The sea and reaching Dvaraka
Thrayeemayah thanvi thava oupavAhyah
kAlakramAth Apanatho DharaNyAm
sAmAbhirAmDhvanibhih samsthAth
pakshAniaih mArjayathi iva dhoshAn
(Yad.18.72)
Desika describes the descent of Garuda to the earth as follows:
Garuda being the embodiment of Vedas, (vedhAthman), made sound with his wings resembling the samaveda announcing the descent to the earth and it looked as though he was sweeping off with his wings the imperfections of the earth.
The dark forest along the cost which has the look of the wife to the sea whose company is ever newly enjoyed by the husband by means of the water that enters the forest again and again. There is pun on the word rasa, which means water as well as love or enjoyment.
The sea seemed to extend its arms (waves) towards them as though eager to see the parijatha tree, which got separated long ago from it, coming near. The upcoming foam served as the pearl umbrella for Bhama, said
There were some islets on the sea which, said
To prove that a devotee will see the Lord everywhere, especially on seeing something magnificent, Desika through the words of
Asou parapremapadham svabhavAth
ApooryamAno mahathA rasena
Athmeva dhrshtah sahasAprajAnAm
adharsanecchAM ithareshu dhatthe
(Yad.18.93)
The ocean is like the Lord because;
1.It is loved most. There is no one on earth who does not love the sea. Even the Lord Himself loves it as it is His abode. So too the Lord is the object of supreme love.
2. It is filled with water (rasa) by nature. The Lord is also full of Anandharasa, `raso vai sah, ' declares the Upanishad.
3.While seeing it, the sea excludes the desire of seeing everything else. Similarly on seeing the divyamangalavigraha of the Lord one does not want to see anything else except Him.
Next
saphenahAso jatilah pravAlaih
udhvarthayan oormibhujaih bhujangAn
vidambayathyesha nisarga bheemah
kasyApi kalpAnthanatasya leelAM
(Yad.18.970
The foam was like the fierce laughter, the coral reeds were the matted hair, the waves like arms tossing the snakes in the sea, the scene resembled the dance of Siva at the time of deluge.
Or perhaps it imitates the dance of Manthara mountain which was like rasakreeda, when it was churned.
Thaisthairasou nirmaThithoviDhoothah
samkshobhitho banDhanapeedanAdhyaih
prasAdha gAMbheerya niDHih praThimnA
kshmANvayam nojJathi SeethalAthmA
(Yad.18.100)
Klathravantham purusham purANam
kapALinam chandhrakalAvathamsam
airAvathAdhyaihprachithAN akArsheeth
vaimAnikAn eva mahAn vadhAyah
(Yad.18.102)
The ocean is a great donor, vadhAnya, said Krishna, because it gave a wife to the Ancient Purusha, Narayana, crescent moon to Siva and all the riches like airavatha etc to the devas.
As a vaishnava devotee Desika could not resist mentioning about the divine mother and he says,
Idham jagath dharSitha thArathamayam
yadhbhroolathA lAsya viSeshanighnam
prajApatheenAm jananeem ajanyAm
thAm eva dheveem anaghAm asootha
(Yad.18.105)
This ocean gave birth to the Goddess Lakshmi, who is birth-less, faultless and by whose graceful dance of the eyebrows the ups and downs of the world is decided and who is the mother of all the Brahmas. ( There are many Brahmas in each kalpa like Indra)
Thus the sea, not only gave its daughter to the ever young bridegroom but also gave Him kousthubha gem and other things that go with the wedding like the feast in the form of nectar, vehicles and other gifts for the devas. The crowning glory of the sea was that it acquired Seshabhava, the status of offering service to the Lord by accommodating Him, a part of whose body accommodated the whole Universe, along with His couch, the Sesha.
Anargham Adhyam harineelarathnam
lakshmeedhrSA nithya nidharSaneeyam
nabhahprthicchandhanibhena noonam
anthargatham vyanjatayathi svaDhAmnA
(Yad.18.106)
There is a shadow of the dark clouds on the surface of the sea. By this it seems that the sea is implying the presence of the invaluable blue sapphire called Hari within itself , which is incessantly enjoyed by Lakshmi through her glances. Here the commentators feel that there is reference to the Mathsyavathara, lakshmeedhrsa nithyanidhaSaneeyam perhaps implying the constant moving of the eyes of mathsya. The word nidharSana also has the meaning of illustration. So the dark body of the Lord is compared to the dark eyes of Lakshmi.
They reached Dvaraka and Desika through the words of
Padhe parasmin iva nithyam asyAm
Suddhena satthvena vibhooshithAYAm
DharmasyavAsAh praThithAh prThivyAm
Sarithpathougoshpadhavath bhavanthi
(Yad.18.118)
The city of
It is said that the seven cities Ayodhya,
ayoDhyA
puree DhvAravathee chaiva sapthaithA mokshadhAyikAh
Sva raSmi nishpAdhitha sooryabhedham
archirmukhaih architha bhavyabhAgAm
nivrtthidharme niyathasThitheena
naSreyaseem paddhathim Ahuh enAm
The city is compared to the archirAdhi mArga, the path of light traveled by those who go attain moksha, because it abounds in rays of light that join with the rays of the Sun and it is the place of worship of the devas and hence all the devas like Agni are in their respective places.
The lofty palaces that seem to touch the heavens and the shadow of hem which spread to the netherworld the sea in-between, make it impossible to find the entrance of the city.
The ocean is the moat around that protects this city, the sea-coast itself is the wall surrounding it and protected by Sathyaki, the city is invincible even by the host of the devas.
When
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