Addendum to "Sriman Narayaneeyam"

Addendum to "Sriman Narayaneeyam"

 (One more thing can be recorded: Bhattathiri while composing the great work, sought the Lord’s confirmation while describing important events during the incarnations, and Sri Guruvayurappan, it seems, nodded His head!  ---  KP) 

"I received the above comment from my well-wisher and respected Sri KParthasarathi after reading my blog on Sriman Narayaneeyam. Even though this great work has endless meanings and contents, I have gathered additional information which I have presented below. I hope my readers will find it interesting and enjoyable."

The Narayaneeyam is unique because the poet addresses the Lord directly throughout the entire text. According to legend, the poet, Bhattathiri, would wait for confirmation from the Lord, such as a disembodied voice or a nod, after discussing important incidents or making assumptions before continuing further. You can see examples of this in Dasakam 35, Verse 3, and Dasakam 45, Verse 9.

In Dasakam 35, Verse 3, the poet narrates the successful mission of Anjaneya to Lanka and his return with the crest jewel of Shree Seetha. The poet concludes by saying "Mouliratnam dada thee" (Gave Thee the crest-jewel). Immediately, a doubt arose in his mind whether he had erred in saying "Thee" instead of "Rama", and he looked up at the Lord's image. Legend has it that the Lord nodded His head, confirming that it was indeed HE in the outward form of "Rama", to whom Anjaneya handed over the crest jewel.

In Dasakam 45, Verse 9, Bhattathiri boldly asserts that the Lord resorted to taking curd, butter, and ghee by stealth from the homes of the Gopis (cowherd women) instead of begging for these, after his humiliating experience of begging for paces of land from Bali in the Vamana incarnation. It is said that the Lord approved of the poet's assumption through the voice of an "asariri" (disembodied voice) emanating from the garbhagriha (Sanctum Sanctorum).

(Similar instances of direct communication with, and confirmation by the Lord, have been mentioned in connection with the composition of "Geetagovindam" by Jayadeva.)

The mini-epic includes a depiction of "Rasam" (flavor, essence, sentiment, or mood), usually eight or nine in number, which heightens the impact of the narration. Here are a few examples:

• Raudram - Fierce, terrible, wrathful, or awesome aspect or mood.
  • - The Varaha Incarnation, Dasakams 12, 13
  • - The Narasimha Incarnation, Dasakam 25
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• Sringaram - Love, amorousness, eroticism
• - The Mohini Episode, Dasakam 29
• - Rasakrida (build up to the Rasaleela and the Rasaleela), Dasakams 65 to 69
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• Veeram - Heroism, Valour, Prowess
• - Slaying of Kumbhakarna and Ravana, Dasakam 35
• - Parasurama's decimation of Kshatriyas, Dasakam 36
• - The slaying of Kamsa and his henchmen, Dasakam 75
• - Slaying of Narakasura, Dasakam 81
• - Conquest of Bana (and fight with Siva and his Bhoota hordes), Dasakam 82
• - Slaying of Shishupala, Dasakam 85
• - Slaying of Salwa and Dantavaktra, Dasakam 86
• - Krishna's rushing at Bheeshma with the Sudarshana Chakra in hand, as if enraged, during the Mahabharata war, Dasakam 86
• - Also, the Lord enters the womb of Uttara (assuming the size of a big toe), to protect the embryo from the Brahmashirsha missile released by Ashvatthama to exterminate the Pandava clan, Dasakam 86
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• Hasyam - Mirth, amusement, jest, derision, ridicule
  • - Duryodhana's perplexity and confusion between firm floor and water, while traversing the audience hall full of illusions, built by Maya for the Pandavas, and the derisive laughter of Draupadi and Bheema at Duryodhana's discomfiture, Dasakam 85
  • - The account of Lord Siva taking to his heels to escape from Vrikasura who was pursuing him to test the efficacy of the boon granted to him by Siva, and the derisive words spoken by the Lord (in the guise of a clever Brahmachari), while accosting Vrikasura and bringing about the latter's (self-)destruction, Dasakam 89
• 
  
• Karuna - Compassion, pathos, tenderness
  • - Krishna's departure from Brindavan for Mathura, leaving the Gopis forlorn, Dasakam 73
  • - Uddhava's errand to Gokulam to console the Gopis, Dasakam 76
  • - The wailing of the brahmin over the repeated loss of his sons immediately after birth, in the Santanagopalan episode, Dasakam 88
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• Adbhutam - Wonder, astonishment, miraculousness
  • - The Lord's growth from the form of a dwarf to His gigantic Cosmic form encompassing all the worlds with two steps of His feet, in the Vamana incarnation, Dasakam 31
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• Bhayam - Fear, alarm, fright, terror
  • - Kamsa's panic reaction to the divine voice ("asariri") foretelling his death at the hands of Devaki's eighth son, and his manifold acts seeking to avert his doom, eventually proving futile and ending in his death, Dasakams 37 onwards up to Dasakam 75.

The Narayaneeyam closely follows the structure and narration sequence of the Bhaagavatham. Like the larger epic, it is also divided into Skandams (Cantos). The first nine skandams of the Bhagavatham are reflected in the same number of skandams in the shorter work, spanning Dasakams 1 to 36. The tenth skandam, spanning Dasakams 37 to 90, corresponds to the tenth skandam of the Bhagavatham. The eleventh skandam, Dasakams 91 to 97 (Verse 4), covers the entire content of the eleventh skandam of the Bhagavatham. Verses 5 to 10 of Dasakam 97 contain an account of Sage Markandeya and his vision of the Lord in the form of a child of indescribable beauty and charm lying on a banyan leaf, with its toe placed in its mouth, floating on the waters of the deluge. Dasakam 98 incorporates the poet's meditation on the Lord's abstract, incorporeal (Nishkala or Nirguna) form and his supplications to the Lord. Dasakam 99 includes the mantras of the Rig Veda in praise of the glory of the Lord. Dasakam 100 is the climax of the whole Narayaneeyam. The poet gives a glowing and graphic description of the dazzling vision of the Lord, which was vouchsafed to him on the 100th day. The head-to-foot depiction of the Lord in this Dasakam is unparalleled for its beauty, grandeur, and vividness. Its reading uplifts the reader to the heights of devotional ecstasy. In the eleventh (and final) stanza of this Dasakam, the poet explains the rationale of the title, Narayaneeyam, by saying that it is apt in two senses, namely, the central theme which is Lord Narayana, and the narrator whose name is also Narayana. The concluding words of this stanza "ayurarogyasaukhyam" constitute a code, that has been decoded by scholars to indicate the date of the work.

 Conclusion

The Narayaneeyam, authored by Narayana Bhattathiri, offers a condensed version of Sage Vyasa's Srimad Bhagavatam, making it easily understandable for all, especially the devotees of the Supreme Lord (Vaishnavas). This work is commendable for its exceptional literary and artistic value. It is highly recommended for daily recitation to attain mental peace in today's world filled with various stressors. Throughout the text, there are verses of unparalleled beauty and devotional fervor. Notably, three sections stand out: 

1. Dasakam 69 - Rasakrida - describes the Rasa Dance, illustrating the supremacy of selfless love of the individual soul (Jeeva) for the Cosmic soul (Brahman) in the form of Krishna as the means for attaining Liberation.

2. Dasakam 98 - Adoration of the Supreme Brahman - delves into the profound Vedantic concept of the non-dual Brahman, transcending the Space-Time continuum and representing the sole Reality in the form of Existence-Consciousness-Bliss Absolute (Sat-Chit-Ananda).

3. Dasakam 100 - Head-to-foot description of the Lord - embodies the pinnacle of devotional fervor and its ultimate fulfillment.

Source: Sanskitdocuments.org/ Narayaneeyam -an Introduction.