हरि सर्वोत्तम । वायु जीवोत्तम | श्री गुरुभ्यो नमः
दधानो हल-सौनन्दौ श्वेत-वर्णः कृताञ्जलिः ।
सहस्र-मूर्धा अद्वितीय-कर्ण-भूषः प्रियायुतः ।
वन-माली नील-वासा ध्येयो विष्णोस्तु पृष्ठतः ॥
He (Shesha) is to be meditated upon (ध्येयः) who:
holds (दधानः) the plough (हल) and Saunanda pestle (सौनन्द),
is white in complexion (श्वेत-वर्णः), with hands folded in reverence (कृत-अञ्जलिः);
has a thousand heads (सहस्र-मूर्धा),
has a singular(अद्वितीय) ornament adorning his ear (कर्ण-भूषः),
is accompanied by His beloved consort (प्रियायुतः);
wears a divine garland (वन-माली);
is clad in blue garments (नील-वासा);
and stays behind (पृष्ठतः) Lord Vishnu (विष्णोः तु) as His servant.
Notes:
- This Dhyaana shloka is given to us by Shrimad Acharya in TantraSaaraSangraha (3.81) for जप and is also used in daily pooja to Shesha.
- Shesha is described with four hands, two of which hold weapons and the other 2 paying obeisance to Sankarshana form of Lord.
- सौनन्द is the name of Balarama’s pestle (मुसल) which he used as a weapon in close quarters, and सम्वर्तक is the name of his famous and mighty plough. These references show that Balarama is none other than Shesha.
- अद्वितीय would generally refer to “uniqueness”. But the usage of भूषः is not only in singular but also means honor or recognition. So this decorative metaphor is to be interpreted as the unique reward given by Lord Narayana for services rendered, i.e. making Shesha His personal seat of rest, or आसन.
- प्रियायुतः indicates that Shesha is accompanied by his consort वारुणि, at all times.
/Raghunath Rao/ “Do your Best … and leave the Rest … “
(All mistakes mine – all credit to Gurus and Acharyas )
|| sarvaṁ śrī kṛṣṇārpanamastu ||
