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appeared before him and when pressed gently to reveal herself by Ranapal, she identified herself as an attendant of Cakresvari, herself an attendant of Adisvara Parmatman. She got him released from the prison. He went to Citrakuta with his family to live happily. The number ten thousand is mentioned. It must be borne in mind that necessary number of recitation must be completed for it to have any effect.
Garuda mounted Cakresvari is the attending deity of this Stotra. She performs miracles through her attendants even now. She makes the devout fortunate by making their lives happier. We come to know some thing about gods, goddesses and their influences from these 28 stories which proclaim the greatness and power of Bhaktamara.
This Bhaktamara, if done with single pointed concentration and devotion, not only will confer mundane benefits but also make the devotee climb the ladder of moksa.
SIGNIFICANCE OF SELECT VERSES
The Bhaktamara Stotra is also a treasure-house of literary beauties. Sri Meghavijaya Gani draws our attention to this aspect every now and then in his commentary. It is not easy to explain all of them in a small compass. But we would like to present a few explanations offered to the phrases worthy of meditation viz.,
(1) Jina-pada-yugam (2) Samyak pranamya (3) Bhavajale of the first verse (4) Prathamam jinendram (5) Citta-harair-udaraih of the second verse (6) Vigatatrapo'ham of the third verse and
(7) Stotrasrajam of the last verse. 1. JINA-PADA-YUGAM
Sri Manatunga Suri offers his obeisance at the feet of Jinesvara-paramatman in the first verse. It is the sublime tradition of Indian culture both Vedic and Sramanic to consider the feet of holymen as objects of veneration. When we speak of the feet of holymen, the statement of Laksmana naturally comes to mind. When Rama showed him the ornaments brought by Sugriva for identification he told him, "I do not recognise bracelets nor the earrings. But the anklets | do recognise (as that of Sita) since I prostrate to her daily and do service to her". If we have Maryada Purusottama Rama in India, we equally have a Laksmana who is in no way less in maintaining the rules of discipline. The Indian civilization and culture are holding their heads high because of such greatmen. The path of spiritual journey starts with salutations to the feet of Jina.
Sri Manatunga describes the face of the Lord to his fullest satisfaction. The fragrance of pratiharyas are explained in quartets. But all these descriptions succeed those of pair of feet. It is a meditation to generate and intensify one's own inner strength.
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Bharata is to be quipped here. "How did you reign fourteen years in the absence of Rama ?" He would say, "Yes. With the padukas of Sri Rama on the throne". If one were interested in the kingdom of moksa one must have feet of Lord Adinatha firmly established on the throne of one's heart.
Even now the foot imprints at Mt. Siddhacala have their incomparable greatness. Both Acarya Gunakara Suri and Meghavijaya Gani opine that Sri Manatunga pays obeisance to the foot imprints of the great Adinatha at Siddhacala.
In both Mt. Siddhacala, the ancient pilgrim centre and Sammetasikhara, the foot imprints of Jina have been consecrated and established, because the worship of the feet of the Lord has its own importance.
Meghavijaya Gani reminds us of the value of the worship of the lotus feet of the Lord. When Bahubali felt the separation from the Lord, he established the foot imprints. The generous Sreyamsa Kumara too established the foot imprints at Hastinapuram. King Bharata too before
Rahasya Darshan
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