L1citation
stotraiḥ stavaś ca devāgre yaḥ stauti madhusūdanam |
stotraiḥwith stotras (set hymns of praise) instrumental, plural — the means of praisingस्तोत्रों के द्वारा
stavaḥ caand with stava (spoken praise) too the ca joins stava to stotras as a second means; taken with stotraiḥ as an instrument of praisingऔर स्तव के द्वारा ('ca' स्तव को दूसरे साधन के रूप में स्तोत्रों से जोड़ता है)
devāgrein front of the deity locative — where the praising is doneदेव के आगे
yaḥwhoeverजो (व्यक्ति)
stautipraisesस्तुति करता है
madhusūdanamMadhusūdana (Kṛṣṇa, the slayer of the demon Madhu)मधुसूदन की
yaḥ — whoever; devāgre — in front of the deity; stotraiḥ stavaḥ ca — with stotras and with stava; madhusūdanam — Madhusūdana; stauti — praises
stotraiḥ — स्तोत्रों के द्वारा; stavaḥ ca — और स्तव के द्वारा; devāgre — देव के आगे; yaḥ — जो; stauti — स्तुति करता है; madhusūdanam — मधुसूदन की।
Whoever stands before the deity and praises Madhusūdana with stotras and with stava. Madhusūdana is Kṛṣṇa, the slayer of the demon Madhu. The line names two means of praising, stotra and stava, and pins the act to one place: in front of the deity.
जो व्यक्ति देव के सामने स्तोत्रों और स्तव के द्वारा मधुसूदन की स्तुति करता है —
Why cited: adduced from the Nārasiṁha Purāṇa as the scriptural text that names both stotra and stava as ways of praising the Lord before the deity.
क्यों उद्धृत: नारसिंह पुराण से उद्धृत — यही वह शास्त्र-वचन है जो देव के आगे भगवान् की स्तुति के दो साधनों, स्तोत्र और स्तव, दोनों का नाम लेता है।
madhusūdana: literally 'the killer of Madhu' (a demon Viṣṇu slew); here simply a name for Kṛṣṇa/Viṣṇu, the one being praised.
'मधुसूदन' का शाब्दिक अर्थ है 'मधु नामक असुर का संहारक' (जिसे विष्णु ने मारा था); यहाँ यह केवल कृष्ण/विष्णु का — जिनकी स्तुति की जा रही है — एक नाम है।
L2citation
sarva-pāpa-vinirmukto viṣṇu-lokam avāpnuyāt ||
sarva-pāpa-vinirmuktaḥfreed from every sin nominative, describing the praiser — he becomes freedसमस्त पापों से पूर्णतया मुक्त होकर
viṣṇu-lokamthe world of Viṣṇu accusative — the goal reachedविष्णुलोक को
avāpnuyātwould attain optative — the promised resultप्राप्त कर लेता है
sarva-pāpa-vinirmuktaḥ — freed from every sin; viṣṇu-lokam — the world of Viṣṇu; avāpnuyāt — would attain
sarva-pāpa-vinirmuktaḥ — समस्त पापों से मुक्त होकर; viṣṇu-lokam — विष्णुलोक को; avāpnuyāt — प्राप्त कर लेता है।
Such a person, freed from every sin, would reach the world of Viṣṇu. This is the fruit the verse promises for praising Madhusūdana before the deity.
— वह समस्त पापों से मुक्त होकर विष्णुलोक को प्राप्त कर लेता है।
Why cited: completes the Nārasiṁha Purāṇa proof: it states the reward, showing that praise offered with stotra and stava before the deity carries scriptural sanction and result.
क्यों उद्धृत: नारसिंह पुराण के प्रमाण को पूरा करता है — फल का कथन करके यह दिखाता है कि देव के आगे स्तोत्र और स्तव से की गई स्तुति को शास्त्रीय अनुमोदन और फल दोनों प्राप्त हैं।
Commentary — decoded
Jīva Gosvāmī
s1gloss
stotra-stavayor abhede’py avāntara-bhedaḥ pūrva-prasiddha-svakṛtatvābhyāṁ jñeyaḥ |
stotra-stavayoḥbetween stotra and stava genitive dual — the two whose relation is at issueस्तोत्र और स्तव — इन दोनों का
abhede apieven though they are basically the same the api concedes: granting their samenessअभेद होने पर भी ('api' उनकी समानता स्वीकार करते हुए)
avāntara-bhedaḥthere is a finer, inner differenceअवान्तर भेद (भीतरी अन्तर)
pūrva-prasiddha-svakṛtatvābhyāmand it comes from this: one is 'already-established,' the other 'self-made' instrumental dual of means — the two traits by which the difference is known'पूर्व-प्रसिद्ध' और 'स्वकृत' — इन दो गुणों के द्वारा
jñeyaḥshould be understood gerundive — what the reader is to graspजानना चाहिए
stotra-stavayoḥ — between stotra and stava; abhede api — even granting their sameness; avāntara-bhedaḥ — a finer inner difference; pūrva-prasiddha-svakṛtatvābhyām — by their being 'already-established' and 'self-made'; jñeyaḥ — is to be understood
stotra-stavayoḥ — स्तोत्र और स्तव इन दोनों का; abhede api — अभेद होने पर भी; avāntara-bhedaḥ — अवान्तर भेद; pūrva-prasiddha-svakṛtatvābhyām — 'पूर्व-प्रसिद्ध' और 'स्वकृत' होने से; jñeyaḥ — जानना चाहिए।
Stotra and stava are basically the same thing, both are praise. Still, there is a finer difference between them. You can tell them apart by two traits: one is 'already-established' and the other is 'self-made.' Jīva now sets up the distinction he will explain in the next two lines.
यद्यपि स्तोत्र और स्तव अभिन्न हैं, तथापि इनमें एक अवान्तर भेद है। यह भेद इनके 'पूर्व-प्रसिद्ध' और 'स्वकृत' होने से जानना चाहिए।
avāntara-bheda: not a difference in kind but a 'sub-difference,' a distinction inside a shared category, the way two dialects still count as one language.
'अवान्तर भेद' जाति का भेद नहीं, बल्कि एक ही वर्ग के भीतर का उप-भेद है — जैसे दो बोलियाँ फिर भी एक ही भाषा गिनी जाती हैं।
s2gloss
stotrasya karaṇa-sādhanatvena pūrva-siddhatva-pratīteḥ |
stotrasyain the case of the word stotra genitive — the term being analyzedस्तोत्र का
karaṇa-sādhanatvenabecause it is formed to name the instrument (the thing one praises with) instrumental of cause — the grammatical reasonकरण-साधन होने के कारण
pūrva-siddhatva-pratīteḥtherefore it conveys the sense of being 'already there' beforehand ablative/genitive of reason — this understanding followsइसलिए 'पूर्व-सिद्ध' होने की प्रतीति होती है
stotrasya — of the word stotra; karaṇa-sādhanatvena — because it is an instrument-formation; pūrva-siddhatva-pratīteḥ — the sense of prior existence is conveyed
stotrasya — स्तोत्र का; karaṇa-sādhanatvena — करण-साधन होने के कारण; pūrva-siddhatva-pratīteḥ — 'पूर्व-सिद्ध' होने की प्रतीति होती है।
Take the word stotra. By its very formation it names the instrument, the thing you praise with, a hymn already in hand. So it carries the sense of something already existing beforehand. That is why stotra means an 'already-established' praise.
स्तोत्र करण-साधन है — अर्थात् जिस साधन से स्तुति की जाती है उसका वाचक। इसीलिए वह 'पूर्व-सिद्ध', पहले से बना हुआ, प्रतीत होता है।
karaṇa-sādhana: a word built to name the tool an action uses, like 'a cutter' meaning the blade you cut with, which exists before you pick it up. The other side, bhāva-sādhana (next line), names the act itself, like 'the cutting' you do. Applied here: stotra = 'the thing praised with' (a ready-made hymn), so it is 'already established'; stava = 'the act of praising,' so it is 'self-made.'
करण-साधन वह शब्द है जो क्रिया के साधन (उपकरण) का नाम लेता है — जैसे 'छेदन का साधन' अर्थात् वह छुरी जिससे काटा जाता है, जो काटने से पहले ही विद्यमान रहती है। इसके विपरीत भाव-साधन (अगली पंक्ति) क्रिया का ही नाम लेता है, जैसे 'काटना।' यहाँ स्तोत्र = 'जिससे स्तुति की जाती है' (पहले से बना स्तोत्र), अतः 'पूर्व-सिद्ध'; और स्तव = 'स्तुति करने की क्रिया', अतः 'स्वकृत'।
s3gloss
stavasya bhāva-sādhanatvena svakṛtatva-pratīteḥ |
stavasyain the case of the word stava genitive — the term being analyzedस्तव का
bhāva-sādhanatvenabecause it is formed to name the act itself (the very praising) instrumental of cause — the grammatical reasonभाव-साधन होने के कारण
svakṛtatva-pratīteḥtherefore it conveys the sense of being 'done by oneself' ablative/genitive of reason — this understanding followsइसलिए 'स्वकृत' होने की प्रतीति होती है
stavasya — of the word stava; bhāva-sādhanatvena — because it is an action-formation; svakṛtatva-pratīteḥ — the sense of being self-made is conveyed
stavasya — स्तव का; bhāva-sādhanatvena — भाव-साधन होने के कारण; svakṛtatva-pratīteḥ — 'स्वकृत' होने की प्रतीति होती है।
Now take the word stava. By its formation it names the act itself, the actual praising. An act is something you perform yourself. So stava carries the sense of praise 'done by oneself.' That is why stava means a 'self-made' praise.
स्तव भाव-साधन है — अर्थात् स्तुति की क्रिया का ही वाचक। इसीलिए वह 'स्वकृत', स्वयं किया हुआ, प्रतीत होता है।
bhāva-sādhana: a word built to name the action itself, like 'the cutting,' as opposed to karaṇa-sādhana (previous line), which names the tool used. Applied here: stava names the praising you do, so it is 'self-made'; stotra names the ready-made hymn you praise with, so it is 'already established.'
भाव-साधन वह शब्द है जो क्रिया का ही नाम लेता है, जैसे 'काटना' — करण-साधन (पिछली पंक्ति) के विपरीत, जो प्रयुक्त उपकरण का नाम लेता है। यहाँ स्तव उस स्तुति का नाम है जो तुम करते हो, अतः 'स्वकृत'; और स्तोत्र उस बने-बनाए स्तोत्र का नाम है जिससे तुम स्तुति करते हो, अतः 'पूर्व-सिद्ध'।
s4objection
tathāpi proktā manīṣibhir ity ādau gītādīnāṁ stavatvam uktam |
tathāpiand yet, even so raising a difficulty against the neat rule just givenफिर भी (अभी दिए गए स्पष्ट नियम के विरुद्ध कठिनाई उठाते हुए)
proktā manīṣibhiḥ iti ādauin passages such as 'spoken by the wise' (proktā manīṣibhiḥ) and the like locative — the place where the counter-usage occurs'प्रोक्ता मनीषिभिः' इत्यादि वचनों में
gītādīnāmof the Gītā and other such texts genitive — what those passages are speaking ofगीता आदि का
stavatvamthe status of being a stavaस्तवत्व (स्तव होना)
uktamis statedकहा गया है
tathāpi — even so; proktā manīṣibhiḥ iti ādau — in passages like 'spoken by the wise'; gītādīnām — of the Gītā and the like; stavatvam — stava-hood; uktam — is stated
tathāpi — फिर भी; proktā manīṣibhiḥ iti ādau — 'प्रोक्ता मनीषिभिः' इत्यादि वचनों में; gītādīnām — गीता आदि का; stavatvam — स्तवत्व; uktam — कहा गया है।
But here is a snag. In verses like 'proktā manīṣibhiḥ' ('spoken by the wise'), scripture calls the Gītā and texts like it a stava. Yet the Gītā was clearly not composed by the worshiper himself, so calling it 'self-made' does not fit the rule Jīva just gave. This is the objection he must answer.
फिर भी 'प्रोक्ता मनीषिभिः' इत्यादि वचनों में गीता आदि को स्तव कहा गया है।
'proktā manīṣibhiḥ' points to a well-known verse praising the Gītā (and similar hymns) as a stava; the difficulty is that these are received, not self-composed, texts.
'प्रोक्ता मनीषिभिः' उस प्रसिद्ध श्लोक की ओर संकेत करता है जो गीता (तथा वैसे ही अन्य स्तोत्रों) को स्तव कहकर उसकी प्रशंसा करता है; कठिनाई यह है कि ये तो प्राप्त — परम्परा से मिले — ग्रन्थ हैं, स्वयं-रचित नहीं।
s5reply
tatra tv ananya-gatyā karaṇa-sādhanatvam eva kartavyam, devāgre śrīmad-arcāyāḥ purataḥ ||
tatra tubut in that case (the Gītā and such being called stava) the tu marks the resolving turnवहाँ तो (परन्तु — 'tu' समाधान की ओर मोड़ को चिह्नित करता है)
ananya-gatyāsince there is no other way to take it instrumental of means — for lack of any alternativeअन्य कोई गति न होने से (विवशतावश)
karaṇa-sādhanatvam evaonly the instrument-sense (the stotra-style 'already-established' sense) the eva restricts: that sense alone, not the self-made oneकेवल करण-साधनत्व ही ('eva' सीमित करता है — वही अर्थ, स्वकृत वाला नहीं)
kartavyammust be adopted gerundive — what one is obliged to do hereमानना चाहिए
devāgre[and as for the word] 'devāgre''देवाग्रे' का अर्थ है —
śrīmad-arcāyāḥ purataḥit means 'in front of the holy deity' genitive with purataḥ — the sense glossedश्रीमद् अर्चा (विग्रह) के सामने
tatra tu — but in that case; ananya-gatyā — having no other recourse; karaṇa-sādhanatvam eva — only the instrument-sense; kartavyam — must be adopted; devāgre — the word 'devāgre'; śrīmad-arcāyāḥ purataḥ — means before the holy deity
tatra tu — वहाँ तो; ananya-gatyā — अन्य कोई गति न होने से; karaṇa-sādhanatvam eva — केवल करण-साधनत्व ही; kartavyam — मानना चाहिए; devāgre — देवाग्रे; śrīmad-arcāyāḥ purataḥ — श्रीमद् अर्चा के सामने।
Jīva answers: in that special case, since the Gītā plainly is not self-composed, we have no choice but to read stava there in the instrument-sense, exactly the 'already-established' sense that fits stotra. So the general rule holds, and the exception is handled by the one available reading. Then he glosses the verse's word 'devāgre': it means 'in front of the holy deity' (arcā, the worshipable Deity form).
वहाँ तो कोई और गति न होने से केवल करण-साधन का ही अर्थ लेना चाहिए। और 'देवाग्रे' का अर्थ है — श्रीमद् अर्चा-विग्रह के सामने।
arcā: the Deity form worshiped on the altar; 'devāgre' thus fixes the praising to a place, right before the installed Deity.
अर्चा वह विग्रह है जिसकी वेदी पर पूजा होती है; अतः 'देवाग्रे' स्तुति को एक स्थान से बाँध देता है — ठीक स्थापित विग्रह के सामने।
Mukunda-dāsa Gosvāmī
s1gloss
stotraiḥ pauruṣaiḥ stavair ārṣaiḥ |
stotraiḥ[the verse's word] 'with stotras'
pauruṣaiḥmeans the human-composed ones the stotras made by men
stavaiḥ[and 'with stavas']
ārṣaiḥmeans the ones from the ṛṣis (the seers) of ṛṣi origin — divinely revealed praise
stotraiḥ — the word 'stotraiḥ'; pauruṣaiḥ — means human-made ones; stavaiḥ — the word 'stavaiḥ'; ārṣaiḥ — means ṛṣi-composed ones
Mukunda reads the two words differently from Jīva. 'Stotras' means the hymns composed by ordinary men (pauruṣa). 'Stavas' means the praises that come from the ṛṣis, the ancient seers (ārṣa). So for Mukunda the split is human-authored versus seer-authored praise.
pauruṣa vs ārṣa: 'of human make' vs 'of the ṛṣis' (seers). Mukunda uses authorship, not grammar, to tell stotra and stava apart, unlike Jīva.
s2citation
yathākādaśe—stavair uccāvacaiḥ stotraiḥ pauruṣaiḥ prākṛtair api iti ||
yathā ekādaśeas in the Eleventh Canto (of the Bhāgavata) citing the source that backs the reading
stavaiḥ uccāvacaiḥ'with stavas high and low' instrumental — the varied praises
stotraiḥ pauruṣaiḥ'with human-made stotras'
prākṛtaiḥ api'even ordinary, worldly ones' the api stretches it to include even the common sort
yathā ekādaśe — as in the Eleventh Canto; stavaiḥ uccāvacaiḥ — with high and low stavas; stotraiḥ pauruṣaiḥ — with human-made stotras; prākṛtaiḥ api — even worldly ones
Mukunda backs his reading with the Eleventh Canto of the Bhāgavata: one may praise the Lord 'with stavas high and low, with human-made stotras, even ordinary worldly ones.' The verse itself pairs stava and stotra and calls the stotras 'pauruṣa' (human-made), exactly Mukunda's gloss.
Why cited: cited to prove Mukunda's gloss, that scripture itself pairs stava with stotra and labels the stotras 'pauruṣa' (human-made), and that even mundane praises count.
Viśvanātha Cakravartī
s1gloss
devāgre śrīmad-arcāyāḥ stotra-stavayor abhede’py avāntara-bhedaḥ pūrva-prasiddha-svakṛtatvābhyāṁ jñeyaḥ ||
devāgre[the verse's word] 'devāgre'देव के आगे
śrīmad-arcāyāḥmeans '[before] the holy deity' genitive — the sense suppliedश्रीमद् अर्चा (विग्रह) का — यही अर्थ जोड़ा गया
stotra-stavayoḥbetween stotra and stava genitive dualस्तोत्र और स्तव — इन दोनों का
abhede apieven though they are basically the same the api concedes their samenessअभेद होने पर भी ('api' उनकी समानता स्वीकार करते हुए)
avāntara-bhedaḥthere is a finer, inner differenceअवान्तर भेद
pūrva-prasiddha-svakṛtatvābhyāmand it comes from this: one is 'already-established,' the other 'self-made' instrumental dual of means — the two traits by which it is known'पूर्व-प्रसिद्ध' और 'स्वकृत' — इन दो गुणों के द्वारा
jñeyaḥshould be understood gerundiveजानना चाहिए
devāgre — the word 'devāgre'; śrīmad-arcāyāḥ — means before the holy deity; stotra-stavayoḥ — between stotra and stava; abhede api — even granting their sameness; avāntara-bhedaḥ — a finer inner difference; pūrva-prasiddha-svakṛtatvābhyām — by 'already-established' and 'self-made'; jñeyaḥ — is to be understood
devāgre — देव के आगे; śrīmad-arcāyāḥ — श्रीमद् अर्चा का; stotra-stavayoḥ — स्तोत्र और स्तव इन दोनों का; abhede api — अभेद होने पर भी; avāntara-bhedaḥ — अवान्तर भेद; pūrva-prasiddha-svakṛtatvābhyām — 'पूर्व-प्रसिद्ध' और 'स्वकृत' होने से; jñeyaḥ — जानना चाहिए।
Viśvanātha first glosses the verse's word 'devāgre': it means 'before the holy deity' (arcā). Then he adopts Jīva's distinction word for word: stotra and stava are basically the same, yet a finer difference remains, known by the two traits 'already-established' and 'self-made.' Viśvanātha thus follows Jīva's grammatical reading, not Mukunda's authorship reading.
'देवाग्रे' का अर्थ है श्रीमद् अर्चा-विग्रह के सामने। यद्यपि स्तोत्र और स्तव अभिन्न हैं, तथापि इनमें अवान्तर भेद है, जिसे इनके 'पूर्व-प्रसिद्ध' और 'स्वकृत' होने से जानना चाहिए।
arcā: the worshipable Deity form; 'devāgre' locates the praise right in front of it. On the stotra/stava traits, see Jīva s1–s3: 'already-established' = named as the instrument praised with; 'self-made' = named as the act of praising itself.
अर्चा पूजनीय विग्रह है; 'देवाग्रे' स्तुति को ठीक उसके सामने स्थित करता है। स्तोत्र/स्तव के गुणों के लिए जीव की पंक्तियाँ (s1–s3) देखें — 'पूर्व-प्रसिद्ध' अर्थात् जिस साधन से स्तुति की जाती है उसका नाम; 'स्वकृत' अर्थात् स्तुति करने की क्रिया का ही नाम।