[Advaita-l] Shankara Digvijaya Sara - part 2

[jaldhar at braincells.com]

8| bahvarthadāyiṣu bahuśvapi satsu deśe kanyāpradātṛṣu parīkṣya viśiṣṭajanma |
kanyāmayācata sutāya sa vipravaryo vipraṁ viśiṣṭakulajaṁ prathitānubhāvaḥ ||28||

8. There were many rich men in the land who offered their daughters in marriage 
[to Śivaguru], after examing their births [i.e. backgrounds,] Vidyādhirāja 
resolved that he would only choose a girl for his son who came from a family 
distinguished as the best amongst Vipras.(28)

(The word I have translated as "rich men" literally means "donaters of great 
wealth".  The true measure of a rich man is not the size of his bank balance 
but how much he gives to Dharmic and charitable causes.)

9| vidyādhirājamaghapaṇḍitanāmadheyau saṁpratyayaṁ vyatanutāmabhipūjya daivaṁ |
samyaṅmuhūrtamavalambya vicāraṇīyā mauhūrtikā iti parasparamūcivāṁsau ||33||

9. Vidyādhirāja and Magha Paṇḍita agreed to fix the marriage after consulting 
with astrologers for the most auspicious muhūrta and then invited their families.(33)

(In the prior ślokas of the MSD not quoted in this work it describes how Ārya 
the daughter of one Magha Paṇḍita was chosen as the bride of Śivaguru.)

10| udvāhya śāstravidhinā vihite muhurte tau saṁmudaṁ bahumavāpaturāptakāmau |
tatāgato bhṛśamamodata bandhuvargaḥ kiṁ bhāṣitena bahunā mudamāpa vargaḥ ||34||

10. They conducted the marriage according to the precepts of śāstras in the 
appropriate muhūrta together with large numbers of family and well-wishers. 
They were immensely happy and the relatives also expressed their joy to them

11| garbhaṁ dadhāra śivagarbhamasau mṛgākṣī garbhe'pyavardhata śanairabhavaccarīram |
tejo'tirekavinivāritadṛṣṭipātaviśvaṁ raverdivasamadhya ivogratejaḥ| ||57||

11. The doe-eyed one [i.e. Āryambā] conceived Śiva in her womb and as the child 
grew in her womb, her body shone.  The lustre of it was so great that it 
blinded onlookers like the brilliance of the midday sun.

12| lagne śubhe śubhayute suṣve kumāraṁ śrīparvatīva sukhinī śubhavīkṣite ca |
jāyā satī śivagurornijatuṅgasaṁsthe sūrye kuje ravisute ca gurau ca kendre 
||71||

12. At an auspicious moment, that fortunate woman gave birth without trouble as 
Parvati gave birth to Kumāra. As Śivagurus’ good wife delivered, the Sun was 
ascendent, and Mars, Rāhu, and Jupiter were in exaltation.

(This śloka contains a lot of astrological information which I'm not sure I've 
translated correctly.  Input from those who are more knowledgable in this area 
will be gratefully received.)

13| yatpaśyatāṁ śiśurasau kurute śamagrayaṁ tenākṛtāsya janakaḥ kila śaṅkarākhyām |
yadvā cirāya kila śaṅkarasamprasādāt jātastato vyadhita śaṅkaranāmadheyam ||83||

13. As merely looking at the child brought peace to the viewer, he was named 
Śaṅkara or alternatively as his birth took place after a long time due to the 
grace of Lord Śaṅkara, it was appropriate to name him  Śaṅkara.

(In prior ślokas of the full MSD not quoted in this work, it is related that 
the couple were childless for a long time.  After much prayer to Lord Śiva at
Vṛṣādri, they were granted the boon that they would have a son who could 
either have a long but undistinguished life or a short one in which he would 
achieve world reknown.  They chose the latter.)


-- 
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>