Dasakam - 27 - Koorma Avathaaram
Sage Durvasa gifted a celestial Garland to Indra,which he obtained from the heavenly nymphs. Indra put the Garland on the elephant Irawatham and in-turn the elephant crushed it under its feet. Durvasa born of Rudra amsam, could not control his rage on the insult done and cursed Indra.
Indra, supposed to be young always, due to the curse, became very old and weak, started to lose battles against Asuras. Devas became worried and went to Shiva and Brahma, and then collectively went to Lord Vishnu and requested his intervention. Lord directed devas to make peace with asuras and churn the milk of ocean to get the divine nectar, which can keep devas young and alive always.
Devas made peace with asuras and lifted the Mandara mountain to use it to churn the milky ocean. The mountain slipped and fell down, which Lord himself picked it up and put it in to the ocean. With Vasuki, the mighty serpent as the churning rope, the devas and asuras started to churn the ocean. Lord tactfully made asuras hold the head side of the snake and devas the tail side.
While churning, due to self-weight, the mountain started to sink in the ocean. Helpless, devas then prayed to the Lord, who incarnated as tortoise or Koorma and bore the weight of the entire mountain on its hard shell and lifted it up to enable churning further. Then devas and asuras started to churn the ocean faster, when it started to topple, but Lord held it firmly in the water with his lotus like hand.
Wonder struck, Brahma, Shiva and other gods sang in praise of the Lord, showering flowers from the heavens. Vasuki started to emanate poison from its mouth and this made Asuras very uncomfortable and the heat was experienced by devas and other gods as well to little extent. Lord with his mercy, now made rain shower over Gods and devas but not on asuras.
After churning for long time, Nectar did not come; only fishes and aquatic organisms were thrown out of the ocean. Lord seeing the plight of devas, started to churn the ocean with his two hands holding two ends of Vasuki. Bhattathiri appreciating the mighty actions of the Lord, requests him to relieve him of his ailments.
PS: In Amrutha madhanam, at every stage, when mandara malai slipped off the hands, the mountain went in to the milky ocean due to self weight, when vasuki expelled venom and fire, when the devas, asuras became tired and still got only the ocean curdled resulting in water species to come up but no sign of nectar, Lord helps to perform the actions further.
Brahmasri Anantharama Deekshithar says without the help of the divine, nothing is possible even with hard efforts. When this is true for Devas, the blessed ones in indralokam, then what to say for common people like us. We need his blessings and divine support to accomplish anything in life.
Lyrics of Dasakam 27
दुर्वासा: सुरवनिताप्त दिव्यमाल्यं
शक्राय स्वयम्-उपदाय तत्र भूय: ।
नागेन्द्र प्रतिमृदिते शशाप शक्रं
का क्षान्ति: त्वदितर देवतांशजानाम् ॥१॥
durvaasaa: suravanitaapta divyamaalyaM
shakraaya svayam upadaaya tatra bhuuya: |
naagendra pratimR^idite shashaapa shakraM
kaa kshaanti: tvaditara devataamsha jaanaam || 1 ||
शापेन प्रथितजरेऽथ निर्जरेन्द्रे
देवेष्वपि-असुर-जितेषु निष्प्रभेषु ।
शर्वाद्या: कमलजमेत्य सर्वदेवा:
निर्वाण प्रभव समं भवन्तमापु: ॥२॥
shaapena prathitajare(a)tha nirjarendre
deveShvapi asura jiteShu niShprabheShu |
sharvaadyaa: kamalajametya sarvadevaa:
nirvaaNa prabhava samaM bhavantamaapu: || 2 ||
ब्रह्माद्यै: स्तुत महिमा चिरं तदानीं
प्रादुष्षन् वरद पुर: परेण धाम्ना ।
हे देवा दितिज कुलैर्विधाय सन्धिं
पीयूषं परिमथत इति पर्यशास्त्वम् ॥३॥
brahmaadyai: stuta mahimaa chiraM tadaaniiM
praaduShShan varada pura: pareNa dhaamnaa |
he devaa ditija kulairvidhaaya sandhiM
piiyuuShaM parimatha iti paryashaastvam || 5 ||
सन्धानं कृतवति दानवै: सुरौघे
मन्थानं नयति मदेन मन्दराद्रिम् ।
भ्रष्टेऽस्मिन् बदरमिवोद्वहन् खगेन्द्रे
सद्यस्त्वं विनिहितवान् पय: पयोधौ ॥४॥
sandhaanaM kR^itavati daanavai: suraughe
manthaanaM nayati madena mandaraadrim |
bhraShTe(a)smin badaramivOdvahan khagendre
sadyastvaM vinihitavaan paya: payOdhau || 4 ||
आधाय द्रुतमथ वासुकिं वरत्रां
पाथोधौ विनिहित सर्व बीजजाले ।
प्रारब्धे मथनविधौ सुरासुरै: तै:
व्याजात्त्वं भुजगमुखे अकरो: सुरारीन् ॥५॥
aadhaaya drutamatha vaasukiM varatraaM
paathOdhau vinihita sarva biijajaale |
praarabdhe mathanavidhau suraasurai: tai:
vyaajaattvaM bhujagamukhe (a)karO: suraariin || 5 ||
क्षुब्धाद्रौ क्षुभित जलोदरे तदानीं
दुग्धाब्धौ गुरुतर भारतो निमग्ने ।
देवेषु व्यथित तमेषु तत्-प्रियैषी:
प्राणैषी: कमठतनुं कठोर पृष्ठाम् ॥६॥
kshubdhaadrau kshubhita jalOdare tadaaniiM
dugdhaabdhau gurutara bhaaratO nimagne |
deveShu vyathita tameShu tatpriyaiShii
praaNaiShii: kamaThatanuM kaTOra pR^iShThaam || 6 ||
वज्राति स्थिरतर कर्परेण विष्णो
विस्तारात् परिगत-लक्ष-योजनेन ।
अम्भोधे: कुहर गतेन वर्ष्मणा त्वं
निर्मग्नं क्षितिधरनाथम् उन्निनेथ ॥७॥
vajraati sthiratara karpareNa viShNO
vistaaraat parigata laksha yOjanena |
ambhOdhe: kuhara gatena varShmaNaa tvaM
nirmagnaM kshitidharanaatham unninetha || 7 ||
उन्मग्ने झटिति तदा धरा धरेन्द्रे
निर्मेथु: दृढमिह सम्मदेन सर्वे ।
आविश्य द्वितयगणेऽपि सर्पराजे
वैवश्यं परिशमयन् अवीवृधस्तान् ॥८॥
unmagne jhaTiti tadaa dharaa dharendre
nirmethu: dR^iDhamiha sammadena sarve |
aavishya dvitayagaNe(a)pi sarparaaje
vaivashyaM parishamayann aviivR^idhastaan || 8 ||
उद्दाम भ्रमण जवोन्नमत् गिरीन्द्र-
न्यस्तैक स्थिरतर हस्त पङ्कजं त्वाम् ।
अभ्रान्ते विधि गिरिशादय: प्रमोदात्
उद्भ्रान्ता नुनुवु: उपात्त पुष्पवर्षा: ॥९॥
uddaama bhramaNa javOnnamad giriindra-
nyastaika sthiratara hasta pankajaM tvaam |
abhraante vidhi girishaadaya: pramOdaat
udbhraantaa nunuvu: upaatta puShpavarShaa: || 9 ||
दैत्यौघे भुजग मुखानिलेन तप्ते
तेनैव त्रिदशकुलेऽपि किञ्चिदार्ते ।
कारुण्यात्-तव किल देव वारिवाहा:
प्रावर्षन् अमरगणान् न दैत्यसङ्घान् ॥१०॥
daityaughe bhujaga mukhaanilena tapte
tenaiva tridashakule(a)pi ki~nchidaarte |
kaaruNyaat tava kila deva vaarivaahaa:
praavarShann amaragaNaan na daityasanghaan || 10 ||
उद्भ्राम्यत् बहुतिमि नक्र चक्रवाले
तत्राब्धौ चिरमथितेऽपि निर्विकारे ।
एकस्त्वं करयुग कृष्ट सर्पराज:
संराजन् पवनपुरेश पाहि रोगात् ॥११॥
udbhraamyad bahu timi nakra chakravaale
tatraabdhau chiramathite(a)pi nirvikaare |
ekastvaM karayuga kR^iShTa sarparaaja:
samraajan pavanapuresha paahi rOgaat || 11 ||
------Sri Krishnarpanam------
