The life of Rishaba, another minor manifestation of Lord Vishnu
प्रियव्रतस्य प्रियपुत्रभूता-
दाग्नीध्रराजादुदितो हि नाभि: ।
त्वां दृष्टवानिष्टदमिष्टिमध्ये
तवैव तुष्ट्यै कृतयज्ञकर्मा ॥१॥
priyavratasya priyaputrabhuutaa
daagniidhraraajaa-duditO hi naabhiH |
tvaaM dR^iShTavaa-niShTadamiShTi-madhye
tavaiva tuShTyaikR^itayaj~nakarmaa || 1||
The grandson of Priyavrata and the son of Agnidhra, Naabhi, had performed a Yanjya to invoke Lord Vishnu. He received a vision of the Lord, which was a blessing from the Lord. The sight of Lord Vishnu, the Supreme Being who bestows blessings on his devotees, delighted King Naabhi.
अभिष्टुतस्तत्र मुनीश्वरैस्त्वं
राज्ञ: स्वतुल्यं सुतमर्थ्यमान: ।
स्वयं जनिष्येऽहमिति ब्रुवाण-
स्तिरोदधा बर्हिषि विश्वमूर्ते ॥२॥
abhiShTutastatra muniishvaraistvaM
raaj~naH svatulyaM sutamarthyamaanaH |
svayaM janiShye(a)hamiti bruvaaNa-
stirOdadhaa bahirShi vishvamuurte || 2||
Bhattathiri says, “O Lord, During the Yagnja, the king prayed for a son like you, and sages chanted your virtues. After declaring that you would take on the form of his son, you ascended in the fire sacrifice and vanished in the sacrificial flames.
नाभिप्रियायामथ मेरुदेव्यां
त्वमंशतोऽभू: ॠषभाभिधान: ।
अलोकसामान्यगुणप्रभाव-
प्रभाविताशेषजनप्रमोद: ॥३॥
naabhipriyaayaamatha merudevyaaM
tvamamshatO(a)bhuurR^IShabhaabhidhaanaH |
alOkasaamaanya-guNa-prabhaava
prabhaavitaasheSha janapramOdaH || 3||
Lord was born to Merudevi and Naabhii as Rishabha, a partial incarnation. The saints were delighted to see you as the son of Nabhi, and everyone saw in you a gem and glory that were uncommon in the world of mortals.
त्वयि त्रिलोकीभृति राज्यभारं
निधाय नाभि: सह मेरुदेव्या ।
तपोवनं प्राप्य भवन्निषेवी
गत: किलानन्दपदं पदं ते ॥४॥
tvayi trilOkiibhR^iti raajyabhaaraM
nidhaaya naabhiH saha merudevyaa |
tapOvanaM praapya bhavanniShevii
gataH kilaanandapadaM padaM te || 4||
Naabhi left the kingdom’s governance to Rishabha, the Lord of the Three Worlds, and he and his queen Merudevi went to the forest for Vanaprastha. By worshiping the Lord, Rishabha eventually attained the Supreme Bliss.
इन्द्रस्त्वदुत्कर्षकृतादमर्षा-
द्ववर्ष नास्मिन्नजनाभवर्षे ।
यदा तदा त्वं निजयोगशक्त्या
स्ववर्षमेनद्व्यदधा: सुवर्षम् ॥५॥
indrastvadutkarSha-kR^itaadamarShaa
dvavarSha naasminnajanaabhavarShe |
yadaa tadaa tvaM nijayOgashaktyaa
svavarShamenad vyadadhaassuvarSham || 5||
Envious of the world’s prosperity brought about by Rishabha’s greatness, Indra halted the rains on the continent of Ajanaabha. By using his acquired yogic power, Rishbha was able to bring enough rain to the continent.
जितेन्द्रदत्तां कमनीं जयन्ती-
मथोद्वहन्नात्मरताशयोऽपि ।
अजीजनस्तत्र शतं तनूजा-
नेषां क्षितीशो भरतोऽग्रजन्मा ॥६॥
jitendra dattaaM kamaniiM jayantii
mathOdvahannaatmarataashayO(a)pi |
ajiijanastatra shataM tanuujaa-
neShaaM kshitiishO bharatO(a)grajanmaa || 6||
Having been defeated, Indra gave Lord the lovely Jayanti as his wife. Despite his constant focus on the Aatman, the Lord did bear a hundred sons, the first of whom was King Bharat.
नवाभवन् योगिवरा नवान्ये
त्वपालयन् भारतवर्षखण्डान् ।
सैका त्वशीतिस्तव शेषपुत्र-
स्तपोबलात् भूसुरभूयमीयु: ॥७॥
navaabhavan yOgivaraa navaanye
tvapaalayan bhaaratavarShakhaNDaan
saikaa tvashiitistava sheShaputra-
stapObalaat bhuusurabhuuyamiiyuH || 7||
Nine of them became great sages, and nine more rose to become kings in various regions of the nation. By virtue of their penance, the remaining 81 sons earned the status of Brahmins.
उक्त्वा सुतेभ्योऽथ मुनीन्द्रमध्ये
विरक्तिभक्त्यन्वितमुक्तिमार्गम् ।
स्वयं गत: पारमहंस्यवृत्ति-
मधा जडोन्मत्तपिशाचचर्याम् ॥८॥
uktvaa sutebhyO(a)tha muniindramadhye
viraktibhaktyanvitamuktimaargam |
svayaM gataH paaramahamsyavR^itti-
madhaa jaDOnmatta pishaachacharyaam || 8||
The way of salvation, which includes bhakti and non-possession, was imparted to his son by Rishabha and the nine great scholars. Subsequently, you became Paramahamsa and lived the life of an emotionally devoid madman.
परात्मभूतोऽपि परोपदेशं
कुर्वन् भवान् सर्वनिरस्यमान: ।
विकारहीनो विचचार कृत्स्नां
महीमहीनात्मरसाभिलीन: ॥९॥
paraatmabhuutO(a)pi parOpadeshaM
kurvan bhavaan sarvanirasyamaanaH |
vikaarahiinO vichachaara kR^itsnaaM
mahiimahiinaatmarasaabhiliinaH || 9||
Rishabha continued to spread knowledge even after achieving this degree of enlightenment. Despite Rishabha’s lack of hatred or desires, Bhatathiri admits that he wandered the world, totally absorbed in the paramatman’s ananda.
शयुव्रतं गोमृगकाकचर्यां
चिरं चरन्नाप्य परं स्वरूपं ।
दवाहृताङ्ग: कुटकाचले त्वं
तापान् ममापाकुरु वातनाथ ॥१०॥
shayuvrataM gOmR^igakaakacharyaaM
chiraM charannaapya paraM svaruupam |
davaahR^itaangaH kuTakaachale tvaM
taapaan mamaapaakuru vaatanaatha ||10||
O Lord, you wandered around for a long time and identified yourself with the Supreme Brahman while observing the etiquette of a python, cow, deer, and crow. Your physical remains were destroyed in the Kudajadri Hills forest fire. O Guruvaayoorappa! Please take away my misery.
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