अनुकूलः शतावर्तः पद्मी पद्मनिभेक्षणः॥
അശോകസ്താരണസ്താര ശൂരഃ ശൌരിര്ജനേശ്വരഃ
അനുകൂല ശതാവര്തഃ പദ്മീ പദ്മനിഭേക്ഷണഃ
அசோகஸ்தாரணஸ்தார சூர சௌரிர்ஜநேச்வர
அனுகூல சதாவர்த்த பத்மீ பத்மநிபேக்ஷண
ಅಶೋಕಸ್ತಾರಣಸ್ತಾರಃ ಶೂರಃ ಶೌರಿರ್ಜನೇಶ್ವರಃ
ಅನುಕೂಲ ಶತಾವರ್ತಃ ಪದ್ಮೀ ಪದ್ಮನಿಭೇಕ್ಷಣಃ
అశోకస్తారణస్తారః శూరః శౌరిర్జనేశ్వరః
అనుకూల శతావర్తః పద్మీ పద్మనిభేక్షణః
asokastaaranastaarah soorah saurih-janesvarah
anukoolah sataavarttah padmee padmanibhekshanah.
336. Asokah – “One who has no sorrows.” Sorrow is a condition experienced when the mind is agitated and extremely disturbed. The agitations of the mind come from desires, greed, etc. Therefore, the term Asokah indicates, “One who has none of these negative tendencies that create in their turn more and more mental disturbances”. This is a true appalation, because, the Lord, as the Self, transcends the realm of the thought-disturbances constituted by the mind-intellect- equipment.
337. Taaranah – “One who enables others to cross.” The ego suffering the constant agitations of the equipments is saved by the Self. The ego (jeeva), when it discovers its identity with the Self, automatically moves away from the sorrows of the vehicles. In short, as Vishnubhaagavata says, “who is there other than You that can save us from the wheel of birth and death.”
338. Taarah – “One who saves is called Taarah, One who saves from the fear of re-birth and also One who is a constant protector of the devotees and, therefore, the devotees themselves call Him as the Saviour (Taarah). These three terms indicate how Vishnu is the Absolute Protector of His devotees. He saves us from the afflictions (Asoka) of the body and so Subjective-sorrows (Adhyaatma). He enables us to cross the ocean of Samsaara (Taaranah) and, therefore, He saves us from all Cosmic pains (Adhibhootah). He saves us from the elements (Taarah), and so, He is the Saviour from all sorrows of birth and death; this indicates all trans-Cosmic tragedies (Aadhidaivika), meaning that Narayana can save us from all sorrows contributed by the hand God.
339. Soorah – “The Valiant”. All sources of strength and courage spring from the Life in us and, therefore, the Lord of the universe is called here as the Valiant-capable of crushing all unrighteous forces, however well-trenched they may be in the world.
340. Saurih – Soorasena was the father of Vasudeva, and we have already found that Vasudeva’s son is Vaasudeva. Therefore, the Lord had taken His incarnation in the family of Soora and so He is termed as ‘Saurih’.
341. Janesvarah - The Lord of the people (jana). Those who are born are called Jana. Therefore the term indicates that He is the Lord of all creatures born the universe.
342. Anukoolah – “A hearty well-wisher, or friend of everyone”. Since the Lord is the Essential Life in everyone, He is the friend and ally of every individual in as much as, nobody spends his life except in concurrence with his own subjective intentions and purposes. Thus, the Lord is a friend fulfilling the intentions of a murderer, and He is again the friend of another helping Him to serve the mankind, if that be his intention. Thus, He is a friend and a devoted ally to everyone since He is the mighty power behind all Vaasanaas expressing through all creatures.
343. Sataavarttah - Sata means “hundred”, and here it is used as “innumerable”. Thus the term’ Sataavarttah’ means “One who takes infinite varieties of forms”. All forms in the universe are but His own, inasmuch as, His manifestation is the universe. Again, He takes innumerable incarnations in order to maintain the taw of the cosmos and also the law of evolution. It can also mean “One who, as Praana, moves in the innumerable Naadees in the body”.
344. Padmee – “One who has the lotus in his hand”. The lotus is the national flower in Bharat as it symbolises in our culture, the Goal of our Spiritual life. It is to offer this “Knowledge”, that the Lord blows His conch, and if people are not listening to this silent call of the Higher from within, He uses His gadaa (mace) to give merciful knocks in life. Still, if an individual or a generation is not listening to His kindly warnings, He has the Discus (Chakra) in His hand. He annihilates totally the existing forms and re-creates.
345. Padma-nibhekshanah – “One whose eyes are as beautiful as the Lotus.” In short, ‘lotus-eyed.’
