Dashaka 95

आदौ हैरण्यगर्भीं तनुमविकलजीवात्मिकामास्थितस्त्वं
जीवत्वं प्राप्य मायागुणगणखचितो वर्तसे विश्वयोने ।
तत्रोद्वृद्धेन सत्त्वेन तु गुणयुगलं भक्तिभावं गतेन
छित्वा सत्त्वं च हित्वा पुनरनुपहितो वर्तिताहे त्वमेव ॥१॥

O Thou! The Origin of All! In the beginning Thou were in an undivided state of all jivas in the Hiranyagarbha form. Then Thou do manifest Thyself in multiplicity of jivas, and become associated with Maayaa and its various Gunas. With the well developed and dominant Sattva, devotional attitude is reached, by which the other two gunas Rajas and Tamas are destroyed. By and by when Sattva also is abandoned I (the jiva) shall, again, unobstructed, realise myself as Thyself only.

सत्त्वोन्मेषात् कदाचित् खलु विषयरसे दोषबोधेऽपि भूमन्
भूयोऽप्येषु प्रवृत्तिस्सतमसि रजसि प्रोद्धते दुर्निवारा ।
चित्तं तावद्गुणाश्च ग्रथितमिह मिथस्तानि सर्वाणि रोद्धुं
तुर्ये त्वय्येकभक्तिश्शरणमिति भवान् हंसरूपी न्यगादीत् ॥२॥

O Infinite Being! When the Sattva Guna predominates, the harmfulness of sense enjoyments is realised. Whereas when the Rajas and Tamas are predominant, to abstain from worldly enjoyments becomes difficult, because the mind and the gunas are mutually interlinked. To control all these, devotion in Thy Tureeya state alone is the only refuge. Thus, in the form of a swan Thou instructed.

सन्ति श्रेयांसि भूयांस्यपि रुचिभिदया कर्मिणां निर्मितानि
क्षुद्रानन्दाश्च सान्ता बहुविधगतय: कृष्ण तेभ्यो भवेयु: ।
त्वं चाचख्याथ सख्ये ननु महिततमां श्रेयसां भक्तिमेकां
त्वद्भक्त्यानन्दतुल्य: खलु विषयजुषां सम्मद: केन वा स्यात् ॥३॥

There are many paths of welfare laid down to suit varying tastes of people as means of fulfilment. O Krishna! They lead to goals that yield only temporary and trivial pleasures. Thou did describe to Thy friend, Uddhava, devotion as the most glorious path for attainment of supreme spiritual welfare of man. Where does the joy that people get by worldly pursuits, stand in comparison to the bliss of devotion to Thee!

त्वत्भक्त्या तुष्टबुद्धे: सुखमिह चरतो विच्युताशस्य चाशा:
सर्वा: स्यु: सौख्यमय्य: सलिलकुहरगस्येव तोयैकमय्य: ।
सोऽयं खल्विन्द्रलोकं कमलजभवनं योगसिद्धीश्च हृद्या:
नाकाङ्क्षत्येतदास्तां स्वयमनुपतिते मोक्षसौख्येऽप्यनीह: ॥४॥

A person whose mind is satisfied in Thy devotion, moves about happily in this world. One who has dropped all desires, for him, every place is full of joy, just like an aquatic creature living in deep waters, finds water everywhere. Such a person does not covet Indraloka or Brahmaa's residence or the attractive Yogic powers. This may be so. The bliss of liberation coming of its own to him is also without his seeking.

त्वद्भक्तो बाध्यमानोऽपि च विषयरसैरिन्द्रियाशान्तिहेतो-
र्भक्त्यैवाक्रम्यमाणै: पुनरपि खलु तैर्दुर्बलैर्नाभिजय्य: ।
सप्तार्चिर्दीपितार्चिर्दहति किल यथा भूरिदारुप्रपञ्चं
त्वद्भक्त्योघे तथैव प्रदहति दुरितं दुर्मद: क्वेन्द्रियाणाम् ॥५॥

If Thy devotee is sometimes ensnared by sense pleasure, because of his senses not being in his control fully, they by nature weak, cannot stand the onslaught of devotion and so Thy devotee cannot be conquered by the senses. Just as a well lit blazing fire burns down stacks and heaps of wood, in the same way Thy devotion burns away stacks of sins and sinful tendencies. When this happens, the false power of the senses do not stand any chance.

चित्तार्द्रीभावमुच्चैर्वपुषि च पुलकं हर्षवाष्पं च हित्वा
चित्तं शुद्ध्येत्कथं वा किमु बहुतपसा विद्यया वीतभक्ते: ।
त्वद्गाथास्वादसिद्धाञ्जनसततमरीमृज्यमानोऽयमात्मा
चक्षुर्वत्तत्त्वसूक्ष्मं भजति न तु तथाऽभ्यस्तया तर्ककोट्या॥६॥

Unless the heart melts with love, the hair of the whole body stand on end or tears of joy flow, how can the mind be purified. Of what use are austerities or learning devoid of devotion. Just as, by constant use of collyrium  the eyes can see the objects, the mind intuits Thy subtle truth by constant imbibing of Thy narrations and so purifying the soul. It is not so indeed by the study of highly sophisticated arguments.

ध्यानं ते शीलयेयं समतनुसुखबद्धासनो नासिकाग्र-
न्यस्ताक्ष: पूरकाद्यैर्जितपवनपथश्चित्तपद्मं त्ववाञ्चम्।
ऊर्ध्वाग्रं भावयित्वा रविविधुशिखिन: संविचिन्त्योपरिष्टात्
तत्रस्थं भावये त्वां सजलजलधरश्यामलं कोमलाङ्गम् ॥७॥

To practice meditation, I will sit erect in a comfortable pose (sukhaasana) and gaze on the tip of the nose. Controlling my vital breath energies by doing Pooraka etc., praanaayaam (breath control) I will imagine the downward lotus in the heart as facing upward. I will imagine the sun, moon and fire above it and Thee in a delicate dark blue form as the water bearing clouds, seated on the top.

आनीलश्लक्ष्णकेशं ज्वलितमकरसत्कुण्डलं मन्दहास-
स्यन्दार्द्रं कौस्तुभश्रीपरिगतवनमालोरुहाराभिरामम् ।
श्रीवत्साङ्कं सुबाहुं मृदुलसदुदरं काञ्चनच्छायचेलं
चारुस्निग्धोरुमम्भोरुहललितपदं भावयेऽहं भवन्तम् ॥८॥

I meditate on Thy blue form which has lustrous hair, shining fish shaped earrings, a gentle smile with compassion flowing, lustre of Kaustubha spreading over the garlands and the big pearl necklaces, the Shreevatsa mark, a soft and charming abdomen, golden hued garment, comely well shaped thighs and lotus like tender feet.

सर्वाङ्गेष्वङ्ग रङ्गत्कुतुकमिति मुहुर्धारयन्नीश चित्तं
तत्राप्येकत्र युञ्जे वदनसरसिजे सुन्दरे मन्दहासे
तत्रालीनं तु चेत: परमसुखचिदद्वैतरूपे वितन्व-
न्नन्यन्नो चिन्तयेयं मुहुरिति समुपारूढयोगो भवेयम् ॥९॥

O Beloved Lord! Again and again I will concentrate with growing eagerness on all Thy limbs. Then I will fix my mind on Thy lotus like face with a gentle smile. The fully absorbed mind in the Eternal Bliss Consciousness in a non-dual form will not think of anything else. Thus I shall remain steady in the advanced state of communion, by repeated effort.

इत्थं त्वद्ध्यानयोगे सति पुनरणिमाद्यष्टसंसिद्धयस्ता:
दूरश्रुत्यादयोऽपि ह्यहमहमिकया सम्पतेयुर्मुरारे ।
त्वत्सम्प्राप्तौ विलम्बावहमखिलमिदं नाद्रिये कामयेऽहं
त्वामेवानन्दपूर्णं पवनपुरपते पाहि मां सर्वतापात् ॥१०॥

O Slayer of Mura! As I master meditation on Thee, the eight bodied Sidhdhis - Animaa etc., will indeed come to me jostling one another. Realising that they only cause delay in one's attainment of Thee, I shall not accept them. I long for Thee alone, the Plentitude of Bliss. O Lord of Guruvaayur! save me from all miseries.