Shankara's Govinda-ashhTaka - 2

[Anand Hudli]

mR^itsnaam-atsiiheti yashodaa-taaDana-shaishava-saMtraasaM
vyaaditavaktraalokita-lokaaloka-chaturdasha-lokaalim.h  |
lokatrayapuramuulastambhaM lokaalokam-anaalokaM
lokeshaM parameshaM praNamata govindaM paramaanandam.h || 2 ||


 mR^itsnaam - mud
 atsiiha -  You are eating here
 iti - thus
 yashodaataaDana - Yashoda's beating
 shaishava - childish
 saMtraasaM - fear, terror
 vyaaditavaktra - opened mouth
 aalokita - seen
 lokaaloka-chaturdasha-lokaaliM - the lokaaloka mountain and the
 panorama of the fourteen worlds
 lokatrayapura - the city of the three worlds
 muulastambhaM - the principal support
 lokaalokam - is the lustre of the world
 anaalokaM - (but) not seen
 lokeshaM - the Lord of the world
 parameshaM - the Highest Lord
 praNamata - bow to
 govindaM - Govinda
 paramaanandaM - the Supreme Bliss

 Yashodaa said to the child Krishna, " You are eating mud here."
 Govinda (Krishna) displayed fear of being beaten by her, just like
 a child. (In order to prove that He had not eaten mud) He opened His
 mouth to reveal the wonderful panorama of the lokaaloka mountain
 (which separates the visible from the invisible) together with the
 fourteen worlds. He is the foundation of the city of the three worlds
 (ie. the universe). He is the lustre or the brilliance of the universe,
 even though He is beyond the reach of vision. He is the Lord of the
 worlds, the Highest Lord. Offer obeisances to Govinda, the Supreme Bliss.

 It is wonderful that Govinda Himself displays fear. For, everyone else
 fears Him. Says the taittiriiya upaniShad :

   bhiishhaa .asmaadvaataH pavate| bhiishhodeti suuryaH |
   bhiishhaa .asmaadagnishchendrashcha |
   mR^ityurdhaavati paJNchama iti ||


 Out of fear of Him (Brahman) the wind blows. Out of fear of
 Him does the sun rise. Out of fear of Him do Agni (Fire), Indra,
 and Death, the fifth, run (function).

 These deities, though formidably powerful and lordly in themselves,
 undertake activities involving great effort, such as blowing, producing
 heat, rain, etc. Thus, Shankara says, it is reasonable to conclude that
 the deities function as they do out of fear of Him and under His control.

 And what is this Brahman? It is  Bliss , as the immediately succeeding
 text in the upanishhad says (in the Ananda miimaaMsaa portion).
 Govinda is this Bliss.

 Anand

--
bhava shankara deshikame sharaNam

Archives : http://lists.advaita-vedanta.org/archives/advaita-l.html
Help     : Email to listmaster at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
Options  : To leave the list send a mail to
           listserv at lists.advaita-vedanta.org with
           SIGNOFF ADVAITA-L in the body.