Purva Badra (पूर्वभाद्रपदा)

Purva Badra covers verses 97 to 100 of the stotram, one for each of its four padas.

Pada 1 · Verse 97

अरौद्रः कुण्डली चक्री विक्रम्यूर्जितशासनः ।

शब्दातिगः शब्दसहः शिशिरः शर्वरीकरः ॥ ९७ ॥

araudraḥ kuṇḍalī cakrī vikramyūrjitaśāsanaḥ |

śabdātigaḥ śabdasahaḥ śiśiraḥ śarvarīkaraḥ || 97 ||

He is gentle and slow to anger, adorned with ear-rings and celestial ornaments, and holds the discus and His other divine weapons. His movements are majestic, and His commands cannot be disobeyed. No words can fully describe Him. He feels even the faintest cry of a devotee as a heavy burden. When Gajendra called, He rushed to his rescue, the five weapons in His hands.

Pada 2 · Verse 98

अक्रूरः पेशलो दक्षो दक्षिणः क्षमिणां वरः ।

विद्वत्तमो वीतभयः पुण्यश्रवणकीर्तनः ॥ ९८ ॥

akrūraḥ pēśalō dakṣō dakṣiṇaḥ kṣamiṇāṃ varaḥ |

vidvattamō vītabhayaḥ puṇyaśravaṇakīrtanaḥ || 98 ||

Even in rescuing Gajendra, He was not cruel, and He looked utterly charming with His ornaments in disarray from His haste. He had the skill to arrive in an instant and was gentle with His devotee, the foremost of protectors. He knew exactly what would comfort Gajendra, and his fear vanished at His arrival. Hearing or telling this story purifies us.

Pada 3 · Verse 99

उत्तारणो दुष्कृतिहा पुण्यो दुःस्वप्ननाशनः ।

वीरहा रक्षणः सन्तो जीवनः पर्यवस्थितः ॥ ९९ ॥

uttāraṇō duṣkṛtihā puṇyō duḥsvapnanāśanaḥ |

vīrahā rakṣaṇaḥ santō jīvanaḥ paryavasthitaḥ || 99 ||

He lifted both the elephant and the crocodile out of the lake, and slew the crocodile that held His devotee. Thinking of His glory purifies us, and hearing this story removes bad dreams. He broke the bonds of death that held Gajendra, comforted him with touch and words, made His devotees rejoice, restored the crocodile to its gandharva form, and stayed close beside Gajendra.

Pada 4 · Verse 100

अनन्तरूपोऽनन्तश्रीर्जितमन्युर्भयापहः ।

चतुरश्रो गभीरात्मा विदिशो व्यादिशो दिशः ॥ १०० ॥

anantarūpō’nantaśrīrjitamanyurbhayāpahaḥ |

caturasrō gabhīrātmā vidiśō vyādiśō diśaḥ || 100 ||

He takes countless forms at once, as each need arises, and has countless riches to give, including Himself. He conquered His anger and removes even our fear of having no protector. He is skilled in every way, and His nature is too deep even for Brahma. He is beyond the words of His devotees, and He places the devas in their positions and commands them.