HRASVA BAGHAVATHAM - 1

HRASVA BHAGHAVATHAM

Introduction

SRI MAD BHAGHAVATHA MAHA PURANAM was composed and compiled by the great maharishi

SRI VEDA VYASA. He taught this to his son SHUKA BRAHMAM,who later made Shri Parikshit Maharaja listen to for a period of 7 days,in order to mitigate the effects of the curse on him that he will be bitten by a snake after 7 days and thus limiting his life to next 7 days.After listening to the discourse of this Puranam Parikshit attained MUKTHI or salvation from repeated births and deaths for which all souls or jivas are destined to.

Normally Parayanam and discourses in SRIMAD BAGHAVATAM is done on aregular 7 days period popularly known as “Sapthaham”This puranam has 12 skandhams or parts and have 335 chapters and 18000 verses or shlokams in total reckoned in “ anushtup” metre.The time taken to read the entire text takes around 45 to 50 hours.The short version of reading the important porions alone takes around 20 to 25 hours.

The abridged version or “ samkshipta baghavatam” is known in South India as “NARAYANEEYAM”.

In this work there are 1034 shlokas and the time taken to recite is around 5 to 51/2 hours.

There are many poetries dealing with KRISHNA'S leela or activities by various poets across the country. All of these are inspired by the great SRIMAD BHAGHAVATHAM.

Hrasva Bhaghavatham

–--------------------------

Late Shri Paleli Namboodiri ,in his life time, had been giving discourses in Devi Bhaghavatham,Srimad Bhaghavatham,Narayaneeyam etc.He had composed two sanskrit works:

1) DEVI NARAYANEEYAM – CONDENSED FORM OF DEVI BAGHAVATHAM in 482 shlokas

most of them in Upajathi vrittam from a total of 18000 shlokas in the original puranam

2) HRASVA BAGHAVATHAM - CONDENSED FORM OF SRIMAD BAGHAVATHAM

in 337 shlokas most of them are in sragdhraa or shardula vikriditham vrittams.He has composed one shlokam for each chapter or adhyaya of the original puranam,duly explaining the central idea or ideas contained in that particular chapter..

TITLE OF THIS POEM

The title of this poem is “hrasva”(ह्र्स्व). The literal meaning of this word is-क्षुद्र वस्तु मात्रम्-small,short,little, dwarfish, a short vowel etc..Viewed from this literal meaning point,the title appears to be a misnomer.Is bhaghavatham(भागवतम्) a ह्रस्व? भागवतम् is भगवन्तम् अधीकृत्य कृतम् शास्त्रम्-a work describing Bhagavan.

The meaning of भग is given in Vishnu puranam as-

ऐश्वर्यस्य समग्रस्य वीर्यस्य यशस श्रिय:।

ज्ञानवैराग्ययोश्चैव षण्णाम् भगैतीङ्गना॥

and also as

उत्पत्तिम् प्रलयम् चैव भूतानामागतिम् गतिम्।

वेत्ति विद्यामविद्याम् च स वाच्यो भगवानिति॥

Therefore the puranam is about भगवान्-who is endowed with the high qualities and to describe such a great work as ह्रस्व is not appropriate ,seen from the view point of literal dictionary meaning

The word  ह्रस्वभागवतम् has to be interpreted asह्रस्वम्च भागवतम्च ह्रस्वभागवतम्.and also asह्रस्वेन कृतम् काव्यम् भागवतम्. This interpretation will mean as भागवतम् in brief or small in nature and also had been composed by a small or not very learned poet , indicating humility on the part of the poet who composed this work.

This poem describes the subject matter of each of the chapter of the puranam in a verse in a brief but succint manner.As we read the work it is a very satisfying experience as if we are reading the original puranam.The time taken to read theह्रस्वभागवतम् will be around 3 hours or so.

BEAUTY OF HRASVA BAGHAVATHAM

The opening verse of this poem is:

,जन्माद्यस्य यतो ,यदेव परमंम् ज्ञानम् विधात्रे ददौ

सर्वम् पश्यति ,दृश्यते न यदहो! चक्षुर्यत:  पश्यति ।

वाचा नाभ्युदितं यदेव यत एवाभ्युद्यतेवाग्, बहुत्

स्थूलं सूक्ष्ममनल्पमल्पमपि यत्, तस्मै नमो ब्रह्मणे।।

In this verse the poet describes the ब्रह्मन् (the concept of the absolute or brahmam),the basic tenet in the vedanta in a simple but effective manner. Compare this with the opening verse of SRIMAD BHAGHAVATHAM:

जन्माद्यस्य यतोऽन्वयादितरतश्चार्थेष्वभिज्ञ: स्वराट्

तेने ब्रह्म हृदा य आदिकवये मुह्यन्ति यत्सूरय:।

तेजोवारिमृदाम् यथा विनिमयो यत्र त्रिसर्गोऽमृषा

धाम्ना स्वेन सदा निरस्तकुहकम् सत्यम् परम् धीमहि ॥

Both of them start with the 2^nd sutra of Brahma sutra and both these verses brings out both स्वरूप लक्षण and तटस्थ लक्षण of theब्रह्मन्.
In the commentary by SRIDHARACHARYA'S BHAVARTHA BODHINI, he gives the central idea of the 2^nd chapter of first skandha of bhaghavatham as

 तदेवम् प्रथमेऽध्याये षट् प्रश्ना: मुनिभि:कृता।
द्वितीये तूत्तरम् सूतश्चतुर्णामाह तेष्वथ ॥

The 6 questions posed by the sages to sutha rishi are given as

पुम्सामेकान्तत: श्रेयश्चावतारप्रयोजनम्।

तस्य कर्माण्यपि तथा चावताराकथा अपि॥

कृष्णावतारचरितम् धर्म: कम् शरणम् गत:।

इत्येवम् प्रथमेऽध्याये षट् प्रश्ना: मुनिभि:कृता:॥

Sridharacharya lists 6 questions posed by the sages to the sutha pauranika and they are:

1) what is the most beneficial goal for the mankind 2) purpose of the different avataras of GOD

3) His acts and achievements in those avatars 4) the detailed stories of various avataaraas

5)Specially Krishna avataara katha 6) After departure of Krishna from this earth as to where the Dharma has taken refuge

Now let us read the corresponding verses of the 1^st and 2^nd chapters of Fisrt Canto of the Hrasva Baghavatham 

1)

धातु निर्देशयोगात् कलिमलरहितं नैमिषारण्यमाप्ता

आसीना दीर्धसत्रं सुहुतहुतभुजः शौनकाद्यामुनीन्द्राः।

सूतं धर्मिष्ठ मुग्रश्रसमुपगतं ज्ञानिवर्यं महान्तं

पृच्छन्ति स्मेश्वरस्य श्रुति सुखमवतारादिगलीलारहस्यम्॥

 2)

नत्वा व्यासं च देवीं शुकमपि नरनारायणौ चाह सूतः

प्रश्ना वो यं प्रतीमे स भवति भगवान् ब्रह्म चात्मेति गीतः;।

तत्प्रीत्यर्थं सदा तच्छ्रवणमननसंकीर्तनाद्यानि कुर्वन्

मर्त्यो यस्तस्य भक्तिर्भवति परपदप्राप्तिरानन्दधात्री।॥

In the first verse the poet says that the sages were assembled in the Naimishaaranya as ordered by Brahma and as they were engaged in yaga lasting for a long time and after performing the rituals connected with the sacrifice they questioned the sutha rishi about the secrets connected with the various avatars of Krishna.The poet in the word अवतारादि लीलारहस्यम् indirectly refers to the six questions-The wordआदि indicates this
In the second verse the second chapter of the first canto of the purana emphasizes the bakthi throuh love of GOD, and this leads to the ultimate mukthi leading to the eternal bliss for souls.The nirguna brahma is called bhaghavan,brahma,paramaathmaa etc.All these are put in place properly and elegantly by the poet in the Hrasva Baghavatham.
Thus the parayanam of the grantham gives a better understanding of Srimad Baghavatham . It has to be experinced than to be described .