Dashaka 97

त्रैगुण्याद्भिन्नरूपं भवति हि भुवने हीनमध्योत्तमं यत्
ज्ञानं श्रद्धा च कर्ता वसतिरपि सुखं कर्म चाहारभेदा: ।
त्वत्क्षेत्रत्वन्निषेवादि तु यदिह पुनस्त्वत्परं तत्तु सर्वं
प्राहुर्नैगुण्यनिष्ठं तदनुभजनतो मङ्क्षु सिद्धो भवेयम् ॥१॥

All entities in this world, knowledge, faith, work, residence, happiness, food etc., being constituted of the three gunas, are of different kinds and different gradations, such as, low, mediocre or high. But entities and activities pertaining to Thee, Thy temples and Thy worship are beyond these three gunas. By resorting to these, I will soon become perfect (free).

त्वय्येव न्यस्तचित्त: सुखमयि विचरन् सर्वचेष्टास्त्वदर्थं
त्वद्भक्तै: सेव्यमानानपि चरितचरानाश्रयन् पुण्यदेशान् ।
दस्यौ विप्रे मृगादिष्वपि च सममतिर्मुच्यमानावमान-
स्पर्धासूयादिदोष: सततमखिलभूतेषु संपूजये त्वाम् ॥२॥

O Lord! With my mind fixed in Thee, I will live happily dedicating all my actions to Thee. I will go to the holy places, where Thy devotees go, or where they went in the past. I will maintain an equal minded behaviour towards a robber or a Braahmin and also towards animals. Shedding the defective mental attitude of dishonour, honour, enmity, jealousy etc., I will worship Thee in all beings.

त्वद्भावो यावदेषु स्फुरति न विशदं तावदेवं ह्युपास्तिं
कुर्वन्नैकात्म्यबोधे झटिति विकसति त्वन्मयोऽहं चरेयम् ।
त्वद्धर्मस्यास्य तावत् किमपि न भगवन् प्रस्तुतस्य प्रणाश-
स्तस्मात्सर्वात्मनैव प्रदिश मम विभो भक्तिमार्गं मनोज्ञम् ॥३॥

In all the entities, until oneness with Thee does not clearly manifest, I will continue to worship in this way only. By which when the knowledge of oneness suddenly dawns, I will move about with total identification with Thee. O Lord! Once the practice of Bhaagvata Dharma is begun, it can not be totally lost. Therefore. O Lord! set me on the captivating path of devotion.

तं चैनं भक्तियोगं द्रढयितुमयि मे साध्यमारोग्यमायु-
र्दिष्ट्या तत्रापि सेव्यं तव चरणमहो भेषजायेव दुग्धम् ।
मार्कण्डेयो हि पूर्वं गणकनिगदितद्वादशाब्दायुरुच्चै:
सेवित्वा वत्सरं त्वां तव भटनिवहैर्द्रावयामास मृत्युम् ॥४॥

O Lord! In order to get firmly established in Bhakti Yoga, I need good health and long life. Fortunately, to achieve this also, service at Thy feet is to be done. Wonderful it is that the medicine is milk only. Long ago, Maarkandeya was told by an astrologer that his life span was of twelve years only. He worshipped intensely at Thy feet for one year and when death approached, it was driven away by Thy emissaries.

मार्कण्डेयश्चिरायु: स खलु पुनरपि त्वत्पर: पुष्पभद्रा-
तीरे निन्ये तपस्यन्नतुलसुखरति: षट् तु मन्वन्तराणि ।
देवेन्द्र: सप्तमस्तं सुरयुवतिमरुन्मन्मथैर्मोहयिष्यन्
योगोष्मप्लुष्यमाणैर्न तु पुनरशकत्त्वज्जनं निर्जयेत् क: ॥५॥

Always inclined towards worshipping Thee, Maarkandeya was thus endowed with a blessing of living for ever. He continued to do penance on the banks of Pushpabhadraa river and revelled in incomparable bliss for six manvantras. In the seventh Manvantra, the Indra there, tried to seduce him with the help of celestial damsels, soft breeze and Cupid the god of love.They did not succeed, rather they were scorched by the heat generated by the sage's yoga. Who can overcome Thy devotee?

प्रीत्या नारायणाख्यस्त्वमथ नरसख: प्राप्तवानस्य पार्श्वं
तुष्ट्या तोष्टूयमान: स तु विविधवरैर्लोभितो नानुमेने ।
द्रष्टुं माय़ां त्वदीयां किल पुनरवृणोद्भक्तितृप्तान्तरात्मा
मायादु:खानभिज्ञस्तदपि मृगयते नूनमाश्चर्यहेतो: ॥६॥

Thou as sage Naaraayana, along with Thy friend Nara went near Maarkandeya, and were repeatedly praised by him with great joy. Thou offered to him various boons, but he did not care for them, being satisfied to his innermost self with devotion to Thee. Then he asked to see Thy Maayaa. Being ignorant of the sorrows caused by Maayaa, he chose this boon out of sheer curiosity.

याते त्वय्याशु वाताकुलजलदगलत्तोयपूर्णातिघूर्णत्-
सप्तार्णोराशिमग्ने जगति स तु जले सम्भ्रमन् वर्षकोटी: ।
दीन: प्रैक्षिष्ट दूरे वटदलशयनं कञ्चिदाश्चर्यबालं
त्वामेव श्यामलाङ्गं वदनसरसिजन्यस्तपादाङ्गुलीकम् ॥७॥

As soon as Thou left, the clouds were tossed about by unruly winds and torrential rain waters made the waters of the seven seas overflow, submerging the whole world. Maarkandeya wandered in these waters for millions of years. Exhausted, he saw far away, a wondrous Infant, Thee alone, with the body with a blue hue, lying on a banyan leaf, with the toe placed in the lotus mouth.

दृष्ट्वा त्वां हृष्टरोमा त्वरितमुपगत: स्प्रष्टुकामो मुनीन्द्र:
श्वासेनान्तर्निविष्ट: पुनरिह सकलं दृष्टवान् विष्टपौघम् ।
भूयोऽपि श्वासवातैर्बहिरनुपतितो वीक्षितस्त्वत्कटाक्षै-
र्मोदादाश्लेष्टुकामस्त्वयि पिहिततनौ स्वाश्रमे प्राग्वदासीत् ॥८॥

Maarkandeya's body was full of horripilation and he rushed to touch Thee. He was drawn into Thee by Thy breath. There he saw the expanse of the whole world. Then thrown out by the breath, he was looked at by Thy sidelong glances. In great joy he approached Thee wanting to embrace Thee. Just then, Thy form disappeared and he found himself in his aashram as before.

गौर्या सार्धं तदग्रे पुरभिदथ गतस्त्वत्प्रियप्रेक्षणार्थी
सिद्धानेवास्य दत्वा स्वयमयमजरामृत्युतादीन् गतोऽभूत् ।
एवं त्वत्सेवयैव स्मररिपुरपि स प्रीयते येन तस्मा-
न्मूर्तित्रय्यात्मकस्त्वं ननु सकलनियन्तेति सुव्यक्तमासीत् ॥९॥

Lord Shiva, along with Gauri went to Maarkandeya, desirous of seeing Thy devotee. He gave the boons of freedom from old age and death etc., without being asked for, which the sage had also acquired by his penance. In this manner, Lord Shiva was also pleased by the worship of Thee alone. This also clearly shows that Thou are Trinity itself Brahmaa Vishnu and Shiva , and also the inner controller of all.

त्र्यंशेस्मिन् सत्यलोके विधिहरिपुरभिन्मन्दिराण्यूर्ध्वमूर्ध्वं
तेभोऽप्यूर्ध्वं तु मायाविकृतिविरहितो भाति वैकुण्ठलोक: ।
तत्र त्वं कारणाम्भस्यपि पशुपकुले शुद्धसत्त्वैकरूपी
सच्चित्ब्रह्माद्वयात्मा पवनपुरपते पाहि मां सर्वरोगात् ॥१०॥

In the Satyaloka, in three parts, placed one above the other are located the abodes of Brahmaa Vishnu and Shiva. Above all these is the realm of Vaikuntha which is free from the effects of Maayaa and Prakriti, there, in the Causal Waters as also in the house of cowherds, Thou do shine in a pure Sattvic form as Sat Chit Brahma the non dual self. O Lord of Guruvaayur! do save me from all diseases.