Dwadasha Stotra

Dwadasha stothra 2 : Aapadashira sthothra Verse 1

It is currently in print as 1st poem. This sthothra is an aid to remember the extraordinary qualities of the Lord and also serves as an Aaapadashira sthothra – describing Him from feet to the Head
 and the method to offer him our obeisance.  It is also a concise from of kapiladevaRa description about the same to his mother Devaahuti in Bhagavatha. It has 12 stanzas to depict 12 roopas of Narayana. It is normally recited during NaivedyaSamParane as it is Vishahara – it removes the substances that are harmful to body from food. It has Amruthabeeja – Vam. Hence it is vishaHara.

When describing a man description is done from head to toe, but while describing God it is done from toe to head.

ShriStuthi has 8 stanzas as it depicts Prakruthi – Panchabhutas, Manas, Buddhi, Ahankara. It can be also called Astaakashara Prathipadya of Narayana.

vaMdE vaMdyam sadAnaMdaM vAsudEvaM niraMjanaM |

iMdirApatimAdhyAdi- varadEshavarapradaM || 1 ||

Vamde – Vadi dhatu – vadi abivadana stuthyoho

Vamdhyam – Prostrations to One who is to be revered

Sadanamdam – Sath anananda – Bliss without adulteration – poorna ananada

  • Sath – Satvika jNanigalu – he gives ananda to satvikavaru
  • Sath – creation time, destruction time

Vasudeva – one who has Sathvika manasu . Bhagavatha says “sattvam vishudam vasudeva samhitam” – means one who gives knowledge about Narayana is Vasudeva,

  • Vasu – prosperities, deva – knowledge.
  • Vasudevaone who is without taint of rajas and tamas and has only satvika nature. Hence to see God, heart should be clean like mirror. (Turiyam drushyate kwapi – when one achieves self realization(atma sakshatkara) next is god realization. That too god realization is only for a second. One can see God always in moksha only. ) 
  • Vasu – vasayati iti vasuhu – one who is hidden when in samsara to naked eye. Deva – devayati iti devaha – one who is visible during moksha

4 roopas of Narayana:

  • To protect the universe, the Lord takes the form of Aniruddha. Lakshmi Roopa- Shanthi
  • Pradyumna Roopa creates universe. Lakshmi Roopa- Kriti
  • SamkarshaNa Roopa annihilates the universe during Mahapralaya. Lakshmi Roopa- Jaya
  • Vasudeva Roopa liberates that section of jeevas (from the pangs of rebirth) who are destined to attain Mukthi by virtue of the sadhana. Lakshmi Roopa: Maya

He stays inside and outside everything in this universe – vasuhu – transparent conscience

  • Varaha, narashima, rama, parushurama – strength
  • Buddha – gives moha to tamasikaru
  • Krishna – knowledge, strength      

Niranjana – without any defects, that which is not bound by physical limits of panchabhootika sharira      

Indirapathiyam – consort of Lakshmi – who is abhimani of gunatraya – sattva, rajas, tamas- Naryana is niyamka for lakshmi/prakruthi

Adya – brahma . Adyaadi – Brahma, shesha, rudra, garuda – pradhana purusharu

varadEshavarapradaM – Varada isharu – one who grants our wishes/needs. Our needs are fulfilled by tattvaabhimanni devathas. But pradhana purusharu grant needs to them also. Narayana grants boons/needs to pradhana purusharu also.

  • Vara+desha = one who gives superlative advice.
  • Deshikaru = one who preaches
  • Adyaadhi varada = da means overhaul. One who can overhaul the boons given by pradhana purusharu. Eg: Boon give to Hiranyakashapu by Brahma was overhauled by Narasimha roopa
  • Dhana = cut/ give
  • Isha vara prada = gave special boon to shiva to create beguile texts ( moha shastra) to show the powers of Shiva and not Narayana. Hence shaiva dharma is more popular than vaishanva dharma.

I offer my salutations always to Krishna, the son of Vasudeva and consort of Lakshmi, who is always fit for such prostration, who is full of bliss and other auspicious qualities, and is without any blemish or defect, and is the giver of great boons such as Moksha to Gods like Brahma, who are themselves known as givers of boons to others.
SriMadacharya now describes the limbs of the Lord from the feet up. 

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