०२३

प्राचेतस्तु भगवन्नपरोऽपि दक्षस्
त्वत्सेवनं व्यधित सर्गविवृद्धिकामः ।
आविर्बभूविथ तदा लसदष्टबाहुस्
तस्मै वरं ददिथ तां च वधूमसिक्नीम् ॥ २३१॥

प्राचेतस्तु भगवन्नपरोऽपि दक्षस्
त्वत्सेवनं व्यधित सर्गविवृद्धिकामः ।
आविर्बभूविथ तदा लसदष्टबाहुस्
तस्मै वरं ददिथ तां च वधूमसिक्नीम् ॥ २३१॥

Oh Lord ! Apart from the famous Daksha,,son of Prachetas,there was yet another Daksha, who propitiated Thee to fulfil his desire of multiplying creation. Thou appeared before him in Thy divine form, radiant with Thy eight arms and granted him his wish along with Asikni as his bride.

तस्यात्मजास्त्वयुतमीश पुनः सहस्रं
श्रीनारदस्य वचसा तव मार्गमापुः ।
नैकत्रवासमृषये स मुमोच शापं
भक्तोत्तमस्त्वृषिरनुग्नहमेव मेने ॥ २३२॥

तस्यात्मजास्त्वयुतमीश पुनः सहस्रं
श्रीनारदस्य वचसा तव मार्गमापुः ।
नैकत्रवासमृषये स मुमोच शापं
भक्तोत्तमस्त्वृषिरनुग्नहमेव मेने ॥ २३२॥

Oh Lord ! Ten thousand sons were born to him first and then yet another thousand were born, but all of them adopted the path to salvation instead of creation, owing to the advice of the great Narada. Being enraged at this, Daksha cursed Narada to become a wandering minstrel, without any permanent abode; but Sage Narada, Thy most exalted devotee welcomed this curse as a blessing.

षष्ट्या ततो दुहितृभिः सृजतः कुलौघान्
दौहित्रसूनुरथ तस्य स विश्वरूपः ।
त्वत्स्तोत्रवर्मितमजापयदिन्द्रमाजौ
देव त्वदीयमहिमा खलु सर्वजैत्रः ॥ २३३॥

षष्ट्या ततो दुहितृभिः सृजतः कुलौघान्
दौहित्रसूनुरथ तस्य स विश्वरूपः ।
त्वत्स्तोत्रवर्मितमजापयदिन्द्रमाजौ
देव त्वदीयमहिमा खलु सर्वजैत्रः ॥ २३३॥

Then Daksha, begetting sixty daughters, proceeded to multiply mankind through them, creating the various groups of dynasties. His grandson, Twashta, had a son called Viswarupa, who composed the Narayana Kavacha, a hymn of praise to Thee. Using this hymn as an armour to protect Indra in his battle with the asuras, he made Indra win the war. Oh Lord ! Thy glory is indeed all conquering.

प्राक्शूरसेनविषये किल चित्रकेतुः
पुत्राग्रही नृपतिरङ्गिरसः प्रभावात् ।
लब्ध्वैकपुत्रमथ तत्र हते सपत्नी
संघैरमुह्यदवशस्तव माययासौ ॥ २३४॥

प्राक्शूरसेनविषये किल चित्रकेतुः
पुत्राग्रही नृपतिरङ्गिरसः प्रभावात् ।
लब्ध्वैकपुत्रमथ तत्र हते सपत्नी
संघैरमुह्यदवशस्तव माययासौ ॥ २३४॥

Long ago, Chitraketu, the ruler of the country of Surasena, who wished for a son was blessed with a son in his eldest wife, through the yogic power of Sage Angiras. But the other jealous wives of the king, killed the child. The king was grief stricken and lost control over himself due to Thy Maya, causing him great agony.

तं नारदस्तु सममङ्गिरसा दयालुः
सम्प्राप्य तावदुपदर्श्य सुतस्य जीवम् ।
कस्यास्मि पुत्र इति तस्य गिरा विमोहं
त्यक्त्वा त्वदर्चनविधौ नृपतिं न्ययुङ्क्त ॥ २३५॥

तं नारदस्तु सममङ्गिरसा दयालुः
सम्प्राप्य तावदुपदर्श्य सुतस्य जीवम् ।
कस्यास्मि पुत्र इति तस्य गिरा विमोहं
त्यक्त्वा त्वदर्चनविधौ नृपतिं न्ययुङ्क्त ॥ २३५॥

Sage Narada, who was filled with pity for the king, came along with Sage Angiras and showed him his dead son’s soul. When that soul showed no recognition of the king as his father, Chitraketu was awakened from the Maya of grief into which he had fallen and as advised by Narada turned his mind toward Thy worship.

स्तोत्रं च मन्त्रमपि नारदतोऽथ लब्ध्वा
तोषाय शेषवपुषो ननु ते तपस्यन् ।
विद्याधराधिपतितां स हि सप्तरात्रे
लब्ध्वाप्यकुण्टःअमतिरन्वभजद्भवन्तम् ॥ २३६॥

स्तोत्रं च मन्त्रमपि नारदतोऽथ लब्ध्वा
तोषाय शेषवपुषो ननु ते तपस्यन् ।
विद्याधराधिपतितां स हि सप्तरात्रे
लब्ध्वाप्यकुण्टःअमतिरन्वभजद्भवन्तम् ॥ २३६॥

Then being initiated into Thy worship, by sage Narada, who taught him the appropriate hymn of praise and mantras to propitiate Thee, he performed penance to Thy Adisesha form, to please Thee. Within seven nights he attained the Lordship of Vidyadharas; yet he continued to worship Thee as ardently as ever for Thy grace and pleasure.

तस्मै मृणालधवलेन सहस्रशीर्ष्णा
रूपेण बद्धनुतिसिद्धगणावृतेन ।
प्रादुर्भवन्नचिरतो नुतिभिः प्रसन्नो
दत्त्वात्मतत्वमनुगृह्य तिरोदधाथ ॥ २३७॥

तस्मै मृणालधवलेन सहस्रशीर्ष्णा
रूपेण बद्धनुतिसिद्धगणावृतेन ।
प्रादुर्भवन्नचिरतो नुतिभिः प्रसन्नो
दत्त्वात्मतत्वमनुगृह्य तिरोदधाथ ॥ २३७॥

Pleased by his devotional rendering of Thy hymns of praise, Thou soon appeared before him, in the form of Adisesha, with a thousand hoods as white as lotus stalks and encircled by numerous Siddhaganas singing Thy glory. After educating him on the philosophy of self-knowledge, and blessing him, Thou disappeared.

त्वद्भक्तमौलिरथ सोऽपि च लक्षलक्षं
वर्षाणि हर्षुलमना भुवनेषु कामम् ।
संगापयन्गुणगणं तव सुन्दरीभिः
सङ्गातिरेकरहितो ललितं चचार ॥ २३८॥

त्वद्भक्तमौलिरथ सोऽपि च लक्षलक्षं
वर्षाणि हर्षुलमना भुवनेषु कामम् ।
संगापयन्गुणगणं तव सुन्दरीभिः
सङ्गातिरेकरहितो ललितं चचार ॥ २३८॥

Then Chitraketu, the crest jewel among Thy devotees, immersed in divine bliss, compiling all Thy hymns of praise, extolling Thy virtues, had them sung melodiously by beautiful maidens and roamed at will in all the worlds, for lakhs and lakhs of years, with a contented and happy mind, yet without any craving for worldly pleasures.

अत्यन्तसङ्गविलयाय भवत्प्रणुन्नो
नूनं स रूप्यगिरिमाप्य महत्समाजे ।
निश्शङ्कमङ्ककृतवल्लभमङ्गजारिम्
तं शङ्करं परिहसन्नुमयाभिशेपे ॥ २३९॥

अत्यन्तसङ्गविलयाय भवत्प्रणुन्नो
नूनं स रूप्यगिरिमाप्य महत्समाजे ।
निश्शङ्कमङ्ककृतवल्लभमङ्गजारिम्
तं शङ्करं परिहसन्नुमयाभिशेपे ॥ २३९॥

To help Chitraketu get rid of any remnants of attachment to worldly desires, Thou conspired to send him to Kailasa, the abode of Siva, (enemy of Cupid). Here Chitraketu laughed at Siva for seating his beloved (Uma), unashamedly on his lap, amidst that august gathering of the great, and was cursed by Uma for his derision.

निस्सम्भ्रमस्त्वयमयाचितशापमोक्षो
वृत्रासुरत्वमुपगम्य सुरेन्द्रयोधी ।
भक्त्यात्मतत्त्वकथनैस्समरे विचित्रं
शत्रोरपि भ्रममपास्य गतः पदं ते ॥ २३१०॥

निस्सम्भ्रमस्त्वयमयाचितशापमोक्षो
वृत्रासुरत्वमुपगम्य सुरेन्द्रयोधी ।
भक्त्यात्मतत्त्वकथनैस्समरे विचित्रं
शत्रोरपि भ्रममपास्य गतः पदं ते ॥ २३१०॥

Unfazed by this curse, Chitraketu did not beg to be saved from it. He took birth as the demon Vritra and encountered Indra in the battlefield. Here he dispelled even his enemy’s ignorance, by his discourse on devotion and philosophy of self-knowledge and then attained Thy feet, which is truly amazing.

त्वत्सेवनेन दितिरिन्द्रवधोद्यताऽपि
तान्प्रत्युतेन्द्रसुहृदो मरुतोऽभिलेभे ।
दुष्टाशयेऽपि शुभदैव भवन्निषेवा
तत्तादृशस्त्वमव मां पवनालयेश ॥ २३११॥

त्वत्सेवनेन दितिरिन्द्रवधोद्यताऽपि
तान्प्रत्युतेन्द्रसुहृदो मरुतोऽभिलेभे ।
दुष्टाशयेऽपि शुभदैव भवन्निषेवा
तत्तादृशस्त्वमव मां पवनालयेश ॥ २३११॥

Diti, mother of the demon clan, prayed to Thee for a son to destroy Indra, But contrary to her wishes, she gave birth to the Maruts, who were Indra’s wellwishers. Thy worship showers blessings even on the wicked hearted. Oh Guruvayurappa ! May Thou of such immense glory, save me.