Panduranga
Vitthala of Pandharpur
(Compilation
for a discourse by N.R. Srinivasan, Nashville, TN, July 2016)
The deity of Venkateswara in Tirupati and Jagannatha in Puri,
is the amalgam of ever quarreling and contradicting Saiva, Sakta and Vaishnava
traditions and encompasses all philosophies. It even encompasses other
religions that came up later. It is more of an inclusive philosophy than
exclusive for its focus is on undefinable Supreme Being (Parabrahman). Panduranga Vitthala or Vithoba deity in
Pandharpur also fits into this
Philosophy who is very popular in Karnataka and Maharashtra. These deities are
ideally suited for Hindu American Temples where Hindus of all traditions
including Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists,
Sanatanists, inter-faith
followers and others come to Hindu temple to worship the Universal Lord of Unifying
Spirituality in One Temple for All
Traditions. I wonder why Panduranga sanctums are not found in Hindu American
Temples in the bewildering multitude of Sanctum-sanctorum!
Panduranga deity is believed by
some to be 5000 Years old. How Panduranga found his way to Pandharipura
is described briefly in Padmapurana and Skanda Purana. Sankara has composed slokas on Panduranga as
he did on Jaganntha. It seems he did visit this place too when he went on All
India pilgrimage tour. Strangely I have not come across any sloka on
Venkateshwara by Sankara. He would not have missed to compose one on
Venkateshwara had the deity been recognized as Vishnu then. But some say Adi Sankaracharya came to Tirumala
and placed Sri Chakra at the lotus feet of Lord Venkateswara and sung the
famous song "Bhaja Govindam” which I doubt very much. It is
said that, once in Benares, as Sankara was going along with fourteen of his disciples, he overheard an old pundit repeating himself
grammar rules, and at this futile effort put forth for a mere intellectual
accomplishment and thus wasting his time in life without realizing the spiritual
unfoldment in himself. Sankara is said
to have burst forth into the stanzas, famous as Mohamudgara, now popularly
known as Bhaja Govindam by Venkatswara
followers which I doubt very much.
Therefore it is likely that this temple is of later origin belonging to Ramanuja
period. I believe the deity was worshiped
either as Devi or Subhramanya before. It is only Ramanuja who settled the
dispute and presented it to devotees as Vaishnava deity. Also you can see how Saivism dominated later
and Vaishnavism receded to the background in Maharashtra, a reverse order to
what you find in Jagannatha Tradition. At the entrance to this Vaishnava shrine
you can see Ganesha idol being popularly worshiped an uncommon feature in
Vaishnava temples. Nobody except the
priest is allowed near the deity in Sanctum in Vishnu temples which is often
extended to South Indian Saivite temples, a strict South Indian temple discipline!
It is the unique tradition in Pandharpur that everyone can go up to the altar
and touch the lotus feet of the Deity unlike in Vishnu temples. Some pilgrims
even rest their heads upon His feet. But one has to move on quickly. Devotees
touching the deity or doing Abhishekam is a common feature in North
India Saivite temples. At the same time you find the
customary Garudasthambha as well as Jaya Vijayas guarding the sanctum sanctorum
in his temple as in South Indian Hindu Temples.
Krishna is often addressed as
Leelaa Purushottama, ever playful, most delightful, leading a married life with
16008 wives with no partiality, yet ever faithful to his childhood love Radha and
with most humanized form of Divine Lord in his eighth Avatar of Krishna. Radha-Krishna
Temples are more popular than Krishna Rukmini Temples. Rukmini is the Incarnation
of Lakshmi. Lakshmi is well known for
her wavering mind and frequent family quarrel and leaving her husband alone to
live in seclusion. So money (Lakshmi)
also does not stay permanently with anyone. Thus we hear in Puranas Lakshmi
leaving Vaikuntha in a fit of anger; Padmavati moving away from Venkateshwara;
and Jaganntha driving away Lakshmi from Ratnavedi. While talking about his beloved Radha,
Krishna’s eyes filled with so much joy that it made Rukmini jealous. She ran
out of Dwaraka and came to Pandharapura in Maharashtra. Krishna later followed
his queen to this village where lived Pundalik, one of Vishnu’s greatest
devotees where he joined his consort Rukhumai in her penance mood.
Krishna is often seen with Radha in North Indian iconography. Strangely Radha is never mentioned in Srimad Bhagavatam but she has been extolled as the Mula-Prakriti
in many other Purans. Mostly Krishna is seen alone in
temple iconography with his flute and often with his favorite companion cow in
South India except in Chennai where he is seen as a tired charioteer returning
from Mahabharata War, tired and exhausted as Parthasarathy, where he needed the
company of Rukmini. Only in Maharashtra as Vithobha he is seen together with
Rukhumai as matured husband and wife in rather unusual serious mood. The famous
Temples of Krishna in India are: Kesava of Mathura; Gopala of Vraja; Dwarakadhish
of Dwaraka; Vitthala of Pandharpur;
Jagnnath of Puri; Sreenathji of Nathdwara; Krishna of Guruvayoor; Keshava of
Udupi (Chinna Keshava) or Udupi Krishna and Parthasarathy of Chennai.
Vithoba, also known as Vitthala and Panduranga, is a Hindu god predominantly worshipped in the Indian states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He is generally considered a manifestation of the god Vishnu
or his avatar,
Krishna. Vithoba is often depicted as a dark young boy, standing
arms akimbo
on a brick, sometimes accompanied by his main consort Rukhumai or Rukmini. The “Vi”
the first syllable in Vitobha denotes knowledge and the latter part “thoba” denotes shape. “Ba” is supposed to denote father in Marathi.
When Krishna left
this mortal world at the end of Dwapara
Yuga, there was deluge and despair among all including Sadhus. But they had the
divine assurance he will always be there with them when trouble comes. In
Kaliyuga Vishnu is not seen in his physical form but worshiped as naturally
occurring Salagrama. So also Siva in his
Linga form. Millions revere these
black stones called salagrama. In many places in India Salagrama stone is used
for carving a Murti (icons) for worship.
Badrinath and Pandharpur are well known for
their Salagrama Murtis. Hindus believe the essence and spirit of Vishnu is
contained in these stones. Newly
installed Jagannatha icon in Puri is
worshiped only when the Brahma padartha
is transferred from the discarded idol during Navkalebar ritual.
The historiography of
Vithoba and his cult is an area of continuing debate, even
regarding his name. Various Indologists have proposed a prehistory for Vithoba worship where he was
previously: a hero stone, a pastoral deity, a manifestation of Shiva, a Jain saint, or even all of these at various times for various
devotees. Though the origins of both his cult and his main temple are likewise
debated, there is clear evidence that they already crystallized by the 13th
century. This history is as diversified as the history of Jagannath worship in
Puri or Venkateshwara in Tirupati over a long period. But Maharashtrians and Kannadigas
have fixed the history as that of Krishna joining Rukmini to comfort her when
she left Mathura and settled in Pandharpur citing Puranas. Panduranga, is generally regarded as an Avatar
of Vishnu based on Puranas. Some call
him the coming one similar to the Maitreya in Buddhism, the Messiah in Judaism,
or Christ coming again in Christianity.
This temple of Vithobha
was the center of Varakari-bhakti movement, led by saints like Namdev,
Jnaneswar, Tukaram, Purandara das and Ekanath that mesmerized Maharashtra in
middle ages. The word varkari combines
the words vari and kari, the former standing for the regular trip to
Pandharpur, the latter meaning the one who does it. Varakari thus means “one who journeys to
Pandharpur at a specific time in the year.” Varkaris vow to visit Pandharpur
every month, or at least once a year, during Ekadasi
festivals.
The Varkari
poet-saints are known for their unique genre of devotional lyric, the Abhang,
dedicated to Vithoba and composed in Marathi. Other devotional literature dedicated to Vithoba includes
the Kannada hymns of the Haridasa and Marathi versions of the generic Aarti songs associated with rituals of
offering light to the deity. Shayani Ekadashi in the month of Ashadha, and Prabodhini Ekadashi in the month of Kartik
are the two Ekadashis held sacred to propitiate Vitthala by Maharashtrians on which days
they fast all day.
The most outstanding
display of the Maharashtrians’ devotion to Lord Vitthala is the Dindi Yatra, a
pilgrimage on foot that culminates in Pandharpur. It is being performed bi-annually
for the last seven hundred years. The huge Ashadha Ekadashi festival—draws a
crowd of several thousands who come on foot. The festival falls during the
month of Ashadha (July) and marks the beginning of Chaturmasa, the four months
of the rainy season. According to the Padma Purana, on that day the Lord goes
to sleep for four months. When He wakes up, at the end of the month of
Karttika, another festival is held, the second large Dindi Yatra. Dindi yatra calls for a detailed
description about which we will talk
later.
Vithoba is the form of Lord Vishnu revealed to a Brahmin Pundarika (Pundalika)
by name because of his intense devotion to his parents. Here the Lord came to
visit a devotee instead of devotee running to the Lord. With a true devotee even
Lord’s heart melts. He stood on a brick with patience to see his devotee finish
his chores who was attending to his aged parents which was his foremost Dharma
which Lord not only understood but appreciated. The word Vitthal is a corrupted form the word
Vishnu. Vit also means brick.
The name of the famous
place Pandharpur is derived from the Kannada word “pandarige”. Pandharpur was also earlier known
as: Pandharee, Pandurangapura, Pandurangapalli, Phaganipur and Pundareeka
Kshetra. The cult of Vitthala
was wide spread in the Southern region earlier than in Maharashtra. The Hoysala Ruler Vishnuvardhana is credited
with having been responsible for the celebrity of the shrine in Pandharpur. The most popular story of
Panduranga is associated with the name Pundarika (Maharashtrians call the
ashram as Pundalika Ashram) given in detail by Sainath. After Krishna’s marriage to goddess
Rukmini, Krishna went out one moonlit night to the place of his childhood where
he danced with the milkmaids enjoying Rasakreeda as the love stricken milkmaids
swayed in ecstasy. Rukmini as a devoted
wife was upset with Krishna for this.
As a mark of rebuke and punishment, Rukmini went and stood in a forest called
Dindira Vana, in austere penance, in the form of a statue. As a chaste wife,
she was performing penance to atone for the acts of her husband. With
due apology, Lord Krishna seeing the penance of his wife also took the form of a statue and
came to that spot in apology to her. The arms akimbo pose symbolizes Justice,
which will be the return of Dharma from Adharma at the end of Kali Yuga and is
available now to all devotees through the worship of Panduranga and Rukmini.
Your attention is also
drawn to Panduranga Mahatmya section of Padma Purana. Indra’s consort Sachi
once approached Vishnu with amorous intentions, and for this Sachi incarnated
herself as Rukmini during Krishnavatara, became jealous of Radha, and began
performing severe penance. To win her love, Krishna also stood in front of
Rukmini in penance. This is the posture in which Panduranga Vitthala is seen
today. Uttara Khanda of Padmapurana mentions the image of Vitthala-Vishnu, on
the banks of the River Bhimarat having only two arms. This Purana calls him
Bindu-Madhava.
The shrine on the banks of the River Bhima or Chandrabhaaga is an ancient
one going back to the sixth century but the God Vitthala is not referred in the
inscriptions until 1236 A.D. The
Maharashtrian Saint Namadev is intimately associated with this shrine. This temple has six Mahadwaras or Main Gates
out of which the famous Eastern Gate is named after Namadeva(1270-1350
A.D.). The Very first step is said to
have been built over Namadeva’s Samadhi or burial place. There is also a brass
bust of that saint there. In the sanctum, Panduranga Vitthala stands on a square stone pedestal
resembling a brick. Bound
by the cords of Pundalika’s love, Krishna placed parts of himself in the statue
or Murti – an image of himself – for worship during this Kali Yuga. Later Rukmini followed Krishna and also stood
as an image behind her husband. Separate temples were built to them, and today
millions of Hindus visit Pandharapura to propitiate the images of Panduranga
and Rukmini. Panduranga and Rukmini in two different temples has given scope
for many speculations as to who Panduranga is?
The Samadhi of Pundalika can also be seen near the temple. Vakari
pilgrims congregate here in large numbers and with intense devotion, and
fulfill their vows during the Hindu months of Ashadha and Kartika. The deity
with plain crown in the form of rather unusual longish cap looking like
linga is devoid of celebrity of garments
and
has a simple cloth covering below the hip like a Sanyasi. It has on its chest Kaustubha necklace and
bangles on the wrist. The deity has Makara-kundala type ear rings. The image is
carved out of black stone little less than four feet height. It has only two
arms both resting on the hips. The left holds a conch (Sankha) and the right, a
discus (Chakra), typical of Vishnu deity. Krishna deities in general are generally two
armed and do not carry Sankha and Chakra but often flute held with both hands
in playing mood. The
slightly smiling composure Lord seems to tell the devotees, “Do not fear. For
those who have surrendered unto Me, I have reduced the depth of the ocean of
material suffering. See, it is only this deep”. He indicates the shallowness of
the ocean by placing His hands on His hips. Venkateshwara deity shows this as
knee deep by his Katihasta.
There is the temple for the great devotee Pundarika in the bed of the
Chandrabhaga River which is a tributary of Krishan River about 220 feet away
from Vittahla’s temple. In fact Bhimarati river flowing in Pandharpur is called Chandrabhaga River. The river bends like
crescent moon as it reaches Pandharpur and therefore it is known as
Chandrabhaga (Crescent Moon). This river
is as holy as the Ganges to his devotees. About one Kilometer away is
another temple “Vishnupaada” on a rock in the bed of the river on a plinth 7 feet
in height. It contains the foot prints of Lord Krishna and of his favorite cow.
Pilgrims and locals perform obsequie (sraaddha rites) ceremonies here.
Panduranga image is
worshipped as Vijaya Vittala at Vishwa Shanti Ashrama, which is Sadguru Sant
Keshavadas and Sadguru Rama Mata's (our gurus) ashram outside Bangalore. Every six months devotees can witness
Mahamastakabhisheka to Lord Vijaya Vittala like what is done to Goamteswara
every 12 years, pouring water, milk ,
honey , curds etc., over the 30 feet
statue.
Dindi Yatra
The Annual Pandharpur Yatra (Waari) to the famous Vithoba Temple at
Pandharpur in Maharashtra from Dehu and Alandi attracts thousands of people and
pilgrims known as Warkaris. In 2016,
Pandharpur Yatra falls on Ashaadha Sukla Ekadasi (Tamil Month Aadi 1) day on
July 15, 2016. July 15 is also Dakshinayana Punyakala Day according to
false calculation of astrologers and strongly marketed. Summer Solstice day was
20 or 21 or 22 June in 2016 astronomically depending on the place one
lives.
It starts off from
the birth-sites and Samadhi places of various saints and converge in Pandharpur.
The pilgrims travel 150 to 300 kilometers, depending on where they start. The
biggest of all Dindis is that of Jnaneshvara, which forms a gigantic
procession. It originates in Alandi, near Pune, and covers about 250 kilometers
in eighteen days’ walk. The convergence
of pilgrims, and the symbolic presence of their saints, awakens the sleepy
villages with intense religious fervor. In the evening, groups everywhere
perform kirtans, and crowds of thousands listen to various speakers, who spice-up
their discourses with songs of the saints, to the tune of musical instruments.
These speakers are like one-act players (Kathak dancers). They entertain and
involve their audience, inspiring them to sing along. Upon reaching Pandharpur, the pilgrims take
a dip in the Chandrabhaga River. Then, carrying the palanquins on their
shoulders, they perform Nagara-pradakshina (circum-ambulation of the holy city),
walking a circle around the holy town. The circle complete, they queue up all
night at the temple to catch a glimpse of the Lord Vitthala who is eagerly
waiting for them on the brick on the Ekadashi day. In the heavy rush, each will
get to see the Lord for perhaps a few seconds. For them it will be enough:
their religious goal is achieved after a long journey with a glimpse of the
Lord, and feel satisfied that it is worth all the trouble.
Along with
the Dindi procession, seva (service) to the poor and needy is done reflecting
that Lord is in all forms. This is called ‘Seva Dindi’. During the Seva Dindi,
the people on pilgrimage undertake selfless service to the poor and needy like
Amrut Kalash (Annadhan), Narayan seva, Medical seva, Building & repairing
rural infrastructure etc.
This human valley of
devotion brings back to our memory the verse
in Padma Purana wherein the Lord says to Narada, the divine sage; “tatra
tishthaami naarada yatra gaayanti mad bhaktaah”--O Narada, I stay where My devotees glorify Me.”
Symbolism of Panduranga
In Sanskrit, “pandu” means “white” while “ranga” means
“color.” Therefore Panduranga means the white-colored one. This
is not appropriate to a black Salagram icon. In Spiritual sense
white stands for Sattva Guna
or Vishnu (here Lord Krishna). Thus, the divine light that Krishna personifies as the Lord of
Sattva Guna, will grace all who
worship him irrespective of caste creed or race. Thus the body of Christ depicted in INRI
statues is also white. Christianity
believes that all sincere Christians shall merge with the body of
Christ no matter where they are or what they do. The white light of
Panduranga as the name implies
means the same. How did name Panduranga became
synonym with Krishna? Generally Krishna
is always depicted with blue color (Neelamegha Syaama).
Ranga, therefore, means dark color. With the appearance of the icon
carved out of black salagrama, Panduranga came to be synonymous with Krishna in
this form of the icon. As you all know Krishna
was friend Philosopher and guide of the Pandavas. Thus he
became Pandava’s Ranga or Panduranga.
Pandurnga is also called Vitthala. “Vi” stands for “Vidhi” or Brahma, “tha”
stands for Nilakanta, which is a
name of Shiva as the “blue-necked who saved asuras and devas by drinking poison
sprayed by the serpent Vasuki, and “la” stands for Lakshmi Pati or the husband
of Lakshmi who is Vishnu. Thus, Vitthala stand for the Trinity Vyuha (emanatrions) of Saguna
Brahman --Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva in his creation, sustenance and dissolution
aspects.
Pundarika means the lotus of the heart. At the request of his devotee Lord Krishna agreed to stay in the heart of Pundarika forever.
The object and place for the unbroken meditation of the Supreme
Divine is described in the following Mantra of MNU:
Dahram vipaapam varavesmabhoota
yat Pundareekam puramdhyasagamstham |
Tatraapi dahre gaganam visokam
tasminyadantastadupaasitavyam ||
In the citadel of the body there is the small sinless and
pure lotus of the heart which is the residence of the Supreme. Further in the
interior of this small area there is the Ether devoid of sorrow. That Ether is
to be meditated upon continuously. (The holy inner apartment is called by the
name Pundarika. You know now why Supreme Being ran to reside in the heart of
Pundarika permanently in Pandharpur leaving Vaikuntha!)
Pandurapura was known as Panduranga Kshetra associated with an old Shiva temple earlier to Krishna showing up there. The white-colored interpretation of the Panduranga as the abode of Shiva is a reflection the snowy peaks of the Himalayas where Shiva dwells. The sthala purana (local mythology) says --one day when the Shiva temple priest came early to start puja, he could not see the usual Sivalinga anywhere. Instead there was a large black icon standing there with hands on the waist. Astonished and bewildered he looked all around and was surprised to see the Sivalinga on the top of the head of the longue deity. In reverence he started chanting aloud “Parabrahma Lingam Bhaje Panduranga,” which means “The symbol of the Supreme Brahman sits atop the image of Panduranga”. This motivated Sankara to come out with his Panduranga Ashtakam where each stanza ends with the phrase; “Parabrahma Lingam Bhaje Pandurnagam”
Swami Sivananda of Rishkesh writes while explaining Bhagavad Gita that the word “brick” is a slang expression for a saint who is as firm and dependable as a brick. The image of Panduranga standing on a brick therefore symbolizes the Consciousness that is Panduranga manifests through saints. That is to say, Panduranga stands on a brick, or, the consciousness and power of Krishna that overshadows a certain group of saints in the Hindu tradition (Chaitanya, Jayadeva, Prabhupada and others)
Rukmini or Rakhumai is worshipped as the
consort of Vithoba (an avatar of Krishna) in Pandharpur, Maharashtra.
In 1480, Rukmini devi's servant messenger is
believed to have appeared in this world as Vadirajatirtha (1480–1600), the greatest saint in the Madhvacharya tradition. He composed a famous work Rukminishavijaya glorifying Rukmini and Krishna in 1240 verses
spread over 19 chapters. In certain part of India they believe Rukmini in her
past her last life was married to Jambavati who was a male.
Please go through detailed story of Panduranga Vitthala as narrated by Sainath of IndiaDivine.Org:
The story of Panduranga Vitthala
Lord Vithal, or Panduranga Vitthala, is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu and is worshipped in the world famous Pandarpur Rukmini Vitthal Temple at Pandarpur in Maharashtra. There is an interesting story that explains about the incarnation of Lord Vitthal at Pandarpur.
Once
a devotee named Pundalik was traveling to Kashi and reached the Ashram of Saint
Kukkut. He asked the sage the way to Kashi. Kukkut Rishi said that he did not
know the way to Kashi and he had never been there.
Pundalik
made fun of Kukkut Rishi for not knowing the way to Kashi and said that a holy
man like him should have already visited Kashi. Kukkut Rishi kept quiet and did
not bother to answer Pundalik. During the course of the night Pundalik
heard the voice of women in the ashram.
He
came to out to look what was happening and saw that three women were sprinkling
water on the Ashram and cleaning it.
On
enquiry, Pundalik found out that the three women were Ganga, Yamuna and
Saraswathi and they had come to clean the Ashram of Kukkut Rishi. Pundalik
wondered how a saint like Kukkut who had not visited Kashi was such holy and
powerful that the three holy rivers came down to purify his ashram.
The
three women told Pundalik that piety, spirituality and devotion does not depend
on visiting holy places or doing costly rituals but in performing one’s karma.
The
three women told him that Sage Kukkut had served and nursed his parents most
faithfully and devoted all his life to that one aim. He had thus accumulated
Punya enough to earn Moksha and bring us down to earth to serve him.
Pundalik
had left his old parents at home and was visiting Kashi to gain moksha and
blessing. He did not bother to entertain the request of his parents to take
them also to Kashi.
Pundalik
now understood his mistake and rushed back home and took his parents to Kashi
and on return started looking after them. From then onwards the care of his old
mother and father came before everything else.
Lord
Krishna was moved by the sincere devotion of Pundalik towards his parents. He
decided to visit Pundalik’s home.
When
Lord Krishna visited Pundalik’s home he was serving food to his old parents.
Pundalik
saw the Lord at his door but his devotion to his parents was so intense that he
wanted to finish his duties first and then attend to his guest. Pundalik had
reached such a stage that it didn’t matter to him whether the guest was a mere
mortal or God. All that mattered was service to his parents.
Pundalik
gave Lord Krishna a brick to stand on and asked Him to wait until his duty was
completed. Lord Krishna was moved by the devotion of Pundalik to his parents
and waited for him patiently.
Later
when Pundalik came out he asked the Lord forgiveness for making Him wait. Lord
Krishna blessed him and asked him to ask a boon.
Pundalik
said what more can I ask when the Lord himself waits for me.
When
Lord Krishna insisted that he ask a boon, Pundalik asked that the Lord should
remain on earth and bless and take care of His devotees.
Lord
Krishna agreed to stay there and is known as Vithoba or the Lord who stands on
a brick. This form of the Lord Vithoba is Swayambhu which means that His idol
has not been carved or etched but it came into existence on its own.
|| Panduranga vittala hari narayana, Pandaripura vittala jaya Narayana ||
Shri
Pandurangashtakam
On
the way out of the darshana (visitors) hall, one sees hanging from the ceiling
the famous eight prayers known as Pandurangashtakam, composed by the Acharya
Sankara during his visit to Pandharpur in the eighth century. Each verse
glorifies the beauty, qualities, and devotees of the Lord and ends with the
refrain “para-brahma-lingam
bhaje pandurangam”, meaning “I worship
the supreme spiritual form of Lord Panduranga.”
This Stotra is a very beautiful
creation of Shri Adi Shankaracharya. This stotra is in
Sanskrit. It is a praise of God Panduranga who is standing on a brick for his
devotees, to bless them with peace and
happiness and everything they deserve. God Panduranga is Lord Vishnu’s avatar.
Adi Shankaracharya also indicates to us why he worships God Panduranga.
श्री पांडुरंगाष्टकम्
महायोगपीठे तटे
भीमरथ्या वरं
पुंडरीकाय दातुं
मुनीद्रैः ।
समागत्य तिष्टंतमानंदकदं परब्रह्मलिंगं भजे पांडुरंगं
॥
१
॥
Mahaayogapeethe
tate Bheemarathyaa varam pundreekaaya
datum muneendraih |
Samaagatya
tishtantam aanndakadam parabrahmaalingam
bhaje pandurangam || 1 ||
I worship that (Hiranyagarbha) Panduranga,
who is the absolute Brahman
Who is the source of immense happiness
Who came in all glory and standing at the great seat of yoga, on the banks of Bheemaratha,
Along with great seers to fulfill the boon to Pundarika.
Who is the source of immense happiness
Who came in all glory and standing at the great seat of yoga, on the banks of Bheemaratha,
Along with great seers to fulfill the boon to Pundarika.
तडिद्वाससं नीलमेघावभासं रमामंदिरं सुंदरं
चित्प्रकाशम् ।
वरं
त्विष्टिकायां समन्यस्तपादं परब्रह्मलिंगं भजे
पांडुरंगं ॥
२
॥
Tadidvaasasam
neelameghaavabhaasam ramaa-mandiram
sundaram chitprakaasam |
Varam
tvishtikaayam samanstapaadam parbrahma-lingam bhaje Pandurangam || 2 ||
I worship that Panduranga who is the absolute Brahaman
Who is the light of all lights
Who has firmly placed his blessed feet
on the bricks,
Who is dressed like a streak of lightning,
Who is of the color of the blue clouds,
Who is the very temple for Goddess Lakshmi,
Donning a supreme and desired body, who is standing on his feet of equanimity.
प्रमाणं भवाब्धेरिदं मामकानां नितंबः कराभ्यां धृतो येन तस्मात् ।
Who is dressed like a streak of lightning,
Who is of the color of the blue clouds,
Who is the very temple for Goddess Lakshmi,
Donning a supreme and desired body, who is standing on his feet of equanimity.
प्रमाणं भवाब्धेरिदं मामकानां नितंबः कराभ्यां धृतो येन तस्मात् ।
विधातुर्वसत्यै धृतो
नाभिकोशः परब्रह्मलिंगं भजे
पांडुरंगं ॥
३
॥
Pramaanam
bhavaabdher-idam maamakaanaam nitambah karaabhyaam dhrito yena tasmaat |
Vidhaatur-vasatyai
dhrito naabhikosah parbrahma-lingam bhaje Paandurangam || 3 ||
I worship that Panduranga, who is the
absolute Brahman
Who by keeping his two hands on his waist, and
Tells us all that this ocean of transmigration is only waist deep
And who holds Creator’s abode in the lotus of the navel
Who by keeping his two hands on his waist, and
Tells us all that this ocean of transmigration is only waist deep
And who holds Creator’s abode in the lotus of the navel
So that the creator himself can live
there.
स्फुरत्कौस्तुभालंकृतं कंठदेशे श्रिया
जुष्टकेयूरकं श्रीनिवासम् ।
शिवं
शान्तमीड्यं वरं
लोकपालं परब्रह्मलिंगं भजे
पांडुरंगं ॥
४
॥
Sphurat-kaustubha-alankritam kanthadese
sriyaa jushta-keyoorakam srinivaasam
|
Sivam-saantameedyam
varam lokapaalam parabrahma-lingam
Pandurangam || 4 ||
I worship that Panduranga, who is the
absolute Brahman,
Whose neck is adorned with the Kaushthubha gem,
Who has armlets of rarest charm,
Who is Srinivasa, the abode of Goddess of Wealth,
Who is ever peaceful and calm,
And who is praiseworthy and protector of the world.
Whose neck is adorned with the Kaushthubha gem,
Who has armlets of rarest charm,
Who is Srinivasa, the abode of Goddess of Wealth,
Who is ever peaceful and calm,
And who is praiseworthy and protector of the world.
शरचंद्रबिबाननं चारुहासं लसत्कुंडलक्रान्तगंडस्थलांगम् ।
जपारागबिंबाधरं कंजनेत्रम् परब्रह्मलिंगं भजे
पांडुरंगं ॥
५
॥
Sarachandra-bibaananam
chaaruhaasam lasat-kundala-kraanta—gandasthaala-angam |
Japaaraaga-bimbaadharam kanjanetram parabrahma-lingam bhaje Paandurangam ||
I worship that Panduranga, who is the
absolute Brahman,
Who is as bright as the autumn moon
Who has a very captivating smile,
Whose shining ear studs dangling over his cheeks,
Who has red colored lips like the China rose flower and the Bimba fruit,
And whose eyes are like lotus flowers.
Who is as bright as the autumn moon
Who has a very captivating smile,
Whose shining ear studs dangling over his cheeks,
Who has red colored lips like the China rose flower and the Bimba fruit,
And whose eyes are like lotus flowers.
किरीटोज्ज्वलत्सर्वदिक् प्रान्तभागं सुरैरर्चितं दिव्यरत्नैरमर्घ्यैः ।
त्रिभंगाकृतिं बर्हमाल्यावतंसं परब्रह्मलिंगं भजे
पांडुरंगं ॥
६
॥
Kireetojwalat-sarvadik Praantabhaagam surair-architam
divyaratnairamarghyaih |
Tri
bhangaakritim barhamaalyaavatamsam
parabrahmalingam bhaje Pandurangam ||
I worship that Panduranga, who is the
absolute Brahman,
With his glittering crown that illumines all directions around his face
Who is being worshipped using precious gems by the devas,
Who poses with three bends of (creation sustenance and dissolution)
With his glittering crown that illumines all directions around his face
Who is being worshipped using precious gems by the devas,
Who poses with three bends of (creation sustenance and dissolution)
Who wears peacock feathers and garland
of flowers!
विभुं
वेणुनादं चरन्तं
दुरन्तं स्वयं
लीलया
गोपवेषं दधानम्
।
गवां
वृंदकानन्दनं चारुहासं परब्रह्मलिंगं भजे
पांडुरंगं ॥
७
॥
Vibhum
venunaadam charantam durantam svayam
leelayaa gopavesham dadhaanam |
Gavaam
vrindkaa-nandanam chaaruhamsam
parabrahma-lingam bhaje Paandu-rangam
|| 7 ||
I worship that Panduranga, who is the
absolute Brahman,
Who plays his flute,
Who is all pervasive and is infinite
Who on his own playfully wears the attire of the cowherd,
Who brings great happiness to the herd of cows,
And who has a charming smile.
Who plays his flute,
Who is all pervasive and is infinite
Who on his own playfully wears the attire of the cowherd,
Who brings great happiness to the herd of cows,
And who has a charming smile.
अजं रुक्मिणीप्राणसंजीवनं तं परं धाम कैवल्यमेकं तुरीयम् ।
प्रसन्नं प्रपन्नार्तिहं देवदेवं परब्रह्मलिंगं भजे
पांडुरंगं ॥
८
॥
Ajam
rukminee-praana-sanjeevanam tam paraam dhaama kaivalyamekam tureeyam |
Prasannam
prapannaartiham devadevam parabrahmalingam bhaje Pandurangam ||9||
I worship that Panduranga, who is the absolute Brahman,
Who is unborn,
Who is the elixir of life for Rukmini,
Who is Supreme abode,
Who is the only goal for Liberation
Who is the fourth state for human
existence (absolute Bliss),
Who is ever pleasing
Who is ever pleasing
And who removes problems of seekers who
take refuge in him.
स्तवं
पांडुरंगस्य वै
पुण्यदं ये
पठन्त्येकचित्तेन भक्त्या च
नित्यम् ।
भवांबोनिधिं तेऽपि
तीर्त्वाऽन्तकाले हरेरालयं शाश्र्वतं प्राप्नुवन्ति ॥
९
॥
Stavam
Paandurangasya vai punyadam ye pathat-eka-chittena bhaktyaa cha nityam |
Bhavaabonidhim
te api teertvaa antakaale hareralayam
saasvatam praapnuvanti || 9 ||
He who reads with devotion and single
minded concentration,
This holy prayer addressed to Panduranga daily,
Would cross with ease, this ocean of life,
And at the end reach the abode of Vishnu permanently.
This holy prayer addressed to Panduranga daily,
Would cross with ease, this ocean of life,
And at the end reach the abode of Vishnu permanently.
॥ इति
श्री
परम
पूज्य
शंकराचार्यविरचितं श्रीपांडुरंगाष्टकं संपूर्णं ॥
|| Iti Sree parama poojya sankaraachaarya-virachitam sree
Panduranga-
ashtakam sampoornam ||
So
ends the Panduranga Ashtakam (Eight Stanzas) composed by his holiness
Sankaracharya.
REFERENCES:
1.
Devdutt Pattnaik,
Vishnu, Vakils Feffer And Simons Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, India.
2.
Swami Harshananda,
Hindu Gods and Goddesses, Ramakrishna Math Chennai, India.
3.
Wikipedia, Internet.
4.
Sainath, The story of
Panduranga Vitthala, IndiaDivine.Org
5.
Ramachandra Rao S.K., Kalpatharu Research Academy,
Shankarmutt, Bengaluru, India.
6.
Swami Harshananda,
Hindu Pilgrim Centers, Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India.
7.
Swami Loknath,
Krishna.com
8.
Namadeva Acharya
& Thomas Ashle, Panduranga Vitthala and Rukmini, Internet.
APPENDIX
Famous
Maharashtrian Saint Devotees of Lord Vitthala
(Swami Loknath, Krishna.com)
Some
illustrious devotees of Lord Vitthala traveled widely throughout Maharashtra.
Their preaching and their exemplary devotional mood left a permanent impression
on the people. Their unanimous conclusive instruction to their followers was
this: “Go on singing, go on dancing, and when you get to the lotus feet of the
Lord, beg for love from Him.” So nama-sankirtana, congregational chanting of
the Lord’s holy names, is very popular in Maharashtra.
Saint Tukarama was the most famous of all
Maharashtrian saints. He lived during the seventeenth century, and over the
last three hundred years his devotional influence has been deeply felt by the
local people. His poems, the 4,500 verses known as the Abhangs, have become
part of the public memory of Maharashtra. They are sung in every village and
every home.
Tukarama
preached throughout his life, exhorting his countrymen to take to the path of
bhakti, devotional service. His language was so simple and down to earth that
even the most simple villagers understood it completely. He is the main force
behind the continuous kirtanas and bhajanas performed at the many festivals in
Pandharpur.
Saint Tukarama was a
great devotee of Lord Vitthala. As mentioned before, the Deity is
self-manifested. That is, He spontaneously appeared, without being carved and
installed. Expressing full faith in this Deity of Lord Vitthala, Tukarama
wrote, “If anyone says that this Deity was once installed, his mouth will be
filled with worms.”
Saint
Tukarama sometimes had to suffer humiliation and opposition from envious
people, but he always stayed more humble than a blade of grass, thus changing
the hearts of his enemies. The saint left for the spiritual world in his
selfsame body while engaged in nama sankirtana, chanting of the holy names of
the Lord, with the residents of his home village. The villagers attested they
saw a spiritual Vimana (airplane ) descend and saw Tukarama board the Vimana and leave for the spiritual sky.
Another
exalted spiritual leader among Lord Vitthala’s devotees was Jnaneshvara, who
lived in the thirteenth century. At the age of sixteen, he translated the
complete text of Bhagavad-gita into simple Marathi, the language of
Maharashtra. His work is known as Jnaneshvari. He attained samadhi (passed
away) at the age of twenty-one.
You might have all
heard o Namdev Chi Payari. Also famous
is the life of Saint Namadeva. Once when Namadeva was a young boy, his father,
who worshiped a Deity of Lord Vitthala at home, went out, leaving Namadeva in
charge of the Deity. When the time came to offer food to the Lord, Namadeva
prepared a plate, placed it on the altar, and sat down, begging the Lord to
accept the offering. Following his father’s advice to give the Lord some time
to eat before taking back the plate, Namadeva left the Deity room and patiently
waited, expecting the Lord to literally eat up the food. From time to time the
boy would check, but the Lord seemed to be standing still. After quite some
time had passed and Namadeva saw no sign that the Lord would ever eat, Namadeva
decided to intervene. Entering the Deity room, he appealed to Lord Vitthala,
insisting that the Lord eat right away. And if He wouldn’t, the boy threatened,
he would smash his own head against the wall. To the boy’s surprise, Lord
Vitthala then took His lotus hands off His hips and physically ate the
offering.
Purandara
Dasa is famous among the Haridasas of Karnataka; foremost among the talented
Karnatic composers. He was very rich, but eventually gave away all his wealth
because of a strange incident and became a devotee of Sri Hari. He practiced
the principle contained in the popular saying "we must swim across
suffering win victory over it". After Srinivasa Nayaka became the
saint-singer celebrating Sri Hari, he sought a teacher for guidance and was
received as a disciple by Sri Vyaasaraja. Sri Vyaasaraja who had been accepted
as a great saint had composed verses both in Sanskrit and Kannada. He bestowed
the name of 'Purandara Vittala' on the unattached Srinivasa Nayaka and blessed
him heartily. Purandaradasa has
expressed his gratitude to Sri Vyaasaraja in one of his verses thus: "My
only refuge is the feet of Vyaasaraja. I was able to understand Purandara
Vittala by his grace". He earned
the well-deserved title as the devotees of Hari, Purandara Dasa from his preceptor Sri Vyaasa Tiirtha). His
works have earned the name 'Purandaropanishat'.
Srinivasa Nayaka who had earned the name of Navakoti Narayana, became a
devotee of Narayana, the protector of the mankind and started a new life along
with his wife and children. Purandara
Dasa's wife and children also appeared to have composed verses like him. Some of his famous Bhajans in Kannada are Mosa Hodenallo Nanu Ranga Baro
Panduranga Baro; Onde Namavu Salade
Shri Hariye... ;Hari Kunida Nammma
Hari Kunida; Kshirabdhi Kannike etc.
Mokshavimshaka Stotram –
Harivamsha Puranam
Ashadha Ekadashi is round the corner (04-July-2017). I am happy to forward a very rare and potent
hymn on Lord Ananta By King Bali sent through courtesy Muralidharan Iyengar
from Singapore. .
Ashadhi Ekadashi is a very important occasion in Pandharpur
in Maharashtra. It looks like the crowds keep swelling with people from many
different states doing pada yatra for this occasion. Sri. Tukaram Ganapathi
Maharaj is building a place to stay for devotees especially from south. Blessed
are those who can be at Pandharpur during those Ekadashi . The rest of us can
perhaps recite this hymn!
This rare hymn on Lord Ananta (Vishnu) by King
Bali as told by Sage Narada taken from Harivamsha Puranam (Last
Canto of Mahabharata), Bhavishya Parva and Chapter 72. This
hymn was given by Sage Narada to King Bali when he was sent to
nether world by Lord Vamana to get emancipation from bondage. The brief Phalashruti
by Sage Vaishampayana declares that one who recites this hymn
gets absolved of all sins including the killing of cows and brahmins and begets
all wishes fulfilled such as progeny, spouse, emancipation, relief from labor
pain during child birth, etc.
śrīnārada uvāca -
om namo'stvanantapataye akṣayāya mahātmane |
jaleśayāya devāya padmanābhāya viṣṇave || 1 ||
sapta-sūrya-vapuḥ kṛtvā trīṁllokān krāntavānasi |
bhagavan kālakālas tvaṁ tena satyena mokṣaya || 2 ||
naṣṭa-candrārka gagane kṣīṇa yajña tapaḥ kriye |
punaścintayase lokāṁs tena satyena mokṣaya || 3 ||
brahma-rudrendra vāyvagni sarid bhujaga parvatāḥ |
tvatsthā dṛṣṭā dvijendreṇa tena satyena mokṣaya || 4
||
mārkaṇḍena purā kalpe praviśya jaṭharaṁ tava |
carācara-gataṁ dṛṣṭaṁ tena satyena mokṣaya || 5 ||
eko vidyā sahāyas tvaṁ yogī yogamupāgataḥ |
punastrailokyaṁ-utsṛjya tena satyena mokṣaya || 6 ||
jalaśayyāmupāsīno yoganidrāmupāgataḥ |
lokāṁścintayase bhūyas tena satyena mokṣaya || 7 ||
vārāhaṁ rūpamāsthāya veda yajña puraskṛtam |
dharā jaloddhṛtā yena tena satyena mokṣaya || 8 ||
uddhṛtya daṁṣṭryā yajñāṁs trīn piṇḍān kṛtavānasi |
tvaṁ pitṝṇāmapi hare tena satyena mokṣaya || 9 ||
pradudruvuḥ surāḥ sarve hiraṇyākṣa bhayārditāḥ |
paritrātās tvayā deva tena satyena mokṣaya || 10 ||
dīrgha-vaktreṇa rūpeṇa hiraṇyākṣasya
saṁyuge |
śiro jahāra cakreṇa tena satyena mokṣaya || 11 ||
bhagna mūrdhāsthi mastiṣko hiraṇyakaśipuḥ purā |
huṁkāreṇa hato daityas tena satyena mokṣaya || 12 ||
dānavābhyāṁ hṛtā vedā brahmaṇaḥ paśyataḥ purā |
paritrātās tvayā deva tena satyena mokṣaya || 13 ||
kṛtvā hayaśiro rūpaṁ hatvā tu madhu-kaiṭabhau |
brahmaṇe te'rpitā vedās tena satyena mokṣaya || 14 ||
deva dānava gandharvā yakṣa siddha mahoragāḥ |
antaṁ tava na paśyanti tena satyena mokṣaya || 15 ||
apāntaratamā nāma jāto devasya vai sutaḥ |
kṛtāśca tena vedārthās tena satyena mokṣaya || 16 ||
veda yajñā 'gnihotrāṇi pitṛ-yajña havīṁṣi ca |
rahasyaṁ tava devasya tena satyena mokṣaya || 17 ||
ṛṣir dīrghatamā nāma jātyandho guru-śāpataḥ |
tvat-prasādācca cakṣuṣmāṁs tena satyena mokṣaya || 18
||
grāhagrastaṁ gajendraṁ ca dīnaṁ mṛtyu-vaśaṁ gatam |
bhaktaṁ mokṣitavāṁs tvaṁ hi tena satyena mokṣaya || 19
||
akṣayas cā'vyayaśca tvaṁ brahmaṇyo bhaktavatsalaḥ |
ucchritānāṁ niyantāsi tena satyena mokṣaya || 20 ||
śaṅkhaṁ cakraṁ gadāṁ padmaṁ śārṅgaṁ garuḍaṁ eva ca |
prasādayāmi śirasā te bandhān mokṣayantu mām || 21 ||
śaṅkhaṁ cakraṁ gadā padmaṁ śārṅgaṁ ca garuḍadayaḥ |
hariṁ prasādayāmāsur baliṁ mokṣaya bandhanāt || 22 ||
||
Phalaśrutiḥ ||
śrīvaiśampāyana uvāca -
imaṁ stavaṁ anantasya sarva-pāpa-pramocanam |
yaḥ paṭheta naro bhaktyā tasya naśyati kilbiṣam || 23
||
go-hatyāyāḥ-pramucyeta
brahmaghno-brahma-hatyayā |
aputro-labhate-putraṁ kanyā-caivepsitaṁ-patim || 24 ||
sadyo-garbhāt-pramucyeta garbhiṇī-janayet-sutam |
ye ca mokṣaiṣiṇo loke yoginaḥ sāṅkhyakāpilāḥ || 25 ||
stavenānena gacchanti śvetadvīpaṁ akalmaṣāḥ |
sarva-kāma-prado hyeṣa stavo 'nantasya kīrtyate || 26
||
yaḥ-paṭhet-prātarutthāya śuciḥ prayata-mānasaḥ |
sarvān-kāmān-avapnoti mānavo nātra-saṁśayaḥ || 27 ||
||
iti śrīmahābhārate-khilabhāge-harivaṁśe bhaviṣya-parvaṇi vāmana-prādurbhāve
śrīnārada-proktaṁ mokṣaviṁśaka stotraṁ sampūrṇam ||
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