Narayaneeyam- ನಾರಾಯಣೀಯಂ-In simple kannada translatation by Vid.Sri.Manikandan Iyer Part 8

ಭಾಗ-8-slokha-6
Narayaneeyam- ನಾರಾಯಣೀಯಂ-In simple kannada translatation by Vid.Sri.Manikandan Iyer
Narayaneeyam : An Introduction
The study of a literary work is rendered more interesting, instructive and purposeful by acquiring some knowledge about the work itself and its author. To start with, then, a few words about the author of Narayaneeyam will be appropriate.
This mini-epic is a masterly abridgement of Sage Veda Vyasa's magnum opus, Shrimad Bhagavatam. As in the larger epic, the central theme of Narayaneeyam is Bhakti or devotion to the Supreme Power, personified by Bhagavan Shree Mahavishnu. At the same time, adhering to the schema of the Bhagavatham, Narayaneeyam expounds the essence of other systems of Indian philosophy, mainly, Jnyanayoga, Karmayoga and Sankhya, at the appropriate places while laying special emphasis on the over-riding supremacy of Bhaktiyoga, or the path of devotion, over all other means to attain Moksha (Nirvana, or Salvation), which means unification, integration and dissolution of the individual soul or jeeva in the Brahman, the Cosmic Unity, the One without a second.
With his vast background of learning of the Scriptures, and his profound grasp of their different systems and aspects, besides Sanskrit grammar and prosody, Bhattathiri has produced a compendium of the larger epic, which faithfully adumbrates all the vital constituents of the original in a lucid style, easy for lay people to understand the abstruse concepts of philosophy, while, at the same time, highlighting those incidents and episodes that help to strengthen and deepen the reader's faith in the basic theme of Bhakti, and practice its essential steps in daily life.
Some idea of Bhattathiri's dexterity in condensing vast material into a small compass can be gleaned from the following examples:
Dasakam 15 : This dasakam sets out in ten verses the essence of Kapila's (an incarnation of the Lord Himself) advice to his mother, Devahuti, on the Sankhya, which, in the Bhagavatham, spans ten chapters (Nos. 24 to 33) of the third Skanda (or Canto).
Dasakams 34 and 35 : The whole of the Ramayana epic of Valmiki is covered in twenty verses, as against two chapters of the 9th Canto in the Bhagavatham, and 24000 lines in Valmiki Ramayanam.
Dasakam 86, verse 6 : This sets out in a single verse, the essence of the Lord's teaching to Arjuna on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, which spans 18 chapters of the Bhagavadgeeta.
Dasakam 93 : This dasakam briefly deals with the 25 teachers or preceptors, all found in nature, and the lessons to be learned from each one of them, for either emulation or avoidance in daily life by a devotee.
Dasakam 95, Verse 8 : In this verse, Bhattathiri gives an graphic, encapsulated head-to-foot description of the Lord, in an easy-flowing cascade of phrases, that are simple and easy to memorise and also recall for constant chanting and meditation.
In literary merit, the Narayaneeyam holds pride of place in Sanskrit poetry, at par with the works of Kalidasa and other eminent poets. It is divided into 100 Dasakams, most of which comprise ten shlokams (verses) each - with a few of them running into 11, 12 or 13 verses; the maximum number being 15 verses in Dasakam 4, and a solitary Dasakam (Dasakam 65) comprising 9 verses. The final verse of every Dasakam concludes with an invocation to the Lord of Guruvayur to cure him of all his illnesses and protect him from all afflictions and sorrows. In all, the Narayaneeyam consists of 1034 verses. Some versions include two extra verses at the end of Dasakam 45, making a total of 1036 verses.
A noteworthy feature of this work is the copious and judicious employment of literary embellishments or Alankarams and Vrittams or metres to suit the context, besides devices like yamakam and anuprasam. These heighten the impact of the scenes or events described, on the reader, and make them come alive before his mind's eye. As many as 26 different metres have been used, some of them extensively and others sparingly. Some of the more notable instances are set out below:
The majestic "Sardulavikriditam" (meaning gambolling of tigers/leopards) brings out the awesome grandeur of the Lord's incarnation as Narasimha (half-man, half-lion) in Dasakam 25; Krishna's entry into Mathura in Dasakam 74 (with its earth-shakingly ominous import to the Lord's enemies), and many other scenes and events.
The superbly balanced and serene "Sragdhara", to depict the events leading up to the Mahabharata war and the war itself (Dasakam 86); expounding the path of Devotion (Bhaktimarga) from Dasakam 91 onwards. This metre has also been used in Dasakam 34 and 35, giving a highly condensed account of the Lord's incarnation as Shri Rama, and in many other places