Manifestation of Nara and Narayana
Sarvathra Govinda Nama Sankeerthanam Govinda Govinda
दक्षो विरिञ्चतनयोऽथ मनोस्तनूजां
लब्ध्वा प्रसूतिमिह षोडश चाप कन्या: ।
धर्मे त्रयोदश ददौ पितृषु स्वधां च
स्वाहां हविर्भुजि सतीं गिरिशे त्वदंशे ॥१॥
dakshO viri~nchatanayO(a)tha manOstanuujaaM
labdhvaa prasuutimiha ShODasha chaapa kanyaaH |
dharme trayOdasha dadau pitR^iShu svadhaaM cha
svaahaaM havirbhuji satiiM girishe tvadamshe ||1||
The sixteenth dashakam of the Narayaneeyam begins with Bhattathiri introducing Lord Shiva and Daksha Prajapathi. Daksha Prajapati had sixteen daughters after marrying Manu’s daughter Prasooti. He offered thirteen of them to the Lord Dharmaa deva, Swadhaa to the ancestors or the Pitris, Swaahaa to Agni and Sati to Shiva as the Lord Shiva is an aspect of the Lord himself.
मूर्तिर्हि धर्मगृहिणी सुषुवे भवन्तं
नारायणं नरसखं महितान ुभावम् ।
यज्जन्मनि प्रमुदिता: कृततूर्यघोषा:
पुष्पोत्करान् प्रववृषुर्नुनुवु: सुरौघा: ॥२॥
muurtirhi dharmagR^ihiNii suShuve bhavantaM
naaraayaNaM narasakhaM mahitaanubhaavam |
yajjanmani pramuditaaH kR^itatuuryaghOShaaH
puShpOtkaraan pravavR^iShurnunuvuH suraughaaH ||2||
O Lord! Dharmadeva’s wife Murti gave birth to you, Naaraayana, her most illustrious child, along with your brother Nara. The gods in the sky celebrated your birth, showered you with flowers to mark your arrival, and sang songs of praise to the Lord.
दैत्यं सहस्रकवचं कवचै: परीतं
साहस्रवत्सरतपस्समराभिलव्यै: ।
पर्यायनिर्मिततपस्समरौ भवन्तौ
शिष्टैककङ्कटममुं न्यहतां सलीलम् ॥३॥
daityaM sahasrakavachaM kavachaiH pariitaM
saahasravatsaratapassamaraabhilavyaiH |
paryaayanirmitatapassamarau bhavantau
shiShTaikakankaTamamuM nyahataaM saliilam || 3||
Together, Nara and Narayana—who were actually you—killed Sahasra Kavacha, the asura, who was dressed in a thousand armors. One must endure a millennium of penance and a millennium of warfare in order to carve out each of the armor pieces. Lord killed the Asura with great ease, treating it like a game of light combat, as he dismantled each of his armor pieces one by one.
अन्वाचरन्नुपदिशन्नपि मोक्षधर्मं
त्वं भ्रातृमान् बदरिकाश्रममध्यवात्सी: ।
शक्रोऽथ ते शमतपोबलनिस्सहात्मा
दिव्याङ्गनापरिवृतं प्रजिघाय मारम् ॥४॥
anvaacharannupadishannapi mOkshadharmaM
tvaM bhraatR^imaan badarikaashramamadhyavaatsiiH |
shakrO(a)tha te shamatapObalanissahaatmaa
divyaanganaaparivR^itaM prajighaaya maaram ||4||
The Lord and his brother Nara lived in Badarikaashrama after the Lord had reached perfection in the practices and was imparting the laws of the path to salvation. Envious of the Lord’s spiritual abilities, which the Lord attained through strict penance and Tapasya, Indra dispatched Kamadeva and celestial beauties to disturb the Lord.
कामो वसन्तमलयानिलबन्धुशाली
कान्ताकटाक्षविशिखैर्विकसद्विलासै: ।
विध्यन्मुहुर्मुहुरकम्पमुदीक्ष्य च त्वां
भीरुस्त्वयाऽथ जगदे मृदुहासभाजा ॥५॥
kaamOvasantamalayaanilabandhushaalii
kaantaakaTaakshavishikhairvikasadvilaasaiH |
vidhyanmuhurmuhurakampamudiikshya cha tvaaM
bhiitastvayaa(a)tha jagade mR^iduhaasabhaajaa || 5||
Kama Deva and his companions made numerous attempts to get your attention, My Lord. They believed that seductive dancing by women and lustful looks in the form of arrows could divert your attention from the correct course. After these deeds, all they could see was the Lord, who was unaffected, which made them afraid. Fearful of what their actions would bring about. But with a charming smile, you addressed them in a courteous manner.
भीत्याऽलमङ्गज वसन्त सुराङ्गना वो
मन्मानसं त्विह जुषध्वमिति ब्रुवाण: ।
त्वं विस्मयेन परित: स्तुवतामथैषां
प्रादर्शय: स्वपरिचारककातराक्षी: ॥६॥
bhiityaalamangaja vasanta suraanganaa vO
manmaanasaM tviha juShadhvamiti brotheruvaaNaH |
tvaM vismayena paritaH stuvataamathaiShaaM
praadarshayaH svaparichaarakakaataraakshiiH || 6||
Then the Lord spoke, “Let it be Kama Deva , let it be Vasath, let it be Celestial maidens.”
Fear not and Consider these as fruits of my thoughts. In saying so, the Lord showed them the beautiful handmaids who serve Him. Astonishment overcame them upon witnessing this. Lord, it dawned on them that you are the almighty force of the cosmos and that nothing materialistic that the average person yearns for can ever defeat you.
सम्मोहनाय मिलिता मदनादयस्ते
त्वद्दासिकापरिमलै: किल मोहमापु: ।
दत्तां त्वया च जगृहुस्त्रपयैव सर्व-
स्वर्वासिगर्वशमनीं पुनरुर्वशीं ताम् ॥७॥
sammOhanaaya militaa madanaadayaste
tvaddaasikaaparimalaiH kila mOhamaapuH |
dattaaM tvayaa cha jagR^ihustrapayaiva sarvasvarvaasigarvashamaniiM
punarurvashiiM taam ||7||
Kama Deva and others who had come there to allure you were themselves enchanted by the sweet fragrance being spread by your servants. And then you presented them Urvasi who could overwhelm the pride of all celestial damsels with her beauty. They accepted her with deep shame.
दृष्ट्वोर्वशीं तव कथां च निशम्य शक्र:
पर्याकुलोऽजनि भवन्महिमावमर्शात् ।
एवं प्रशान्तरमणीयतरावतारा-
त्त्वत्तोऽधिको वरद कृष्णतनुस्त्वमेव ॥८॥
dR^iShTvOrvashiiM tava kathaaM cha nishamya shakraH
paryaakulO(a)jani bhavanmahimaavamarshaat |
evaM prashaantaramaNiiyataraavataaraattvattO(
a)dhikO varada kR^iShNatanustvameva ||8||
Bhattathiri asserts that , Indra became perplexed upon seeing Urvashi and learning of the Lord’s achievements, which led him to realize the Lord’s greatness. O Bestower of Boons! Though not quite as tender and beautiful as your incarnation as Krishna, I do not know of anyone more than Nara Naaraayana among all the incarnations.
दक्षस्तु धातुरतिलालनया रजोऽन्धो
नात्यादृतस्त्वयि च कष्टमशान्तिरासीत् ।
येन व्यरुन्ध स भवत्तनुमेव शर्वं
यज्ञे च वैरपिशुने स्वसुतां व्यमानीत् ॥९॥
dakshastu dhaaturatilaalanayaa rajO(a)ndhO
naatyaadR^itastvayi cha kaShTamashaantiraasiit |
yena vyarundha sa bhavattanumeva sharvaM
yaj~ne cha vairapishune svasutaaM vyamaaniit ||9||
Bhattathiri makes reference to Daksha once more in the ninth verse of the sixteenth Dashaġam. Daksha who was favoured by Brahma became arrogant owing to the Rajasic qualities dominant in him. He showed absolutely no respect for the Lord. He started to hate Shiva, who is just another one of your forms, because he had become conceited and egoistical. You were humiliated in the yaga yagnja. He insulted Sathi, his daughter, as well.
क्रुद्धेशमर्दितमख: स तु कृत्तशीर्षो
देवप्रसादितहरादथ लब्धजीव: ।
त्वत्पूरितक्रतुवर: पुनराप शान्तिं
स त्वं प्रशान्तिकर पाहि मरुत्पुरेश ॥१०॥
kruddheshamarditamakhaH sa tu kR^ittashiirShO
devaprasaaditaharaadatha labdhajiivaH |
tvatpuuritakratuvaraH punaraapa shaantiM
sa tvaM prashaantikara paahi marutpuresha ||10||
Shiva, enraged by all of this, decapitated Daksha and destroyed his yaga. But when the gods appeased him, Shiva restored Daksha’s head and got back the life of his father-in-law. By the grace of the Lord, his yaga was then accomplished, and he also attained inner peace. O Lord of Guruvaayur! O Giver of peace! Kindly rescue me from this hurdle.