তোটকাষ্টকং

Here is an article containing the toTakaashhTakam, eight verses composed in honor of Adi Shankaraachaarya. A short description of the advaita paramparaa and a short account of Shankara’s disciple toTaka are included.

Invocation:

শংকরং শংকরাচার্যং কেশবং বাদরাযণম্ .
সূত্রভাষ্যকৃতৌ বন্দে ভগবন্তৌ পুনঃ পুনঃ ..

I offer obeisances again and again to shrii Veda Vyaasa, the author of the Brahma suutras, who is none other than Lord VishNu,  and shrii Shankaraachaarya, the commentator on those suutras, who is none other than Lord Shiva. advaita guru-paramparaa:

নারাযণং পদ্মভুবং বসিষ্ঠং শক্তিং চ তত্পুত্রপরাশরং চ .
ব্যাসং শুকং গৌডপদং মহান্তং গোবিন্দযোগীন্দ্রমথাস্য শিষ্যম্ ..

শ্রী শংকরাচার্যমথাস্য পদ্মপাদং চ হস্তামলকং চ শিষ্যম্ .
তং তোটকং বাতির্ককারমন্যানস্মদ্গুরূন্ সংততমানতো . অস্মি ..

These two verses honor the advaita paramparaa . The names mentioned here,in order, are 1) Shriiman naaraayaNa, 2) Brahmaa, 3) VasishhTha, 4) Shakti, 5) Paraashara, 6) Vyaasa, 7) Shuka, 8) GauDapaada, 9) Govindapaada, 10) Shrii (Adi) Shankaraachaarya, and his four disciples, 11) Padmapaada, 12) Hastaamalaka, 13) toTaka, and 14) Sureshvara, and other Gurus.

Sureshvara is also known as Vaarttikakaara because he wrote the famous vaarttika’s on the BRihadaaraNyaka and taittiriiya upanishhads.

ShriimannArAyaNa instructed the Vedas to Brahmaa . The Vedas have no author, and are hence called “apaurushheya.” Veda Vyaasa authored the Brahma suutra and other texts, such as the Giitaa, to expound the knowledge of the Vedas.

Jagadguru Adi Shankaraachaarya is a unique historical figure of India in
that he combined within himself the characteristics of a poet, logician,
an ardent devotee and a mystic and at the same time was the leading exponent
of the system of philosophy called advaita . In his commentaries on the
Prasthanatraya, he exhibited a rare faculty of relentlessly logical and
concatenated argument and refutation, and such subtlety of reasoning as has
been unsurpassed in the philosophical works of the world.

His main teachings may be summarized as the affirmation of Samsaara or
succession of births and deaths due to Karma and its significance, the
realization of the essential relativity of phenomena in comparsion to the
reality of the Supreme Self, the realization of that Self not being a
mere theoretical exercise, but in the nature of the direct realization
and actual experience taught by the upanishadic saying, tattvam asi,
“You are That.”

On the occasion of Shrii Shankara Jayanti, I decided to post the popular
stotra on Shankara known as “toTakaashhTaka.” The hymn is so called because
it has been composed in the difficult but beautiful meter called toTaka.
There is an interesting history associated with this stotra . Anandagiri
was one of the less scholarly disciples living with Shankara at Sringeri.
But Giri, as he was called, was extremely devoted to the Achaarya . Giri
would always engage himself in the service of his Guru . Once it so
happened  that Shankara was about to begin his usual morning discourse
on the upanishads and the other disciples started reciting the shaanti
paaTha . But Giri was absent because he had gone to the river to wash his
Guru’s clothes . So Shankara asked the other disciples to wait for Giri’s
return . But Padmapaada, who was obviously proud of his erudition, said,
“Giri is a dull fellow . He really does not deserve to learn the shaastras.
What is the point in waiting for him to join us?”

Shankara decided to humble the pride of Padmapaada and other disciples.
Out of sheer compassion for Giri, the Achaarya blessed him with the
knowledge of the shaastras, making use of supernatural powers to do so.
As a result, Giri became a learned scholar instantaneously . Returning
from the river, he composed the toTakaashhTaka, eight verses in praise
of his Guru . The other disciples were struck with wonder to hear him
extemporaneously compose the ashhTaka in the difficult meter . Giri also
composed another work, again in the toTaka meter, called the
ShrutisaarasamuddharaNa . Due to the grace of the Guru, Giri became
a knower of all scriptures, and he earned the respect of Padmapaada and
other disciples . He came to be known as toTakaachaarya, because he was
an adept in composing verses in the toTaka meter . He became one of Shankara’s
four most important disciples, and was later entrusted with running the
JyotirmaTh at Badari.

The above story is from the Shankara digvijaya of Madhava-Vidyaranya.

          .. তোটকাষ্টকং ..

The toTakaashhTaka has been composed in the toTaka meter, in which
each paada (quarter) has four sa-gaNa’s . Here a sa-gaNa is made up of
two short syllables followed by a long one . The hymn naturally lends itself
to be set to music . A suggested Raaga is (Hindustaani) toDi.

বিদিতাখিলশাস্ত্রসুধাজলধে মহিতোপনিষত্ কথিতার্থনিধে .
হৃদযে কলযে বিমলং চরণং ভব শংকর দেশিক মে শরণম্ .. ১..

O knower of the nectar-ocean of the scriptures, the expounder of the
knowledge of the great upanishadic treasure! I meditate on Your pure lotus
feet in my heart . O Preceptor Shankara, be my refuge.

করুণাবরুণালয পালয মাং ভবসাগরদুঃখবিদূনহৃদম্ .
রচযাখিলদর্শনতত্ত্ববিদং ভব শংকর দেশিক মে শরণম্ .. ২..

Save me whose heart is afflicted by the misery of the ocean of births,
O (You who are) the ocean of compassion! (By Your grace) make me the
knower of the truths of all the systems of philosophy .  O Preceptor Shankara,
be my refuge.

ভবতা জনতা সুহিতা ভবিতা নিজবোধবিচারণ চারুমতে .
কলযেশ্বরজীববিবেকবিদং ভব শংকর দেশিক মে শরণম্ .. ৩..

The people have found happiness due to You, who have the intellect adept in
the inquiry into Self-knowledge . Make me understand the knowledge of God
and the soul . O Preceptor Shankara, be my refuge.

ভব এব ভবানিতি মে নিতরাং সমজাযত চেতসি কৌতুকিতা .
মম বারয মোহমহাজলধিং ভব শংকর দেশিক মে শরণং  .. ৪..

You are Lord Shiva Himself . Knowing this my mind is filled with an
abundance of joy . Put an end to my sea of delusion . O Preceptor Shankara,
be my refuge.

সুকৃতে . অধিকৃতে বহুধা ভবতো ভবিতা সমদর্শনলালসতা .
অতিদীনমিমং পরিপালয মাং ভব শংকর দেশিক মে শরণম্ .. ৫..

Only after numerous virtuous deeds have been performed in many
ways, does a keen desire for the experience of Brahman through You arise.
Protect (me who am) extremely helpless . O Preceptor Shankara, be my refuge.

জগতীমবিতুং কলিতাকৃতযো বিচরন্তি মহামহসশ্ছলতঃ .
অহিমাংশুরিবাত্র বিভাসি গুরো ভব শংকর দেশিক মে শরণম্ .. ৬..

For the sake of saving the world, (Your) great (disciples) wander assuming
various forms and guises . O Guru, You shine like the sun (among them).
O Preceptor Shankara, be my refuge.

গুরুপুংগব পুংগবকেতন তে সমতামযতাং নহি কো . অপি সুধীঃ .
শরণাগতবত্সল তত্ত্বনিধে ভব শংকর দেশিক মে শরণম্ .. ৭..

O Best among the Gurus! The Lord whose flag bears the emblem of the
bull! You have no equal among the wise . You who are affectionate to those
who seek refuge! The treasure of truth! O Preceptor Shankara, be my refuge.

বিদিতা ন মযা বিশদৈককলা ন চ কিংচন কাঞ্চনমস্তি গুরো .
দ্রুতমেব বিধেহি কৃপাং সহজাং ভব শংকর দেশিক মে শরণম্ .. ৮..