Sep 16, 2008

Stanza-034

इष्टोविशिष्टः शिष्टेष्टः शिखण्डी नहृषो वृषः।

क्रोधहा क्रोधकृत्कर्ता विश्वबाहुर्महीधरः॥

ഇഷ്ടോവിശിഷ്ടഃ ശിഷ്ടേഷ്ടഃ സിഖണ്ടീ നഹൃഷോ വൃഷഃ

ക്രോധഹാ ക്രോധകൃത്കര്താ വിശ്വബാഹുര്മഹീധരഃ

இஷ்டோவிசிஷ்ட சிஷ்டேஷ்ட சிகண்டீ நஹ்ருஷோ வ்ரிஷ

க்ரோதஹா க்ரோதக்ரித்கர்த்தா விஸ்வபாஹுர் மஹீதர

ಇಷ್ಟೋವಿಶಿಷ್ಟಃ ಶಿಷ್ಟೇಷ್ಟಃ ಶಿಖಂಟೀ ನಹೃಷೋ ವೃಷಃ

ಕ್ರೋಧಹಾ ಕ್ರೋಧಕೃತ್ಕರ್ತಾ ವಿಶ್ವಬಾಹುರ್ಮಹೇಧರಃ

ఇష్టో విశిష్టః శిష్టెష్టః శిఖండీ నహృషో వృషః

క్రొధహా క్రోధకృత్కర్తా విశ్వబాహుర్ మహీధరః

ishto visishtah sishteshtah sikhandee nahusho vrishah
krodhahaa krodhakrit kartaa visvabaahur maheedharah.

308. lshtah - This term can be interpreted in two ways. One who is invoked through the different types of Vedic rituals (Yajnas), is Ishtah. Or, it can also mean, One who is loved by all. The Lord being the very centre of all love in everyone. The Brihadaranyakopanishad very clearly indicates this idea in almost unvarnished words: “The man loves his wife not because of the wife, but because of himself. ...etc.” All love spring from our personal love for the Infinite which is the Self in us.
309. Visishtah - One who is the noblest and the most sacred. Vishnu, the Lord, dwells in the heart of every- one. He is the sole essence presiding over every physical, mental and intellectual activities in every living creature and, therefore, He is indicated by this term.
310. Sishta-ishtah - To all spiritually minded good people and therefore sincere seekers, the Lord is the greatest beloved in-as-much as, He represents the Goal and the Destination of all devoted seekers. In short, He is the Supreme Beloved for all spiritually inclined divine hearts. He can also mean that the Lord is one who Himself is sincere and ardent lover and courtier of all devotees, sincerely and diligently seeking Him. There are commentators who indicate that the term can also mean: One who is being constantly invoked and help in adoration by all true devotees with their physical, mental and intellectual activities.
311. Sikhandee - One who wears ‘Sikhanda’ meaning “the peacock feather”, Lord Krishna is described in Bhagavat as having adorned with the ‘eye’ of the peacock feather, especially in his early child and boy-hood.
312. Nahushah - The term “Nahanmn” means bondage, therefore, the term stands for “One who is familiar with bondages,” ln Vedanta, the word ‘Isvarah’ is the Supreme Consciousness conditioned by the total- Causal-Body (Maayaa); at the same time, Isvara is One who has the Maayaa under His control, It can also be understood as “One who bind, all creatures of the world with the cord of Maayaa.” Those who are students of the Puranas interpret this word as One whose glory was expressed in the spectacular magnificence in Nahushah, who gained the Office of Indra.
313. Vrishah - There is a famous statement in the Hindu tradition from which we can gather that the Lord is of the nature of Dharma. Dharma means the essential Law of Being, that because of which an individual is an individual, without which the individual cannot exist, is the Dharma of the individual. In this sense, the essential Dharma of one is the Self. Thus, Vrishah is but another name to suggest that the Lord Vishnu is none other than the Self in us. It can also mean “One who showers the fulfilment of all desires in all devotees.” Desires arise when the existing Vaasanaas get impatient and explode into manifestation. As the desire arises, the mind plans out and the body acts towards its fulfilment. All these activities are possible only when the vehicles are thrilled by the Self in us. Thus, ultimately, one who fulfils all desires is the Lord of our heart, the Atman.
314. Krodhahaa - One who destroys anger in all sincere seekers. We have already found earlier that anger manifests when fulfilment of a deep desire is obstructed. On realising the Lord, all desires end and, therefore, there cannot be any anger on any occasion. Also, anger can come only when we recognise the world of plurality around us. For one who is experiencing the Self, there is nothing but the One Self everywhere and, therefore, there is no occasion to entertain this emotion of anger.
315. Krodha-krit-kartaa – One who generates in a sincere and serious seeker anger against the lower tendencies when they manifest-"Krodha-krit". Also He is the very creative impulse ‘Kartaa’ behind the lower tendencies; because all things come out from Him alone. Some commentators consider this term as two different words, but the majority consider them as an integrated one.
316. Visvabaahuh - One who has number of hands; whose hands are everywhere doing all activities in the universe. The life in the bosom as long as it exists, so long alone the hands and the legs function. The hands can lift and do its job only when it is in contact with life. Life expressing through the hand is its function. All hands that are doing variegater activities all over the world are all His hands in-as- much as, where He is not, that lifeless hand can perform no more any activity. Since He is thus the dynamic One Principle that functions through all hands at work, He is called a Visvabaahuh.
317. Maheedharah - One who is the Substratum and support for the Earth. The Lord is the very material cause for the universe and as such, He supports the world-just as cotton supports the cloth, mud supports the pot, gold supports the ornament. Since the term Mahee also means “the adorations sent up by the devotees,” it can also mean ‘One who receives all the worship of devoted hearts.’

Followers

Credits

Inspiration & courtesy:
Contribution of Shivkumar Kalyanaraman, Professor, Department of ECSE, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, New York, U.S.A.

Sanskrit script Courtesy:
Shri. N. Krishnamachari