NARAYANEEYAM DASAKAM - 62 - GOVARDHANA POOJA

Dasakam - 62 - Govardhana Pooja

Once Gopas were arranging pooja for Indra and started to collect material for it. Krishna belonging to the Surasena clan, decided to humble the pride of Indra. So Krishna in all humility and politeness asked his father Nanda and gopas, the reason for this effort. Nanda maharaj told that Indra only gives rain to earth which constitutes water for drinking and growing of green pastures, both of which are life supporters for the Cows tended by them. So it becomes necessary to please him every year.

Krishna sweetly refused the above statement of Nanda and said that the rain is not given by Indra, it happens due to past actions of the living beings. He further pointed out that in the big forest, the trees do not offer anything to Indra for rain. Krishna then, explained that it is Govardhana hill which is giving the green pastures and water to the cows. Therefore to have prosperity it is necessary that Gopas pray to Govardhana Hill and worship the learned holy Brahmins who are even greater than Devas.

Hearing Krishna's words, Nandagopan and the gopas then honoured the learned Brahmins and performed yagnya and offerings to Govardhana hill, circumambulated the hill and prostrated to the govardhana hill with great reverence. Krishna himself became the soul of the mountain and accepted all the pooja and offerings.

Krishna told gopas that Govardhana hill having personally accepted all of their offerings, even if Indra got angry with gopas, the mountain will protect them from his anger. All the inhabitants of Gokulam were happy to hear this and went back home along with Krishna. Devendra got the message that yagnya offering to him was prevented by Krishna. Even though, he was aware who Krishna was and whose mercy got him the high position among Devas, still unable to overcome the rajo guna of his mind, got furious.

With his pride ruling his head, Indra set out to win Krishna. Indra reasoned that Lord Sri Hari, the slayer of asura Madhu, himself in human form disrespects gods and devas, then it is an insult to the glory of the devas. Hence decided to destroy the prosperity of Gopas. He released deluge causing clouds along with thunder and came riding on airavat elephant with the thunderbolt in hand, followed by agni and vaayu. Bhattathiri wondered at the way the Lord's maya caused affliction of mind.

Seeing the rain clouds, Gopas became scared. Krishna convinced them that Indra's anger will not cause any destruction to Gokula. They have the mercy of the learned Brahmins and Govardhana hill which will surely evade their sorrows. Having said, Krishna waited for the arrival of Indra. Bhattathiri  requested Lord Guruvayoorappan, slayer of Mura, to eradicate his ailments and protect him.

PS - Govardhana is itself Krishna only. By doing pooja to Govardhana, Krishna does pooja to himself. 

To do pooja to God, one must be Sattva like God. - From Guru Savitri Renganathan mami's explanation during Sapthaham - 2017

Lyrics of Dasakam 62

कदाचित् गोपालान् विहित मखसम्भार विभवान्

निरीक्ष्य त्वं शौरे मघव मदम्-उद्ध्वंसितु मना: ।

विजानन्नपि एतान् विनय मृदु नन्दादि पशुपान्

अपृच्छ: को वाऽयं जनक भवताम् उद्यम इति ॥१॥ 

kadaachit gOpaalaan vihita makhasambhaara vibhavaan

niriikshya tvaM shaure maghava madam-udhdvamsitu manaa: |

vijaanannapi etaan vinaya mR^idu nandaadi pashupaan

apR^ichCha: kO vaa(a)yaM janaka bhavataam udyama iti || 1 ||

बभाषे नन्दस्त्वां सुत ननु विधेयो मघवतो

मखो वर्षे वर्षे सुखयति स वर्षेण पृथिवीम् ।

नृणां वर्षायत्तं निखिलम्-उपजीव्यं महितले

विशेषात् अस्माकं तृण सलिल जीवा हि पशव: ॥२॥

babhaaShe nandastvaaM suta nanu vidheyO maghavatO

makhO varShe varShe sukhayati sa varSheNa pR^ithiviim |

nR^iNaaM varShaayattaM nikhilam-upajiivyaM mahitale

visheShaat asmaakaM tR^iNa salila jiivaa hi pashava: || 2 ||

इति श्रुत्वा वाचं पितु: अयि भवानाह सरसं

धिगेतन्नो सत्यं मघव जनिता वृष्टिरिति यत् ।

अदृष्टं जीवानां सृजति खलु वृष्टिं समुचितां

महारण्ये वृक्षा: किमिव बलिम् इन्द्राय ददते ॥३॥

iti shrutvaa vaachaM pitu: ayi bhavaanaaha sarasaM

dhigetannO satyaM maghava janitaa vR^iShTiriti yat |

adR^iShTaM jiivaanaaM sR^ijati khalu vR^iShTiM samuchitaaM

mahaaraNye vR^ikshaa: kimiva balim indraaya dadate || 3 ||

इदं तावत् सत्यं यदिह पशवो न: कुलधनं

तदा जीव्यायासौ बलिरचल भर्त्रे समुचित: ।

सुरेभ्योपि उत्कृष्टा ननु धरणिदेवा: क्षिति तले

ततस्तेपि आराध्या इति जगदिथ त्वम् निज जनान् ॥४॥

idaM taavat satyaM yadiha pashavO na: kuladhanaM

tadaa jiivyaayaasau balirachala bhartre samuchita: |

surebhyO(a)pi utkR^iShTaa nanu dharaNidevaa: kshiti tale

tataste(a)pi aaraadhyaa iti jagaditha tvaM nija janaan || 4 ||

भवद्वाचं श्रुत्वा बहुमतियुता: तेऽपि पशुपा:

द्विजेन्द्रान् अर्चन्तो बलिमददुरुच्चै: क्षितिभृते ।

व्यधु: प्रादक्षिण्यं सुभृशमनम् अन्नादरयुता:

त्वमाद: शैलात्मा बलिम् अखिलम् आभीरपुरत: ॥५॥

bhavadvaacham shrutvaa bahumatiyutaa: te(a)pi pashupaa:

dvijendraan archantO balimadaduruchchai: kshitibhR^ite |

vyadhu: praadakshiNyaM subhR^ishamanam annaadarayutaa: 

tvamaada: shailaatmaa balim akhilam aabhiirapurata: || 5 ||

अवोचश्चैवं तान् किमिह वितथं मे निगदितं

गिरीन्द्रो नन्वेष स्वबलिम् उपभुङ्क्ते स्व वपुषा ।

अयं गोत्रो गोत्रद्विषि च कुपिते रक्षितुम्-अलं

समस्तान् इत्युक्त्वा जहृषु: अखिला गोकुलजुष: ॥६॥

avOchashchaivaM taan kimiha vitathaM me nigaditaM

giriindrO nanveSha svabalim upabhunkte sva vapuShaa |

ayaM gOtrO gOtradviShi cha kupite rakshitum-alaM

samastaan ityuktvaa jahR^iShu: akhilaa gOkulajuSha: || 6 ||

परिप्रीता याता: खलु भवदुपेता व्रजजुषो

व्रजं यावत् तावत् निजमखविभङ्गं निशमयन् ।

भवन्तं जानन्नपि अधिकरजसा आक्रान्तहृदयो

न सेहे देवेन्द्र: त्वदुपरचितात्मोन्नतिरपि ॥७॥

paripriitaa yaataa: khalu bhavadupetaa vrajajuShO

vrajaM yaavat taavat nijamakhavibhangaM nishamayan |

bhavantaM jaanannapi adhikarajasaa aakraantahR^idayO

na sehe devendra: tvaduparachitaatmonnatirapi || 7 ||

मनुष्यत्वं यातो मधुभिदपि देवेष्वविनयं

विधत्ते चेत् नष्ट: त्रिदश सदसां कोऽपि महिमा ।

ततश्च ध्वंसिष्ये पशुपहतकस्य श्रियमिति

प्रवृत्तस्त्वां जेतुं स किल मघवा दुर्मदनिधि: ॥८॥

manuShyatvaM yaatO madhubhidapi deveShvavinayaM

vidhatte chet naShTastridasha sadasaaM kO(a)pi mahimaa |

tatashcha dhvamsiShye pashupahatakasya shriyamiti

pravR^ittastvaaM jetuM sa kila maghavaa durmadanidhi: || 8 ||

त्वदावासं हन्तुं प्रलय जलदानम्बर भुवि

प्रहिण्वन् बिभ्राण: कुलिशमयमभ्रेभ गमन: ।

प्रतस्थेऽन्यै: अन्तर्दहन मरुदाद्यै: विहसितो

भवन्माया नैव त्रिभुवनपते मोहयति कम् ॥९॥

tvadaavaasaM hantuM pralaya jaladaanambara bhuvi

prahiNvan bibhraaNa: kulishamayamabhrebha gamana: |

pratasthe(a)nyai: antardahana marudaadyai: vihasitO

bhavanmaayaa naiva tribhuvanapate mOhayati kam || 9 ||

सुरेन्द्र: क्रुद्धश्चेत् द्विज करुणया शैलकृपयाऽपि

अनातङ्क: अस्माकं नियत इति विश्वास्य पशुपान् ।

अहो किन्नायातो गिरिभिदिति सञ्चिन्त्य निवसन्

मरुद्गेहाधीश प्रणुद मुरवैरिन् मम गदान् ॥१०॥

surendra: kruddhashchet dvija karuNayaa shailakR^ipaiaapi

anaatankO asmaakaM niyata iti vishvaasya pashupaan |

ahO kinnaayaatO giribhiditi sanchintya nivasan

marudgehaadhiisha praNuda muravairin mama gadaan || 10 ||

---------Sri Krishnarpanam----------