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commentator says Jina is a synonymn of Visnu and Indra. Laksmi will come to him, who wears this garland, i.e., the supremacy of Visnu and the suzerainity and affluence of Indra will be conferred upon him. 4. Next meaning is the commendation of the simily. That man who wears this garland - (like a flower garland (srajam iva srajam=srajam -- the particle iva denoting simily has gone silent luptopama), will definitely become wealthy and will get the first-honour, in any assembly. He says that the devotee of The Bhaktamara Stotra, be he rich or poor, takes the first place of honour, becomes 'laksmivan'. 5. Normally people who appear handsome by being gaily dressed are liked by ladies. Similarly Laksmi will look at him, who will wear this gariand of stotras beautified by clarity (madhurya) etc. 6. A handsome person with well developed body and proportionate limbs dressed impeccably is offered the golden garland in a svayamvara and he gets her too. So too will laksmi come to him even from at a distance to him who will wear this garland of stotras.
Thus Sri Manatunga has given us a garland of flowers of variegated and attractive 'varnas', and made us (with priceless lives), indebted to him. If one follows this, one will become Manatunga. But to effect this, the Omniscient himself should be our God of worship. By this our honour, honour of religion will be uncurtailed, i.e., one's 'mana' (honour) will be 'tunga' (unbroken, high). The preceptors who follow five great vows, alone can show us, the way, and the limit 'mana'i.e., not transgressing the orders of the Guru will make us great (tunga).
"I will recite the great and influential Bhaktamara daily. Even water I will accept, after the recitation only. I will worship Paramatman daily, and recite atleast one rosary of Namaskara mahamantra. I will never swerve from or break these vows, for any reason under any circumstance. I will also never compromise with these vows, nor will be indulgent". If anyone were to take such a resolve, (mana) he will be great (tunga). One must be a man of firm religious vows (drdhavrata).
That person who recites Bhaktamara will become great, 'honoured man'. In other words, he will be a honourable person (mana=honour) if he were to remain chanting Bhaktamara regularly, not being carried away by power and position. He will enjoy peace and be happy and high over the clouds, (tunga). The laksmi of vitaragatva, (detachment and salvation) will automatically come to him. The recitation of The Bhaktamara Stotra is not a like a gamble or raffle ticket, and one need not try one's luck to be successful. The Bhaktamara devotion will make one become fortunate, and he will be Paramatman. This is the clarion call of the Jinas.
MYSTERIES OF VARIANTS
The river is flowing and waters do not remain stagnant. They too change. This is referred to as pravaha-nitya-nyaya in Sanskrit. So too some very valuable works which are so popular with people, and are used through the entire length and breadth of the country (change a few words in the body of their texts). It is more so with devtional lyrics, which at times tend to become scriptures. As times pass by, some changes do creep into these texts in the place of existing words. These words may fit in the place of original words that they replace perfectly, in the arrangement of metre or broad meaning. If the meaning of the original and the variants remain the same, we need not mind them much. But in some cases, the very idea of the author may change, and even doctrinal differences prop in. People swear by such manuscripts, not knowing that readings have been introduced later on and they foster doctrinal differences too. And these variations have thus come to stay and sometimes increase too. We should not encourage such variants. The variations must be controlled by means of critical editions etc., and not allowed to develop further.
I am writing this article to draw the attention of the scholars on some of the widely prevalent variants and the interpretations of the commentators. I have already discussed the status of verses describing the four pratiharyas known as interpolated verses in the section, "Significance of the sloka number", in Rahasya Darsan. I have also indicated the causes for the burgeoning of the texts. Whatever may be the reason, a simple and noncontroversial text has come to be treated exactly the opposite. This article is written with the view that in future let such things be not repeated and let not controvercies abound.
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Rahasya Darshan
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