[Advaita-l] मदालसायाः आलोलिका (स्वापिका) (The Lullaby of Queen Madalasa)

[Venkatraghavan S]

Indeed, as जगन्मिथ्या is but a corollary of ब्रह्म सत्यं.

Regards,
Venkatraghavan
On 3 Mar 2016 9:53 a.m., "Bhaskar YR" <bhaskar.yr at in.abb.com> wrote:

> praNAms
> Hare Krishna
>
> Perhaps she might be knowing like subAhu, shatrumardana etc. Alarka (mad
> dog)  is also one of the brahma rUpa-s only...shunishaiva shvapakecha
> panditAH samadarshinaH..brahma kAma mayaH, krOdhamayaH, adharmamayaH,
> brahmadAshA, brahma dAsA, brahmaiveme kitavAH..sarvaM khalvidaM brahma.
>
> Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
> bhaskar
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Advaita-l [mailto:advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org] On
> Behalf Of Venkatraghavan S via Advaita-l
> Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2016 3:16 PM
> To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
> Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] मदालसायाः आलोलिका (स्वापिका) (The Lullaby of
> Queen Madalasa)
>
> Sri Sriram,
>
> Beautiful! Thank you for the post.
>
> Bhaskar ji,
> Not sure what reason the purANa gave, but perhaps to emphasise that all
> nAma rUpa is mithyA?
>
> Regards,
> Venkatraghavan
> On 3 Mar 2016 9:35 a.m., "Bhaskar YR via Advaita-l" <
> advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
>
> > praNAms
> > Hare Krishna
> >
> > Pardon me, it is not clear to me from the story why madAlasa has named
> > her fourth son as Alarka (mad dog) !!??
> >
> > Hari Hari Hari Bol!!!
> > bhaskar
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Advaita-l [mailto:advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org]
> > On Behalf Of balagopal ramakrishnan via Advaita-l
> > Sent: Thursday, March 03, 2016 2:10 PM
> > To: Venkata sriram P <venkatasriramp at yahoo.in>; A discussion group for
> > Advaita Vedanta <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
> > Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] मदालसायाः आलोलिका (स्वापिका) (The Lullaby of
> > Queen Madalasa)
> >
> > Namaste,
> > The story may be available in different puraanas; but your
> > translation, Sreeram Ji, has well kept the spirit and essence of the
> episode.
> > It touches.
> > A BIG thank you, for making the Vedaanta so palatable !
> > Regards
> > Balagopal
> > NB: As you already permitted in reply to Sada Ji, I have forwarded the
> > same to groups who would value such posts.
> >
> >     On Thursday, 3 March 2016 12:35 AM, Venkata sriram P via Advaita-l
> > < advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org> wrote:
> >
> >
> >  नमस्ते,
> >
> > In ब्रह्माण्डपुराणं, there is a beautiful episode called “
> मदालसोपाख्यानम्”
> > (the Madalasa Upakhyana) that details how a King named कुवलयाश्व
> > (ऋतध्वजः) [ KuvalayAswa (also Ritadhwaja)] married a great
> > ब्रह्मवादिनी who was also the queen by name मदालसा  (Madalasa).
> >
> > The king demonstrates great prowess in order to marry and finally gets
> > the hand of the great queen Madalasa.  The couple, in due course of
> > time give birth to 4 sons namely (1) Vikranta (विक्रान्त)
> > (2) Subahu (सुबाहु)  (3) Shatrumardana (शत्रुमर्दन) (4) Alarka
> > (अलर्क), respectively.
> >
> > When the first 3 sons were born, the names for them were selected and
> > fixed by King himself. The King chose the names very selectively by
> > considering the meanings and assigning those attributes to his sons.
> > For instance, the name “Vikranta” meant “One who posses great valour
> > and courage; “Subahu” meant “One who posses powerful and beautiful
> > hands and shoulders; “Shatrumardana” meant “One who conquers his
> enemies”.
> >
> > When King used to select the names, the Queen Madalasa used to laugh
> > at the King’s choosy naming method.  Thus, when 4th son was born, the
> > King asked Madalasa to select a good name for her son as every time
> > she was laughing at his selection of names.
> > Thus, she named her 4th Son as “ALARKA” (अलर्क) and chanted the
> > benedictory verse “चिरं जीवतु धर्मात्मा”” (Long Live by observing
> > righteousness).
> > The King was aghast at this name of his 4th son because the meaning of
> > the name “Alarka” meant “Mad Dog”. He was dismayed at the naming of
> > his beloved 4th son because the names of his first 3 three sons were
> > very beautiful and meaningful.
> >
> > Meanwhile, at the birth of their every son (first three of them),
> > Queen Madalasa used to put them (Vikranta, Subahu, Shatrumardana) in
> > cradle and used to sing a Lullaby when they cried.  While rocking the
> > cradle, the Queen Madalasa used to sing a Lullaby that was pregnant
> > with “vedantic teaching”.  Right from the infancy, she induced “Atma
> > Jnana” in  the form of the Lullaby.  Thus, all the three sons became
> > self-realized with the power of their mother’s Lullaby and lost interest
> in ruling the kingdom.
> > Thus, all three retired to forest for performing tapas.
> >
> > The Lullaby Song of Queen Madalasa, thus came to be known as “మదాలస
> > జోలపాట” in Telugu.  Thus, it can be concluded that the parents,
> > especially, the mother can influence her child directly. The episode
> > of Queen Madalasa stands testimony to the fact that “Mother is the First
> Teacher”
> > at home and every mother should strive to become one like Queen
> > Madalasa who had sown the seeds of spiritual knowledge to their
> > children right from infancy itself in the form of Lullaby every night.
> >
> > For the benefit of the readers, I am presenting that Lullaby in the
> > form of 8 slokas.
> >
> > //////////////////////////////////////////////
> >
> > शुद्धोऽसि रे बाल न तेऽस्ति नाम कृतं हि वै तत कल्पनयाधुनैव । पञ्चात्मकं
> > देहमिदं न तेऽस्ति त्वं वास्य रे रोदिषि कस्य हेतोः ॥ (१)
> >
> > O  Child ! For what reason you are crying? Don’t cry. Thou Art ever
> > Pure and Eternal, devoid of Names and Forms. You are the form of
> > Bliss, untouched by Sorrow.  You have superimposed the sorrow upon
> > yourself and owing to ignorance, are wailing.  The sorrow arose owing
> > to the false identity with body and hence experiencing sorrow which is
> > the cause of your cry.  Since, Thou Art Existence, Knowledge, Bliss
> > Absolute and not the body consisting of 5 elements, where is the point
> > in crying.  All these names and forms are ephemeral and are imaginary.
> .  So, don’t cry.
> >
> > न वै भवान रोदिति विश्वजन्मा शब्दोऽयमासाद्य महीसमूहम । विकल्प्यमानो
> > विविधैर्गुणार्थैः गुणाश्च भूताः सकलेन्द्रियेषु ॥ (२)
> >
> > Don’t Cry ! Thou Art Ishwara – the Creator and Lord of the Universe.
> > As the creation is a “vikalpa” born out of ignorance, where is the
> > point in wailing and crying?  Hence, don’t cry.
> >
> > भूतानि भूतोपरि दुर्बलानि वृद्धिं समायान्ति तथेह पुंसाम ।
> > अन्नाम्बुदानादिभिरेककस्य न तेऽस्ति वृद्धिर्न च तेऽस्ति हानिः ॥ (३)
> >
> > Just as the gross elements with combination among themselves, is
> > subjected to increase (वृद्धि) and decrease (क्षय), similarly, this
> > body, made of gross elements, too, is subjected to change and decay.
> > The Inner Self
> > (Atman) is beyond these attributes, untouched.  And, Thou Art That.
> > Hence, don’t cry.
> >
> > त्वं कञ्चुके सज्यमानो निजेस्मिन्नस्मिंश्च देहे मूढतां न व्रजेथाः ।
> > शुभाशुभैः कर्मभिर्देहमेनं मदाभिमूढैः कञ्चुकेऽस्मिन्पिनद्धः ॥ (४)
> >
> > Thou, having worn this armor called “body”, becoming deluded, are
> > identifying with it.  Thou Art the Witness but out of ignorance and
> > under the influence of “I-ness” and “My-ness” are trapped in the
> > meshes of samsAra. Hence, don’t cry.
> >
> > तातेति किञ्चित्तनयेति किञ्चित अम्बेति किञ्चिदपितेति किञ्चित । तवेति
> > किञ्चिन्न ममेति किञ्चिद्भौतेषु सर्वं मुहुरालयेथाः ॥ (५)
> >
> > By getting entangled in the mesh of Ignorance called samsAra, this “body”
> > is identified sometimes with father, sometimes with son, sometimes
> > with mother, sometimes with brother, sometimes as a relative, as a
> > friend as a foe etc. in several births down the line.
> > All these are due to false identity of attachment with the body owing
> > to Ignorance.  This ignorance is due to non-awareness of the identity
> > with the Supreme Innermost Self which is of the form of Bliss.
> >
> > दुःखञ्च दुःखोपशमं शमाय भोगाय जानाति विमूढचेताः । तान्येव दुःखानि पुनः
> > सुखानि जानाति विद्वानविमूढचेताः ॥ (६)
> >
> > In order to do away with sorrows, the ignorant fool runs after
> > momentary pleasures.  The intelligent, having endowed with power of
> > discrimination, would strive to do away with both pleasures and pains.
> > For him, just as pain is an obstruction, so as the pleasure.  Such a
> > person is called “vidvAn”. Thou Art That.  Hence, don’t cry.
> >
> > सहोत्थितं दर्शनमक्षियुग्मं अत्युज्ज्वलं तत्कलुषं वसायाः । कुचोऽति पीनं
> > पिशितं घनं तत्स्थानं ततः किन्नरकं न योषित ॥ (७)
> >
> > Upon careful observation of the anatomy of a woman, one comes to the
> > conclusion that it is made up of flesh.  Not knowing this, the deluded
> > men run after them and thus, thus, end up in getting entangled in pain
> > and cycle of birth and death.
> >
> > यानं क्षितौ यानगतं च देहं देहेऽपिचान्यः पुरुषो निविष्टः ।
> > ममत्वमथ्याॅन्न तथा यथा स्वे देहेऽतिमात्रं च न मूढतैषा ॥ (८)
> >
> > On this earth, take birth several bodies endowed upAdhis. These are
> > subjected to change (called yAna) (यान). But, there is a Supreme Self
> > called “Purusha” who is seated inside the body who is Eternal and
> Witness.
> > Thou Art That, O Child!  Don’t identify yourself with the yAna but
> > Thou Art that Supreme Purusha. Hence, don’t cry.
> >
> > Note: समानेप्यभिमानविषये देहे एव दृढं अभिमानं कुर्वन्नति मूढ इत्याह
> > यानं इति (ie., the Jiva abhimana is called yAna)
> >
> > /////////////////////////////////////////////////////
> >
> > Thus, everyday, the Queen Madalasa used to sing the above Lullaby. In
> > no time, her first 3 children namely (1) Vikranta (विक्रान्त) (2)
> > Subahu
> > (सुबाहु)
> > (3) Shatrumardana (शत्रुमर्दन) got vairAgya, left the kingdom and went
> > to forest for performing severe penance.
> >
> > Hence, the King Kuvalayaswa got annoyed and tell his queen not make
> > the 4th son Alarka (अलर्क)  a virakta. Accordingly, Alarka was
> > initiated into pravrutti-mArga by his mother madAlasa.
> > Later, with the grace of jagatguru dattAtrEya, the 4th one also gets
> > the brahma-jnAna.
> >
> > Dedicating this mail to all those glorious mothers.
> >
> > सस्नेहम्
> > श्रीराम
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