Saturday, June 25, 2016

Varadarajastava of Appayyadikshita-15

वरदराजस्तवः-१५

तौल्यं वदन्तु कवयस्तरुपल्लवानां
मुग्धास्त्वदीयचरणेन मुकुन्द किं तैः ।
तान्येव तत्तदधरोष्ठमिषात्तदानीं
कम्पं भजन्ति कथयन्ति किलात्मनैच्यम् ॥ ४१ ॥
अ: मुकुन्द ! मुग्धाः कवयः त्वदीय-चरणेन तरु-पल्लवानां तौल्यं वदन्ति । तैः किम्? तानि एव
तत्-तत्-अधर्-ओष्ठ-मिषात् तदानीं कम्पं भजन्ति, आत्मनैच्यं कथयन्ति किल ।
Ignorant poets speak of similarity of tree sprouts with your feet. They are of no consequence. Those (sprouts themselves) experience quivering in the garb of the lower lips of those poets and thus express their inferiority.

पद्मोपमात्पदयुगात्तव रत्नगर्भा
जातेति पद्मसदृशाकृतिराहुरेनाम् ।
कार्यं हि कारणगुणानतिवर्ति लोके
प्रायः पतङ्गपतिवाह विलोकयामः ॥ ४२ ॥
अ : पतङ्ग-पति-वाह ! तव पद्म-उपमात् पदयुगात् रत्नगर्भा जाता इति एनां पद्म-सदृश-आकृतिः आहुः । लोके प्रायः कारण-गुणान् कार्यम् हि अतिवर्ति (इति) विलोकयामः ।
Lord whose vehicle is the chief of birds! It is said that the earth is in the shape of a lotus as it arose from your lotus-like feet. We observe in general that results imbibe the qualities of causes.
 Note : In the Puranas it is said that the Earth is in the shape of a lotus with Meru mountain being the pericarp, surrounding which is Kesara (filament)mountain range enclosed by Patra(petal) mountain range.

कल्याणशालिकमलाकरलालनीय-
मासेवकश्रुतिमनोहरनादिहंसम् ।
आमोदमेदुरमरुन्नमितालिकान्तं
शङ्के तवेश्वर पदं शतपत्रमेव ॥ ४३ ॥
अ : ईश्वर ! तव पदं कल्याण-शालि-कमलाकर( कमला-कर)-लालनीयम् आ-सेवक-श्रुति-मनोहर-नादि-हंसम् आमोद-मेदुर-मरुत्-नमित-अलि-कान्तं (अलिक-अन्तं) शतपत्रम् एव (इति) शङ्के ।
Lord ! I guess that your foot is a lotus only, being indulged in by the hands of Lakshmi (nurtured by a lake abounding in auspiciousness) with ascetics who are reciting the sonorous subservient Vedas (with swans cackling in a manner pleasant to hear) and with the ends of foreheads of joyful divine beings bent (looking graceful with bees swarming around blown by the fragrance- carrying wind.)

Note: The poet brings out equivalence between the lotus and Lord’s foot by a clever use of double-meaning words.
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Saturday, June 18, 2016

Varadarajastava of Appayyadikshita-14

वरदराजस्तवः (१४ )

मुष्णन् प्रभातसमयेषु मुरान्तकारिन्
अङ्घ्रिद्वयश्रियमहस्करतस्करस्ते ।
यत्प्राप्यते न करभङ्गममुष्य बाल-
मित्रत्वमेव मिषति ध्रुवमत्र हेतुः ॥ ३८ ॥
अ: मुरान्तकारिन् ! ते अङ्घ्रिद्वयश्रियम् अहस्कर-तस्करः प्रभात-समयेषु मुष्णन् कर-भङ्गम् न प्राप्यते इति यत्, अत्र अमुष्य बाल-मित्रत्वम् एव हेतुः ध्रुवं मिषति ।
O Vanquisher of Mura ! When the sun like a thief steals the lustre of your feet in the morning he does not suffer the punishment of hands (rays) being cut off. That is because he is their friend from childhood days (early morning sun).
Notes: The poet plays on the double meaning words कर ( hand,rays of the sun) and मित्र ( friend, the sun)and weaves a metaphor.

अङ्घ्रिद्वयस्य तव सन्ततमन्तरङ्ग-
मम्भोजवर्गमिह योजयति श्रिया यत् ।
उत्कोचदानमिदमुष्णकरस्य  बाल्यात्
तत्कान्तिरत्नचयचोरणतत्परस्य ॥ ३९ ॥
अ: तव अङ्घ्रिद्वयस्य सन्ततम् अन्तरङ्गम् अम्भोजवर्गम् श्रिया योजयति इति यत् इदं बाल्यात् तत्-कान्ति-रत्न-चय-चोरण-तत्परस्य उष्णकरस्य उत्कोच-दानम् (इति मन्ये) ।
If the sun provides lustre to the lotuses which are inseparable associates of your feet, it is as a bribe given by the sun who right from his childhood is engaged in stealing the gems in the form of your feet’s lustre.
Note: The poet refers to the practice of thieves bribing the persons associated with the treasury while stealing a treasure.

भानुर्निशासु भवदङ्घ्रिमयूखशोभा-
लोभात्प्रताप्य किरणोत्करमाप्रभातम् ।
तत्रोद्धृते हुतवहात्क्षणलुप्तरागे
तापं भजत्यनुदिनं स हि मन्दतातः ॥ ४० ॥

अ : भानुः निशासु भवत्-अङ्घ्रि-मयूख-लोभात् किरन-उत्करम् आप्रभातम् प्रताप्य तत्र हुतवहात् उद्धृते क्षण-लुप्त-रागे सः तापम् अनुदिनम् भजति; सः मन्द-तातः हि ।
The sun daily heats up his rays in the fire during nights in order that they may gain the lustre of your feet’s rays and when they are taken out of the fire, they become hot after losing the redness quickly. He is after all the father of a dull-headed.

Note: In the morning when the sun looks red there is not much heat but later it gets hot. The poet exaggerates by saying that the sun puts his rays in the nights in the fire and takes it out in the morning only to find that it retains the redness sought for only for a short time after which it gets hot. To the possible question why the sun should do the same thing daily, the poet says that he is after all the father of a dullard, the planet Saturn, whose movements are slow and thus considered a dullard. Father of a dullard must be a greater dullard ! 
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Saturday, June 11, 2016

Varadarajastava of Appayyadikshita-13

वरदराजस्तवः-१३

पादावुपेन्द्र सुकुमारतमाविमौ ते
भूषाभरादरुणिमानमिवोद्वमन्तौ ।
इत्थं किमस्ति सुकुमारमितीव बोद्धुं
लोकत्रयेऽपि च करैः स्पृशतः पदार्थान् ॥ ३५ ॥
अ : उपेन्द्र ! इमौ ते सुकुमारतमौ पादौ भूषाभरात् अरुणिमानम् उद्वमन्तौ इव ; इत्थं सुकुमारम् किम् अस्ति इति बोद्धुम् इव लोकत्रये अपि च करैः पदार्थान् स्पृशतः ।
O Brother of Indra ! these delicate feet of yours seem to be spitting out redness on account of the weight of ornaments it is carrying. They seem to be touching all things with their rays in order to check if anything else is there in this world equally delicate.

मूर्तिं प्रसाधयति ते चरणांशुपुञ्जः
तां जैमिनिः कथमधीश निराकरोतु ।
सर्वत्र योगमुपपादयतारुणिम्नः
तेनारुणाधिकरणे हि मुनिः स भग्नः ॥ ३६ ॥
अ: अधीश ! चरण-अंशु-पुञ्जः ते मूर्तिं प्रसाधयति; जैमिनिः तां कथं निराकरोतु? सः मुनिः अरुणिम्नः योगं सर्वत्र उपपादयता तेन अरुण-अधिकरणे भग्नः हि ।
Lord ! the cluster of rays from your feet decorates your entire body. How can sage Jaimini deny it? That cluster which enunciates that redness extends everywhere contradicts the statement of the sage in his discourse on redness.
Note: The reference is to sage Jaimini who is the author of Mimamsa-sutras which discusses Vedic rituals, their proper performance and their effects. In that work, there is a section “Arunadhikarana” which refers to the limited effect of redness in a ritual. The poet says that the fact the red rays emanating from the deity’s feet lights up everything contradicts Jaimini.

अन्तस्तमांसि यमिनामपसारयन्ती
हृत्पङ्कजान्यपि च नाथ विकासयन्ती ।
भक्तप्रवेकभववारिनिधेस्तरण्योः
त्वत्पादयोर्जयति कापि मयूखमाला ॥ ३७ ॥
अ:  नाथ ! यमिनाम् अन्तः-तमांसि अपसारयन्ती, हृत्-पङ्कजानि अपि विकासयन्ती भक्त-प्रवेक-भव-वारिनिधेः तरण्योः त्वत्-पादयोः का अपि मयूख-माला जयति ।

The stream of rays from your feet which removes the internal darkness of those who lead a life of restraint , which opens up the lotus-like hearts and which acts as a pair of boats for crossing the ocean of birth and death for the best of your devotees is flourishing unconquered uniquely.
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Saturday, June 4, 2016

Varadarajastava of Appayyadikshita-12

वरदराजस्तवः-१२

आबद्धपङ्क्तिमहितानि तव त्रिधामन्
वीध्राणि हीरशकलानि विभूषणेषु ।
सम्मोहनानि सरसीरुहलोचनानां
मन्त्राक्षराणि कलये मकरध्वजस्य ॥ ३२ ॥
अ: त्रिधामन् ! तव विभूषणेषु आ-बद्धपङ्क्ति-महितानि वीध्राणि हीर-शकलानि सरसीरुह-लोचनानां सम्मोहनानि मकरध्वजस्य मन्त्र-अक्षराणि कलये ।
God of three-fold residence ! I consider that the clean diamond pieces looking beautiful by their being fixed in rows on your ornaments are cupid’s syllables of incantation to make lotus-eyed damsels swoon.
Note: “tri-dhaaman” is interpreted in several ways: One who has his abode in bhoo,bhuvar,svar worlds or in satva,rajas,tamas or in ocean of milk, solar orb and heaven.   

आपादमौलि विधृतेषु विभान्ति देव
स्थूलेन्द्रनीलमणयो मणिभूषणेषु ।
रागादुपेत्य तव सुन्दर तत्तदङ्गे
लग्नानि लोकसुदृशामिव लोचनानि ॥ ३३ ॥
अ: देव ! सुन्दर ! तव आपाद-मौलि विधृतेषु मणि-भूषणेषु स्थूल-इन्द्रनील-मणयः लोक-सुदृशां लोचनानि रागात् उपेत्य तत्-तत्-अङ्गे लग्नानि इव (भान्ति ) ।
O God of charming form ! the big sapphire gems embedded in your ornaments from head to toe appear as if they are the eyes of beautiful ladies stuck up while longingly looking at each  limb of your body.  

त्वां वीक्ष्य मुक्तिद जनास्तरणिं सखायं
भिन्द्युः किलेति तव भूषणपद्मरागाः ।
शङ्के चिरं जनदृशः स्वकरैः क्षिपन्ति
तन्मात्रतोऽपि तव मुक्तिदतामबुद्ध्वा ॥ ३४ ॥
अ : मुक्तिद ! जनाः त्वां वीक्ष्य सखायं तरणिं भिन्द्युः किल इति तव भूषण-पद्मरागाः, तत्-मात्रतः अपि तव मुक्तिदताम् चिरम् अबुद्ध्वा, जन-दृशः स्व-करैः क्षिपन्ति (इति) मन्ये ।

O  God who grants salvation ! Believing that people may break through the friendly Solar world by looking at you, I believe that rubies in your ornaments dazzle their eyes without realizing for long that even by that very action people can get salvation. 
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