maniiShaapa~nchakam.h

[MANTRALAURA at DELPHI.COM]

  Thank you, Shrii Gummuluru Murthy, for filling in
the information regarding the story related to
maniiShaapa~nchakam.h and Shrii Shankara and
Lord Shiva.  I will try to find the publications you
spoke of.  I also appreciate the extra verse that
you gave.  I only had the transcript from the Gurukulam
to follow, so I really need this other information for my
personal studies.
  Also, do you know where I can obtain a copy of
(and explanation of) "hastamalakiyaM" ?  I cannot
find it anywhere and need it for my personal studies.

dhanyavaadaH,
  Mantralaura
>From ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU Sun Feb  1 16:53:47 1998
Message-Id: <SUN.1.FEB.1998.165347.0330.ADVAITAL at TAMU.EDU>
Date: Sun, 1 Feb 1998 16:53:47 -0330
Reply-To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
From: Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy at MORGAN.UCS.MUN.CA>
Subject: HastAmalaka stotram
Comments: To: "Advaita (non-duality) with reverence" <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
In-Reply-To: <01IT0Y11FGFM96JN51 at delphi.com>
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On Sat, 31 Jan 1998 MANTRALAURA at DELPHI.COM wrote:

>   Also, do you know where I can obtain a copy of
> (and explanation of) "hastamalakiyaM" ?  I cannot
> find it anywhere and need it for my personal studies.
>
> dhanyavaadaH,
>   Mantralaura
>

HastAmalaka stotra is available at the jaguar site, both in Sanskrit and
in English transliterated versions. A brief translation (into English) of
the verses is in "Acharya Shankara" by Swami ApurvAnanda, published by
the University of Mysore Press, 1983. I did not see any other commentary
on this beautiful work.

There is a legend that goes with HastAmalaka stotra. During Acharya
Shankara's travels, he was visting SrIveli once. A resident of SrIveli, by
name PrabhAkara had a son, thirteen years old and considered to be
totally dumb. During Shri Shankara's visit to the place, PrabhAkara
brought the boy to the AcArya and explained how the boy had not expressed
a single syllable since birth and had not read vedas and other sacred
books. Shri Shankara asks the boy

kastvam Shisho kasya kutosi gamtA
kim nAma te tvam kuta Agatosi
Etanmayoktam vada chArbhakatvam
mat prItaye prIti vivardhanosi

"Dear child, Who are you ? Whose are you ? Where are you going ? What
is your name? Where have you come from ? Satisfy me by telling me all
these things in a clear manner. Your sight has generated extreme delight
in me."

To this, the boy responds in twelve verses of beautiful poetry about true
nature of the Self. Shri Shankara blesses the boy and tells the father
that the boy is a true knower of Brahman and is not dumb. The boy simply
has no need for any worldly relations. Shri Shankara explains how a
perfected soul is inhabiting the boy's body and asks the parents to
send the boy with him. After the parents consented (with reluctance), Shri
Shankara accepts the boy as a disciple and gives him the name HastAmalaka
(to the boy, knowledge of Brahman is like a myrobalan fruit in the hand,
hence the name).

These twelve verses by the boy, known as HastAmalaka stotra have a very
catchy last line for each verse  "sa nityopalabdhih swarUpohamAtmA" and
are considered a profound description of the nature of the Self. This hymn
is considered a great vehicle for nirguna brahmopAsana (meditation on
nirguna Brahman). It is said that Shri Shankara wrote a bhAshhya on this
hymn, the only work of a disciple on which the great teacher has written
commentary.

I would be grateful for learned list-members to give any reference to the
Shankara bhAshhya on this and of any other commentaries on the stotra.

Regards
Gummuluru Murthy
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yadaa sarve pramucyante kaamaa ye'sya hr^di shritaah
atha martyo'mr^to bhavatyatra brahma samashnute   Katha Upanishhad II.3.14

When all the desires that dwell in the heart fall away, then the mortal
becomes immortal, and attains Brahman even here.
------------------------------------------------------------------------