हरि सर्वोत्तम । वायु जीवोत्तम | श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः
उद्यद्-रवि-प्रकर-सन्निभम् अच्युत-अङ्के
स्व-आसीनम् अस्य नुति-नित्य-वचः-प्रवृत्तिम् ।
ध्यायेत् गदा-अभय-करं सुकृत-अञ्जलिं तं
प्राणं यथेष्ट-तनुम् उन्नत-कर्म-शक्तिम् ॥
One should meditate (ध्यायेत्) upon that Mukhyapraana (प्राणं),
who is like (सन्निभम्) a cluster (प्रकर) of rising (उद्यद्) suns (रवि);
who is seated (आसीनम्) by himself (स्व) on the lap (अङ्के) of the Immutable Narayana (अच्युत);
who is constantly engaged (नित्य-प्रवृत्तिम्) through speech (वचः) in praise (नुति) of Him (अस्य);
whose hands (करं) bearing the mace (गदा) and the gesture of fearlessness (अभय),
and who also folds hands in reverence (सुकृत-अञ्जलिम्);
who assumes any form at will (यथेष्ट-तनुम्);
and who possesses exalted (उन्नत) power (शक्तिम्) for divinely-ordained action (कर्म).
उद्यद्-दिवाकर-समूह-निभां स्व-भर्तुः
अङ्क-स्थिताम् अभय-सद्-वर-बाहु-युग्माम् ।
मुद्रां च तत्त्व-दृशये वर-पुस्तकं च
दोर्-युग्मकेन दधतीं स्मरत आत्म-विद्याम् ॥
One should remember (स्मरत) Bhaarati Devi, the presiding deity of true knowledge of the supreme (आत्म-विद्याम्),
who is like (निभाम्) a multitude (समूह) of rising (उद्यद्) suns (दिवाकर);
who is seated (स्थिताम्) on the lap (अङ्क) of her own Lord (स्व-भर्तुः – Mukhyapraana);
whose pair of arms (बाहु-युग्माम्) bestow fearlessness (अभय) and auspicious (सद्) boons (वर);
who holds (दधतीं) with her pair of hands (दोर्-युग्मकेन),
iconic symbols (मुद्रां) of divine knowledge (तत्त्व-दृशये),
and also (च) the sacred book (वर-पुस्तकम्).
Notes:
- Both these shlokas are given to us by Mukhyapraana’s own third avataara, Acharya Madhvai, n his TantraSaaraSangraha (4.69, 4.72).
- By seating Mukhyapraana on His lap, Lord Almighty indicates prime delegation of authority with complete trust, knowledge and obedience.
- Being seated on Lord’s lap with hands folded in reverence shows complete submission of Mukhyapraana, and eternal and intrinsic dependence on Lord Almighty.
- Mukhyapraana’s display of gada and abhaya shows authorized governance and protection of the universe as Lord’s foremost servant – exercising his exalted power of action (including over other souls) only per the will of the Lord.
- Bhaarati Devi, the eternal consort of Mukhyapraana is shown seated on his lap to indicate delegation of governance of knowledge.
- Complete knowledge is shown in Bhaarati Devi’s hands covering both scriptural (book) as well as spiritual (Gyaana mudra).
- Apart from hierarchical proximity, dependence and delegation, moola roopa seating on the lap depicts the souls as being eternally distinct as per Madhva-shaastra.
- Some thoughts on the imagery:
- Only a small portion of the Lord’s lap can be seen – signifying His infinite supremacy over Mukhyapraana, let alone anlesser souls.
- One can only try to imagine Lord’s consort Lakshmi Devi residing on His other lap – also infinitely capable but via delegation and still dependent on Him.
/Raghunath Rao/ “Do your Best … and leave the Rest … “
(All mistakes mine – all credit to Gurus and Acharyas )
|| sarvaṁ śrī kṛṣṇārpanamastu ||
