Shri Vadiraja Yati Prokta Dashavatara Stuti – VI

• English commentary : Hunasur Sriprasad, New Jersey

Varaha Avatara

नीलांबुदाभ शुभशीलाद्रिदेहधर खेलाहृतोदधिधुनी ।
शैलादियुक्त निखिलेलाकटाद्यसुर तूलाटवीदहन ते ।
कोलाकृते जलधिकालाचलावयव नीलाब्जदंश्ट्र धरणी ।
लीलास्पदोरुतल मूलाशियोगिवर जालाभिवंदित नमः ॥ ७ ॥

ನೀಲಾಂಬುದಾಭ ಶುಭಶೀಲಾದ್ರಿದೇಹಧರ ಖೇಲಾಹೃತೋದಧಿಧುನೀ |
ಶೈಲಾದಿಯುಕ್ತ ನಿಖಿಲೇಲಾಕಟಾದ್ಯಸುರ ತೂಲಾಟವೀದಹನ ತೇ |
ಕೋಲಾಕೃತೇ ಜಲಧಿಕಾಲಾಚಲಾವಯವ ನೀಲಾಬ್ಜದಂಶ್ಟ್ರ ಧರಣೀ |
ಲೀಲಾಸ್ಪದೋರುತಲ ಮೂಲಾಶಿಯೋಗಿವರ ಜಾಲಾಭಿವಂದಿತ ನಮಃ || 7 ||

nIlAMbudABa SuBaSIlAdridehadhara KelAhRutodadhidhunI |
SailAdiyukta niKilelAkaTAdyasura tUlATavIdahana te |
kolAkRute jaladhikAlAcalAvayava nIlAbjadaMSTra dharaNI |
lIlAspadorutala mUlASiyogivara jAlABivaMdita namaH || 7 ||

Padachcheda:

nIla aMbuda abha shubha shIla adri dehadhara khela AhR^ita udadhi dhunI
shaila Adi yukta nikhila ila kaTa Adi-asura tUla aTavI dahana te
kola AkR^ite jaladhi kAla achala avayava nIla abja daMShTra dharaNI
lIlAspada urutala mUla Ashi yogivara jAla abhivandita namaH

Anvaya:

nIla aMbuda abha shubha shIla adri dehadhara
khela AhR^ita udadhi dhunI shaila Adi yukta nikhila ila kaTa Adi-asura tUla aTavI dahana
jaladhi kAla achala avayava nIla abja daMShTra
dharaNI lIlAspada urutala
mUla Ashi yogivara jAla abhivandita
kola AkR^ite te namaH

Word-by-word meaning:

nIlAMbudaAbha = one who has the lustre of black (dark) shining clouds (nIla = dark blue, aMbuda = clouds, abha = lustre), shubha = good or auspicious, shIlA = character or quality, adri = mountain, dEhadhara = having a huge mountain like body, khEla = easily and without great effort, AhR^ita = stolen, udhadhi = ocean, dhunI = rivers, shaila = mountains, Adi = and other, yukta = comprised of, nikhila = entire, ilA = earth, kaTa = chApe = floor mat or carpet, Adi asura = original or first demon (Hiranyaksha), tUla = cotton, aTavI = forest, dahana = burning, jaladhi = ocean, kAla = to sport, achala Avayava = the earth (achala = solid or unchanging, avayava = organs), nIla = blue, abja = lotus, daMShTra = teeth, dhariNI = earth, lIlAspada = providing or evoking sport, urutala = on the thighs or laps, mUla = roots, Ashi = eating, yogivara = great ascetics, jAla = group, abhivandita = saluted with reverence by, kola = boar, AkR^ite = shape or form, tE = to you , namaH = salutations

Translation:

Sri Vadiraja is praying to Sri Varaha (boar form).

You have the lustre of black (dark) shining clouds. You bless virtous people with auspicious and good things. You have a huge mountain like body. The original demon (Hiranyaksha) effortlessly stole the earth, consisting of oceans, rivers, mountains etc, wrapping it round him like a small carpet (chape). To this forest of cotton you were like a wild fire (i.e., you destroyed him without any effort at all). After killing the demon, you were sporting playfully in the ocean; then, the earth looked like a small blue water-lily in your mouth. Your lap is the playground for bhUdEvi (i.e., when she is sitting on your lap, she has no worries and is very happy). You are worshipped with great reverence by groups of great ascetics, who survive by eating roots. O, the one having the form of the boar (Varaha) my salutations to you.

Notes:

The term ‘mUla Ashi’ can also be interpreted as one desirous of knowing the root cause for everything i.e., one who is in search of Para-brahma. Reading sat agAmas like Vedas, Moola-Ramayana, MahabhArata, PancharAtra and sAtvika purAnas, one would have to come to the inevitable conclusion that it is Lord VishNu who is the Supreme power responsible the creation, sustenance, management and destruction of this Universe. Such knowledge who would make one a yogivara.

Incidentally, Sri BhuVaraha Swamy is the main icon worshipped in Sri Sode vAdirAja Matha; it was given by Acharya Madhva to Sri Vishnu tIrtha, the first ascetic in this lineage and the poorvAshrama brother of Acharya Madhva.

If Earth itself looked like a small lily in His mouth, one can imagine the gigantic size of this form. ‘adri dEha dhara’ is referring to this mammoth form. ‘shuba shIla adri dEha dhara’ can taken as a poetic way of saying “you are the embodiment of a mountain of auspicious qualities”.

sUkararUpaka dAnavashatro bhUmividhAraka yaGYavarAN^ga || 4||
sagirivaradharAtaLavaha susUkaraparamavibodha he bhava mama sharaNam |

To be continued

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