[[TODO: परिष्कार्यम्]]
PRAISE-POEMS TO f VISNU AND SRI The Stotras of Ramanuja’s Immediate Disciples NANCY ANN NAYAR ANANTHACHARYA INDOLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE BOMBAY
Ananthacharya Indological Research Institute Series No. XXIII བ་་▪་་ ་ ག h on it quidfærd General Editor: K.K.A. VENKATACHARI PRAISE-POEMS TO VIṢŅU AND ŚRĪ The Stotras of Rāmānuja’s Immediate Disciples by NANCY ANN NAYAR
PRAISE-POEMS TO VIṢŅU AND ŚRĪ The Stotras of Rāmānuja’s Immediate Disciples A Translation from the Sanskrit with Introduction and Notes NANCY ANN NAYAR ANANTHACHARYA INDOLOGICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE G.D. SOMANI SCHOOL BUILDING CUFFE PARADE, BOMBAY 400005
In the memory of my parents Durward A. Skinner, M.D., 1899-1960 and F. Lucille Skinner, 1904-1993 3
CONTENTS Foreword Acknowledgements Abbreviations of Texts Cited in Notes INTRODUCTION THE STOTRAS OF KŪREŠA Śrīvaikuntha Stava Atimāṇusa Stava Sundarabāhu Stava Varadaraja Stava Śrī Stava THE STOTRAS OF PARĀŚARA BHAṬṬAR Śrīrangarāja Stava: Part I Śrīrangarāja Stava: Part II Śri Guna Ratnakośa Aşṭā Śloki Śrīranganatha Stotra GLOSSARY BIBLIOGRAPHY
viii X xii 1 18 59 84 132 170 175 226 277 306 311 316 351
Foreword
We are very pleased to provide to our readers the publication en- titled Praise-Poems to Vişnu and Śrī: The Stotras of Rāmānuja’s Immediate Disciples by Nancy Ann Nayar. While the philoso- phy of Rāmānuja has been widely studied, the thought of this il- lustrious Acarya and his position within the Śrīvaiṣṇava sam- pradaya cannot be well understood without reference to the works of his immediate disciples and companions. Unfortu- nately, these compositions have been almost entirely ignored out- side of the Śrīvaiṣṇava tradition itself. For this reason, it has been a long-standing desire of mine to see the stotras of Kūresa and Parāśara Bhattar translated into English. The stotra poets quote the Upanisads time and time again; scholars of the Vedas will be interested to see the creative ways in which the philoso- phy of these timeless texts appear in poems of praise directed to the main deities of major Vaiṣṇava temples in Tamil Nadu. Dr. Nancy Ann Nayar worked with the members of the Anan- thacharya Indological Research Institute’s staff for a period of nine months in 1986-87, during which time she translated the Sanskrit poems and began the study of the Tamil language. Her Ph.D. dissertation (McGill University, Montreal, Canada) theological analysis of the stotras – was published in 1992 by Otto Harrassowitz in Wiesbaden, Germany, under the title Poetry As Theology: The Śrīvaiṣṇava Stotra in the Age of Ramanuja.
a The work of Dr. Nayar is a major contribution to the study of Śrīvaiṣṇavism. It especially bridges the gap between Rāmānuja and his contemporaries, on the one hand, and the later Acaryas on the other. The major concepts of Śrīvaiṣṇavism
such as prapatti (salvation by surrender to God), the position of Laksmi as puruşakāra (mediator between the Lord and souls), and kainkarya (servitude to the Divine Couple) – are found in abun- dance in these stotras. Hence this translation of the hymns of
Foreword ix Kūresa and Parāśara Bhaṭṭar provides valuable information for scholars. We sincerely hope that this volume will stimulate interest in the important formative years of the Śrīvaiṣṇava tradition. It is a most valuable contribution both for those scholars who have ac- cess to the original Sanskrit compositions, and for the general public interested in learning more about the theological and de- votional aspects of South Indian Vaiṣṇavism. Thanks are due to the Manager and staff of All India Press, Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry, for bringing out the book neatly and promptly. January 1994 Bombay K.K.A. Venkatachari Founder-Director and Professor
Acknowledgements In the preparation of this volume, I am deeply indebted to Dr. K.K.A. Venkatachari, who is simultaneously Director of the Ananthacharya Indological Research Institute and Professor at the University of Bombay. During my stay in Bombay from October 1986 to June 1987, he assisted me in the translation of the stotras, especially concerning problems regarding Śrī- vaiṣṇava idiom and semantics. He was also helpful in the diffi- cult task of identifying phrases and images which were rendered into Sanskrit from their Tamil antecedents, the hymns of the Āļvārs. Our visits to the major Śrīvaiṣṇava shrines praised in the stotras the Srirangam Temple in Tirucci, Alakar Kōyil outside Madurai, and Varadaraja Swami Temple in Kañcīpuram (all in what is now the state of Tamil Nadu) – added substantially to my appreciation for, and sensitivity to, the many attractive de- scriptions of Vişņu’s iconic incarnations and His terrestrial dwelling places contained in the stanzas.
Thanks are also due to Dr. V.V. Gangal and Pandit K.K.C. Laksminarasimhan for their assistance in the preparation of the initial draft of the translation of the stotras of Kūresa and Bhaṭṭar. Furthermore, Pandit Laksminarasimhan instructed me in the Tamil language during my stay in Bombay. Professor Richard Hayes of McGill University helped me in the translation of one particularly problematic stanza. I am grateful to the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute for a fel- lowship which financed my trips to and stays in Bombay and Tamil Nadu during 1986-87. I would like to express my appreciation to Sister Noella Bolduc, m.c.c.c. and all of the members of the MECUM Con- templative Christian Community for their prayers and friendship over the past eight years of research and writing, including Johanne Auger, Grace Fournier, Linda Friedland, Suzanne Jonas,
Acknowledgements xi Marguerite de Jordy, Dorothy Ormsby, Beverly Redmond and Jennifer Thomas.
– Each of my daughters Sheila, Kamala, and Sunita has contributed in her own way to my work, and I am grateful to all three for their help in the preparation of this volume. Sheila ad- vised me regarding the format of the individual stanzas, and all of her recommendations were accepted. Kamala was particularly helpful during the study which preceded the undertaking of this project; she also discussed with me some of the theological is- sues raised by the poems. Sunita, too, was supportive, and en- couraged me in my study of the Śrīvaiṣṇava tradition. Above all, I want to express my gratitude to my husband, Baldev Raj. He meticulously and uncomplainingly edited the fi- nal draft of the manuscript. His perseverance as a research scholar and his ethic of hard work have been an inspiration to me. Ever encouraging throughout the long time of research and writing, he provided continuing support which is what enabled me to complete this project. Montreal Pentecost 1994
Nancy Ann Nayar Аар AMS Amalaṇātippirān Atimānuşa Abbreviations MaNarUp Mahānārāyaṇa Upanisad Stava MBh Mahābhārata ASI Aşṭā Śloki MTA Mutal Tiru BhG Bhagavad Gitā Antāti BhGBh Bhagavad Gītā MTL Madras Tamil Bhāṣya Lexicon BhGD Bhagavad Guna MUP Mundaka Darpana Upanisad BhP Bhagavata NG Nitya Grantha Purāṇa NTM Nācciyār Bṛhad Up Bṛhadaryanyaka Tirumoli Upanisad PA Prapannāmṛtam ChUp Chandogya PĀTM Periyālvār Upanisad Tirumoli CSI Catuḥ Şloki Pmā!TM Perumā! DP Divya Tirumoli Prabandham PSV Pañca Stava DSC Divyasūri Vyakhyānam Caritam PTA Periya Tirumuţi GPP Ārāyirapaţi Aṭaivu Kuruparamparā- PTAnt Periya Tiru prapāvam Antāti GT Gadya Traya PTM Periya Tirumoli ITA Iraṇṭām Tiru PuSu Puruşa Sūkta Antāti SBS Sundarabāhu KNC Kanninun Cirut- Stava tāmpu ŚGad KUP M-W Katha Upanisad Monier- ŚGRK Williams, Sanskrit-English SR Dictionary ŚriBh Saraṇāgati Gadya Śri Guna Ratnakośa Stotra Ratna Śrī Bhāṣya Abbreviations xiii ŚrīRTS Śrīmad Rahasya Taitt Brāh Taittiriya Trayasara Brāhmaṇa ŚRNS Śriranganatha TaittUp Taittiriya Stotra Upanisad ŚRRS I Śrirangarāja TMālai Tirumalai Stava: The First TP Tiruppavai 100 Stanzas TVM Tiruvaymoli ŚRRS II Śrīrangarāja VaiGad Vaikuntha Stava: The Gadya Latter 100 VP Viṣṇu Purāṇa Stanzas VRS Varadaraja $S Śri Stava SuUp Subāla VS Upanisad Stava Vedartha Samgraha ŚvetUp Śvetāśvatara VSN Vişņu Sahasra Upanisad Nāma SVS Śrīvaikuntha VSū Visnu Sūkta Stava YMD Yatindramata Dipikā
Introduction The well-known Visiṣṭādvaita philosopher-theologian Rāmānuja (c.1107-1137) is regarded by the members of his Śrīvaiṣṇava community as their chief intellectual leader and teacher (Acārya). Among the extant compositions of Rāmānuja’s immediate disciples and Śrīvaiṣṇava contemporaries are ten praise-poems or stotras. Given the close relationship of their authors with Rāmānuja, one of the most important Hindu thinkers of all times, it is indeed surprising that until now only a few of these 716 stanzas have been translated into English. This present volume, then, consists of a translation of the complete stotra collection of the Acārya-philosopher’s immediate disciple Kūresa (Tamil, Kūrattāļvān) – referred to in the earliest hagiographical texts as Rāmānuja’s favourite disciple – and Kūresa’s son, Parāśara Bhaṭṭar, who was one of Rāmānuja’s immediate successors in an Acarya or guru line which extends up to the present day. Importantly, the stotra verses themselves substantiate Kūresa’s close relationship with Rāmānuja, as well as Bhaṭṭar’s position of leadership within the community of Śrīvaiṣṇavas centred in the Tamil-speaking area of South India –worshippers of the Supreme Lord Viṣṇu-Nārāyaṇa Who is eternally accompanied by His chief consort Śri-Laksmi. The word stotra (synonymous with the equally familiar terms stava and stuti) is derived from the Sanskrit verbal root stu meaning “to praise, to laud, to extol, to celebrate”. Among the oldest of Hindu literary genres, its origins go back to the Rg Veda. Important in pan-Indian Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jain- ism, the stotra has played an especially important role in the devel- opment of the Śrīvaiṣṇava tradition. Kūresa’s and Bhaṭṭar’s sto- tras are particularly fascinating documents because, considered collectively, they are the first extant compositions that reveal the
2 Praise-Poems to Vişņu and Śri distinctive Śrīvaiṣṇava world-view; indeed, they contain a unified theological vision based on an intricate and selective blending of the three streams of scripture sacred to Tamilian Vaiṣṇavas: (1) the Sanskrit Veda and its auxiliaries, the Śāstras, the Purāņas, and the Epics as interpreted by Rāmānuja, (2) the Tamil Veda, comprised of 4000 Tamil verses collectively known as Divya Prabandham, composed by twelve Vaiṣṇava devotees who lived from the 6th to the 10th century C.E. (ten of whom are referred to as Ālvārs, or “those immersed in God”), and (3) the Pāñcarātra Āgamas, San- skrit texts containing chapters on cosmology, meditation, iconog- raphy, and temple construction and ritual. Significantly, praise-poems or stotras are found in all three streams of Śrīvaiṣṇava scripture; therefore, they served as an ideal medium for the initial synthesis of these three strands during the crucial formative years of the tradition. Elements from all three streams of scripture, which form the theological foundation under- lying the stotras of Kūresa and Bhattar, appear therein as an INTEGRATED AND UNIFIED THEOLOGICAL VISION, as has been clearly demonstrated at some length in my in-depth analysis of the stotra collection entitled Poetry as Theology: The Sri- vaiṣṇava Stotra in the Age of Ramanuja (1992). The intensely emotional nature of the Alvar poets’ devotion – their unique con- tribution to Hindu religiosity (Hardy 1983) – was assimilated into the Śrīvaiṣṇava community’s Sanskrit literature through these early stotras composed during the very lifetime of Rāmānuja. The way in which categories and terminology from the Vedanta are joined with an emotional religiosity founded on the Alvārs is, in- deed, fascinating. The function of the ancient and important literary genre of the stotra is, however, multidimensional. Liturgically, the stotra ap- pears to have played an increasingly important role in Southern Vaiṣṇava temples, a development that must be connected with the emotional tenor of temple religion in the Tamil lands (Nayar 1992:22-23). Kūresa and Bhaṭṭar composed hymns dedicated to Vişņu’s most beloved iconic incarnations, such as Lord Ranga (and His consort Śrī) of the Srirangam Temple in Tiruccirapalli,
Introduction 3 Lord Varadarāja at Kāñcīpuram, and Lord Sundara (Tamil, Alakar) of Alakar Kōyil outside the famous city of Madurai. In each case, these hymns are recited even today in their appropriate temples as an integral part of Vaiṣṇava temple ritual. Kūresa’s en- tire hymnal, collectively referred to as Pañca Stava, is chanted monthly in the temple of his hometown of Kūram, a village not far from Kañcipuram. Śrīvaiṣṇavas regard stotra recitation as an effective means of obtaining boons, such as the cure of diseases, the birth of a son, the restoration of mental health, or even the attainment of knowl- edge. Bhaṭṭar’s commentary on the “thousand names of Viṣṇu”, which he identifies as a stotra, contains a lengthy explication of the efficacy of the chanting of the names of God, an efficacy which stotras as a genre are generally believed to possess. According to Bhaṭṭar, however, the stotra fulfills its function most distinctly when it is recited purely out of devotion, and for no ulterior pur- pose. The chanting of stotras as a form of personal devotion is an im- portant feature of Śrīvaiṣṇava spirituality. In this tradition of emotional devotion, the religious sentiments fostered by the chanting of praise-poems are certainly important. Yet the objec- tive efficacy of stotra recitation is equally significant. According to Visiṣṭādvaita epistemology, there are three means to valid knowledge (pramāṇa): direct perception (pratyakṣa), inference (anumāna), and verbal testimony (śabda). Recollection or remem- brance (smrti) is a. sub-category of perception. Among the exam- ples of recollection listed in the important Visiṣṭādvaita handbook called Yatindramata Dipikā is the spontaneous remembrance of previously-perceived sacred places, such as Śrīrangam, and the recollection of the lovely, divine, auspicious iconic form of Śri Venkatesa (divya-mangala-vigraha-smrti) while thinking deeply (1.19). Thus the recollection of particular iconic incarnations is, according to Śrīvaiṣṇava understanding, a form of the direct per- ception (pratyakṣa) of God. Correspondingly, among Śri- vaiṣṇavas an important function of the recitation of stotras, with their graphic descriptions both of God and His terrestrial dwelling
4 Praise-Poems to Vişņu and Śrī places, is the stimulation of the remembrance of particular iconic incarnations of Lord Visņu, leading to valid knowledge of God. The Stotras The stotras of Kūresa and Bhaṭṭar contain a wide variety of types of verses. Apart from the many stanzas of interest to students of Vaiṣṇava theology, there are verses that reveal something of the social milieu in which they were composed, and others that sub- stantiate hagiographical stories concerning their authors and Rāmānuja. Likewise, many stanzas give us a glimpse into the per- sonal religious experience and the deep devotion of their poet-au- thors. Because genres of biography and personal reminiscences were unknown to the Hindu literary world of the 11th-12th cen - turies, this, in itself, makes the stotras valuable documents. A basic understanding of the Śrīvaiṣṇava conception of God is necessary for the comprehension both of the structure and content of these poems of praise – all celebrations of God’s gracious con- descension and accessibility. One of the most distinctive features of Śrīvaiṣṇava theology is expressed in the doctrine of the five forms or modes (pañca-prakāra) of Viṣņu, no one of which is more fully God than the other: (1) Para is the Śrīvaiṣṇava techni- cal term for Vişņu Who, in His transcendent form, dwells in the Supreme Heaven of Vaikuntha; (2) Vyūhāvatāra denotes Vişņu’s four-fold creative cosmic emanation; (3) Vibhavāvatāra is the term by which Śrīvaiṣṇavas refer to Vişņu’s occasional incarnations limited to specific times and places, the most popular of Whom are Rāma and Kṛṣṇa; (4) Antaryāmin is Vişņu as Indweller of the entire cosmos, and especially as present in the human heart; and (5) Arcāvatāra, the central focus of Śrīvaiṣṇava devotion, is the technical term for Vişņu’s incarnation as a worshippable icon. One especially significant feature of South Indian Vaisnavism is that each iconic incarnation has a unique identity which is at all times maintained.
Introduction Śrīvaikuntha Stava (ŚVS) 5 Regarded by Śrīvaiṣṇavas as Kūresa’s earliest composition, Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuntha, as its title suggests, is a eulogy of Vişņu’s Highest Heaven called Vaikuntha. As such, it contains numerous stanzas in praise of God’s supernal, transcendent form (para). Heavily influenced by the Upanisads and continuous both with the philosophical and devotional writings of Rāmānuja, its basic structure is the following: Kūresa lauds his Acārya Rāmānuja and Nammāļvār (vs. 1-3), offers introductory verses in praise of Viṣṇu and Vaikuntha, and bemoans his inability to adequately laud such lofty subjects (vs. 4- 10). Following the epistemology established by Ramanuja, Kūreśa considers the valid means to knowledge with reference to Vai- kuntha in vs. 11-18. Then, in the section extending from v. 19 to v. 38, Küreśa establishes Viṣṇu’s essential lordship, citing a num- ber of Upanisadic statements, and refutes a variety of schools of thought regarding the nature of Viṣṇu’s creatorship and His rela- tion to the world. In vs. 39-48, Kūresa extols Vişņu’s Supreme Heaven known as Vaikuntha, and in vs. 49-64, following his Acarya Rāmānuja’s philosophy of God, he praises the auspicious qualities of the Lord, and the specifics of His creatorship. He gives us a definition of liberation in v. 65. In the next fifteen verses, heavily influenced by Yamuna’s Sto- tra Ratna and Ramanuja’s Vaikuntha Gadya, the poet praises the beautiful form of the Lord, including His weapons, attendants and consorts. The remainder of the poem consists of passages of ex- traordinary self-abasement and reflections on the author’s unwor- thiness. This lengthy section is followed by three concluding verses consisting of prayers invoking the Lord’s protection.
6 Atimanuşa Stava (AMS) Praise-Poems to Vişņu and Śrī Poem in Praise of the Superhuman [Activities of God] consists of 61 stanzas extolling Visnu’s occasional incarnations. Love of paradox, hinted at in Kūresa’s other poems, is a central feature of this important and “typically Śrīvaiṣṇava” work, replete with hu- mour and irony. Kūresa’s own enjoyment of the tension between the incomprehensibility and imperceptibility of Viṣṇu’s supernal form and the vulnerability and radical accessibility visible in His many occasional incarnations forms the unifying feature of the poem. The poet’s aim is less the exploration of the theological or philosophical implications of this tension than the relish of the po- larity inherent in God’s essential nature: the very God Who is “completely invisible and unable to be apprehended by speech or mind” (v. 8) condescends to complete vulnerability as Kṛṣṇa, who was “bound with a rope” (vs. 36, 40), stole fresh butter in Vraja (v. 35), and became “a laughing stock for the cowherdesses” (v. 38). After a stanza introducing the topic of the stotra, Kūresa contin- ues his poem with several stanzas in praise of the Lord’s iconic in- carnation in the Śrirangam Temple (vs. 2-4). The significance of this should not be overlooked. The stotras of Kūresa and Bhaṭṭar contain many stanzas which express a passionate longing for God’s presence and for surrender to Him, stanzas uniformly di- rected to one or another of Viṣṇu’s iconic incarnations. By way of contrast, stanzas in praise of God’s occasional incarnations are considerably more restrained. Following the several passion-filled verses directed to the Lord at Srirangam – God’s most accessible form as arcāvatāra – Kūresa’s praise moves in typical Śrīvaiṣṇava style from the most accessible form to the least. Kūresa lauds Visņu’s occasional incarnation (as Vamana in v. 5), His four-fold creative cosmic emanation in v. 6, and His transcendent form as Lord of Vaikuntha in vs. 7-8. In the theologically important stanzas 9-10, Kūresa explores the necessity for and wonder at God’s accessibility in His various in-. carnations. Verses 11-16 include an unrelated variety of stories
Introduction 7 highlighting the accessibility of the Supreme Lord, leading to the large main section of the hymn. The poet delights in the paradox of Viṣṇu’s incarnations as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa – stanzas composed in a teasing mood (vs. 17-58). We see the devotee Kūresa at his best in these verses expressive of intimacy with God. The last three stanzas of the hymn’s main section extol a variety of Viṣṇu’s “superhuman” activities. Kūresa then concludes his poem with a three-stanza reflection on his helplessness and unworthiness be- fore God, taking courage only because of the Lord’s unbounded compassion. Sundarabahu Stava (SBS) Of Kūresa’s five stotras, Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] has been most directly influenced by the Tamil poems of the Alvārs. Composed in Vanagiri (known in Tamil literature as Tirumaliruñcōlai) during a period of its author’s separation from his Acārya Rāmānuja due to troubled times in Srirangam (vs. 129- 31), the poem contains translations into Sanskrit of numerous Tamil epithets of God and place. The very names Sundara and Sundarabahu are translations of the Tamil epithets Alakar and Cundarat toluṭaiyan, employed by several Āļvārs. Much of the general imagery and certain aspects of the structure of this praise-poem are based on the Ālvārs, as well. Numerous phrases, and in one instance an entire stanza (v. 92), are render- ings from the Tamil Ālvār poems. One reason for such heavy Āļvār influence is undoubtedly the fact that five Divya Praban- dham poets (Puttat Āļvār, Periyāļvār, Āṇṭāl, Tirumaṁkai Āļvār, and Nammāļvār) composed verses celebrating the beauty of this particular iconic incarnation of Viṣņu and His environs. After the initial verse of Sundarabahu Stava, in which the poet honours his Acarya Rāmānuja and establishes the poem’s subject and purpose, Kūresa moves directly into the praise of the auspi- ciousness and loveliness of Lord Sundarabahu and His terrestrial dwelling place (vs. 2-13). Praise of the Lord through the extolling
8 Praise-Poems to Viṣṇu and Śri of His Vanagiri abode continues on and off throughout the re- mainder of the stotra. Stanzas 24-32 laud the auspicious qualities of God, while His beauty is the special subject of vs. 33-38. A part-by-part description of the body of Sundara, starting with His head, begins in v. 39 and continues through v. 68. Here we see the frequent use of poetic metaphors common to both Sanskrit and Tamil love poetry. The consorts and attendants of the Lord in Vaikuntha are the subject of vs. 69-80, with special reference to the transcendent form of God (para), extending through v. 83. Beginning in v. 84, in a style similar to that of the Alvar hymns, Sundara is praised for having made Himself accessible in His various occasional incarna- tions. Sundara of Vanagiri is linked to the three main Śrīvaiṣṇava holy places of Venkata Mountain (Tirupati), Hastiśaila (Varadarāja Swami Temple in Kāñcīpuram), and Śrīrangam in vs. 117-19. The remaining stanzas consist of Küresa’s reflections on his own unworthiness, the Lord’s compassion, and a series of historically significant personal petitions to Lord Sundara. Varadaraja Stava (VRS) The 102 stanzas of Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King are directed to the main icon in the Varadaraja Swami Temple, lo- cated in the famous temple town of Kañci. According to Śrīvaiṣṇava hagiography, the stotra was composed by Kūresa at the behest of his Acārya Rāmānuja as a means of requesting the restoration of Kūresa’s vision, lost when he was blinded by a Śaiva king who was persecuting Vaisnavas. As the story has it, when Kūresa reached verse 23 he requested the Lord to provide divine (aprakṛta) vision by which he might see God’s glory for- ever, and he was granted the ability to see Lord Varadaraja and Rāmānuja. (Kūresa himself refers to Lord Varadaraja as having restored the sight of “more than a hundred people” in SBS, v. 126.)
Introduction 9 The main epithets of both place and deity in this stotra are based on older Tamil names, even though the shrine itself was praised for certain only by a single Alvar, Puttat, in two verses addressed to “the One Who dwells in Attiyur” (see n. 1). According to local legend, the site of Varadaraja Swami Temple in Kañci is associ - ated both with the elephants that Hindus believe to be the guardians of the four directions – which are said to have wor- shipped Visņu on the very spot where the temple was later con- structed – and with the lord of elephants Gajendra, much loved by the Āļvārs. Kūresa frequently refers to the sacred site as Hastigiri/ Karigiri (Elephant Hill or Hill of the Elephant(s). Replete with imagery common to both Sanskrit and classical Tamil love poetry, Varadaraja Stava contains many stanzas important to the under- standing of Śrīvaiṣṇavism’s theology of incarnation. Vs. 1-14 celebrate the visible presence on Elephant Hill of the Supreme Lord about Whom the Vedas speak. Beginning in v. 15, Kūresa moves on to the praise of Vişņu’s four-fold creative cos- mic emanation (vyūhāvatāra) (vs. 15-16), and the Lord’s innumer- able auspicious qualities (vs. 17-20). The main section of the poem consists of a forty-two verse celebration of Lord Varadarã- ja’s loveliness, including a part-by-part head-to-foot description, based on imagery from the Alvārs and classical Sanskrit court poetry similar to that contained in Sundarabahu Stava, vs. 39-68. A number of verses follow in which the poet expresses a sense of wonder at the Lord’s need for, and dependence upon, His devotees. In his own typical fashion, Kūresa poignantly reflects upon his own unworthiness and sinfulness (vs. 72-88). In the final verses, he combines praise of the Lord’s unbounded compassion with three stanzas concerning an unnamed petition (vs. 89-91), an expression of surrender to the Lord founded on His great mercy (vs. 91-92, 94-95), and the request to be forever His servant (vs. 96, 98). Kūresa’s final resort in his appeal for God’s mercy is his relationship with his teacher Rāmānuja, a member of the illustrious line of Śrīvaiṣṇava Acāryas, at whose feet he has taken refuge (v. 102). 10 Praise-Poems to Vişņu and Śri Śri Stava (ŚS) Kūresa’s Praise-Poem to [the Goddess] Śri consists of only eleven stanzas. Chronologically, this poem stands midway be- tween the short compositions in her praise by Kūresa’s predeces- sors (Yamuna’s Catuḥ Śloki and Rāmānuja’s short laudation of Śrī in his Śaraṇāgati Gadya) and his son Bhattar’s longer and much more elaborate hymn to the Goddess called Śrī Guņa Rat- nakosa. Yamuna’s and Rāmānuja’s influence can be felt in almost every verse of Kūresa’s praise-poem. Supplemented by the stanzas referring to Śrī scattered through- out Kūresa’s other stotras and by Bhattar’s poem addressed to the Goddess mentioned above, Śrī Stava provides us with a good un- derstanding of the Śrīvaiṣṇava view of Śri at the time of the early Ācāryas. Śrirangaraja Stava: The First Hundred Stanzas (SRRS I) Praise-Poem to the King [of the Universe] at Śrirangam I, the first of Bhattar’s stotras treated here, is directed to the main icon of the great Srirangam Temple located near the modern city of Tiru- cirappalli. During the time of the Alvārs, Srirangam was already an important centre of Vaiṣṇava worship, and Nathamuni, first in the lineage of Śrīvaiṣṇava Acaryas, is said to have resided there. Bhattar’s stotra is unique among the poems of the early Acāryas in that it clearly depicts the temple layout, built according to the ar- chitectural requirements of the Pañcarātra Āgamas. Bhattar praises the temple’s landscape before entering the temple proper and then, verse-by-verse, engages in a laudatory description of each shrine that he passes as he makes his way to the Inner Sanc- tum. Śrīrangarāja Stava is recited before the main icon in the Śrirangam Temple on festive occasions such as Brahmotsava. The recitation of taniyans (“solitary” verses) in praise of the Āļvārs and Acāryas, strung together to form a guru-parampara or listing of the lineage of preceptors, is a required part of daily
Introduction 11 Śrīvaiṣṇava spiritual practice. Customarily, one begins with one’s own Acārya, one’s Acārya’s Acārya and so forth through the most revered teachers, such as Rāmānuja, Yāmuna, Nathamuni, and Nammāļvār, through Visvaksena and Śrī, clear up to Lord Viṣṇu Himself. While the official guru-parampara does not ap- pear to have been formalized until after Bhattar’s time, he gives us a virtual listing in vs. 1-12 of the poem: his father Kūresa (v. 1), followed by his Ācārya Empār, Rāmānuja, Yamuna, Nāthamuni, Nammālvār, the Goddess Śri, and the Lord Himself. This section is followed by eight verses in which the poet bemoans his inability to adequately praise the Lord. With v. 21, Bhaṭṭar begins a twelve-verse eulogy of the environs of Lord Ranga’s terrestrial abode, including several lovely descriptions of the island-town of Śrirangam and the Kāverī River which surrounds it. As Bhattar begins his entry into the temple proper (v. 32), he honours the leaders stationed in each of the four directions who guard the temple from its outermost wall, and praises the temple as a whole in vs. 33-36. Beginning with v. 37, Bhaṭṭar salutes the gatekeepers in order to gain their permission to enter the temple (a custom followed by devotees even today), and then celebrates various parts of the complex, including the thousand-pillared hall and the lotus pool. In v. 41, as he approaches the shrine of the Alvārs, the poet asks these “ten persons” to take pity on him. Af- ter several more verses in praise of temple and town, he reaches the figure of Narasimha, and from there proceeds on to the shrine of the Acaryas (v. 48). As Bhattar nears the Inner Sanctum, he praises the many atten- dants of the Lord that he sees along the way (vs. 50-57). The In- ner Sanctum and the Lord’s and Śrī’s ladies-in-waiting are de- scribed and extolled in vs. 58-62. The remainder of the stotra is comprised of verses in praise of Viṣṇu’s and Śrī’s iconic incarna- tions Who dwell within the Inner Sanctum. The beauty of the ut- the smaller, portable icon of the standing Lord used in festive temple processions – is extolled in vs. 63-74, while the remaining verses praise the mula-bera – the well-known immov- sava-bera
12 Praise-Poems to Viṣṇu and Śrī able icon of Viṣṇu-Nārāyaṇa reclining on the serpent Adiseṣa - permanently fixed within the Inner Sanctum. Śrīrangarāja Stava: The Latter Hundred Stanzas (ŚRRS II) 61 Praise-Poem to the King [of the Universe] at Śrīrangam II is the most philosophical of the early Śrīvaiṣṇava stotras. After a gen- eral praise of Śruti and Smrti (vs. 1-4), Bhaṭṭar begins a series of occasionally humorous refutations of various philosophical schools of the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jaina traditions (vs. 5-16). Having reviewed the valid means to knowledge according to Visiṣṭādvaita philosophy (vs. 17-26), Bhattar begins his praise of Lord Visņu’s auspicious qualities, including verses which care- fully define each of the Lord’s famous “six qualities”. Beginning with the inaccessible and imperceptible transcendent God and moving through His increasingly accessible forms (in contrast to the structure of Kūresa’s AMS), Bhattar praises the transcendent Lord para in vs. 33-37 and Vişņu’s four-fold cre- ative cosmic emanation (vs. 39-40). After several verses on the creation of the universe (vs. 41-44), he moves to the praise of Vişnu’s occasional incarnations and His accessibility as expressed in a variety of His earthly activities (vs. 45-73). Important in the theology of arcavatāra, v. 74 forms a link be- tween the verses celebrating Vişņu’s occasional incarnations and His incarnations as a temple icon (with special reference to Lord Śriranga). Beginning with v. 83, Bhattar reviews the variety of means to reach the Lord. The power of the Lord to effect the union of the “surrendered” devotee with Himself is celebrated in vs. 87-89, where Bhattar calls the Lord both “the means and the goal”. The poet concludes with several verses of supplication and self-abasement which, at the same time, celebrate the Lord’s pa- tience and compassion.
Introduction 13 Śri Guna Ratnakosa (ŚGRK) In Jewel-Treasury of Śrï’s Auspicious Qualities, a companion- piece to Śrīrangarāja Stava, Bhaṭṭar directs most of his stanzas to Śrī’s iconic incarnation in the Śrirangam Temple. From a purely literary point of view, ŚGRK is perhaps the most attractive of the early Śrīvaiṣṇava stotras. Theologically, too, it is the most impor- tant of the early compositions on the Goddess Śri, for it contains (in more elaborate form than in the works of Yamuna, Rāmānuja, or Kūresa) the several elements which converge in the doctrine of Śrī as the essential mediator (puruṣakāra) between the Lord and souls. Bhaṭṭar takes refuge with Śrī, and praises her for her role in the creation, preservation, and dissolution of the worlds in the first two verses of the poem. Śri is then lauded for enriching the love- liness of her husband (v. 3) and for being the very basis of His supremacy (the later tradition calls this the doctrine of śrī-patitva). In vs. 5-8, according to the custom in Sanskrit stotra poetry, Bhaṭṭar laments his inability to laud Śrī appropriately, and pleads for her inspiration so that he might complete his praise-poem to her. Much of Śri Guņa Ratnakośa expresses the centrality of Śrī to the Śrīvaiṣṇava world-view; indeed, scripture itself is said to have as one of its main purposes the acclamation of the Goddess (for example, vs. 10, 12-14). Śrī’s powerful glance – the good- ness that it brings, and the deprivation that arises from its absence – is a theme of many stanzas (for example, vs. 15-18). The very creation of Vişņu’s Supreme Heaven and all the worlds are said to be solely for Śri’s pleasure (vs. 19-22). Bhaṭṭar then extols Śri as Mistress of the Supreme Heaven of Vaikuntha, and praises her relationship with Viṣṇu and their inherent inseparability (vs. 23- 31). In v. 32, Bhaṭṭar begins the praise of the auspicious qualities of the Supreme Couple, employing a variety of epithets in the voca- tive case, specifically mentioning Śri’s iconic incarnation in Śrirangam. He appears thoroughly to enjoy comparing and con-
14 Praise-Poems to Visņu and Śrī trasting the auspicious qualities of the masculine Lord Ranga and the feminine Śri in vs. 33-37. Icon-makers are required to memorize v. 38, a description of Śrī in a sitting posture, because it gives the idea of how an icon of Laksmi must look (as she appears in Vaikuntha) when wor- shipped independently. Several of the stanzas which follow are the first in the tradition to highlight the erotic relationship between Vişņu and Śrī, its enjoyment by the devotees, and its relation to Śri’s role as mediator between the Lord and souls (vs. 40-47). These verses draw heavily on the images of Sanskrit love poetry. The relish that the devotee has for the presence of Viṣṇu along with Śrī, as well as their eternal inseparability which extends to Vişņu’s descents to earth in incarnational form, is expressed in v. 48. The poet then praises several of these occasional incarnations (vs. 49-55). Bhaṭṭar concludes his poem with a celebration of the most beloved of all the Supreme Couple’s forms, their incarnation in a worshippable temple icon (vs. 56-61). Aṣṭā Śloki (AS) Eight Ślokas is included in most published Śrīvaiṣṇava stotra collections. While stylistically the work resembles a stotra insofar as it is written in Sanskrit poetic verse and its final stanza is di- rected to the Lord, content-wise it is the forerunner of the impor- tant Śrīvaiṣṇava literary genre called the rahasya-grantha composed mostly in Maṇipravāļa, a synthetic form of Sanskritized Tamil, in explication of the three main Śrīvaiṣṇava mantras. 11 texts While the three mantras are given to every Śrīvaiṣṇava during the initiation ceremony of pañca-saṁskāra, and their recitation is performed daily by members of the community, their elaborate meanings are taught only to those who express a desire to delve more deeply into the spiritual life. Because the meaning of Bhaṭṭar’s Aṣṭā Śloki can best be ascertained in the light of the later rahasya-grantha commentaries, it has been suggested that
Introduction 15 this cryptic poem is a summary of a pre-existing oral tradition (Mumme 1987:12). Vs. 1-4 consist of an explication of the tiru-mantra: “Aum namo nārāyaṇāya” or “AUM! Homage to Nārāyaṇa!”. Vs. 5-6 explain the meaning of the dvaya-mantra: “śrīman nārāyaṇa caraṇau saraṇaṁ prapadye, śrīmate nārāyaṇāya namaḥ” or “I take refuge in/with the feet of Nārāyaṇa Who is [eternally united] with Śrī. Homage to Nārāyaṇa Who is [eternally united] with Śri”. Vs. 7-8 explain the carama-śloka, the words uttered by Kṛṣṇa (to Arjuna) in Bhagavad Gītā 18:66: “sarvadharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ saraṇaṁ vraja, ahaṁ tvā sarvapāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ”, or “Having relinquished all dharmas, resort to me alone as refuge; I will release you from all sins. Do not grieve”. Śrīranganatha Stotra (ŚRNS) The brief work called Praise-Poem to the Lord [of the Uni- verse] at Śrīrangam appears to have been composed by Bhaṭṭar when he was away from his beloved home of Śrirangam. Several of its verses express the poet-Acarya’s longing to see Lord Ranga once again (vs. 3-5). Interestingly, v. 8 confirms the hagiographical story of Rāmānuja’s visit to North India. Text, Translation and Notes This translation of the stotras of Kūresa and Bhaṭṭar is based on the edition of their works contained in Stotramālā, edited by the Acāryas of Kāñci and published most recently in 1969. This edition is the most accessible to Śrīvaiṣṇavas today. Until as recently as the last century, original copies of the Acaryas’ manuscripts were destroyed by fire or put into a river after a copy was made by a son or grandson. This procedure was not regarded as a destruction of the manuscript; rather, revered manuscripts were consigned to water or fire (both regarded by Hindus as pure
16 Praise-Poems to Visņu and Śri elements) in order to prevent them from being mishandled or treated disrespectfully. In spite of this, however, a critical edition of the stotras has been deemed unnecessary for several reasons. The Śrīvaiṣṇava community, close-knit and geographically well-defined, has an unbroken line of preceptors dating from its first Acārya Nathamuni (c. 10th century C.E.). Most of its litera- ture (other than the philosophical commentaries of Rāmānuja) until recently remained unknown to, and unread by, those outside the community. The problem of widely diverging redactions with dif- ferences reflecting social class or geographical region – as exists in the case of popular pan-Indian texts such as the Epics and Purāņas – is non-existent in the early Śrīvaiṣṇava sectarian litera- ture. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that the texts were re- stricted to a small community with a relatively cohesive world- view (inspite of the later divisions within the community). Fur- thermore, the first printed editions of many Śrīvaiṣṇava texts (including the stotras) were made by traditional scholars beginning in the 19th century. At that time, most available manuscripts were consulted; in fact, the printed editions themselves often contain variant readings. The text of Stotramālā was in each case com- pared with the other extant published editions (see bibliography), but because only two discrepancies were of any theological signif- icance, I have chosen not to refer to the variant readings in the notes except in these two instances. With respect to all other stan- zas, I believe that the comparison of variant readings would create an unnecessary complication in these already complicated texts. The Translation Certain difficult decisions must be made in the preparation of any translation. The non-technical and fluid language of the stotra poems can be particularly problematic. I have mostly been con- cerned with the lucidity of the overall meaning of each stanza, rather than with the literal emulation of Sunskrit grammar. In places, words or phrases, especially compounds, have been rather
Introduction 17 loosely translated in order to avoid awkward constructions, which may be found to be frustrating to readers in English. While avail- able commentaries were sometimes consulted in order to establish the correct prose order of the verses, in some instances stanzas have been reconstructed in order to allow for a somewhat more natural flow to the English language. Hopefully, this has made for a translation that will appeal to an audience beyond Sanskritists and academics specializing in Hinduism who can, in any case, consult the original text. It has been my intention to translate the verses, especially those which are renderings of Alvar phraseology, imagery and emotion, according to Śrīvaiṣṇava idiom. The particular format for the translated verses, which was recommended by Sheila Nayar, was adopted not because I believe that the translations themselves would qualify as “poetry” (many would certainly not), but because the breaking up of the verses into small units makes for a clarity and readabilty not found in many stotra translations up to now. The Notes Notes to individual stanzas are to be found at the end of each stotra; the endnote numbers correspond to the stanza numbers. I have made every effort to identify antecedents of the verses, in- cluding phrases and epithets from the Sanskrit Veda, the composi- tions of Ramanuja, the hymns of the Aļvārs, and the Pāñcarātra Agamas. The stotras contain many Upanisadic phrases and epi- thets; particularly well-known phrases or epithets (especially if contained in numerous Upanisads) have not been identified in the notes. For the identification or explanation of Sanskrit words and the names and epithets of deities, persons, and places, the reader may refer to the Glossary.
Śrīvaikuntha Stava 1 I take refuge at the feet of my illustrious preceptor Rāmānuja the sole ocean of compassion who because of passionate attachment to the gold of Acyuta’s lotus-feet eternally considers all else as straw! 2 May we resort to Vakulabharaṇa’s feet – ornaments [decorating] the heads of the elders adept in the Three Vedas, the eternal wealth of good people, and an auspicious asylum for those with no other refuge. 3 Victory to the ocean in the form of Parankusa the divine abode of Acyuta who has limitless greatness, is filled with a surging flow of the sap of love’s essence enkindled by the fetters of wonderful passionate feelings arising from devotion’s power, and is a storehouse of precious jewels [resplendent] with the riches of the Vedas.
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuṇṭha 4 I extol that Foremost Splendour Whom [the wise] desire for the sake of the world’s great welfare dependent upon Whom are the heavenly abodes Who is lotus-eyed, without a second, knowable by Vedanta, and beginningless! 5 May I see that Indescribable One Who wears a golden garment casts sidelong glances, boon-bestowing and cool has hands reaching down to His knees is black like a cloud has long ears and a chest raised and broad and is the bearer of Laksmi. 6 We announce the lofty status of being Vişnu [with Upanisadic phrases such as]: the Truth Undecaying the One without clan or class the Invisible One imperceptible, indescribable, and incomparable the Controller of this world which is smaller than an atom. 7 I think that the Abode of Vişņu which shines perpetually on the summit of the Vedas (Upaniṣads) and on the heads of the Lord’s exalted servants
1920 Śrīvaikuntha Stava falls within the range of speech of even people like me because of [the Lord’s] motherly affection toward those who have taken refuge with Him! 8 Though fully aware of my own [ignorance] I shamelessly utter words of affection to the feet of Viṣṇu! No one calls the water [of a sacred river] impure if lapped by a dog, nor need the dog feel ashamed when overcome by thirst! 9 The magnitude of the qualities of the demon-destroyer God transcends speech and thought. Just a tiny particle from those (qualities] would pacify my torment, [for] even a drop of water from the ocean is sufficient [to satisfy] a thirsty insect! 10 Men of ancient times whose ecstatic speech was tender with love have praised You with mellifluous words O Enemy of Madhu! My lowly speech [seems to make] a mockery of their [sweet] sayings.
Poem in Praise of Śrivaikuntha On the other hand, Your forgiveness will find an object in my harsh language! 11 Your revered commandment known as the Three Vedas is accepted as the valid means to knowledge of the supra-sensual, while other means [such as perception and inference] are faulty and [therefore] fallacious. But the eternal [Triad] is praised as flawless! 12 You are a hidden treasure for ALL people, obtainable by the meritorious but difficult to reach for others! The virtuous performers of meritorious deeds accepted the Triad in this matter, but others by practicing things contrary to the Vedas have fallen down [into viewpoints] which fail to recognize Vedic authority. 13 The evil consequence of the actions of wicked people is made visible [by] the wonderful sport of fate! Alas! Those whose minds are steeped in wrong philosophy
21 22 Śrīvaikuntha Stava even [after] having taken [into account] the revered Śruti [in the matter of deciding] the meaning [of words] are doomed! 14 What is the difference between those who seek out a mirage [in the desert in order to quench their thirst] and are then devoured by the wild animals [living there], and those who are fortunate enough [to reside] near a pond but are killed by crocodiles? Alas! [There is no difference!] Both those who deny the authority of the Vedas and the followers of wrong philosophies derived from it go to limitless terrible darkness, [for] You do not cast Your glance on [either of] them. 15 In the very same way that an object may be clearly seen [only] in the sunlight, so those with minds made flawless by devotion to You discern the meaning of Śruti [using] acceptable aids such as logic and Smṛti sent forth by You to elucidate the Vedas.
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuntha 16 Those devoid of devotion to Your lotus-feet cannot correctly apprehend an object as it really is [because] a [jaundiced] eye not treated with bile-killing ointment is unable to perceive the whiteness of a conch even in the [sun]light. 23 17 We determine that You alone are the Supreme Lord a truth disclosed by hundreds of Vedic statements which have as their chief aim the exposition of reality, by the power of Smṛtis which conform [to the Vedas], by true Purāņas given to the exposition of the truth, and by the wisdom of the knowers of the Lord. 18 Elsewhere some people accept the popular understanding of [the epithet] “Isa” (lord) and declare that [Śiva] is Lord. They accept the Three Vedas only in order to endow mere public opinion with [Vedic] authority. But with You, O Imperishable One, the Triad is direct! 19 He Who is smaller than an atom and greater than the great
24 became the Soul of [all] people and the Generator of the worlds. Śrivaikuntha Stava We pronounce You – such as You are – Supreme Lord You Who are denoted by the syllable “A” which is the root of the sacred syllable AUM, the very essence of the Vedas. 20 You are the Lord of souls. There is no Lord other than You. You are the Overlord of the universe and its Final Goal. O Nārāyaṇa! O Imperishable One! You alone are the transcendent God! Even Brahma and the other [gods] have obtained their very existence by Your glance. 21 You are the Eternal One, without equal or superior, Exalted Glory, the Ancient Man living in the eternal and undecaying heaven, the Generator of life, and the Ground of this world. O Supporter of the earth! The Vedas celebrate You alone! 22 You are that thousand-headed man Whom they call the Lord
Poem in Praise of Śrivaikuntha of past, present and future, and the One having no ruler [over Him]. Your abode is on the ocean, Your forms are limitless, and Your Queen is Laksmi Mother of the three worlds. 23 In conformity with all the Srutis, Puruşa Sūkta which is the purifier of the whole world and faultless like You described You Who are steadfast, unshakeable, and the bearer of the title of Nārāyaṇa as Supreme Person and Lord. 24 That lordly bliss which [Sruti] has described as hundred-fold in sequential order [is comparable] to Your own [bliss] only if finally multiplied beyond [the range of] speech and mind. You, the Lotus-eyed One and the Person in the Sun, are here among the people a the Inner Soul! 25 That which is regarded as the root cause [of all things] – and is known in the [Upanisadic] statements on creation as “Brahman” or “Sat”
25 26 Śrīvaikuntha Stava by the word Atman, or as Tat – Mahopanisad proclaims to be Nārāyaṇa. [Other Upanisads] beginning with Subāla have also followed this [same tradition]. 26 What is understood in the Śrutis as the Supreme Light the Highest Truth the Supreme Soul Brahman and the Highest Entity one Upanisad calls “Nārāyaṇa” and another “the supreme status of Vişņu”. 27 Thus thousands of Upanisadic statements proclaim Your supreme essential lordship. Moreover, while traversing the worlds swallowing them and spitting them out again, You didn’t even take notice of the difference between a [tiny] insect and [the great lord] Brahmā! 28 The wise ones determine Your essential lordship by the glory of Your form by Your Supreme Abode by some of Your wonderful, appropriate deeds and by other undisputed marks [indicative of Your supremacy].
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuntha 29 It is [well-known] to all people that she whose sidelong glance perpetually determines the sovereignty of lords [like Brahma and Śiva] is [named] Śri. People of eloquent speech derive the etymology [of the name Śri from the fact that] she has taken refuge with You, and call you the śrī of Śrī! 27 30 Despite the existence of Śruti, on account of their adamant and baseless logic, some skeptics become deaf toward You because of māyā’s power.
That māyā created by You out of the three gunas - what amusement does it not provide for You, O All-Pervading One? 31 O Storehouse of eternal, blemishless, spotless, changeless, auspicious, true qualities! These [deaf ones] have said that You are constantly being born variously in [the form of] inanimate objects and worms, butterflies, elephants and other [creatures]!
28 Śrīvaikuntha Stava 32 This entire universe is manifested because of Your glance and were You not to cast Your glance it would not appear at all. It desires Your glance in order to remain [in existence]. Thus in Śruti You alone are referred to as the “world”. O Lord! 33 Śruti has decreed Your sovereignty such that the name like the form
of all things moving and non-moving is dependent upon You alone. Alas! For sinners this is a cause of delusion regarding You! 34 Various [people] who are even slight and momentary recipients even of a fraction of Your glance have acquired a dominion [otherwise] unobtainable by humans. Whichever [gods] have spoken of Your Supreme essential lordliness [are themselves called lords] in the Śrutis on account of their association with Your glory.
Poem in Praise of Śrivaikuntha 35 Some deluded ones think that the variety of eternal things is by its essential nature independent of You and so they speak of Your sovereignty as limited. But the Three Vedas declare Your dominion uncircumscribed! All things exist 36 because of Your will alone. Some things forever dear to You are eternal. [Among these] eternals Your auspicious qualities are indeed a [good] example for us [because] it is certain that their inherent nature is one of eternal dependence on You alone. 37 You are not only the Cause of this universe comprised of sentient beings (cit) and insentient objects (acit), O Imperishable One, but also its Effect! [Thus] the Upanisads forcefully proclaim Your immutability [as the quality] which reveals the limitlessness of Your essential lordliness.
2930 38 Śrivaikuntha Stava Those who understand [the meaning of] Śruti know that your divine glory is incomprehensible without indulging in unfounded arguments [which include such questions as]: “With what instrument? staying where? taking what [as the material]? and to what end does the Lord create all this?” The Cosmic Egg 39 covered by the seven elements is the abode of the fourteen worlds and of Śiva and Brahmā; hundreds of eggs like that one each subsequent one ten times [larger] than the one before have become [mere] playthings for Your sport! 40 Created by Your own will for Your action of sport, these [eggs] represent a minuscule fraction of an iota of Your glory. Your Supreme Eternal Realm is ever changeless and transcends time. 41 That which [the wise ones] describe as the Supreme Abode of Viṣṇu or the Sky beyond darkness which is lustre-filled
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuntha composed of the highest sattva eternal the Ground of all Bliss and very beautiful and wonderful they also proclaim as Your Abode called Vaikuntha. 42 That eternal [place] difficult to reach even for [gods] such as Brahma, Śiva and Indra or for Sanaka and others who delight in renunciation, which some [devotees] desire as the resplendent [state of] union with the Lord, which is directly perceptible [by liberated souls] and is the most highly revered of all places, [the wise ones] proclaim as Your Abode called Vaikuntha. 43 Phrases such as “with form” “with multitudes of true qualities” “with noble and sweet thoughts” “with greatness” and “with the highest wealth” when used to describe [the Eternal Realm as being] “like this” [or] “like that” show disrespect for the glory [of Vaikuntha]. 44 On account of the greatness of that which is eternal and unacquainted with changes like growth, decay and destruction, the fruit of ritual actions
- impermanent and resulting in sorrow – is mentioned in the Śrutis as insignificant.
31 32 Śrivaikuntha Stava 45 That [place] which can be reached by the pure, by those who have transcended changes like birth and old age, by those who possess the wealth of abundant devotion, and by those who are not attached to worldly existence, and cannot even be imagined by other less-fortunate ones, [the wise ones] proclaim as Your Abode called Vaikuntha! 46 The supreme greatness of Your limitless Eternal Realm is established as independent of anyone other than You. Multitudes of qualities beginning with knowledge have crossed beyond all limits! Your beloved Lakṣmi and Your important attendants such as the king of the birds (Garuḍa) [dwell there]. 47 Your countless, limitless, true auspicious qualities are such that even if one were to possess a minuscule fraction of a bit of a single quality from among them, the resultant glory would transcend speech and mind.
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuntha Yet You are One Whose glory is independent [of these qualities]! 48 [People who are considered great are judged so] on account of their qualities. Some gain respect because of worldly power. O All-pervading One, with You it is precisely the contrary! Your power and qualities attain auspiciousness on account of their association with You! 49 The Three Vedas declare You to be without qualities because You are untouched by the material constituents of purity, passion, and ignorance. O Hari! They proclaim You the Supreme Lord of lords because You are an Eternal Ocean of all true qualities! 50 They say that knowledge itself is Your essential nature and also that knowledge is Your attribute in the same way that a gem made of lustres has lustre itself as its quality.
33 34 Śrīvaikuntha Stava Therefore, [having knowledge as a quality], You perceive the entire universe directly, and its protection is accomplished solely by means of Your glance. 51 By declaring in sequential order “Those which are one hundred [times bliss]…” the Three Vedas attempted to delimit Your bliss which is augmented by streams of Your qualities beginning with youthfulness. Ultimately they proclaimed [Your bliss] to be beyond the range of speech and mind! 52 Thus the ingenious [Triad] declared that the great majesty of all Your limitless glories along with all Your auspicious qualities beginning with youthfulness is beyond the range of speech. 53 Oh! What a wonder! By Your wonderful action at the time of the dissolution [of the worlds], controlling according to its appropriate merits the entire undifferentiated [universe] which was ignorant and without knowledge of past experience, You instantaneously effected its reappearance by Your vow to glance [in its direction] at once, [causing it to become] differentiated from a [tiny] insect clear up to [the great lord] Brahmā.
Poem in Praise of Śrivaikuntha 54 Such is Your limitless lordly power that with that selfsame glance You set in motion the wonderful universe which ever moves toward appearance growth, decay, and dissolution [and is differentiated by] moving beings and non-moving things and also lords and beggars! 55 Since You are able to create the universe destroy it, change it, make it non-existent and determine change as to its form and nature, why do you take into account the law of karma [when the wise ones] declare Your lordly autonomy indisputable? 56 They speak of Your splendour as darkening the brightness of the thousand-rayed [sun] which collects together (its rays] at the time of dissolution [of the universe]. Your perpetually playful and ravishing brilliance is ever well-disposed toward those well-disposed to You and is terrifying to [all] others! 57 [All] creatures are dependent upon Your glance for their very existence, so You are already the possessor of everything! I [can’t] imagine another as munificient as You!
35 36 Śrīvaikuntha Stava You [Yourself] are the temple of Indira [the Goddess of Wealth] so where is the need to speak of Your riches? 58 Just look! Seeking to uplift the creature who seeks to drown in the sorrows caused by sins arising from latent impressions [resulting] from birth after birth in this beginningless transitory existence, solely out of compassion You have prescribed in the Sastras [the means for ] the expiation of those sins. 59 The spiritual well-being which You fashion for Your creatures by the eternal Śāstras by Smṛtis by the deeds of Your divine incarnations and by Your auspicious glance is a wealth of bounding billows belonging to the Most Excellent Ocean that is Your compassion! 60 Oh! Alas! Do tell [me]! What is this sin of inconceivable potency incessantly and constantly present in creatures who have not fashioned for themselves a fortunate destiny that causes them to cross beyond
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuntha the ocean of Your compassion [even though] it sports in overflowing its proper boundaries. 37 61 Here [in this transitory world] a creature commits in half a moment sin [the effect of which is] inexhaustible even after the experience [of suffering] lasting for millions of eons. Ah! How wonderful it is that You always forgive such a sinner in all [sorts of] births solely because of a mere intention to stop [sinning]. 62 How could so great a forgiveness fail toward those who have a protective armour in the form of hands folded in supplication to You? And how can Your forgiveness be regarded as an auspicious quality [when it proceeds] on its own without distinction toward all creatures zealously eager for Your motherly affection? 63 When You [heard] the trumpeting of the best among elephants [Gajendra], You Who created the universe by a mere thought caused it to flourish, and then desired to destroy it,
38 wanted to come [to him] and stroke his foot! Śrīvaikuntha Stava What do you mean by surrendering to such [feelings of] motherly affection? 64 Oh how wonderful! If any creature in this transitory existence might worship the Lord ever so slightly with an undivided mind, You accept him on par with Garuḍa even without knowing that “He is [like] this, He is endowed with such-and-such qualities, He is thus-and-so”! 65 You bestow upon those who have resorted to You form and qualities such as glory that are equal to Your own. Some therefore say that liberation is identity with You. [But] in the highest considered opinion of the learned liberation is only servitude to You! Be that as it may! 66 Oh, what [a wonder that You take on ] the nature and qualities
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuntha in whatever kinds and amounts they might be of whomsoever resorts to You. With Your conduct dependent on [Your devotee and becoming] similar in qualities with him, You embrace him! 67 O God! For a hundred autumns may we see You like this – resembling a mountain of black collyrium having a prominent and attractive nose long eyes, long-stretching ears victorious arms [reaching down] to the knees a chest [decorated] with the śrīvatsa mark and a navel broad and deep. 68 We praise this golden-cloth clad body which has lotus-eyes and lotus-feet delightful finger-tips lovely like red lotuses hair curls resembling (swarms of] bees and a body-complexion [the colour] of black bees. 69 When will You favour me with the amorous play of Your eyebrows Your tender, cooling glance and gentle smile Your speech [filled] with sweet syllables and Your lotus-face blossoming forth with fervent love? 70 When will Your pair of lotus-feet with the marks of the thunderbolt, goad,
3940 Śrīvaikuntha Stava banner, lotus, conch, discus, female fish, pot of nectar and desire-yielding tree anoint my head once again with light spreading forth? 71 When will Your locus-foot which in the strides of Trivikrama traversed the three worlds, which is is a head ornament for those having unsurpassed devotion and eternal wealth to me, agree to [take its place upon] my head for a long time? 72 Ah! When will You fulfill my desires by placing on my head the fine and tender young leaf of Your hand which resembles a veined lotus and is similar to a lotus with fully-bloomed petals so delightful to the senses? 73 Ah! The natural beauty of Your body alone is ever enough! Even then there is more [to be enjoyed]! [Your natural beauty] enhanced by [the loveliness of] Your ornaments becomes too much [to bear]! Your abundant splendour in its entirety! Oh! [How can I speak about that ?]
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuntha 74 With unblinking eyes let me see You shining with the śrīvatsa [mark], kaustubha jewel, crown and forehead mark, with an armlet, a garland, and a bracelet of gold, with an extraordinary necklace, jewelled anklets, and with the knot of Your garment [tied around Your waist]! 75 Your lovely complexion is like a blue lotus in some parts and like a white lotus in others, [silver] like the moonlight in some places and golden [like the sun] in others. Bearing the beauty mutually, [each part is enhanced] by the other. When can my eyes feast on You? 76 With my hands folded in supplication to You and with wide-open eyelids may I enjoy You Who with conch and discus mace, sword, and bow [in Your hands] reside along with the divine Śrī on the enjoyable Serpent Couch, waited upon by Garuda, Vişvaksena, and Your other attendants.
41 42 Śrīvaikuntha Stava 77 May I be united with Your attendants my celestial masters, the eternally free [souls] who forever delight in Your service, for whom You are the sole object of enjoyment, and whose hearts are forever melted with the sentiments [of love] fresh each moment, each one ever regarding the other as superior! 78 Whatever is resplendent here [in this world] they call by the term " śrī” [yet] beauty and splendour are only an infinitesimal part of [Your consort Śrī’s] greatness. [Learned people] indeed declare that she whom they call by the name of Śri and whose dwelling-place they declare You to be is [herself] the attainment of those engaged in [spiritual] striving. 79 She whom You obtained through Your exertion in the churning of the ocean and because of whose disappearance [as Sita] You set out to destroy the world delights You always with deep feelings which have a continuous flow of the extraordinary sentiment [of love] each and every moment! 80 May I, who approached You with a feeling of exaltation [at being in Your presence]
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuntha 43 serve You and Śri, the Sovereign [of the universe] who forever resembles You with the splendour of her beauty with her multitude of qualities with her majesty and glory with her noble and sweet sentiments and with her attractive actions. 81 Let these nights end for me who am interested [solely] in serving You, my Father [Viṣṇu], along with my Mother [Kṣamā] who is the sustainer of the universe consisting of moving and non-moving things, the supporter of the world, and forbearance (kṣamā) itself by her supreme forgiveness. 82 May that exceedingly noble Nila accept me, who with the sweetness of her feelings with her various graceful movements with the amorous play of her eyebrows and her smile and sidelong glances is one with You and You are one with her! 83 Having moment by moment delighted the goddesses with deep feelings mixed with [love’s] extraordinary, wonderful and ever fresh sentiments,
44 Śrīvaikuntha Stava You properly honour Your servants accompanied by their appropriate retinue. May I be near to You, O Lord! Alas! Alas! 84 I am doomed, I am wicked! Fie upon me! What have I said, falling into delusion? Oh! How can a sinner like me deserve even so much as to remember You Who are the abode of auspicious qualities untouched by defects? 85 Even after having forcibly conquered sin purified the mind shaken off all inauspiciousness persisting from birth and imbibed multitudes of true auspicious qualities, still I am unworthy of Your feet because [in spite of all this] I have been submerged in this [sinfulness] for a [too] long time! 86 But on the other hand, what do I know [about Your mercy]! You accept what is inauspicious [in Your devotees] as if there is nothing preferable, [solely] because of their association with You.
Poem in Praise of Śrivaikuntha If You accept an individual thus, then there is none worthier than he! 87 Because we did not become the target of Your glances we have fallen into the whirlpool of saṁsāra ! How can those such as we – who have incessantly committed thousands of sins in [a multitude of] births - be worthy of Your compassion?
88 I have not at all accumulated [merit based on] good deeds, nor have I flawless knowledge; moveover, I am bereft of devotion to Your revered lotus-feet! O Lord! I am an [empty] vessel fit [to be filled with] Your compassion! 89 What is the use of all this prattling? Hundreds of thousands of times I have committed thoroughly every single [deed] that can be called a sin whether great or small intentionally or unintentionally! By Your compassion, please forgive me [for] I have no recourse other [than You]!
45 46 Śrīvaikuntha Stava Alas! O God! 90 Even though I have been accepted by Rāmānuja the Noble – who is a master in the love of Your feet – delusion regarding sensual attachments overpowers me again [and again]! Where else here [in this transitory existence] can you find so powerful a karma as mine? 91 Having pondered over the thousands of births of all creatures great or small, and with a body tormented at being excessively pressed in the womb [of birth after birth], I wander about here [in samsara] without any cure and struck down! And furthermore, 92 having experienced over and over again indescribable sorrows [arising] at the times of [my many] births, and knowing nothing over and above grief, I am foolish because of childishness! [And yet] I [continue to] commit further deeds which result in misery [for me] in the next world! 93 Having experienced yet another sorrow under the delusion that it is joy, and approaching once again
Poem in Praise of Śrivaikuntha great and manifold miseries, 47 I honour even the slightest, most insignificant and despicable sorrow-mixed pleasure as happiness even though its consequence is grief. 94 Led on wrong paths by horses in the form of sense organs which tempt me, I am being churned by repugnant and unobtainable desires! My mind mad with the pride of learning, wealth, and birth in a good family, [and filled] with desire, and anger, I am unable to advance toward Final Emancipation! Alas! 95 My thirst for desired but difficult-to-obtain objects grows a thousand-fold! [But whether] I am able to get what I long for or whether obstacles prevent it, the ever increasing craving still does not subside! 96 I have neither faith nor devotion, neither the strength nor the desire to recite [Your names] sing Your praises honour You or meditate upon You.
48 Śrivaikuntha Stava I have a mind unrepentant for duties left undone. But woe is me! What abundant assistance there is on the opposite side! 97 My unbounded and incorrigible wickedness is well-known by this indeed, O Lord; I am unworthy of even a [single] breeze wafting out from the nectar-waves of [the ocean of Your] great and limitless compassion! O Master! 98 Beginning with lordliness and valour, compassion, dignity, forgiveness, and especially unconditional kindheartedness, all Your auspicious qualities have attained their object after reaching me [a man] full of limitless, terrible sins, doomed and with no resort other [than You]! 99 Although it is [a sign of] Your greatness that You protect all these various individuals who are qualified in the ways of taking shelter at Your feet, as well as those who have endeavoured to perform all the [appropriate] injunctions, it would be insufficient [on Your part] if You did not protect me, [for] unlike these others I have no resort other [than You]!
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuntha 100 Without You people can obtain neither the qualification to perform their [ritual] duties nor the will to perform them exhaustively. Thus [in Your eyes] there is no difference between them and me [for we are all dependent on You]! 49 1 5 101 If it is a binding rule, O Bestower of Boons, that you protect those who follow all [the Sastraic] injunctions and not the others, then You alone [should] grant me the power, qualification, will, removal of obstacles, and all else (that I need]! NOTES This stanza has become the official guru-parampară (lineage of Acāryas) verse in praise of Rāmānuja. As such, it is re- cited by all Śrīvaiṣṇavas, whether Tenkalais (Southern School) or Vatakalais (Northern School). References to the Lord’s and Śri’s “sidelong glance” (ikṣaṇa or katākṣa) abound in Śrīvaiṣṇava praise-poems. Regarded in both Sanskritic and Tamilian culture as the “look of love”, God’s sidelong glance – a glance from the corner of His eye – connotes the passionate nature of His relationship with His devotees (as their Beloved), as well as the power of His glance. A straightforward glance or direct gaze would overwhelm the devotee. 50 68 9 11 13 14 Śrīvaikuntha Stava This verse mentions several mahā-puruṣa-lakṣaṇas, or signs of a great man: long arms reaching to the knees, long ears, a broad chest, and so forth. Vişņu is frequently referred to as “the bearer of Lakṣmi” (Lakṣmidhara), synonymous with His better-known name Śridhara. Theologically, this name is particularly significant for Śrīvaiṣṇavas: “Just as the gem bears its lustre, and the flower its fragrance… Viṣṇu bears Laksmi by an inherent [eternal] relationship” (see Bhaṭṭar, BhGD, No. 617). “clan” (gotra), “class” (varṇa). “the water [of a sacred river]” (tirtham). The word “river” is implied in the verse due to the fact that other forms of water (such as water in a pot) would, indeed, become impure if licked by a dog. “Of the demon-destroyer god” (devasya daitya-mathanasya) refers to Vişņu, Who is well-known as Madhujit and Madhusudhana. For an extended etymological explanation of these epithets referring to Vişnu’s role as the destroyer of demons, see Bhattar, BhGD, No. 210. Visiṣṭādvaita philosophy recognizes three means to valid knowledge: perception, inference, and verbal (primarily scriptural) testimony. Because Vişņu’s Supreme Heaven transcends perception by the senses, the Vedas alone (referred to here as trayi or Triad) can give us knowledge of it. PSV notes the following concerning “the meaning of words”: Nyaya teaches that a sentence carries meaning over and above the meanings of its individual words. The signif- icance in the context of this verse is that some people accept Śruti in principle, and discern the meaning of its individual words, but interpret its overall meaning wrongly; that is, they accept Śruti but not its overall meaning that Visņu is the Supreme God. “Limitless terrible darkness” (aparaṁ ghoram tamas) is a poetic expression for hell (naraka), “a place of torment for the wicked where souls go before being reborn” (M-W, 520).
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuntha 15 16 In this verse and v. 16, Kūresa clearly follows his Ācārya Rāmānuja’s teaching on the relationship between devotion and knowledge. See Rāmānuja, VS, para. 144. This verse is a continuation of v. 15. 51 In this stanza, Kūresa enunciates the view of his Acārya Rāmānuja called satkhyātivāda, or the theory of reality- apprehension. Rāmānuja reduces all the other five theories of perception (including akhyāti or non-apprehension, atmakhyāti, or self-perception, anirvacaniya-khāyti, or indefinable perception, anyathakhayti, or misperception, and asatkhyāti or non-being’s perception) to two: an object which is manifest to consciousness through perception either corresponds completely to the thing as it is in reality (yathartha) or it does not. Rāmānuja’s ŚrīBh deals with a number of exceptions which apparently contradict this realistic theory of perception, one being the yellow ap- pearance of white things to the jaundiced eye: “But in the (perception of the) yellow conch and other such things (by the jaundiced eye), the ocular rays combined with the bilious substance existing in the eye, are brought into association with the conch and other such things. The whiteness be- longing to the conch is not apprehended, because it is over- powered by the yellow colour belonging to the bile. Hence, as in the case of the conch-shell covered with gold, there is a perception that the conch is yellow. The bilious substance, and the yellow colour belonging to it, are very subtle and are not therefore apprehended by the bystanders. But, by him who is (thus) afflicted with biliousness, they are, though subtle, apprehended well, because they have proceeded from his own eyes….” (ŚrīBh I.1.1.1, p.167). This and all other excerpts from ŚriBh are based on the translation by M. Rangacharya and M.B. Varadaraja Iyengar, unless otherwise indicated. In this verse, Küreśa, following Rāmānuja, links “the ap- prehension or knowledge of the thing as it is” (yathārtha- bodha) with devotion to the lotus-feet of the Lord (anghri- sarasi-ruha-bhakti). Devotion, which is likened to a bile- killing ointment, is the remedy for faulty apprehension.
52 Śrīvaikuntha Stava 17 18 19 Vs. 17-20 have as their object the praise of Viṣṇu’s supreme lordship over all of creation. “Lord” (Isa) is popularly regarded as an epithet of Śiva. According to Kūresa’s verse, people who accept this under- standing then go to the Vedas, and finding the name Isa there, claim that the Vedas conclude that Śiva is the Sup- reme Lord. The Vedas are thereby used to legitimize what is mere popular opinion. But in the case of Vişņu, the Triad is direct (sammukīnā, lit. “face-to-face”). 2020 “Smaller than an atom” (anoraṇu-tarah) and “greater than the great” (mahataḥ mahiyan) is taken from KUp 1.2.20: “this person, kept in the cave [of the heart], is even smaller than an atom (aṇoraṇīyān), and the great among the great” (mahatomahiyān). 24 This same Upanisadic passage was adapted by Tirumali- cai Alvar in Tiruccantaviruttam, v. 109: “There is none to make You small, but You became smaller, none to make You big, but You become bigger…O God of gods! The sages praise You thus, and I praise you also” (translation by K.K.A. Venkatachari). “Expressable by the syllable ‘A’ which is the root of the sacred syllable AUM”. Kūresa’s interpretation is based on Rāmānuja, who “argues the supremacy of Nārāyaṇa on the basis of His being denoted by the letter ‘A’, which is the root of the sacred syllable Aum” (Carman 1981:165). The issue in vs. 20-24 is Visņu’s supreme lordship over all other gods. “Thousand-headed man” (puruṣaḥ…sahasra-mūrdhā) is based on PuSu (sahasra-sirṣa). See Bhattar, BhGD, No. 226. “Lord of past, present and future” (bhūta-bhavya-bhavad- išam) is based on KUp II.1.5: “Lord of past and future” (iśānam bhūta-bhavyasya). See also Bhattar, BhGD, No. 291. “Queen” (mahişi) is a term used for the Chief Queen, that is, the first or consecrated wife of a king. Kūresa follows Ramanuja’s interpretation in this stanza. “Bliss (ananda) multiplied beyond [the range of] speech and mind” is based on TaittUp 1.9.1. Ramanuja argues that this
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuṇṭha 25 26 27 53 Upanisadic passage “proceeds to give a definite measure- ment of the excellence of the Bliss of the Brahman in that order in which each succeeding bliss is a hundred fold of the bliss (immediately preceding it); and then speech and mind return from Him (without attaining Him) on account of that (Bliss) being incapable of (such) definite measurement”. According to Rāmānuja, “ānandamaya (or That which con- sists of Bliss) is different from the individual self, who is capable of existing in both the states of bondage and final release” (ŚriBh I.1.7.17). “Inner Soul” (antarātma) is a reference to God as antar- yāmin, “Indweller” or the “Soul of the soul”; “Person in the Sun” (puruṣaḥ pauṣṇaḥ, lit. solar person). Both refer- ences are from TaittUp 1.8.5: “He Who is in [the heart of] a human being (puruşe) and He Who is in the Sun (āditye) are one and the same”. The pattern for the use of proof texts in this verse is based on Rāmānuja, who quotes a number of Upanisadic passages referring to Brahman, and then states: “By means of these and other similar passages, it is made out that Nārāyaṇa Himself, the Lord of all the lords, is the supreme cause. The words ‘Sat’ (existence), ‘Brahman’, ‘Atman’, which are all found mentioned in similar contexts, are particularized by the word ‘Nārāyaṇa’ occurring in a context similar (to the other above-stated contexts), and they reveal Him alone” (ŚrīBh II.1.6.15). SuUp is an important proof text for Rāmānuja. The pas- sages which he quotes from the text often are those which name Nārāyaṇa. (See, for example, ŚriBh I.1.1.1 and II.1.3.9, and BhGBh XII.2). “The Supreme Light” (jyotiḥ param), “the Highest Truth” (parama-tattvam), “the Supreme Soul” (parātmā) and “Brah- man” are all called “Nārāyaṇa” in MaNārUp. Vişnoḥ padam paramam may denote either the Supreme Brahman Himself or His Supreme Abode of Vaikuntha ac- cording to Rāmānuja. In this verse, Kūresa states that the supreme lordship of Viṣṇu, proclaimed in the Upanisads, is evident in His incar- nations as well.
54 28 29 Śrīvaikuntha Stava The words “traversing the worlds” refer to the three steps taken by Vişnu’s incarnation as Vamana the dwarf. The act of Visnu’s swallowing the worlds and spitting them out again is referred to by the Alvārs a total of 135 times. It occurs in the poems of all the Alvārs except Tonṭaratipoti’s, and is one of the most frequently referred to episodes in DP (Ate 1978:380-81). PSV glosses “other undisputed marks” of Viṣṇu with such phrases as: the quality of being the husband of Lakṣmi (lakṣmi-patitva), the quality of reclining on [Ādi]śeṣa (seṣa- sayitva), and the quality of having Garuda as vehicle (vainateya-vāhanatva). This verse is connected with the immediately preceding ones in that śrī-patitva, or the quality of being the husband of Śri, is important for establishing the supremacy of the Lord. While Śrī obtains her high status as a result of her having taken refuge with Visņu, the position of this stanza in the group declaring the Lord’s supremacy (vs. 17-29) implies the reverse as well. According to Śrīvaisnava theology, Śrī is one of the marks of the Lord’s supremacy. For a history of the concept of śri-patitva, see Nayar 1992:229-32. Kūresa says that the Goddess is named Śri “because she has taken refuge with [Vişnu]”. According to this interpre- tation, the name Śri is derived from the Atmanepada or passive form of the verbal root śri meaning “to lean on, rest on…cling to, be supported or fixed or depend on…to go to, approach, resort or have recourse to (for help or refuge)…. (M-W, 1098). The name Śrī may also be derived from the verbal root śrī meaning “to diffuse light, beauty, grace, loveliness, welfare, good fortune…auspiciousness…wealth, treasure, etc.” (M-W, 1098). “People of eloquent speech” are Valmiki, Tirumarkai Alvar, and Yamuna. See “śrī of Śri” in the Glossary. For other examples of word-play on the name Śri, see SS, v. 7, SBS, v. 9 and 69, SRRS I, v. 66, and SGRK, vs. 12 and 29. For a complete discussion of the five etymological deriva- tions of the epithet Śrī as found in Pañcaratra, see Vedanta Desika, ŚrīRTS, pp.427-36.
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuṇṭha 30 31 33 34 35 55 “skeptics” (kautskutāḥ), lit. “those who ask why? how?”. PSV glosses the word with kutaḥ kutaḥ iti vadantāḥ. This verse and the following one (v. 32) are concerned with the philosophical statement implying the identity of the world and Brahman. V. 31 sets out the understanding of several philosophical schools, and v. 32 refutes that interpretation by stating why certain of the Upanisads appear to speak of Brahman as jagat or “world”. Rāmānuja states that “It is the Brahman Himself, having all the intelligent and non-intelligent things for His body, Who is denoted by the word jagat” in ŚrīBh II.1.6.25. The imagery found throughout these praise-poems which describes the world as being manifested on account of the glance of the Lord appears to be a poetic rendering of Rām- anuja’s understanding of the complete dependency of the world on God. Name and form in Advaita Vedanta are restricted to the ul- timately unreal realm of empirical existence, and are caused by (that is, are dependent on) māyā. According to Ram- ānuja, however, name and form are dependent on the Lord and, in fact, “are not limited to objects in the phenomenal world but are part of the distinctive nature of all entities, in- cluding the Supreme Entity, God Himself” (Carman 1981: 158). Note Kūresa’s sarcastic humor: the Advaitic belief that nāma-rūpa is dependent on māyā alone is ITSELF a delu- sion. Kūresa says that the Advaitins themselves are deluded concerning the truth that nama-rupa is dependent on the Lord! Kūresa explains the secondary meaning (aupacārika) of the words “lordliness” (aiśvaryam) and “supreme lordship” (parama-iśitṛtvam) in this verse. Those who are in some way associated with the Lord share in His quality of lordli- ness. According to Kūresa and Ramanuja, souls are eternal entities and are dependent on the Lord, whereas the Nyāyikas say that only the five elements (pañca-mahā- bhūta) are eternal, and God creates all else.
56 36 37 40 42 43 44 45 51 55 555 58 62 Śrīvaikuntha Stava According to Rāmānuja’s philosophy, an entity can be both eternal AND dependent on the Lord. Kūresa attempts to reconcile this apparent contradiction by an analogy: the Lord’s auspicious qualities are both eternal and dependent. “The [three-fold] Cause of the universe” is a reference to the Lord as the material, instrumental, and co-operant cause of the universe, according to the philosophy of Rāmānuja. This verse introduces the topic of Vaikuntha. Verses 41-45, meant to be read together, describe the Supreme Heaven. “the resplendent [state of] union with the Lord” (sayujyam ujjvalam). Śrīvaiṣṇavas recognize several degrees of liberation. Only sayujya is the fullest possible union with the Lord. Kūresa has attempted to describe Vaikuntha in several of the previous verses, but here he retreats from being able to ade- quately describe it. The ritual actions referred to in this verse are those per- formed for desired fruits such as wealth or heaven. Śrī- vaiṣṇavas regard these kamya rituals as inferior because of the temporary nature of their fruits. Five categories of souls are mentioned here: (1) “the pure”, or the eternally-free souls (nityas); (2) “those who have transcended changes like birth and old age”, or the liberated souls (muktas); (3) “those who possess the wealth of great devotion”, or the Lord’s devotees on earth (bhaktas); (4) “those who are not attached to worldly existence”, or those desirous of liberation (mumukṣus); and (5) “other less fortunate persons”, which refers to all others. “Those which are one hundred (times bliss]…” (te ye satam) is a quotation from TaittUp 2.8: te ye satam…te ye satam. See also SBS, v. 32. “law of karma” (svabhāva-niyamam, lit. “the law of na- ture”). “[Means for the] expiation of that sin” (duşkṛtasya nişkṛt- im) refers to the ritual of repentance and confession (prayaścitta) prescribed by the Sastras and the Pañcarātra Agamas. This verse is less a statement on the qualities of the Lord ac- cording to the understanding of the philosophers than an
Poem in Praise of Śrīvaikuṇṭha 66 67 74 78 80 84 87 88 57 expression of intimacy which, in the compositions of Kür- eśa, often takes the form of teasing and bantering. The topic of this verse is God’s incarnations. Compare with Rāmānuja, BhGBh 4:11, and see especially the explication of this passage in Young 1989. “For a hundred autumns”, a Vedic phrase indicating a very long time, is frequently found in these praise-poems. The Indian autumn, the pleasantest of seasons, noted for its clean, clear air, is identified with clear-sightedness. The description of the Lord in this verse contains several “signs of a great person” (maha-puruṣa-lakṣaṇa). “with unblinking eyes” (animeşam, lit. “unblinkingly/un- winkingly”). The idea expressed by this word is that the loveliness of the Lord is so attractive that not a moment should be lost in the visual enjoyment of His beauty. Similar listings of the Lord’s ornaments are found in the writings of both Yamuna and Rāmānuja. Compare with SR, v. 36, BhGBh 4.34, and VaiGad, para. 5. Verses 78-80 are to be read together. For word-play on the name “Śri”, see n. 29. The ordering of the three consorts Śrī, Bhūmi (Kṣamā), and Nilā – as it appears in vs. 80-82 – shows that at least by the time of Kūresa, Kṛṣṇa’s cowherdess wife Nappinnai had been integrated into Sanskrit literature as Nīlā. See, for example, Poykai Ālvar, MTA, v. 42 in which the same ordering occurs “Śri and Bhū and the cowherdess girl” (tirumakalum maṇmakaļum āymakaļum). “The abode (or seat) of auspicious qualities untouched by all defects” (mangala-guṇa-aspadam asta-heyam) is clearly Kūresa’s adaptation of one of Rāmānuja’s famous and frequently used phrases. Compare with BhGBh 4.34: “O sole seat of auspicious qualities untouched by all defects” (nikhila-heya-pratyanika-kalyāṇa-ekātane). Similar phrases occur throughout Kūresa’s stotras. It is a commonly held Hindu belief that if at the time of birth the Lord’s glance falls on a person, (s)he will have the desire for liberation. It is not clear in the Sanskrit text whether the last line of this stanza is an exclamation or a question.
58 91 94 Śrīvaikuntha Stava Vs. 91-95 describe the unbearableness of worldly miseries. Kūresa’s description of life in the womb is based on the Purāņas. Contrary to Freudian thought, which views the womb as a place of contentment to which one might wish to return, the Purāņas describe it as a place of great suffering. See, for example, VP VI.5.11-16: “The tender embryo, surrounded by great filth, floating in water, distorted in its back, neck, and limbs, endures severe pain in the course of its development….unable to extend or contract its limbs….” “By/with horses in the form of sense organs” (indriya- hayaiḥ) is imagery based on KUp 3.3-6, esp. 4: “the senses, they say, are horses” (indriyāni hayānāhuḥ).
Atimānuṣa Stava I choose [as my subject of praise] the occasional incarnations of Viṣṇu Who has far surpassed all comparison with all ordinary people by His superhuman character, conduct, and activities, and by His power, and valour exceeding [even] the gods! 2 May the light rays resembling a stream of honey-nectar flowing out from the lotus-feet of the One Who dwells in auspiciousness-granting Rangam, born of those [feet] known from Śruti to be “a fountain of honey”, bestow [on us] the auspiciousness of [Vişņu’s] Supreme Abode. 3 We bow down before the King at Srirangam’s lotus-like feet which even today have a red colour acquired from their unceasing immersion in the sentiment of passionate love arising out of their stay in the mind of 60 the most excellent of sages the illustrious Parankusa! Atimănușa Stava 4 We take refuge in the feet of the One Who delights in Śrī Whose shining crown freely spreads [its rays] clear down to His lotus-like feet the soles of which are pervaded by the decorative marks of discus, banner, goad, pitcher of nectar, parasol and lotus. 5 We celebrate the King at Srirangam’s two feet one of which in the act of taking three strides [to measure] the entire earth, traversed it [in a single step]. Although mountainous, the earth [seemed to His foot] like land where high and low had disappeared with the mountains sticking to it like grains of sand strewn about! 6 You took the six [qualities] in their fullness knowledge, abundant untiring strength, lordliness, immutability, power, and splendour which come [to be divided] into three pairs, and becoming four-fold have graced Your devotees
because of Your passionate love [for them].
Poem in Praise of the Superhuman [Activities of God] 61 O God! 7 Because Your eternal nature is the ground of absolutely auspicious qualities untouched by the despicable it is said to possess an infinite variety of forms. For this reason alone [the Vedas] have described You as nameless and formless. 8 You transcend the senses – You Whose omnipresence is wholly different from [the presence of] objects here [in this world] which fall within the range of the senses beginning with sound. Alas! Because of this You are completely invisible, and are, therefore, beyond the range of speech and mind! 9 Under circumstances such as these, had You not descended into the wombs of divine beings, humans, and others because of Your own desire to play [in this world] then we would have had no way of knowing the valid means of resorting to You.
62 Atimānuṣa Stava 10 O Sole Ocean of compassion! Ah! How [are we to comprehend] this accessibility of Yours?! Having incarnated here in the middle of the Cosmic Egg the lowly dwelling place of ordinary people You, the Wholly Contented One, have become perceptible to the eyes of very insignificant people! 11 You bow down and seek a boon from the very one You saved from an enormous sin whose head was purified by the water [flowing] from Your foot. Oh! Your act of sport is strange indeed! 12 [When You assumed] the body of a Man-Lion, Śiva – as Sarabha – became a moth (salabha) [burnt] in a part of Your splendorous flame! Which creature, indeed, is not confused by Your māyā an equipment [used by You] in Your action of sport? 13 You were vanquished at the sacrifice of Daksa by the one whose identity You assumed during the destruction of Tripura
Poem in Praise of the Superhuman [Activities of God] 63 who was victorious because his arrow was sharpened by Your power. [Such] unrestrained conduct is appropriate only toward those who are at Your command! 14 Sleeping on a banyan leaf as an innocent baby You held the worlds in Your very subtle body without contracting them. Incarnated here [on earth], why do you guilelessly reveal Your unfathomable lordly power? 15 You are placed in between Brahmā and Śiva and have a similar position in the line of solar divinities where on account of being Aditi’s son You became Indra’s younger brother. You also took birth in the Ikṣvāku family and in the lineage of Yadu. What a wonder and how praiseworthy for the incomparable Supreme Splendour! 16 Was it impossible for You to obtain the three worlds which You Yourself created and which remain in Your stomach [during the time of the cosmic dissolution] without begging?
64 Atimānuṣa Stava [But then] if You had not traversed the world and measured it with Your strides, how would Śruti [have come to] be revered? 17 I [want to] ask You about that indescribable [event] when as [Rāma] the Raghava You were enticed by the deceptive deer because of Your simplicity in being human. How did You Who were powerless during Your separation from Sītā – not [even] knowing where she had gone grant the Highest Goal [of liberation] to a bird? 18 Oh! When You are powerful enough to put onto the path of liberation [even] the lower being Jatayu who was killed by a Brahmin and had not traversed the path of yoga then why were You unable to rescue Your Queen [Sitā] and why did You grieve while searching [for her]? 19 You rendered leafless seven sala trees along with the mountains and the nether worlds by the slow momentum of a single arrow.
Poem in Praise of the Superhuman [Activities of God] 65 Why then did You seek as a helpmate the monkey [Sugrīva] who was put to rout by the monkey [Vāli] and was confused and distressed at destroying even one of them? 20 Quickly consoling the best of monkeys [Sugriva] Your servant and friend whose mind was bewildered by his love for You and who, because of his anger, wanted to kill his enemy, the monkey Vāli, You pierced the sala trees and the mountains. Or again! 21 When You killed [Vāli] not face to face like an enemy but hiding like a hunter in chase of a wild beast, [how can You say] that [doing so] was right for You a descendant of the Raghu family when even considering an animal as an enemy is wholly unacceptable! 22 When You first began to behave like a human You then undertook an exploit surpassing [even those of] the gods, in that…! What in the world have we here, O Lord? You built a bridge across the ocean with rocks brought and thrown by monkeys!
66 Atimanusa Stava O Unborn One! 23 Conqueror of the great god King Varuṇa with a valour in which humanness itself was an ornament, and praised by the gods headed by Brahma and Śiva who presented Dasaratha [as mediator], You were defeated by Indrajit! 24 When You had not yet crossed the ocean or conquered the demon chief [Rāvaṇa] and did not even know his strengths and weaknesses, how is it that You quickly and unhesitatingly anointed his younger brother Vibhīṣaṇa to his position (as King of Lanka]? 25 Making the demons on the great island in the far-off northern ocean a feast for Your single arrow, why did you not reduce Lanka to ashes standing [right there] on the shore of the southern ocean? Tell [me] this! 26 How is it that the ocean churned by You – [an act] well-known in the three worlds - gave up its true nature and became transformed into a horse, celestial nymphs, poison, nectar, the moon, the tree of paradise, and Lakṣmi?
Poem in Praise of the Superhuman [Activities of God] 67 27 O Hero of the Raghus! You saw the sinful enemy [Rāvaṇa] who fainted in battle and released him so that he could take rest. Bravo! [Tell me]… which of Your qualities [was revealed] then? To which group [of qualities] does it belong? How great is it? The object of whose praise and to be understood by whom? 28 Your younger brother Lakṣmaṇa who fainted because of the enemy’s missile and became too heavy for the enemy [to lift] became light for Hanuman! Because of this [episode] Your swoon caused by Your being tied down by the enemy Indra’s magical weapon has become well-understood! 29 Woe is me! Alas! Alas! Since I was not present during the time [of Your Rāma incarnation] when [liberation] was easily obtained with the causes of darkness uprooted completely even for grass and trees, when oh when will I look upon Your pair of lotus-like feet?
68 Atimanuṣa Stava 30 Desirous of favouring the Raghu family, You incarnated here [on earth] and showered down streams of divine qualities. Trees enjoying the coolness arising from Your proximity became faded in separation from You. 31 Passing beyond bondage, grass and other such things – not at all qualified to practice dharma, to repeat [the names of God], or [to practice] the yoga of knowledge – were made to attain the Highest Place because of the fragrance of their connection with the surface of that earth traversed by You! 32 Truly You are possessed of such auspicious qualities that Hanuman who experienced them in the day-to-day behaviour of Your Rama incarnation knowingly renounced the highest liberation and even today enjoys Your activities right here [in Srirangam]. 33 With supreme compassion You pardoned the crow [Jatayu]
Poem in Praise of the Superhuman [Activities of God] 69 who was engaged in bowing down [before You] even though he had sinned. For that reason alone I consider it appropriate [for You] to comfort a person like me even though I am a great sinner. 34 Pūtanā, Śakata and the pair of arjuna trees became moths in the flame of Your appropriately childish pranks with [their childlike] intention. Oh! Then how come such a [powerful] one as You feared Kamsa and grew up hidden in Vraja? 35 Oh! Eternally dwelling with Your greatest wealth, the divine Śrī, while the immortals forever look upon Paramapada, and sought after by the practitioners of yoga through their yogic meditations, why did [one such as] You steal fresh butter in Vraja? 36 [The wise ones] call You Who cannot be apprehended by the minds of even good-hearted people “Eternal One”, “Remover of Bondage” and “Highest Lord”. 70 Atimănușa Stava What a wonder it is that we have heard of You also as “He Who was bound with a rope” and You were not even able to loosen it! 37 In the boundless play of the Lord’s childhood, Pūtana, Sakata, and the pair of arjuna trees became moths [burnt] in the flame of Your splendour by means of Your accidental childhood pranks with their [childlike] intention! 38 When there was in Your own home an abundance of milk products why then did You steal from the neighboring houses? While carrying off [the pots] why did You spill what remained in the jars? And why did You [allow Yourself to] become a laughingstock for the cowherdesses? 39 O Lord! If You had a mind to hide the fresh butter that You had stolen then, O Innocent One, why did you go out fearlessly after having wiped Your tender butter-smeared finger on Your body?
Poem in Praise of the Superhuman [Activities of God] 71 40 Not tolerating Your ignominy as the thief of milk products from the other cowherders’ homes the revered Yasoda bound You with her love that had taken the form of a rope! Such an adventure of Yours [revealing the extremity of Your accessibility] noble people cannot bear! 41 If You were tied down with a rope [and made powerless] by Your mother then what a wonder it is that You [Yourself] hold bound the hearts of those who hear of that [event] with tear-filled eyes O Lord, for all [others] reveal their power [only] toward those who are already under their control! 42 [Tell me], O Highest One! Bearing a face beaming with eyes wide as lotus petals reaching to the edge of your beautiful curls with gracefully raised eyebrows a smile flashing forth and a prominent and attractive nose, did you take [only] fresh butter from the cowherders’ homes or [did you steal] the hearts of the cowherdesses [as well] ?
72 Atimănușa Stava 43 What indeed [have we] here-? The cause of pollution in other people now counts for virtue in the virtuous! That is really true! Taking the form of a cowherd boy and tending cows [the wise ones] now consider [to be] the highest quality among [all] the virtues. 44 Wanting to live on the earth hidden as a young cowherd boy You destroyed the [Indra] sacrifice out of the playfulness of childhood. Why [then] did you stand there holding aloft the mountain for the multitude of gods along with Indra [to see Your glory]? 45 O Lord of the worlds! When You the lover of the melodies of the flute were purifying Bṛndāvana by traversing it with Your [dancing] feet, how did the forest creatures in the regions where the sands were sprinkled with Your song seem to You [then]?
Poem in Praise of the Superhuman [Activities of God] 73 46 At the time of the rāsa dance, the music [of Your flute] which caused the stones to melt into water and the five elements
earth, fire, wind, sky, and water – to have their properties changed was heard only by the fortunate! 47 None indeed is more blessed than those serpents in the forest who licked their tongues on the corners [of their mouths] which were flooded with a stream of rasa oozing out from the sound of the flute (played by You] with Your mind ardently longing for the festivity of the rasa [dance]! 48 Blessed [also] are those who abandoning the thought of anyone other than You saw You, dark like a cloud, with eyes as wide as lotus-petals, [hair] adorned with a peacock feather, hand holding onto a flute, and the beauty of Your body enhanced by the attire of a cowherder. 49 Those regions that were fond of the movement of Your feet the most excellent mountain Govardhana the River Yamunā
74 Bṛndāvana and the ancient city of Mathurā are easily accessible even today for virtuous people. Atimănușa Stava 50 When again [shall] we sinful and wretched ones who were not born in Bṛndāvana among the multitudes of moving and non-moving creatures such as insects and dūrvā grass take refuge in Your foot? 51 Alas! Woe is me that I was not born in those sands where the cowherdesses separated from You [because they did not participate] in the rāsa dance resorting to the rows of Your footprints, threw their bodies – inflamed by the god of love – [onto the sands where you once had strolled]! Ah! To this day 52 the trees or creepers which resorted to Your lotus-feet as You gathered flowers [in the forests of Vraja] and their descendants adorn my family deity Bṛndāvana and my mind!
Poem in Praise of the Superhuman [Activities of God] 53 Whatever is beloved by You is meritorious here [in this world] and all else is sin. There can indeed be no other definition of these two [categories]! The narration of Your adulterous activities in the assembly of those gathered for the rāsa [dance] [the wise ones] now proclaim to be very purifying! 75 54 For You Who have conquered the three worlds [true] renown does not arise from the killing of kings as if they were insects – chief among whom was Kamsa. [Rather] it is Your Honour’s deeds such as tending the cows which really melt the hearts of learned people. 55 May He remain in me
the One adorned with the attire of a cowherd boy, Lord of high and low Whose Supreme Abode is beyond darkness, Whose sacred thread is an auspicious cord decorated with peacock feathers, and Whose hair is made grey from dust [raised by the hooves of the cows].
76 56 Atimanuṣa Stava If Your running away out of fear of Jara’s son be an imitation of a human act, then why did you cause Śiva preceptor of the three worlds and Lord of lords to yawn [sleepily] during the battle with Bāṇa? 57 You chose a boon from Śiva with the desire for a son. [If that be so] then why did You perpetrate that ungrateful and malicious action [when] Śiva’s city of Varanasi was carelessly burned down by You with Your mind absorbed in [gambling with] dice?
58 Oh! While reviving the dead son of Uttarāya, bringing back Sandipani’s long dead son, or still again bringing back the sons of a twice-born from Your own [Supreme] Abode, how in the world did You give them back their own bodies? 59 Even today I do not refrain from the three-fold fault. Sinful, I have fallen down into the deepest, boundless darkness.
Poem in Praise of the Superhuman [Activities of God] 77 One such as 1 having no other resort am an [empty] vessel fit for Your compassion. I take refuge in Your feet! 60 Even though I do not have great confidence in You nor even faith in the meaning of [my own] words spoken [in the previous verse], and even though I have uttered these words once only, because of Your compassion alone O Sole Ocean of Mercy please accept them as truthful and as if spoken [by me] repeatedly. 61 Even though I am very sinful, I have taken the name “a seeker of refuge” (śaraṇāgata). Therefore, it is not proper for You O Lord to ignore me. When Your knowledge, creative power, and compassion exist [in boundless measure] my sin does not deserve to prevail here [in this world]!
78 Atimănușa Stava 1 2 3 4 6 7 89 9 11 12 NOTES “Occasional incarnation” (vibhavāvatāra) is the Śrīvaiṣṇava technical term for Vişņu’s incarnations restricted to particu- lar times and places, such as Rāma and Kṛṣṇa. “gods” (amara), lit., “immortals”. The phrase “fountain of honey” (madhunaḥ utsaḥ) is based on VSū: vişnoḥ pade parame madhva-uthsaḥ. Although the central objects of Kūresa’s praise-poem are the occasional incarnations of Visņu, even so he begins the work with four verses (vs. 2-5) extolling the Lord’s iconic incarnation in the Srirangam Temple. In this stanza Kūresa plays on the word rāga, which means both “redness” and “passionate love” (anurāga). The very close relationship between Nammālvār and the Lord depicted in the verse is based on a relationship that is described in Nammāļvār’s own poems. See, for example, TVM 7.9.1, 7.9.7-8, and 10.7.1-4. Poetic references to the shining rays of the Lord’s crown are common in the DP. See, for example, PĀTM 4.1.1. This stanza praises the Lord’s four-fold creative cosmic emanation (vyūhāvatāra). This verse is a very succinct summary of Rāmānuja, ŚrīBh III. 2.5.11-25. Compare with Rāmānuja, ŚrīBh I.2.1.33. Kūresa makes the point in this stanza that Śruti alone cannot lead one to God; rather, He must reveal Himself in His in- carnations. A similar view is expressed in VRS, vs. 6-10. This verse, and the verses referred to above, imply that God Himself is not only the goal (upeya) but the means or way (upaya) to reach the goal of Himself. Vişņu sought the boon of a child from lord Siva. See Hari Vamsa, Vişņu Parva. See also SBS, vs. 95-97 and VRS, v. 68. Kūresa engages in word-play in this stanza. Sarabha is the name of a particular form of Siva and salabha means “moth”. According to the rules of Sanskrit grammar, the sounds “r” and “1” are interchangeable (ralaiyoḥ abhedaḥ).
Poem in Praise of the Superhuman [Activities of God] 79 13 15 17 78 18 21 The concept of māyā found in this verse as the wonderful and baffling creative power of the Lord is similar to Rāmānuja’s. See, for example, ŚrīBh I.1.1.1 where Rām- ānuja refutes the idea that māyā is synonymous with the in- describable or the unreal: “and hence the word māyā de- notes the creation of wonderful things…. The Highest Person is called the Mayin, simply because He is the owner of that [māyā], but not because He is characterised by ignorance….” For the Alvar influence on Ramanuja’s understanding of māyā, see Poykai Alvar, MTA, v. 7 and Nammālvār, TVM, 1.3.10. “Whose identity You assumed” (yasyātmatām..adhāḥ tvam) appears to refer to God as the Inner Controller (antaryamin) or “Soul of the soul” of all beings. “Placed in between Brahma and Śiva” refers to the usual or- dering of the three gods when they are presented as creator, preserver, and destroyer: Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva. The elaborate geneologies of VP contain numerous refer- ences to Visņu’s births in the line of solar deities (I.15.130- 131), in the Ikṣvāku family as Rāma (IV.4.41), and in the Yadu family as Kṛṣṇa (IV.11). “To a bird”, that is, to Jaṭāyu. In this verse, Kūresa employs virodha-alarikāra. This poetic device has as its purpose the pointing out of contradictory acts, followed by a questioning as to how things could have happened thus. Kūresa uses it effectively to express his en- joyment of divine paradox. The answer to Kūresa’s question as to why Rama killed Vali in the way He did, “not face to face like an enemy…but hiding like a hunter in chase of a wild beast” is given in the Rāmāyaṇa itself: (1) The general rule against killing cannot be applied here because monkeys are mere animals, and Rāma was a king, for whom hunting is an appropriate activ- ity; (2) Rama killed the enemy of a good friend; and (3) Rāma had given his word to Sugrīva that he would kill his enemy and thus allow him to gain complete control of the kingdom. If if he had gone to the battlefield, Vāli would certainly have surrendered to him, and he therefore would not have been able to kill him. Had he permitted this to 80 23 26 27 28 31 Alimănuṣa Stava happen, his words would have been rendered untruthful. (From an interview with Prof. K.K.A. Venkatachari, Bombay 1987). The fact that these answers are given in the text itself points to the fact that in this verse Kūresa is merely “teasing” the Lord, and enjoying an intimate rela- tionship with Him, rather than expecting an answer to a se- rious question. “Unborn One/Birthless One” (aja). The epithet appears three times in the VSN. For a variety of Śrīvaiṣṇava ety- mologies, see Bhaṭṭar, BhGD Nos. 96, 206 and 524. Note that all three etymologies emphasize the transcendence and supremacy of the Lord, and hence the epithet adds appropri- ate irony to Kūresa’s paradoxical verse. Kūresa teases the Lord here with the well-known fact that only things which are already contained in a substance can come out from it at its churning; for example, butter comes from milk. It is not the nature of the ocean to produce a horse, celestial nymphs, poison, etc. There is a dispute over the position of this verse in the stotra. In some editions, this verse appears as v. 17, and some editors believe that it is more appropriate to that con- text. Two basic groups of the Lord’s qualities are referred to in this stanza: (1) qualities which are necessary for the Lord to be reached by His devotees, and (2) qualities necessary for the Lord to fulfill the desires of the devotees. The idea expressed by Kūresa in this stanza is that both Lakṣmaṇa’s fainting in battle and Rama’s being tied down were permitted in order that their humanity might be re- vealed. According to the Rāmāyaṇa story, even the grass and trees existing at the time and place of the Lord’s incarnations are said to attain enlightenment through their association with Him. When Rāma left Ayodhya, the entire place was liber- ated. The same idea is expressed in Kulacekara Āļvār, Pmā!TM 10.10, in which it is mentioned that “on that day” (anru), that is, when Rāma left for Vaikuntha, both moving and non-moving things (caracarankalar) went to Vaikuntha along with Him.
Poem in Praise of the Superhuman [Activities of God] 32 34 35 36 38 81 Hanuman is regarded as a ciranjivi or one of seven persons blessed with immortality. The others are: Asuddhāma, Bali, Vyāsa, Vibhīṣaṇa, Kṛpācārya, and Parasurāma (MTL, III, 1426). Even today this verse is recited at the beginning of every Śrīvaiṣṇava reading of the Rāmāyaṇa. The members of the community believe that Hanuman attends every recitation of the Epic, where he listens devoutly, keeping his hand over his head and with tears in his eyes. For this reason, a front- row seat is always reserved for him. Kūresa follows PATM 1.8.7 here by mentioning in a single verse three unconnected VP episodes – Kṛṣṇa’s drinking poison milk from the breast of Pūtanā, His killing of the demon in the form of a wagon (śakaṭāsura), and His uprooting of the arjuna tree when tied to a mortar by his mother Yasoda. See also v. 37. “While the immortals forever look upon Paramapada” (pasyatsu sūrīşu sadā…paramapadam). Note how in this verse Kūresa combines Ālvār themes with phraseology of Upanisadic and Puranic verses important to Rāmānuja. Rāmānuja quotes SuUp 6 in VS, para. 122: “The immortals forever look upon that Supreme Abode of Viṣṇu” (tad viṣṇoḥ paramaṁ padaṁ sadā paṣyanti sūrayāḥ). And he cites VP in para. 133: “The Yogis, who in perfect concentra- tion constantly meditate upon Brahman, possess that Supreme Place which the immortals regard”. Kṛṣṇa’s being bound with a rope is one of Kūresa’s (and Nammālvār’s and Maturakavi’s) favorite stories. (See, for example, KNCT). The significance of the Damodara episode for Śrivaiṣṇavas is the accessibility and vulnerabil- ity of God that it reveals. The marks left by the rope tied by Yasoda indicate that God becomes the slave of His devo- tees. Note how Kūresa combines this Puranic story with epi- thets from the Upanisads. The idea of Kṛṣṇa becoming a “laughingstock” is found also in PĀTM 2.7.1: “You are drinking milk (palai) from the pot and those around you are laughing”. See also Tirumankai Alvār, PTM 2.2.1.
82 40 Atimănușa Stava The later Śrīvaiṣṇava commentators regard the “noble peo- ple” (arya-janaḥ) referred to in this verse as the Alvārs, es- pecially Nammālvār. PSV reflects this tradition in its gloss of the word arya-janaḥ with “Śuka, Parāśara, and so forth, and Lord of the Bhaṭṭas (Periyālvār), Parānkusa (Namm- āļvār), Parakāla (Tirumankai Alvar), and others”. Accord- ing to an ancient tradition, Śrīvaiṣṇavas believe that Namm- ālvār lost consciousness at the thought of the Supreme Lord being tied with a rope, as expressed in TVM 5.10.1. See also 1.3.1: “When he stole the butter that was left on the churning stick, he was tied by a rope. ‘How can that be, how can that be?”” Śrīvaiṣṇava legend holds that Namm- āļvār kept repeating the last line, “How can that be?”, be- cause he was in a religious ecstacy. 42 43 47 48 49 51 This verse includes several “signs of a great man” (mahā- puruṣa-lakṣaṇa ). “Pollution” (malinatva) may also be translated “wickedness, blackness, impurity”. In Sanskrit literature, wild animals becoming calm in the presence of a divine figure is a common motif. Here the transformation takes place not just because of the presence of Kṛṣṇa, but because of the beautiful sound of His flute. A similar imagery is found in PATM 3.6.8-10. The Lord’s body is ENHANCED by the cowherder’s attire, because it accentuates His total accessibility. The longing for the Yamuna River, Mathura, Bṛndāvana and the places associated with Kṛṣṇa is often expressed by Antal. See, for example, NT 12.1-10 and 14.1-10. For the footprints of Kṛṣṇa as a symbol of His absence, see 52 VP 5.13.29-40. “The god of love” (ananga, lit., “bodiless”) is “the name of Kama, the god of love, so-called because he was made bodiless by a flash from the eye of Siva for having at- tempted to disturb his life of austerity by filling him with love for Parvati” (M-W, 24). “my family deity Bṛndavana” (kula-daivatam me bṛndavanam). Ramanuja refers to Lord Narayana as his “family deity” (kula-daivatam) in VaiGad, para. 3.
Poem in Praise of the Superhuman [Activities of God] 83 54 58 59 60 Kṛṣṇa Himself is said to prefer tending cows to the glories of Vaikuntha in Nammālvār, TVM 10.3.10. See PATM 4.8.1-3 which contains three consecutive stanzas on these three unrelated incidents. “the three-fold fault” (tri-vidhāpacara). The three categories of offences or sins (apacāra) are delineated by Rāmānuja in his ŚGad, para. 16. They are: (1) serious offences or sins committed against Me, that is against the Lord (ananta-mad- apacāra); (2) serious offences or sins committed toward My (i.e., the Lord’s) [devotees] (ananta-madiyāpacara ); and (3) serious, unbearable or unforgiveable sins or offences (ananta-sahyapacāra). The “words spoken [in the previous verse]” to which Kūresa refers are the famous formula of ritual surrender “I take refuge with/ in /at Your feet” (tvadiya caranau śaraṇaṁ prapadye).
Sundarabahu Stava 1 I have obtained wisdom from the chief of ascetics Rāmānuja and have taken refuge with the auspicious feet of Hari. With a desire to contemplate those feet, I now fearlessly set out to praise the beautiful broad-armed Lord. 2 We worship the beautiful long-armed [Lord] Who dwells on a mountain covered with a thicket of trees that celebrated pilgrimage place on the Nupura River which [wise ones] know [to be] the bestower of desired boons. 3 The River called Nūpura flows swiftly in one place slow and languid in another, staggers unsteadily in one spot and is foamy with a crashing sound at another.
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] She meanders here and there 85 and in places even plummets [down the mountain] as if intoxicated at having drunk the honey-wine named Susundarabhuja. 4 May we worship the Lord [Who dwells] on a mountain surrounded by a thicket of trees Who has beautiful iron-bar-like arms that obtained ambrosia and the nectar named Indirā from churning the ocean with Mount Mandara as a churning stick Whose mind is prone toward people seeking shelter and Who is a refuge for the souls of shelterless ones like me. 5 I worship Hari my refuge the sound of Whose unfettered conch shatters the seven worlds Who has made His abode on a forest mountain covered with dense lush thickets of abundant trees resembling delusion-causing darkness the cluster of whose lofty peaks is enriched by the moon’s crawling round it like a child. 6 [The peak of] the great forest mountain holds the surface of the spotless moon which has become a mirror
Sundarabahu Stava 86 [clasped] by the celestial damsels seated on its lofty summit whose faces are adorned with the udhvrapuṇḍra mark. [That same mountain] is the abode of the beautiful-armed [Lord]! 7 That great mountain full of forest groves is the home of Sri’s Lord. The monkeys saw the crescent moon which has come to its peaks and thinking then of its role as the crest jewel of Śiva clearly touch it not because it has taken refuge with a god other [than Vişnu]! 8 What a place is Sundarabahu’s Vanādri! where the resolution of a love quarrel occurred when an elephant was following a she-elephant who became frightened at getting a divine command [to stop]. 9 This is the auspicious abode called Forest Mountain belonging to the One Who is a treasure-house of beauty and the bearer of Sri [a place] where snakes are not cut to pieces by peacocks because of [respect
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] for] the greatness of the family of the lord of serpents. 10 & 11 This is the most excellent Forest Mountain of Acyuta, on which in order to be faithful to each other in word [and deed] birds swear an oath at the feet of the lord of birds [Garuḍa] and all serpents [swear] on the lord of serpents [Adiseṣa]. The entire family of monkeys [swears] at the foot of Hanuman so also bears [swear] on Jambavān the chief of their own family. Vultures [swear] on Jaṭāyu, the master of their lineage and elephants swear on the one named Gajendra, the chief of their own lineage. 87 12 When the enamoured celestial choristers endowed with melody, sentiment and basic emotion are engrossed [in singing] the words of Vakuladhara here on the slopes of Sundara’s Forest Mountain even the mill-stone melts!
88 Sundarabahu Stava 27 13 At eventide in Sundarabhuja’s mountainous woods a female bee buzzes to the rhythm of [swaying] swans; and enriching that female cuckoos celebrate [the holy spot] in song; as a result of [the beauty of] all this, a nectar-tear oozes out from the face of an excellent creeper, the rows of deer have become motionless and tranquil, and the rocks and sand banks have become cool! 14 May that Indescribable Entity clad in a golden garment reveal Himself to me! [He] Whose cooling glance grants [many] a boon Who has arms reaching down to His knees and long-stretching, beautiful ears, the bearer of Laksmi Who has vowed to remain [forever] on the glorious, great Forest Mountain. 15 I adore that Splendour celebrated in song in the Upanisads thus: “From Whom [proceeds] birth, the life [cycle], the dissolution, and liberation of the worlds…” That One Who is the sole remedy for all evils is manifest in Vanasaila.
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] 16 I resort to the lotus-eyed Sundara the Lord upon Whom Śri has climbed Who is described in the acme of the Three Vedas with the words “Sat”, “Brahman”, “Ātman”, and so also by the utterance “Nārāyaṇa” – [words] which are brilliant because they produce knowledge of the uniqueness of the [sole] Object [of affection] obtained through their conformity with the drift [of other Upanisadic statements] Who has no peer, no superior, no second the Immortal One visible [here] in the bower of Vanagiri. 17 The One Whom Śruti praises as Lord of the universe from Whom [gods] such as Brahma and Śiva issue forth the Lord of souls Supreme Brahman [Primal] Man Highest Light Highest Truth and Nārāyaṇa is also called the One upon Whom Śri has climbed. That One Who has His abode in Vanagiri is victorious! 18 May Sundarabhuja enter our hearts [He] Who controls the cluster of entities beginning with the soul and ending with the earth,
8990 Sundarabahu Stava and as their Inner Controller has them for His body [although] He cannot be perceived by them, the Lord Who inhabits Vanagiri without at all abandoning His own sovereignty [in Vaikuntha]! 19 We worship the beautiful broad-armed Susundara Whose dwelling place is on Forest Mountain Whom Śruti describes as the birthplace of the “Great One” Who really has no birth even in the inner soul! 20 May I praise Sundarabhuja Who reclining on the coils of the Serpent King is an adept in love for the great Forest Mountain Whom [wise ones] know from the Upanisadic statements as “subtle ether within the cavity of the heart” and “the possessor of eight qualities”. 21 I praise the One named Sundara the long-lotus-eyed [Lord] and the Resident of Vanagiri dependent upon Whom are the entire phenomenal existence and the limitless dependent universe controlled by His own will in its essential nature, sustenance and creation,
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] Who is therefore describable by all words expressive of the non-sentient (acit) body as if it were sentient (cit) and hence Who is ever irreproachable 91 on account of His having annihilated imperfection. 22 The Lord is [popularly] regarded as auspicious because He is the possessor of auspicious qualities [whereas in truth] the contrary is a well-established [fact]. [The Lord’s qualities get their auspiciousness] from having resorted to His essential nature! We take refuge with that Sundarabāhu taintless and in the form of knowledge and boundless bliss! 23 Here on the slope of Forest Mountain I surrender to the One named Sundara the incomparable Hari ever the opposite of all that is tainted Whose eternal state resembles a rippleless ocean brought about by bliss born from the experience of His own boundless glory! 24 I take refuge with Sundarabhuja the One upon Whom Śri has climbed Who delights in the great royal garden
92 Sundarabahu Stava surrounding the mountain possessed of multitudes of trees Whose state is eternally enriched by expansive strength, knowledge, creative power, splendour, immutability, and lordliness which are limitless and are called the group of six qualities. 25 Endowed with the principal qualities of tenderness, impartiality toward all, charm and beauty with gracious condescension, motherly affection toward those who come to Him for refuge, softness, good-heartedness, impartiality, and straightforwardness with firmness, steadfastness, immutability, valour, fulfillment, profundity, and skillfulness, God Sundara remains forever making His abode on the auspicious mountain of forest woods. 26 I have fled for refuge to Sundarabāhu Vanadri’s Lord ever irreproachable on account of His having annihilated sin, Who is enkindled by eternal and divine auspicious qualities possessed of such limitless greatness and countless richness that even a single drop of one quality from among them would make extraordinary its own substratum;
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] [yet those very qualities] are dependent upon [the Supreme] Soul as their substratum of auspiciousness! 93 27 Our treasure Sundara, a storehouse of knowledge because He sees all the worlds simultaneously and eternally by direct perception, shines brightly in the bowers of Lion Mountain! 28 Lordliness, splendour, untiring strength, immutability and creative power – what kinds [of qualities are these] as they abide in Sundarabahu, the Birthless One Who out of even a very slight will [to create] brings about the generation, maintenance, and dissolution of all the worlds? 29 As a result of [a single act of] prostration, Sundara, lover of the slopes of Forest Mountain, instantly forgives people who are weighted down and covered by such limitless, constantly committed sins accumulated here in this beginningless samsara the fruit of a single one of which would not be lessened even by an experience [of suffering] lasting tens of thousands of eons!
94 Sundarabahu Stava 30 Out of His motherly affection, Sundara embraces anyone who seeks shelter in the shade of His feet whatever the status of his birth whatever his nature, whoever he be [and accepts that person] just as he is! 31 My refuge is Sundarabhuja Who abides on Forest Mountain Who would look upon any one worshipping Him as equal to the lord of serpents [even if that person be] exceedingly low by caste or inauspicious actions or as insignificant as a blade of grass due to the absence of good qualities. 32 In [the matter of] Sundarabahu Kṛṣṇa, Śruti [desirous of] settling the kind and amount of bliss in the experience of each and every one of His auspicious qualities [started to describe] them as: “Those which are one hundred fold…” [but ultimately] proclaimed: “This One is not within the range of speech and mind”. 33 May I celebrate Indira’s Lord the beautiful broad-armed bestower of boons the Resident of Vanagiri Who has lotus-feet, lotus-eyes, lotus-hands and [a body black] with the sheen of collyrium!
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] 34 Resembling the lustre that arises from the mixture of essences derived from 95 the churning of liquid gold, emeralds and collyrium, the indescribable complexion of the beautiful broad-armed Lord Who delights in Vanagiri conquers [all who see it]! 35 Why do people call Him Alankara (“Ornament”) ? Is it because He is His own adornment? or because He decorates Forest Mountain embellished everywhere by groves of growing young trees? 36 May Vanagiri’s Lord be my refuge! He Who is named Alankara because of all [His decorations and garlands] extremely fragrant, ever pleasing to the touch and delightful to His delicate-as-a-flower limbs along with the group of divine ornaments and the collection of divine weapons which should themselves adorn but are instead decorated [by Him]. 37 & 38 May I praise the lotus-naveled Sundara the possessor of multitudes of innumerable auspicious qualities Who blissfully sports in the groves of Forest Mountain with a band tied around His crown
96 Sundarabahu Stava a tiara, crest ornament, beautiful curls a garland of forest flowers, earrings and an urdhvapuṇḍra mark with the most excellent of jewels a garland of forest flowers necklaces, bracelets, and a neck ornament with decorations such as a bracelet of basil leaves a waistband, and anklets with sword, lotus, discus bow, mace, and other weapons – His splendour ever spreading [all] around. 39 Ah! Sundara’s beautiful head which has hair similar to swarms of big black bees hovering about [the lotus of His face] like libertines bewildered by the beautiful heavenly fragrance residing there [wears] the King of crowns the royal insignia of His overlordship of the universe. 40 The mat of hair curls belonging to Kesava Hari the Lord on Lion Mountain which has great forests abounding in big black bees from a family resembling that [mat] surpasses the description of beautiful threads fashioned from the essence of pitch-black blinding darkness. 41 Similiar to the radiant flame of the half-moon and bearing a glittering urdhvapundra mark, the untainted forehead of the Lord at Vanadri
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] upon Whom Śrī has climbed brilliantly beams forth. 42 What shines forth [before me]? Sundarabahu’s pair of eyebrows as graceful as a pair of beautiful bows or two rows of bees approaching the thousand-petaled lotuses called His lovely eyes? 97 43 How can a lotus be [regarded as] a standard of comparison for the Lord of Vanadri’s long eyes [when unlike those eyes, the lotus] is not long, does not exude love, flashes forth [only] momentarily, is insincere, and is not a thief of the hearts of those who see it? 44 May the Lord named Alarkāra Who has His abode on Vanagiri look upon us with His eyes which are solely and unswervingly engaged in the activity of the creation, maintenance, and dissolution of the universe. His own beloved consorts were ravished by the billows of His sidelong glances seen diffusing [from eyes] engaged in sending forth handfuls of the essence of the ambrosia of overflowing love!
98 45 Sundarabahu Stava The Lord at Vanasaila Susundarabhuja’s straight, attractive nose shines forth like a sprout on the boon-bestowing tree and resembles a bridge set in the midst of a sea in the form of His enormous eyes overflowing with a flood of love’s ambrosia! 46 With coral-like lips enriched by familiarity with the nectar-stream of His soft smile and replete with extraordinary, delightful, welcoming speech, the Lord at Vanadri Sundarabhuja’s mouth shines forth! 47 The cheeks of Sundara Hari of Vanagiri which has trees abounding in big black bumble bees intoxicated from [sipping] the mango-blossom nectar spread on all sides were ravished at being smelt by Yasoda when she lifted His chin with her fingertips! [Those cheeks] which even today clearly reveal His unceasing joy arising from that [experience] illumine [Vanagiri]! 48 With beautiful long ears that seem to be imitating two boon-bestowing creepers [decorated with] the tall golden flowers
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] of His dangling earrings, Susundarabhuja, the Ornament of Vanasaila, is a fetter for our minds! 99 49 The beautiful-armed young Susundára Whose neck is enriched by earrings which reach down to the ends of His curly hair and touch His well-formed shoulders so pleasing [to the eye] where they meet His neck blossoms forth [in Vanagiri]! 50 On a mountain slope surrounded by groves of trees we worship the beautiful broad-armed Lord Bearer of Mount [Govardhana] Whose broad collar-bone is hidden by His well-developed chest, and Whose neck resembles a glistening conch. Sundara’s arms 51 energized with rapture during the churning [of the ocean] with [Mount] Mandara gladdened [in giving delight] to Indira and adorned by an anointing with sandal and aloes shine forth [here in Vanagiri]! 100 Sundarabahu Stava 52 Distinguished by a decoration that is a scar [made] by His bow-string and ever ready to bestow [upon His devotees] ardently desired boons, Susundarabhuja’s arms imitate with their bounty the branches of the boon-bestowing tree. 53 The Ruler [of the Universe] at Vanagiri’s arms which have all the dark-hued richness of an ocean, the sky, and a grove of tamāla trees are partakers of the enjoyment of [the serpent] Sesa’s coils and like them are generous, strong, and round. 54 The arms of Sundarabahu Hari the Lord at Vanagiri which vied with one another in the sport of uplifting Govardhana [Mountain], worked together in the churning of the ocean, and desired multiplicity in the exhilaration [experienced during] the embrace of His consorts, [now] decorate [Vanagiri]! Of the two- 55 the untainted conch and the discus that have climbed onto the auspicious Lord at Vanadri’s lotus palms - the first rests on His lotus-[palm] like an excellent royal swan, [while] the second has approached
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] [the Lord’s other lotus-palm] like the sun that loves lotuses. 101 56 Enriched by a garland of forest flowers, the Lord at Vanādri Susundara’s broad, flawless chest – the abode of Laksmi adorned by the kaustubha gem which is [itself] the abode of the śrivatsa mark – shines forth! The navel of Hari, 57 upon Whom Lakṣmi has climbed Who dwells on the mountain [covered] with a thicket of trees delighted in by divine damsels with resplendent breasts resembling elephant heads decorates [Vanagiri]! Moreover, [that navel] – the birthplace of the lotus from which Brahma is born resembles a deep pit [created by} a whirlpool stream overflowing with the essence of the ambrosia of loveliness. -0 58 [All] the worlds reside within the stomach of the beautiful Sundarabahu the Lord of the forested mountain which has trees abounding in auspiciousness!
102 [But] come see! Ah! [His waist] has remained thin! Sundarabahu Stava 59 The Lord of Forest Mountain Sundara’s good thighs which pulverized the worms in the form of wicked Madhu and Kaiṭabha, and are beautifully-rounded like a pair of tapering elephant trunks illumine [Vanagiri]! 60 With an auspicious form resembling the raised humps of two young bulls the knees of the All-pervasive One named Sundarabhuja Who churned the ocean with Mount Mandara and is Lord [of the Universe] at Vanagiri with its valleys glittering .with groves of sandal trees shine brightly! 61 Where are my two eyes wandering, having ignored the two legs of Susundara the Lord on Forest Mountain similar to the well-rounded, lovely, good stems of two lotuses placed face downwards in the form of His feet? 62 Sundara’s lotus-feet surpass the lotus-footrest in tenderness.
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] Otherwise, how indeed, could [that footrest] called “the thousand petaled [lotus]” bear them? 103 63 Sundarabhuja’s lotus-feet with their continuous flow of the essence of beauty, tenderness, and sweet perfume defeated the lotus-[seat’s] desire to emulate [them]. Indeed the vanquished [lotus-seat] carries them on its head! 64 These are indeed the auspicious lotus-like feet of the One Who bears the name Sundara from the washing of which arises a tiny portion of the streams of the Ganga. Dhruva carries one stream on his head and Śiva bears another appropriately named “Alakanandika” about which [the Puranic composers] have sung. 65 May I salute Sundarabhuja’s lotus-foot a fragrant flower blossomed from the boon-bestowing creeper that is the Veda a royal swan [residing] in the lotus-hearts of the yogi-kings and the best of fruits, the ripe mango that is the dharma.
104 Sundarabahu Stava 66 When the mind of Susundara Who had taken the form of a dwarf [Vāmana] wanted [to take] three strides, His two [feet] were so impatient that they crossed the three worlds in two steps [only]! 67 Having surpassed in loveliness the splendour of the moon, the line of Sundara’s nails a row of ripples from the nectar-ocean of beauty’s essence called His toes now adorns [Vanagiri]. 68 The moon that had become thin, insignificant and soiled at being “honoured” by [its place on] Śiva’s head, attained fullness, untaintedness, brilliance and multiciplicity [by] taking shelter at [Sundara’s] feet under the pretext of [assuming the form of His] nails. We honour that Sundara Whose resting-place is on the mountain [covered] with a thicket of trees. 69 It is accepted by all people that [the Lord’s consort] whose act of glancing is the moment-by-moment cause of the dominion of lords [such as Brahmā] is [named] Śri because she has resorted to Sundara.
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] So people of noble speech declare You [to be] the śri of Śri. 70 With divine, inscrutable, abundantly marvellous excellent auspicious qualities beginning with youthfulness and beauty and with amorous gestures that are dear pregnant with wonderful emotion, graceful and ever incomparable, Vanadri’s Lord delights Śrī eternally inseparable [from Him] and suitable [for Him] by virtue of her nature, form, and riches, and [His other consorts] such as Nīlā and Bhūmi. 71 With sweet guidance in the looks and expressions of love and with heartfelt affection for the intense observation of each other’s gestures, the Lord at Vanaśaila Who experiences incessant and ever-fresh divine sentiments will delight His own beloved. 72 Respecting his own coil (bhogam) [as meant] for the enjoyment (bhogam) of Sundara the Resident of Vanagiri, the lord of serpents delights in his own names [Bhoga and] Śeşa because his form is that of subservience (seṣata) [to the Lord].
105 106 Sundarabahu Stava 73 The lord of the birds who is composed of the Three Vedas [assumes] forms such as vehicle, seat, canopy, and chowrie [in order to serve Viṣṇu]. This same Sundarabhuja Who delights in [Garuda’s] eternal servitude has become the One Who goes to Vanadri! 74 The good commander of [Viṣṇu’s] armies [becomes so] by eating the left-overs of Susundara the Lord at Vanādri, and as sole controller of all the worlds waits for [Visnu’s] glance [of approval] before performing all his tasks. 75 Paraphernalia such as parasol and chowrie, the [eternal] sages and attendants, and true and eternal qualities beginning with knowledge and power [have approached] the beautiful broad-armed [Lord] and blaze perpetually [in Vanādri]. 76 Those who share the position of courtier, and also the best of door-keepers, the leaders of the [Lord’s] attendants, and my earlier preceptors have [all] resorted to Sundara Who has gone to the mountain forest.
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] 77 Sundara Who abides eternally in His own ever perfect region of enjoyment [served by His] attendants and paraphernalia rejoices on the slopes of Vanagiri visible to the eyes of all. 107 78 The Bearer of Laksmi is just as devoted to the slopes of Lion Mountain as to the pleasure gardens of Vaikuntha abounding in lush and fragrant flower-filled pools and bowers of beautiful vines! 79 Remaining eternally [in Vaikuntha] along with Lakṣmi, Bhū, and Nīlā inside the great jewelled mandapa in the palace of bliss [reclining] on the lord of serpents and fit to be served solely by His own countless, eternal, and divine attendants, Sundarabahu is devoted to Vanādri! 80 Remaining perpetually in the eternal, limitless abode of Vaikuntha which is called the Highest Sky, is composed of the purest sattva, and is the opposite of matter made up of the three gunas, that very Hari Who transcends the best yogis’ speech and mind is [simultaneously here] in Vanādri!
108 Sundarabahu Stava 81 This Primordial Egg containing within itself the fourteen worlds with their seven coverings multiplied by ten as well as hundreds of other such [eggs] have become [mere] playthings for Sundara in his action of sport here [in Vanagiri]! 82 This world differentiated variously beginning with divine beings, humans, and animals the Cosmic Egg with its seven coverings, Prakṛti and Puruşa, and liberated souls becomes a plaything for the action of the All-pervading Lord at Vanadri’s sport! 83 Continually engaged in yoga and blessed with the highest devotion to Sundara’s feet, the possessors of knowledge obtain Final Liberation in the Supreme Abode and enjoy [there] the position of eternal servitude [to the Lord]. 84 So wonderful indeed is God Sundarabhuja’s character or motherly affection toward those who seek shelter [with Him], that He, the Lord at Vanadri, Who practices impartiality toward those who take refuge with Him has adorned the world with His incarnations without giving up His inherent divine nature!
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] 85 O Lord on Lion Mountain! The subtle [Upanisadic] statements described Your supra-sensual form as transcending speech and mind. This being so, had You not descended here [making Yourself visible to all], 109 the injunctions regarding knowledge and devotion would have become meaningless by now! 86 You incarnated in the middle of the [Cosmic Egg] assuming the divine forms of gods, humans, and others in order to embrace those devotees whose minds have You as their sole enjoyment and for whom [You] are the only salvation, and in order to destroy their enemies. O Lord at Vanagiri! Because of this, petitionary prayer for whatever one wants has become easy for gods and humans! 87 O Lord on the great, resplendent Forest Mountain! If people have been blinded to Your glory by Your primary appearance as Vişņu in between Brahma and Śiva, then how [much more so] would they be after learning of Your becoming a fish! 110 Sundarabahu Stava Hey God! O Sundarabhuja! 88 Acting contrary to Your [true] greatness, if You so easily accept [equality to Brahma and Śiva] in the middle of the [Cosmic] Egg, then fostering inferiority to these gods would be even better than [encouraging mere] equality to them! 89 O Lord at Vanādri! After having descended here concealing Your lordly glory, which pleased You more Śiva’s victory [over You]? or being tied down by the weapon of Indrajit? 90 O Lord on Lion Mountain! O Bearer of Lakṣmi! O Ever Undiminished One! Even though You want to conceal it, the magnificence of the lotus-eyed One is easily perceived! How can Your might not [be seen], when You assumed the divine form of a fish flopping about in the flood of ocean water [at the time] of the deluge in which a whirlpool was made to revolve shaken by the flipping of Your tail raised on high?
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] 91 Long ago at the time of the deluge, You took the wonderful form of a fish and grew up in the water of a pit in the ground a pond and the River Gangā with Manu’s boat tied to your crest, O Sundara! 92 Becoming a shelter for the gods who were wandering about with despondent faces, seeking asylum because their own abodes were filled with flood water during the dissolution of the worlds, out of His own compassion this fish-bodied Sundarabhuja Who dwells in Vanagiri with a majestic gait supported the mountain range on His own back in His action of making turbid the water impelled by the surging sea! 93 Long ago You, the Unborn One, Who assumed the wonderful form of a tortoise bothered neither by the rotation of the best of mountains [placed on] Your own back nor by the movements of the Milk Ocean severely shaken at being churned by the Serpent, rejoiced [and hence] Your eyes [retained] the lustre of a fully-bloomed lotus! O Hari! O Beloved of Lion Mountain!
111 112 94 Sundarabāhu Stava O Sundara! O Resident of Lion Mountain! Because of the desire of You Who are Varaha for the uplifting of the world sunk [in the deluge of the cosmic dissolution], this earth long ago became visible as a spot on the moon called “tusk”. O Sundarabhuja! 95 When the Man-Lion with a resplendent wonderful form was in the pillar, the air throbbed not the moon and the sun set not the quarters became obscured the entire earth with its mountain ranges shook the sky melted and the water of the ocean boiled! 96 When the Man-Lion tore open the chest of the enemy of the gods the nether world was scattered and the abode of the gods was dissolved the earth was thoroughly shaken the quarters were obscured and the ocean surged swaying to and fro with a [swishing] sound, O Sundarabhuja! 97 That [very same] Man-Lion Who saw His own form reflected in the mass of blood
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] 113 flowing from a region of the demon’s chest tom with the tips of His sword-like claws and became enraged on account of His suspicion [that the reflection was that] of a rival lion is visible here [in Vanagiri] as Sundara. 98 How can [the earth] deserve being begged for by You O Lord at Vanagiri, O Varada, O Vāmana when it belongs to You alone because You create, sustain, and destroy it, and also because You swallow it, eject it [from Your stomach], and raise it up? 99 O Lord at Vanagiri lovely with jasmines! Do You remember [how] a long time ago, becoming Bhargava, You cut down the forest of arms belonging to Arjuna who was puffed up with pride at his power? 100 O Lord at Vanagiri! You descended here and became a Raghava, O Sundara, for the purpose of instructing believers in how to practice completely and without any omissions the dharma enjoined by the revered Three Vedas which are known as Your commandment.
114 Sundarabahu Stava 101 The Lord at Vanagiri is regarded by the gods as the Supreme Ruler because He broke the Destroyer of Tripura’s Tripura-destroying bow and because of the sight of Him stringing His own bow as Paraśurāma. 102 Here [in this transitory world] people want what they can’t have and what they can have they don’t truly enjoy. O Rāma, all things are already Yours, so You look upon the [whole] world as equal to a blade of grass, O Sundara! 103 A relisher [of the beauty of nature], You experienced living in Dandaka Forest on the mountains in the wooded thickets and near crystalline streams. [Desirous] of enjoying [that loveliness] once again O Rāma You became Sundara and now resort to the excellent Forest Mountain! O Sundara! 104 On a rock at the site of Vanagiri’s slopes decorated with groves of trees and gardens [inhabited by] celestial musicians and pure, semi-divine beings
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] clinging to the large rocks and singing loudly of Your exploits, You enjoy respite from the fatigue caused by Your pursuit of the fleeing deer! 105 What a story we’ve heard! Standing on the shore of the southern ocean You tore apart with a single arrow the demons who had gone far away to the northern part of the ocean and then conquered the lord of waters [Varuṇa]. Therefore, O Lord at Vanādri O Resplendent One, O Sundara Your amusements beginning with the building of a bridge are just a noisy spectacle! 106 O Ornament of the Raghu dynasty! Long ago You were intent upon hunting the deceptive deer, namely the demon [Marica]. Do You today resort to Vanādri full of thickets of trees in which bees are buzzing in order to remove the exhaustion brought on by that [event]? Hey Sundara! 107 In that one birth when You became Kṛṣṇa Rukmuni as well as Nīlā suitable [for You] because of her lineage
115 116 Sundarabahu Stava were boons for You Who graciously favoured in a single instant two mothers, two fathers and also two families! 108 O Sundara, do tell [me]! When You were still a nursing infant and drank from the breast of Pūtanā, did you digest in Your stomach the indigestible poison in the form of milk along with her life itself? 109 If You took on the condition of a human becoming easily accessible to those who seek refuge [with You] – so be it, O Sundara! [But] what made You [allow Youself] to be tied with a rope to a mortar, and to what end did You then start crying? 110 O beautiful broad-armed [Lord]! Becoming Nanda’s delight, with hair curls having the illusory appearance of big black bees, You stole [not only] the best fresh butter from the houses [in Bṛndāvana] [but] the hearts of the cowherdesses too! 111 O Sundara Who has resorted to Vanasaila! My head desires the state
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] of Kaliya’s hood or the top of the good kadamba [tree] because Your pair of lotus-feet was placed upon them! 112 Even though, O Sundara, You hid your glory in Vraja, why did you overrun Indra? Why did you hold aloft [Govardhana] Mountain for seven nights? And why did You get angry with inquisitive friends? 113 O Son of Nanda! O Susundara! O One named Sundara! On hearing the sound of Your flute as You frolicked with the cowherdesses in Bṛdāvana, the trees and rocks melted just like wax! O Sundara! 114 O Broad-armed One! O Lord at Vanagiri! When You sported in Bṛndāvana with multitudes of cowherdesses singing and singing again
117 118 Sundarabahu Stava in the festivity of the rāsa dance, the hearts of those women experienced varied shades of the moods of love. What indescribable condition [of joy] did your own heart experience then? 115 Your amorous gestures and the blinking of Your eyes are delightful, wonderful, and agreeable. Your chastisement of worms like Kamsa is extolled as [an equally] trifling [act], O Sundara. O Sundarabhuja! 116 Your amusements such as the burning of Varanasi the destruction of Pauṇḍraka and Bhauma the snatching away of the parijata tree the paralysing of Siva and other [feats] such as the slaughter of the armies in the Bharata [War] are nectar to the ears. O Sundara! 117 O Lord at Vanādri! With Your pair of lotus-feet served by the gods, You perpetually stand on the peak of the excellent Mountain called Venkata for the sake of those who seek shelter [with You]!
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] 118 Making Your home on the Hill of the Elephant You are appropriately named the Boon-Bestower King. You compassionately grant [Your devotees] whatever they desire, and You take pity on the entire universe, O Sundara! 119 O Sundara! O Lord at Vanādri! You eternally recline on the Serpent Couch in the middle of the Milk Ocean. [Yet] out of motherly affection You have made Your glory present to Your devotees on earth, and here on the banks of the [river] that arises from the Sahya Mountains, You recline on the Serpent Couch in Your own Abode of Srirangam becoming a feast for the eyes of all! 120 Becoming Kalki, O Lord, You will kill all the wicked people polluted by Kali [Yuga’s] impurity! This is Your chance, O Lakṣmi’s Lord, O Susundara! Punish [them now] right before our eyes!
119120 Sundarabahu Stava 121 Such are the best of Your incarnations that all of them have as their purpose the protection of people who have taken refuge with You. Never is it otherwise! So, O Sundara, I take refuge with You! 122 Poets celebrate You as an ocean of the nectar of compassion, as dependent on those who have resorted to You, and as the [Final] Refuge [of Your devotees]! Becoming visible to the eyes of these [devotees), You adorn Vanādri. O [Lord] named Sundara! Ah! How wonderful it is! 123 Nothing is impossible for You! Even though You know all about us You are compassionate and forgiving! An insignificant person unable to leave my sins and without any other recourse, I am, therefore, dependent on You. Forgive me, for I have so little strength,
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] O Sundarabhuja! O Hari! 121 124 All by Yourself You brought back to life the monkeys killed in the battle of Lanka, the Brahmin’s son, dead owing to the fault of Śiva, the dead son of Sandipani, the Brahmin’s young sons who went to Vaikuntha, and the child in the womb belonging to Arjuna. Would one such as You O Lord at Vanagiri fail to grant the desire of my guru and me? 125 You caused the creatures belonging to Ayodhya together with the animals, insects and grass to go to Your own eternal worlds which have a majesty attainable only in the state of Final Liberation! Now what [good] deeds [had they performed]? Rich in what kind of knowledge were they, O Lord at Vanagiri? 126 As the Boon-Bestower on Elephant Hill You gave sight to the man blind from birth named Haritavaraṇabhṛtya and, oh Sundara, truly in that same way, You have openly [given sight] to more than a hundred such [people]!
122 Sundarabahu Stava 127 O Varada! O Sundara! O Bearer of beautiful arms! O Lord! Staying here on the slope surrounding Vanagiri where Your glory is visible to all You bestow excellent boons! 128 We hear that You Yourself right here [in this very place] made King Malayadvaja Your devotee. So also [similar] desires [for devotion] are born [in us]! 129 O Lord at Vanagiri! O Ocean of Compassion! Please assent to my sincere [request]! May I [once again] be in one corner of the Abode of Srirangam absolutely subject to Ramanuja the Noble just like before! 130 O Creator of Brahma! O Lord at Vanādri! O Lord! O Sundara! Looking to Your position as the bestower of boons, by all means hear [my request].
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] Enhancing day-after-day the glory of Srirangam and expressly refusing the request of our adversaries, accomplish [things] in such a manner that [life there] becomes ever enjoyable for Your devotees! 131 O Nectar-ocean of Pity! O Lord of the dharma! O You of truthful intent! O Possessor of Śri! O Lord! O Sundara! O One Who has motherly affection for good people! Drive away all the worthless ones and forgiving in the twinkling of an eye all the offences committed by good people make the glory of the Srirangam Abode ever enjoyable [for Your devotees]! 132 [Although] I have committed sins have no other recourse, am foolish, without a refuge other than You, am evil-hearted and evil-minded, I shall solicit You openly and repeatedly again and again and again [until] I become a vessel of Your boundless compassion, O Sundarabhuja! O Lord at Vanagiri!
123 124 1 Sundarabahu Stava 5 NOTES “Rāmānuja” (śrīrāma-avanuja, lit. “the younger brother of Śrirāma”, that is, Lakṣmaṇa). Note that this is also the meaning of the name Rāmānuja. 6 Sundarabahu, Sundarabhuja and their synonyms are renderings into Sanskrit from the Sanskritized Tamil epithet (cuntarat tōluṭaiyan) contained in Aṇṭāļ, NTM 9.1, used in praise of the same icon that is the subject of Küresa’s stotra. It is customary in Sanskrit literature for authors to intro- duce their literary compositions by mentioning: (1) visaya, or the subject of the work; (2) prayojana, or its purpose; (3) sambandha, or the relationship of author to subject; and (4) adhikari, or the qualification of the author for writing the composition. Kūresa mentions all four in this stanza. The subject of his poem is the greatness of Lord Sundarabahu, and the purpose of the poem is its author’s desire to see the Lord’s feet. The author is related to his subject by his great desire to see his subject Sundara, and the poet’s qualifica- tion to compose the poem is based both on his having taken refuge with the feet of Hari, and on his having obtained wisdom from his Acārya Rāmānuja. Vanagiri and its synonyms Vanadri and Varasaila often function as proper names (referring to the holy site in its en- tirety). For that reason, the terms have been translated into English in some stanzas only. “the moon’s crawling round it like a child” (śaśadhara- rinkhaṇa). Two of the descriptions employed by Kūresa in this verse are based on Nammalvar’s verses in praise of the same iconic incarnation: “… the sound of the conch (kural cankattu) shakes (the worlds] in the temple of Alakar (alakar-tam kōyil).” And again: “the moon crawls (mati taval) on the peak of the hill of Tirumaliruñcōlai (kuţumi maliruñcōlai in TVM 2.10.2). The presence of divine damsels on this mountain is men- tioned in several Alvar hymns. For example, “divine damsels” (tevya makalirkal) come to the Nupura River (cilamparkka vantu) for bathing” (PĀTM 4.2.1).
8 Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] 7 10 125 In order to prevent confusion, I have generally preferred the more familiar names of the two gods Śiva and Brahma to the variety of names and epithets contained in the poems. In this verse and in v. 68, Kūresa links Śiva – with whom the archaic Tamil god Murukan is associated – to the notion of “taint” or “pollution”. According to Saiva mythology, Śiva has the crescent moon as his crest ornament. In Sanskrit court poetry, metaphors are often employed which play on the relation of the dark spots on the moon to the clean white disk. Kūreśa suggests that the moon’s dark spots (that is, its defects) have been caused by its contact with Śiva because the moon is his crest ornament. Kūresa explicitly contrasts this defectiveness or pollutedness of the moon (which is said to come from its association with Śiva since it resides in his matted hair) with the untaintedness that results from the contact with Visņu. For a study of the concept of the “untaintedness” of the Lord in the early Śrīvaiṣṇava tradition, see Nayar 1992:82-86. This verse is intelligible only in the context of PĀTM 4.2.5: “Tirumāliruñcōlai (that is, Vanagiri] – where a black elephant in order to stop his mate, who was leaving him after a quarrel, shouted out in the name of the sea-blue coloured Lord Alakar [Sanskrit, Sundara] and had his mate turn back on hearing the Lord’s name – is the hill where dwells Lord Kṛṣṇa who once accepted the service of an ele- phant [whom he rescued from a crocodile] on the banks of a pond and who killed the elephant sent by Kamsa to destroy him” (translation by Prof. K.K.A. Venkatachari). Śrīvaiṣṇava devotees believe that even animals and inani- mate objects may be devoted to God. especially when they live in the environs of the Lord’s dwelling places. In fact, they regard it preferable to be born as an animal or inanimate object in a sacred place than as a god in heaven (svarga). Kulacekara Alvar articulates this idea in PmalTM: “I who am enlightened shall not seek the transient human frame again. I shall seek to be a bird (kurukay) in the temple at Tirumalai. I do not pray for Indra’s pomp surrounded by the immortal beauty of the nymphs and heaven (svarga) but
126 Sundarabahu Stava 14 16 17 19 20 shall seek to be a fish in the streams of the Tirumalai Hills…”. (Cited in Varadachari 1970:70). “that Indescribable Entity” (kim api vastu, lit. “some thing”, “some one thing”). The indefinite is used in this stanza to express the limitless greatness and indescribability of the Lord. 21 “Long-stretching ears” (karṇa-pāśa) is one of the signs of a great man (mahā-puruṣa-lakṣaṇa). “The One upon Whom Sri has climbed or mounted” (prārūḍha-śriyam). Several synonymous epithets appear in this stotra: ārūḍha-śriḥ and adhyarudha-śriyam in vs. 17 & 24, samucchrita-śriyah in v. 41, and ārūḍha-lakṣmyāḥ in v. 57. All are Sanskrit variants of the Tamil name applied to Lord Sundarabahu contained in Antal, NTM 9.6 “[the Lord] upon whom Tiru (Śri) climbs” (ēru tiruvuṭaiyāṇ). “The Immortal One” (amṛtam) may likewise be translated “Nectar.” While “Immortal” would seem the more appro- priate within the context of Upanisadic epithets, Nammālvār calls the Lord “nectar” in his eulogy of Sundarabahu: “[He is] honey and milk and sugarcane and nectar” (tenum palum kannalum amutum) in TVM 8.8.4. The first line of the stanza is a quotation from MaNārUp 11.3, reworded for purposes of metre. Kūresa’s interpretation of the “Great One” (bhūman) is founded on Ramanuja’s ŚrīBh I.3.2.7. In this verse, Kūresa follows Ramanuja’s interpretation of daharamākāśam, the “subtle ether within the cavity of the heart”, as denoting the Supreme Brahman rather than the individual soul. See ŚriBh I.3.5.13-22. The conception of the phenomenal world expressed in this verse is based on Ramanuja’s doctrine of seṣa-seṣi-bhāva. For a full discussion of Ramanuja’s view, see Carman 1981: 147-57. Rāmānuja teaches that all words, even those referring to insentient matter (acit), point to Visnu. ŚriBh I.1.6.13 states that “…those intelligent individual souls, who have particular masses of matter for their bodies, form modes of the Highest Self. Therefore they (that is, those words refer- ring to matter) finally include in their import the Highest
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] 23 24 25 26 29 30 32 34 127 Self Himself. Thus the Highest Self Himself is denoted by all words”. According to the Pañcarātra Āgamas, the Lord, as Para Vasudeva, is sāntodita, that is, “inert”; the three subsequent creative cosmic emanations (vyūha), corresponding to the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the universe, are characterized by constant activity (nityodita) (LakṣmiTantra 2.49-51). By way of contrast, the Śrīvaiṣṇavas have their own interpretation of these two descriptions of the Lord: in the santodita state (as in this verse), God enjoys His own qualities only, while in the active nityodita state He enjoys His creation as well. For “[the Lord] upon Whom Śrī has climbed”, see v. 16. In this verse, Kūresa may be thinking of Nammālvär, who could only enjoy one quality of the Lord at a time; lost in this single quality, he would forget all others. The idea that God shows the greatness of His mercy by ig- noring the limitless sins of His devotees is further devel- oped by Kūresa’s great-grandson Vedācārya Bhaṭṭar in his poem Ksamāṣodasi (Stotramālā 1969:75-76). “shelter” (samśrita); “status of birth” (jāti); “nature” (svabhava). Compare this verse with Rāmānuja, BhGBh 9.29: “…With regard to taking shelter (samśrita) [with Me], no one deserves my hatred because (s)he is inferior in birth (jāti), form (akāra), nature (svabhāva), knowledge (jnāña)”. “those which are a hundred fold…” (ye te satam); “This One is not within the range of speech and mind” (na evaiṣaḥ varmanas-gocarah). The first phrase is a direct quotation from TaittUp 2.8; the second phrase is a restatement of TaittUp 2.9. This Upanisadic passage is often quoted in the Acāryas’ praise-poems. The image here of the combining of colours is based on the Tamilian practice of mixing three fruits (banana, mango, and jackfruit) on festive occasions. Poets say that the enjoyment that arises from a mixture of these three fruits, with honey added, resembles God’s enjoyment of the universe. In the same way, the mixture of molten gold, emeralds, and col- lyrium, increases the enjoyment and beauty of each individ- ual item. Traditionally, the black of the collyrium is said to
128 Sundarabāhu Stava 35 39 40 represent Kṛṣṇa; emerald is symbolic of the reflection of the iconic Lord’s beauty, and gold represents sheen and wealth. Although the beauty of these three can be enjoyed sepa- rately, the overall beauty is believed to be enhanced by their mixture (From an interview with Prof. K.K.A. Venkat- achari, November 1986). 41 See PATM 3.2.3. in which the Lord’s body is compared to [a mixture of] gold and emeralds. “Embellished by groves of growing young trees” (vardhīṣṇu-bāla-drūma-şanda-manditam) is based on Nam- māļvār, TVM 2.10.1 in which the place of Sundarabahu is described as “a dense garden surrounded by tender young trees” (valarilampolicul). In the eulogy of important human beings such as kings, po- ets traditionally begin with the head, while for the part-by- part description of God, poets (out of humility) often begin with the feet. Notice that Kūresa, following several of the Āļvārs, reverses the accepted order. 42 For examples of this genre from DP, see Nammāļvār, TVM 7.7 and Tiruppāṇ Alvar, Aāp. The reference to the Lord’s hair thus, “[it] surpasses the de- scription of beautiful fibres fashioned from the essence of pitch-black blinding darkness”, is based on Nammāļvār, TVM 7.7.9 in which the author asks if he sees pitch-black darkness (irulai)… made into a mass of black threads (nīla nannül). He then replies that what he sees is really the lovely hair of the Lord. For “[the Lord] upon Whom Śri has climbed”, see v. 16. The Lord’s forehead reminds the poet of a half-moon both because of its shape and because of its glow. For identical imagery, see VRS, v. 32. See also Nammālvär, TVM 7.7.7 in which the Lord’s forehead is compared to “a waxing moon in mid-fortnight”. The alankara employed by Kūresa in this verse is that ex- pressive of sandeha, or doubt. It is especially effective in in- voking wonder and confusion when confronted with the beauty of the Lord. Similar comparisons of the Lord’s eyebrows to bows are contained in Antal, NTM 14.6 and Nammal vär, TVM 7.7.4.
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] 47 129 Sundara’s cheeks being smelt (aghraṇa) by Yasoda is a ref- erence to the custom of holding the face of a child close to one’s nose. 49 Antal, NTM 14.8 contains a similar description of the Lord’s shoulders spread with His hair. 50 52 55 57 58 59 60 62 64 72 The area of the body from the collar bone to the chest is regarded as being very attractive. Its breadth and strength are features much admired in Indian wrestlers. “a scar [made] by His bow-string” (jyakina). The Lord’s four arms are described as having the “a scar [made] by His bow-string” (jyakiṇa) in Yamuna, SR, v. 33. Kūresa’s description of the conch as “resting on His lotus- palm…like an excellent royal swan” is based on Aṇṭāļ, NTM 7.7 which images the conch as “mounted on the palm of Vā- sudeva’s hand like a swan”. Fr. “the [Lord] upon Whom Lakṣmi has climbed or mounted”, see v. 16. The similes comparing the navel to a whirlpool and breasts to elephant heads are not original to Kūresa, but are common in both Sanskrit and Tamil poetry. The paradox of the Lord Who swallowed all the worlds but yet has a thin waist fascinates Kūresa. Compare with VRS, v. 49. The comparison of the human thigh to an elephant’s trunk is a standard one in Sanskrit poetry. The sacred site of Lord Sundarabahu is described as being “in a grove of sandal trees” (cantanappolilin) in Tirumańkai Āļvār, PTM 9.8.9. The idea of defeat is conveyed by vs. 62-63. A defeated man is spoken of as being forced to carry the feet of his conqueror on his head. In that same way the lotus footrest, defeated in tenderness by the lotus-feet of the Lord, is forced to carry those feet on its “head”. While it is popularly believed that Śiva receives the heavenly Ganga on his head, according to Vaiṣṇavas he receives only the stream called Alakananda, which is the Ganga of India, and not the celestial Gangā (Wilson 1980:331). Compare with Yamuna, SR, v. 40, which also contains a play on the name Seṣa. 130 Sundarabahu Stava 74 76 81 86 92 94 76 98 Kūresa’s description of Visvaksena in this stanza is based on Yamuna, SR, v. 41. The attendants [of the Lord] in Vaikuntha are said to have taken refuge with Sundarabahu because they are present in His temple. The Pañcarātra Agamic tradition requires that doorkeepers guard every temple entrance in order to prevent the entry of the wrong persons into the temple’s Inner Sanc- tum. (Hari Rao 1967:101, 110, and 123). Much of the vocabulary of this verse is identical to Rāmānuja, VaiGad, para. 4. “salvation” (ātma-sanjīvana, lit. “revivification of the soul”). Kūresa employs here the term found two times in the last three paragraphs of Ramanuja’s VaiGad. This verse, a rendering of Tirumankai Āļvār, PTM 11.4.1, contains the same number of syllables per line (23) (Aṇṇankarācāriyar 1965). Kūresa’s phrase “a spot on the moon called tusk” is a reference to one of the marks on the moon which is said to resemble a boar’s tusk. The cutting of the king’s thousand arms by Parasurama (Bhargava) is described in Tirumankai Alvar, PTM 5.6.7. 107 Kūresa’s mention of Nila as “suitable [for You] because of her family” (nīlā kulena sadṛsi), confirms her identity with Nappinnai/Pinnai of the indigenous Tamil tradition. While Rukmiņi is mentioned in Nammālvār, TVM only once, and twice only in PATM, Nappinnai is mentioned by these authors more than 150 times (Annankarācāriyar 1965). Kṛṣṇa’s being born to one woman, and raised by another is referred to by Antal in TP, v. 25. 112 Here Kūresa refers to an episode in which Krsna became angry because he wanted to hide His supremacy, but His friends still questioned Him about it. Anṇankarācāriyar notes that there are parallel ideas in the BhP, although seemingly not elsewhere (1965). 120 Śrīvaiṣṇavas interpret the intensity and poignancy of Küresa’s request for God to descend on earth as Kalki “right here before our eyes” in the context of the trouble in Srirangam implied in vs. 129-31.
Praise-Poem to the Beautiful-Armed [Lord] 122 “You adorn” (paricaskarişe, past perfect, 2nd singular), translated according to the gloss in PSV, alankaroși (present, 2nd singular). 131 126 The traditional interpretation of vs. 126-27 is that Kūresa is praying for the restoration of his own sight. According to Srivaiṣṇava hagiographical literature, Kūresa was blinded by an evil Saiva king (known only as Krmikantha or “the worm-necked one”), who persecuted the Vaiṣṇava commu- nity during the era of Rāmānuja. 128 “made Your devotee” (carana-satkṛtavan, lit. “one who was reduced to Your feet”). 129 This verse and the two which follow it substantiate the tra- ditional Śrīvaisnava view that this stotra was composed when Kūresa was in exile in Vanagiri during a time of trouble in Śrirangam. 130 Kūresa’s words “enhancing day-after-day the glory of Śrī- rangam” (śriranga-sriyam anvaham praguṇayan) are recited at the conclusion of all Śrīvaiṣṇava public recitations of the hymns of the Āļvārs. 132 “Offences committed by good people” may refer to the be- trayal of Kūresa by his own disciple Nālūrān, who is said to have pointed out Kūresa and his teacher Ramanuja to some Śaivas who came searching for them on behalf of the king (see n.126). This story is contained in several late hagio- graphies, and was related to me by K.K.A. Venkatachari.
Varadaraja Stava May Hari 1 crown jewel on the crest of Elephant Hill the God Whom the Upanisads called unequalled and unsurpassed bestow welfare on me always! 2 I take refuge with Devaraja the Overlord [of the universe] an Ocean of compassion and the Friend of all creatures, Who has Śrī as His treasure [and is Himself] an inexhaustible treasure vowed to bestow upon His suppliants everything they desire! 3 That eternal Splendour Who transcends apprehension by the senses, cannot be understood even by yogis, and is difficult to comprehend even in the Upanisads is visible [here] on the peak of Elephant Hill!
to the Boon-Bestower King 4 I take shelter with that sweet Varada of Elephant Hill Whom the creeper in the form of the best of Śrutis is fond of imitating with its own splendour and with its branches containing manifold shoots sprouted forth. 5 I resort to that Hill of the Elephant which makes visible [to us] He of whom the Triad speaks by way of its instruction as imperceptible by refuting other descriptions [of Him] with the words “not this, not this” (neti neti). 6 While to unfortunate ones the Three Vedas may not [appear to] demonstrate that [Viṣṇu] is Lord, who would not conclude in the Abode of the Elephant that Devaraja is Lord indeed? How wonderful! 7 The Hill of the Elephant removes the doubt of those whose minds are influenced by erroneous philosophies [as to whether] Hari the abode of lofty and auspicious qualities is with attributes or without.
133 8 By means of maxims, syllogisms and the refined sayings of eminent sages, the Three Vedas might with difficulty enable sinless people to devote [themselves] to Hari, [but] the Abode of the Elephant [enables] everyone [to enjoy Him]. 9 That which is forcefully proclaimed by the words: “There is an Entity extremely wonderful, great, of boundless nature and incomparable…” is [itself] truly seen right in front [of us] in the Abode of the Elephant. 10 Even in the opinion of those who regarded the Triad as a means to valid knowledge that accords well with other proofs [such as perception and inference], the Three Vedas have now become a means to valid knowledge with regard to the Highest Reality [solely] because of Hasti Hill. 11 Here in this world an entity endowed with good qualities is considered auspicious because of those qualities. In You, O Lord of Hasti Hill, [it is precisely] the opposite!
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King On the authority of Śruti we have concluded that Your qualities beginning with truth and knowledge have become auspicious [only] after coming to reside in You. 12 Your Supreme Form established in the acme of Śruti as the Supreme Brahman sinless, incomparable, always serene, pure, ever untouched by defects, and beyond the range of speech and mind, is visible [right here in Hastigiri], O Varada! 13 Seeking to touch upon Your highest incomparable form which imitates the state of a rippleless ocean by becoming immovable in conformity with the glory and abundant bliss arising from the experience of Your own serene and infinite Self, the Three Vedas become extremely exhausted in denying [the existence of] other [inauspicious qualities] in You, O Varada! 14 That Highest Reality is described as difficult to speak about, impossible to hear or think about to want to worship, to see, touch, or enjoy, O Varada.
135 Varadaraja Stava 136 Oh! How is it, then, that You stand here visible atop the Hill of the Elephant for the sake of all? 15 The group of the six principal qualities (includes] exalted knowledge, incomparable strength, supreme lordliness, limitless bravery, the mightiest power, and the highest splendour, O Varada! [You] are the birthplace of limitless auspicious qualities that defy enumeration! O Varada! 16 O One with three pairs of qualities! Your original form shone with these six qualities. Then, three [of Your forms] shone each with a pair [of qualities]. This arrangement [arises] out of Your desire to reveal [Yourself to the devotees]. Otherwise You are everywhere possessed of countless and abundant auspicious qualities. 17 The stage described in the previous [stanza] pertains to Your [four-fold] creative cosmic emanation.
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King 137 Then descending among gods, humans and animals in order to play at [Your own] will in the midst of the realms of finite beings who are under Your rule, You become similar to them and assume the designation” vibhava " Although replete with multitudes of excellent qualities, You conceal [some of] them, O Lord of the Elephant! 18 O Precious Varada! Regardless of the form You take – the transcendent God a creative cosmic emanation an occasional incarnation an incarnation in a worshippable icon or the soul’s Indweller – You always appear to Your worshippers bearing multitudes of excellent, lordly qualities [but] to others [you appear] otherwise. 19 Excellent, limitless, countless auspicious qualities enabling Your devotees to easily obtain You such as compassion, patience, generosity, tenderness, impartiality towards all, friendliness, constancy, graciousness, love, and authority and the highest auspicious qualities beginning with beauty, O Varadaraja, elicit delight in the people bowed down [before You].
138 Varadaraja Stava 20 Vedic verses have sung of Your unique independence, but we regard You as dependent because You are subject to those who seek shelter with You. Oh! Oh! This reproach rests on Your omniscience alone [because being omniscient You see our offences], yet You never take into consideration any fault in Your devotees here [in this world], O Varada! 21 You appear over Elephant Hill like its black-as-collyrium peak O Varada with Your hands, feet, face and eyes surpassing lotuses [in loveliness], and with Your arms rivaling mighty tamāla trees (in beauty and strength]. 22 My eyes feast on the One Who has illustrious arms and an attractive nose good shoulders adorned with lovely long ears long eyes and noble cheeks O Best among the boon-granters! 23 Resembling a dark cloud reclining on [the golden serpent] Ananta – Your hair black like a lump of collyrium
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King and Your eyes, hands and feet resembling lotus blossoms – become forever visible to me, O Lord of the Elephant! 139 24 My skin and eyes desire to drink You in while my tongue is distressed at not being able to hear You like an ear. My nose, too, is in that same condition regarding You. O Lord of the Elephant! How in the world can I reach the state [that I so long for]! O Lord! 25 Indicating Your supreme overlordship of [all] the worlds, Your crown becomes a high-rising mountain for the thousand-rayed [sun] that is Your crest jewel, O Omament of Hasti [Hill]! O Varada! 26 Do You wear an ūrdvapuṇḍra mark on Your own forehead out of high regard for its power made known by its vertical position indicating its upliftment of Your devotees? 140 27 O Lord of the Elephant! Is your earring an embellishment for Your ear a decoration for Your shoulders Varadaraja Stava an adornment for Your shoulder-length hair or an ornament for my heart? 28 The splendour of the gold bracelets and armlets fastened on your arms emulates the richness of flowers bloomed all over the branches of the boon-bestowing tree, O Lord of the Elephant! 29 When the pearl necklace quivers on Your chest, Kaustubha and Kamalā the two [who reside there] are reduced to the [same] condition [experienced] at the moment of their coming forth from the foamy ocean which was moving to-and-fro at being churned [by You], O Lord of the Elephant! O Varada! 30 As if the valley of a collyrium mountain were made of gold, the glory of the golden garment glitters [on Your black body], imitating a flash of lightning!
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King O Varada! 31 Today we see in You the dark night followed by the bright side of the sun. Indeed, the dark hue of Your hair is the [black] backside of the [shining] sun in the form of Your face. 141 32 The eighth lunar day which removes the inequality of both the moon’s fortnights has made for the [half-] moon’s glory because it has become a standard of comparison O Varada for the splendour of Your forehead. 33 The good ink taken up [by the creator Brahmā] with a desire to fashion Your rows of curls was tested on the touchstone of Your broad forehead. [The streaks left there] became Your eyebrows. O Varada! This could not really be so because [Your form] is uncreated. 34 Your senses are free from the limitations of ordinary creatures.
142 You can hear with Your eyes and see with Your ears! Varadaraja Stava That’s why Your [exceedingly long] eyes have resorted to Your ears! O Varada! 35 Your nose is a bridge over the rippling ocean of Your eyes whose billows in the form of sidelong glances are flowing with the sentiment of compassion and streaming with love-filled currents! Your eyebrows are rows of forests [stretched] on its sprawling shores. 36 A sidelong glance from Your eyes, O Varada, manifests Your majesty spreads forth radiance reveals Your boundless compassion rains down rapture and melts the hearts [of Your devotees]. 37 The brilliance of Your moon-like teeth shining on the petal of Your pink lower lip O Lotus-eyed One manifests a splendour surpassing [the lustre of] a string of pearls [placed] over a [piece of] coral.
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King 38 The gentle waterfall of Your smile cascades onto the raised ground of Your [broad] chest and when dispersed there bears the beauty of a many-stringed garland. O Varada! Your pearl necklace appears like a river sprung from it. 39 O Varada, Your cheeks kissed by the much-desired cowherdesses who adorned the circle of the rasa [dance] are [even now] puffed up because of the thrill that continues from [the joy of] that time! 40 May Your face which has a prominent and attractive nose long eyes teeth showing through Your smile a lustrous lower lip arched brows and ears reaching down to Your shining shoulders remain in me forever, O Lord of the Elephant! 143 41 When the Lotus-Lady linked her arm with Yours inspired by the sentiment of love what indescribable state did Your neck as beautiful as a conch
144 and highly esteemed [by her] experience then, O Lord at Karigiri? 42 Varadaraja Stava O Varada! Your four boon-bestowing arms [strong] like iron bars gleam like the dark [branches of] a tamāla tree. Or are they [broad] like expansive oceans stretched out wide or do they openly shine like the four directions? 43 Ah Varada, [Tell me!] Did Your arms meet with their greatest joy in the embrace of Indira? in clasping the cowherdesses during the ardently desired rasa dance? or in being tied down by Yasoda for the offence of stealing fresh butter? O Varada! 44 Your arms shine with reddish finger-tips like the branches of a sala tree which has finger-tips in the form of tender sprouts
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King like the billows of an ocean topped with [pink] corals and like superior serpents their faces aglow with their hood-gems. 45 You churned the ocean with Your own [hands]. Moreover, You held aloft for seven nights the mountain [Govardhana] and twisted the necks of the seven bulls. Even then, O Varada, Your hands did not grow tired. O Varada! 46 Was the red tint of Your hands caused by Your crawling in the courtyards and houses of Vraja? from gripping the stick for controlling the cows in the cowherders’ cowpens? or from holding onto the goad and reins while driving the [chariot] horses? O Varada! 47 Is it for decoration or [simply] out of joy that You perpetually carry the overlords
145 Varadaraja Stava 146 that are Your weapons who are omniscient, have all the appropriate powers, have made a vow to serve You forever and have You as their sole enjoyment? 48 Was Your chest the creator [Brahma’s] model for fashioning the sky, O Varada? [that chest] on which the Lotus Lady’s face and the kaustubha gem are manifest as the moon and the sun, and whose garland behaves like a constellation of stars, O Best among the boon-granters! 49 Good people declare that Your stomach is the [resting] place of the Cosmic Eggs. If that be so, O Varada, then how is its thinness [to be explained]? The enrichment of those here in this world [whose greatness] is self-created would lead to an increase in [size and] glory. But that’s not so for others [like Yourself]! 50 O Lotus-naveled One! O Varada! Your navel must be a whirlpool created by the rush of rasa flowing from Your ambrosial beauty.
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King The lotus [arising from Your navel] shines as the abode of the lovely Laksmi who is fond of Your entire wonderful form. 51 That very rope which gave You the name “Damodara” left a callus [on Your body]. O Varada! Under the guise of three lines [that mark] has become the foremost ornament of Your waist. 52 147 O Lord of Hasti[śaila]! The earth bears fruit according to the kind of seed that is sown in it and we see that [same principle at work] in You also. O Lotus-faced One! The lotus being [continually] created in Your belly in which resides the [Cosmic] Egg brings forth multitudes of unbroken eggs! 53 O Lord of the sacrifice! Although I am an ignorant man, somewhere I have encountered the question “Who among the many [gods] is the Supreme Overlord of the universe?” We [now] proclaim the final conclusion: “Brahma and the other [gods] about whom a clamorous debate
148 among the people has arisen are born, O Varada, from the lotus arising from Varadaraja Stava the bulb in the form of Your stomach.” 54 O Kṛṣṇa! O Varada! O [Lord] fit to be won over by Your own dear people! That rope with which You were tightly bound by the hands of Yasoda for stealing fresh butter and which is the destroyer of Your devotees’ bondage You even today wear out of love for Your mother as an ornament of the body called a waistband. 55 A river called “Beauty” spread out on Your chest and was halted midway by Your pit-like navel from which a whirlpool arises due to the uneven movement [of the water] in such a small space. [From there that river] spread out [once again] and after reaching Your broad hips becomes diversified into the streams [that flow] through the regions of Your feet, O Lord of Hasti Hill! O Varada! 56 [Ordinary standards of comparison such as gracefully tapering] hands excellent emerald pillars
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King plantain-tree trunks and the trunks of the choicest elephants even though in the bloom of youth do not compare entirely favourably with Your broad thighs, nor do they impart their majesty. O Varada! 57 A river of luminosity was born in Your body and its two streams vanish at [the tips of] Your two feet. Your knees resemble whirlpools born from it bubbling up from below, or perhaps they are two bullock humps named “Youth” and “Wealth”. 58 In order to kiss affectionately the peak of Elephant Hill, Your legs are behaving like the stems of the two lotuses facing downward called Your feet. The delight elicited by the touch of the mountain has made Your leg hairs bristle like thorns [on the stems] of Your ankles. How can the person who sees You O Varada bear to leave [Your presence]?
149150 Varadaraja Stava O Varada! 59 Among these [bestowers of] exceeding delight which do Your lotus-feet prefer? the bright lotus named “Dahara” [situated] in the body of Your devotees, Your lotus-seat which, although seated perpetually, remains unfaded, the pinnacle of the Vedas (Upanisads), the head of Saṭhāri, or the peak of Elephant Hill? O Varada! 60 The toes of Your feet have all the splendour of a series of [sea] billows bordering the [glistening] water’s edge. Does the moon cause Your toes to shine from its reflection on the rows of Your toenails? or under the pretext of reflecting itself on Your nails, does the moon [really] reach Your toenails thus making them glitter? 61 O Lotus-faced One! O Lover of the sacrifice! The moon defective, imperfect, vile, and crooked on account of being the friend of Siva and serving him approached Your lotus-feet under the guise of Your toenails, O Varada,
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King and became purified, perfect in conduct, eternal, and the possessor of ten auspicious qualities. 62 Long ago the river of the gods (Gargā) sprung from Your lotus-foot separated into four [streams]. Taking three paths, the single [stream] borne by Dhruva purified the three worlds. One from among those three [streams] going through the sky purifies Śiva. She divided again into seven [streams]; one purified this earth and enabled Sagara’s sons to reach heaven, O Varada! 63 Attendants, retinue, ornaments and weapons, the multitudes of auspicious qualities beginning with knowledge end creative power, the Supreme Abode, the [Cosmic] Eggs, Your own body and so also Your soul – You made all this for the sake of those who take refuge [with You], O Boon-bestower! 64 There is nothing [to be] gained by You that is not already Yours, O Varada!
151 152 Varadaraja Stava Your creative actions involving the generation, preservation and annihilation of all the worlds flash forth from Your mind. Nevertheless, You descend here [to live] among the multitudes of inferior gods and human beings, in order to embrace people who seek refuge [with You] and to destroy those who trouble them. O Varada! 65 Even the slightest trace of desire may destroy the discrimination of the mind. When that same desire is great – what then? O Varada! Raising up Partha and the like to be Your own person You have descended into this unworthy world and embrace him! O Varada! 66 Unable to suffer delay in embracing [Your devotees] and not even allowing them enough time to be purified, You, most excellent among the patient ones, were so eager to take them immediately to Your own Abode [of Vaikuntha] that You descended here.
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King But what is this? You woo even those who haven’t taken shelter with You, yielding Your body to them! O Varada! 67 Being beyond [apprehension by] the senses, if You were not to descend into this world then Your worship, praise and so forth decreed by Śruti would be abandoned. 68 O Protector! O Varada! Hiranya perpetually committed a thousand offences against You, but You [remained] unaffected [by him] for a long, long time. [Yet] on account of [Hiranya’s] troubling of a small boy, You underwent change [and responded] immediately taking the form of a Man-Lion. 69 O Ocean of the nectar of compassion! O Bestower of boons! Poets declare that You can be attained only by [the disciplines of] knowledge, works, and devotion, and not by other [means].
153 154 By which of these [ways] did Uttarakośala’s creatures – including even the grass – reach You? Varadaraja Stava 70 O Bestower of boons! On account of the strength of Your motherly affection for the devotees, You Who are anxiously desirous [of proximity to them] may willingly descend here [to earth] so as to become easily accessible to them. Oh! But what is this? Long ago, being tied with a rope, You wept! 71 The extraordinary body of the Man-Lion which was contained in the pillar and manifested at the very same instant as Your devotee’s speech [on Your all-pervasiveness] proves Your supremacy, O Varada! O Eternal One! 72 I am being consumed by the three-fold forest fire! I am confused and, not knowing my limits, am able neither to stand firmly [here in saṁsāra] nor to be involved in efforts to approach You for protection.
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King O Lord! O Lord of Hasti (Hill]! Please cover me with the [cooling] rainshower of the ambrosia of Your sidelong glances! 73 [Pulled] in various wrong ways and in contradictory directions, I am being forcibly torn asunder by hundreds of useless desires [appearing in me] simultaneously! I do not even have desire for [refuge in] Your feet! O Lord of Hastigiri! I do not even seek my own welfare! 74 Oh Boon-Bestower! Without fear and without modesty because my obstinate mind has no desire for [refuge at] Your feet, and adored as I am with the armour of evil deeds, I prattle something before You! 75 Diseases of the body and mental agony, insatiability [of the senses], the gain of things I do not wish for, the loss of much-desired objects, and inferiority [feelings] which make for anger all these continually torture my mind O Lord of Hasti [Hill] but loss of the treasure of Your affection [does not trouble me at all].
155 156 Varadaraja Stava 76 The birthplace of contempt and arrogance lust and passion, greed and delusion, I am sinking here in [the sea of] saṁsāra, O Lord beyond dualities! Who am I to resort to You, to see and seek to attain You Who are possessed of eternal, flawless, and abundant auspicious qualities, O Lord of the Elephant! 77 I am inwardly consumed by unavailing and meaningless brooding over how my sons and others will be when I am dead. But, O Lord of Hastigiri, there is not even an iota of consideration as to how I myself shall be! 78 Because of the strength of my evil inclinations arising from the mental impressions of previous births my mind is not able to abandon [the world] even while analyzing happiness arising from the sense organs in which defects such as lightning-like transitoriness abundant sorrow the cause of calamity and triviality are [clearly] seen, O Boon-Bestower Emperor!
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King 79 By leaving undone what is enjoined [in the scriptures] and by doing what is prohibited intentionally or unintentionally 157 with hundreds of unbearable offences against You and with hundreds of sins in thought, word, and deed uncountable even by You committed against the devotees, O Lord of Hasti [Hill], I am doomed! 80 [Although] servitude to You is natural to me I – such as I am – formerly erred robbing You [of my state of servitude], [yet] You [still] considered me Your own. O Lord of the Elephant! Put to rest this dispute of ours! 81 O Lord of Hasti (Hill]! Great connoisseur of Your service [that I am], may I consider enjoyments such as equality with Brahma and Śiva or the liberation referred to as the experience of one’s own soul the equal of salt water! 82 Helpless and shelterless, wallowing [as I am] in the ocean of worldly existence –
158 Varadaraja Stava filled with a profusion of the poisonous snakes of sensual enjoyments and a repository of the crocodiles of birth and death – I choose You as my refuge, O Bestower of boons! 83 Filled with thousands of inauspicious qualities, beyond the pale of even an iota of a [single] auspicious quality, and a great sinner who has not performed [any] good deeds, I choose You O Varada of great compassion [to be] my refuge! 84 The [very] word uttered by me [in] choosing [You as] my refuge was spoken by me without forethought. O Varada! If You nevertheless consider me worthy of Your compassion, then am I saved! 85 If one’s mind were contrite with respect to countless crimes committed, then, O Varada, we do not doubt that You [would] take pity! [But] we who have unrepentant minds are doomed indeed!
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King O Varada! 86 I have no better, easily available means that would grant me the One for Whom I long than the uttering of the word “refuge” (saraṇam). This is the opportunity for [You to show me] Your compassion. 87 I am attached to worldly objects and am a person of great sensual desire, but I have not even the faintest [longing] for [taking refuge at] Your feet. Therefore, O Varada, it is Your responsibility [to see that] desire for Your feet is created in me. O Varada! 88 Even [the desire to utter] the word “refuge” (śaraṇam) a revivifying thought would not arise without Your grace. [From this I know] that you are inclined to show Your grace to me. 89 O Varada, grant me whatever I desire here [in samsara] so long as it is not an obstacle to the attainment of Your feet.
159160 Otherwise, O Lord, grant [me] at once Your foot alone. Varadaraja Stava 90 Do grant me whatever else I pray for out of a helplessness caused by hundreds of evil inclinations arising from the mental impressions of previous births! O [Lord] of unequalled compassion! O Benefactor of all! O Granter of everything! O Bestower of boons! O Ocean of forgiveness! 91 Whether and in whatever manner You grant me the thing I desire or something else O Lord Varada experiencing [whatever you give] is only appropriate for me because I – such as I am – have placed upon You the entire responsibility [for my welfare]. 92 O Lord of the Elephant! I choose to behold You Who are difficult to attain for those who are not Your devotees just as You are – whatever your form or size Whoever You are
161 Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King whatever Your auspicious qualities and glory whatever actions You perform – solely by [my utterance of] the word “surrender”. Oh! 93 O Compassionate One! O Varada! O Ocean of forgiveness! and especially O Benefactor of all persons! O Granter of everything! O Knower of what is beneficial [for the devotees]! O Omniscient One! O Possessor of all powers! Having removed at once [all my other desires], lead me to [the condition of] Your servitude alone! 94 O Lord of Hasti [Hill]! Your compassion is such that You make those who worship You by virtue of their own qualities by their own deeds on the basis of their own knowledge or out of devotion to You [Your servants]. That being so, I regard Your compassion itself as my support.
162 Varadaraja Stava I am not a devotee 95 am without auspicious qualities do not fulfill the prescribed duties nor even make an effort to perform them and my sins remain unexpiated. O Varada! If one such as I were to obtain Your feet, then Your auspicious qualities beginning with forgiveness and compassion [would become] fully manifest [to everyone]. With 96 my mind thrilled with delight and impelled by Your sidelong glances the amorous play of Your eyebrows Your nectar-like smile and Your auspicious gestures when, O Varada, shall I serve You? 97 O Lord of Hasti [Hill]! May we hear Your cool and soothing nectar-like words which having quenched the thirst of all the senses penetrate into the region of the mind becoming eternally rooted [there]. 98 O Lord of the Elephant! In all places, at all times, and in all conditions, may I always remain near You with my mind unattached to anything else
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King and my sole delight in performing all kinds of Your service. Ah! Varada! 99 When will a continuous series of the waves of Your sidelong glances from the two rivers that are Your eyes flowing with streams of the sentiments of uncreated love which diffuses all around and is a remover of fatigue be poured out upon this person? 100 O Lord of Hasti (Hill]! For more than a hundred years let us look upon You Who are served by who is always longing [for You], the continuous stream of whose sentiment of love – although eternal is forever fresh.
Śri 163 101 O Bestower of boons! How may I attain Your [Supreme] Abode which is inconceivable, exceedingly wonderful beyond inference [and although] within the easy reach of Your devotees is very difficult to obtain for Sanandana and the others who are well-established in abstract meditation?
164 Varadaraja Stava 1 102 I have resorted to the feet of Ramanuja, the foremost light of the sage Yamuna’s lineage. [Yamuna] is from the line of Natha[muni], who belongs to the lineage of the sage Parankusa the servant of [Śri] Your Queen. Therefore, O Varada, I am looked upon by You as Your very own! NOTES The Supreme Brahman is described as “unequalled” and “unsurpassed” in ŚvetUp 6.8. Kūresa refers to “Elephant Hill” or “Hill/Abode/Rock of the Elephant(s) by a variety of nearly synonymous epithets (hasti-giri, hasti-saila, hasti-kṣitidhara, hasti-dhama, kari- giri, kari-saila). These references (and those contained in Rāmānuja’s teacher Kāñcīpurṇa’s Devarājāṣṭakam) are the earliest in Sanskrit literature. Raman presents us with convincing etymology of these Sanskrit place names. According to Raman, the area sur- rounding the Varadaraja Swami Temple was first known as Attiyur (or Tiruvattiyur), and this name occurs in Putat Ālvār’s ITA, vs. 95-96. Inscriptional evidence from the temple records shows that as early as C.E. 1129 the hymns of that Alvar were, indeed, connected with the temple. Vaiṣṇavas endow atti wood (Sanskrit, udambara) with a special significance; many Agamic texts on iconography prescribe it as the most suitable material from which to construct an icon. According to Raman, Vaiṣṇavas regard these trees as manifestations of Viṣņu Himself, which he es- tablishes by referring to VSN which contains the name “Udambara” (Raman 1975:4-5). (It must be noted, how- ever, that this particular etymology of that name of Viṣṇu
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King 165 must have been lost by the time of the early Acaryas, for Bhattar makes no mention of the connection in his BhGD, No. 827). Raman suggests that the original name for Hastigiri, that is Attiyur, was derived from the name of this wood, for the sthala purāṇa of Varadaraja Swami Temple mentions that the area was once filled with atti trees and that the original image of the deity (named Attivaradar) was made of atti wood. Commenting on the name Hastigiri, Raman notes: “Thus, the etymology of place-name has had a chequered evolution. The simple Tamil name of Attiyur, glorified by the Ālvār, had to undergo a painful course of Sanskritisation to be- come Hastipura and then Hastigiri, and then the latter was again Tamilized as Attigiri! Curiously, the latter word is a hybrid, neither purely Sanskrit nor Tamil. Atti is Tamil (and may refer to the atti tree or an elephant) but giri, mean- ing “hill”, is Sanskrit; when the word Hastigiri attained popularity in Vaishnavite literature, the legendary story of the elephant [that is, the tale of Gajendra] was probably tagged on to it because hasti in Sanskrit means elephant. This legend has attained currency so much that the signifi- cance of the original Tamil word, Attiyur, was lost” (Raman 1975:5-6). The inclusion of the term “hill” (giri) in the Sanskrit name is derived from the traditional belief that the main sanctuary of the temple is built over a small hillock. The main shrine of the temple, which houses Lord Varadaraja, is above ground level, standing on the top of a square walled-in platform, a raised enclosure 30 square metres in size, and 10 metres in height. Whether it is a natural hillock or an artifi- cially raised mound – perhaps a Jaina or Buddhist stupa? - is not known, and archaelogical investigation of the area has been prohibited by the Government of India.
In the 14th century, Vedanta Deśika composed a stotra in praise of Varadaraja which was heavily influenced by Kūr- esa’s VRS. See his Varadaraja Pañcāśat in Stotramālā or the English translation of the same by Filliozat 1992. Filliozat’s translation of the synonymous epithets Hastigiri,
166 5 6 17 18 19 20 25 26 Varadaraja Stava etc. (Hill of elephants), is based on the sthala-purāņa story which connects the shrine to a sacrifice performed there by the elephants of the four directions. In my translation (Hill of the Elephant), I have preferred to emphasize the elephant Gajendra’s long-standing connection with the shrine. “Visible…invisible” (parokṣa…aparoksa). In their more general meaning, these terms may be taken to refer to all of the senses, and may be translated as “perceptible… imper- ceptible”. According to popular Śrīvaiṣṇava thought, “the unfortunate ones” would be those people on whom the glance of God did not fall at the time of birth. On the other hand, fortunate people are those on whom the glance of God did fall at the time of birth, creating in them the desire for moksa and Vaikuntha. The choice is entirely up to God. “four-fold creative cosmic emanation” (vyuha). This stanza contains the earliest extant Śrīvaiṣṇava reference (in technical terminology) to all five forms of Vişņu. The two categories of qualities mentioned here – “the most excellent qualities” (vara-gunaḥ) and “the highest qualities” (uttama-gunāḥ) – are applied loosely, and do not function in the Śrīvaiṣṇava tradition as technical terms. The idea expressed in this stanza is similar to that of PĀTM 4.9.2, which traditional interpretation regards as revealing the Lord’s independence: “Even if the Lotus-Lady, who mediates their cases, tells the faults of his devotees, the Lord may say ‘My servants would not do that; and if they did, they did it for good” " (translation by Ate). See also Poykai Alvār, MTA, v. 1: “Even if a person commits mistakes [as big as] a mountain, God will take into account only the good things”. The imagery in this verse is based on TVM 6.6.6, in which the Lord’s crown is compared to a golden mountain. There are two kinds of pundras (marks or signs): the urdhva (“tending or rising upwards”), that is the “vertical” mark worn by Vaisnavas, and the tiryak (“horizontal”) mark worn by Saivas. According to Śrīvaisnava understanding, the vertical mark encourages thinking on elevated topics such as mokṣa, while the horizontal mark of the Saivas en-
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King 27 28 30 31 34 36 courages thinking of the things of this world (Aṇṇankar- ācāriyar 1970). 167 The two groups of Śrīvaiṣṇavas today (Tenkalai and Vaṭakalai) wear marks of slightly different shapes. Note that this verse does not describe the precise shape of the mark. Indeed, discussion of the Tenkalai and Vaṭakalai forms of the mark does not appear in literature until well af- ter the 13th century (From an interview with Prof. K.K.A. Venkatachari, October, 1986). Kūresa evokes a sense of wonder in this verse by the em- ployment of the saṁdeha-alankāra, which involves the doubt as to whether the thing described is “this thing”, “that thing” or “yet another thing”. The description of the parts of the Lord’s body in this sec- tion of the stotra may be compared to Yamuna, SR, vs. 32- 36, and especially v. 34. The poet’s wonder as to whether or not the earring is a decoration for the Lord’s shoulders is an oblique reference to the the length of the His ears, amahā-purusa-lakṣaṇa (sign of a great man). The Lord’s shoulders are likewise compared to a kalpaka tree (Tamil, karpaka) in Nammāļvār, TVM 6.6.6. The Lord is described likewise as resembling “a dark cloud filled with lightning” in PĀTM.8.1. According to traditional Indian thought, one side of the sun is thought to be dark, and the other bright. Literally, this verse reads “With regard to Your eyes and ears for the grasping of sound and form, the regulation is not like that [for ordinary] creatures. [Your eyes and ears] have the capability of seeing/perceiving all; therefore, Your two eyes have resorted to Your two ears”. The image of the eyes resorting to (that is, reaching up to) the ears is an indirect praise of very long eyes, the sign of a great man (maha-puruṣa-lakṣaṇa). The phrase “melts the hearts [of the devotees]” (ārdra-bhā- vam) literally means “makes wet or moist”. Aṇṇankar- ācāriyar (1970) glosses it with the Tamil word iram, meaning “…love, affection, attachment… grace, mercy, favour” (MTL, I, 380).
168 Varadaraja Stava 37 41 45 46 49 59 63 64 65 72 The teeth of the Lord are frequently compared to “pearls” and His lip to a piece of coral by the Alvārs. See PATM 2.2.2. and Nammāļvār, TVM 7.7.3. According PSV, the imagery of this verse is related to the episode of Visnu’s churning of the ocean. When Śri (Padma, the Lotus-Lady) came out of the ocean which was being churned, she clung to Visnu’s neck with one arm, and linked her other arm in his. This is the only explicit reference in the stotras of Kūresa and Bhattar to the Tamil story of Kṛṣṇa’s twisting of the necks of the seven bulls in order to win Nappinnai’s hand in marriage. While the Sanskrit equivalent of the name Nappinnai is never mentioned in the stotras, she is identified on the Sanskritic side of the tradition with Nīlā. Kṛṣṇa’s driving of the [chariot] horses is a reference to his role as Arjuna’s charioteer in BhG. A thin waist is a mahā-puruṣa-lakṣaṇa. Here it is especially significant because Visnu’s stomach remains thin in spite of His having eaten the Cosmic Eggs, that is, swallowed the universe. “the fine, bright lotus” (daharaṁ paṇḍitam pundarikaṁ) See ChUp2.1.1 yatpundarikam…daharam. “Your own body and so also Your soul” (atmadehastatha ātmā) is glossed by Aṇṇankarācāriyar (1970) with the words svāsātāran vikrahamumtivyātmasvarūpum. Compare with Rāmānuja’s concept of incarnation in BhGBh IV.8 & 11. The Lord’s incarnations (whether occasional or iconic) are always directly linked to the enjoyment and satis- faction of His devotees. God is said to have taken Partha (Arjuna) as His “own per- son” because Kṛṣṇa was interested in Draupadi. The Śri- vaiṣṇava Acāryas teach that the Pandavas were no better than Duryodana. Only Kṛṣṇa’s interest in Draupadi caused him to side with the Pāṇḍavas. “The three-fold forest fire” is glossed in PSV with the words: (1) adhyatmika or diseases; (2) adhibhūtika or troubles caused by other creatures; and (3) adhidevika or climate.
Praise-Poem to the Boon-Bestower King 169 74 81 92 2223 94 The three kinds of afflictions have their origin in Saṁkhya philosophy where they are described as “internal, as bodily or mental distress; external, as injuries from men, animals, etc.; and superhuman, or inflictions by gods or demons” (Wilson, 1980: I, 200). “evil deeds” (duşkarma, literally, “bad karma”). “The enjoyment of one’s own self” (svātmānubhuti) is a reference to kaivalya (“perfect isolation, abstraction, de- tachment from all other connections, detachment of the soul from matter or further transmigrations…” M-W, 311). “surrender” (prapatti). “By their own deeds, on the basis of their own knowledge, or out of devotion to You” is a reference to the three yogas of karma, jñāna, and bhakti. Even the worshippers of the Lord who approach Him by these three means are ultimately led by Him to His service (dāsyal kairkarya). Note, how- ever, that the devotees attain their position as servants of the Lord not because of their religious practices but because of His compassion (daya).
Śrī Stava
1 May Śri bestow welfare [on us]. Having beheld her face and depending upon her expressions, Hari creates, sustains, and dissolves all the worlds, and bestows heaven, hell and the Final Beatitude. This amusing pastime would not be enjoyable but for the oneness of their delight. O Goddess Śrī! 2 I long to praise You, Mother of the entire world. So make my speech suitable [for the task] and elevate my mind so as to be dominated by love. Make my devotion auspicious and gladden this servant who has taken refuge with You. O Lakṣmi, let [people] like me become the target of the billows of Your sidelong glances flowing forth.
Praise-Poem to [the Goddess] Śrī 3 What do poets declare a [real] stotra to be? If a stotra is a statement of non-existent qualities found elsewhere, [or qualities] belonging to another and superimposed upon [the one to be praised], then what a waste would such words be if directed to you! On the other hand, if [poets] should say [that a stotra consists of] a good, complete, all around description of real and existent qualities then how can they speak [of you at all], when even Bṛhaspati himself incapable of such speech [drowns] in the ocean of your true qualities? 4 My words [describing Your qualities] – which are well-known as being beyond the grasp of speech and mind – are spoken with a watering tongue. But I do not regard this [impossible attempt to praise you] as ridiculous, for after all, a thirsty partridge does not hold back her tongue and refuse to sip the moonlight, just because she is unable to drink all of it!
171 172 Śri Stava O Goddess! 5 Although I am a lowly mortal, evil-minded, lacking in love [for You] listless [in Your service, and] an ignoramus, I am neither afraid nor ashamed to lick [the nectar of] Your glory, [for such an act] would not be polluting. If the River Gargā is lapped by a dog the dog is neither ashamed nor afraid; rather, his thirst is quenched. 6 Whether great or small, the wealth of all people is everywhere regarded as the outcome of Laksmi’s benevolent glance. This should not astonish us, because even Nārāyaṇa Lord of the worlds and the Ruler of Souls Who has no lord over Him thinks Himself fortunate only on account of your glance! Hey Goddess! 7 Whatever wealth exists among people, whatever form of beauty and charm [are found] in this world, whatever is called good or auspicious is dependent on you.
Praise-Poem to [the Goddess] Śrī Therefore, all these things enjoy excellence 173 either because they are identical with [the word] śri or because they are [best described] by a word like śrimat. O Goddesss! 8 Although omniscient neither you nor even Hari can comprehend the extent of your glory! [How can this be?] [Wise people] know that one who vouches for the existence of the non-existent sky-lotus is called “deluded”. [Since Your glory has no limits], ignorance of its extent is ignorance of the non-existent and is therefore compatible with your omniscience! 9 In this world [people] declare that the difference between a tree and Bṛhaspati results from the revered Bharati’s grace. But that very Bhārati is Your servant. I take refuge with Śri, First Queen of the God of gods!
174 Śrī Stava 10 I take shelter with Śrī, First Queen of the God of gods. [When] she vowed [to cast] her soft sidelong glances [in its direction], the universe earlier beset with dissolution arising from the absence of that glance shone forth instantly like a tender and beautiful budding blossom. 1 4 8 9 11 Those who are even momentary targets of [Lakşmi’s] sidelong glances become great lords. May that same Lakṣmi First Queen of the King at Srirangam let her sidelong glance fall also upon me.
NOTES This verse clearly articulates the Śrīvaiṣṇava understanding of Śri’s role in the creation of the worlds. For a full discus- sion of the Śrīvaiṣṇava view of Śrī, see Nayar 1992:221-56. The partridge (cakora/cakorī) is believed to subsist on moonbeams. The notion that the glory of Śri cannot be completely com- prehended by Vişņu (just as He cannot fully comprehend His own glory) is based on Yamuna, Catuḥ Śloki, v. 2. “First Queen of the God of gods” (deva-deva-mahişīm) is an epithet of Sri contained in Ramanuja, ŚGad, para. 1.