Narayaneeyam Dashakam 21
The Divine Governance of the Nine Continents and Seven Islands
मध्योद्भवे भुव इलावृतनाम्नि वर्षे
गौरीप्रधानवनिताजनमात्रभाजि ।
शर्वेण मन्त्रनुतिभि: समुपास्यमानं
सङ्कर्षणात्मकमधीश्वर संश्रये त्वाम् ॥१॥
madhyOdbhave bhuva ilaavR^ita-naamni varShe
gauriipradhaana-vanitaajanamaatra-bhaaji |
sharveNa mantranutibhissamupaasyamaanaM
sankarShaNaatmaka-madhiishvarasamshraye tvaam ||1||
The origin of earth and life has been a mystery for us since history. Through the 21st Dashakam of Narayaneeyam, Bhattathiri shows us the Earth and its Geography in the Age of the Lord.
Ilaavrata, a women-only nation with Gauri as its queen, was situated in the center of the earth. Bhattathiri turns to the Almighty Lord for solace! who was present as Sankarshana and was worshipped by Sharva (Shiva) in Ardhanaareeshwara, his man-woman form, while chanting holy chants.
भद्राश्वनामक इलावृतपूर्ववर्षे
भद्रश्रवोभि: ऋषिभि: परिणूयमानम् ।
कल्पान्तगूढनिगमोद्धरणप्रवीणं
ध्यायामि देव हयशीर्षतनुं भवन्तम् ॥२॥
bhadraashvanaamaka ilaavR^itapuurvavarShe
bhadrashravObhirR^IShibhiH pariNuuyamaanam |
kalpaantaguuDha nigamOddharaNa praviiNaM
dhyaayaami deva hayashiirShatanuM bhavantam || 2||
In the second sloka of the twenty-first Dashakam, Bhattathiri mentions the region known as Bhadraashva, which is east of Ilaavrata. According to Bhatathiri, this is where the Lord resides in the form of Hayagreeva. “I bow before Lord Hayagreeva, the horse-necked God who retrieved the Vedas during the great deluge,” says Bhattathiri. Bhatrathiri praises the Lord as the one and only who was woŕshipped by Bhadrasravass Rishis in the form of Lord Hayagreeva.
ध्यायामि दक्षिणगते हरिवर्षवर्षे
प्रह्लादमुख्यपुरुषै: परिषेव्यमाणम् ।
उत्तुङ्गशान्तधवलाकृतिमेकशुद्ध-
ज्ञानप्रदं नरहरिं भगवन् भवन्तम् ॥३॥
dhyaayaami dakshiNagate harivarShavarShe
prahlaadamukhyapuruShaiH pariShevyamaaNam |
uttunga shaanta dhavalaakR^iti-mekashuddhaj~
naanapradaM narahariM bhagavan bhavantam || 3||
Bhattathiri gives a magnificent description of the Narasimha avatar in the third sloka. Bhattathiri portrays the calm side of Lord Narasimha rather than his destructive and terrifying form. South to Ilaavrata is located the country of Harivarsha. There Lord is adored with devotion by Prahlaad and other devotees as Narahari – one who is tall, white in complexion, full of calmness and who also imparts the knowledge of Supreme Brahman. O Lord! Upon that form of yours I contemplate.
वर्षे प्रतीचि ललितात्मनि केतुमाले
लीलाविशेषललितस्मितशोभनाङ्गम् ।
लक्ष्म्या प्रजापतिसुतैश्च निषेव्यमाणं
तस्या: प्रियाय धृतकामतनुं भजे त्वाम् ॥४॥
varShe pratiichi lalitaatmani ketumaale
liilaavisheSha-lalita-smita-shObhanaangam |
lakshmyaa-prajaapatisutaishcha niShevyamaaNaM
tasyaaH priyaaya
dhR^itakaamatanuM bhaje tvaam || 4||
Towards the west of Ilaavrata, in the picturesque area of Ketumaalaa, Lord stays there as the Kaamadeva to appease Goddess Lakshmi. O Lord, your lovely, divine, and alluring face has a lovely, charming, and sporty smile. You are served by Lakshmi and the sons of Prajaapati. I adore that form of yours my Lord.
रम्ये ह्युदीचि खलु रम्यकनाम्नि वर्षे
तद्वर्षनाथमनुवर्यसपर्यमाणम् ।
भक्तैकवत्सलममत्सरहृत्सु भान्तं
मत्स्याकृतिं भुवननाथ भजे भवन्तम् ॥५॥
ramye(a)pyudiichi khalu ramyakanaamni varShe
tadvarShanaatha manuvarya saparyamaaNam |
bhaktaikavatsalamamatsarahR^itsu bhaantaM
matsyaakR^itiM bhuvananaatha bhaje bhavantam || 5||
O Supreme Lord, I worship you in the form of the Matsya. In the lovely region of Ramyak, north of Ilaavrata, Vaivaswata Manu, the world’s ruler, worships the Lord in the form of Matsya, the one who is incredibly kind to his devotee and who shines in the hearts of those who are unaffected by the worldly bondages.
वर्षं हिरण्मयसमाह्वयमौत्तराह-
मासीनमद्रिधृतिकर्मठकामठाङ्गम् ।
संसेवते पितृगणप्रवरोऽर्यमा यं
तं त्वां भजामि भगवन् परचिन्मयात्मन् ॥६॥
varShaM hiraNmaya samaahvayamauttaraahamaasiinamadri
dhR^iti karmaThakaamaThaangam |
samsevate pitR^igaNapravarO(a)ryamaa yaM
taM tvaaM bhajaami bhagavan parachinmayaatman || 6||
Hiranmaya is a region which is north of Ramyak. Lord resides in this place in the form of a giant tortoise which can support the Mandara mountain. There, Lord is worshipped by Aryamaa the famous chief of the Pitris. O Lord! O Supreme Pure Consciousness! I worship the Koorma Avatar of yours.
किञ्चोत्तरेषु कुरुषु प्रियया धरण्या
संसेवितो महितमन्त्रनुतिप्रभेदै: ।
दंष्ट्राग्रघृष्टघनपृष्ठगरिष्ठवर्ष्मा
त्वं पाहि बिज्ञनुत यज्ञवराहमूर्ते ॥७॥
kiM chOttareShu kuruShu priyayaa dharaNyaa
samsevitOmahitamantranuti prabhedaiH |
danShTraagraghR^iShTaghanapR^iShTha gariShThavarShmaa
tvaM paahi vij~nanuta yaj~navaraahamuurte || 7||
O Lord of all the creation, in the north of Hiranmaya, Bhoomi the Goddess chants your glories through the Holy mantras and hymns. You are loved by the sages in the form of Yanjya Varaaha whose huge form touched the sky as the tips of the tusks grazed the clouds. Oh my Lord please do watch over your devotees.
याम्यां दिशं भजति किंपुरुषाख्यवर्षे
संसेवितो हनुमता दृढभक्तिभाजा ।
सीताभिरामपरमाद्भुतरूपशाली
रामात्मक: परिलसन् परिपाहि विष्णो ॥८॥
yaamyaaM dishaM bhajati kimpuruShaakhyavarShe
samsevitO hanumataa dR^iDhabhaktibhaajaa |
siitaabhiraamaparamaadbhutaruupashaalii
raamaatmakaH parilasan paripaahi viShNO || 8
Heŕe Bhattathiri says, he seeks aid from Lord Vishnu who dazzled as Lord Rama- superbly aided by Lord Hanuman who had unyielding faith in him. O Great one,
“I respectfully honor you, who live in the southern region of Harivarsha on the continent of Kimpurusha, for capturing the heart of Goddess Sita with your magnificent persona.”
श्रीनारदेन सह भारतखण्डमुख्यै-
स्त्वं साङ्ख्ययोगनुतिभि: समुपास्यमान: ।
आकल्पकालमिह साधुजनाभिरक्षी
नारायणो नरसख: परिपाहि भूमन् ॥९॥
shriinaaradena saha bhaaratakhaNDamukhyai
stvaM saankhyayOganutibhiH samupaasyamaanaH |
aakalpakaalamiha saadhujanaabhirakshii
naaraayaNO narasakhaH paripaahi bhuuman || 9||
Bhattathiri says that he wishes to have the protection of Narayana with his friend Nara. For whom devotees such as the sage Narada and others sing songs. To whom, during the Sankhya and Yogic periods, prayers were offered. He declares, “Blessed be He, the Almighty One God, who kept all the righteous pure throughout the great flood, and who resided in the Bharatha Varsha continent.
प्लाक्षेऽर्करूपमयि शाल्मल इन्दुरूपं
द्वीपे भजन्ति कुशनामनि वह्निरूपम् ।
क्रौञ्चेऽम्बुरूपमथ वायुमयं च शाके
त्वां ब्रह्मरूपमपि पुष्करनाम्नि लोका: ॥१०॥
plaakshe(a)rkaruupamayi shaalmala induruupaM
dviipe bhajanti kushanaamani vahniruupam |
krau~nche(a)mburuupamatha vaayumayaM cha shaake
tvaaM brahmaruupamayi puShkaranaamni lOkaaH || 10||
Bhattathiri’s description of the Lord being worshipped in many locations is evident in the tenth slokam. O Lord! “You are worshipped at Plaaksha as the Sun, at Shaalmala as the Moon, at Kushadveep as fire, at Kraunch as water, at Shaaka as wind, and at Pushkara as Brahmaa.”
सर्वैर्ध्रुवादिभिरुडुप्रकरैर्ग्रहैश्च
पुच्छादिकेष्ववयवेष्वभिकल्प्यमानै: ।
त्वं शिंशुमारवपुषा महतामुपास्य:
सन्ध्यासु रुन्धि नरकं मम सिन्धुशायिन् ॥११॥
sarvai-dhruvaadibhiruDuprakarairgrahaishcha
puchChaadi keShvavayaveShvabhi kalpyamaanaiH |
tvaM shimshumaaravapuShaa mahataamupaasyaH
sandhyaasu rundhi narakaM mama sindhushaayin || 11
Dhruva – the Pole star, and all the groups of stars and planets which are imagined as forming the limbs and tail of the great Fish Shinshumaar; the form the Lord meditated upon by the enlightened ones at the three Sandhyaas. O Lord! The one lying on the bosom of the Milk Ocean! Do me the favor of saving me from my sins and suffering.
पातालमूलभुवि शेषतनुं भवन्तं
लोलैककुण्डलविराजिसहस्रशीर्षम् ।
नीलाम्बरं धृतहलं भुजगाङ्गनाभि-
र्जुष्टं भजे हर गदान् गुरुगेहनाथ ॥१२॥
paataalamuulabhuvi sheShatanuM bhavantaM
lOlaika kuNDala viraaji sahasrashiirSham |
niilaambaraM dhR^itahalaM bhujagaanganaabhirjuShTaM
bhaje hara gadaan gurugehanaatha ||12||
I honor you as the powerful serpent Aadishesha, who resides at the base of Paataal, has a thousand heads, each with a quivering ear ring, wears a blue dress, uses a plough as a weapon, and is attended to by Naaga damsels. May it please You, Lord of Guruvaayur, to cure me of my illness.
Also, explore and understand the benefits of Narayana Kavacham