[Advaita-l] A guided meditation: Adi Shankara Bhagavatpada-- Vishnu Padadikeshanta Stotram

[V Subrahmanian]

Hari-smaranam on Ekadashi. Devotional reading from a work of Adi Shankara
Bhagavatpada-- Vishnu Padadikeshanta Stotram .

In this Stotra written in 52 verses Srimadacharya teaches us, in great
detail, how to visualize the form of Lord Vishnu. Before beginning to
meditate on the Lord’s form He meditates upon the five Presiding Deities of
His weapons— (1) the conch shell known as Panchajanya, (2) the disc known
as Sudarshana, (3) the bow known as Sharnga, (4) the sword known as
Nandaka, and (5) the club known as Kaumodaki, in the first five verses. In
verses 6 through 9 He meditates upon the four Deities that surround Him—
(1) Lord Garuda, (2) Lord Ananta, (3) Lakshmi Devi and (4) Bhumi Devi.
In verses 10 to 48 He meditates upon the Lord’s form from the foot to the
regions above. In verse 50 He meditates upon the Supreme Nirguna Brahman
from which stem all forms of Godhead. The phala-stuti in verse 52 says that
a devotee who worships the Lord gets freed from ‘एनोनिचयकवचकम्’ (the sheath
made up of wholesome and unwholesome Karmas acquired in many lifetimes)
upon the death of his physical body, enters into the bimba of Suryamandala
and attains the Supreme Bliss which is the nature of the Self. This is a
highly ornate work replete with Alankaras and is a great intellectual treat
to the scholar of Sanskrit literature just as it is a great devotional
treat to the devotee.
The Tamil Smarta takes you on a journey of visualization meditation and
also teaches you the proper pronunciation of the
Vishnu-padadikeshanta-stotra in Sanskrit. Sit straight, and either close
your eyes to meditate upon the Lord’s form as you hear the chanting of the
shlokas, or keep your eyes open to go through the Sanskrit text of each
shloka as the vocal goes on. And let The Guru, Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada,
guide you in contemplating on the Divya-mangala-rupam of Bhagavan as you
hear and/or chant each of the shloka. This 28-minute guided meditation of
Stotra-pathana (chanting) is a highly recommended practice for everyone. No
initiation or other qualification is required for this unlike the study of
the Brahmasutra-bhashya or the Upanishad-bhashya.

The article and the video rendering is by Dr.Gokulakrishnan Iyer of
Srirangam:

https://youtu.be/Xb-3nZmD8Qo

regards
subbu