Uttara Ashadha (उत्तराषाढा)

Uttara Ashadha covers verses 81 to 84 of the stotram, one for each of its four padas.

Pada 1 · Verse 81

तेजो वृषो द्युतिधरः सर्वशस्त्रभृतां वरः ।

प्रग्रहो निग्रहो व्यग्रो नैकशृङ्गो गदाग्रजः ॥ ८१ ॥

tējō vṛṣō dyutidharaḥ sarvaśastrabhṛtāṃ varaḥ |

pragrahō nigrahō vyagrō naikaśṛṅgō gadāgrajaḥ || 81 ||

He showers His protecting splendour on the good, and even as a boy His radiance overwhelmed the mighty. He was the foremost of warriors against Naraka and Jarasandha. As Arjuna's charioteer, He guided Arjuna through the Gita, subdued the enemies by His skill, and eagerly led whenever His devotees needed Him, using many means against their foes. He is the elder brother of Gada.

Pada 2 · Verse 82

चतुर्मूर्तिश्चतुर्बाहुश्चतुर्व्यूहश्चतुर्गतिः ।

चतुरात्मा चतुर्भावश्चतुर्वेदविदेकपात् ॥ ८२ ॥

caturmūrtiścaturbāhuścaturvyūhaścaturgatiḥ |

caturātmā caturbhāvaścaturvēdavidēkapāt || 82 ||

Even as Krishna, He had four forms: He showed Devaki and Vasudeva His four arms, and appeared as Vasudeva, Balarama, Pradyumna and Aniruddha. Through Him, the four kinds of goals are attained. His four forms create, protect, dissolve and give knowledge. The learned in the four Vedas know Him, and among us He shows only a part of His glory.

Pada 3 · Verse 83

समावर्तो निवृत्तात्मा दुर्जयो दुरतिक्रमः ।

दुर्लभो दुर्गमो दुर्गो दुरावासो दुरारिहा ॥ ८३ ॥

samāvartō nivṛttātmā durjayō duratikramaḥ |

durlabhō durgamō durgō durāvāsō durārihā || 83 ||

Though unborn, He incarnates again and again for His devotees, untouched by samsara. He cannot be won by human or divine power, but only when He chooses. There is no other way across the ocean of sorrow. He is hard to reach for those not single-minded, His radiance overwhelms the weak, ignorance walls Him off from us, His abode is far from the undevoted, and He removes the evil-minded.

Pada 4 · Verse 84

शुभाङ्गो लोकसारङ्गः सुतन्तुस्तन्तुवर्धनः ।

इन्द्रकर्मा महाकर्मा कृतकर्मा कृतागमः ॥ ८४ ॥

śubhāṅgō lōkasāraṅgaḥ sutantustantuvardhanaḥ |

indrakarmā mahākarmā kṛtakarmā kṛtāgamaḥ || 84 ||

Sri Bhattar explains these names as the Lord's form as Buddha, described in the Puranas. Entering among the asuras in a charming form, He taught them to seek only the pleasures of this world, and drew the evil-minded into a net of their own making. He did this at the request of Indra and the devas. Though deceptive, these great deeds protected those who had taken refuge in Him. He practised what He taught and composed its texts.