Dasakam - 93 - Twenty Four Gurus
Bhattathiri describes in this dasakam, the qualities he (and there by all of us too) should imbibe from nature and living beings around in this universe.
By the mercy of god, Bhattathiri wished to let go the attachment to his relatives. With mind fixed completely in the Lord and with clear understanding that whatever he saw around are all nothing but an expression of maya, Bhattathiri wanted to abandon all actions due to his mind, body and speech. As long as one possesses attachment to the self and to his varnam, ashramam, there will be some do's/don'ts, good/bad, acceptable/not acceptable. If one surrendered his mind completely to the Lord and understand that he is not different from Lord and possess a balanced mind, then there would be no question of likes or dislikes.
There are varieties of animals in this earth which have only sense of hunger and thirst. But
human beings alone have common sense to distinguish good and bad, hence taking birth as human being is the best of all. After taking such a best form in this world, such a human being becomes friend and enemy for himself. The one who fixes mind on Lord and learns to solve his miseries of birth/death cycle through that, becomes friend to his soul and one who differs from this becomes enemy to his own soul.
Everything in this universe becomes a spiritual teacher due to the grace of the God. One can learn patience from Mother earth which bears all life without any complaints. Wind though mixes with everything in the atmosphere yet does not loses its trait and hence teaches the sense of detachment. Without attachment, the soul should learn to be spread as wide as the sky. One can learn from water to be pure and clear in mind and thoughts. Any food or thing put in fire gets accepted by it and is independent of the defects in them. From fire, Bhattathiri wanted to learn the quality of being unaffected by defects or sins of others. Just like fire is present in every tree, he attempted to recognise himself in all beings. Just like waxing and waning of the moon, the growth and degeneration are only limited to the body and not for the soul. The reflection of the Sun appears different in different types of water, likewise Bhattathiri sought the Lord's grace to understand that the soul or the athma, though present in different physical forms, yet it is all one.
Bhattathiri does not want to get attached and experience miseries like the dove in a story which died because its loved ones were killed by a hunter. The python waits for its prey and takes only what it gets naturally. Likewise Bhattathiri sought to eat whatever food is available and bear hunger when not available. He wanted to adopt the mightiness shown by ocean. He prayed to Lord that he should not fall for the pleasures obtained through women and destroy himself, like the firefly seeking light, destroys itself by falling in to the fire eventually. He wants to attain the quality of assimilating the good like how the beetle sucks honey from flowers, at the same time prayed to Lord that he should not become greedy and destroy himself in accumulating wealth like it.
Male elephants are controlled by using female elephants, So Bhattathiri requested Lord that he should never fall for the beauty of woman and get captivated by them. He wishes not to learn the act of accumulating wealth from honey bee which gathers and stores honey. Just like how humans take the honey after driving away the bee, robbers will take away the accumulated wealth one day. He wished not to get attracted to sounds which does not be long to divinity unlike deer which falls to music played by hunters. Like a fish which falls in to the net for the want of prey, Bhattathiri wished not to fall in prey for material benefits. He wanted to be like Pingala, lady who slept well after she withdrew her interest in acquiring greater wealth. Kurram is a bird which is attacked by other birds as it holds and guards the meat on its beak. Bhattathiri wants not to be like this bird, in accumulating wealth and then suffer miseries in an effort to protect it.
Bhattathiri wished to be like a child in being happy and carefree. Two or more bangles on hand make noise, if it is one, it will not. Bhattathiri wanted to avoid unnecessary talks and arguments to have peace in life. He wants to stay focused on Lord like a person who aims his arrow does not get distracted by the jarring music of the instruments announcing King's arrival. Just like how snakes live in the hole made by the mouse, Bhattathiri wanted to stay happily, peacefully and unattached in house built by others.
Spider spins its web from the fluid emanating from its body and later pulls it onto itself. Similarly Lord creates the world but makes the people stay focused on himself. A wasp stings a worm continuously and make it always think about wasp and worm finally becomes a wasp itself. Similarly, Bhattathiri wanted to stay focused on the Lord and eventually get Lord's divya swaroopam. Finally, to Bhattathiri, his physical body which becomes ashes or feast to the worms in the end, suffering with the disease, was itself serving as the best Guru.
The attachment to the physical form only causes attachment to property, wife, wealth and makes one forget to contemplate on Lord's form without knowing the fact that this body becomes food to fire or dog. Bhattathiri wonders why the five senses does not stay controlled and keep wandering, never getting attracted to Lord's lotus feet. He prayed to Lord to remove his body afflictions as he is still not able to get over the attachment to his physical form. He has received the physical form of Brahmin by good Karma in his previous births. Hence sincerely requested Lord to protect his hard earned physical body from falling for sensuous desires and help him surrender only to Lord's lotus feet. Lord Guruvayoorappan nodded his head, acknowledging all his requests.
Lyrics of Dasakam 93
बन्धुस्नेहं विजह्यां तव हि करुणया त्वय्युपावेशितात्मा
सर्वं त्यक्त्वा चरेयं सकलमपि जगत् वीक्ष्य माया विलासम् ।
नानात्वात् भ्रान्तिजन्यात् सति खलु गुण दोषावबोधे विधिर्वा
व्यासेधो वा कथं तौ त्वयि निहितमते: वीत वैषम्य बुद्धे: ॥१॥
bandhusnehaM vijahyaaM tava hi karuNayaa tvayyupaaveshitaatmaa
sarvaM tyaktvaa chareyaM sakalamapi jagat viikshya maayaavilaasam |
naanaatvaat bhraantijanyaat sati khalu guNadOShaavabOdhe vidhirvaa
vyaasedhO vaa kathaM tau tvayi nihitamate: viita vaiShamyabuddhe: || 1 ||
क्षुत् तृष्णा लोपमात्रे सतत कृतधियो जन्तव: सन्त्यनन्ता:
तेभ्यो विज्ञानवत्त्वात् पुरुष इह वर: तज्जनिर्दुर्लभैव ।
तत्राप्यात्मात्मन: स्यात्-सुहृदपि च रिपु: यस्त्वयि न्यस्तचेता:
तापोच्छित्ते: उपायं स्मरति स हि सुहृत् स्वात्मवैरी ततोऽन्य: ॥२॥
kshut tR^iShNaa lOpamaatre satata kR^itadhiyO jantava: santyanantaa:
tebhyO vij~naanavattvaat puruSha iha vara: tajjanirdurlabhaiva |
tatraapyaatmaa(a)(a)tmana: syaat-suhR^idapi cha ripu: yastvayi nyastachetaa:
taapOchChitte: upaayaM smarati sa hi suhR^it svaatmavairii tatO(a)nya: || 2 ||
त्वत्कारुण्ये प्रवृत्ते क इव न हि गुरु: लोकवृत्तेऽपि भूमन्
सर्वाक्रान्तापि भूमि: न हि चलति तत: सत्क्षमां शिक्षयेयम् ।
गृह्णीयाम् ईश तत्तत् विषय परिचयेपि अप्रसक्तिं समीरात्
व्याप्तत्वम् च आत्मनो मे गगन गुरुवशात् भातु निर्लेपता च ॥३
tvatkaaruNye pravR^itte ka iva na hi guru: lOkavR^itte(a)pi bhuuman
sarvaakraantaa(a)pi bhuumi: nahi chalati tata: satkshamaaM shikshayeyam |
gR^ihNiiyaam iisha tattat viShaya parichaye(a)pi aprasaktiM samiiraat
vyaaptatvaM chaatmanO me gagana guruvashaat bhaatu nirlepataa cha || 3 ||
स्वच्छ: स्यां पावनोऽहं मधुर उदकवत् वह्निवन्मा स्म गृह्णां
सर्वान्नीनोऽपि दोषं तरुषु तमिव मां सर्वभूतेष्ववेयाम् ।
पुष्टिर्नष्टि: कलानां शशिन इव तनो: नात्मनोऽस्तीति विद्यां
तोयादिव्यस्त मार्ताण्डवदपि च तनुष्वेकतां त्वत् प्रसादात् ॥४॥
svachCha: syaaM paavanO(a)haM madhura udakavat vahnivanmaa sma gR^ihNaaM
sarvaanniinO(a)pi dOShaM taruShu tamiva maaM sarvabhuuteShvaveyaam |
puShTirnaShTi: kalaanaaM shashina iva tanO: naatmanO(a)stiiti vidyaaM
tOyaadivyasta maartaaNDavadapi cha tanuShvekataaM tvat prasaadaat || 4 ||
स्नेहाद्व्याधात्त पुत्रव्यसन मृत कपोतायितो मा स्म भूवं
प्राप्तं प्राश्नन् सहेय क्षुधमपि शयुवत् सिन्धु वत्स्याम् अगाध: ।
मा पप्तं योषिदादौ शिखिनि शलभवत् भृङ्गवत् सारभागी
भूयासं किन्तु तद्वत् धनचयनवशात् माहमीश प्रणेशम् ॥५॥
snehaadvyaadhaasta putra vyasana mR^ita kapOtaayitO maa sma bhuuvaM
praaptaM praashnan saheya kshudhamapi shayuvat sindhu vatsyaam agaadha: |
maa paptaM yOShidaadau shikhini shalabhavat bhR^ingavat saarabhaagii
bhuuyaasaM kintu tadvat dhanachayanavashat maa(a)hamiisha praNesham || 5 ||
मा बद्ध्यासं तरुण्या गज इव वशया नार्जयेयं धनौघं
हर्तान्यस्तं हि माध्वीहर इव मृगवन् मा मुहं ग्राम्य गीतै: ।
नात्यासज्जेय भोज्ये झष इव बलिशे पिङ्गलावन् निराश:
सुप्यां भर्तव्य योगात् कुरर इव विभो सामिषोऽन्यैर्न हन्यै ॥६॥
maa badhyaasaM taruNyaa gaja iva vashayaa naarjayeyaM dhanaughaM
hartaa(a)nyastaM hi maadhviihara iva mR^igavan maa muhaM graamya giitai: |
naatyaasajjeya bhOjye jhaSha iva baLishe pingalaavan niraasha:
supyaaM bhartavya yOgaat kurara iva vibhO saamiShO(a)nyairna hanyai || 6 ||
वर्तेय त्यक्तमान: सुखमति शिशुवत् निस्सहायश्चरेयं
कन्याया एकशेषो वलय इव विभो वर्जितान्योन्य घोष: ।
त्वच्चित्तो नावबुध्यै परमिषुकृदिव क्ष्माभृदायान घोषं
गेहेषु अन्य प्रणीतेषु अहिरिव निवसानि उन्दुरोर्मन्दिरेषु ॥७॥
varteya tyaktamaana: sukhamati shishuvat nissahaayashchareyaM
kanyaayaa ekasheShO valaya iva vibhO varjitaanyOnya ghOSha: |
tvachchittO naavabudhyai paramiShukR^idiva kshmaabhR^idaayaana ghOShaM
geheShu anya praNiiteSu ahiriva nivasaani undurOrmandireShu || 7 ||
त्वय्येव त्वत्कृतं त्वं क्षपयसि जगदित्यूर्णनाभात् प्रतीयां
त्वच्चिन्ता त्वत् स्वरूपं कुरुत इति दृढं शिक्षये पेशकारात् ।
विड्भस्मात्मा च देहो भवति गुरुवरो यो विवेकं विरक्तिं
धत्ते सञ्चिन्त्यमानो मम तु बहुरुजा-पीडितोऽयं विशेषात् ॥८॥
tvayyeva tvatkR^itaM taM kshapayasi jagadityuurNanaabhaat pratiiyaaM
tvachchintaa tvat svaruupaM kuruta iti dR^iDhaM shikshaye peshakaaraat |
viDbhasmaatmaa cha dehO bhavati guruvarO yO vivekaM viraktiM
dhatte sanchintyamaanO mama tu bahurujaa-piiDitO(a)yaM visheShaat || 8 ||
ही ही मे देहमोहं त्यज पवनपुराधीश यत्प्रेम हेतो:
गेहे वित्ते कलत्रादिषु च विवशिता: त्वत्पदं विस्मरन्ति ।
सोऽयं वह्नेश्शुनो वा परमिह परत: साम्प्रतम् चाक्षिकर्ण:
त्वग्जिह्वाद्या विकर्षन्ति अवशमत इत: कोऽपि न त्वत् पदाब्जे ॥९॥
hii hii me dehamOhaM tyaja pavanapuraadhiisha yatperamahetO:
gehe vitte kalatraadiShu cha vivashitaa: tvatpadaM vismaranti |
sO(a)yaM vahne: shunO vaa paramiha parata: saamprataM chaakshikarNa:
tvagjihvaadyaa vikarShanti avashamata ita: kO(a)pi na tvat padaabje || 9 ||
दुर्वारो देहमोहो यदि पुनरधुना तर्हि निश्शेषरोगान्
हृत्वा भक्तिं द्रढिष्ठां कुरु तव पद पङ्केरुहे पङ्कजाक्ष ।
नूनं नाना भवान्ते समधिगतममुं मुक्तिदं विप्रदेहं
क्षुद्रे हा हन्त मा मा क्षिप विषयरसे पाहि मां मारुतेश ॥१०॥
durvaarO dehamOhO yadi punaradhunaa tarhi nishsheSharOgaan
hR^itvaa bhaktiM draDhiShThaaM kuru tava pada pankeruhe pankajaaksha |
nuunaM naanaa bhavaante samadhigatamimaM muktidaM vipradehaM
kshudre haa hanta maa maa kshipa viShayarase paahi maaM maarutesha || 10 ||
--------Sri Krishnarpanam--------
