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Eulogy of Vasudeva [vasudeva stutih] /with Notes by Sri Anand Swarup Gupta / 207-209

vasudevastutih ( bhagavatapuranam, 8 . 16 . 29-37 ) namastubhyam bhagavate purusaya mahiyase | sarvabhutanivasaya vasudevaya saksine || 29 || namo'vyaktaya suksmaya pradhanapurusaya ca | caturvimsadgunajnaya gunasamkhyanahetave || 30 || namo dvisirne tripade catuhsrngaya tantave | saptahastaya yajnaya trayividyatmane namah || 31 || namah sivaya rudraya namah saktidharaya ca | sarvavidyadhipataye bhutanam pataye namah || 32 || namo hiranyagarbhaya pranaya jagadatmane | yogesvaryasariraya namaste yogahetave || 33 || namasta adidevaya saksibhutaya te namah | narayanaya rsaye naraya haraye namah || 34 || namo marakatasyamavapuse 'dhigatasriye | kesavaya namastubhyam namaste pitavasase || 35 || tvam sarvavaradah pumsam varenya varadarsabha | ataste sreyase dhirah padarenumupasate || 36 || anvavarttanta yam devah srisca tatyadapadmayoh | sprhayanta ivamodam bhagavan me prasidatam || 37 ||

A NOTE ON THE VASUDEVA-STUTI. The above Vasudeva-stuti is a part of the payo-vrata (a vow to live on milk only for twelve days in the bright half of the month of Falguna) instructed by Sage Kasyapa to his wife Aditi. By observation of this vow Visnu is pleased and grants a boon to the worshipper. Aditi observed this vrata strictly according to the instructions of Kasyapa, and thereby she was granted a boon by Visnu that He would be born to her as a son in the form of Vamana. This payo-vrata is called sarva-yajna (essence of all the sacrifices), sarva-vrata (essence of all the vows) and tapah-sara (essence of all the austerities) and satisfies God Visnu- ayam vai sarvayajnakhyah sarvavratamiti smrtam | tapah saramidam bhadre danam cesvaratarpanam | || (Bhag. VIII. 16.60). This Vasudeva-stuti, being a part of this important vrata, has great importance from the religious point of view. The first two slokas (29, 30) of this stuli are in general praise of Vasudeva: He is the greatest of all the beings, he resides in all the beings, he is Purusa (the Supreme Being and the soul of the universe), Vasudeva (the deity who resides in all and in whom reside all) and saksin (the witness) of all-(29). He is avyakta (unmanifest), suksma (subtle) and Pradhana-purusa (the Primaeval Matter or Prakrti). He knows the twenty-four gunas (i. e. 24 tattvas as enumerated in the Sankhya Philosophy), He is the founder of the Samkhya-philosophy (called here guna-samkhyana, as gunas or tattvas are enumerated and expounded here)-(30). The third sloka (31) describes symbolically the form of rajna (Sacrifice) who is considered as Visnu himself ('&') and also as an Avatara of Visnu (Cf. Bhag.-P. II. 7.2). Yajna here is said as having two heads (prayaniya, introductory libation, and udayaniya, finishing ceremony), three feet (i. e. the three savanas act of pressing out the soma-juice performed at the three periods of the day), four horns (i. e. the four Vedas), seven hands (i. e. the seven Vedic metres). He (God Yajna) is tantu (producer and

July, 1969] NOTE ON THE VASUDEVA-STUTI 209 increaser of the results of the actions) and his soul resides in the Trayi-vidya (the science of the three Vedas). This Sloka is infact a repetition of the following Rgvedic mantra- catvari srnga trayo asya pada dve sirse sapta hastaso asya | tridha baddho vrsabho rauraviti mahodevo martyam avivesa || (Rgveda, IV. 58.3). Sayana has interpreted this mantra as follows:- | srasya yajnatmakasyagneh catvari srnga catvaro vedah srngasthaniyah trayo asya padah savanani trinyasya padah | pravrttisadhanatvat pada ityucyante | dve sirse brahmodanam pravargyasca | istisomapradhanyenedamuktam | sapta hastasah sapta chandamsi | hastah anusthanasya mukhyasadhanam | chandamsyapi devataprinanasya mukhyasadhanamiti hasta- vyavaharah | tridha baddhah mantrabrahmanakalpaih triprakaram baddhah | bandhanamasya tannispadyatvam | vrsabhah phalanam varsita (cf. 'tantave ' in the above stuti)...... The next slokas further describe Lord Vasudeva as follows: He is Siva, Rudra, sakti-dhara (upholder of Sakti); He is the Lord of all the Vidyas or branches of knowledge; He is the Lord of all the beings; He is the Hiranyagarbha (Brahma or the Golden Egg.); He is Prana (called also sutratman in the Vedanta); He is the soul of the universe; He has the body of the powers of Yoga; He is the founder of the Yoga; He is the Primaeval Deity; He is Saksi-bhuta (the witness of the universe); He is Sage Narayana and Nara (these two are also considered as the avataras of Sri (or Visnu); His body is dark like an emerald; He possesses Goddess of wealth); He is also called Kesava and Pitavusas (having Yellow garments); He is the bestower of all the boons; He is the best of the Purusas; He is the best of those who bestow boons; the wise therefore worship the dust of his feet for their welfare. The gods and Sri (Laksmi), therefore take shelter under his feet, desirous of obtaining fragrance from them. Salutation to Him. May He be propitiated. - Anand Swarup Gupta