- Author : Hunsur Sriprasad
- Dashavatara picture source: Wikimedia
Verse 4
Om Dhanvantaraye Namah
धन्वन्तरेगरुचि धन्वन्तरॆरितरु धन्वन्स्तरीभव सुधा ।
भान्वन्तरावसथ मन्वन्तराधिक्इत तन्वन्तरौषधनिधॆ ।
दन्वन्तरंगशुगुदन्वन्तमाजिशु वितन्वन्ममाब्धितनया ।
सून्वन्तकात्मह्इदतन्वन्तरावयव तन्वन्तरार्ति जलधौ ॥ ४ ॥dhanvantare.ngaruchi dhanvantareritaru dhanvanstarIbhava sudhA |
bhAnvantarAvasatha manvantarAdhikR^ita tanvantarauShadhanidhe |
danvantaraMgashugudanvantamAjishu vitanvanmamAbdhitanayA |
sUnvantakAtmahR^idatanvantarAvayava tanvantarArti jaladhau || 4 ||
Padachcheda:
dhanvantare anga ruchi dhanvantare ari taru dhanvan tarIbhava sudhA
bhAnu antara avasatha manvantara adhikR^ita tanvantara auShadha nidhe
dhanu antaraMga shugudhanvantam Ajishu vitanvan abdhitanayA
sUnu antaka AtmahR^it atanu antara avayava tanvantara Arti jaladhau
Anvaya:
anga ruchi dhanvantare ari taru dhanvan sudhA bhAnu antara avasatha manvantara adhikR^ita tanvantara auShadha nidhe Ajishu dhanvantaraMgashugudhanvantam vitanvan abdhitanayA sUnu antaka AtmahR^it atanu antara avayava tanvantara (He) dhanvantare, mama Arti jaladhau tarIbhava
Word-by-word meaning:
anga = body, ruchi = lustre, dhanvantre = (one who is shining) like the sun, ari = enemies, taru = trees, dhanvan = desert or totally barren place, sudhAbhAnu = chandra manDala, antara = inside, avasatha = residing, manvantara = in svAyambhU and other manvantarAs, adhikR^ita tanvantara = one who takes different bodies (incarnates), auShadha = medicine, nidhe = treasure, Ajishu = in battle, dhanu = the mother of all dAnavAs, antaraMga = in the mind or heart, shugu dhanvantam = an ocean of sorrow, vitanvan = one who creates, abdhi = ocean, tanayA = daughter (abdhitanaya = Lakshmi), sUnu = son (abdhitanayasUnu = manmatha), antaka = destroyer or killer (manmatha’s killer = Lord Shiva) Atma = mind, hR^it = stealing, (AtmahR^it = manohara = captivating), atanu = well developed or attractive, antara = internal, avayava = organs or attributes, tanvantara = one taking up alternative forms, dhanvantare = Oh Sri Hari , Arti = miseries, jaladhau = ocean, mama = my, tarI = ship, bhava = become.
Translation:
Sri Vadiraja is praying to Lord Dhanvantari in this verse.
Oh Dhanvantari, your body has the lustre of a bright sun. You are a barren desert for the trees called enemies (i.e, you destroy them totally). You are present in the chandra manDala (helping it shed nectar through soothing moonlight). In different manvantaras (yugas) like svAyambhuva you incarnated as Kapila, ajita etc. You are a treasure of all medicines. By killing dAnavas (demons) in wars, you caused an ocean of sorrow to happen in danu’s heart (danu is the mother of all dAnavas). With your well developed body, having attractive attributes you stole the heart of the one who killed the son of the ocean’s daughter (Lakshmi Devi is the daughter of the ocean; her son, Manmatha was killed by Rudra, but Rudra himself was totally enamoured by the beautiful Mohini form). You took on the Mohini or Narayani form. Oh Lord Dhanvanthri, please become a ship for the ocean of miseries (i.e., help me cross this ocean of miseries). [Please note that AuShada, RuchirAngada, jagatasetuh etc are all names appearing in the VishnusahasranAma (VSN) ]
Notes:
Sri Vadirajaru is mixing the exploits of Mohini with Dhanvantari to show that there is absolutely no difference between the two incarnations and also because they happened almost around the same time. It is one of the basic tenets of Tattvavada that all incarnations of Lord NArayana are equal in potency and capability. Attributing differences or stating that one incarnation is better or inferior to other incarnations is one of the nine forms of hatred towards the Lord.
