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or literate, conscious of moksa or not. For, Sri Manatunga, who knows the pulse of the world, composed the work, keeping the tastes of every group in his mind. Yet, he does not follow the world simply, or writes to gratify their senses. He only wants to turn their worldly interests transcendental. This stotra can gratify even the materialist to get the physical and material pleasures, because, it can help them get their wants too satisfied. But this is not the intention of our author. He indirectly asks his materialist readers, "what do you get by physical pleasures ? you have not experienced, the infinite faith, knowledge and conduct. The best of pleasures of this universe is got by the destruction of the karmas that obstruct the pleasures. The natural pleasure and the beauty of nature are felt, on the destruction of karmas only". The word 'rucira' thus we can see, leads to varieties on this count, the beauty of the wreathe cannot be any less.
A small anecdote is given and this may convince the learned objector, perhaps. The word 'rucira' is used along with 'varna'. It means the entire alphabet.
A boy was standing by the side of his mother, in a temple praying to God. After standing there for a while, he told his mother, "Mummy, I recited a beautiful prayer to the Lord". The astounded mother asked, "How could you do it. You do not know any prayer". The boy, without winking his eyes, and with an innate calmness, told, "Mother ! even the best and beautiful prayers are composed in these fifty-two letters only. Hence, I recited the alphabet in the presence of God, and told "Oh God! please make a beautiful prayer with this sounds".
Best of prayers are in these fifty-two letters only. What is pleasurable in these letters ? The letters are good and bad too. They can make or mar the joy; the very same letters can be made use of to compose rapturous poetry or despicable censures. The letters themselves are not pleasant or unpleasant, but the arrangement makes it so. The alphabet is there with every one. To bring out beautiful and attractive poetry out of these, is the real art. That confers individuality. Hence the adjective 'rucira' to 'varna' (phonemes), 'pada' (words) and 'sabda' (compounds). Hence the garland of stotra consists of 'ruciravarna'i.e., phonemes in attractive collocations. But, such a divine garland, cannot be used, according to one's predelictions or conveniences. It must be worn always, i.e., must not be restricted to crises alone. People recite it during fearful situations, frightening happenings, terrible calamities, and, once the troubles subside, they stop reciting it, in the same way the recitation, which they did regularly when the sadhus camped for their caturmasa, is stopped once they move out in vihar. Acarya himself suggests that one should not recite it according to one's convenience only. It must be done regularly, without interruption. Sri Manatunga advises the devotees that if they want to shed their egos, they must recite the stotras regularly. He invitingly tells the people, 'bhutyasritam ka iha na-atmasamam karoti ? (Will he not make his dependents equal to his own self ? verse 10) The word 'iha' (here) is used in this verse and also in the last verse, 'dhatte jano ya iha kanthagatam ajasram' (whosoever wears around his neck this garland of your praise always here). The word 'iha' is used twice only in this entire work. Readers of Bhaktamara, can by now, recall to their minds, that the great people pass on their experiences, (of esoteric significance) through their timeless compositions. We have to search for such informations and bring them out.
Sri Manatunga has enumerated, eight types of fears in his work. He says, though not in so many words, the following, "Oh ! you fellow, how dare you are to say that I will recite The Bhaktamara Stotra, when I find myself in a crisis. You also say, I don't have time. Do we find ourselves in such a crisis situation forcing us to recite Bhaktamara always"?
"Friend ! please take a few minutes off from your pressing engagements to understand the intention of the author. Did Sri Manatunga describe the eight fears for no reason ? Don't you recognise these eight fears ? Now try to understand. The eight avaranas (veils) that cover the atman and obstruct him from knowing himself are the eight fearful situations. Every time you are afraid of the four ghatikarmas. From the time you get up you are undone (brought down) by the aghatikarmas. Frightened and decimated man you are please halt from your busy forage for a moment and think for yourself and for the development of your soul. Then you will understand that The Bhaktamara Stotra must be recited not only daily but every minute. Unless you wear the garland strung with the qualities of the paramatman, the merit of the life cannot bloom and come to open".
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ahasya Darshan
351
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