Shri Krishnayana – 10

Gayatri Bhashya Rooposau

A treatise on Gayatri

• Pontification: Paramapoojya Shri Vidyadheesha Teertha Shripadaru
• Compilation: Krishna Sakha, Mudarangadi
• Translation: Dr. Sudheendhra Putty, Secunderabad

When Sri Krishna, the supreme Lord, was born in the house of Vasudeva, Brahma ordained all the divine damsels also to descend on to the earth to serve Sri Krishna so as to please Him and for His love. Vasudeva grihe saakshaad bhagavaan purusah parah janishyate tat priyaartham sambhavanthu sura striyah

That all the devatas (divine menfolk) descended on the earth to serve the Almighty Lord is something we noted hitherto.

Bhavadbiramshairy dushopajanyataam – this averment enlightens us that the divine damsels also descended on the earth.

When Brahma (or Veda Vyasa in Bhagavata purana) says, ‘may the divine damsels descend on to the earth for the love of Sri Krishna or so as to please Him’, the phrase tat priyartham sambhavanthu is used. For those who have a reasonable knowledge of the Sanskrit language, it would be understood that ‘may the divine damsels descend on the earth so as to please Him’. Veda Vyasa has used the word tat; this has a meaning higher and loftier than merely that or his.

When a devout seeker approached Acharya Madhwa to embark on a study of Srimad Bhagavatam, the Acharya replied as follows: ‘The Bhagavatam is a treatise on the Gayatri and is an elaboration of the intrinsic meaning of the Vedas’ – Gayatri bhashya roopousyo Vedartha paribrahmhitah. While studying the Bhagavatam, the intrinsic meaning as above must be discerned at each step. When one understands the utterances of Veda Vyasa in the light of these words, the speciality of the former can be comprehended. It may be noted that Krishna is being alluded to as ‘tat’ and for the sake of His love. The foremost syllable in the Gayatri mantra – which comprises within it the essence of the entire Vedas – is tat. Acharya Madhwa states in his Rg Bhasya the import of tat as gunaistatah. This means one who is full of sublime and good qualities. He being full of auspicious attributes is an extraordinary quality and is unique to Him. Poornamadah Poornamidam. It is the avowed affirmation of the learned and realised seers that none else has this quality of infinite auspicious attributes. The fact there can be no count or account of His qualities and attributes is a Vedic precept itself.

Na the Vishno jaayamaano na jaato

Deva mahimnah paramantamapa ‘O Vishnu – the omnipresent, omniscient, Almighty and cornucopia of bliss, absolutely none can even comprehend your auspicious qualities.’

Kah chandasaam yogam aaveda dheerah

Is there an intellectual who can unravel the import of Vedas fully? The real meaning being that no matter how learned a person is, he would never be able to comprehend His greatness.

Acharya Madhwa too in his Nirnaya affirms that it is impossible even for Lakshmi and Brahma to count His auspicious attributes. Such is the infinity. Note that this is an averment of the ruler of Satya loka.

Gunahya ganyaastava thepyanantah
Pratyeka tashwaadi vinaashavarjitah

‘Your attributes are infinite. Again, each of those attributes is infinite. They have neither the beginning nor an end’.
Brahma says that even if an aggregate of the liberated and bonded souls together sing His glories, it would be endless.

Ye ye cha muktastvadha ye ca baddha
Sarve taveshesha vashe sadaiva
Vayam sada tvadgunapoogamuchai
Sarve vadantopi na paaragaminah

During the Swayamvara, Lakshmi observes each of the Devatas and opines that none of them is complete or full of attributes. Further, that each of the Devatas is home to one or the other blemish. The Bhagavata records the fact that it is only Lord Narayana who is blemishless and the cornucopia of all virtues and thus, Lakshmi garlands Him.

Vilokayanthe niravadyamatmanah
Padam dhruvam chavyabhichaari sadgunam
Gandharva yakshasura siddha charana
Trivishta peyadishu naanva vindata
Vavre varam sarvagunairapekshitam
Rama mukundam nirapekshameepsitam

Sri Vadiraja conveys the same for the comprehension of Kannadigas as follows:

Ondondu gunagalu iddavu ivaralli
Sandanisive bahu dosha
Kundalashtillade mukundane tanagendu
Indira patiye nenedalu

Veda Vyasa who classified the Vedas Himself declares in the puranas that each letter of the Veda is a name of the Almighty:

Vedaksharani Yaavanti pathitaani dvijatibah
Tavanti Harinaamani keerthitaani na samshayah

Therefore, it becomes evident that the entire Veda is the name of Lord Narayana. His names don’t merely allude to Him; rather each name mirrors His qualitative attributes. Yaani naamani Gaunaaani. The infinite Vedas present infinite names.

Thus, He, who is alluded to in all the Vedas and Puranas, is the omnipresent Lord and He is the one to be cogitated upon in the word tat of the Gayatri hymn.

It may be observed that Veda Vyasa uses the expression that is symbolic of all qualitative auspicious attributes to refer to Sri Krishna. It dawns that Sri Krishna who descended upon the earth is the one who is cogitated upon in the infinite Vedas, in the Gayatri hymn and who is untouched by any blemish. Summarily, the tat priyartham refers to the fact that the divine damsels descended on to the earth to serve Krishna, the tat for the sake of His own pleasure.