Naama 301-314: The Lord as the Child on the Banyan Leaf (Vata-patra-saayi)

युगादिकृद्युगावर्तो नैकमायो महाशनः ।

अदृश्यो व्यक्तरूपश्च सहस्रजिदनन्तजित् ॥ ३३ ॥

yugādikṛdyugāvartō naikamāyō mahāśanaḥ |

adṛśyō vyaktarūpaśca sahasrajidanantajit || 33 ||

301. yugādikṛt · युगादिकृत्

The one who, even at the end of a yuga, makes the beginning of the next one.

(oṃ) yugādikṛtē namaḥ

At the time of the deluge, the Lord takes the form of a little infant and reclines on a banyan leaf floating on the waters, keeping the entire universe safely within His belly. When the deluge ends, He brings the universe out again and begins a new yuga. This beautiful form of the Lord is called Vata-patra-saayi, the one who sleeps on the banyan leaf.

302. yugāvartaḥ · युगावर्तः

The one who makes the yugas, Krita, Treta, Dwapara and Kali, go round again and again, each with its own dharma.

(oṃ) yugāvartāya namaḥ

It is said that dharma stands on four legs in the Krita yuga, on three in the Treta yuga, on two in the Dwapara yuga, and on one in the Kali yuga. The Lord turns the wheel of the yugas again and again, just as the seasons and the days and nights come round again and again.

303. naikamāyaḥ · नैकमायः

The one who performs countless wonderful and inscrutable deeds, such as appearing as an innocent and charming infant, swallowing countless worlds, and lying on a banyan leaf in the waters of the deluge with no support.

(oṃ) naikamāyāya namaḥ

Here, the word māyā does not mean illusion; it means wonder. Sage Markandeya, who saw the Lord in this form, described his experience to King Yudhishthira in the Aranya Parva of the Mahabharata: "O King! I was struck with great wonder when I saw the entire world in the belly of Vishnu. After speaking a few words to me, the Lord disappeared. How marvellous He is!"

304. mahāśanaḥ · महाशनः

The one who swallows the entire universe at the time of the deluge.

(oṃ) mahāśanāya namaḥ

Markandeya says, "Whatever moving and non-moving objects I had seen in the world, I saw all of them in the belly of that great Lord."

305. adṛśyaḥ · अदृश्यः

The one whose actions cannot be understood, even by the greatest of sages.

(oṃ) adṛśyāya namaḥ

Markandeya wondered, "When the entire world has met with destruction, where and how does this infant lie? Even though I try to know this by the power of my austerities, I am not able to understand this infant."

306. vyaktarūpaḥ · व्यक्तरूपः

The one whose divine form is easily seen by sages like Markandeya who approach Him with reverence.

(oṃ) vyaktarūpāya namaḥ

Markandeya describes, "He who is like the blue Atasee flower in colour and who is adorned by the Srivatsa mole appeared to me as the very abode of Lakshmi. His two lovely, soft feet with red soles were placed firmly on my head when I bowed and worshipped Him."

307. sahasrajit · सहस्रजित्

The one who conquers time itself by lying on the banyan leaf until the end of a kalpa, which consists of thousands of yugas.

(oṃ) sahasrajitē namaḥ

Markandeya says in the Mahabharata, "For as long as a thousand yugas revolve, I sleep" (yāvad yugānāṃ viprarṣē sahasraṃ parivartatē), which shows that the Lord, as the child on the banyan leaf, outlasts time itself.

308. anantajit · अनन्तजित्

The one whose greatness has no end at any time, even though He appears as an infant of limited size.

(oṃ) anantajitē namaḥ

Markandeya says, "O King! I wandered within His body for more than a hundred years, yet I could not see the farthest limit of His body, nor could I reach the end of the greatness of the Supreme One."

इष्टोऽविशिष्टश्शिष्टेष्टः शिखण्डी नहुषो वृषः ।

क्रोधहा क्रोधकृत्कर्ता विश्वबाहुर्महीधरः ॥ ३४ ॥

iṣṭō’viśiṣṭaśśiṣṭēṣṭaḥ śikhaṇḍī nahuṣō vṛṣaḥ |

krōdhahā krōdhakṛtkartā viśvabāhurmahīdharaḥ || 34 ||

309. iṣṭaḥ · इष्टः

The one who is loved by all, just as an infant is loved by everyone. Even great persons like Markandeya, who were carried in His belly like a mother carries her child, love Him dearly.

(oṃ) iṣṭāya namaḥ

Even great sages like Markandeya, who were carried in His belly like a child in its mother's womb, loved Him dearly. Just as everyone loves a baby, everyone loves this divine child.

310. aviśiṣṭaḥ · अविशिष्टः

The one whose attitude towards all beings is the same. He makes no difference between one being and another.

(oṃ) aviśiṣṭāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar explains that the Lord makes no distinction among beings in His attitude towards them. He carries all of them equally in His belly during the deluge.

311. śiṣṭēṣṭaḥ · शिष्टेष्टः

The one who is dear even to eminent persons like Markandeya, who see Him as the Supreme Goal.

(oṃ) śiṣṭēṣṭāya namaḥ

The Lord says, "Those who are endowed with sattva guna, who are free from ego, and who have spiritual knowledge, always think of Me and meditate on Me."

312. śikhaṇḍī · शिखण्डी

The one who wears the crest of lordship. Even as an infant, His effulgence shows His limitless and unassailable lordship.

(oṃ) śikhaṇḍinē namaḥ

Markandeya said, "I see that Lion among men seated there with unlimited brilliance."

313. nahuṣaḥ · नहुषः

The one who binds the jeevaathmas with His maayaa (prakṛti).

(oṃ) nahuṣāya namaḥ

Sri Bhattar quotes the Svetasvatara Upanishad: "In that (prakruti), another (the jeevaathma) is bound by maayaa" (tasmiṃścānyō māyayā sanniruddhaḥ).

314. vṛṣaḥ · वृषः

The one who drenches those who are tired from wandering in the ocean of samsara with His nectar-like effulgence and words, and consoles them.

(oṃ) vṛṣāya namaḥ

Markandeya says, "Then that child, whose eyes were like lotuses and who was adorned with the Srivatsa, spoke these words, sweet to the ear: 'I know that you are very tired and you want to rest.'"