॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Friday, 16 September 2022 - The fourth chapter of the second Skandha- Sage Shuka launches into an ardent prayer to Sriman Narayana, Maha Vishnu.
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King Parikshit is described by the Suta to be now in a state of total immersion in Sri Krishna…
उपधार्य मतिं कृष्णे आत्मजायासुतागारपशुद्रविणबन्धुषु राज्ये ममतां जहौ
T: By focussing his mind in Sri Krishna alone, King Parikshit destroyed all attachment to himself, his wife, his sons, his palace and treasury, his hordes of horses, elephants, etc., his wealth, his relatives and his kingdom itself.
He asked,
भूय एव विवत्सामि भगवानात्ममायया । यथेदं सृजते विश्वं दुर्विभाव्यमधीश्वरैः॥
T: “Oh, noble sage! I again ask you to describe it so that I can be totally absorbed in the wonderful way Bhagavan using His divine Maya creates this universe in a way that is not understood easily by even other gods!”
आत्मानं क्रीडयन्क्रीडन्करोति विकरोति च
T: “It seems that Bhagavan engages all His energies in multiple ways in a divine sport and creates and dissolves all existence!”
शाब्दे ब्रह्मणि निष्णातः परस्मिंश्च भवान्खलु
T: “Sir, I ask you because I know you have mastered all the Vedas i.e. the knowledge of Brahman, and in addition, you are uniquely endowed with the vision of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu, too!”
In reply, Sage Shuka begins to meditate on Maha Vishnu the Purushottama, and launches into a fervent prayer. I quote only a few shlokas.
The words that occur in many of these shlokas are
तस्मै सुभद्रश्रवसे नमो नम:
T:I bow down again and again to that auspicious Lord whose very name spells bliss.
नम: परस्मै पुरुषाय भूयसे सदुद्भवस्थाननिरोधलीलया । गृहीतशक्तित्रितयाय देहिनामन्तर्भवायानुपलक्ष्यवर्त्मने ॥
नमो नमस्तेऽस्त्वृषभाय सात्वतां विदूरकाष्ठाय मुहु: कुयोगिनाम् । निरस्तसाम्यातिशयेन राधसा स्वधामनि ब्रह्मणि रंस्यते नम: ॥
तपस्विनो दानपरा यशस्विनो मनस्विनो मन्त्रविद: सुमङ्गला: । क्षेमं न विन्दन्ति विना यदर्पणं तस्मै सुभद्रश्रवसे नमो नम: ॥
प्रचोदिता येन पुरा सरस्वती वितन्वताजस्य सतीं स्मृतिं हृदि । स्वलक्षणा प्रादुरभूत् किलास्यत: स मे ऋषीणामृषभ: प्रसीदताम् ॥
T: My prayers to the Lord who assumes the three modes of Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas purely for the creation of the material world, residing within the body of everyone in inconceivable ways.
He liberates the true devotees and is totally inaccessible to the non-devotees. There is none who is His equal in His immeasurable transcendence as He dwells within Himself.
My prayers to Sri Krishna whose glorification and remembrance and worship can at once cleanse us of all sins.
The great learned sages, the great performers of charity, the great workers of distinction, the great philosophers and mystics, the great chanters of the Vedic hymns and the great followers of Vedic principles — none among these can achieve any fruitful result without the dedication of such great merits and accomplishments to the service of the Lord.
Goddess Saraswati was created by Him in the heart of Brahma by giving him this divine knowledge essential for liberation. He is the ultimate source of all knowledge.
Indeed, people of all races, places, and those performing strange practices, every one of them can pray and receive His grace.
श्रिय: पतिर्यज्ञपति: प्रजापतिर्धियां पतिर्लोकपतिर्धरापति: । पतिर्गतिश्चान्धकवृष्णिसात्वतां प्रसीदतां मे भगवान् सतां पति: ॥
T: May He be gracious towards me - the Lord of Sri (all prosperity and beauty), the Lord of all yajnas, the Lord of all living creatures, the Lord of all universes, the Lord of Mother Earth, the saviour of races like the Vrishnis, and ultimately the Lord of all devotees and saints!
एतदेवात्मभू राजन् नारदाय विपृच्छते । वेदगर्भोऽभ्यधात् साक्षाद् यदाह हरिरात्मन: ॥
T: I pray to Sage Vyasa, an incarnation of Maha Vishnu, who has created this scripture. Its genesis was when Lord Brahma gave it to Sage Narada (who then inspired Vyasa). Actually, Lord Brahma had originally received it from Bhagavan Sri Hari himself.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
