[Advaita-l] Shankara Digvijaya Sara - part 5

[jaldhar at braincells.com]

26| vede brahmasamastadaṅganicaye gārgyopamastatkathā
tātparyārthavivecane gurusamastatkarmasaṁvarṇane 
āsījjaiminireva tadvacanajaprodbodhakande samo 
vyāsenaiva sa mūrtimāniva navo vāṇīvilāsairvṛtaḥ ||19||

26. Like Brahma in Vedas, Gārgya in Vedāṅgas, Guru [i.e. Bṛhaspati] in the
sacred stories, their interpretation and their meanings, Jaimini in the
understanding of ritual, and his speech and conduct made him seem like a new
embodiment of Vyāsa in his understanding of the ultimate meaning of the
śāstras.(19)

(At the sṛṣṭi or creation at the beginning of each yuga-cycle Brahma speaks 
the four Vedas.  Later ṛṣis create the Vedāṅgas to safeguard the form and 
meanings of the Vedas.  (Gārgya wrote on jyotiṣa.) The essence of the Vedas is 
extracted into Purāṇas, Mahābhārata etc. Bṛhaspati is one who knows all these. 
Jaiminis sūtras are the foundational text of Pūrva Mīmāṁsā which systematizes 
and compiles the ritual karma taught in the Vedas.  But the ultimate purport 
of all śāstras is the knowledge of Brahman taught in the Uttara Mīmāṁsā or
Vedānta which Veda Vyāsa organized in the Brahma sūtras.)

(The next few ślokas explain the origin of Śaṅkarācāryas' composition called
Kanakadhārā Stotra.)

27| sa hi jātu guroḥ kule vasansavayobhiḥ saha bhaikṣalipsayā |
bhagavānbhavanaṁ dvijanmano dhanahīnasya viveśa kasyacit ||21||

27. Once while living in his gurus’ house, Bhagavān [i.e. Śaṅkarācārya] went
with a classmate to ask for bhikṣā at the house of a Brāhmaṇa who lived in
great poverty.(21)

(Asking the householders for bhikṣā or alms of food is one of the principle
duties of a brahmachāri.)

28| tamavocata tatra sādaraṁ yativaryaṁ gṛhiṇaḥ kuṭumbinī |
kṛtino hi bhavādṛśeṣu ye varivasyāṁ pratipādayanti te ||22||

28. The lady of the house said to him respectfully, “Reverend Monk, fortunate
indeed are those who can give alms to ones like you.”(22)

(Strictly speaking, yati or monk should be reserved to denote a sannyasi only 
not a brahmachāri though I suppose there are similarities.)

29| vidhinā khalu vañcitā vayaṁ vitarītuṁ vaṭave na śaknumaḥ |
api bhaikṣamakiñcanatvato dhigidaṁ janma nirarthakaṁ gatam ||23||

29. “But truly, Vidhi [i.e. Brahma] has deceived us, bringing us to a state
where we cannot even offer bhikṣā to a Brāhmaṇa boy. Dhik! This birth is
useless.”(23)

(Brahma has cheated them because He has given life but not livelihood.  Dhik is
an exclamation of disgust.)

30| iti dīnamudīrayantyasau pradadāvāmalakaṁ vratīndave |
karuṇaṁ vacanaṁ niśamya so'pyabhavajjñānanidhirdayārdradhīḥ ||24||

30. Saying these sorrowful words, she offered the vrata-keeper [i.e.
Śaṅkarācārya] an āmalaka.  Hearing this pitiful speech, the heart of the
storehouse of jñāna [i.e. Śaṅkarācārya] melted.(24)

31|  sa munirmurabhitakuṭumbinīṁ padacitrairnavanītakomalaiḥ |
madhurairupatasthivāṁstavaiḥ dvijadāridryadaśānivṛttaye ||25||

31. The sage [i.e. Śaṅkarācārya] fell at the feet of the slayer of Muras’ wife
[i.e. Lakṣmī] and with words as soft as butter praised Her, asking Her to ease
the poverty-stricken state of the Brāhmaṇa.(25)

(Viṣṇu bhagvāna is Murāri - The slayer of Murāsura so His wife means Lakṣmī.)

32| amunā vacanena toṣitā kamalā tadbhavanaṁ samantataḥ |
kanakāmalakairapūrayajjanatāyā hṛdayaṁ ca vismayaiḥ ||30||

32.  Moved by these words, Kamalā [i.e. Lakṣmī] entirely filled the house with
gold āmalakas which astonished the hearts of the people.


-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>