam janAnAm ||

Translation:--
Brahman, which is pure Existence-Consciousness-Bliss, which is without parallel, which is absolutely free from the limitations of time and space, which is always free from the control of mAyA, which is very well explained by innumerable statements in the upaniShads, but is yet not clearly grasped (by a mere study of the upaniShads), but the realization of whose identity with one's own self is what constitutes the highest puruShArtha, namely, liberation from the cycle of birth and death; that very Brahman is present in concrete form in the temple of GuruvAyUr (in the form of Lord Krishna). This is indeed a great good fortune for the people.

The above shloka contains the essence of all the upaniShads.




Postscript: Also see this old post of mine.



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