SRI HARIKATHAMRUTASARA - UNIT I

SRI HARIKATHAMRUTASARA - UNIT 1 MANGALACHARANA

ಶ್ರೀ ಹರಿಕಥಾಮೃತಸಾರ ಮಂಗಳಾಚರಣ ಸಂಧಿ

HarikathAmritasAra gurugala

KaruNadindApanitu pELuve

ParamaBhagavadBhaktaridanAdaradi kELuvudu||INVOCATION||

ಶ್ರೀ ಹರಿಕಥಾಮೃತಸಾರ ಗುರುಗಳ

ಕರುಣದಿಂದಾಪನಿತು ಪೇಳುವೆ

ಪರಮಭಗವದ್ಭಕ್ತರಿದನಾದರದಿ ಕೇಳುವುದು||ಪಲ್ಲವಿ||

SUMMARY:

I am hereby telling the HarikathAmritasAra with the blessings and kindness of my Guru and request the ardent devotees of Lord Hari to hear it with reverence and compassion.  

COMMENTARY

This stanza should always be recited at the beginning reciting this work.

Sri Hari is the primordial, impeccable, unsuspicious and intrinsic addressee of Sri Harikathamritasara.  It is the story of Lord Hari as explained, described, defined, extolled and substantiated in Smrutis, Shastras, which is like the Elixir or the Amrita of Eternity. It is ever-fresh and relevant for all times to come. Katha or Story is not in the ordinary sense of being a narrative or fiction but a narrative of the ultimate truth, the ultimate and eternal philosophy, a presentation of the way of life. It is tastier than the Elixir and more eternal than eternity.

The word Sara means the gist, the filtered stuff, purified material and so on. This does not mean that the original texts such as Sri Ramayana, Sri Mahabharata, Sri Bharata Tatparya Nirnaya of Sri Madhwacharyaru, and other holy books contain ‘unwanted’ stuff; it only means that the most important and significant aspects of such texts have been taken out and the entire Sri Harikathamritasara is based on those texts.

Hari is Sri Narayana, Katha symbolically means Mahalshmi and Amrita is indicative of Lord Vayu. Since this entire work is a solemn attempt at presenting and describing the extraordinary attributes of these three, the title of the work “Sri Harikathamritasara” is justified and most appropriate.

“Gurugalu” is an expression that indicates the Dwadasha or twelve Gurus mentioned in Tantrasara by Sri Madhwacharyaru like Guru, Paramaguru, Sri Anandatirtharu, Sri Vedavyasaru, Bharati, Saraswati, Vayu, Brahma, Mahalakshmi, Narayana and Vasudeva. The fact that the prayer offered in the first Unit is in line with this order of deities is one of the striking features of Sri Harikathamritasara.

The expression “Gurugala karuNadindApanitu pELuve” sounds similar to “SrimatpUrNapramatigurukAruNyasaraNim prapannAha” stated in Sri NyayasudhA.

It has been stated in Brahmasutras that the grace, compassion, kindness and affection of Guru is the only valuable and mandatory path to have the grace of the Lord.

“Apanitu” means to the best of knowledge and capacity.

(In the next episode, Sri Narasihmastuti will be narrated. SDN)