[Advaita-l] Shankara Digvijaya Sara - part 8

[jaldhar at braincells.com]

45| itthaṁ sudhīḥ sa niravagrahamātṛlakṣmīśānugraho ghaṭajabodhitabhāvivedī | 
ekāntato vigatabhogyapadārthatṛṣṇaḥ kṛṣṇe pratīci nirato niragānniśāntāt ||81||

In this manner the intelligent one after receiving the blessings of his 
mother and Lakṣmīśa [i.e. Viṣṇu Bhagavān] and learning his destiny from the 
pot-born [i.e. Agastya Ṛṣi], only became more single-minded in his 
determination to shun the thirst for sense-objects and so he departed always 
placing Kṛṣṇa before himself, (81)

(this śloka references a story in the full MSD which is omitted in this work. 
The Ṛṣis visited Kālaṭi wanting to see for themselves the child prodigy 
Śaṅkara. Agastya Ṛṣi told him how his parents had been given the choice of a 
mediocre child with long life or a brilliant one whose lifespan would be short 
and how they had chosen the latter.  Placing Kṛṣṇa before himself means that 
as he walked, Śaṅkarācārya would imagine Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān was in front so that 
he is always walking towards Him. This is one of the most reverant acts of 
Bhakti.)

46| daṇḍānvitena dhṛtarāganavāmbareṇa govindanāthavanamindubhavātaṭastham |
tena praviṣṭamajaniṣṭa dināvaṣane caṇḍatviṣā ca śikharaṁ caramācalasya ||90||

Carrying a staff and wearing saffron clothes, he reached the forest where 
Govindanātha resided as the Sun set. Entering there, a cool breeze relieved 
him from the exhaustion caused by his long walk.(90)

(Govinda Bhagavatpāda lived in a cave in this forest which was on the banks of
the Narmadā river.  Supposedly at the tirtha of Omkāreśvara in Maharashtra you
can still see this cave to this day.)

47| tasya prapannaparitoṣaduho guhāyāḥ sa triḥ pradakṣiṇaparikramaṇaṁ vidhāya |
dvāraṁ prati praṇipatanjanatāpurogaṁ tuṣṭāva tuṣṭahṛdayastamapāstaśokam ||93||

He three times circumambulated the cave of the one who gladdens the hearts of 
those who come to him for refuge [i.e. Govinda] and bowed down at its’ 
entrance.  He praised him as the leader of men and the one who satisfies all 
the needs of his disciples.(93)

48| tamakhilaguṇapūrṇaṁ vyāsaputrasya śiṣyādadhigataparamārthaṁ gauḍapādānmaharṣeḥ |
adhijigamiṣureṣa brahmasaṁsthāmahaṁ tvāṁ prasṛmaramahimānaṁ prāpamekāntabhaktyā ||97||

“I worship you who possesses all good qualities, who has learned establishment 
in Brahman from the disciple of Vyāsa’s son [i.e. Śhukadeva] Maharṣi 
Gauḍapāda, and whose fame has spread everywhere, with single-minded 
faith.”(97)

49| tasminniti stuvati kastvamiti bruvantaṁ diṣṭyā samādhipadaruddhavisṛṣṭacitam |
govindadeśikamuvāca tato vacobhiḥ prācīnapuṇyajanitātmavibodhacihnaiḥ ||98||

On hearing this praise, the teacher Govinda, who had already ascertained the 
character of his visitor arose from the state of samādhi and asked “Who are 
you?” He replied with words that bore the hallmark of holy men of old.(98)

(Even in samādhi, Govinda Bhagavatpāda knew all about the visitor by yogic
insight.)

  50| svāminnahaṁ na pṛthivī na jalaṁ na tejo na sparśano na gaganaṁ na ca
  tadguṇā vā | nāpīndriyāṇyapi tu viddhi tato'vaśiṣṭo yaḥ kevalo'sti paramaḥ sa
  śivo'hamasmi ||99||

  “My master, I am not Earth or Water or Fire or Wind or Ākāśa or their
  qualities.  Neither am I the senses or their constantly changing objects.
  Always, I am only Paramaśiva.”(99)

(This is a paraphrase of the famous compoaition by Śaṅkarācārya called 
daśaśloki.)

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