[Advaita-l] Shankara Digvijaya Sara - part 26

[jaldhar at braincells.com]

padmapādatīrthayātrāvarṇana nāma caturdaśaḥ sargaḥ ||14||
Canto 14: An account of Padmapadas’ tīrtha yātrā

(Actually, the author of the sāra doesn't tell anything about this yātrā but 
concentrates on the story of how Śaṅkarācārya performed the funeral of his 
mother.)

167| adhigamya tadā''tmayogaśakteḥ anubhāvena nivedya cā''śravebhyaḥ |
avalambitatārakāpatho'sau acirādantikamāsasāda mātuḥ ||29||

167. With his yoga śakti, he [i.e. Śaṅkara] ascertained his mothers condition 
and after informing his disciples quickly travelled to her side by an aerial 
route.(29)

168| tatrā''turāṁ mātaramaikṣatāsau nanāma tasyāścaraṇau kṛtātmā |
sā cainamudvīkṣya śarīratāpaṁ jahau nidāghārta ivāmbudena ||30||

168. There, seeing that his mother was about to die, the one who has attained 
all, grasped her feet.  Seeing him, her body immediately became relieved from 
fever, like the heat-stricken one [is relieved] by rainclouds.(30)

169| asāvasaṅgo'pi tadā''rdracetāḥ mohāndhatamopahartā |
ambāyamastyatra śucaṁ jahīhi prabrūhi kiṁ te karavāṇi kṛtyam ||31||

169. Though he was free from attachments, he became filled with compassion. 
The one who is capable of dispelling the darkness of delusion said to his 
mother kindly, “I am here.  Give up your sadness and tell me what I should do 
for you.”(31)

170| dṛṣṭvā cirātputramanāmayaṁ sā hṛṣṭāntarātmā nijagāda mandam |
asyāṁ daśāyāṁ kuśalī mayā tvaṁ diṣṭyā'si dṛṣṭaḥ kimato'sti kṛtyam ||32||

170. Seeing her son after such a long time, she became filled with joy.  [She 
said] “When I, in this poor state, have seen you healthy and safe, what is 
there for me to ask of you?”(32)

171| itaḥ paraṁ putraka gātrametadvoḍhuṁ na śaknomi jarātiśīrṇam |
saṁskṛtya śāstroditavartmanā tvaṁ sadbhṛtta māṁ prāpaya puṇyalokān ||33||

171. “Oh best son! I can no longer bear this old and decrepit body.  Oh 
cultured one! Perform my funereal rites in the method described by the Śāstras 
so that I may attain a heavenly world.”(33)

172| tataḥ śaraccandra marīcirociḥ vicitrapāripluvaketanāḍhyam |
vimānamādāya manojñarūpaṁ prādurbabhūvuḥ kila viṣṇudūtāḥ ||43||

172. Then the emissaries of Viṣṇu Bhagavān came in a beautiful flying chariot 
bedecked with flags and shining like the rays of the Autumn Moon.(43)

173| vaimānikāṁstānnayanābhirāmānavekṣya hṛṣṭā praśaśaṁsa putram |
vimānamāropya virājamānaṁ anāyi taiḥ sā bahumānapūrvam ||44||

173. Seeing the charioteers, so beautiful to behold, she became happy and 
praised her son.  With honor they seated her in the chariot and with great 
respect led her away.(44)

(It is the sukṣma or subtle body that they took away.  The physical body 
remained to be cremated.)

174| iyamarciraharvalakṣapakṣānṣaḍudaṅgāsa samānilārkacandrān |
capalāvaruṇendradhātṛlokānkramaśo'tītya paraṁ padaṁ prapede ||45||

174. That pious woman passed through the worlds of the Śuklapakṣa, the 
Uttarāyana, Vāyu, Sūrya, Candra, Capalā, Varuṇa, Indra, Dhātā [i.e. Brahma] in 
turn until she reached the highest place.(45)

(See Bṛhadāraṇyakopaniṣad I.6.2.15

The worlds and their presiding deities include the Śuklapakṣa or part of the
month when the moon is waxing, the Uttarāyana or part of the year when the days
are getting longer, Capalā or Lightening, and Dhātā or Brahma.

The Vedas frequently refer to the ultimate world as viṣṇoḥ paraṁ padaṁ, the 
highest place of Viṣṇu.)

175| sañcitya kāṣṭāni suśuṣkavanti gṛhopakaṇṭhe dhṛtatoyapātraḥ |
sa dakṣiṇe doṣṇi mamantha vahniṁ dadāha tāṁ tena ca saṁyatātmā ||48||

175. With steady mind, he [i.e. Śaṅkara] made fire by gathering dry sticks 
from behind the house, putting them in his water pot, and kindling them by 
rubbing them with his right hand, and cremated her with it.(45)

176| itasvajananīmasau munijanairapi prārthitāṁ punaḥ patanavarjitāmatanusaukhyasandohinīm |
yatikṣitipatirgatiṁ vitamasaṁ sa nītvā tataḥ tato'nyamataśātane prayatate sma pṛthvītale ||54||

176. Having granted his mother that which the sages pray for, from where there 
is no fall, free from cares and without darkness, the King of Monks departed 
from there in order to remove the other philosophies from the Earth.(54)

(That place is Vaikuṇṭha.  There is no fall i.e. no rebirth from there.)


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