Dwaadasa Stotram 3

Dwadasa Stotra Commentary : Stora 3

In shloka 3, ShrimadAcharya gives his personal assurance on how to attain endless bliss through Mukti process and who alone can deliver it to us. As a philosopher Scholar, he is convinced that all Shruti Smrutis declare that Shri Hari is the only ishwara capable of delivering us to moksha .There  all the liberated souls enjoy a bliss per their ability to absorb and hold - leading to gradation for ever even in Moksha.

He implores that to the exclusion of everything else in the universe, we need to hold Shri Hari’s paada in our heart. Such devotees will be blessed with laya that opens the doors to Moksha. 

This shloka is a summary of entire Tatava vaada philosophy and hence must not be used as a ritual during puja; it is more for contemplation and dhyana.

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3.1 :कुरु भुंक्ष्व च कर्म निजं नियतं हरिपाद विनम्रधिया सततम् 

हरिरेव परो हरिरेव गुरु हरिरेव जगत्पितृ मातृ गतिः 

“Shri Hari is the  only highest objective, the only Guru, the true parents for universe, and refuge.So perform your actions incessantly and strictly as enjoined and with deep humility” 

// The very first step is for us to understand that what we love as parents, friends, family etc are not truly so; the only entity that is father, mother, guru, family , friends is Shri Hari. This type of devotion is the a-mala bhakti. The corollary is that in real sense there is only one entity that matters to a jiva - Shri Hari//

3.2: न ततोस्त्यपरं जगतीड्यसमम् परमात्परतः पुरुषोत्तमतः 

तदलं बहुलोक विचिन्तनया प्रवणं कुरु मानसं ईशपदे 

“There is none equal to Shri Hari , not even among gods and so why so much engagement with worldly affairs? Deepen your mental worship of his feet” 

// There ie reinforcement to the principle that nothing else other than Hari matters and why engage with any of them ? We can notice a subtle shift in ShrimadAcharya’s approach - asking us to do right karma and leading us to understand futility of any karma. Soft landing punches is his style. No wonder he chose to call himself madhwa acharya//

3.3: यततोऽपि हरेः पद सम्स्मरणे सकलं ह्यघमाशु लयं व्रजति 

स्मरतस्तु विमुक्ति पदं परमः सपुटमेष्यति तत्किमपाक्रियते 

“Whoever thinks of Shri Hari’s feet have everything vanish and attain laya ; and the way to moksha opens suddenly . So, why the reluctance to do this?”

// The traditional maadhwa scholars skip the concept of Laya , which may be due to Yoga being given less importance. ShrimadAcharya stresses so much on Ashtanaga Yoga in which Laya plays a key role .

What is this laya that Acharya mentions as boon ? The treatise on Yoga -‘Hatha Yoga pradipika’-  defines it as follows : 

इन्द्रियाणां मनो नाथो मनो नाथास्तु मारुतः 

मारुतस्य लयो नाथ: स लयो नादमाश्रितः 

Mind is the master of the senses, and the breath is the master of the mind. The breath in its turn is subordinate to the laya (absorption), and that laya depends on the nâda.

सोयमेवास्तु मोक्षाख्यो मास्तु वापि मतान्तरे 

मनः प्राणलये कस्चिदानदः संप्रवर्तते 

This very laya is what is called moksa, or, being a sectarian, you may not call it moksa; but when the mind becomes absorbed, a sort of ecstasy is experienced.

लयो लय इति प्राहुः कीदृशं लयलक्षणं 

अपुनर्वासनोत्थानालयो विषय विस्मृत्तिः 

Laya is simply then forgetting of the objects of senses when the Vâsanâs (desires) do not rise into existence again.

So, Acharyaru  is slowly asking us to do a heavy lifting here. We need to integrate Hatha yoga  through Bhakti Yoga and train to decimate vaasanas. Mere ringing the bell ad chanting will not help//

3.4: श्रुणु तामल सत्यवचः परमं शपथेरितमुच्छित बाहु युगं 

न हरेः परमो न हरेः सद्दशः परमः स तु सर्वचिदात्मगणात् 

“Listen, I make this pure promise with raised hand, there is none equal to or greater than Hari among all the sentientsamd ”. 

3.5: यदि नाम परो न भवेत्स स हरिः कथमस्य वशे जगदेतदभूत् 

यदि नाम न तस्य वशे सकलं कथमेव तु नित्य सुखं न भवेत् 

“ If Shri Hari is not supreme, how can this wonderful universe be under his control ? If this universe is not under his control why is it unable to deliver happiness?”

// The rationale seems to be that Acharya notices so much misery in the world and wonders if every one is master of their own destiny why are they in sorrow ? He logically concludes that every one is not a master but dependent on another entity that is truly independent. He presents Vishnu Tatva Hari is the master and hence the only supreme entity//

3.6: न च कर्म विमामलकालगुण प्रभुतिशमचित्तनुतद्वियतः 

चिदचित्तनुसर्वमसो तु हरिर्यमयेदिति वैदिकंस्तिवचः 

“The actions, ajnAna, impurities, time, qualities do not create or lord over us; Shri Hari rules that sentient and Jada affirms the Vedas” 

//Here comes the Zinger - engaging with any activity that excluded devotion and surrender to Hari will not help. Amala bhakti to Hari is the only way. In other words Acharyaru dismisses other philosophical points of view that trace the origin of the universe to chance, ajNana, etc. If Shri Hari is the contextual cause of the universe, why go anywhere else is his question //

3.7: व्यवहारभिदापि गुरोर्जगतां न तु चित्तगता स हि चोध्य परम् 

बहवः पुरुषाः पुरुषप्रवरो हरिरित्य वदत्स्वय मेव हरिः 

“Lord Hari himself has been critical of the view that vyahavarika difference will go away; among the infinite chain of creation Shri Hari is supreme”

3.8: चतुर् आनन पूर्व मुक्तगणा हरिमेत्यतु पूर्वदेव सदा 

नियतोच्छ विनीचतयैव निजां स्थितिमापुरिति स्मपरं वचनम् 

“Those created by four faced one reach Hari at liberation, enjoy bliss per capacity  and will have the gradation for ever per the supreme smrutis” 

// Acharya would not give any quarter to splitting reality into practical & ideal reality and hoping the difference will vanish in mukti. There is only one supreme Reality and that is Shri Hari who is the only independent entity in the graded universe//

3.9: आनन्दतीर्थ सन्नाम्ना पुर्णप्रज्ञाभिदायुजा 

कृतं हर्यष्टकं भक्त्या पठतः प्रीयते हरिः 

“Those who contemplate these eight standzas,composed by Ananda Theertha poorna prjnaa, with devotion, will become dear to Hari”