A question on viSNu and dadhIchi - Pauranik references

Tue Sep 15 10:02:48 UTC 1998

-----Original Message-----
From: Anand Hudli <anandhudli at HOTMAIL.COM>
To: <ADVAITA-L at TAMU.EDU>
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 1998 2:22 AM
Subject: Shri Rudram 1.5

   || AUM namo bhagavate rudrAya  ||

The Rishi of this Rik is either Gautama or GodhUma, the devatA
Rudra, and the meter anushhTubh.

The dyAna shloka of this mantra is mentioned by BhaTTa bhAskara:

sA.ngrAmikeNa vapushhA pravirAjamAnaM dR^ipyatpuratrayatR^iNAshani-
                                                       mandahAsam.h |
daityAndidhaxumachaleshvarachApapANiM dhyAyetpurArimamaraugha-
                                                  rathAdhirUDham.h||

One should meditate on the brilliant, warrior form of the enemy of
tripura whose light smile is the lightning that destroys the arrogant
tripura, who bears in His hand the Mount Meru as His bow for the
purpose of burning the daityas, and who has mounted the chariot made
of the multitude of gods.

The mahAbhArata contains an account of how Shiva destroyed the three
cities (tripura). The demon tAraka was killed by kArtikeya. The three
sons of tAraka then performed penance and obtained a boon from BrahmA
according to which they could move about in three castles or cities
made of iron, silver, and gold. They could only be slain by a single
arrow after a period of a thousand years. Armed with this boon, the
demons harassed the gods and good people. The gods approached Shiva
and begged Him to annihilate these arrogant demons. Shiva then
acquired half the strength of all gods and came to be called
mahAdeva, the great God. He made ViShNu the fiery arrow  which He
shot and completely burned up the three cities and the demons. The
three cities are interpreted as the three bodies - the causal body
(kAraNa sharIra), the subtle body ( sUkshhma sharIra, and the gross
body (sthUla sharIra). Shiva destroys these three bodies that
represent ignorance.

shivena vachasA tvA girishAchchhA vadAmasi |
yathA naH sarvamijjagadayakshhmaM sumanA asat.h ||

(Shri Rudram: anuvAka 1, Rik 5)

shivena vachasA - with auspicious words
tvA - You
girisha - O Resident of the (KailAsa) Mountain
achchha - in order to obtain
vadAmasi - we pray
yathA - in which manner
naH - our
sarvamid.h jagat.h - this whole world of man and animals, the
                         movables
ayakshhmam.h - free from ills
sumanA - filled with cheerfulness and benevolence
asat.h - may it become

O Girisha (the Resident of the Mountain KailAsa)! In order to attain
You we pray with auspicious words. In which manner the whole world of
people, animals, (and other) movables, may become free from disease
and filled with cheerfulness and benevolence, (make it so).

Simple Sanskrit Rendering
  he girisha! tvAM prAptuM maN^galena vachanena vayaM stumaH |
  yathA asmAkaM sarvaM jagat.h rogarahitaM saumanasaM bhavati tathA
  kuru|

  O Girisha, (the Resident of the Mountain)! In order to attain You we
  praise You with auspicious words. Make our whole world  free from
  ills and full of cheerfulness and benevolence.

sAyaNAchArya-bhAshhyam.h (Commentary of sAyaNAchArya)

  girau kailAse shete tishhThatIti girisho he girisha tvAmachcha
  prAptuM shivena maN^galena stutirUpeNa vachasA vadAmasi vayaM
  prArthayAmahe | yathA yena prakAreNa no.asmadIyaM sarvamijjagat.h |
  ichchhabdo.avadhAraNe yathA sarvamapi manushhyapashvAdikaM
  jaN^gamajAtamayaxmaM rogarahitaM sumanA asatsaumanasyopetaM bhavati
  tathA kuru |

  Girisha is one who resides in the Mountain KailAsa. O Girisha! In
  order  to attain You we pray with auspicious words in the form of a
  hymn of praise. Make this whole world of ours (id.h is understood
  as) consisting of all people and animals, the movables, free from
  disease and endowed with cheerfulness and benevolence.

  According to "achchhAbherAptumiti" of YAskAchArya's nirukta, the
  word "achchha(A)" appearing in the Shruti has the meaning of
  "Aptum.h", to attain.

Notes based on the commentary of bhaTTa bhAskara:

1) shivena vachasA is interpreted as follows:

   tvadIyaguNasaMkIrtanaparatayA kalyANakareNa tava prItikareNa vA
   stotralaxaNena vachanena ...

   By words that indicate a hymn, are engaged in glorifying Your
   qualities, and bestow auspiciousness or loving devotion to You.

2) ashivena hi vachanena devaH krudhyet.h | The God may become
    angry by (using) inauspicious words (in His praise).

    BhaTTa BhAskara has quoted from the R^ig Vedic Rudra sUkta
    (sometimes also called the R^ig Vedic Rudram) in support of this
    statement:

    mA tvA rudra chukrudhAmA namobhirmA dushhTutI vR^ishhabha
    mA sahUtI |
    unno vIrAn.h arpaya bheshhajebhirbhishhaktamaM tvA bhishhajAM
    shR^iNomi ||

    O Rudra! Let us not make You angry by (incorrect) obeisances or
    by faulty praises or by invoking You with (other lesser) gods.
    Along with Your remedies (medicines) kindly grant us heroic
    (sons), (since) we hear that You are the foremost among
    physicians, O Bestower of gifts!

                  || AUM namo bhagavate rudrAya  ||

Anand

=============
-----Original Message-----
From: Shikaripura Harihareswara <HOYSALA at WORLDNET.ATT.NET>
To: <INDOLOGY at LISTSERV.LIV.AC.UK>
Date: Tuesday, September 15, 1998 12:06 PM
Subject: Re: A question on viSNu and dadhIchi - Pauranik references

>REPLY:
>Dear Prof Palaniappan,
>namaskAra!
>The story of viShNu and dadhIchi, including the
>sudarshana chakra becoming blunt/powerless,
>appears in  purANas:
>For example:
>    Linga Purana - Dadhicha (also known as Dadhichi) episode.
>
>Incidentally, if you would like to dig into the origin of
>A. the bladed discus, sudarshana:
>   1  samudra-mathana episode appears in several puranas,
>   such as:
>         matsya purana
>         vishnu purana, and
>         bhagavata purana,
>   but, it is in Brahma-vaivartha Purana, mention is made
>   about the first appearnce of Sudarshana Chakra while
>   the ocean was churned, after the horse uchchaishravas,
>   the elephant aitAvata and just before Lakshmi appeared
>   there from the great ocean.
>
>   2.  Vishvakarma creates the discus weapon out of the dust
>   of the Sun.  (Vishnu Purana Amsha 3, Chapter 2.)
>
>   3.  Mahabharata makes Agni to give Sudarshana Chakra to
>    Sri Krishna after Khandava-vana- dahana ( and GanDhIva
>    bow to Arjuna)
>   4   The power of Sudarshana chakra used by Mahavishnu is
>   narrated in Mahabharata Adiparva, chapter 19.
>
>B. Dadhichi:
>   1   Son of the sage Bhrigu. ( Mahabharata, Shalya Parva, 51.83)
>   2   Son of Shanti or Chitti (Kardama's daughter)& Atharva
>    (brahma's mAnasa pitra) (Brahma Purana)
>   3  Had a son by name Pippilada in Suvarcha (born after
>      Dadhichi died.) .
>
>   4   Dadhichi's story appears in Rigveda 1:13:84, where he helps
>   Indra ( and other Devas)
>   4  Dadhichi's helping nature, to the extent of sacrificing himself
>   for a cause he considers worthy-  appears in various Puranas,
>   such as: Bhagavata, Brahma, Skanda, Shiva, Devi Bhagavata etc
>
>Sincerely,
>-Harihareswara
>8412 Fontenay Way,
>Stockton, CA 95210-5237
>(209)957-6825
>===================YOU  WROTE==========
>Date:    Wed, 9 Sep 1998 21:31:38 EDT
>From:    Sudalaimuthu Palaniappan <Palaniappa at AOL.COM>
>Subject: a question on viSNu and dadhIchi
>
>The Tamil kantapurANam refers to a story where viSNu tries to attack
dadhIchi
>with his discus but the discus loses its sharp edge and turns harmless as a
>potter's wheel. I would like to know more details of this story and
references
>from the Sanskrit side.
>
>
>Regards
>S. Palaniappan
>
>------------------------------
>