Dashavatara Stuti - Vadiraaja swamy 3 - Kurmakritetvavatu - Kurmavataara

kurmakritetwavatu narmaatma prishThadhrita bharmaatma mandaragire
dharmaavalambana sudharmaasadaakhalita sharmaa sudhaavitaraNaat
durmaanaraahumukha durmaayidaanava sumarmaabhi bhedhanapaTo
gharmaarka kaantivaravarmaa bhavaan bhuvana nirmaaNa dhutavikriti


Kurmakrite - kurma+ akrite = tortoise+ form of, tvavatu - tu + avatu = only (you) + protect ,
narmaatma = effortlessly, prishta = back, dhrita = supporting, holding, bharmaatma -

bharma+atma = made of gold, mandaragire = ‘Mandara’ the mountain,(one who has

mandara giri)

Dharmaavalambana - dharma+avalambana= morals + supported by, sudharma =

name of the assembly of gods, asada = attendees, khalita=cause(to)happen,

sharma = bliss, sudha = amrita, vitaranaat = by distributing

Durmaana - dur+maana = bad + mannered (arrogant) , rahu = rahu the demon,

mukha = and others, durmaayi - dur + mayi = wicked + deeds, daanava = demons,

asuras, sumarma - su+ marma = proper + tender spot, abhedhanapato - abhedhana+

pato = dissecting = expert

Gharmaarka - gharma + arka = heat + sun, kantivaravarma - kanti + vara + varma =

brightness+ supreme + shell or armour, bhavan = you, bhuvana = universe, nirmana =

build, dhuta= washaway, vikriti = defects, imperfections, blemishes,mutations.

You, 1. in the tortoise form, effortlessly supporting the golden ‘mandaragiri’ on your

back

2. Causing the attendees of the assembly called sudharma, who are supported by

dharma and who support dharma (gods),  to be in bliss , by distributing sudha (amrita)

3. Who is an expert in slashing or breaking the tender spots (marmasthaana), of the

bad mannered arrogant Rahu and similar demons doing wicked deeds

4. Having a shell of supreme brightness, like sun, and emitting extreme heat and

(capable of) building the blemishless universe (blemishes washed away) - You only

can protect us.

Messenger Of God !

Lord Ranganatha Swamy Of Srirangam.

When my wife saw the granite figurine of Sri Ranganathaswamy (Lord Vishnu lying

on his snake bed ‘Adisesha’), in my friend’s consulting room, (he was using it as a

paper weight!) she immediately fell in love with it. She falls in love with many such

things and would like to possess them. I usually manage to bring her back to her

senses and make her give up the idea. If she had had her way our house would

have been full of such artefacts and we would be sleeping in our front yard by now!

Of late, she has stopped informing me about her love affairs. They remain stored

in a corner of her brain and wait for a suitable opportunity to be put into action.

This was one such.

When she learnt that my niece was due to go on a trip to Srirangam, which is

famous for it’s Ranganathaswamy temple, the R swamy who was sleeping in

her brain suddenly woke up and poked her. She thought that such a statuette

was sure to be available for sale in Srirangam and immediately placed a request

for one. My niece was very obliging but she wanted a picture of the statuette

and details like the size and material etc. So, I got an order, not to comment or

question, but to run to my friend’s clinic, get a picture of the idol on my phone

and also get the measurements and approximate weight.

I went to my friend’s clinic and put in a request for a ‘darshan’ of ‘Ranganatha swamy’

and also permission to take a picture. Our conversation went thus,

“What Swamy?”

“Ranganathaswamy”

“What happened to him?”

“Nothing happened to him, I wanted a picture”

“Why are you asking me for it?”

Then I knew that the matter needed some explanation. I explained to him about his

figurine, my wife’s wish, and the need for the picture.

“Oh you mean that god lying on a snake? Someone had brought it from Pondicherry.

It was on my table for a long time. But I don’t know where it is now ”

He searched around for it. In his medicine cabinet, under his x ray machine, behind

the refrigerator and in all the drawers of his table. But there was no trace of Ranganatha

in his clinic. He called his wife (like me, his clinic and residence are in the same

premises) and she looked around in other rooms. But Ranganatha had disappeared.

His wife very apologetically said “sorry”, took my number and said that she would

make a detailed search and would send me the picture as soon as she found the idol.

The granite figurine of Ranganatha swamy, which is on my friend's table.

My wife was disappointed and sent Ranganathaswamy back to the corner of her brain

to resume his sleep. My niece breathed easy, finished her Srirangam trip and returned

without  Ranganathaswamy. The matter was forgotten.

Few days after the Ganesha festival, my friend called me.

“Raghu, We found that idol which you were looking for” He said. “I feel that the god

himself sent you to my place”

“No, it was my wife who sent me. Not the god”

“You are not getting my point. Let me explain” and he continued,

"After you left that day, we searched all over the house but we could not find the
idol. I had not cared for it when it was there but somehow I felt very bad about
losing it and instructed all our servants to look out for it. And you know what? Our
gardener found it in the sack containing the coconuts from our garden. I don't
know how it got there. Anyway I feel very happy about it. It is back on my table
again. I light a lamp in front of it everyday and that makes me feel that the day has
begun well. I think god himself sent you to make us find him again. You are really
a messenger of god".

I felt like writing about the incident and I have written. But, with the reputation the

messengers of god presently enjoy in our country, I think I should have suppressed it !

Dashavataarastuti - Vadirajaswamy - 2. Khandeebhavadbahula - Hayagreeva

KhandeebhavatbahuLa dindeera jhrimbhaNa suchandeekritodadhimahaa
kaandaatichitragati shaundaadyahaimarada bhaandaaprameyacharita
chandaashwa khanTamada shundaala durhridayan ghandaabhikhandakaradoh
shchaandamaresha hayatundaakrite drishamakhandaamalapradishame


Khanda = Piece, Khandibhavat = being broken into pieces or Breaking,

Bahula = large quantity, Dindira = Froth, Foam, Jhrimbhana = raising,

Su chandi = very scary, Krita = made, Udhadhi = ocean, Mahaa khaanda =

very deep, Ati chitra gati = very, wonderful, playful movements,  Shaunda =

expert,efficient, Aadya = basis for everything (moola roopi), Haima = made

of gold (Hema = gold ), Rada = teeth, bhaanda = decorated (well arranged)

aprameya = un limited, (prameya =limited) Charita = all activities

Chanda = scary, Ashwa = horse, Kantha = neck (means head here),

Mada = arrogant, Shundala = elephant , Durhridaya = wicked,  Gandha=

‘gandasthala’ of elephant, khanda = break, doh = hand Chanda = Scary

(here, scaring enemies), amara + esha = gods +king, Haya = Horse,

Tunda = Mouth (neck) , Akrite = having figure of, Drisham = Knowledge,

Akhanda = un broken, un diminished, Amala = Pure, Pradisha = Grant, Me = To,me.

One who moves, as if like a play, astonishingly and  expertly in the great

depths of the ocean, making the waves raise and break against each other

and against rocks, producing and shattering great amounts of foam and

thereby making the ocean appear scary, who is the basis or start of everything,

and who is endowed with unlimited qualities and activities

Capable of breaking the ‘gandasthala’ of the wicked elephant like Hayagreevaasura,

who has a arrogant horse form, easily with your hands, (you) who is scary to

enemies, king of gods, having the form of horse (here, hayagreeva the god)

with well arranged set of teeth of gold (OR decorated with golden set of teeth

OR decorating the ocean with your presence), grant me divine knowledge,

whole and pure.  

Dashavataaara Stuti - Vadirajaswamy - 1 Proshteesha Vigraha.... Matsyaavataara.

Proshtheeshavigraha sunishteevanoddhata vishishTaambuchaari jaladhe
loshTaantaraahita vicheshTaaghamaugha parameshTiditatvamavamaat
preshTaarkasoonu manu cheshTaarthavaatmavidateeshTo yugaantasamaye
stheshTaatma shringadhrita kaashTaambuvaahana varaashTaapadaprbhatano


(You, who is) In the form of king of fishes Proshteesha  - proshti + eesha

= Fish having a spout + King/Lord, (Proshti can be sub divided into

Pra+ ushti meaning spouting water) Vigraha = Form, Suneeshtivanodhdhata

 = 1. sprouting great mass of water mixed with air, (‘udhdhata’ is upwards,

like what a whale does) 2. And it also means, ‘(he) who has a great heaving

agitated ocean, 3. also can mean, agitating the ocean (like child’s play),  

Vishishta ambuchaari jaladhe = containing the great (vishishta) ocean

creatures (ambuchari). But god himself can be decsribed as vishishta

ambhuchaari = moving effortlessly in the water and the only one remaining

till end ie pralaya. And the adjective Jaladhe may also mean, (he who is)

sea of kindness, sea of strength, sea of ananda etc etc.

Koshtantarahita -  koshta+antara+ahita =   ( Koshta =stomach, antara=inside,

ahita= placed) Keeping in your stomach, Vicheshta=  undisturbed,

Aghamaugha - agama + ogha + = cluster of all agamas, holy scriptures ie,

the vedas (and) parameshti=brahma, idita=worshipped (being worshipped

by Brahma)  tvam+ ava + mam = you + protect +me.

Preshta + arka+ sunu+ manu = very dear + sun + son + Manu, cheshtaartha -

cheshta + artha =  activites + for the sake of , atmavit - atma+vit = atma + know

about, ateeshto - ati + Ishto = very + dear, yugaanta+ samaye = end of yuga + at

the time of,  stheshta = unperturbed, atma shringha = horn of paramaatma

himself, Dhrita = supported/supporting, kaashthaambuvaahana - kaashtha+ ambu +

vaahana = wooden+water + carrier, Varaashthapradaprabhatano - vara +

ashthaprada + prbha + tano = the best + golden+ radiance/brilliance + body.

You, in the form of a great fish, moving effortlessly in the heaving ocean,

spouting water and air into the sky and also agitating the other great ocean

creatures and the ocean itself, keeping the agamas un disturbed within you,

and being worshipped by Brahma himself,

You, who is very dear to ‘aatmagnaani’s and who is always unperturbed, and

who, for the sake of continuance of the activities at the end of the yuga by the  

son of sun, Manu, who is dear to you, used your own horn in the body which is

radiant like the best of gold, to keep stable, the wooden carrier (boat) - you

protect us.

Rain Walks - Two of the many

Since the beginning of the rainy season, we, a group of  4-5 people with common interest, have been walking every Sunday for a distance of 10 - 20 kilometers. In pouring rain if it is raining. We start at half past five and start walking in whichever direction appeals to us. Now, we have covered almost all directions and all available roads around our city Ponda. So, last week we decided to cover the first 10 kilometers by car, and walk in a till then uncovered area, which I had been thinking off for quite some time.

This morning saw four of us starting from what is known as Apewal and walk to a village called Keri and from there to another place called Savoiverem and then back to Apewal. It is a circuit of about ten kilometers and a very picturesque one. There is hardly any traffic and the houses are sparse. The road is good and the surroundings absolutely clean and green. I good bird watcher can easily identify about twenty species of birds during the walk. I could identify Warbler, Peahen, Scarlet minivet, Hornbill, Bulbul, Robin, Brahmini kite out of a dozen different birds but none of them were prepared to come into my frame!

Following are some pictures from the walk.

Morning sunrays in a green valley

A clear water stream by the side of the road

Another land scape

My companions for the walk. 

This morning I had planned a 15 km walk connecting some temples around Ponda and called it ‘The Temple Circuit’. Due to  constraints of time, we had to curtail the distance to 10 kms but the route more or less remained the same.

We started at the Kashimutt, Bandora - went to Mahalakshmi temple - then to Gopala Ganapati at Farmagudi - Down to Nagesh Maharudra temple at Bandora - On to Shantadurga and back to kashi Mutt. We were six in the group.

following are the pictures of today's walk.

An interior road, where a Leopard was seen a month back. I call it the Leopard road.

Entrance to the Gopal ganapati temple - Farmagudi Goa

Nageshi Maharudra - what is prominantly seen is the palace of Saundekar, the earstwhile rulers of Ponda. Temple is by the side. You may notice the tower behind the coconut tree. 

Chapel of St roque as seen from Shantadurga temple.

Temple of Shantadurga - one of the famous temples in Goa.

Landscape near Shantadurga

The Kashimutt, from where the walk started and ended.

The temple tower of Mahalakshmi - Bandora

 I was just speaking to some friends and casually said “we had four people for the ‘Nature Walk’ last week, but six for the ‘Temple Circuit’ today”.

One of my friends quipped in  : “Forget your nature and temples doctor, plan a ‘Bar circuit’ and I assure that twelve of us will be with you!!

Trash - My fixation!

All of us have our own fixations. For some it is welfare of stray dogs, for some

it is fitness, for some, potholes. Similarly, it could be price of petrol, alternative

medicines, TV serials, Cricket, whatever. My father in law had two fixations.

They were auto fares and doctor’s fees. Any conversation you start with these

people, it never ends without touching up on their favourite topic. With me, it is

trash. I yearn for a trash free surrounding which I am sure I will never see and I

keep talking/writing about it.

I did have some hope when our PM gave a call for ‘Swachcha Bharat’. Probably

he thought that all he has to do is give a call and a few slogans and people would

do the rest. But he doesn’t know that my countrymen will not fall in line unless

there is a ‘danda’ around. Be it taxes, traffic or trash!

I was pleasantly surprised to read in the news papers that the Vasco civic body has

declared a plastic free ‘Saptah’ -  the annual jatra in vasco. And the yesterday’s

paper brought the reality home. I don’t think our politicians can eliminate trashy

plastics. Just think where you saw your budding politician first. It is in one of the

plastic or  flex banners - wishing you a happy festival, declaring a sports or social

event, wishing a well settled politician a happy birthday or a welcome banner for

some political deity visiting your city. That means it is through plastic banners and

flex cut outs that our politicians are born! How can they cut their umbilical chord?

This dependence on banners and cutouts only increases as they grow. Banners

and cutouts of our PM, the messiah of clean India is found in thousands in every

place he goes on a visit. But I have not heard of a strong order from him, to his

followers/partymen, to ban the banner!

Still, I can’t just keep watching. I felt very stupid about it but I gave a representation

to our panchayat and our city municipal council to make the annual public festivals

and jatras, Plastic free. I don’t think they would care but It is my fixation. Does not

follow logic or reality !!

Sri Manohar Parrikar - from what I read and hear.

I entered the Union Territory of  Goa, Diu and Daman in 1982. I can recollect about
eight chief ministers who ruled Goa since then. Sri Pratap Singh Rane and 
Sri Manohar Parrikar are the only two names which were recognised and which 
commanded respect even out of Goa. My statement is not to be taken as 
authoritative. It is based on reports in magazines and newspapers and the 
reactions of friends from other states to the mention of the names of our 
various chief ministers. Between the two, Sri Parrikar is more recognised 
outside both as the CM of Goa and the Union Defence Minister and he has 
always elicited positive comments and reactions.

Reactions from friends and press with in Goa is not as generous. While nobody 
denies his intelligence, capabilities of administration and knowledge and hold of
the matters of the state, some doubts have been raised about his honesty and
integrity. Friends, please don’t pounce on me. My writing is just the reflection of
what I read and heard. His U turns in various matters have received considerable
firing. Mining and Casinoes are the two which I can mention and some accuse 
him of being a beneficiary of both.

The government officials who have faced him in connection with their duty have 
said that he is always well informed about the departments and has the facts and
figures ready in mind. They speak about him with fear, respect and awe! I don’t
know the real Parrikar. Some say that he could be arrogant and dictatorial.
I assume he is somewhere in between all these and my basic respect towards 
him is born out of the fact that he has been intelligent enough to claim a seat in
IIT and from his handling of the state finances post the mining scam. I also 
appreciated the fact that he declared to bring down the petrol prices if elected, 
during elections before his first time CM role and the  the first thing he did after 
getting elected was bringing it down by a whopping ten rupees. In fact, it was 
done the very next day!

My only interaction with him, not directly but through his office, was in connection 
with a Goan - Non Goan issue which could have caused some personal distress.
I appreciated the prompt responses from his office to what I had to say and his
decision was based entirely on the merits of the issue. It was in our favour and
was cleared without delay. I really was surprised to get a call from the CM’s office -
from one of the personal secretaries -  within three days of our submission,
to hear what we had to say. It was a very efficient office.

I feel bad to note that he has to travel to US once again for treatment. A long
journey by air, in his present state, is certainly an ordeal by itself. And this
means that whatever treatment he is receiving, which again is another ordeal, 
is not producing expected results. The official statement differs from what
I have written but my gut feeling says this.

I understand from social media - again not substantiated - that he will be handing
over charge to Sri Sudin Dhavalikar. I think that is a sensible move. I do not 
understand the compulsions of politics but by continuing as CM of Goa in his 
present state, Sri Parrikar would have been cruel to himself and it would have
been an injustice to the state of Goa. I wish Sri Parrikar an early recovery and
hope he will be back to his dashing self soon.