“Diverse Creations”
Sarvatra Govinda Nama Sankeertanam Govinda Govinda
वैकुण्ठ वर्धितबलोऽथ भवत्प्रसादा-
दम्भोजयोनिरसृजत् किल जीवदेहान् ।
स्थास्नूनि भूरुहमयानि तथा तिरश्चां
जातिं मनुष्यनिवहानपि देवभेदान् ॥१॥
vaikuNTha vardhita balO(a)tha
bhavatprasaadaadambhOjayOnirasR^
ijat kila jiivadehaan |
sthaasnuuni bhuuruhamayaani tathaa tirashchaaM
jaatiirmanuShya nivahaanapi deva bhedaan ||1 ||
Bhattathiri invokes Lord Vishnu at the opening of the tenth Dashakam sloka. “O the incomparable Lord of Heaven! Who is praised and known by those who have attained such a high degree of spirituality that they are able to perceive God in all things, both spiritual and material.” According to him, Brahmaa’s task of creating both living and non-living things is made easier by the grace of the Lord. Brahma created all creatures that carry the jeevathma in their bodies using the enhanced spiritual powers bestowed by the Lord.
मिथ्याग्रहास्मिमतिरागविकोपभीति-
रज्ञानवृत्तिमिति पञ्चविधां स सृष्ट्वा ।
उद्दामतामसपदार्थविधानदून –
स्तेने त्वदीयचरणस्मरणं विशुद्ध्यै ॥२॥
mithyaagrahaasmimati raaga vikOpa bhiitiraj~
naana vR^ittimiti pa~nchavidhaaM sa sR^iShTvaa |
uddaama taamasa padaartha vidhaanaduunastene
tvadiiya charaNasmaraNaM vishuddhyai ||2 ||
In the second verse Bhattathiri describes how Brahma repented and resorted to meditate on Lord’s feet for self purification after creating the five negative emotions- misconception, egoism, attachment, anger and fear.
तावत् ससर्ज मनसा सनकं सनन्दं
भूय: सनातनमुनिं च सनत्कुमारम् ।
ते सृष्टिकर्मणि तु तेन नियुज्यमाना-
स्त्वत्पादभक्तिरसिका जगृहुर्न वाणीम् ॥३॥
taavat sasarja manasaa sanakaM sanandaM
bhuuyaH sanaatana muniM cha sanatkumaaram |
te sR^iShTi karmaNi tu tena niyujyamaanaastvatpaada
bhakti rasikaa jagR^ihurna vaaNiim ||3||
Brahma then created the sages Sanaka, Sananda , Sanathana and Sanathkumara. He created them with the intention of assisting him in the process of creation. They refused to obey the creator, though, because of their intense devotion to Lord Vishnu, which caused them to forget their duty.
तावत् प्रकोपमुदितं प्रतिरुन्धतोऽस्य
भ्रूमध्यतोऽजनि मृडो भवदेकदेश: ।
नामानि मे कुरु पदानि च हा विरिञ्चे-
त्यादौ रुरोद किल तेन स रुद्रनामा ॥४॥
taavat prakOpamuditaM pratirundhatO(a)sya
bhruumadhyatO(a)jani mR^iDO bhavadekadeshaH |
naamaani me kuru padaani cha haa viri~nchetyaadau
rurOda kila tena sa rudranaamaa ||4||
Bhattathiri says that the refusal of the sages to perform the duties made Brahma furious and when Brahma tried to contain his rage, thinking of them as his own children, Mrida appeared from the space between your eyebrows. Mrida cried out for names and abodes. Hence Mrida was given the name Rudra.
एकादशाह्वयतया च विभिन्नरूपं
रुद्रं विधाय दयिता वनिताश्च दत्वा ।
तावन्त्यदत्त च पदानि भवत्प्रणुन्न:
प्राह प्रजाविरचनाय च सादरं तम् ॥५॥
ekaadashaahvayatayaa cha vibhinnaruupaM
rudraM vidhaaya dayitaa vanitaashcha datvaa |
taavantyadatta cha padaani bhavatpraNunnaH
praaha prajaavirachanaaya cha saadaraM tam ||5||
Brahma as suggested by the Lord, gave eleven names, forms, abodes and wives to Rudra and requested him to help in the creative process.
रुद्राभिसृष्टभयदाकृतिरुद्रसंघ-
सम्पूर्यमाणभुवनत्रयभीतचेता: ।
मा मा प्रजा: सृज तपश्चर मङ्गलाये-
त्याचष्ट तं कमलभूर्भवदीरितात्मा ॥६॥
rudraabhisR^iShTa bhayadaakR^iti rudrasangha
sampuuryamaaNa bhuvanatraya bhiitachetaaH |
maa maa prajaaH sR^ija tapashchara mangalaayetyaachaShTa
taM kamalabhuurbhavadiiritaatmaa ||6||
The three worlds were populated by fearsome, valiant Rudras, who were the embodiment of Rudraa’s creation. Feeling an inner terror for them, Brahmaa, at the Lord’s command, told Rudra to stop creating new beings and to perform penance for the good of the world.
तस्याथ सर्गरसिकस्य मरीचिरत्रि-
स्तत्राङिगरा: क्रतुमुनि: पुलह: पुलस्त्य: ।
अङ्गादजायत भृगुश्च वसिष्ठदक्षौ
श्रीनारदश्च भगवन् भवदंघ्रिदास: ॥७॥
tasyaatha sargarasikasya mariichiratristatraangiraaH
kratumuniH pulahaH pulastyaH |
angaadajaayata bhR^igushcha vasiShThadakshau
shriinaaradashcha bhagavan bhavadanghridaasaH ||7||
Profoundly excited by creation, Brahmaa created the sages Mareechi, Atri, Angiraas, Kratumuni, Pulaha, Pulastya, Bhrigu, Vasishtha, the Dakshas, and also the one with boundless faith on your lotus feet, Shri Naarada.
धर्मादिकानभिसृजन्नथ कर्दमं च
वाणीं विधाय विधिरङ्गजसंकुलोऽभूत् ।
त्वद्बोधितैस्सनकदक्षमुखैस्तनूजै-
रुद्बोधितश्च विरराम तमो विमुञ्चन् ॥८॥
dharmaadikaanabhisR^ijannatha kardamaM cha
vaaNiiM vidhaaya vidhirangaja sankulO(a)bhuut |
tvadbOdhitaissanakadakshamukhaistanuujairudbOdhitashcha
viraraama tamO vimu~nchan ||8||
According to Bhattathiri, Brahma was mesmerized by the Goddess after the creation of Dharmadeva, Sage Kardama, and Goddess Saraswathi. However, Brahma later gave up his ignorance-driven desire. His sons Sanaka and Daksha enlightened him to follow the Lord’s instructions and give up his desire.
वेदान् पुराणनिवहानपि सर्वविद्या:
कुर्वन् निजाननगणाच्चतुराननोऽसौ ।
पुत्रेषु तेषु विनिधाय स सर्गवृद्धि-
मप्राप्नुवंस्तव पदाम्बुजमाश्रितोभूत् ॥९॥
vedaan puraaNa nivahaanapi sarvavidyaaH
kurvannijaanana gaNaachchaturaananO(a)sau |
putreShu teShu vinidhaaya sa sargavR^iddhim
apraapnuvamstava padaambujamaashritO(a)bhuut ||9||
Then Brahmaa, with his four faces, passed on to his sons not only the Vedas and the Puraanas but also every other branch of knowledge. Seeing that he could not continue the process of creation, he sought solace at your lotus feet.
जानन्नुपायमथ देहमजो विभज्य
स्रीपुंसभावमभजन्मनुतद्वधूभ्याम् ।
ताभ्यां च मानुषकुलानि विवर्धयंस्त्वं
गोविन्द मारुतपुरेश निरुन्धि रोगान् ॥१०॥
jaanannupaayamatha dehamajO vibhajya
striipumsa bhaavamabhajanmanutadvadhuubhyaam |
taabhyaaM cha maanuShakulaani vivardhayamstvaM
gOvinda maarutapuraadhipa rundhi rOgaan ||10||
In the final verse of Dashakam 10, Bhattathiri narrates how, under the direction of the Lord, Brahma created Manu and his spouse Sthatharoopa from both sides of his body, and through them, the human race multiplied. In addition to giving a lovely account of the creation, Bhattathiri begs Guruvayoorappan to heal him of his illnesses.