Dwaadasa Stotram 4

Dwadasa Stotra Commentary : Stora 4

In this stotra, shrimadAcharya sings the glory of Shri Hari - both in terms of his form as well as his infinite competencies; his compassion to grant us means of achieving mukti. He presents Shri Hari as a role model, If we think through his lines deeply. 

On what basis does he assure that Shri Hari can deliver us to Moksha? He argues step by step and logically builds us the reason : To start with he is not an entity that is born, ages and dies like us humans; this is because his ‘body’ is not like ours and is made of pure bliss. In other words, bliss is not some thing he wears but his very nature itself.  Next, he has the ability to destroy darkness that envelops our mind which eliminates pains we suffer.

He also looks at postulates of other Gods like Brahma, Rudra et al but concludes that even they owe their very creation, sustenance and dissolution to Shri Hari. Therefore there is no other like Shri Hari in the universe is his position. 

The most important aspect to note is that it is the ignorance that envelops our mind with darkness and its removal is the key to moksha ;  the onus is on us to do this - we need to use the sharp sword of wisdom sharpened by Shastra jnAna to cut the veil with courage. 

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निज पूर्ण सुखं इतबोध तनुः परशक्ति अनन्त गुणः परमः 

अ जरामरणः सकल अर्ति हरः कमलापति ईड्य तमो वतुः  नः 

“Kamalaapati Hari is supreme, has a body made of wisdom and bliss. He doesn’t age nor does he suffer from death. He  has infinite characteristics and competencies. He destroys all the pains and dispels darkness we suffer”.

// If shri Hari’s body is bliss and wisdom itself, can they be a characteristics the way we use in human interactions? What is add on can be lost and that is why Shri Hari’s very nature is bliss and wisdom; this is why he is able to dispel darkness for humans// 

यद सुप्तिगत अपि हरिः सुखवान् सुखरूपिणम् आहुरते निगमाः 

स्व मति प्रभवं जगदस्य यतः परभोधनुं च ततःखपतिम् 

He never sleeps and yet he is full of bliss; in fact the Shrutis define Bliss as his swarupa. He created this universe by his mere thought. He is as much a supreme wisdom as he is controller of senses.

// Why should the ability to sleep and being blissful are talked in terms of cause and effect ? Why assume that if some one is sleepless he can not be blissful ? If he does not sleep , he can’t be in dream state or sushupti either. Since Shri Hari’s very nature is bliss itself, the conclusion can be that he is always in Turiya state. That is why the sensory inputs have no impact on him and hence is being told that he is the controller of senses. We learn from Sankhya that even for humans a thought is responsible for building an individual’s perception of the universe. Shri Hari being the collective consciousness ( Nirukta :Vishnu: viṣṇur viṣvater vā vyaśnoter vā,)  of the entire universe no wonder creates the entire universe//

बहुचित्र जगत् बहुधार करणात् परशक्ति अनन्त गुणः परमः 

सुखरूपं अमुष्य पदं परमं स्मरतस्तु भविष्यति तत् सततम् 

As he created this wonderful universe with such a diversity, he is know to have supreme ability with infinite characteristics and supreme form. Those who meditate on this will attain such a place. 

// Shri Hari is not only a creator of the entire universe but also pervades the entire universe that has infinite things. This is why Shri Hari Vishnu is know to have infinite characteristics -anantha guNa. So when ShrimadAcharya asks us to meditate on him thus , is he asking us to think of Shri Hari with infinite guNas or shri Hari as the single entity that resides in the infinite things as inner consciousness ?//

स्मरणे हि परेशितु अस्य विभो मलिनानि मनांसि कुतः करणम् 

विमलं हि पदं परमं स्वरतं तरुणार्क स्वर्णम् अजस्य हरेः 

When one meditates on ageless Hari who is radiant like a rising sun or praise his pure feet, why would the mind wander to dirt ?

// This addresses the inner core of Sankhya model- unless we go above prakruti level we will not get to comprehend avyakta which is pure as radiant rising sun as nothing has touched it; ageless as it is not manifest. In other words ShrimadAcharya is goading us to get to Turiya state in deep meditations//

विमलै श्रुति शाण निशाततमैः सुमनोसिभि आशु निहत्य दृडं 

बलिनं निज वैरीणम् आत्म तमोभि इदं ईशम् अनन्तं उपास्व हरिम् 

Take the blemish-less sword sharpened by Shruti , quickly and firmly cut the darkness covering the pure mind, which is your real enemy, so that you can meditate on Isha Hari for ever.

// The darkness that engulfs us our identification with body and mind that leaves us entangles with sensory objects. Shruti knowledge when internalized sharpens the wisdom that gives us courage to axe this misconception. Mind then soars to avyakta Hari and stays there for ever even when we are in waking state. Like Shri Hari , we do not ‘sleep’ but firmly set on his lotus feet for ever// 

स हि विश्व रुजो  विभु शंभु पुरन्दर सूर्य मुखान परानपरान् 

सृजत ईड्य तमोवाति हंति निजं पदं आपयति प्रणतान् स्वधिया 

Those who worship him in heart reach the abode of him who created the universe and gods, sustains and eventually destroys them.

परमोऽपि रमे शितुरस्य समो न हि कश्चित् अभुन्न भविष्यति च 

क्वचित् अध्यतनोपि न पूर्ण सदा गणीतेड्य गुणान् उभवैक तनोः 

There was never a person like him in the past , nor in present; never will be in future -who can equal him with immeasurable complete characteristics .

इति देववरस्य हरे: स्तवनं कृतवान् मुनि उत्तमम् आदरतः 

सुखतीर्थ पदाभि हितः पठतस्तत् इदं भवति ध्रुवं उच्छ सुखम्   

Thus wrote the great saint Sukha Theertha with respect praises of Shri Hari in aid of hose who read this attain the his abode.  

// ShrimadAcharya is very fond of calling himself as a Muni and here he calls himself Muni Sukha Theertha - reservoir of comfort. Why did he not call himself as Ananda Theertha - reservoir of bliss ? There is a message in this choice. This shloka is about teaching us a technique of sharpening our wisdom with Shrutis to shear up darkness engulfing our mind; to let us be active in the world and yet not let sensory objects to destabilize us ; to help us be in Turiya state even in waking state. There can’t be a better sukha comfort than this . As he is showing us this way, he is no doubt Sukha Theertha. As he is very brief for a philosopher, he is a Muni-relatively silent.//