2023-02-23 18:48:47 by ambuda-bot
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THE SŪRYASATAKA OF MAYŪRA
129
kṛṣṇena dhvāntakṛṣṇasvatanuparibhavatrasnuneva stuto 'lam
trāṇāya stāt tanīyān api timiraripoḥ sa tviṣām udgamo vaḥ
The¹ rising of the rays of (Sürya), Foe of Darkness, is warmly
praised by (Siva), whose attribute is the bull, because [that
god is], as it were,2 fearful lest [Sürya] should obscure the
splendor of the moon on his head,
And is also praised by (Brahmã), the Creator, who is, as it were,
comfortably settled in his hiding-place-the hollow of a
newly-opened lotus,³
And also by Kṛṣṇa (Viṣṇu), who, as it were, fears the humilia-
tion of his own body, which is black as darkness.*
May the rising of these rays of (Sürya), Foe of Darkness, even
though their light is dim, exist for your protection !
2.
Notes. 1. In this stanza, Sürya is praised by Siva, Brahma and Vişņu.
On this, the commentary notes: 'He (Mayüra) indicates the greatness of
Ravi (Surya), through having him praised by the chief gods.' Cf. stanzas
88, 91, 92 and 93, which compare Sürya to Brahma, Vişņu and Siva.
As the commentary notes, the iva, 'as it were,' in this, and also in the two
following padas, indicates the presence of the rhetorical figure Poetic
Fancy' (utprekşd); cf. stanza 1, note 6. 3. Brahma is afraid that the
sun may cause the lotus in which he reclines (cf. stanza 13, note 4) to close
its petals-some lotuses close in the daytime-and so imprison him; cf.
the commentary, which attributes to Brahmã the following thought: 'May
he (Sürya) not cause [for me] any uncomfortable position (duḥsthitim)
by the contraction [of the lotus].' 4. The commentary attributes the
following thought to Kṛṣṇa: 'He (Sürya) may humiliate my body, through
mistaking it for darkness.' Since light dispels darkness, Kṛṣṇa, the
'Black One,' is fearful lest his black body should be humiliated by the
bright sunlight. Krsna was born with a black body; cf. Mahabharata,
1. 197.32-33, where it is stated that Kṛṣṇa was the product of one of
Vişnu's black hairs. 5. Lit. 'may the rising of the rays, although [it
(the rising) is] rather slender, exist, etc.' The meaning appears to be that
the light shed by the rays at dawn is slight as compared to their mid-day
radiance.
V.L. (a) VHB mãulīndor mãiva; HB moşidyutim. (b) H pratyagro
ghvatitambhoruha-, B pratyagrodhvatitambhoruha-. (c) H kṛṣṇena (with
two lingual nasals).
17
vistirņam vyoma dirghāḥ sapadi daśa diśo vyastavelāmbhaso
'bdhin
IO
129
kṛṣṇena dhvāntakṛṣṇasvatanuparibhavatrasnuneva stuto 'lam
trāṇāya stāt tanīyān api timiraripoḥ sa tviṣām udgamo vaḥ
The¹ rising of the rays of (Sürya), Foe of Darkness, is warmly
praised by (Siva), whose attribute is the bull, because [that
god is], as it were,2 fearful lest [Sürya] should obscure the
splendor of the moon on his head,
And is also praised by (Brahmã), the Creator, who is, as it were,
comfortably settled in his hiding-place-the hollow of a
newly-opened lotus,³
And also by Kṛṣṇa (Viṣṇu), who, as it were, fears the humilia-
tion of his own body, which is black as darkness.*
May the rising of these rays of (Sürya), Foe of Darkness, even
though their light is dim, exist for your protection !
2.
Notes. 1. In this stanza, Sürya is praised by Siva, Brahma and Vişņu.
On this, the commentary notes: 'He (Mayüra) indicates the greatness of
Ravi (Surya), through having him praised by the chief gods.' Cf. stanzas
88, 91, 92 and 93, which compare Sürya to Brahma, Vişņu and Siva.
As the commentary notes, the iva, 'as it were,' in this, and also in the two
following padas, indicates the presence of the rhetorical figure Poetic
Fancy' (utprekşd); cf. stanza 1, note 6. 3. Brahma is afraid that the
sun may cause the lotus in which he reclines (cf. stanza 13, note 4) to close
its petals-some lotuses close in the daytime-and so imprison him; cf.
the commentary, which attributes to Brahmã the following thought: 'May
he (Sürya) not cause [for me] any uncomfortable position (duḥsthitim)
by the contraction [of the lotus].' 4. The commentary attributes the
following thought to Kṛṣṇa: 'He (Sürya) may humiliate my body, through
mistaking it for darkness.' Since light dispels darkness, Kṛṣṇa, the
'Black One,' is fearful lest his black body should be humiliated by the
bright sunlight. Krsna was born with a black body; cf. Mahabharata,
1. 197.32-33, where it is stated that Kṛṣṇa was the product of one of
Vişnu's black hairs. 5. Lit. 'may the rising of the rays, although [it
(the rising) is] rather slender, exist, etc.' The meaning appears to be that
the light shed by the rays at dawn is slight as compared to their mid-day
radiance.
V.L. (a) VHB mãulīndor mãiva; HB moşidyutim. (b) H pratyagro
ghvatitambhoruha-, B pratyagrodhvatitambhoruha-. (c) H kṛṣṇena (with
two lingual nasals).
17
vistirņam vyoma dirghāḥ sapadi daśa diśo vyastavelāmbhaso
'bdhin
IO