(Sri Jagannatha Dasa virachita) SRI HARIKATHAMRUTASARA / ಶ್ರಿ ಹರಿಕಥಾಮೃತಸಾರ

(Sri Jagannatha Dasa virachita)

SRI HARIKATHAMRUTASARA / ಶ್ರಿ ಹರಿಕಥಾಮೃತಸಾರ

               Salutation to Lord Rudra (ಶ್ರೀ ರುದ್ರದೇವರ ಸ್ತುತಿ)

ವಾಮದೇವ ವಿರಿಂಚಿತನಯ ಉ-

ಮಾಮನೋಹರ ಉಗ್ರ ಧೂರ್ಜಟಿ

ಸಾಮಜಾಜಿನವಸನಭೂಷಣ ಸುಮನಸೋತ್ತಂಸ|

ಕಾಮಹರ ಕೈಲಾಸಮಂದಿರ

ಸೋಮಸೂರ್ಯಾನಲವಿಲೋಚನ

ಕಾಮಿತಪ್ರದ ಕರುಣಿಸೆಮಗೆ ಸದಾ ಸುಮಂಗಳವ||10||

VAmadEva virinchitanaya U-

mAmanOhara ugra DhUrjaTi

SAmajAjinavasana BhUShaNa sumanasOttamsa|

KAmahara kailasamandira

SOmasUryAnalavilOchana
KAmitaprada karuNisemage sumangaLava||10||

SUMMARY: Oh Lord Vamadeva; son of Virinchi; DhUrjati; adorned with elephant skin as the attire; superior God compared to Indra and other deities; one who burnt Kamadeva into ashes; one who resides in Kailas; VirUpAkSha, who has Moon, Sun and Fire in the three eyes and one who fulfills all the desires, please bestow welfare upon us.

Commentary:

Lord Rudra, along with Garuda and Shesha, ranks immediately after Lord Vayu among the male Gods in the hierarchy. Although Garuda, Shesha and Rudra are controllers of mind, Lord Shiva is the prime controller. In principle, authoring a book is correlated to speech and mind. Therefore, Sri Jagannatha Dasaru has dedicated two stanzas for praising Lord Rudra. Instilling a desire for salvation and preparing the mind for renunciation can happen only if Lord Shiva wishes. Therefore Sri Jagannatha Dasaru has rightly offered prayers to Lord Shiva.

It is exemplary that Sri Jagannatha Dasaru has praised Lord Rudra with eleven attributes following the eleven forms of Lord Rudra called YEkAdasha Rudras.

Although there is a Muni named Vamana, who is originator of “Aham BrahmAsmi”, Vamana is one of the prominent names of Lord Rudra. The word “Vamana” has several meanings, including charming or attractive and opposite. The YEkAdasha Rudras or the eleven forms of Rudra possess all the 28 features mentioned in LakShaNa ShAstra, a book that deals with the acceptable physical features of human beings. They are popular for their most attractive and charming forms. Their skin is purest white. In Bhagavata, there is a description of Sage Shuka, Sage Durvasa and Lord Rudra.

The name Vamadeva means a person following cultural practices that are dead opposite to normal practices. Applying the ashes lying in graveyard and living in a symmetry or burial ground are among the strange practices that Lord Shiva follows. These forms and practices are meant to lure the Asuras on the one hand and to attract black magicians on the other hand. Vama means black magic. The imagery is Vamaha Devaha yasya saha Vamadevaha.

Lord Rudra emerged from the middle of the eyebrows of Lord Brahma and therefore he is known as Virinchitanaya. As he started crying at birth, he came to be known as Rudra, which relates to Rodana, which means crying. The presence of a special and divine power of Lord Brahma in the matted hair of Lord Rudra is one of the major reasons for Lord Moon to be present on the head of Lord Shiva.

Just as Vishnu is Ramamanohara, Lord Rudra is Umamanohara. U+Maa means “Dear Daughter refrain from such a severe penance” and that is why she came to be known as UmA. Lord Shiva is the God of Mind and Goddess Uma is the Goddess of wisdom. The Ardhanareeshwara form is symbolic of this rare combination of Mind and Wisdom. Chitraketu mocked at the Ardhanareeshwara form and therefore got cursed by Parvati Devi to

be born as Vrutrasura.

More attributes will be explained in the next episode. Please read, comment and share. SDN