[Advaita-l] Shankara Digvijaya Sara - part 13

[jaldhar at braincells.com]

79| itīdamākarṇya vaco vicitraṁ sa bhāṣyakṛtsūtraktaṁ didṛkṣuḥ |
kṛtāñjalistaṁ prayataḥ praṇamya babhāṇa vāṇīṁ navapadyarūpām ||12||

79. On hearing these strange words, the commentator [on the Brahmasūtra] faced 
the author [of the Brahmasūtra] and bowing before him with folded hands, 
praised him with ornate speech.(12)

80| dvaipāyana svāgatamastu tubhyaṁ dṛṣṭvā bhavantaṁ caritā mayā'rthāḥ |
yuktaṁ tadetattvayi sarvakālaṁ paropakāravratadīkṣitatvāt ||23||

80. Dvaipāyana [i.e. Vyāsa] welcome to you!  By seeing you sir, all my deeds 
have become fruitful.  It is your nature to always observe the vrata of 
helping others which you have been initiated in.(23)

(Veda Vyāsa is a title.  His personal name is Kṛṣṇa Dvaipāyana because he was 
born on a dvipa or island.  In the context of the Brahmasūtra, he is called 
Badarāyana because that work was composed under a Badari tree.)

81| akāri yatsāhasamātmabuddhyā bhavatpraśiṣyvyapadeśabhājā |
vicārya tatsūktadurūktijālamarhaḥ samīkartumidaṁ kṛpāluḥ ||38||

81. So I humbly petition you this: Your grand-śiṣya has, despite being of 
modest talent, dared to write a commentary. Please Merciful One, go through it 
and point out what is well-said and what ill-said [and thus requires 
correction.](38)

(Śaṅkarācharya is actually the fourth in sucession from Veda Vyāsa via 
Govindapādāchārya, Gauḍapādāchārya and Śhukadevaji.)

82| itthaṁ nigadyoparatasya hastāddhastadvayenā''darataḥ sa bhāṣyam |
ādāya sarvatra niraikṣatāsau prasādagāmbhīryaguṇābhirāmam ||39||

82. He [i.e. Vyāsa] on hearing this praise, took the text of the commentary in 
his hands and perused it entirely, pronouncing it excellent in style, wording, 
and meaning.(39)

83| bahvarthagarbhāṇi laghūni yāni niguḍhabhāvāni ca matkṛtāni |
tvāmevamitthaṁ virahayya nāsti yastāni samyagvivarītumīṣṭe ||44||

83. [Vyāsa said] “These writings of yours, though concise, are pregnant with 
many profound meanings. There is none other than who is able to so clearly 
explain my work.”(44)

84| bhāvaṁ madīyamavabudhya yathāvadevaṁ bhāṣyaṁ praṇetumanalaṁ bhagavānapīśaḥ |
sāṅkhyādinā'nyathayitaṁ śrutimūrdhavartmoddhartuṁ kathaṁ paraśivāṁśamṛte prabhuḥ syāt ||46||

84. “Even Bhagavān Himself would be hard-pressed to understand my thoughts 
well enough to write a commentary such as this. The Sāṅkhyās and others 
amongst the foremost interpreters of Shruti have made errors; who but the 
incarnation of Paraśiva could correct them?”(46)

("Even Bhagavān Himself..." is hyperbole.  Veda Vyāsa himself is an avatāra of 
Bhagavān.)

85| prasannagambhīrabhavatpraṇītaprabandhasandarbhabhavaḥ praharṣaḥ |
protsāhayatyātmvidāmṛṣīṇāṁ vareṇya viśrāṇayituṁ varaṁ te ||54||

85. Oh foremost amongst the knowers of Ātman!  I have become so happy, reading 
through your works which are filled with deep truths, that I wish to grant you 
a boon.(54)

86| aṣṭau vayāṁsi vidhinā tava vatsa dattānyanyāni cāṣṭa bhavatā sudhiyā''rjitāni |
bhūyo'pi ṣoḍaśa bhavantu bhavājñayā te bhūyācca bhāṣyamidamāravicandratāram ||55||

86. “You were fated by Vidhi [i.e. Brahma] to live only eight years.  Because 
of your wise decision to take saṁnyāsa, your lifespan was extended by another 
eight years. And now by the order of Bhava [i.e. Śiva] I extend it by another 
sixteen.  Your commentary will last as long as the Sun, Moon, and stars.”(55)

(Although Śaṅkarācharyas' physical lifespan was brief, he lives on eternally
through the medium of his works.)


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