Adi Shankara's Vishnu Shatpadi stotram

karthik76 · Post by **karthik76** » 06 Apr 2007, 01:00

CM,

Thank you for elucidating this so clearly.

Every time I learn something like this, my appreciation and respect for Sanskrit and our scriptures goes further and further up.

na chOrahAryam na cha rAjahAryam na bhrAtrubhAjyam na cha bhArakAri |
vyayE krtE vardhatA Eva nityam vidyA dhanam sarvadhanAt pradhAnam ||

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 06 Apr 2007, 21:22

Here is the sixth stanza in ShaNmukapriya
http://www.rogepost.com/n/5271146751
(of course inspired by all this discussions on Lord SubramaNya!)

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 06 Apr 2007, 22:43

Every time I learn something like this, my appreciation and respect for Sanskrit and our scriptures goes further and further up.

Same with me. As a case in point, i just read from a previous post of CML

>'I'ness or ahamkAra (ego)

I did not realize fully how potent a self-describing word it is. In that sense, the day to day use of the english word 'ego' does not even come close to capturing what it tries to convey. Also, the colloquial use of the word ahamkAram ( and its imported variations in other indian languages ) has a negative connotation to characterize someone's misplaced egoistic and egotistic tendencies. But, as CML explains, the real meaning points to the aadivyAdi itself which no one is immune from.

karthik76 · Post by **karthik76** » 07 Apr 2007, 05:47

Vasanthakokilam,

I completely agree. Sometimes when I think about this ahamkAra, I am amazed at how, every second of our life from the moment we are born, our indriyas and this ignorant jIvatma instill this feeling of 'I'ness in us. How inseparable from us this ahamkAra is - try as we might, we are unable to let it go; it remains the centre of all our thoughts, actions and fruits.

karthik76 · Post by **karthik76** » 07 Apr 2007, 05:49

CM,

As always, I enjoyed the sixth shlokam also. I am awaiting your post on the same with the anvaya and an elucidation of anything you consider necessary.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 07 Apr 2007, 06:29

Dear Karthik
The sixth stanza is straight forward. I am unable to decipher why he chose those particular epithets. There must be an inner meaning. Let me think about it. But we should move on and complete the stotram!

karthik76 · Post by **karthik76** » 07 Apr 2007, 08:48

Here is the seventh and concluding verse -

nArAyaNa karuNAmaya sharaNam karavANi tAvakau charaNau |
iti shaTpadI madIyE vadana sarOjE sadA vasatu ||

nArAyaNa = O nArAyaNa
karuNAmaya = the compassionate one
sharaNam = surrender
karavANi = I do
tAvakau = Your (two)
charaNau = feet
iti = thus said, the above said
shaTpadI = six-versed stOtram
madIyE = my
vadana = mouth
sarOjE = lotus
sadA = always
vasatu = may reside

O nArAyaNa, the compassionate one, I surrender at Your feet. May the above-said sextet reside in my lotus-like mouth always.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 07 Apr 2007, 10:22

Just note that the word 'ShatpadI' has two meanings; first six stanzas and second the female bee. In the former case AcAryA is invoking that the aforesaid six stanzas of prayer always reside in his lotus mouth (mouth becoming a lotus since it hosts Lord's name) meaning let me chant the verses constantly. In the latter case he is referring to the femalebee which has six feet; these feet (padAni) are respectively 'nArAyaNa', 'karuNAmaya', 'sharaNaM', 'karavANi', 'tAvakau' and 'caranau'. Collectively the bee symbolizes 'let me surrender to your feet, Oh merciful NArAyaNa'. Now listen to the following (if possible play it in a loop)
http://www.rogepost.com/n/7721441613
Do you hear the hum of the bee (do close your eyes and shut off external noises!)
The reason is that this line is primarily constructed out of 'nasals' (na, Na, ma and anusvaram) as well as the 'rEphaM' ('r') which produces the rasping sound of the flutter of the wings!
Again this is the ultimate prapatti (surrender) to the Lord

I shall post the musical verion later!

Thanks Karthik for this divine experience

karthik76 · Post by **karthik76** » 07 Apr 2007, 23:53

CM,

As always, your explanation was valuable. I have also read Kanchi Mahaperiyava's words on the same. Your audio was useful in understanding the bhramaranAdam and why bhagavatpAda would have chosen these words. I await your rendering of this verse.

I always fall short of words in admiration of the dimensions in which our achAryas have impregnated such stOtrams with emotions and literary specialities. This reminds me of a line in adi shankara's mahAgaNesha pancharatna stOtram set to the chAmara vrttam -

nitAntakAnta dantakAnti mantakAntakAtmajam

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 08 Apr 2007, 01:52

here is the final stanza in sindhubhairavi
http://www.rogepost.com/n/3632915334
idam viShNu ShatpadIstOtraM sadA samrakShitu tvam bhavArNavE |

karthik76 · Post by **karthik76** » 08 Apr 2007, 02:27

CM,
Thanks for this final piece. I noted how the word 'madIyE' sunk down, indicative of the modesty.

This entire post has been a very memorable experience for me and I hope it would have been for others as well. Thanks once again CM, for making this experience so rich.

chetana · Post by **chetana** » 15 Apr 2007, 17:50

cmlover wrote:Discussion can continue and if you want to move on here is in revati the next

http://www.rogepost.com/n/3638922340

Could you please upload this again? . Thanks.

cmlover · Post by **cmlover** » 15 Apr 2007, 19:29

http://www.rogepost.com/n/0810111141

smala · Post by **smala** » 13 Jan 2010, 13:36

karthik76 wrote:Does anyone know of a classical rendering of this stotram?

A very beautiful one...http://www.hummaa.com/search/search.php ... di+stotram

Chaitanya Dixit · Post by **Chaitanya Dixit** » 21 Jul 2010, 10:38

karthik! The pada anvaya of the second stanza is:
divyadhunImakrandE parimalaparibhOgasacchidAnandE bhavabhayakhEdacchidE SripathipadAravindE (aham) vandE ||
It is I (aham) salute (vandE) at the lotus feet of the Lord of LakShmi (SripathipadAravindE) which is correctly in the saptami (locative). All the rest of the preceding words are adjectives (vishEShaNa) qualifying the feet. Hence they should all be in the saptami vibhakti. Since these are all 'akaarAnta vishEShaNa' (ending in 'a') the locative ends in 'E'.

CMLover, you have corrected the grammatic error, but that is also a half-way corrected error.
ShripathipadAravindE = is Dvivachan (As there are 2 feets) and not Saptami.
so, all the adjectives are linked with that dvivachan, and it is not Saptami.
1 more point to justify this is, the verb Vande takes Dvitiya Vibhakti of the Karma (e.g. I salute Shankara = ahaM ShankaraM vande.) similarly, I salute (2) feet of Lord Vishnu = Aham ShripathipadAravindE vandE.

Thanks,
Chaitanya.

rasikas.org

Adi Shankara's Vishnu Shatpadi stotram

Re: @CMLover