Verse 16

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 16:

तस्याङ्कदेशकलितो हरिरेव पायात् नीलप्रकाशरूचिरश्रियमादधानः ।
पीताम्बरः प्रथमयौवनगर्वधारी श्रीवत्सकौस्तुभधरो धृतवेदबाहुः ॥ १६ ॥

tasyāṅkadeśakalito harireva pāyāt nīlaprakāśarūciraśriyamādadhānaḥ |
pītāmbaraḥ prathamayauvanagarvadhārī śrīvatsakaustubhadharo dhṛtavedabāhuḥ || 16 ||

May Hari, who is within it,^[1] who is in the pride of early youth, whose body is of a luminous blue beautiful to behold, who is dressed in yellow raiment, is four armed, and wears the Śrīvatsa,^[2] and the Kaustubha,^[3] protect us!

Commentary by Śrī-Kālīcaraṇa:

The Author here speaks of the presence of Viṣṇu in the Varuṇa-Bīja.

“Within it” (Aṅka-deśa-kalita)—i.e., in the Bindu above Varuṇa- Bīja, in the same way as Brahmā is in the lap of Dharā-Bīja. The same explanation applies by analogy to the description of the other Lotuses.

“Whose body, etc.” (Nīla-prakāśa-rucira-śriyaṃ)—Lit,, He possesses the enchanting beauty of blue effulgence; i.e., his body is of a luminous blue beautiful to behold.

“Wears Śrī-vatsa and Kaustubha.”—The following is his Dhyāna in the Gautamīya-Tantra: “On his heart is the gem Kaustubha, lustrous as ten thousand Suns shining at the same time, and below it is the garland^[4] with the lustre of ten thousand moons. Above Kaustubha is Śrī-vatsa, which also is luminous like ten thousand moons.

The Tantrāntara speaks of the weapons in the hands of Hari: (Meditate on) Him who has the noose in His hand, and on Hari who is in His lap, and has four arms, and holds the Conch,^[5] Discus,^[6] Mace,^[7] and Lotus,^[8] is dark blue (Śyāma) and dressed in yellow raiment.”

By “who has the noose in His hand” is meant Varuṇa as he has been described in the verse preceding the Text quoted.

Elsewhere he (Harī) is. spoken of as “clad in yellow raiment, benign of aspect, and decked with a garland”.^[9]

We have seen that, in the Mūlādhāra, Brahmā is seated on the Haṃsa, and we should therefore think of Viṣṇu as seated on Garuḍa.^[10]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

i.e., Viṣṇu is within “the lap” of the Bindu of Vāṃ.

[2]:

Lit., Favourite of Śrī or Lakṣmī—an auspicious curl on the breast of Viṣṇu and His Avatāra; Kṛṣṇa. It is said to symbolically represent Prakṛti. See Ahirbuddhnya-Saṃhita, 52, 92, citing also the Astrabhūṣaṇa- Adhyāya of Viṣṇu-Purāṇa, I, 22.

[3]:

A great gem worn by Viṣṇu, which is said to symbolically signify the souls (see authorities in last note). These are said to be united with the Kaustubha of the Lord (Viṣṇutilaka, II, 100).

[4]:

Vanamālā, the name for a large garland descending to the knee. It is defined as follows:

ājānulaṃbinī mālā sarvartu-kusumojjvalā.
madhye sthūla-kadaṃbādhyā vanamāleti kīrtitā.

(That is said to be Vanamālā which extends down to the knee, beauteous with flowers of all seasons with big Kadaṃba flowers in the middle.)

This garland is celestial because in it the flowers of all the seasons are contained.

[5]:

Śaṅkha.

[6]:

Cakra.

[7]:

Gadā.

[8]:

Padma.

[9]:

The garland symbolizes the elements; the club, Mahat; the conch, Sāttvika-Ahaṃkāra; the bow, Tāmasika-Ahaṃkāra; the sword, knowledge; its sheath, ignorance; discus, the mind; and the arrows, the senses. See authorities cited at p. 43, ante,

[10]:

The Bird King, Vāhana of Viṣṇu.