34711698 Saundarya Lahari a Digest of Kanchi Mahaswamigal s Discourses

Introduction

For the benefit of those who do not know about the Paramacharya here is a brief biographical note:

Sri Chandrasekharendra Saraswati Swamigal (1894 - 1994), also called the Paramacharya, was the

sage of Kanchi in Tamilnadu, India, who was so simple, humble, profound, enlightened, compassionate, scholarly and full of Grace that he naturally and effortlessly touched the hearts of men and women, prince

and pauper, around the world. Ascending to the Headship of the Kanchi Kamakoti Mutt at the age of

thirteen as the 68th pontiff in the line of succession from Adi Sankara, he ministered to the needs of the

afflicted and the distressed and spread the message of compassion and of a return to the most treasured

ancient values. After a mission like this full of action for almost half a century which included a 30-year

walking pilgrimage of the entire subcontinent of India, he laid down his headship and devoted his time, for the next forty years, to severe penance for universal welfare. Not one of those thousands who had his

darshan every day missed to feel the soul-stirring presence of 'the Living God' in their veins.

A small note on the objective of this digest.

The name ‘Digest’ itself is too much of a claim by this writer, who is currently studying the discourses in Tamil (on Soundaryalahari – a 100-sloka piece, in Sanskrit) of the Paramacharya, in ‘Deivathin Kural’ – meaning, ‘The Voice of God’ – in Tamil, in the sixth volume of the seven-volume series of that name, recorded by and, rewritten in, the inimitable style of, Ra. Ganapathi. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai, it appears has published an English summary of this. But instead of trying to read that English version, I decided to test myself whether I had understood at least a part of the Acharya’s thoughts. The best way of testing oneself is to try to communicate to others. There are a number of readers interested in the subject. Some of them know Tamil and probably would have read Ra Ganapathi’s book in the original. Some others may have read the English version. The purpose of this digest is TO BRING THE ADVAITA PART (and the relevant questions that arise usually in the discussions that are very common in the discussions on advaita) TO THE FOCUS AND ACQUAINT OURSELVES WITH THE PARAMACHARYA’S VIEWS, WONDERFUL ELABORATIONS AND COMMENTS ON THE SUBJECT. In consonance with this objective, it is not the intention to cover all the slokas even out of the 42, the only ones which the Paramacharya himself has covered in full (he has covered another 37 in part, another 10 just in passing, and has not touched at all the remaining 11, which are sloka Nos.19, 32, 68, 72, 76 to 81, 85). Even within the exposition of a particular sloka, large portions may have to be omitted by me. In spite of all this the ‘Digest’ – contrary to the meaning of the word - is likely to be rather long. It is broken into 20 (only an estimate as of now) web pages (around 5000 words each). Note that the original extends to 744 pages (pp.577 to 1321 of the sixth volume). The attempt shall be made, therefore, to be as brief as possible. But, wherever it is found that the Paramacharya’s already lucidly forceful and simple explanations cannot be ‘digested through a further precis or summary’, one will have

to resort to almost a close (or free !) translation of his words as reported by Ra. Ganapathi. And also note that, (1) I, as the digest writer, cannot be expected to dwell on those portions of the discourses that are not reasonably clear to me, and (2) it may be easy to pull out just a sentence here or there from what I write and see wrong or absurd meanings in it; if this happens let us remember to go back to the Paramacharya himself and try to understand his explanations in entirety, rather than spend time at straws in VK’s imperfect digest. With these preliminary words let me start on this venture, which is actually a swAdhyAya-yajna, that is, a yajna of study. May the Paramacharya himself as well as my own Guru and father, (late) Sri R. Visvanatha Sastri, guide me in this endeavour and see that I don’t misrepresent either the Paramacharya or the Soundaryalahari !

On the organization of the ‘Digest’

The entire exposition is by the Paramacharya. So the first person pronoun, wherever it occurs, is his. The ‘I’ of advaita-vedanta is always within quotes. Additional explanations given by Ra. Ganapathi are so acknowledged. Parenthetical remarks by him, like ‘with a smile’, ‘after a small pause’ etc. that all refer to the speaker, the Paramacharya, are repeated, if at all, as they are in the original, within parentheses. My own remarks, if any, shall be properly demarcated. And note that the Paramacharya most often refers to Adi Sankaracharya as ‘Our Acharya’.

(V. Krishnamurthy)

A Digest of Paramacharya’s Discourses on Soundaryalahari

-1-

“How could Adi Sankara, who preached the jnAna mArga, have promoted this work (Soundaryalahari) of bhakti? It cannot be his,” say some who profess ‘Philosophy’. But our Acharya was not a professor who isolated philosophy as a separate discipline. Having written very profoundly on advaita and its deepest implications in his several Bhashyas and the other works of his, he promoted the spiritual pursuit of the common man by writing and talking about the need to follow one’s swadharma by Karma and Bhakti. His intent was to raise the common man from his own level. For this purpose he went from one pilgrim centre to another all his life and composed hymns after hymns and also established yantras in temples.

The philosophers argue: JnAni says everything is One. But Bhakti can happen only when there is the duality of the devotee and the deity. Therefore, they say, the jnAni can never be a bhakta. These philosophers cannot themselves claim to have the Enlightenment of advaita ! But there have been those who could have so claimed, like the sage Suka, Madhusudana Saraswati or Sadasiva-brahmam. If we carefully study their lives we will know that they were devotees of God in the fullest sense of the word and have themselves written works of Bhakti. Even in our own times Ramakrishna Paramahamsa has been a great devotee of Mother Goddess and Ramana Maharishi has done works of devotion on God Arunachalesvara. Again, on the other side, great devotees like Manikka-vasagar, Nammazhvar, Arunagiri-nathar, Tayumanavar, etc. have themselves been convinced advaitins, and this is reflected in innumerable flashes in their compositions.

If a jnAni should not do a Bhakti composition, then I would say that he should not

also do a work of jnAna. Why am I saying this? Let us go back to the definition of a

jnAni. ‘ The world is all mAyA; the thinking of people as if they were separate separate

jIvAtmAs is nothing but Ignorance’ - with such a conviction through personal experience, they have thrown away that Ignorance as well as its basic locus, the mind,

and they live in the non-dualistic state of ‘ ‘I’ am everything’ – such should be the status

of the jnAni; shouldn’t it be so? Such a person preaching, or writing a book, even if it be

about the subject of jnAna – is it not a contradiction? Unless such a person thinks there is

a world outside of him and there are jIvAtmAs outside, how can he think of ‘teaching’?

Teaching whom? And when we look at it this way, all those great teachers of jnAna

should really not be jnAnis ! What power will there be for such a teaching about jnAna

from teachers who are not jnAnis themselves?

-2-

On the other hand what do we observe in our experience? Whether it is the teaching

about jnAna in the Gita, or the Viveka Chudamani of our Acharya, or the Avadhuta Gita

of Sri Dattatreya or the teaching in the Yoga-vASiShTa, or a song of Tayumanavar – even

when we just read these we feel we are being taken beyond the curtain created by mAyA to

some distant peaceful state of Calm. Just by reading, in one’s spiritually ripe stage, such

teachings, there have been people who have renounced the world and reached the state of

Bliss-in-one-Self !. If these teachings had not been written from that spiritual apex of

Experiential Excellence, how could such things have ever happened?

Therefore, however much by your intellectual logic, you argue whether a jnAni can

get bhakti, how the jnAni can do any preaching and so such possibilities cannot exist and

so on, these are certainly happening, by the Will of the Lord which is beyond the Possible

and the Impossible.

It is only the Play of the Lord that the jnAni, who is non-dualistic internally,

appears to do things in the dualistic world. His mind may have vanished, mAyA might have

been transcended by him; but that does not mean that the outside world of jIvAtmAs has

disintegrated. What do we gather from this? There is a Super-Mind which does all this

and in some mysterious way is compering and directing the entire universe. And it also

means that it is the same Supra-Mind that is making the minds of men revolve in the

illusion of mAyA. It is that Power which is known in advaita scriptures as saguNa-

brahman or Isvara. In the scriptures devoted to shakti or Shiva , whenever they call the

Actionless nirguNa-brahman as ‘Shivam’ they call this saguNa-brahman as ‘shakti’,

‘parA-shakti’ or ‘ambAL’. Just as that nirguNa-brahman exhibits itself and acts as the

saguNa-brahman, so also, it must be presumed, that the enlightened jnAni also does his

external actions and that again, is the work of the saguNa-brahman!

What is the path of jnAna? It is the effort through self-enquiry and meditation for

the eradication of the mind and vanquishing of mAyA. But the other path is to dedicate

oneself and all one’s thoughts and actions to that very parA-shakti (who produced this

mAyA on us) with an attitude of devotion. It is like giving the house-key to the thief himself

! However much the parA-shakti may play with you and toss you and your mind hither

and thither, Her infinite compassion cannot be negated. Only when we separate and rejoin,

we realise the value of that union. To pray to Her for that reunion and for Her to get us

back to Her in answer to our prayers – this is the great Leela of Duality wherein She

exhibits Her Infinite Compassion ! So when one prays with Bhakti for such release She

releases Him by giving Him that Wisdom of Enlightenment.

It is wrong to think that the goal of Bhakti lies in the dualistic attitude of being

separate from God. It is by this wrong assumption that people ask the question: How can a

jnAni exhibit Bhakti? In the very path of Bhakti wherein it appears there is an embedded

duality, the same Bhakti would lead the practitioner to the stage where he will ask: Oh God

! May I be one with You ! This is the subtle point which the questioning people miss. When

that stage comes to the devotee, the very parA-shakti known as kArya-brahman or saguNa-

brahman will bless him with that jnAna that takes him to the non-dual kAraNa-brahman

or nirguNa-brahman.

Not everybody can practise the path of jnAna that brings the realisation of the

mahA-vAkyas by sravaNa (hearing), manana (thinking and recalling) and nididhyAsana

(contemplating). Only when the mind vanishes one can realise the Self as the Absolute

brahman. If that is so, the real question is: How to kill the truant mind, which refuses to be

subdued, much less vanquished ? The very effort of vanquishing the mind has to be done

by the mind only. How can it kill itself ? The palm can slap another; but it cannot slap

itself. Though we are thus brought to a dilemma, there is a supreme power which has

created all these minds. So instead of self-effort to kill our minds, we should leave it to the

parA-shakti and surrender to Her. Instead of falling at the feet of the witness for the

prosecution we fall at the feet of the prosecutor himself ! Then She will help us quell the mind; She will grace us with the necessary jnAna.

-3-

Either She might totally eradicate your mind and give you the peaceful state of ‘I

am shiva’ (shivoham) or She might tell you from within:

“Look, after all, all this is My Play. The Play appears real to you because of mAyA.

I shall totally erase that mAyA-view for you. Then you can also be like me, with that calm

non-dual bliss inside and having on the outside a mind which is untouched by mAyA.

Thereby you can also be a witness to all this worldly Dance. You will thus see yourself in

Me and see Me in all the worldly multiplicities. In other words instead of making the mind

non-existent, your mind will then be full of Me”

And She might make you just exactly that way. But I know your worry. You

constantly worry about the impossibility of transcending mAyA, of eradicationg this

worldly vision and of vanquishing the mind. You keep worrying to the extent of almost

weeping over it. To such a weiling seeker She replies:

“Why do you worry and weep like this? You are worrying that you cannot discard

the world from your view. But you forget that the world was not your making. This Sun

and Moon, mountains, trees, oceans, animal kingdom, and the millions of living beings and

categories – all this was not created by you.

“When that is so, you are worrying about the little ‘you’ that you are, and you

forget that this little ‘you’ also was not your creation. Instead of thinking all this is not only

one but one with Me, your mAyA-clouded view makes you think they are all different and

distinct. And even that mAyA-view that clouds you, again was not your making!

“My dear child, you are caught up in the web of the world, a mind and a mAya-

cloud -- all this is My making. Did I not make Krishna say to you: mama mAyA

duratyayA ? (My mAyA is intranscendable). I have also told you there that it is ‘daivI’

(made by the Power of God). If you had made it all, then you could have overcome them.

But it was all made by Me in the fullness of Power.

“You jIvas have only little fragments of that Power. So if you cannot eradicate the

world, the mind and the mAya that I have made, you don’t have to cry over it. It is not in

your Power. It has to take place only by My Grace. Come nearer to Me through Devotion !

I shall do the eradication in proper doses for you.

“That somebody is able to control his mind and is able to walk on the path of jnAna

– that again is My own Grace. It is I who have granted that privilege to him. What appears

as many and different must be seen as one. To crave for that view is what is called

‘advaita-vAsanA’. One gets it only by My Grace”.

(Now the Paramacharya, who has been talking in the words of the Mother Goddess, continues on his own).

There is another novelty here. Even the jnAni who has had the non-dual

Enlightenment, still enjoys the play of mAyA. He sees the different things; but knows they

are all one. Just as a spectator of a play who is not playing any role in it, the jnAni enjoys

the playful novelties of mAyA and revels in his devotion to that parA-Sakthi who is the

author of it all. To be keeping such jnAnis in this dual-non-dual state is also the work of

Mother Goddess. Mark it. It is not that the jnAni is showing Devotion just for the sake of

others only. No, By himself he is indeed thinking

( I think the Paramacharya is here

letting out an autobiographical tip ! -- VK)

‘What a pleasure to witness this dualistic play of the non-dualistic One ! What a

multiplicity of beauty, panoramic variety and continuity of Love !’ . Thus revelling in that

blissful vision, he continues to pour out his own love (bhakti) to that Transcendental Power

from the bottom of his heart. This tribute to the jnAni has been given by the great Teacher

Suka himself.

(Cf. Bhagavatam 1-7-10:

AtmArAmAshca munayaH nirgranthA apy-urukrame;

kurvanty-ahaitukIm bhaktim itham-bhUta-guNo hariH. – meaning,

Those who revel in the Self, even though rid of all attachments,

show a causeless bhakti towards the Lord, just naturally.)

On the one hand the devotee who has yet to get the Enlightenment enjoys the

devotional state for the very reason of getting the Enlightenment; on the other hand, the

one who is already enlightened and is a jIvan-mukta shows his bhakti for the sake of

enjoyment of that bhakti and not for any other reward or purpose.

-4-

(The Paramacharya continues to speak the words, as if, of the Goddess):

“Thus I am the One who gives this new Bhakti in the state of jnAna. And I will be

the One who will give you that jnAna to you, my devotee, when the time is ripe. Don’t you

worry. You have come to Me as your Mother. I will take care of you. The bondage in

which I threw you shall be removed from you by Myself. You need not have to keep on

crying for ‘Release’. Once you know I am the only One there is, hold on to that steadfastly;

there is no question of ‘Release’ thereafter. ‘Release’ from what?

“Let jnAnis think that they will get the Ultimate Peace only when the duality-

awareness goes away from them and let them go their own way of Enquiry of the Self.

When you feel you don’t have the interest or the stamina to go that way, don’t feel bad or

incomplete. Come through the path of Love. See the multiplicities. But instead of seeing

them as different and separate, try not to forget that the basis of all of them is the single

Me. Love Me from your heart and view everything through Love. Encompass everything in

Love. I shall raise you to the Ultimate Enlightenment by My Love and Grace”.

Thus arises the godly experience that is blessed by the Mother Goddess. By Mother

Goddess I also mean the Lord-God, the paramAtmA, and also the individual favourite

deity of each of us. It is the same supreme Power that engulfs you into the mAyA, that

graces you as saguNa-brahman and also takes you to that blissful state of jnAna.

Finally let me also say this. By the very fact that the jnAni writes a book on jnAna, it

must follow that he should also write on Bhakti. For, writing a book means communicating

with others. So that means he has accepted the presence of a world of duality in which he

has to communicate and educate. The jnAni as he is, must have already ‘descended’ to this

world of duality and decided to raise the commonfolk to his level. He who knows that the

source of all this duality is that Infinite Compassionate God–principle, would ipso facto

have no compunctions for making a hymn of praise for that Ultimate in Its saguNa form.

And he also knows that it is that very same Power that prods him on to make this hymn.

So where is the contradiction here?

But if you contend that he is writing jnAna works for the benefit of the world –

‘loka-sangrahArtham’ without any ‘kartRtva-buddhi’ -- the awareness of doership – then

with the same non-awareness of doership he can write both jnAna works and bhakti works.

What and where is the difference? The World-welfare (loka-kalyANam) is the purpose. It

is the Lord who is effecting the welfare through the hands and mouth of these chosen

jnAnis. And the most efficient way for the jnAni, the Lord knows, to reach the masses, is

to propagate hymns of praise of the divine, pilgrimage to holy centers, installation of mystic

yantras, and all the way down to ritual worship.

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There are three superlative hymns of praise on Mother Goddess in the form of

Lalita. Chronologically they are: ‘AryA-dvishati’ (also called ‘lalitA-stava-ratnam’) a 200-

sloka piece by Sage Durvasa; ‘Soundarya-lahari’ which is actually made up of two parts –

‘Ananda-lahari’ , a 41-sloka piece brought from Kailas by Adi Sankara and ‘Soundarya-

lahari’ the 59-sloka piece composed by Adi Sankara himself, the two pieces together going by the popular name of Soundarya lahari by Adi Sankara; and ‘Panca-shati’ (a 500-sloka

piece) by the poet Muka.

Durvasa’s Arya-dvishati gives us a spiritual experience of the presence of the

Almighty-Goddess in the very words of AryA-dvishati. In this he describes the complicated

structure of the Sri-chakra . The Goddess’s Grace descends on those who read and recite

such hymns of praise composed by great devotees who have already merited the descent of

Her Grace on them. Durvasa, Adi Sankara and Muka are three such. Such Grace exhibits

itself first in the eloquence of these hymns. And the result is, the devotee who revels in the

recitation and repetition of these hymns, himself gets that eloquence and flow of language

and of speech.

The Goddess gave such an eloquence to Muka. ‘Muka’ means ‘dumb’. We do not

know what name he had before. But from the moment he composed the five hundred

slokas in Her praise, we have known him as the poet Muka !. Both the AryA-dvishati and

the MUka-pancashati bring to our vision the majestic splendour of the form of Mother

Goddess like an expert painter’s masterly painting. The third one, the Soundarya-lahari is

the crowning glory of all three and of all hymns of praise of the Mother Supreme.

-5-

Of Soundaryalahari it may be said that there never was one like it, nor ever will be.

It has a perennial charm that does not satiate. And its majestic eloquence is unbeatable. In

his bhaja-govindam our Acharya uses very elementary words because it happens to be the

alphabet of Vedanta. But here he is describing the undescribable. So he uses words very

precisely. Consequently the vocabulary turns out to be difficult. But the words chosen

only add to the lilting charm of the poetry that he weaves. The metre used is ‘shikariNI’,

meaning ‘that which is at the apex’. It has 17 syllables for each of the four lines.

Through the descriptions of the Goddess’s form that make up the latter 59 slokas,

he brings ambaal right before our mental eyes in all Her majesty, grace and splendour and

overwhelms us by the bliss which the very words and metaphors pour on us. Just as a

master-sculptor dedicates each movement of his chisel to the object of his sculpture, he

transforms each word, as it were, by his own spiritual experience of the Goddess and thus

in turn we readers feel the words themselves constitute the Goddess.

It is not only blissful poetry, but blessed poetry. Such blessedness arises not because

of any flowery language, but by the fact the Acharya is himself blessed ! ‘Mother, this

hymn is nothing but a composition of yours in your own words’ (‘tvadIyAbhir-vAgbhiH tava janani vAcAm stutir-iyam’ – Verse no.100), says he in the concluding line.

Inspirations of great saints and sages, not only benefit mankind by their inspired poetry,

but bring to successive generations, an inspired contact with the great men, even long after

they have passed away. Thus our Acharya in enabling us to have a ‘darshan’ of the

Goddess herself, gives us, in addition, a ‘darshan’ of himself !

The concept of ‘intense’ devotion does not care for the language used, or for the

manner of worship. It is the intensity of devotion and depth of feeling that matter. But

getting that intensity and depth is the most difficult thing. That is exactly what eludes us.

Now that is where the beauty of such blessed poetry like ‘Soundaryalahari’ excels. Whether

you understand it or not, whether you pronounce the words correctly or not, the very

attempt itself of reciting it produces in you the needed bhakti! This is the word-power of

the words of such blessed poetry. The vibrations of the words give us all the material and

spiritual success. We have only to keep the objective of bhakti steadfast in our minds.

Everything else just follows.

Of all the stotras that our Acharya has done, it is the Soundaryalahari that is the

topmost. The aShTottara-nAmAvaLi of the Acharya has the nAmA ‘soundarya-laharI-

mukhya-bahu-stotra- vidhAyakAya namaH’ meaning: ‘prostrations to the one who

composed many stotras with soundaryalaharI as the prime one’. Of the bhAshyas that he

wrote, ‘brahma-sUtra-bhAshya’ towers supreme; of his expository works, ‘viveka-

chUDAmaNi’ is prime and of all his works of bhakti, the Soundarya-laharI tops the list.

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SundarI, the beautiful, is Her name. Tripura-sundari or mahA-tripura-sundari

both derived from the root name, SundarI, is the Goddess propitiated by the great mantra

called ‘shri-vidyA’. Of the many names of ambaal, such as PArvatI, durgA, KALI, BAlA,

BhuvaneshvarI, etc., it is the sundari name that goes with ‘RAja-rAjesvari’, the Queen-

name of all the scriptures that talk of and dwell on the Mother Goddess. Sage

Ramakrishna has said: I have seen many forms of Gods and Goddesses; but I have never

seen one more charming than ‘Tripura-sundari’ ! The word ‘soundaryam’ pertains to

SundarI and means ‘The Beauty’.

But the beauty of it all is, that the name ‘Tripura-sundarI’ or any of the other

(synonymous) names of the same form, namely, ‘LalitA’, ‘RAja-rAjeshvarI’, ‘KAmAkshI’

or ‘KaAmeshvarI’ do not occur anywhere in the text, including its title ! Even the other

descriptive names of the Goddess like ‘hima-giri-sutA’ (daughter of Himalaya mountain),

or simply, giri-sutA, shivA, bhavAnI, umA, satI, pArvatI, chanDI – occur only at one or

two places. General attributed names, like ‘jananI’, ‘mAtA’, ‘ambA’, ‘devI’ meaning either ‘mother’ or ‘goddess’, -- which commonly go with all feminine deities -- occur at a few

more places, but even they are few.

While he begins with ‘shivaH-shaktyA’, the most potent name of ambaal, namely

‘shakti’, gets mentioned. ‘Shakti’ means ‘power’. It is the absolute brahman’s power or

energy that ambaal personifies. So this name tells everything about the Goddess. And it

comes in the very beginning, but never after.

(In sloka no.32, the word ‘shakti’ appears

but there it is a code-word for a syllable in ambaal’s mantra).

Finally, one more point regarding occurrence of names. The role of a woman has

three stages: as daughter, as wife, as mother. The last two roles certainly do get mentioned

very often in stotras pertaining to a feminine deity. But the Soundaryalahari uses the

daughter-reference such as ‘himagiri-sute’, ‘tuhina-giri-kanye’, more often. And again,

when the first part of 41 slokas ends, he ends by referring to ‘janaka-jananI’ , the mother-

father role of both Isvara and IsvarI of the whole universe.

-6-

(This part, which ‘digests’ pp.675 to 686 of the original, is entitled: “The title: ‘Ananda-

lahari’ – advaitam and ShAktam”. The matter was rather terse to me. But the

Paramacharya himself concludes by saying: “What is finally to be understood as the

essence is the following: ….” I use this summary of his own and mostly translate it as

closely as I can. VK)

The shAkta philosophy (ShAktam) talks of ‘Shivam’ in place of the actionless

substratum ‘Brahman’. Even if it is actionless, it is Cit, knowledge, says advaita. In place

of this Cit, ShAktam talks of Cit-Shakti or simply, Shakti. The Brahman of advaita

peacefully rests in itself. In ShAktam, on the other hand, the peaceful Shivam has the

Shakti, power or energy, that manifests as knowledge potential (Cit-Shakti) and this

manifestation is its play as the multiplicity of the universe. In advaita there is no second.

What appears as the universe is only an appearance created by mAyA. MAyA has no

relationship with Brahman. What it is, and how it came – all this is inexplainable. That

research is not necessary. What is needed is how to get out of it and obtain the personal

realisation of the basic Brahman behind. And hence the path of jnAna. In ShAktam, it is claimed that the play of duality starts by the Will of Shivam coupled with Shakti. Even

here there is a role of mAyA-Shakti. But we shall dwell on it later.

It is Brahman that appears as jIva, through the effect of mAyA. If one follows the

path of jnAna and transcends mAyA, then jIva realises itself as Brahman, says advaita. In

ShAktam also it says that the jIva and Shivam are basically the same and actually become

the same in the state of moksha; particularly in the Shri-vidyA scriptures it is specifically

accepted so. Dvaitam, VishishhTAdvaitam, SiddhAnta-shaivam (Shaiva-siddhantam),

ShrIkaNTa-shaivam (ShivAdvaitam), Kashmiri Saivism – in this order, the philosophies

start from a concept totally distinct from advaita, gradually nearing and ultimately

becoming very near to advaita.

And in ShrIvidyA the identity of jiva with Brahman is clearly stipulated. The two

philosophies differ only in the concept of creation. In advaita, duality is said to be only an

imagination and so is to be totally negated. In shAkta philosophies, duality is said to be

created by parA-Shakti, the energy of Brahman. It is also the parA-Shakti that grants the

moksha, which is the identity of Brahman and jIva in eternal peaceful bliss. This bliss is

called shivAnandam and/or shAntAnandam in the shaivite schools, and cidAnandam in

the shAkta schools.

There is no difference in the concept of moksha as the realisation of the one-ness of

jIva and Brahman, between advaita schools and the Shri-vidyA tantra of the shAkta

schools. The philosophy of advaita takes creation as a ‘vivarta’ (a false appearance,

manifestation, of reality) whereas the Shri-vidyA school takes it as ‘AbhAsa’ (an

effulgence of a ‘reflection’). That the sun appears as a reflection in water is ‘AbhAsa’. In

the same way the universal Cit-Shakti reflects itself with a limitation and becomes the jIva

as well as the universe -- this is the shAkta concept of creation. But without the original

object called the Sun there could be no reflection. So in basics it comes back to the advaita

concept. But the shAkta holds that to the extent there is an object with its reflection, there

is a phenomenal reality for jIva and the universe. It does not hold that it is ‘mithyA’ which

is the advaitin’s contention.

It is the latter part of Soundaryalahari that dwells on the beauty (saundaryam) of

ambaal’s form.The former part dwells on Her Shakti. It is called Ananda-lahari. The

identity between Shakti and Cit is referred to in the word ‘cidAnandalaharI’ in verse no.8

of Anandalahari. “bhajanti tvAm dhanyAH katicana cidAnanda-laharIm”, meaning, ‘Only

the most fortunate few (recognize you and) worship you as the flood of knowledge-bliss

(cidAnanda)’. Note here that while for every reader of the Soundaryalahari portion the

whole beauty of Mother Goddess is fully experiential, in the Anandalahari portion the

people who can experience the bliss of the Shakti-lahari, that is, the cidAnanda-lahari, are

only the few fortunate (katicana dhanyAH) !

The close correlation between advaita and the various shAkta schools, particularly

the Shri-vidyA tantra school, has been used by our Acharya who is aware that many

cannot follow the abstract path of jnAna. And that is why perhaps he chalks out a path

whereby one starts from the ‘leela’ of creation of duality and goes forward along the path

of Shri-vidyA and finally ends up in advaita itself. In accordance with this, even when he

composed many stotras on Shiva and VishNu, he never goes deep into the shivAgama or

vaishNava-Agama nuances but dwells mainly on the bhakti and consequent emotions only.

On the other hand when he worked on Soundarya-lahari, the first part, Anandalahari, –

even though it is said that he only ‘brought’ it (from Kailas) and not composed it – is totally

a shAkta scripture. The sum and substance of the twin work of Ananda-lahari and

Soundarya-lahari seems to be: “advaita is The path; if not, the next (alternative) is Shri-

vidyA” !

In fact, Shri-vidyA is the connecting cord between advaita and all that is dvaita. It

unifies the shAntam-Shivam-advaitam with Shakti, the creator of duality, and therefore, of

the universe. In LalitA-sahasranAma also, the last name is lalitAmbikA and the last but

one is shiva-shakty-aikya-rUpiNI. And this takes us to the very beginning sloka of

Soundarya-lahari !

-7-

Shivas-ShaktyA yukto yadi bhavati shaktaH prabhavitum

na ced-evam devo na khalu kushalaH spanditum-api /

atas-tvAm-ArAdhyAm hari-hara-virinchAdibhir-api

praNantum stotum vA katham-akRtapuNyaH prabhavati // 1 //

(The Paramacharya stays on this sloka

from p.687 to p.806 in the original.

So we are likely to have several sections,

upto DPDS – 17, on this. VK)

ShaktyA yuktaH bhavati yadi – Only if yoked with shakti

ShivaH devaH – (even) Lord shiva

shaktaH – has the ability

prabhavitum – to create the world;

evam na cet -- if not so (yoked),

kushalaH na – (He) is not capable

spanditum api – even to make a move.

khalu – Isn’t it so?

ataH – Therefore,

katham prabhavati – how is it possible

akRta-puNyaH – (for) one who has not accrued any (spiritual) merits

praNantum – to do prostrations to

stotum vA -- >or to praise (by hymns)

tvAm – You

hari-hara-virinchAdibhir-api ArAdhyAm –

who are worshipped even by Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma and the like?

(To get the total meaning, please read the English portions above in the order in which they

are presented above. The Paramacharya does the same thing, but presents it in the order in

which it will make sense in the Tamil language. He usually does not give the total meaning

in one go. VK)

Here is embedded the most important ShAkta doctrine that the parAshakti is higher

than the Triad of Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. It is only by Her will and action that even the

actionless nirguNa Shivam gets into action through the Triad and the cosmic process of

presentation of Duality starts. “Everything in the universe moves because of You, Oh

parAshakti; when that is so, even the prostration to you or praise of you by a devotee does

not happen by itself”. And then by implication our Acharya brings out the point that when

ambaal grants the power to somebody of praising Her, She does not give it to all and

sundry but only to those who have spiritual merits.

And again then, by one more implication, one can take it to mean that the one who

is doing the stotra now, namely, the Acharya himself, must, ipso facto, be of great spiritual

merit. Is that what he means? Is he so devoid of humility that he praises himself by

implication? No. Later in sloka 57 he is going to say: ‘snapaya kRpayA mAm-api’ ( that is,

pour your glance of compassion, EVEN on poor me) and again in sloka 84, ‘mamApi

shirasi dayayA dehi caraNau’ (EVEN on my head please place your feet). So the only way

we should interpret the present sloka is: “You can move even the immutable Shivam into

action. It is You therefore who have given even me, who does not have any spiritual merit,

the capability that you usually grant only to the meritorious ! It is You who have moved my

senses of speech into the action of hymnising You !”

Prostration is by the body (kAyam). Praising through a hymn is by speech (vAk). By

implication the mind (manas) is also mentioned. Thus in the very first sloka the dedication

to Her by manas, vAk and kAyam has been done. And naturally, the completeion of this

dedication in the form of ‘Atma-samarpaNam’ – dedication of one’s self in fullness –

comes in the very last sloka (#100).

There is a parallel observation in the very first sloka of Viveka-chUDAmaNi.

“muktir-no-shata-koTi-janma-sukRtaiH puNyair-vinA labhyate”, meaning, ‘Unless one

has earned spiritual merit in 100 crores of births, one cannot go the jnAna mArga and

obtain moksha’. But note: our Acharya does not say explicitly, in this major work of

bhakti, that only by spiritual merit you can go along the path of Bhakti or jnAna or for

that matter any noble path. Whereas, in the Viveka chUDAmaNi, which is a work on the

path of jnAna, -- mistakenly appropriated by people who think that that is the way to

avoid the traditional worship of deities !-- right in the 3rd

sloka, he says that ‘Seeking a

proper guru and starting on the path of jnAna occurs only by the Grace of God’ –

“deivAnugraha-hetukam”!

The bottom line of this sloka is that Shiva earns His place and prestige only when He is united with Shakti. But the words Shiva and Shakti have been placed in the sloka in

that order, with Shiva first. This indicates that the dependence is mutual; neither of them is

to be lower in hierarchy or glory. THERE IS NO HIGHER OR LOWER BETWEEN THIS

ORIGINAL DIVINE COUPLE. They have an equality, ‘samam’ in Sanskrit and this is the

origin for the word ‘samaya’ to get the meaning of ‘religion’ or ‘tradition’ in Hindu

culture. In the ShAkta and Shaiva scriptures the word ‘samayAcAra’ is used to denote the

path of worship, that is done mentally through the noblest attitude of devotion arising from

the bottom of the heart. The reason for the word ‘samaya’ therein is that there are five

categories in which Shiva and Shakti are considered ‘equal’ in that regimen of worship.

One: In their names. Shiva and ShivA; hamsa and hamsI; bhairava and bhairavI;

even, samaya and samayA.

Two: In their forms: KAmeshwara and KAmeshwari are both maroon in colour,

each has four hands, three eyes, the half-moon adorning their heads, the same four

weapons – bow, arrow, pAsha (noose) and ankusha (spear) -- in the four hands.

Three: In their location: the same peak of Meru; the center of the Ocean of nectar in

MaNi-dvIpa; the same central bindu of shrI-chakra.

Four: In their function: It is the same five-fold function – called pancha-kRtya –

namely, Creation, Protection, Dissolution, tirodhAna or mAyA, Grace or anugraha leading

to moksha.

Five: In their benediction to the world.

-8-

But, though the work begins with the name of Shiva, the ShAkta school will still find

in the very name of Shiva itself, the dominance of the feminine Shakti ! In the very word

‘Shiva’ there is the vowel ‘i’ along with the consonant ‘sh’. The vowels ‘I’ (as in ‘feel’) and

‘i’ (as in ‘fit’) are themselves names of ambaal. All consonants are letters pertaining to

Shiva and all vowels pertain to Shakti. This is a general rule. In addition the letters ‘I’ and

‘i’ are supposed to be the very forms of ambaal. Just as the actionless immutable brahman

has a symbolic praNava or ‘Om’, so also the brahman coupled with Shakti, the kArya-

brahman, has a symbolic seed letter called the praNava of Shiva-Shakti. And in that

praNava, the letter corresponding to Shakti is ‘I’.

There is Vedic authority for this. Also in the ShrI sUkta the form of ambaal as Lakshmi who resides in the heart-lotus is mentioned as manifesting in the vowel ‘I’ and the

surrender is made to that manifestation. Note that one of the many sanctities of the word

‘ShrI’ is derived from this.

Thus the first word of of the first sloka, though it begins with Shiva is actually a

propitiation to the feminine Shakti. For, from the word ‘Shiva’ if we remove the vowel ‘i’

and bring the consonant ‘sh’ to its first position ‘sha’, the word becomes ‘shava’ meaning

‘a dead body’ ! Thus the word ‘shiva’ gets its life from the vowel ‘i’ , which is the seed

letter for Shakti. Also note that the popular word for ‘saguNa-brahman’ in Vedanta is

‘Ishwara’, which begins with the sound ‘I’. This is quite in accordance with its role as the

dynamic active Lord who takes care of the creation and propels the entire universe.

(For those who know the Tamil language

here are two more interesting observations: VK)

In Tamil the consonants and vowels are known as ‘body-letters’ (mey-ezhuttu) and

‘life-letters’ (uyir-ezhuttu) respectively . So in the praNava of Shiva-Shakti, the Lord

corresponds to the ‘body-letter’ and the Goddess corresponds to the ‘life-letter’. And this

coordinates with the thought that Shiva is the body and Shakti is the soul.

Secondly, in Tamil parlance it is common to say: ‘If you have the power (shakti) to

do this, do it; otherwise stay quiet as ‘shiva’ (‘shivane-enRu iru’) ! This again coordinates

with the thought that Shiva is the actionless substratum and Shakti is the switch that

switches everything into action!

Throughout his bhAshyas and all his minor works, our Acharya is never tired of

repeating: All worldly activities are mAyA; one should aspire to realise and become the

changeless and actionless nirguNa brahman. Thus the immutable Shivam is the object of

all his writing and advice. What produces movement out of that brahman was called mAyA

by him and he spared no pains to paint that mAyA in uncomplimentary colors and warn us

strongly against getting into her clutches.

But the very same Acharya, now, in the first sloka of Soundaryalahari, exclaims

with great admiration of Shakti (that very same mAyA): Oh, Goddess, without you even

Shiva cannot move!

How can the same person talk in two contradictory ways like this? Which is true? If

one of them is not true, can the Acharya tarnish his name by speaking an untruth?

If you look at these things only by logic, you will not get anywhere. The definition of

Truth does not come by logic. WHATEVER WILL DO GOOD TO WHOMSOEVER IT

IS INTENDED, THAT SHOULD BE STATED LOVINGLY; THAT IS TRUTH

(SATYAM). For those who can tread the path of jnAna, he recommended retirement from

the world. For those who have yet to evolve to that stage of spiritual maturity, he

recommended the path of Bhakti and Karma; this will make them reach the kArya-

brahman through worldly actions of work and worship. When one does not have an

evolved attitude to a certain path, it is counterproductive to advise him go that path. So it is

not a question of being logical; it is a question of seeing the psycho-logical (!) perspective.

The ancients called it ‘adhikAri-bheda’, that is, difference in prerequisite qualifications.

Secondly, it is not just that he understood the psychology of different types of

seekers of spirituality and preached accordingly. It is more. Both the advices he gave,

though seemingly opposite, are ‘true’, each at a particular stage of evolution. In the

phenomenal world, creation and the universe and the activator of all of them, namely,

Ishwara, are all ‘real’ certainly. But when we enquire into the root cause of all this, we find

that the more basic Reality is the Existent Self-in-itself that is actionless but through a

miraculous magic wand of mAya brings about all this moving world.

Thus, when an Acharya or the scripture compares two paths or two objects of

worship and speaks of one as the better or greater of the two, it does not always mean that

the other thing, that had a lower estimate, is worthless. That which our Acharya talked

about as the thing to be discarded, namely, perception of duality, in all his works – that

very same thing he now praises to the sky, saying that this is what you have to hold

steadfastly in the bhakti-mArga. In one case it is duality, in the other case it is ‘sva-

svarUpa-anu-sandhAnaM’ (remaining steadfast in one’s own Self).

-9-

There are two statements. One says: Even Shiva, only when united with you, Oh

Shakti, is able to monitor the whole world. And the other statement says: The Triad

formed of Hari, Hara and BrahmA worship Shakti. Both these statements are contained in

the 1st sloka. Are Shiva and Hara different? Are they not the two names of the same deity?

Why two names, and two actions? Is one the Prime Mover (corresponding to the word

‘spanditum’) and the other the one who worships (corresponding to the word

‘ArAdhyAm’)? Are they not both the same?

Of course, advaita says all are the same One. But the very origin of this stotra is not

to stay at the level of advaita. Everything may be the same One ultimately, but on the

surface, they are seen to be different. So Hara is one, Shiva is another. The Shiva who is

said to be ‘moved’ is the Shivam enunciated as the first principle in the scriptures of the

ShAkta and Shaiva schools. Hara is the ‘Rudra’ who is in charge of the function of

dissolution among the five functions of the Almighty. ‘Hara’ comes from the root verb

‘har’ to destroy, to eradicate, to nullify.

(At this point, the Paramacharya begins to explain at length

the technicalities about the ‘five cosmic functions’.

What follows is a much-condensed digest. – VK)

It is the same paramAtmA who became the three members of the Triad for the

discharge of the three functions of Creation, Sustenance and Dissolution. For all the three

functions the power source is ambaaL, the parA- Shakti. It is the explicitly expressed

power of brahman. So we may call it para-brahma-Sakti. It is not only the power for the

Triad but it is the power source for the entire universe of the animate and the inanimate.

By calling it para-brahma-Shakti, let us not think it is different from para-brahman itself. For, when the shakti of an entity is separated from it, whatever it be, the very fact of its

being that entity is lost. To give a mundane example, a ten-horsepower motor loses the very

fact of motorship if the horsepower is taken away from it. Therefore the para-brahma-

shakti is para-brahman itself. But the para-brahman can also remain in itself without

‘exhibiting’ or ‘exploiting’ or ‘manifesting’ its power. When the parabrahman so rests in

itself by itself as itself, it is known in ShAkta parlance as ‘Shivam’.

It is from that calm nirvikAra (changeless) state of the First Principle that we have

all come to this jIva state with a mind and all its runaway associates called the senses.

Only when we merge in that ShAnti (Peace) back again it may be said that we have reached

our true state and transcended the mAyA effect, the bondage of samsAra. That blissful

state of moksha is so calm and peaceful because it is now the same as being brahman,

which naturally, is calm and actionless without exhibiting its latent shakti. In our daily life

we may observe that if somebody is totally inactive, unresponsive and unaffected by

anything, we refer to him jocularly (at least in the Tamil world) as ‘para-brahmam’ !

Thus we are constrained to view Shiva as ‘para-brahman’ and ambaaL as ‘para-

brahma-shakti’. Though neither of them exists without the other, we may allow ourselves

the privilege of speaking of them AS IF they are different. Without para-brahma-shakti, the world would not be there. Now we have to consider two more cosmic functions in

addition to the three well-known to all of us. We were nothing but the calm Shiva-svarUpa

once; from that state somehow the real nature has been forgotten and we have arrived at

this ignorant state of a jIva and we find ourselves in a revolving cycle of samsAra without

the knowledge of our true state. The power which has done this to us must also be the same

para-brahma-shakti. And by the example of several sages and saints who, though thrown

into the vortex of samsAra like ourselves, have obtained the Enlightenment which took

them back to that moksha state, beyond the mAyA enchantment, it is clear that this

function of gracing the spiritually merited ones with moksha is also done by the para-

brahma-shakti.

These two functions are called ‘tirodhAna’ and ‘anugraha’ respectively. The

meaning of the root verb ‘tiras’ is to be secretive or to hide. It is from the verb ‘tiras’ that

the Tamil word ‘tirai’ (meaning, ‘curtain’) has come. It is mAyA that blinds the real thing

from us by a ‘tirai’ (curtain). Just as the three functions of creation, sustenance and

dissolution have been assigned (by the para-brahma-shakti) to BrahmA, Vishnu and Rudra

(Hara), so also Her assignee for the tirodhAna function is called ‘Ishvara’ (also

‘maheshvara’) and that for the anugraha function is called ‘SadAshiva’. The first three

functions are subject to mAyA. This mayic activity is in the control of Ishvara. Release

from mAyA is granted by SadAshiva.

These are the five cosmic functions. Together they are called the five-fold activity

(pancha-kRtyam) of the Lord. This concept of pancha-kRtyam is also mentioned by the

Shaiva schools. The very word panca-kRtyam means and involves activity. And as we

know, no activity is possible without the kArya-brahman (para-brahma-shakti) coming in.

So we can take it that the original source is parAshakti. She does it through the five agents

of Hers, namely the five forms of divinity mentioned above. The shAnta (calm) Shivam in

its nascent state cannot act. When action takes place it takes place through parAshakti in

the form of the five-fold functions. Shivam by itself does not produce the action. But it is in

Shivam, the parabrahman, that the first vibration for action sprouts, by its own Shakti.

But even before the action there must have been a will. This will is called the icchA-Shakti.

On the basis of this icchA -- the first wish, as it may be called, and the Upanishad also

says: ‘akAmayata’ –the kriyA-shakti (the power of Action) begins the pancha-kRtya-leelA.

Thus, what was the parabrahman by itself in itself, willed to ‘become’. It is for this divine

will that the Upanishad uses the word ‘kAma’, meaning desire. This ‘desire’ is not to be

taken in any derogatory sense. It is pure Divine Will from Being to Becoming. Thus the

first evolute from brahman is this divine kAma. So the shakti that is the origin of this is

called Kameshvari and the Shivam in which this kAma sprouted is therefore called

Kameshwara.

-10-

The first evolute from brahman is the ‘desire’ (kAmam) that the leela of the

manifestation of the universe should take place. So the ‘Kameshvara-Kameshvari’ evolute

is the first couple. She (Kameshvari) might later be called ‘Lalitambaal’ or ‘Raja-

Rajeshvari’ but He (Kameshvara) is never called ‘Laliteshvara’ or ‘Raja-Rajeshvara’.

Again She is ‘Tripura-sundari’ – which name is the origin for the titling of this composition

as ‘Soundaryalahari’ , but there is no ‘Tripurasundara’ .

All these latter names of Shakti have come because She is the Creator, Monitor and

Queen of this entire universe. That is why, as soon as the lalitA-sahasranAma begins with

the name ‘ShrI-mAta’, the next two names are ‘Shri-mahArAjnI’, and ‘ShrImat-

simhAsaneshvarI’. For these two names there is no masculine counterpart of the name.

When brahman ‘chose’ to become saguNa-brahman, the initial spark was that

‘desire’ to become. So the Kameshvari-Kameshvara couple arose and is rightly named so.

The panchakRtya is for the world to arise and go on from there. Thus the desire to produce

multiplicity out of Herself is the kAmam. But along with this desire is also the act (in the

form of mAyA) of ‘separating’ the created multiplicity from the reality of the Creator. Is

this not then a cruel desire? No. The ultimate aim is to bring back everything into the

source. Then why do it at all? That is the Cosmic Play. The very ‘desire’ to exhibit into a

multiplicity is based on the joy of bringing back everything together into the one and only

source.

The para-brahma-Shakti exhibits itself into five functions. Thus we have a five-fold

aspect of brahma-Shakti, created by itself from itself. So these five aspects are represented

in a peculiar form where Kameshvari is sitting on the left lap of Kameshvara. The seat on

which they are sitting facing the East, has four legs, namely Brahma (Creation), Vishnu

(Sustenance), Shiva (Dissolution), and Ishvara (mAyic curtain); the seat itself is SadAshiva

(moksha-anugraha). These five are called the five ‘brahman-s’ . And this explains the name

‘panca-brahma-Asana-sthitA’ for the Goddess.

There is also another name ‘panca-preta-Asana-Aseena’ meaning ‘She who is

seated on the seat of five ‘preta-s’ – preta, meaning ‘dead body’ --. The ‘brahman-s’ of the

earlier name are here called ‘preta-s, because, if the five functions had not been assigned to

them, they are nothing, - like the motor without the horsepower ! Even for Kameshvara,

she is the life-giving Shakti and therefore the name ‘Kameshvara-prANa-nADI’ which

occurs both in Lalita-sahasranama and in Trishati.

Now let us come to the word ‘spanditum’. The hara-rudra has been assigned the

duty of samhAra, this is a ‘full duty’, so to say. On the other hand, the Shiva that is the

absolute brahman has just been ‘moved’ – moved from within! This movement is the

‘spandanam’. The Shivam was like a calm, ripple-less, vibration-less peaceful lake; and in

that lake, the first ripple, the first vibration, the first movement took place in the form of

‘kAmam’. The agent for this was the cit-Shakti of brahman itself. She, the cit-Shakti, not

only became two, namely the willing power (icchA-Shakti), and the acting power (kriyA-

Shakti), but made the icchA rise in brahman itself and this ‘making’ was itself Her first act

of creation!

Let us analyze this still further. Before someone ‘desires’ he should first recognize

that he ‘is’. When we are in deep sleep we don’t desire. So the event of ‘desire’ rising in

brahman, must be preceded by the awareness of self-existence. Brahman was just existing

in itself, but was it ‘aware’ that it was existing as such? The very event of cognition – by

brahman, as it were - that ‘I am brahman’ is itself an act of the ‘spandana’-effect of

Shakti.

This ‘experience’ of brahman of the act of recognizing itself has a technical name in

Vedanta. It is ‘parAhantA’. ‘ahantA’ is the thought ‘I am’. When we wrongly think that

our real ‘I’ is body-mind-intellect, it is called ‘ahantA’ – the word derived from ‘aham’.

When the supreme Absolute, which is the origin of all the ‘aham’s in the world, thinks of

itself as ‘I’ it is supreme ‘ahantA’, that is, para-ahantA. In devotional literature, it is

customary to call parAShakti the parAhantA form of Shivam and thus arises the name

‘parAhantA-svarUpiNI’ for ambaal.

Indeed the ‘feeling of I-ness’ that arises in the immutable brahman, is the

spandana caused by Shakti and that is what personifies her. Our Acharya brings this

effectively by using the word ‘Aho-purushhikA’ in Sloka No.7. The word means that She is

the personification of the thought ‘I am brahman’ of brahman !

The ShAkta school conception of Shiva and Shakti sometimes appears to involve a

duality there. Thus they contend that it is Shakti that caused the movement. Acharya’s

sloka also seems to say so. But the Acharya, while appearing to be talking ‘dvaita’ he has

built his advaita into it by using the word spandanam. In what was Knowledge-Absolute,

the thought of ‘I’ arose from within. This internal pulsation is the spandanam. The word is

very precisely placed here. Because ‘spandanam’ by its very meaning negates anything

external. It is internally caused. Something like what you say in modern science about the

central nucleus bursting of its own accord.

But even the ShAkta schools cannot place Shiva and Shakti as two separate things.

Because Shiva and Shakti are like the lamp and its light, the flower and its fragrance,

honey and its sweetness, milk and its whiteness, word and its meaning. Thus they cannot be

separated from each other. Even though the credit for the spandanam is given to Shakti, it

is not as if She and He are separate. This mutual dependence of the two should be kept in

our mind always.

-11-

(Digest of pp.737-743, Deivathin Kural 6th

Vol. 4th

imprn.)

The mutuality of Shiva and Shakti should be in our minds all the time. When hard

core ideas from philosophy are made into poetic extravaganzas, both for the poetic

excellence and for the liberties taken with a view to making the devotees revel in their

devotion, it is natural to exaggerate or make out-of-the-way comparisons. Thus at one time

it may be said that Shiva is greater than Shakti and at another time quite the opposite. In

every one of these presentations one should not forget the equality, nay, the identity of the

two. Keeping this clearly in his mind, our Acharya, though he built into the first sloka the

idea that it was Sakthi who made Shiva move, he takes care to see that the prodding for the

‘movement’ does not come from outside. She is inside Him and therefore the word

‘spandanam’.

In Kashmir Saivism this internal spandanam is emphasized very well. Though we

call it Kashmir Shaivism, the propagators of that philosophy did not give it that name.

‘Trika-shaivam’ is its name. For it focusses on three principles; pashu, pati and pAsham.

‘pratyabijnA-shAstra’ is also another name for the same. To know the fact that Shiva

principle is Atman is pratyabijnA. The literal meaning of ‘pratyabijnA’ is ‘to know a thing

truly as it is’. Another name for this school of philosophy is ‘spanda-shAstra’ !

According to that shAstra, Shiva and Shakti together form the parabrahman. All

the universe is a reflection of that parabrahman. By saying this it does not mean that the

reflection is outside of brahman. Nor does it think of a ‘kevala-shivam’ ( shivam and

shivam alone) that has no connection with the universe. Since the parabrahman, according

to this school, is shiva as well as shakti, the reflection (AbhAsa) is due to the presence of

shakti. And even then, it is not like light and its reflection, wherein we think of the

reflection outside of the light. No. There can be nothing outside of shakti. Siva-shakti is one.

Within that one there comes an internal spandanam and the duality is presented. Again the presentation is not outside of brahman. Just as a reflection shows itself in the mirror,

there is nothing outside of the mirror. The word ‘spanda’ is exploited in Kashmir Shaivism

to establish two things. One is that the universe is not outside of brahman and two, Shakti

itself is not an external action on brahman. Shakti is abhinnam – non-separate – from

shivam.

Among the various shaiva darshanas, what comes nearest to our Acharya’s advaita

is this spanda-shAstra. On moksha both say the same thing. But instead of saying that the

universe is mithyA, created by mAyA, this school includes not only mAyA as well as the

Ishvara of advaita vedanta in their shakti. According to them there are 36 fundamentals.

Of these shivam is the first and shakti is the next. But immediately they say that the shivam

which is ‘sat’ (Existence) has always the ‘cit-shakti’ within it. Therefore shivam is sat-cit.

The Ananda appears when the play of reflection, producing the universe, starts as a sport.

In order to accommodate those who cannot take the strenuous jnAna-mArga of

advaita, our Acharya has adopted in this work of bhakti, the concepts of spandanam and

those of pashu, pati and pAsham from the shaiva shAstras. In sloka No.99 he says: He

who worships ambaal, throws off the attachment (pAsham) to the animal self (pashu) and

enjoys the nectar of the bliss of param-Ananda. Obviously when composing the

SoundaryalaharI. he must have had in mind several objectives, such as: This hymn to

Ambal should raise Her to the skies so that in the devotees it should generate bhakti

towards Her exclusively (ananya-bhakti); it should reach the pinnacle of poetical

excellences and respect all poetic traditions; it should also be concordant with the religious

traditions of ShrI-vidyA-tantra; even though it may not stress the advaita point of view

exclusively, since anyway shRI-vidyA and advaita are not discordant, it should be able to

touch upon advaita though tangentially. Instead of saying that the Acharya had these

objectives we might say that ambaal had already predetermined his objectives for him.

Even though these are the basic purposes which we see have all been fulfilled in the

hymn, it should be said to the credit of our Acharya that, because of his steadfast holding to

advaita, and of his great respect for ShrI-vidyA, and of his natural poetic talent, he did not

regiment himself as to be circumscribed by preconceived limitations. It is our good fortune

that he allowed his talent and imagination to express itself freely and soar as high as it

liked. Such a freedom has resulted in one of the most excellent hymns which excels in

poetry, in mysticism, in devotion, in spirituality and in religious tradition. And in this

process, the flood of ideas that gushed forth from him includes without bias some of the

philosophical concepts and thoughts that came to the forefront, long after his time, like

those of Saiva-siddhanta, Kashmir Shaivism, visishTAdvaita, and dvaita.

The schools that I just mentioned of course took their present form only after the

time of our Acharya. But the original ideas from which these schools sprang were there

from earliest times. In fact advaita also had its origin long before our Acharya. But it was

he who streamlined it and presented it as a siddhAnta. In the same way the Acharyas of the

other schools who came only later to our Acharya, pulled out the ideas which were

already there and established their siddhantas. It is the greatness of Adi Sankara that he

was able to see by his erudition and farsight the other points of view also even before they

had been established as a popular school.

-12-

(Digest of pp.743-760 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

Vol. 4th

imprn.)

I was saying that our Acharya , had included ideas from the non-advaita schools

also. These ideas as well as those of advaita had their origin long before their chief

proponents propagated them formally as a siddhanta. So Soundarya lahari being a work

of bhakti leaning a little on the side of the Shakta schools, has these ideas also in it. It

talks about the ‘spandanam’ of brahma-Shakti and praises, in superlative terms, the

Shakti that caused it. But there is no such idea of ‘spandanam’ in the advaita shAstra of

Adi Sankara.

The Brahman of advaita is motionless, and changeless. This immutable Brahman

was, according to advaita, neither moved from outside nor perturbed from the inside. The

multiple presentations that resulted through the Creation process was just due to mAyA,

which, with the base (adhAra) of Brahman, somehow initiated it. It is only an appearance

according to advaita and that is why mAyA is criticised and recommended to be negated.

Our Atman is nothing but that very nirguNa Brahman. If we do not know it, it is because

mAyA has done its work of hiding the Reality from us.

But it is that very same mAyA that the Soundaryalahari now has taken to the skies

and praised as Shakti, as a power greater than even the Triad of Brahma, Vishnu and

Shiva. Though it does not use the word ‘mAyA’ here, it uses the word ‘Shakti’ and from

the very fact that Shakti is the root cause for creation of the universe, it is clear it must be

the same as the mAyA of advaita.

In advaita the nirguNa Brahman is unrelated to the saguNa Brahman which

produces and monitors the whole universe by mAyA Shakti. For, nirguNa Brahman just is;

it can never be related to or predicated with anything. The miraculous way in which mAyA

exhibits that Brahman, as Brahman with name and form and all the associated

multiplicity, is analogous to the way we see in a dimly lit twilight the appearance of a snake

in a rope. Clearly there is no relationship between the appearing snake and the rope which

is the support for the appearance.

However, the Shaktam that the Acharya projects to us has a mAyA Shakti which is

not unrelated to Brahman. There is no brahma-Shakti talked about in advaita. Here in

ShAktam, it is brahma-Shakti that is important. That is the ambaal. One of her aspects is

the magic wand of mAyA. Not only that. She is Herself the jnAna-Shakti (the power of

cognitive self-recognition) which is diametrically opposite to mAyA; and further it is the

icchA Shakti (the power of wilful self-emanation) and kriyA Shakti (the power of creative

act) also. She stands inseparable from the Shivam which is the nirguNa Brahman of

ShAktam which, however, is a shade different from the nirguNa Brahman of advaita.

The identity of Shiva-shakti is important here. Identity does not mean just a union.

It is a total oneness. It is identity in the sense there is only one. Being one and only one is

what is called ‘Aikyam’ or identity. In Lalita Sahasranama, after calling Her Shivaa, the

next name is Shiva-Shaktyaikya-rUpiNI. This Shiva is only a close fit to the brahman of

advaita. So, unionizing with Him, and relating with Him, ‘moving’ Him, She has done as a

couple, all the Creation of the Universe and the monitoring of it. Whenever there is a

Shakti , there must be a locus standi (Ashrayam, Base) for it. The concept of, say, a Shakti

of ten pounds of weight does not arise unless there is something to which the weight can be

related or referenced. A fragrance or a colour is certainly an abstract Shakti, but it has to

have an Ashrayam for it to exist as a fragrance or a colour. Thus for every shakti there is

an Ashrayam. The Shakti that is the origin for all the known Shaktis has itself an

Ashrayam and that is the Shivam-brahman.It is the Shakti of that brahman. So it cannot

be separated from its Ashrayam. You cannot separate the whiteness from milk, or the taste

of milk from milk. So by the expansion of Shakti whatever happens there is Shivam also in

that expansion. In all actions of Shakti Shivam has to be present.

When Shakti, the ambaal, grants moksha to the jIva, the jIva attains the changeless

nirguNa state, say the Shakta works like the ShrI-vidyA. Even then that nirguNa state has

also the Shakti in it!. It is said that Shakti itself revels in enjoyment of bliss in its own

creation of the universe of duality. But it is not even right to say that the play of creation is

for enjoyment. Because if you accept this, it would mean that when there is no creation,

Shakti is without that bliss! So instead of saying that She indulges in Creation for

enjoyment of bliss, we should rather say that it is the very Bliss that is part of Her that

exhibits itself as the creation.

Let me now explain the subtle difference between the mAyA of advaita and the

different Shaktis of the Shaiva and ShAkta schools. Starting from the Shivam-Brahman,

they talk of 36 principles.According to the Shaiva-siddhanta school, the first five are

called pure ‘mAyA’ and the latter 31 belong to the category of impure ‘mAyA.

Shivam is the first. Next there come three different shaktis, namely, cit-shakti,

jnAna-shakti, vidyA-shakti. These correspond to three different dimensions of cit. When it

pertains to the non-dual shiva-shakti, it is cit. When it pertains to the seed-knowledge of

duality for the purpose of creation it is called jnAna. In the next stage it is aware both of its

non-dual state and its potential for the sprouting out into multiplicity, and then it is called

(pure) vidyA. After these three, come the next, now the fifth in order, namely the kriyA

shakti which is the executing part. Only thereafter, starting from the sixth principle, it is

mAyA and all its evolutes.

All this importance given to Shakti in the Shaiva and Shakta schools is avoided in

advaita, with all the evoluted appearances from Brahman being branded as the effect of

mAyA and we being asked to discredit them.

But even in the way the Shaiva and Shakta schools go, the question can be asked;

Somehow or other, it is the hierarchy of these Shaktis that bind us to this samsAra. Why

then praise that Shakti and worship it with hymns like Soundaryalahari?

This is the key question. The answer is, mAyA Shakti even in the Shakta schools

does not end there. It is also the jnAna Shakti as we saw above. And the bottomline of it all

is that this same Shakti as jnAna Shakti graces us with Knowledge and Enlightenment in

the end. And in the meantime She shows Infinite Love towards us in order to take us back

into her fold. That is the greatest anugraha that She does for us. And that is why we

worship Her and pray to Her for Release.

-13-

(Digest of pp.760 -766 of Deivathin Kural 6th

vol. 4th

imprn.)

(The Paramacharya devotes one more discourse now on mAyA;

now dwelling on the status of mAyA in advaita,

vis-à-vis, the path to Enlightenment -- VK)

All the Shakta schools, adopt an interesting strategy with respect to mAyA.

Whatever bondage is created by mAyA, they make it all related to the divine. Though

jnAna and mAyA are at opposite ends, the very world, mind and senses created by mAyA

are channelised into Love and the pure Beauty of the Mother Goddess, so that one is

blissfully involved in the worship and prayers aimed at Her. Once the mind is unified in

this noble direction, it is then not difficult to get involved into enquiry about the Self.

Thus our Acharya also has adopted the same strategy of going towards jnAna by

resorting to the very objects created by that which is opposite to jnAna. In other words, the

thought of God, worship, listening to stories about His glory, temple worship, getting

emotionally enraptured in stotra recitation, raising the tempo of spiritual involvement by

continuous japa leading to the correct mood for meditation – these constitute the means by

which one follows the bhakti path thus preparing oneself for the path of jnAna that is the

ultimate. And hence the Saundaryalahari.

The mAyic effect cannot be easily discarded. A tremendous amount of discretion

(viveka) and dispassion (vairagya) might be needed. In the absence of these the distractions

of the sensory world will be constantly pulling us away. And when such pulls are very

strong, one should not despair of the hopelessness in making progress in spirituality. It is

for this reason that the Acharya, without asking us to discard the mayic effects totally, as

he would do to a more spiritually mature seeker, asks us to get involved in bhakti, puja,

worship, devotional recitation and music. If everything of the world is made to relate to the

divine in this way, the mAyA-created world can be gradually won over. It is like using a

certain type of gloves when working with high voltage electricity. The shock of the system

will not be there and at the same time one has a control over it.

Now what I am going to tell you may surprise you in that it comes from me. I was

talking about the mayic creations. They provide the background for the spiritual sAdhanA. There is a sAdhanA, a sAdhaka, and the karma of sAdhanA. This triplet is certainly all

mAyA. So what we do is to use mAyA itself to fight mAyA. This is indeed a strategy to

reach advaita-bhAva. The very fact of a guru teaching you is nothing but Duality. But that

itself can lead to advaita-siddhi. Like a lion roaring in the dream and waking you up, so

also the mayic dream in which we are all in can be wiped off by a guru’s words doled out

in the world of duality.

Granting that the very act of ‘sAdhanA’ implies duality, the Acharya, does not

hesitate to bring in, into his stotras, the many sAdhanAs that have goals even

contradictory to advaita. When every propitiation of the divine is certainly a dvaita act,

why shy at the rituals of the non-advaita schools? So without reservation he allows his

imagination to go the path of other siddhAntas also. That is why, we hear in

Soundaryalahari, ideas from dvaita, visishTAdvaita, shaivam and shAktam.

Another important point has to be mentioned. Since all creation is mAyA, according

to advaita, it is not to be thought that advaita avoids all talk about Shakti. In Chandogya

Upanishad, at one point, it says: The paramAtmA is full of all karmas, all desires, all

fragrance and all tastes. It desired – ‘akAmayata’ –and that is how the One became the

Many as said in Taittiriyopanishad. Not finding any satisfaction in being alone, it wanted a

partner and this desire resulted in it becoming two as pati and patni – so says Brihad-

Aranyakopanishad (I -4- 3 ). Those two were the father and mother of the entire human

race, according to the same Upanishad.

The Brahma-sUtra (II-1-30) also says: ‘sarvopetA ca tad-darshanAt’ – The

Upanishads say that the paramAtman is thus endowed with all shakti.

Our Acharya does not just gloss over such statements. Just because they talk about

mAyA he does not overlook their mention. In his bhAshya he emphatically says: “shakti-

yuktA parA devatA”. Since he himself has defined mAyA as anirvacanIya (that which is

inexpressible or unexplainable), he is not afraid of questions like: ‘Where did the Shakti

come from”. In the matter of brahman one cannot ask questions like ‘How is it possible?’

in the same manner as one would ask when being presented with material matter and

worldly concepts. The profound and majestic truths about brahman cannot be learnt by

logical quibbling, but only by what the Vedas have declared. (Brahma-sUtra-bhAshya: II –

1 – 31).

Therein he says: The talk of creation arises only when, instead of being in that

samAdhi state as brahman, we begin to think and talk about brahman. When the nirguna

brahman which is nothing but pure cit, is talked about in relation to Creation which is just

avidya-kalpitam (imagined by ignorance), it is said to have ‘sarva-shakti-yogam’ says the

Acharya. ‘Shivas-ShaktyA yuktah’ is just this !

Following this the Brahma sutra says: ‘lokavattu leelA kaivalyam’ (II–1-33). The

world creation is just leela. The Acharya concludes his bhashya on this with the words:

“When the vedas talk about srishTi, it is not about the nirguNa absolute brahman. It is

only a view, name-and-form view, of Duality imagined by ignorance ; it is only a

phenomenal reality”. But though he goes in this strain, he also admires the leela of the

Lord. “It may appear as a great achievement from our angle – this Creation – but for Him

it is only just a play” !

-14-

(Digest of pp.766-774 of Deivathin Kural, Vol.6, 4th

imprn.)

There is also the Upanishad authority for saying that the non-dual brahman sprouts

out the world of duality by sheer internal vibration. This is in Katopanishad. All this world

arises from the life force called prANa and moves thereon. The word for ‘moves’ that is

used is ‘Ejati’. Ejanam and Kampanam both mean movement, but not by any external

force. We may also interpret it as vibration from the inside. Brahma sutra also uses the

word ‘kampanAt’. When the Acharya writes the bhashya for this he writes: This prANa

which causes the vibration is not simple air. It is the very brahman itself !

(It is to be noted that in this portion of the bhAshya,

Adi Sankara has used the very words ‘spandam’ and ‘pratyabhijnA’,

which are the words for Kashmir Shaivism,

without anywhere hinting that the words come from there.)

We can get many more such authorities to confirm that as far as the phenomenal

reality is concerned, there is a creation with mAyA as the cause. Whenever these passages

occur, they also concur with many of the thoughts of the ShAkta scriptures.

Let us not think that the Acharya’s outpourings in the Soundaryalahari is just a

mixture of several viewpoints! We should keep an open mind and let ourselves go along

with the flood of poetry that comes and simply concentrate in the ambaal with faith and

humility. Then we can get the maximum joy out of it.

(Now follows a general, but remarkable, advice of the Paramacharya on

‘How to approach the Soundaryalahari’ . VK)

When the scriptures or shAstras talk about deep philosophical principles which

have themselves a divine character, they present certain descriptions allegorically. We

should not misunderstand these allegories. In fact the word ‘allegory’ itself is not the right

word here. When esoteric principles are deliberately personified, that is ‘allegory’. The

profound ideas of the shAstras or the purANas are not just mental creations of the author.

It is parAShakti Herself who opens out those principles in those forms to great rishis or

persons who have reached the siddhi in the mantras.

If this world is taken to be real, then more real are the principles and stories that

help us throw off our shackles and reach our True State. Even today if we can do the japas

and dhyAnas in the proper manner, and melt our hearts in intense devotion, those forms

can be seen as we see each other in the outside world. And when such divine sights occur

our ordinary views of each other would pale into insignificance. The Love and Bliss that

such sights generate will take us to the realisation of the Ultimate. Therefore it is not right

to say that everything is an allegory.

To get back to what I was saying earlier, these divine forms which personify esoteric

fundamentals, might contradict what we consider to be normal, right, decent, and

beautiful in the ordinary mundane world. Just because of that it is not correct to conclude

that the original reality itself is not right, decent and beautiful.

Similar things can be said of the poetic traditions and the culture of classic

literature. Or even of sculpture, painting or architecture.

In all these, our norms cannot be the standards of ordinary worldly life. Works like

Soundarylahari, which are simultaneously devotionally divine hymns and poetic

excellences, have to be approached in the right manner in order to obtain the fullest

benefit from them. Our minds have to be open and clean. The ShrI-vidyA shAstras

describe in esoterically romantic terms how Shiva, who is nothing but the Absolute

Brahman, coupled with Kameshvari, the personification of the icchA (Will) of Shiva, cause

creation to happen. Such matters occur in Soundaryalahari also.

All these years the upAsakAs (intense devotees) without any prejudice followed the

path of ShrI vidyA and have been able to discard all the faults like desire and the like. And

Muka-kavi puts this with poetic emphasis in his pancha-Shati: “Mother, you caused

‘desire’ to rise even in Shiva who burnt to ashes the very desire personified in the form of Manmatha; that is why You are able to eradicate the internal faults like desire in jIvas and

give them Enlightenment”.

The punchline here is the fact that our people of ancient times had the right

approach to such works of art, poetry and devotion. The Guru-shishhya-paramparA took

care to see that such works were handed over only to those who could be expected to have

the right approach. Whether the work was religious or poetical, mystical or secular, they

would, when communicating with the public, only touch such delicate works and not

elaborate upon them in detail. Accordingly, when the common man meets with any

situation wherein there is an idea, concept, story or character, apparently repugnant to

him, he does not get distracted, because his main aim always was to take only those things

which suited his taste and which were recommended to him by elders.

Thousands of years have passed like this. And our people have followed the

traditional paths without ever giving place to indecent imaginations or wrong

interpretations. The common man knew that there must be some sense in those deep and

profound things because great men say so and he would not unnecessarily probe into them.

Not that he was not rational-minded; it only means that he had an unshaking faith in

tradition and also he was aware of his own limitations.

But then the printing press arrived; and times changed. ….

-15-

(Digest of pp.774-793 of Deivathin Kural Vol.6, 4th

imprn)

The printing press came as a revolution. And it became the order of the day for

anybody to write on anything, publish it and put it in the hands of anybody. One of the

earliest effects was that profound ideas got mundane interpretations in the hands of the

uninitiated. As independent human beings each one felt that whatever strikes his mind is

right and each one made his own interpretations. Neither the authors of books had the

strength of practice behind them; nor the readers had any intention to try and experience

what they read. Several readers were just curious and nothing more. Or they were

interested in a so-called ‘academic research’ mostly for purposes of self-glorification and recognition in the material world. How can any spiritual benefit arise from these?

Thus arose two major setbacks in the culture. The first one is that those who were

traditionally equipped to do the upAsanAs and were also fit to do them, preferred the

glamour of modern days to break off from their traditions. And the second one is that all

and sundry took to these difficult upAsanAs without proper guru or training. It is not

clear, I must confess, which is the major disaster.

I know that I may be criticised and commented that I have a ‘vested interest’ in

saying all this. But having started to talk on Soundaryalahari publicly, I cannot but give

you this warning. Let me conclude by saying that there is nothing wrong in approaching

shAstras like Soundaryalahari as an aid to get Mother Goddess’s Grace and thereby to go

upward in the spiritual ladder. It is enough you know that it is great. Just with that

approach if you recite it, ambaal will give you the necessary mental strength and maturity

to reach higher levels of spirituality. Automatically the ultimate object of realisation would

also be obtained by Her anugraha.

The mantras and their esoteric meanings have to be safeguarded like nuclear

secrets. If you really want to get them, approach the proper guru and if he thinks you have

the requisite qualifications he will tell you. In this connection I will tell you an important

matter. I am touching it, so that you may not ‘touch’ it ! The name Kundalini and all the

associated cakras are being talked about by every one now, especially ever since Sir John

Woodroffe wrote about ‘The Serpent Power’. I am not finding fault with him. I only thank

him for bringing to light the fact that our ancients had great things to tell the world in spite

of modern advances in science. My only warning to you is that without a proper initiation

no mantra or japam will help anybody. It is like having costly electrical and electronic

equipment in your house without a power connection. The same thing with these mantras

and kundalinI yoga. Without the guru power they will not work.

That is not the only thing. There is more in it. The power that comes through these

electrical words of the mantras, can also give you a shock because you may not be properly

insulated. Only when it comes from the guru, it gets properly secreted within bounds; if it

exceeds the bounds, that is if the insulation is not there, it will only burn you ! My own

suggestion to book-writers is that when they publish such things, let there be a popular

edition which avoids the profound matters of mantra secret. And let there be a limited

circulation book which does get into those secrets, but such ‘classified’ books must be made

available only with the authorization of the proper guru. I think, from my platform, it is

my duty to say this.

Finally what is wanted is a rapport with the author. A devotee, a poet and a

vidhushaka (the Royal Fool or Clown in the King’s Court) – these three have a great

licence to do or write what they want. Of these our Acharya was both a devotee and a poet.

So there is a bhakti-bhAva in everything he writes and there is also a poetic licence

exhibited in pieces like the Soundaryalahari. In classical literature, there is always a

respectable status for this freedom which a poetic or devotional piece enjoys. Of the many

such licences we can refer here to nindA stuti (where you actually criticise the deity you are

supposed to praise), praise one of the divine couple to the extent of bringing down the other

of the pair and so on. If we look at these with a humility and an open mind for poetic

exaggeration, we may also enjoy them. Now come to the first sloka.

Shiva is the husband and ambaal is the wife. It is only by Her power that even He

moves – this is the content of the first sloka. One might ask: Just to boost up the glory of

Mother Goddess does one have to descend to such a level as to bring God Himself to the

level of saying that He is simply a nonentity? The esoteric principle here is that the

immutable Brahman expresses itself only by the unfolding of the cit-shakti. The poetic

principle involved here is that the beloved, being the fair sex, is always to be given the

credit and so ‘He moves only when She moves Him’ is also acceptable. Thus on both

counts, the presentation is enjoyable.

-16-

(Digest of pp.794 - 802 of Deivathin Kural Vol.6, 4th

imprn)

Now let us come to modern Science and see whether there is any correlation with

the set of ideas relating to Shivam and Shakti. Matter is inert and its nature is inertia. But

we know that inert matter undergoes internal changes and in due course evolves into more

complicated matter and finally the universe itself. What is the power which made inert

matter non-inert?

(Readers, please note that these talks of the Paramacharya

probably date back to the thirties or the forties

of the 20th century ! VK)

In atomic science they talk about the interconvertibility of matter and energy. This

energy is our shakti. This is what makes inert matter non-inert. So Shivam, the immutable

brahman, has to be compared to the ‘inert matter’ of science; but the comparison is not

right since, brahman is consciousness so not jaDam (that which has no consciousness),

whereas inert matter of science is jaDam. Further, in the convertibility of matter into

energy there is a difference for, when matter becomes energy, the matter that has become

energy is now not there as matter. But in our philosophies, when energy shoots forth from

Shivam, the Shivam still remains the same Shivam.

After the Relativity theory of Einstein, science has come nearer to advaita vedanta

and the shAkta schools. Time and Space are relative concepts, as far as I have understood

these scientific theories. Brahman is the only absolute. Everything else is relative, says

vedanta. Anything that appears as real, does so because it is resting on the brahman-

canvas. This appearance as reality, is the relativity of science and the mAyA of advaita

Vedanta. Science which talks of the relativeness, does not say what is the absolute. The only

absolute is brahman , according to our religious scriptures as well as philosophical schools.

Though western knowledge makes a distinction between religion and philosophy, sanAtana

Dharma does not make any distinction between the two. In it the two are inseparable like

Shiva and Shakti ! And that Absolute has been experienced as Atman by our great sages.

That is the soul of all souls.

But this fact has evaded science. Even if the scientists one day accept it in theory,

they will have to say “its ‘proof’ is not within our jurisdiction; go to the shAstra of

Spirituality to know it”. Science can explain, through its laws, only certain ‘movements’ of

the grand cosmic dance of parAShakti; whereas it is incapable of showing a path for

becoming the Absolute by quelling the live Mind that vibrates in an integrated way

together with all the vibrations of the universe. Nor is it the goal of Science. Only religious

scriptures can show you the way. But even then, the final gates will be opened only by

ambaal. Who else, except the One who originally separated us from the Absolute, can

reunite us with that Absolute?

It is unfair on our part to find fault with science for what is beyond science. In the

same way protagonists of science must realise that there is a limit to their scientific quest.

They have no right to say that what transcends their science is wrong or false. That the two

are complementary must be felt by both sides. It will be fascinating to discover that several

scientific truths have been enunciated, though in a different way, by some of our scriptural

findings.

Why not think of the proton with a positive charge in the centre of the nucleus, as

Shiva and the electron with the negative charge that goes round, as ambaal?

There is a ‘still center’ for everything which is its peaceful center. Even though it

has no vibration it is not the emptiness nor it is of zero potential. The equilibrium which we

aim at when we weigh a weight, is this still center. Every object has a center of gravity.

Even in a dreadful storm, there is a ‘storm center’. Always the energy radiates from such a

center and that is why movement and action are produced. It is that center which may be

called Shivam and the energy that radiates from it and revolves about it is ambaal.

When something is positive and the other is negative, it does not appear to be

equivalent. So to arrive at equivalence there is another way of looking at it. Instead of

saying that one is in the center and the other revolves around it, think of each as half and

half. That is the ardha-nArIshvara form. The right side is Shiva (positive), and the left side,

ambaal (negative). This may be justified by the fact that the heart is on the left side and

supplies the ‘life’ for the entire body. If it does not work properly, the right side also

cannot work: na khalu kushalaH spanditum api, as the sloka 1 says.

(The ParamAcharya goes on like this irrepressibly !

It must be enjoyed in the original.

But I have to rush forward to take the readers

to the other slokas. So I am omitting a few pages. – VK)

Another observation about ‘left’ and ‘right’. What is ‘right’ in the original is shown

as ‘left’ in the reflection. And what is ‘left’, becomes the ‘right’. The non-dual nirguNa-

brahman-Consciousness when it gets reflected in the mirror of mAyA, becomes the saguNa

brahman that creates and monitors the dualities of the universe. This is an accepted

principle of the advaita school. In other words IT IS SHIVA THAT GETS REFLECTED

IN MAYA AND BECOMES THE AMBAAL!

(Emphasis mine – VK)

-17-

(Digest of pp.802 - 820)

I was saying: It is Shiva Himslf who gets reflected in the mirror of mAyA and

becomes ambaal. If you ask the advaitin, “What is this mAyA”, he will reply: ‘It is not

possible to say what it is. You know it is called mAyA, magical ! So it will not allow us to

understand it’. The ShAkta school will say: ‘Even mAyA is only a part of ambaal.’. I

already told you that mAyA occurs only at the stage where Shivam becomes the jIva,

according to ShAktam. That the jIva does not know that it is itself Shivam, is mAyA. It is

the work of mAyAShakti that makes it incomprehensible for jIva to know the Permanent

Eternal One and mistake the ephemeral things as permanently existing.

It is at this point that the object and its reflected image analogy leads to the positive

and negative. What we said earlier pertained to electricity. But now we shall take the

positive-negative phenomenon of photography. In the positive, light is light and dark is

dark. In the negative on the other hand, light is dark and dark is light. That is the

Ignorance which shows what exists as not existing and non-existence as existence. This is

the handiwork of mAyA ! We are all submerged in this mAyA and since ambaal is

responsible for this, we call Her, mAyA.

But to top it all, we should not forget that, the very ambaal who does all this play of

mAyA, is Herself the Most Compassionate One, and those of us who can surrender to Her

as the Only Refuge, will be graced by Her and made to cross the mAyA-curtain !

Now we can make the meaning of the first sloka more meaningful.The very fact that

the Acharya says that it was ambaal who activated the first movement in Shivam gives a

clear hint to us, that the reverse movement of the universe going back to that immutable

Shivam has again to be triggered only by Her Grace.

All the movements which resulted in the jIvas and the universe coming up are

together called (cosmic) evolution. This is not Darwin’s evolution. In his case it is

something where lower level beings transform in due time to higher levels. In Vedanta, the

brahman at the apex expands into the universe and living beings. This outward expansion

of subtle principles into gross matter is called evolution. The principles are taken to be 36

by some and 24 by some. Having become the jIvas, our goal should now be to go back to

the source. That going back is moksha.

All the things in the expanded mode have to get back into the internal mode and

merge in brahman. That is ascent (ArohaNam). The descent of jIvas and the universe from

brahman is avarohaNam. The terms ‘expansion’ and ‘merging’ seem to be better.

Expansion of brahman is Evolution and the merging into brahman is ‘Involution’. All of

us have evolved from brahman; not by ourselves but by the Will and Action of ambaal. We

cannot involve into brahman except by Her Will and Grace. Even though, in her cosmic

Play, She seems to have given us a role for ourselves, we can never complete the

‘Involution’ without Her Grace. The electrical switch makes the fan rotate. Only the same

switch can stop it from rotating. Thus the same Cause which made us evolve has to work

again to make us involute into brahman. So we have to pray to Her. This is where bhakti,

jnAna and yoga come in.

What is incomprehensibly divine would be made comprehensible by the divine itself

if we cultivate intense love for that divine. This intense love is bhakti. If we have that, the

divinity then would descend to make itself comprehensible to us. It is this bhakti-rasa

coupled with the poetic rasa that our Acharya gives us in the form of Soundaryalahari.

So with all this introduction based on Sloka 1, we may now go forward. Sloka 2

elaborates the words ‘hari-hara-virincAdhibihir-api ArAdhyAM’ (you who are

worshipped even by Vishnu, Shiva and BrahmA and others) of Sloka 1. Here it says that

only by Her Grace these three great divinities discharge their functions of Creation,

Sustenance and Dissolution. And this they do just by the power of the dust of the holy feet

of the Mother Goddess! This praise of the divine dust is carried over into Sloka 3 also. It

(the divine dust) is the ‘rising sun for the darkness of the Ignorant, the flower-bunch giving

out the honey of wisdom for the Dull-witted, and the wish-fulfilling godly gem for the

Poor’.

Sloka 4 continues to dwell on the glory of the Divine Feet but does it very subtly.

tvad-anyaH pANibhyAM abhaya-varado daivata-gaNaH

tvam-ekA naivAsi prakaTita-varAbhIty-abhinayA /

bhayAt trAtuM dAtuM phalam-api ca vAnchhA-samadhikaM

sharaNye lokAnAM tava hi charaNAveva nipuNau // 4 //

daivata-gaNaH: The multitude of gods

tvad-anyaH : other than You

abhaya-varado: grant abhaya (=fearlessness) and boons

pANibhyAM: by the hands

tvam-ekA asi: You are the only one

na-eva: not at all

prakaTita-vara-abhIti-abhinayA: exhibiting – boon (giver) – fearlessness (giver) – by

your ‘mudras’.

sharaNye: Oh Refuge

lokAnAM : for all the worlds

hi: indeed

tava: Your

charaNau-eva: feet alone

nipuNau: (are) expertly efficient

trAtuM : to protect

bhayAt : from fear

dAtuM api ca: and also to give

phalam: the fruit, the result

vAnchhA-samadhikaM: more than what one wishes.

(As in sloka 1, to get the total meaning, please read the

English portions above in the order in which they are

presented above. The Paramacharya does the same

thing, but presents it in the order in which it will make

sense in the Tamil language. He usually does not give

the total meaning, initially, in one go. We shall follow

the same arrangement in the succeeding slokas also.

VK)

-18-

(Digest of pp.820-824 )

“Other than You, all divines are seen with their mudras of abhaya (fearlessness)

and vara (Boon). In other words they show by their hands that they give abhaya and vara”.

This is the meaning of the first half of the sloka. But it does not mean that ambaaL would

not grant ‘abhaya’ and ‘vara’. In fact in the Mayavaram temple She is known as ‘abhaya-

ambikA’. One of Her other names is ‘vara-pradAyini’, ‘the benefactor of boons.’

In fact the Acharya only means that She doesn’t have to give ‘abhaya’ and ‘vara’ by

Her hands. Her divine feet alone are capable of granting what other deities do by their

hands. The very word ‘kAryaM’ in Sanskrit (which means, ‘the act’ or ‘action’) goes back

to the word ‘kara’ meaning ‘hand’. So the other divines have to take effort to do the action

of giving ‘vara’ and ‘abhaya’. You, Oh Goddess, can do anything by the very ‘sankalpa’

(determination). Even the fivefold cosmic actions beginning with creation are done by You

just by ‘wiggling the eyebrows’ (kshaNa-calitayoH brU-latikayoH – sloka 24 – meaning: by

the movement, for a moment, of the eyebrows). Whether it is to protect devotees from fear,

or it is to give them more than what they want through their wishes, She does it by just

being there. By taking refuge at Her feet, the devotee achieves his wishes. She is the refuge

of the entire universe.

Note the expert use of the words ‘sharaNye’ and ‘charaNau’. The first comes from

the word ‘sharaNa’ meaning refuge. She is the Ultimate Refuge for the whole world. The

second word comes from ‘charaNa’ meaning ‘foot’. Her feet are the Refuge; because the

feet themselves are capable of granting our wishes, by just being there. Just as flowers,

without ‘doing’ any action, radiate fragrance.

When one asks for the removal of fear, that is, fearlessness (abhaya), the positive

response from the deity could only be the removal of fear; there is nothing more to be

given. On the other hand, whatever other wish one asks for fulfillment, there can always be something more than that wish and thus She – nay, just the grace of Her divine feet -

ggives the devotee more than what he wants.

A question may arise. Why is ‘fearlessness’ sought separately? Can it not be given

as one of the many wishes, by the Goddess? Why is it separated from the general category

of ‘boons’?

(The following paragraphs are so exquisite in the original

that I chose to translate them literally word by word ! VK)

Fearlessness (abhaya) is not a commodity that is given and taken. It is actually

another name for advaita. ‘Only when there is duality there is fear’ says the Brihad-

AraNyakopanishad (1.4.2). If there is only one thing there is, from what can fear arise?

Only when there is a second entity fear arises in relation to it. “If one thinks even of the

tiniest distinction in brahman, then fear arises. Even wise men, if they think of brahman as

another distinct object, are ceased of fear”, so says Taittiriya-upanishad (II – 7).

The moment we think of brahman as different from us and as a God with

qualities, we get into the mood of ‘bhakti out of fear’. Even the westerners talk about the

‘God-fearing’ nature as man’s noblest quality. When will that fear go? It will go only when

the non-duality conviction arises that there is no jIvatman distinct from Ishvara. In that

state of the Existence of One without a second, where is the scope for a boon-giver and a

boon-receiver – two entities? The symbolic exhibition of the ‘abhaya-mudrA’ in the deity’s

hand is in fact a formless (esoteric) principle only. There is no giving, no taking, there. It is

a supreme state and the mudrA is only a symbol for it. The Lord may be eradicating fears

from the smallest fears, through those of birth and death, to the largest fear, namely that of

duality, that of separation from Him; but the actual state of fearlessness is only the non-

dual state. And that is why, it does not form part of the category of boons.

To the same question the scholars of the other (dvaita) schools cite the ‘bhava-bhIti’

that is, the fear of the cycle of births and deaths, as the major fear to be removed by Divine

Grace and that is why, they say, ‘abhaya’ is kept separate from the other boons; and they

stop there.

The ‘abhaya mudrA’ is shown by the upward extended palm of the right hand.

Other schools of philosophy say that this right hand points to the Divine worlds like

Vaikunta and Kailasa in the upper worlds. But we advaitins say that it indicates the non-

dual state which is vast and boundless like the wide space (AkAsha) up above.

(The translation-mode ends here. VK)

The hand which shows the boon-giving status is the left hand but with the palm

facing us and extending downwards. ‘I want this and I want that’ is itself indicative of a

lower state. Just as the actionless advaita state of ‘abhaya’ belongs to the Shiva side,

namely the right side, the hand which shows the boon-giving Grace legitimately belongs to

the action-packed Shakti side of the divine form. The left palm is extending downwards;

what does it point to? It points to the divine feet, which is the last Refuge. Hold on to My

Feet, says the Goddess, “That is the greatest boon for you”.

The show of ‘mudrA’ is technically called ‘abhinaya’. To exhibit whatever mood

there is internally, by the expression in the face, or by a symbolic gesture of the hands or

feet is called ‘abhinaya’. Particularly, that shown by the fingers of the hands is called a

‘mudrA’. It is the science of tantra that prescribes the ‘mudrAs’. The science and art of

dancing has adapted only these ‘mudrAs’.

The bottomline of this sloka is to say that all this business of hand mudras belongs

only to the other deities. Ambaal does not show any of these mudras. Obviously one is

thinking here of the Goddess Lalita-tripura-sundari only.

- 19 -

(Digest of pp.824-831 )

The Goddess LalitA-Tripurasundari, as affirmed in this sloka. does not have the

‘vara-abhaya’ hands, (vara = boon; abhaya = fearlessness). She has the sugarcane-bow and

the arrow of flowers in those two hands. Note however, the Acharya himself says in Sloka

70 that She has all Her four hands indicative of abhaya and vara.

Let us not make the mistake of thinking that this sloka means that all other deity-

forms have the ‘vara-abhaya’ hands. There are several without these hands. Think of

Vighneshvara (Lord Ganesha, the elephant-headed deity) whom we see at every nook and

corner (in India). What about the figure of the dancing Nataraja? He has only the ‘abhaya’

hand but no boon-giving hand. Minakshi of Madurai does not have these two hands.

The Vishnu deity (of almost all temples) Himself, though He has four hands – with

conch, disc, mace and lotus --, has no ‘vara-abhaya’ hands. Varada-rAja – the name

meaning ‘the king of boon-giving deities’ -- in Kanchipuram, inspite of His name, does not

have the ‘vara’ hand; He has the mace in that hand ! Maha-lakshmi, the Goddess of

Wealth, almost invariably, has the vara-abhaya hands. But the Goddess of Learning,

Sarasvati, does not have either.

Durga, most of the times, has an ‘abhaya’ by the right hand, while the

corresponding left hand is on the thigh – this situation being called ‘Uru-hastam’ . Some of

the Subrahmanya deity-forms have the same configuration. Balaji of Tirupati has the

vara-mudrA in the right hand, while His left hand is an ‘Uru-hastam’. Thus the statement

of this sloka “Other than You, all other deities show the ‘vara-abhaya’ mudrA by their

hands” is to be considered a poetic exaggeration only.

(At this point the Paramacharya begins

an elaborate introduction to slokas 5 and 6,

thereby dwelling on the topic:

“Is it legitimate for God to bless one ‘to desire’ ?´ -VK)

So far in the first three slokas the stotra does not say specifically which deity is being

praised. Even in the fourth sloka there is just a clue that the deity is without the ‘vara-

abhaya’ hands. How many hands there are, or what are in those hands? – these questions

are left open. In the next two slokas, the clue is given (sloka 5) that it is that deity that

prodded a desire in mahA-vishNu to take the form of ‘mohini’ and create sensual impulses

even in Lord Shiva and it is also the same deity (sloka 6) which gave even to the God of

Love (manmatha) the power to disturb even the minds of great sages and saints. And thus

we get the idea that the deity of this stotra could be the Kameshvari that we spoke of, in the

beginning when we discussed the original ‘Desire’ that sprouted out in brahman itself ‘to

express Itself’.

(See DPDS -9 and 10. VK)

The major purpose of bhakti is to quell all desires and get attracted to that Infinite

source of Bliss. While that is so, how is it legitimate for a bhakti-stotra to praise that very

deity as One who encouraged and manouvred the powers that be, to fall in Love? In spite

of our reverence to the Acharya, we have to raise this question sometimes. The world-view

has to disappear in order for Divine Enlightenment to appear; but here the deity is praised

for having engineered the creation of that world ! Knowledge arises only after all ‘kAma’

(Desire) has been eradicated; but here She is glorified as having been that very Power who

gave the power to the God of ‘Desire’ for generating Desire. Does it mean, then, that

‘Desire’ itself is Divine Grace?

It all means that opposite forces have to exist. We have to contend with both. If

there were no enemy, internally, to struggle against, life could be totally without any

challenges and therefore uninteresting. If everything was going smoothly, then we would

not even recognize ‘good’ as ‘good’. The cross-currents of conflicting powers exist for the

purpose of proving to us that ‘good’ will survive and surface at the end. The ‘desire’ in

brahman resulted in the creation of the universe. The ‘desire’ in the living results in the

world of the living growing up.

Note another interesting marvel. What we consider as ‘good’ has something ‘bad’ in

it and vice versa. To understand this subtlety of Creation and carry on our struggle in this

drama of the world is the art of living in fullness. Desire (kAma) and Anger (krodha) are

wrong; but this is only a generalised statement. Looked into deeply, even they have ‘good’

in them. There should be a ‘desire’ for ‘good’ and ‘anger’ against ‘bad’. In fact it is not

only not wrong, but essential. In the same way, what appears to be ‘good’ will have ‘bad’

hidden in it.

On top of this all there are two important things to note. One is the Lord’s shower

of Grace; and the other is our surrender to Him. Both are products of Creation; without

the existence of evil and the necessity to fight it, Grace and Surrender have no meaning. On

His side, the highest He does is ‘Grace’ or Anugraha. On our side, the highest we can do is

‘Surrender’. TO ACCEPT THAT WE CANNOT DO ANYTHING EXCEPT TO

SURRENDER TO HIM IS THE APEX OF ALL THAT WE CAN DO ! You will know it when you do it !

(Note: Emphasis mine – VK)

- 20 -

(Digest of pp. 831-836 )

Even if millions of people do not go the right way what is of significance is that one

of them will see the difference between good and bad and make the total surrender to Her

and get Her shower of Grace for him to see that he (the jIva) and the Ultimate are one. Not

all the seeds of the fruits of a tree grow into a full tree. In the whole world of living beings

even if one in a million achieves that Infinite fullness of Man the purpose of Creation is

fulfilled. That probably is ambaal’s idea of Creation.

But again, those who do not so achieve the Fullness are not to be considered wasted

or damned. There is no eternal damnation in our scriptures. Acharya Madhva propagated

that idea. Maybe he thought that at least the dread and fear of eternal damnation would

motivate people into reforming themselves to be good. Even an extremely sinful person has

a way of ultimate redemption -- that is the creed of our religion.

Once there was a king. An ordinary commoner was told by him, on an important

mission, to come and see him in his camp. But the commoner entreated the king to give

him some kind of an authentification, like a ring or something, which would gain him the

entry to the king’s presence when he presented himself at the camp. The king gave him

such a ring; but the ring did not have his (the king’s) seal. It had the seal of the enemy king.

The commoner was perplexed. Why is this king giving him a ring which would only be

identified as the enemy’s? The king himself removed his doubt by saying: “There are so

many of my own couriers and courtiers who have obtained from me my authentified ring

so that they can meet me any time they like. The line of such people would be so large at

any time, that you would not get anywhere near me when you come to meet me. But if they

see the seal of the enemy king in your hands they would take you to be a spy and would

present you before me in no time !”

This perhaps is the strategy of ambaal ! Desire, Anger and the whole gang of bad

things are Her own Grace to us in the form of authentified ‘rings’, so that we may go to Her soon. Once Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas, asked Krishna to keep giving her

difficulties and miseries all the time so that she will never forget the Lord ! In other words,

in the mystery of creation, unhappiness itself is a divine blessing in disguise.

Again, the opportunity of showering Grace on an individual does not stop with that

person. It continues to pour on all the offsprings of that person in the same way. At this

point one is tempted to say that, in spite of the general Hindu prayer that there should be

no more births, the very fact that there are offsprings is itself a shower of Her Grace. How

else can the balance of karma of jIvas be exhausted? If there was no ‘kAma’ in the world

those who die with a large balance of karma would have to go unredeemed. Thus it is

ambaal’s grace that there is ‘kAma’ as one of the four objectives or purposes of life.

And the scriptures come to our help by earmarking four stages of life in which one

of the stages, namely, grihastAshrama (the householder-stage) is set apart for giving vent to

our legitimate desires. Just as there are exceptions to every rule, for this general rule of

creation also there are certain exceptions in the form of a few, - very few -, who take to the

fourth ashrama (sannyasa) without having to go through the second ashrama of a

householder.

Another final point. Whoever has the power and the means to create should have

also the power and the means to bring the end to creation and the created. The ambaal has

the power to create and spark the desire in us; and therefore She has also the power to free

us from that creation and release us from the desire that overpowered us. The obverse of a

coin has always a reverse. So the same (obverse) power which originates ‘kAma’ in human

beings, has also the (reverse) power to say, in respect of certain blessed individuals, to that

‘kAma’, “Don’t go near such and such persons” !

So Manmatha, the God of all sensualities, who overpowers us by the power which he

got from ambaal, has however to obey Her when She says: “Thus far and no further”. The

slokas 5 and 6 which talk of the power of Manmatha has this implication for the devotees of

ambaal, though the slokas do not say so; they only talk of the obverse of the coin, not its

reverse ! And that, the unsaid reverse, is the significance of those two slokas, especially for

those of us who can surrender to Her through recitation of these slokas. Her leelA is: From

advaita through ‘desire’ to dvaita; and then, ultimately, to advaita through Her Grace and

Compassion!

Now we shall go over to sloka 7. Here comes, for the first time, a graphic description of the form of Kameshvari (Raja-rajeshvari, LalitA-tripura-sundari), the deity of praise in

Soundaryalahari. Even here, no name is mentioned; in fact, throughout the hymn, the

name does not occur.

21

(Digest of pp. 856-860 of Deivathin Kural Vol.6, 4th

imprn)

kvaNat-kAnchI-dAmA kari-kalabha-kumbha-stana-natA

parikshhINA madhye pariNata-sharac-candra-vadanA /

dhanur-bANAn pAshaM sRNimapi dadhAnA karatalaiH

purastAd-AstAM naH puramathitu-rAho-purushhikA // 7 //

kAnchI-dAmA: (She who is) wearing the girdle with jewelled bells

kvaNat: tinkling and jingling (of jewels)

kari-kalabha-kumbha-stana-natA: (She who is made to) lean forward by the breasts that

resemble the forehead of an young elephant

parikshhINA madhye : (She who is) slender in the middle (of the body)

pariNata-sharac-candra-vadanA: (She whose) face is like the autumnal full moon

dadhAnA karatalaiH : (She who is) wearing in Her hands

dhanur-bANAn: the bow and arrows

pAsham: the noose

sRNim-api : (and) also the goad

Aho-purushhikA : (She who is) the ‘I’–ness ( =Ego, in the positive sense)

pura-mathithuH: of the destyroyer of (the demon named) pura — i.e. of Lord Shiva

AstAM : may She appear

purastAt : before

naH : us.

(Please see DPDS – 10

for an explanation of “Aho-purushhikA” - VK)

A girdle is called ‘mekhalA’. If there are tingling bells in it it is called ‘kAnchI’. The name ‘raNat-kiNkiNi-mekhalA’ that occurs in the LalitA-sahasranAma is just this

‘kvaNat-kAnchI-dhAmA’, namely, the jingling girdle with bells. The string of bells is also

called ‘maNi’. So ‘kAnchI’ is also known as ‘mani-mekhalA.

In Tamil literature ‘Mani-mekhalai’ is one of the five great epics. The heroine of

that epic is Manimekhalai. At the end of the story she finally comes to the town of Kanchi

where she feeds the poor from her inexhaustible vessel (akshaya-pAtram). This work

‘Manimekhalai’ is slanted towards Buddhistic religion. Accordingly the heroine reaches

salvation after getting the initiation from a Buddhistic Guru. But the incident of feeding

the poor from an ‘akshaya-pAtram’ is a traditional story of the Goddess Kamakshi of

Kanchi from age-old times. Even in the Sangam Age (of Tamil) there was a woman by

name ‘KAmak-kaNNi’ which is nothing but the Sanskrit ‘KamAkshi’. Well, all this is a

digression from my thought that ‘Mani-mekhalai’ finally comes to the town (Kanchi)

which has the same name as hers!

By the mention of ‘KanchI’ the author has hinted at the deity of his devotion. There

are scores of feminine deities in this country from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. KshIra-

bhavAni (in Kashmir), Bhagavati (in Kerala), ChamunDeshvari and ShAradAmbA (in

Karnataka), JnAnAmbA, BhramarAmbA and Kanaka-durgA (in Andhra), TulajA

BhavAni (in Maharashtra), ambAji (in Gujarat), Vindhya-vAsinI and anna-pUrNeshvarI

(in Uttarpradesh), KALi (in Bengal), KamAkhyA (in Assam), VaishNavI (in Jammu) and

finally, MeenAkshI, akhilANDeshvarI, dharma-samvarddhanI, KamalambAL,

BalAmbAL, and Shiva-kAma-sundarI (in Tamilnadu).

(Note: The Paramacharya does not seem to have

mentioned the names of the regions in the above list.

These names have been supplied

by Ra. Ganapathi in a footnote.

The Paramacharya seems to have

just reeled off the names of the deities only. – VK)

Thus there are several several deity-forms of ambAL. But, there is only one deity which

conforms to the form of LalitA-tripura-sundari as delineated in the ShrI-vidyA tantra

with certain characteristic physical features and arms and weapons and that is the deity

‘KamAkshi’ of Kanchipuram. The author of Soundaryalahari who does not mention the

name of the deity of his devotion throughout the text, has perhaps hinted it here, by using

the word ‘KanchI-dAmA’ !

The word ‘dAmaM’ means ‘twisted rope or string’. It was because YashodA bound

child Krishna with a ‘dAmaM’ around his waist, He is called ‘dAmodara’ (udara means

stomach). ‘KanchI-dAma’ is so named because the jewel-belled girdle is made up of twisted

golden strings. When ambaaL gracefully walks over, not only the ornaments round her

ankles but the jewels of the girdle also jingle !

The whole earth is personified as BhUmA-devI. When one visualises that form, the

geographical location of the navel for that form on the earth is said to be Kanchipuram.

When the girdle with bells is also imagined at its location on the waist, the facade of that

girdle comes at the position of that navel; and that is why the kshetra (place) also gets the

name of Kanchi !

A girdle which circles the globe must be really big. When that is supposed to be the

ornament around the waist of ambaaL, then that waist also should be big. But that is not

so, says the description: ‘parikShINA madhye’. ‘kShINa’ means ‘lean’ . The preposition

‘pari’ indicates that the leanness is extra-ordinary. Thus ‘parikShINA madhye’ means

She is really very slender in Her middle. The miracle is that this ‘slender’ waist covers the

whole universe. ‘The macro within the micro’ !

Let it be. But what about the face? The face is the ‘mukhya’ (= important,

significant) part. It is from the word ‘mukhya’ the word ‘mukha’ (face) arose. How is

ambaaL’s face? She is ‘pariNata sharat chandra-vadaNA’. Her face is like the moon, with

all the coolness and the whiteness of the autumnal full moon. Later, (in the 63rd

sloka), the

Acharya puts this thought in more poetic terms: ‘smita-jyotsnA-jAlaM tava vadana-

chandrasya ’ – which, in effect, means ‘your moon-like face radiates miraculous moonlight

through its smile’.

Another point. The second line of the sloka has two words both beginning with

‘pari’ : ‘parikShINA’ and ‘pariNata’. When you read the whole line the sound of the

alliteration creates a pleasant feeling. Such beauties are the specialities of great poets.

Note by VK: At this point I checked all the slokas of Soundarya-lahari. Almost all of them have in

their second and fourth lines

such alliterations or similar-sounding words which create the lilting effect

which the Paramacharya mentioned even earlier.

Just a few examples:

Sloka 1: Na cedevam devam devo; praNantum stotum;

Sloka 7: parikShINA … pariNata…;

purastAd AstAm, … puramathithuH ;

Sloka 17: saha janani sanchintayati;

Vacobhir-vAgdevI-vadana;

Sloka 97: patnIm, padmAm; hareH, hara-sahacarIm;

Bhramayasi, parabrahma-mahiShI.

- 22 –

(Digest of pp.861-866 of Deivathin Kural Vol.6, 4th

imprn)

The third line of the seventh sloka is:

‘dhanur-bANAn pAshaM sRNimapi dadhAnA karatalaiH’.

‘Holding by the hands the bow, the arrows, the noose and the goad’ is the meaning.

‘sRNi’ means ‘ankusha’, the goad. These four are the specifics that determine now the

deity of dedication in this stotra. And so we may be certain now that the deity that is being

praised is the deity of the ShrI vidyA mantra, namely lalitA-tripura-sundari or

Kameshwari. If we are not very ‘technical’ about it, it is also the same as Raja-Rajeshwari.

When ambaaL is in this form, She has four hands, with the noose and goad in the two

upper hands and the bow and arrows in the two lower hands. Manmatha, the God of Love

has the same bow of sugarcane and the same arrows of flowers.

There are two things: rAga (attachment and liking); and dvesha (hate and dislike).

The former gives rise to kAma (desire) and the latter gives rise to krodha (anger). Desire

and anger have to be kept in control. Of course all these are born out of the great divine

mAyic play of ambaaL. And by the same leelA of ambAL, they disappear by Her Grace

(anugraha). The very thought that they will so disappear by Her Grace will help us fight

against them.

‘rAga-swarUpa-pAshADhyA’ , meaning, She who holds the noose, which is ‘rAga’

in physical form -- is one of Her many names in the lalitA-sahasranAma. Similarly,

another name is ‘krodhA-karAnkushojjvalA’, meaning, She who shines by the goad, which

is ‘krodha’ in physical form.

Of the twin of Desire and Anger, desire has the form of ambaaL’s noose (pAshaM).

When you talk of ‘yama-pAshaM’ it is the noose. When you talk of mother’s pAsham

(tAip-pAshaM, in Tamil) it is her attachment and affection and therefore her concern, her

desire (AshA). It is the desire that binds us. It binds us like a rope.

Anger has the form of ambaaL’s goad. Anger pierces you like a goad. But it does

not pierce the other man on whom you are angry. He may go away just like that,

indifferently. Our anger pierces only ourselves. The pierce of the goad will be felt by us

only. And we hurt ourselves. Modern science tells us how energy is wasted during anger

and how much. What is more interesting is the further scientific fact – with which our

scriptures agree – that whereas we exhibit anger (krodhaM) at something we don’t like and

thus waste energy, the energy loss is more while we like something, desire it and happily

indulge in that desire (kAmaM). In fact, Desire is the ‘hita-shatru’ – enemy in the disguise of a friend.

The words ‘pAsham’ and ‘ankusham’ both ring a bell and bring the ‘elephant’ to

our minds. The elephant is always tethered by a heavy chain to an anchor. The chain is

actually a ‘rope of attachment’ (pAshak-kayiru, in Tamil) for the elephant. The twins

‘kAma’ and ‘krodha’ are elephant-like in their strength; so they have to be controlled with

effort in the same way an elephant is controlled by a ‘pAsham’ (rope) and ‘ankusham’

(goad). The man who rides and monitors the elphant uses the goad to control it. The

elephant-like evils of Desire and Anger are both in the mind. So it is the mind that has to

be controlled. In fact in Sivanandalahari (sloka 96) our Acharya compares the human

mind to a ‘madhepa’, meaning, a mad elephant.

Our ambaaL is always shown with a pAsham (noose) and ankusham (goad). This

itself is Her leelA. They are Her important accessories. This is one way of looking at it.

Another way is this. She shows pAsham (affection, attachment) to us; so with the

‘pAsham’ in her hand she binds us and pulls us away from all our worldly ‘pAshams’

(attachments) and makes us come back to Her with the cry ‘Oh Mother!’. And that gives us

the attachment to the attachmentless Divine. ‘PatratrAn patru’ (in the language of

Valluvar, in Tamil)! Again, when we fall into the Anger mode, She brings her ‘ankusham’

(goad) on us and subdues our anger, by that very ankusham which stands in her hand as

the personification of Anger (krodham) ! When Desire is unfulfilled it turns into Anger.

The same Desire and Anger, in Her hands, in the form of the noose and the goad, become

the cure for the two evils in human minds.

Though our sloka in the Soundaryalahari mentions ‘bow’ and ‘arrow’ first and then

mentions the ‘noose’ and ‘goad’, it is the ‘noose and goad’ that are special to ambAL.

Manmatha the God of Love has the same bow and arrows both of which he uses to get

mankind downward into sensuality. His bow draws man’s mind into sensuousness and his

five arrows affect the five organs of cognition.

But the same bow and five arrows in the hands of ambaaL work in a positive way as

is vindicated by two names (that appear just immediately after the two names about rAga

and krodha I mentioned a little while ago) in lalitA-sahasranAma, namely, ‘mano-

rupekshhu-kodanDA’ and ‘pancha-tanmAtra-sAyakA’.

The former means: ‘(She who has) the bow of sugarcane, the sugarcane being the

figuration of the mind’. The latter name means: ‘(She who has) the five arrows that are the

figurations of the five tanmAtras (= subtle principles behind the senses)’.

The same sugarcane bow, which in Manmatha’s hands, draws man downward into

sensuality, in Her hands, leads us upward by producing the ‘desire’ for moksha. The same

five arrows of flowers, which in Manmatha’s hands, lead man’s five senses outward toward

sense objects, in ambaal’s hands, makes us desire, to see Her divine form, to hear the

melody of music in devotion to Her, to taste the sweetness of the nectar flowing from Her

Grace, to smell the fragrance of the flowers that adorned Her, and to feel the touch of Her

lotus feet.

- 23 –

(Digest of pp.866-869 of Deivathin Kural Vol.6, 4th

imprn)

Just a change of place of the weapons changes their purpose and effects! The same

bow and arrows, that, in the hands of the God of Love, were the cause of man’s downfall

into the sensual world, become, in the hands of the Mother Divine, the switches for turning

our mind and senses towards the Eternal Bliss of Her Presence. It is something like the

knife in the hands of the thief; if the same knife were in our hands, he runs away! When we

submit to that magical switch of Hers, we overflow with bhakti; and this together with the

outpouring of Her Grace drenches us in the flood of that spiritual Bliss, and we forget

ourselves as separate entities. When we delude ourselves as separate it is mAyA ; this is the

worst state of existence. When we forget ourselves as separate it is Knowledge; it is the best

state.

Thus when we see that a change of place transforms the worst into the best, we may

learn a lesson. Why not transfer all the beautifications and dressing-up that we do for

ourselves into ornamentations and dresses for ambaal, thereby transforming their effect?

When we decorate ourselves it BRINGS IN the Ego. When we decorate Her, it BRINGS

DOWN our Ego. Decoration in Sanskrit is ‘alankAram’; and ego is ‘ahamkAram’. If we do

the ‘alankAram’ to Her, our ‘ahamkAram’ is gone !

In short, the flower-arrows in ambaal’s hands grace us with the needed sense-

control and the sugar-cane bow in Her hands bestows on us control of our mind. Nothing else is needed for Enlightenment ! As Muka-kavi says in Pancha-shati, ‘Mother! Whereas

You sparked desire in Shiva Himself who had burnt the Lord of Desire to ashes, the same

You, in our case, eradicate desires in the desire-filled Jivas’.

Mind and the five senses are together counted as six instruments for the human

being. Instruments are called ‘karaNas’ in Sanskrit. The six ‘karaNas’ of man are like the

‘caraNas’ (feet) of a bee. So the jIva itself is nothing but a six-footed bee with six

instruments of action. The analogy becomes apt when we think of the bee merging into the

depths of a flower with all its (six) feet stuck in that depth. For, the jIva has to work its way

to stick its six instruments out into the lotus of the divine feet of the Mother. This is the idea

which our Acharya himself later builds into Sloka 90 of Soundaryalahari: ‘nimajjan

majjIvaH karaNa-caraNaH shhaT-caraNatAm’, meaning, ‘plunging (into Your lotus feet),

may this jIva of mine with its six instruments as the feet (become) the six-legged bee’ .

The important thing to note here is what has not been said. It is not said that the

mind and the five senses should submit themselves to the bow and arrows of ambaal. It is

only said that they should dissolve themselves into the divine feet. Recall from sloka 4 that

‘She need not give abhaya and vara by Her hands; Her feet themselves are capable of doing

that’. In this sloka 7, instead of the vara and abhaya mudras in the two hands, the bow and

arrows are mentioned. They have been said to give the mind-control and the sense-control.

But one may question: Why can’t these controls be also a Grace from Her feet? That is

why it has been said that the mind and the five senses should merge in the lotus of Her feet

as a bee gets lost inside the flower. The noose and the goad in the other two hands would

then be not necessary at all to quell the Desire and Anger in the human mind.

But then, the question arises: Why four hands, instead of just two?

(These things are not amenable to logic, said the Paramacharya earlier. But here he does not repeat

himself. VK)

That the four hands add to the beauty of this beauty Queen is to say it naively. But

remember She is the Queen of the Universe. The majesty of that status is shown by the bow

and arrow in the two forehands. But She is also the Benefactor of the bliss of Moksha;

therefore She is the Queen of the Empire of Enlightenment (jnAna-sAmrAjyam). Raga

(Attachment) and dvesha (hatred, enmity) are two arch-villains that constitute the obstacle

to moksha. These two are killed by the noose and the goad in Her other two hands, thus

establishing that She is the Queen of ‘jnAna-sAmrAjyam’.

The bow and the arrows in the forehands has also another significance. What we

have to surrender to Her feet, namely our mind and the senses, She draws by Her own

initiative to Herself; the bow draws the mind and the arrows the senses, to Herself. It is as

if a loving mother says to her child: ‘Dear child, why do you have to fall at my feet; I will

take you onto my lap’!

This whole sloka is a fit sloka for meditation. It reminds us that the bow and arrows

that turned the Ishwara Himself – the Supreme who is nothing but a bundle of Knowledge,

cit – into a creation-mode through the artifice of making Him fall in love with Ishwari,

who thereby became Shiva-kAma-sundari; that same bow and arrows now draw the

medley of minds and senses of the jIvas and keep them under its control, thus protecting

them (spiritually). In fact the bottom line is that even this action of ‘drawing’ and

‘protecting’ is not done by the bow and arrows but by just Her feet.

Indeed weapons in the hands of Gods and Goddesses are powerful not because they

are weapons but because they are given that Power by the supreme shakti, that is, ambaaL.

What She is said to do by Her weapons and other instruments is all just Her Will. She wills

it and it is done. What a mysterious play! Just catch hold of Her feet. That is enough. She wills to shower Her Grace and there is a downpour of abhaya (fearlessness), vara (boon),

control of the five senses, control of the mind, and what-have-you!. As a cosmic play, She

may use Her weapons, or She may not; She may show mudrAs or She may not.

- 24 –

(Digest of pp.869-883 of Deivathin Kural Vol.6, 4th

imprn)

Having described Her four arms and what She held in them, having portrayed Her

general physical features including the autumnal full moon of the divine face, the sloka 7

ends with the svarUpa-lakshaNa (Inherent Definition) of ambaal. This is the core of the

core. She is the personification of the ‘I – ness’ of the Absolute Brahman. I have talked

about it earlier. In other words She is the cit-shakti Itself. She is jnAna in form. She is

jnAna-ambaaL.

‘purastAd AstAm naH’ – May She appear before us. May She become cognizable

for us. Note the use of the word ‘us’ (‘naH’) here. Our Acharya is praying for us all. It is

not ‘me’, but ‘us’. The purpose of the graphic description in this sloka is for us to keep Her

before our mental vision.

There is a Tamil stotra called abhirAmi-antAdi. This is a stotra by a great devotee

abhirAmi-bhattar on the Goddess known by the name of abhirAmi in TirukkaDavUr. The

form of abhirAmi has four hands with vara and abhaya in the two forehands and lotus and

bead-necklace (aksha-mAlA) in the other two hands. The stotra has 100 verses. Right in the

second verse the author describes how the Goddess gave darshan to him, as having in Her

four hands, the bow, the arrows, the noose and the goad. In the last verse of his poem he

gives the same description of the Goddess.

The next sloka of Soundaryalahari (Sloka No.8) describes her location, her own

world in the Cosmic Geography. Just as Shiva has Kailas, VishNu has Vaikuntham, She

has Her own, but there are actually two locations for Her. One is the central peak, called

the peak of Meru.The other is called the City of ShrI (ShrI-puram or ShriI-nagaram) in the

Ocean of Nectar (amRta-sAgaram). But the descriptions of the residence of ambaal in

either of them is the same. This sloka (No.8) – ‘sudhA-sindhor-madhye …’ gives the

description of the ShrI-nagaram. Right in the centre of the Ocean of Nectar; surrounded

by the forest of five kinds of divine trees; in the island called maNi-dvIpam; therein in the

Garden of kadamba trees; in the palace of gems called cintAmaNi. right on the seat of the

five brahmAs;

(Re: the five brahmAs, see DPDS – 10. –VK)

And right there, She is seated, as an inundation of Bliss that is of pure Cit,

Knowledge. This is what one has to visualize in one’s meditation.

After this sloka come two slokas, nos.9 and 10, wherein we are told how to propitiate

ambaal through the Kundalini Yoga and mantra yoga. Sloka 9 describes how one achieves

the bliss of advaita by moving the Kundalini shakti through the six chakras (also called

lotuses). From bottom up, in these chakras, the kundalini shakti is in the form of the five

elemental principles – earth, water, fire, air, and space and then in the sixth, as the mind

principle. The nADi (nerve, approximately) which has all these chakras is called the

sushhumnA nADi.

When Kundalini is taken up via this nADi through all these chakras and finally is

unionised with the shiva-tattva in the thousand-petalled lotus at the top of the head, that is

when She causes the realisation of the bliss of advaita. What is in the micro is also in the macro. When ambaaL is in her virAT (universal expansion) state, the five elemental

principles and their origin, the mahat principle, are all in the experience of a yogi who sees

them in the kundalini chakras. And that very mahat, which is the Cosmic Mind, merges

itself in the brahman, namely, the shivam in the sahasrAra (thousand-petalled) chakra,

thus causing the advaita-siddhi.

This experience of the ‘rasa’ (flavour) of advaita is actually the experience of the

taste of nectar, says the next sloka (#10). When advaita is ‘experienced’ there cannot be two

things: one, ‘the taste’ and two, the One that gives that taste, namely ambAL; and much

less another thing called a jIva. So the word ‘experience’ is just a ‘formality’ (‘upacAram’

in Sanskrit) for saying what cannot be said formally. However, just before that

‘experience’ and after it, there is something like a sentiment similar to an ‘experience’, the

benefactor of that experience and the recipient of that experience – in fact, a triad or

‘tripuTi’.

I talked of lotuses earlier. They are not lotus flowers of our familiar village pond.

The lotus flower of a pond blooms only in sunlight. In moonlight they close up. On contact

of the heat of fire they disintegrate. On the other hand, in these kundalini lotuses, whether

it is agni-khaNDam, sUrya-khaNDam, or candra-khaNDam, the lotuses corresponding to

the khaNDam blossoms, when the kundalini reaches there. And in the end, the full moon

itself blooms the thousand petalled lotus at the top of the head. And the nectar of moonlight

flows from the moon.

That is the ‘rasa’, the flavour, the juice, the essence. Who is giving that ‘rasa’? It is

the ambaal. Her divine feet is there in the reflection of the moon as the Guru’s Grace. That

is where indeed the nectar flows from. That it flows from the moon is only a way of saying.

The one who receives and realises the flow of that nectar-rasa is the jIva. But the advaita

bhAvanA (attitude) that She is Herself the ‘rasa’ and She is also the ‘rasAsvAda’, the

taster of the ‘rasa’ – this feeling will also be there.

Maybe you are all thinking : ‘(The Speaker) is neither going into the subject of

Kundalini, nor is allowing us to go near it. How, in the world, can we ever have such

profound experiences? At least he (the speaker) could have gone on without mentioning

these!’

Well, it is not necessary to have them as the Kundalini yoga. …

-25-

(Digest of pp.883-887 of Deivathin kural)

Note: This is a difficult part. So I have given almost

a close translation rather than a ‘Digest’. - VK

It is not necessary to go the Kundalini way. Whatever path you take, whatever

method of upAsanA (spiritual worship) you follow, without having to go through the

regimen of the kundalini yoga, if you sincerely follow any one path with an one-pointed

faith, you will, when you reach a certain advanced stage, get those breathing-in and

breathing-out experiences exactly as you would, in a yoga sAdhanA, all by itself. You may

not even feel it. It will get transformed by itself. In a still more advanced stage, when we are

in one-ness with the object of our upAsanA, the breathing may even be stationary in the

kumbhaka state.

In ordinary mundane activities of ours we usually exhale by the left nostril. On the

other hand, the same exhaling, if you carefully observe it, will come by the right nostril,

when you have just had a noble elevating experience of peace like the darshan of a deity or

of a saintly sage. At a higher stage, the exhaling will be equal in both nostrils, to the extent

that, it will then be only one step short of staying in the kumbhaka state, but at the same

time, without any tendency to suffocate, the whole system being light and comfortable – all

these changes in the breathing will certainly occur.

And thus, at the end, one may even reach the penultimate state to advaita-siddhi,

namely, the movement of breath reaches the top, touches the divine feet of ambaal and the

nectar starts flowing! Even in our ordinary day-to-day life, if we have an extraordinary

experiencee of happiness, we sometimes suffocate and swoon; that is actually a reflection of

the taste of kumbhakam. That also is a fragment of a fragment of the experience of the

sprouting of the nectar at the top of the head !

I am telling you all this just to point out that even in the path of bhakti such

superlative experiences do occur.

Just have a look at the great devotional songs and poems of confirmed devotees of

God, like the shaiva saints of Tamilnadu, the vaishnava Alvars, the devotees from

Maharashtra, Bengal, North India, Sufi saints, and also of Christianity. All these songs will

only flash the many yogic experiences and spiritual experiences of enlightenment.

It is not just yoga and jnAna. We should also mention the experience of Love,

premA. When we talked of fundamentals like ichA-shakti, Kameshvara and Kameshvari, it

is all very subtle and pure Love. The word ‘kAmam’ brings to our mind various

connotations. It may be thought that the fact of a sannyasi talking about it strikes a

discordant note. But in reality, in terms of an esoteric context there is no fault there. It only

indicates by symbols that Shakti intertwined with the substratum of Peace is what creates

‘Creation’. There is nothing wrong here. That is why ambaal brings the experience of

premA (Love) along with those of yoga and of jnAna, to many great people, at the very end

of their sAdhanA.

In the evolution of the Origin into multiplicity, the very first thing that happens is

the icchA (Wish, Desire) and the Love-pair. So also, at the very end of the sAdhanA for the

involution of the jIva into the Source, the sAdhakA goes through the nAyikA stage just

before the last stage of the Union with the Supreme. That is the stage of identity with

Shakti. That is when there is an anguish for union with the nAyaka, that is, Shivam. It is in

that anguish one surrenders totally with the attitude: “I am incapable of doing anything. It

is all Your Wish”.

Then even that desire to merge in Shiva disappears and there remains only the Will

of the Lord. In other words, the involution that the jIva made with deliberate effort merges

in that first evolution of Shiva. At that point, as far as that jIva is concerned, Shiva

Himself, without expanding in evolution, involutes within Himself and receives the jIva into

Him. Think of a flood of flowing water. Put some object into it. The waves will toss it back

and forth and push it over to the bank. This is natural. But when there is a great vortex in

the current, it takes the object into itself and consumes it. This is what happens here also.

(In the above paragraph Ra Ganapathi in his Tamil version

does not use any Tamil or Indian language word

for ‘Involution’ and ‘Evolution’.

Obviously, the Paramacharya himself must have used

these english words only. – VK)

The first ‘wish’ of Shiva, and the last ‘wish’ of the jIva together coalesce into a

symbolic Love here! We can get confirmations for this from the songs of great devotees

across the world and acoss religions. The songs of Manickavasagar and Mirabhai have

excellent parallels in the songs of Sufi Saints and Christian mystics. It is all an experience

of Yoga, jnAna and PremA.

Though we have said that it is the ‘wish of Shiva’ and ‘wish of jIva’ , it is all only the

cit-movement of ambaal only. Only when the complete merger has taken place it is shivam.

So when we say that He takes something into Him, that action itself is Hers only.

I just talked about the highest yoga-experiences that occur in the path of bhakti.

Without going into yogic sAdhanA or tAntric sAdhanA, if one follows the bhakti path with

the attitude: “All this is beyond me, Oh Mother, You are my Refuge”, then even the self-

pride that ‘I am doing a great sAdhanA’ will not arise. The Mother Herself will lift up even

the lowliest and grant him the highest experience.

One might feel let down that he cannot get that flow of nectar from the full

moonlight-glow that occurs when the prANa-shakti reaches the thousand-petalled lotus

called sahasrAra. One need not regret the absence of this experience. ‘pariNata-candra-

vadanA’ says the sloka 7. That full-moon-face is easy to be kept in mind. Stick to it. Think

of the nectar flowing from the graceful glance from those eyes and the nectar of the blissful

smile of that face . She gives you what you thought about and grants you the internal light

of the moon and an internal flow of nectar.

26-

(Digest of pp.887-892 of Deivathin Kural)

Let those who have the capacity to go through the path of Kundalini yoga go that

way. For us,the easier bhakti path which holds doggedly to The Mother is enough. What

they can get, She will give the same to us. Maybe She will take us also to that path, after a

certain stage and give us those experiences. Maybe She will also tell some of them who have

gone through that difficult terrain, “Enough of this” and bring them back to stay quiet in

a total attitude of surrender.

Right in the sloka (No.10) where it talks about the flow of amrita in the nADis, let us

see how the sloka winds up. It does not wind up with the idea that the eternal flow of nectar

at the point where the prANa Shakti reaches the head, brings the non-dual union of the

jIva with the Absolute; but it ends up by saying: “the Kundalini in the form of that prANa

Shakti descends through Chakra after Chakra and winds itself up in the mUlAdhAra

Chakra, where it again goes to sleep”.

It is the winding and whirling up that gave it the name of ‘Kundalini’. When a

snake sleeps it winds and whirls up. In fact all animals do it. They don’t stretch their limbs

and sleep. Some winding up will be there. But it is the snake that winds up totally in the

form of a kunDala (ear ornament).The parAShakti whose power is infinite, exhibits Herself

in each of us only a fragment of a fragment. All the remaining power of the parAShakti is

the sleeping Kundalini.

Well. Instead of continuing the talk of the flow of amrita and the blissful sensation

of it, I have now come down to the talk of the sleeping state of ambaal in us commonfolk.

What is the meaning of this kind of ending such a profound discussion? Yes, there is a

meaning. So long as the thought that ‘I have done a great yoga-sAdhanA’ is there, even

great yogis will have to tumble down to the normal ground-level state. And so, mark it,

even if one goes high up to the kundalini yoga stage, the only key that will unlock the door

is the attitude of surrender which says: ‘It is not me; It is You, Oh Mother’!

In the next sloka (# 11), the Shri Chakram (also called the Shri Yantram) is

described. The very mention of ‘ShrI VidyA pUjA’ implies the pUjA of Shri Chakram.

Every deity has a Yantram exclusively associated with it. But those who do Shiva pUjA and

or VishNu pUjA do not usually keep the corresponding Yantrams in the pUjA. Maybe in

temples under the various altars of the deities the corresponding Yantrams would have

been formally installed. But in households where Shiva or VishNu pUja is done only the

BANa lingam or the SalagrAmam is kept, but not the Yantram. In the panchAyatana pUjA

which includes worship of ambaaL one keeps the stone called ‘svarNa-rekhA-ShilA’. But

when you worship ambaal alone, you don’t keep that ‘ShilA’. Only Shri Chakram is kept.

In some places along with the Chakram, an image with hands and feet may also be kept.

The regimen of worship for any deity has both ‘mantra’ and ‘Yantra’ associated

with it. A certain sequence of sounds, repeated often and often gets the beatification of the

presence of that devatA (divinity) prescribed by it. Just as each devatA has a physical form

with limbs, so also each devatA has a form in a stringed sequence of sounds. It is called the

sound-form, just as the recitation of mantras aims at the mantra-form.

In addition there is the Yantra-form for each devatA. The form has lines, triangles,

enclosures, circular or otherwise; these are not just geometrical figures. Each of them has a

meaning and significance. They have extraordinary power. Each Yantram is set to absorb

and bring into focus the paramAtmA in the form of that devatA. In addition to the

repeated mental recitation of the mantra, one does pUja to the Yantram also. Within the

triangles of the Yantras and other enclosures, the seed-syllables (bIja-aksharas)

corresponding to the mantra pertaining to the devata would be inscribed. The very devatA

that is the life of an idol with arms and feet is also considered to be brought alive in the

corresponding Yantram, In fact the Yantram is even more comprehensive; for it includes

the native residence of the devatA and all its accessory deities within itself.

The Mother Goddess, whom we call ambaal, has many forms like Meenakshi,

durgA, Bhuvaneshvari, ShAradAmbikA etc. Each of these has its own Yantram. But it is

very common that even the worshippers of these forms do only the Shri Chakra pUjA,

rather than the pUjA of the particular mUrti (form). This is so not only in houses, but in

temples also. Famous durgA temples have only Shri Chakra installed therein. Sringeri has

ShAradAmbAl as the main mUrti; however the Yantra PujA is for Shri Chakram. All this

goes to show the importance of the Shri Chakram.

Lines, circles, squares, figures formed by these – all these configured into a Chakra

along with a centre point (madhya-bindu), is called a Yantram. Only such a design has the

power to bring into focus the power of the particular devatA – in fact it is an infinite power

–and so may be called (with a smile) a ‘Divine Design’. (This is Paramacharya’s own word).

These designs collect and absorb divine energy and have the power to radiate that energy .

In the Shri Chakra, the central portion is circular. There are nine triangles there.

They criss cross one another, thus producing forty-three triangles. The central dot is also

considered to be one triangle. Together the triangles number forty-four. These forty-four

triangles are classified into six AvaraNas. The straightforward meaning of this word

‘AvaraNa’ is ‘what hides’. Here it should be taken to mean track, corridor, row, or

prAkAra in Sanskrit. If several people crowd around one individual, the latter is naturally

‘hidden’. So they form an AvaraNam around him. The central dot is also taken as one

AvaraNam just as it is taken also as a triangle. In fact around it the other forty-three

triangles constitute five AvaraNas. Together with it we talk of six AvaraNas. Outside of

these six AvaraNas annd forty-four triangles, there are three rounds or corridors. They

constitute three more AvaraNas and thus we have nine AvaraNas in all. You would have

heard of Dikshidar’s ‘nava-AvaraNa’ compositions in music. The ShAstras describe and

enunciate who lives in what AvaraNa, what is the principle involved, who is the adhi-

devatA, what kind of anugraha (Grace) they can bestow, what mudrA is to be shown to

them and so on. The compositions of Dikshidar go through all this in brief.

Out of the outermost three AvaraNas (rounds) of the total nine, the two inner are

made up of lotus petals arranged in two circles. The ninth AvaraNa is a design looking

like three compound walls; but now it is not a circular structure but of square design. The

whole thing is a unique design with an infinite divine potential.

But beware. One has to be careful.

-27-

(Digest of pages 892-898, Deivathin Kural (in Tamil), Vol.6, 4th imprn)

A Yantra means that every bit of it whether a line or a circle or an angle, has to be of the

right size and proportioin as prescribed. It cannot err even a little this way or that way.

Just as a mantra, with a wrong incantation, produces contrary effects, so also a small

mistake in the design of the Yantra can cause havoc. In the Shri yantra again, if the apex of

the central triangle faces west instead of east, as it should, results can just be the opposite.

So when you sit opposite to it for the worship, the apex should be on the side nearer to you

and not on the farther side. One has to be really more careful with the pUja of a Yantram

than that of an idol (vigraha), in terms of the ritualistic do’s and don’ts. In modern times

many have turned over to Shri Cakra pUjA in their homes, a few merely for the pride of it,

another few because it is the fashion, and yet another few out of ignorance. But the

injunctions are not being followed properly. Consequently, loss of peace is on the increase.

It is not enough to just wish for great observances. We should be able to observe the

shastraic injunctions correctly. We should be able to perform exactly as was demonstrated

to us and passed on to us by our elders. Only then we will reap the right benefits. Certainly

Shri Chakra has been eulogised in the Shastras to the sky. But the very same ShAstras

have also prescribed a certain regimen for such pUjA. By taking the attitude ‘I will do my

personalized pUjA in my own way’ not only will you miss the promised or expected results,

but actually it will turn out to be counter-productive.

A Yantra is not just the residing seat of a devatA; it is the devatA itself. It is not just a

representation, or a copy. It is not a substitute for the devatA. It is the devatA itself. It is

the presentation of the devatA and not a re-presentation. More so in the case of ambaal.

For, Her Divine Presence is very special in Her Yantra. It is because of this that ambaal-

pUjA is mostly done to Her Yantra than to Her most beautiful physical form.

[At this point, Ra Ganapathi, (the Boswell of Paramacharya),

adds the following note:

Usually we talk greatly of the ‘name’ and ‘form’ of devatAs.

But generally, in the case of feminine deities, the ‘name’ takes a lesser role. And in the case of ShrI Vidya mantras,

the name is not there at all. Only the seed syllables are dominant.

Again, though the devatA of Shri Vidya, namely Tripurasundari,

is as shown by her name itself of very beautiful form,

instead of the worship of her form This question was asked of the Paramacharya .

He expressed concurrence with the above statement

and joined in expressing his own astonishment that this is so.

But he did not choose to give any explanation. ]

In addition to the two natural locations for Her, namely, the Ocean of Nectar and the Meru

peak, one should add Her Yantram as another place of Her permanent residence. No, no, I

just committed two errors. The Shri Chakra is not just Her residence. The Shri Chakra is

Herself ! This was the first error. The second one is that the Shri Chakra is not like the

Ocean of Nectar or the Meru peak where She is said to reside. Even in those two places,

She resides only in the ShriChakra, though now magnified million times.

When She is in the Meru peak, the AvaraNas are piled up peak upon peak in a three-

dimensional manner. It will be in the form of an upright cone. Such a three dimensional

configuration of Shri Chakra is called ‘Meru-prastAram’. People call it just ‘Meru’

colloquially. When the Chakra is two dimensional it is said to be ‘bhU-prastAram’. A

mixture of the two, where the beginning AvaraNas rise higher and higher, but later the

latter AvaraNas are all in the same plane, is called ‘ardha-Meru’ (ardha means ‘semi’). A

pUrNa-Meru is that which has all the AvaraNas in the Meru-prastara style. In our Mutt at

Kanchipuram and in Tiruvidaimarudur MukAmbal sannadhi, what you find is pUrNa-

Meru. In Mangadu it is ardha-meru. In the Kamakoshtam at Kanchipuram it is bhU-

prastAram.

The Shri Chakra, ShrI VidyA, ShrI MatA, ShrI puram all pertain to the devI, the Mother

Goddess, LalitA-tripurasundari. The prefix ShrI is the prefix usually given for respect and

has no extra connotation of Lakshmi, the Goddess of Prosperity and Wealth. The Chakras

and the mantras associated with other devatAs are distinguished by by their name itself

carrying the name of the devatA – as in, Shiva-Chakram, Sudarshana-Yantram,

ShhaDakshhara-Chakram, etc. Only in the case of LalitA-tripurasundari, the Chakram,

the Yantram are known as The Chakram, The Yantram, The Mantram.

The Shri Chakram depicts the advaitic identity of Shiva and Shakti. That is why the two

kinds of Chakras of Shiva and Shakti are intertwined. The (four) triangles with the apex

upward are known as Shiva cakras and the (five) triangles with apex downward are known

as Shakti Chakras. The angles at which these interesect, the lotus petals on the outer

corridors, the circular lines, the square design at the outermost, all have specific

prescriptions; these are given in Shloka 11.

All this is not to be read or studied like reading fiction or for acadmeic interest. They have

to be seriously learnt straight from a Guru. They have to be preserved as such. I did not

want to omit them completely and therefore I just touched upon these. But don’t take them

lightly !

-28-

(Digest of pp.898-903 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

Shloka 12 talks about the extraordinary beauty and charm of the Devi. With a

poetic excellence it says: “Much has been said in detail and with precision about Your

Yantra – the lines, the planes, the circles and the squares. But to describe You and Your

physical feature excellences, it doesn’t seem to be possible. No poet has ever succeeded in

that task!”.

BrahmA is the Adi-kavi, the most ancient poet. The Bhagavatam refers to him in

this fashion in the very first Shloka. The Goddess of Learning, Sarasvati, is his Shakti. Who

can therefore be a greater poet? He has composed stotras on every devatA you can

imagine. All the divines usually go to him for redress of their grievances. He takes them to

the concerned God, either Shiva, or Vishnu or Devi, etc. Every time he sings praise of the

particular God whom they are approaching for help. His stotra on ambaal in the work

called sapta-shati is famous. But even he could not describe the beauty of ambaal as it is.

The first half of Shloka 12 goes as follows:

tvadIyam soundaryam tuhina-giri-kanye tulayitum

kavIndrAH kalpante kathamapi virinchi-prabhRtayaH /

tuhina-giri-kanye: Oh Goddess, Daughter of the Himalayas

tulayitum: to weigh (or assess)

tvadIyam: Your

soundaryam: beauty

kavIndrAH: great poets

virinchi-prabhRtayaH: (like) Brahma and others

kalpante: (only) imagine

kathamapi: somehow (in feeble ways).

Virinchi means BrahmA. prabHRtayaH: and the others of the kind. They tried to

describe Your beauty ‘tvadIyam soundaryam’. The word ‘tulA’ stands for a pair of

weighing scales. In one pan of the scales we put the object to be weighed and in the other

pan we place the ‘weight’ whose weight we know. In other words when we don’t know the

weight of something we calculate it by comparing it with something whose weight we know.

So when you don’t know how to describe the beauty of ambaal, what we do is to look for

something whose beauty we know. Such a ‘weight’ we know is known by the name of

‘analogy’ or ‘example’. The face is like the moon, the eyes are like lotuses, the hair on the

head is like a beehive – all these are examples and analogies, which help us to comprehend

the ‘weight’ of the beauty of ambaal, in terms of known ‘weights’.

So what the poets do is to imagine newer and newer examples with great effort.

This effort of imagination by the poet is denoted by the word ‘kalpante’ in the Shloka.

‘kalpanA’ is imagination. They only imagine an example. They are not able to arrive at the

real thing, is what the Shloka says. The fact they are not able to do it, is gracefully hinted at

by the Shloka in the words ‘kathamapi kalpante’.

The Yantra-form of the Goddess has been outlined with precision. But Her physical

form eludes imagination. Attempts by even the great Brahma and others to find suitable

examples have only failed.

To describe the form, somebody should have seen it in full. Has anybody seen it?

No. Of course it is not right to say that She has never been seen at all. Because we have

several poet-devotees who have had a flash of Her and in the wake of that flash have

composed wonderful devotional poetry. Even in the case of the greatest of devotees, to

whom She might have given darshan, maybe one got to see Her lotus feet, another the

Graceful eyes, and another the bewitching smile in the face. Like that some part of Her

may have caught the eyes of even these devotees; but never the full form!

Then who has seen Her full beauty? Only the Lord, Her husband, Lord

Shiva. Indeed She took this very beautiful form in order that He may be involved in the

leelA of Creation. And thus She became Tripura-sundari, the beautiful. So Her physical

form has been totally dedicated to Him. Though Her full beauty is not visible for our

perception Her fullest Grace and Compassion are available for every one of us.

That Her full beauty is perceptible only to Her Lord is not said in so many blunt

words. It is nicely couched in a subtle poetic extravaganza which comes in the next two

lines of the same Shloka. (Shloka #12):

Yad-AlokautsukyAd-amara-lalanA yAnti manasA

tapobhir-dushhprApAm-api girisha-sAyujya-padavIm //12 //

yat : (of) which (beauty) (This goes with ‘Your beauty’ in the first half).

amara-lalanAH : the divine damsels

Aloka-autsukyAt : because of their curiosity to have a complete look

yAnti : reach

manasA : mentally

girisha-sAyujya-padavIm : the unity status with Lord Shiva

dushhprApAm : that is inaccessible

tapobhir-api : even by great penances.

The divine damsels who are particularly thought of here are the famous quadret:

RambhA, Urvashi, tilottamA and MenakA. They are supposed to be superlatively

beautiful. Even they, having seen a little of the beauty of ambaaL, have considered

themselves insignificant, in relation to ambaal’s beauty. They are naturally curious to get a

look at the complete beauty of Mother Goddess. But they also know they cannot have that

complete picture, because the Goddess is totally dedicated to the Lord and Her complete

beauty is not perceptible to any one else. So what do they do? Only the Lord knows Her

fullest beauty. So they want to be one with Him, the Lord Shiva. This is the Shiva-sAyujya-

padavI. Then and only then, they can have an idea of the complete beauty of ambaaL.

But that Shiva-sAyujya status is not so easy to obtain. And what exactly is this

sAyujya?

-29-

(Digest of pp.903 - 909 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

To reach the world of the ishhTa-devatA (Chosen favourite deity) and live in that

world is called sAlokya-padavI. The next stage is the sAmIpya stage. This is the stage where

one lives in the beatific presence of that God. The next stage which is sArUpyam is the

process of becoming that very form by continuously meditating on the form. The ultimate

is the sAyujya-padavI where one becomes in essence the object of one’s adoration. This is an

identity status, both in form and essence.

There are devotees of Shiva who seek that sAyujya padavI in their unquenchable

thirst for becoming one with the Lord. In their case the sAyujyam is an end in itself. On the

other hand, the divine damsels (go back to Shloka 12) who are seeking that sAyujya status

with Lord Shiva do not seek it as an end, but as a means to be able to see the beauty of the

Supreme Goddess. It is an irony that in the hands of these damsels even the greatest goal

(sAdhyam) of shiva-sAyujya status has become a sAdhanA (means) for the sadhyam (that is,

that which is sought, and therefore, a further goal), the darshan of the fullest beauty of

ambaal!

Well, just because these damsels have sought that status is it going to be within their

reach? It is something which is inaccessible even for the hardest penance. These damsels

know only to disturb and destroy the penances of the rishis. The sense-control needed for

the hard penance is beyond their reach. So what do they do? They only try to achieve it

mentally. But that status indeed is not reachable even by the mind. ‘yan manasA na

manute’ says the Upanishad, meaning, ‘What cannot be thought of even by the mind’. The

bottomline therefore is, even they cannot ultimately know the beauty of ambaal!

It is to be noted that this shloka, which elevates the beauty (soundaryam) of ambaal

to its apex, is actually in the midst of the first part, that is Ananda-lahari.

Another shloka (#14) describes ambaal as the personification of Time (kAlam).There

are six seasons in a year. These 360 days of the year are the 360 rays of light emanating

from the infinite Light of Shakti. Each of the Chakras represents one of these seasons and

there are as many rays there as there are days in the corresponding season.For instance, in

the mUlAdhAra Chakra, there are fifty-six rays, corresponding to the fifty six days of

vasanta-ritu (the spring season). She thus contracts Herself as a ritu in Time and stays as

such in that Chakra. In reality She transcends Time; She is kAlAtItA. It is in that

transcendent state, She manifests as the divine Feet in the thousand-petalled Chakra,

beyond the six Chakras. The pair of Her lotus feet – ‘tava padAmbuja-yugam’ -- is there

in that sahasrAra Chakram.

Amidst the Anandalahari shlokas I will now pick up one shloka (#15) which depicts

Her, not in Her lalitA form, but in another form consistent with the ShrI VidyA tantra.

Sharat-jyotsnA shuddhAM shashi-yuta-jaTA-jUTA-makuTAM

vara-trAsa-trANa-sphaTika-ghuTikA-pustaka-karAM /

sakRn-na tvA natvA katham-iva satAM sannidadhate

madhu-kshhIra-drAkshhA-madhurima-dhurINAH paNitayaH//

satAM: For (those) noble ones,

sakRt : just once

natva: having prostrated

tva : to You

Sharat-jyotsnA-shuddhAM : who is as pure and white as the autumnal moonlight

shashi-yuta-jaTA-jUTA-makuTAM: who has the crown of matted hair that includes

the moon, and

vara-trAsa-trANa-sphaTika-ghuTikA-pustaka-karAM: who holds in the (four) hands,

the boon mudrA, the fear-protection mudrA, the crystal bead necklace, and the

book

Katham-iva : why (would)

paNitayaH : the speech capabilities

madhu-kshhIra-drAkshhA-madhurima-dhurINAH: which are pregnant with the

sweetness of honey, milk and grapes

na sannidadhate: not accrue?

Here the Goddess depicted is the the Goddess of Speech, (vAg-devi or Sarasvati), but

without Her usual VINA in Her hand.

The word ‘sharad’ becomes very apt when one refers to Goddess Sarasvati. It is in

sharad-ritu (the autumnal season) that we do pUjA to Sarasvati. She is called ShAradA

because of that. Our Acharya had a special affinity to the ShAradA name. Sarasvati is very

important to him because we know he reached the peak of excellence in scholarship.

ShAradA is one of the more important names of Sarasvati. It indicates

simultaneously the perfect purity of whiteness and the cool Grace that combines

pleasantness and goodness. Very often ‘sha’ and ‘sa’ get interchanged in tradition. In north

India there is the custom of referring to ShAradA as SaradA. The latter word means,

SAra-dA, the One who graces you with the essence (sAram) of Knowledge.This may be

another reason why the Acharya had an affinity toward the name. The name of the deity he installed in Sringeri is ShAradAmbAL. In spite of the fact that he had a liking towards this

name, just as he never mentioned either lalitA or Tripura-sundari in this stotra, he did not

also mention ShAradA. Still, by the words ‘Sharad-jyotsnA’ in the beginning of this shloka,

he reminds us of ShAradAmbAl.

The second line of the shloka talks about the four hands. Two of the hands show the

vara (boon) and abhaya (fearlessness) mudrAs. Earlier it was said in shloka 4 that all others

other thanLalitAmbAL show the vara-abhaya mudrAs. So in this shloka he presents

Saraswati with the vara-abhaya mudrAs. The dual word ‘trAsa-trANa’ indicates the

‘abhaya’. For ‘trAsa’ means ‘fear’ and ‘trANa’ means protection. Protection from fear is

just ‘abhaya’, fearlessness.

SphaTika-ghuTikA is the crystal bead necklace. In Sanskrit it is called ‘aksha-

mAlA’. This is the same as ‘akshara-mAlA’. The akshharas are the alphabets. The 51

letters of the Sanskrit alphabet from ‘a’ to ‘kshha’ correspond each by each to the beads in

the necklace; that is why it is called ‘akshara-mAlA’, also called ‘aksha-mAlA’. Here I have

to tell you a very important component of the ShAkta tradition and scriptures.

-30-

(Digest of pp.909 - 915 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

The aksharas, alphabets, are very important for ShAktam. Each letter has a basic

sound principle associated with it. The very creation is by the vibration of sound waves.

The elemental principle of ‘AkAsha’ produces, through vibration, subtle sounds, and from

these sounds creation starts, from that the mantras, and the vedas that are full of mantras.

The subtle principle underlying AkAsha, that is, the tanmAtra associated with AkAsha, is

‘sound’ . The key concept in ShAktam is the cycle of evolution and involution and so, the

sound principle runs as its life-line. On one side Shaktam has the artha-prapancham, the

universe of matter, where the fundamental principles are Shiva-tattvam, Shakti-tattvam,

sadAshiva-tattvam, Ishvara-tattvam and shuddha-vidyA tattvam – which take you through the

evolutionary stage from the para-brahman to the universe of matter and being. On the

other side there is the sabda-prapancham, the unvierse of sound. It starts from the most

subtle one called ‘parA’. Including this there are five ‘sound’ (shabda) principles. After

‘parA’ there is ‘pashyantI’, then ‘madhyamA’.

The subtle sound ‘parA’ cannot be heard by human ear and cannot be vocalised by

human voice. It is in fact the root source, the substratum, of all sounds. When that gets a

little focussed – just a little – and materialised, it becomes ‘pashyantI’. In other words,

what was ‘without purpose’ and was just plain and simple sound-root, namely, ‘parA’ ,

became inclined towards being heard and being spoken and so in that direction ‘solidified’

slightly and thus ‘pashyantI’ arose. So ‘pashyantI’ has a purpose!. The very word itself

means ‘seeing’, ‘looking forward’. ‘parA’ had no purpose; but when the ‘purpose’ arises, it

becomes ‘pashyantI’.

Next comes the actual subtle sound, called ‘madhyamA’. This is not produced by

any human voice. It arises by itself. This is therefore midway between the subtle sound of

‘pashyantI’ and the actual sound of the human voice, which is physical. Hence the name

‘madhyamA’, which means ‘what is in the middle’. This is a self-generated sound. It is

therefore also called ‘anAhata’. ‘Ahata’ means ‘what is forced or externally generated’.

That which is not forced or not generated externally, is the ‘anAhata’ sound.

All that is externally generated is ‘Ahata’. In this category come all sounds, that

human voice produces, by the vibration of air through the larynx, and all instrumental

noises produced by the blow of air or by beat of drum or by the friction of matter with

matter, metal with metal.

After parA, pashyantI, and ‘madhyamA’ comes the speech that man produces with

effort. This is called ‘vaikharI’. This is classified into two: just mere noise is called ‘dhvani’

--- when a child cries, or when we just laaugh loudly or weep aloud; that which is

recognisable as ‘such and such a sound’ is called ‘varNa’. This ‘varNa’ is the akshhara or

the alphabet. There are 51 specified akshharas.

The five principles of the artha-prapancham are usually equated with the five sound

principles. In fact the latter are more important, because it is by the vibration of these

sounds that the artha-universe began.

Now let us come to the five elemental principles in which Ambaal manifests Herself

in the kundalini cakras. Starting from mulAdhAra, upwards to the vishuddhi Chakra, the tattvas of earth, water, fire, air and AkAsha are proceeding from the concrete to the subtle

ones. This is the artha-prapancham. The five elemental sound principles are also

manifested in the kundalini Chakras, but in the reverse order. It is in the mulAdhAra

Chakra that the most fundamental sound energy ‘parA’ is present. So from the

mulAdhAra to vishuddhi, they go from the subtle to the concrete, thus ending up with the

most concrete one of the human voice, namely, the ‘varNa’ category of vaikhari.

The 51 sounds of the alphabet are called ‘mAtRkAs’. The word ‘mAtRkA’ means

‘mother’. An young mother who moves and mingles with us in our own childish world is

called ‘mAtRkA’. A royal mother with a higher status is called ‘mAtA’. She is the ‘mahA-

rAjnI’ of LalitA-sahsranAma. But She is also the ‘mAtRkA-varna-rUpiNI’, meaning She is

in the form of the varnas (=aksharas) or the mAtRkAs. In ShAkta scriptures the aksha-

mAlA and the book are indicative of the shabda-prapancham. That is why ambaal is holding

them in the other two hands.

The ShrI vidyA mantras are made up of pure aksharas only. It is the Mother

Goddess Herself who takes the forms of these sounds. Those who do the mantra-japa are

being blessed by Her through these sounds. Her Grace makes even the kundalini yoga

achievable by the vibrations of the nADIs at the japa of the mantras. We, in addition, get

many of our other desires fulfilled. Not only this. By repeating these sound vibrations we

get even the darshan of Her physical form.Thus Her entire leelA takes place in this

universe of sounds and sound vibrations. All that I said now is about the akshharas only.

When we combine these akshharas in various combinations we get the various

words and nAmas and also the stotras. In fact even the Vedas arose like this.

In the ShrI vidyA mantra there are three ‘kUTas’, spheres of influence. The first

one is called ‘vAgbhava-kUTam’. It means that it arises from ‘vAk’, speech. The entire

mantra is the form of ambaaL. And in that form, the face is ‘vAgbhava-kUTam’. In the

scriptures and stotras of ShAktam, it is very often said that She gives ‘excellence of speech’

to Her devotees. In this very sloka (#15) that is what it says. Why all this importance to this

Grace of the Goddess? Let me explain.

1

(Digest of pp.915-920 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

The power of speech is endowed by parA-shakti only to the human species. As a

special gift from Her it must be really important for us. If we have any good sense in us we

would use it only for noble purposes. The shakti of speech that She has given us should be

used only to reach Her again.

The greatness of the power of speech lies in this. Its greatness lies in using it, not just

to get great experiences for oneself but for further transmitting them to others also. This

can be done only by the faculty of speech. It is for such sharing that the parA-shakti has

given us, Her children, this unique faculty. What greater benefit could there be in life for

the power of speech?

When a Guru teaches a certain path of sAdhanA, he appends to it a number of strict

injunctions to be followed. On the other hand a poet perhaps is able to give a similar thing

in the form of pleasing enjoyable music. It is the Grace of ambaal that has made such a

thing possible by endowing us all with the faculty of speech. That is why we praise vAk-

Shakti. It is LalitAmbika who graces us thus and this shloka says She does it in the form of

vAg-devi, that is Sarasvati. Just once if we bow down to Her, good souls get the excellence

of the faculty from Her.

Note however that ‘satAm’ is the word used. Not everybody but only those noble

souls who can be classified as ‘sAdhu’ would be endowed. The excellence of speech is

compared to the excellence of sweetness of three kinds: honey, milk and grapes. They can

be easily swallowed and digested. On the spiritual side, the speech faculty would help

them receive messages full of sense and assimilate them in their innermost hearts; and all

this by just one prostration. Instead of saying in prosaic words that ‘they will be endowed

with such faculties’ the poet in the Acharya says: Why would not they be endowed with

such faculties?’

Just a word about the play with the sound of the word ‘natvA’. It is used two times.

One time to mean ‘natvA’, that is, (having) prostrated; and another time to mean ‘na tvA’

meaning, ‘not – You’. Here it is two words ‘na’ and ‘tvA’ . The word ‘na’ goes with

‘sannidadhe’ (endowed, graced) so that it gives the meaning: (Why would they) be not endowed. The ‘You’ goes with the earlier word ‘natvA’ thus meaning prostrated to You.

kavIndrANAM cetaH kamala-vana-bAlAtapa-ruciM

bhajante ye santaH katicid-aruNAm-eva bhavatIM /

virinchi-preyasyAs-taruNatara-sRGgAra-laharI-

gabhIrAbhir-vAgbhir-vidadhati satAM ranjanam-amI // 16 //

ye katicit santaH : Those few righteous persons who

bhajante : worship

aruNAm eva bhavatIM: You who are nothing but aruNA , that is, the colour of

crimson personified

bAlAtapa-ruchiM: (and) who are the rising Sun to

kavIndrANAM cetaH kamala-vana: the forest of lotuses (in the form of) the minds of

great poets,

amI : they

ranjanaM vidadhati: give rapturing excitement

satAM ; to the noble souls

gabhIrAbhir-vAgbhiH: by majestic and profound words

taruNa-tara-sRGgAra-laharI : that is a flood of love which is youthfully fresh

virinchi-preyasyAH : from the beloved of Brahma, i.e., from Sarasvati.

In the previous shloka the talk was about the all-white vAgdevI. The same Sarasvati

is now talked about in her dynamic (rajo-guNa) form. Just before sunrise, it is all crimson

in the east and we call it the rising of aruNa. The word aruNa means ‘crimson-red’. The

charioteer of the Sun is of that colour; so he is called aruNa. Here aruNA is the

personification of the crimson colour and this is Sarasvati in Her rajo-guNa form. When

She is meditated in this form She gives the speech-excellence, where love is dominant.

Love belongs to rajo-guNa. It is therefore usually symbolised as crimson. So it is quite

fitting that aruNA-devi graces one with Love.

But mark it. It is not the usual natural romantic love of the worldly kind. It is the

esoteric Love of the partnership of Kameshvara and Kameshvari. Those who can

comprehend it in that light are the righteous ones (santaH). In the previous shloka, one is

said to obtain poetic excellence by worshipping the all-white pure Sarasvati. The poetry

that springs out of this grace would also be white, sAtvic and would have the consequence

of giving wisdom and dispassion. Such a wisdom and dispassion can be experienced as

an expression of Love. That occurs only to the noble souls (satAM) . It is to their

satisfaction that the devotees of Sarasvati sing. It is these noble souls who were said (in

the previous shloka) to obtain the sweetness of speech, equal in sweetness to madhu

(honey), kshIra (milk) and drAkshA (grapes). And in this shloka the same noble souls are

being joyfully entertained by the worshippers of Sarasvati, the Crimson (aruNA):

‘vidadhati satAm ranjanam amI’. Those who were ‘poets’ in the previous shloka, have

now become ‘connoisiurs’ !

The poets of the previous shloka were those noble persons who obtain the

proficiency for poetry from ambAL. Among those noble persons those who reach the

nAyikA-bhava (attitude of the beloved) towards the Almighty are only a few (‘katicit’);

these are the ones who can sing of Her Love in the proper manner.

The ecstasy they enjoy and give in singing is called ‘ranjanaM’. There is a pun on

this word here. It is made up of two words ‘ram’ and ‘janam’. The consonant ‘ra’ itself

denotes ‘red’. It stands for two kinds of fires. One is the ordinary one; and the other is

the fire of love (kAmAgni). ‘ram’ + ‘janam’ means that which causes red. It means ‘to

cause love that is red’. The redness here indicates ripeness. When a fruit is ripe it is deep

red. The ‘reddening’ of the mind is to make it fully mature and ripe for receiving the

Fullness that is God. The noble persons who are now singing by the Grace of ambaal in

the form of arunA (red Sarasvati), are mature enough to produce the esoteric ‘redness’ of

‘ram’. So the poetry comes out of them in a wave of Love (ShRngAra-lahari). They are

actually deep and profound words (gabhIrAbhir-vAgbhIh). On the surface they appear to

be love and romance. But deep within it, there are gems of philosophy there.

Goddess Kameshvari has herself the name ‘aruNA’. Recall Her dhyAna-shloka:

‘aruNAM karuNA-tarangitAkshhIM’. Here our Acharya is actually invoking the eight

armed Goddess: with bow, arrow, noose and spear (that go with Kameshvari) in four of

the hands and with varam, abhayam, aksha-mAlA and book (that go with Sarasvati) in the

other four hands. This is the aruNa-Sarasvati with eight hands, talked about by our

elders.

32

(Digest of pp.921-924 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

In the next shloka (#17) the talk is about the unique ‘sArasvata-siddhi’ (the siddhi of

all Speech and Learning) obtained by the contemplation of LalitA-Tripurasundari

surrounded by the vAg-devatAs (the Gods of speech). The name ‘vAg-devatA’, if used in the

singular, denotes Sarasvati Herself. When it is used in the plural, it denotes eight divinities.

They are assigned as follows to the various aksharas (letters of the alphabet):

One for the sixteen vowels;

One for the five letters starting with ka;

Similarly one for each set of five letters starting respectively with cha, Ta, ta, and pa;

One for ya, ra, la and va;

One for sha, shha, sa, ha, La, kshha.

Thus there are eight vAg-devatAs for the 51 letters of the Sanskrit alphabet.The first

of these is called ‘vashinI’. Therefore all the eight are called ‘vashinI, etc. devatAs’

(vashinyAdi devatAH) or simply, ‘vashinI devatAs’. These are the ones who sang the Lalita-

sahasranAma at the behest of ambaal Herself. In the seventh AvaraNa (always you count

from outside) of the ShrI Chakra, there are eight triangles; that is where these eight

devatAs are seated, surrounding ambaaL.

(Unfortunately for us the Paramacharya does not quote

the shloka #17 and give his word-by-word meanings,

though he explains most of it

For the sake of completeness I give below

the shloka and supply a word-by-word meaning

from what I understand from His Holiness’s discourse

and from other sources. VK)

savithrIbhir-vAcAM shashi-maNi-shilA-bhanga-rucibhiH

vashinyAdyAbhis-tvAM saha janani samcintayati yaH /

sa kartA kAvyAnAm bhavati mahatAM bhangi-rucibhiH

vacobhir-vAg-devI-vadana-kamalA-moda-madhuraiH // 17 //

yaH samcintayati : He who reflects on

tvAM : You

janani : Oh Mother,

vashinyAdyAbhiH saha : along with the vashinI-devatAs

vAcAM savithrIbhiH : who are the Generators of Speech

shashi-maNi-shilA-bhanga-rucibhiH : who have the colour of the broken moonstone

gem,

saH : he

mahatAm kAvyAnAM kartA bhavati : becomes the author of great poetic

compositions

vacobhiH ; through words

bhangi-rucibhiH : (which have) the taste of art and wit

vAgdevI-vadana-kamalA-moda-madhuraiH : (and which have) the sweet fragrance of

the lotus face of vAg-devI (Sarasvati).

(I now continue the Paramacharya’s comments – VK)

These eight vAg-devatAs constitute the Mothers of speech. That is why the shloka

No.17 which prays for excellence in speech begins with ‘savithrIbhir vAcAM’ . In traditional

literature there is a gem known as ‘chandrakAnta gem’ which is crystal-like and which

will melt in moonlight. The vAg-devatAs have that kind of crystal colour in which moon

reflects in a dazzling manner. In one shloka ambaal was depicted as pure white like the moonlight (sharat-jyotsnA shuddhAm - #15). In another She is aruNA, red (#16). In this

shloka (#17) the aruNa, that is ambaal, is sitting surrounded by the vAg-devatAs,

majestically like a Queen with all Her attendants. Whoever can meditate on this scene

(sancintayati yah) gets the literary capacity and competence to compose great epic poems.

In fact he gets the fluency and the power of speech which only great writers have.

And the shloka uses a specific word here: ‘mahatAm bhangi rucibhiH’ . The word

‘ruci’ means ‘taste’, or ‘flavour’. ‘Taste’ certainly has an association with the tongue and

the food which it ‘tastes’. But the shloka adds on to this the ‘flavour’ by the nose also. The

food ‘taste’ was indicated by the last line of shloka (#15) where it was said that the speech

prompted by ambAL has the taste of ‘honey, milk and grapes’. Now in this shloka that

speech is likened to a profound flavour, not of any ordinary one, but of that which

emanates from the lotus face of Her who is the single vAgdevI integrating all the eight

vAgdevIs! Not only that. We can infer from this that it is not simply the speech that

emanates through the poetry of the devotee has the divine flavour; the people who read

and recite that poetry would also get that divine flavour.!!

The fact that ambaaL graces and bestows the faculty of speech is mentioned in the

latter part of Soundaryalahari several times. Shloka #75 says that, fed by Her breast milk

one is endowed with magnificient poetic capabilities. Shloka 99 says that the SArasvata-

Grace that She endows makes even Brahma, the pati of Sarasvati, envious. The holy water

that washes Her feet can make even the dumb to sing poems (Shloka 98). Obviously our

Acharya takes pleasure in talking about this aspect of ambaaL’s Grace. Maybe he wants us

all to read and recite his stotras, thereby get the Grace of the Mother and also get the vAk-

siddhi (speech excellence) that She will certainly grant. That is why, it appears, he is never

tired of repeating this.

The word ‘shashi-maNi-shilA’ means ‘moon-gem-stone’ literally. Because of the

fact that the dark patch on the moon appears like a rabbit (‘shasha’ in Sanskrit), the moon

is known by the word ‘shashi’. The word ‘hima-kara’ also denotes the moon, meaning

thereby that there flows icy water from the moon. So ‘hima-kara-shilA’ also represents the

same moonstone gem , known as ‘chandrakAnta stone’ in Tamil. ‘sudhA’ is nectar and

‘sudhAkara’ is also the name of the moon, because it is also said that there flows nectar

from it. Just as it was said that the attendants of ambaal have the colour of the moonstone

(#17: shashi-maNi-shilA), it is said in shloka #20, that he who can meditate on ambaal

Herself in the form made up of the moonstone (hima-kara-shilA), She who is the daughter of hima-giri (Himalayas) and is therefore ‘hima-giri-sutA’, will pour ‘sudhA’ on him,

‘sudhA’ meaning nectar and ‘sutA’ meaning daughter. In fact it says more.

33

(Digest of pp.925-929 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

kirantIm-angebhyaH kiraNa-nikurumbA-mRta-rasaM

hRdi tvAm-Adhatte hima-kara-shilA-mUrtim-iva yaH /

sa sarpANAM darpaM shamayati shakuntAdhipa iva

jvara-plushhTAn dRshhTyA sukhayati sudhA-dhAra-sirayA // 20 //

saH yaH : He who

Adhatte : establishes

tvAM : You

hRdi : in (his) heart

hima-kara-shilA-mUrtim-iva: as the form made of moonstem gem

kirantIM : which shoots forth

angebhyaH : from all its parts

kiraNa-nikurumbA-mRta-rasaM : the nectar essence through clusters of its rays,

shamayati : cools down

sarpANAM darpaM : the energy of snakes

shakuntAdhipa iva : like Garuda

sukhayati : (and) relieves

dRshhTyA : by just an eye-glance

sudhA-dhAra-sirayA : (that is) full (as it were) of the flow of nectar

jvara-plushhTAN : those who are suffering the deadly heat of fever.

The importance of this shloka is in its impact on the eradication of disease. All kinds

of diseases afflict people. People who come to those of us like me, mostly come to pray to us

for removal of this sickness or that. In fact that tells me how many different kinds of

illnesses and afflictions are there in the world. Our Acharya certainly would know all that

and for sure he would have known the remedies for all of them. But he must have thought of posterity on these lines: “They cannot think of me as God. Even those who grant the

avatarhood, would think of me only as a jnana-avatar and so would think of praying to me

only for jnAna and vairagya (dispassion)”.

When people of modern times physically see a spiritually great person, they get to

know many of his characteristics and activities. So, in addition to thinking of him as a

jnAni or saint, they also think of him as father, as mother, child, doctor, a go-getter for a

job or a marriage alliance, and what not; they pray for all these and get the anugraha. But

when one is no more, he is only thought of as a jnAni and only as a benefactor of

enlightenment and nothing more. Of course, if he is considered a siddha, he is prayed to

for material welfare even after his physical frame is no more. And we think of our Acharya

only as a jnAni. So he must have naturally thought “Let me leave some stotras for posterity

so that they get their sicknesses removed by recitations of these”. He left behind him a

‘Subrahmanya bhujangam’ for this very purpose. And in this Soundarya lahari too, there

are several shlokas mainly for eradication of disease.

The whole of Soundaryalahari, as I already said, is a mantra-shAstra. Each of its

shlokas can give certain specific results when it is used for a mantra-japam. For instance,

there are shlokas for

Learning and Education (Sarasvati’s Grace of VidyA) : Shloka nos. 3, 12, 15, 16, 17,

60, 64, 75, 96, 98, 99;

Wealth and Prosperity (lakshmi’s Grace) : Shloka nos.23, 45, 71, 91,99;

Grace of both Sarasvati and Lakshmi: 96, 99;

Proficiency in music: 66, 69

Being blessed with a son : 6, 11, 46, 98

A long-gone relative to return from his journeys: 9

parakAya-pravesham (to jump into another body) : 30, 84

Warding off evil spirits: 24, 37, 85, 90

To counter the bad influence of planets: 48

jnAna, mukti and sac-chid-Ananda: 27, 63, 73, 84, 97, 99.

[Please let it be noted that the Paramacharya

only listed the various results that accrue from the shlokas.

Specific numbers of shlokas associated with the specific results

are reproduced here from a note

appended by Ra. Ganapathi.—VK]

If one does a recitation (pArAyaNam) of the shlokas without desiring any particular

favour, one gets the realisation of either the saguNa-brahman or the nirguna-brahman,

depending on the attitude of the devotee. Even if one has a desire to be fulfilled, each shloka

will give its own reward. The first shloka and the last shloka are known to be ‘sarva-siddhi-

pradam’ and they will fulfill all one’s desires.

Some shlokas, by their very meanings, allow us to infer what results will accrue

from reciting them. I say ‘infer’ because, they may not bluntly say what results will accrue.

Shlokas which bluntly say so are few, like the ones we saw earlier (shloka 17) and the

present shloka (#20). Even here, the statement is only that if such and such an upAsanA is

done such and such a result will accrue. Only later commentators, who came in the sishya-

paramparA (lineage of disciples) of our Acharya have listed the specifications of the

upAsanA, how they should be done, what yantra to be used, how many days the pUjA or

japam should be done and similar requirements.

I was saying that we could infer from the meanings of certain shlokas the results

that will accrue. Ashamed at the excellence of speech of ambaal Herself Sarasvati winds

up Her play on the VINA (# 66). The three lines on the neck of ambaal are the boundary

lines between the three kinds of rAga-categories, so that they may not mix with each other,

says Shloka 69. It is clear that a japam of either of these two shlokas will result in proficiency of music.

Shloka #28 has the thought that even after drinking the nectar the divines do not

live beyond the deluge (pralaya), whereas Lord Shiva, even after drinking the deadly

poison, continues to live. It is easy to infer that by doing a mantra japam of this shloka, one

gets a long life, poison or no poison.

But there are many more shlokas where we cannot in any way infer what results

will accrue from a mantra-japam of the shloka.

34

(Digest of pp.929-935 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

I was saying that there are many shlokas where we cannot in any way infer what

results will accrue from a mantra-japam of the shloka. Shloka 35, for instance, says that

ambaal lives in the six chakras as the five elements and the mind. It is said that this shloka

has the effect of curing tuberculosis. Obviously there seems to be no connection. Like this

there are several shlokas where the meaning and the results said to accrue from it are

totally disconnected. It all means that the vibrations of the sounds created,the words

themselves, not their meanings, have that effect. We may make a doll in the shape of a red

chili, with sugar as the material base; the outer will look like a hot chili, whereas the whole

material is sweet. In the same way the meanings of the words may be something, but the

power of the words as a mantra may be something else.

Also, the same shloka may give different, almost contradictory, results for different

persons. Shloka no.84 (ShrutInAM mUrdhAno) has been said to give the power of leaving

one’s own body and getting into the body of another. But the same shloka has also been

earmarked as a sAdhaNA for moksha!. One has to remember, in such cases, it is the

attitude of the devotee in question that comes into play. The attitude of the upAsakA (the

practitioner of the sAdhanA) has a value. Depending on the needs and desires of the

upAsaka, the results will vary. Honey can induce sleep in some one who is habitually a non-

sleeper; and the same honey, in the case of a lazy and constant dozer, may produce

wakefulness and alertness. Thus the same shloka might give different results depending on

the mental make-up of the user. Shloka 63 (“smita-jyotsnA-jAlaM”) is a sAdhanA shloka

for the merging of jIva in brahman; but if one does not want this high noble effect, it will

give the other effect of attracting people to oneself! Again, Shloka 73 which talks about the

breast feeding of ambaal’s milk and the consequent effects on Ganesha and Subrahmanya

can lead to two different results: if the goal is jnAna, the mantra-japam of this shloka with

that as goal, will lead step by step from the blessedness of celibacy all the way up to the

obtaining of brahma-jnAna; on the other hand if the same shloka is used as a mantra by a

lactating mother who is lacking the necessary breast-milk, she will have her problem

solved.

Here is a lemon. It has several uses. It can be used in a garland of lemons for the

Goddess. It can be used to give a lemonish touch to an edible combination of vegetables. It

can be used as dirt remover while cleaning vessels. It can be used for a medicinal purpose.

It may also be used in occult practices. In the same way, the effect of a word or word-

vibrations can vary over a wide spectrum. That is why, the ideal way is to have the

attitude: “I don’t want this or that. Whatever you think as good for me, Oh Mother, give

me that. Even if you don’t want to give anything, let me do the recitation for just the love of

it”.

Whether you want it or not, there are effects of such recitation. For instance, the

shloka #44 beginning with “tanotu kshhemaM nas-tava vadana soundaryalahari” gives a

general cure for all ailments and sicknesses. Specific cures for specific diseases of the body

have also been noted for several shlokas. Each of these only trumpets the power of shabda (

sound ). There is a shloka for the cure of diseases of the eye and the ear. “Your eyes have

an extent up to the ears” says the shloka (#52) “gate karNApyarNam ... ime netre”. Just by

thinking that ambaal’s eyes extend up to the ears, the power of sound is so much that the

diseases of both the eyes and ears are cured! Here it appears there is some kind of

correlation between the effects of sound and the meanings of the words which make the

sound. In another shloka (#58), though both these (eyes and ears) are mentioned, the effect

is said to be ‘cure of all diseases’. What is the logic behind this? You cannot answer the

question. We have only to say “Sound value is such”!

We started all this account from Shloka #20 which contains the mantra for two

kinds of ailment – one, a poisonous bite and two, fever.Let us go to that shloka now.

AmbaaL is thought of as having a form that shoots forth amRita-rasa (nectar

essence) through the rays emanating from every part of Her body. Hers is that kind of

form which is crystal-like in colour that reflects moonlight with a cool and delightful shine;

it is a colourless colour. And nectar springs forth from every spot of that form. The very

thought of this divine feat gives us a cooling effect. One who meditates on this himself gets

the qualities of nectar. What is the opposite of nectar? Poison. That is why no poison, no

snake can touch him!.

Poison is the opposite of nectar. The opposite of snakes is Garuda. Actually there

are two opposites of a snake. One is Garuda; the other is a peacock. Lord Vishnu has

Garuda as his vehicle and Lord Subrahmanya has peacock as his vehicle. But the same

Vishnu is also reclining on the snake. And Subramanya is Himself called Nagaraja (the

King of snakes). All this looks self-contradictory.

The snake has two facets. When it sleeps as the kundalini shakti in a person it only

promotes lust. Even the little prANic energy in them is lost in that lust. Therefore the snake

in that situation is said to be poisonous and evil. It is this poison that Garuda and the

peacock destroy. When the poison is eradicated, the same snake of the kundalini, when it

rises to the sahsrAra cakra, it pours forth nectar! Now it is a ‘good’ snake - not the

corresponding Tamil word, which means a deadly snake! The fact that energy is lost

because of lust is accepted by all. But the same energy becomes immortal energy (nectar-

flow) by yoga is not generally accepted by people; and that too, by the people, who have

never done the experiment!

- 35

(Digest of pp.935-942 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

I was saying that the same human energy that is wasted by lust becomes the

powerful nectar by yoga. Whereas the former is understood by every one easily, the latter

fact is always questioned and debated. The difficulty in the belief comes from the

observation that even great yogis that we hear about, ultimately, maybe after a few

hundreds of years, die. What is missed in the understanding here is the fact that the

nectar-flow that yoga talks about and the nectar-drink that the divines are said to have

partaken are both different, totally different. That divine drink of ‘amRit’ has nothing to

do with any spiritual uplift or the progress of the soul.

The divine drink of nectar that emanated from the churning of the milk ocean is

just like one more medicine. It has no power to take care of the resident of the body, the

Atman. It only takes care of the body and protects it from becoming old and from

decaying. Have you ever heard that the devas like Indra and others who drank that amRit

have become Realised Souls? Their only goal has been endless sensual enjoyment. At least

for the human species, sensual enjoyment tires one out after some time since the body ages;

so a human being has every chance of turning to something more permanent, something spiritual. The devas on the other hand have no way of learning by experience that sensual

enjoyment is not the end of it all.

If the nectar-flow at the apex of the Kundalini yoga could only cause the non-decay

of the body and nothing more, I am sure real yogis would not have gone the path of the

kundalini yoga. After all they were after an eternal bliss, not an eternal body. The flow of

amRit from the thousand petalled lotus seat in the sahasrAra-chakra is just a step prior to

the Realisation of advaita. In addition to that it certainly can give to the body, so long as it

lasts, an enviable health. But it is mainly intended to shower the divine unlimited bliss. A

yogi devoted to the ShAkta tradition may not discard the body and the universe as mAyA,

in the same way as a jnAni would do. He would only look at everything as the leelA of

ambaal. Therefore so long as he wants it, he is given the power to watch this leelA of

ambaal. But in due course of time, maybe several hundreds of years, it will strike him to

want to merge with that Ultimate. And at that time his body will also fall.

I told you of two kinds of serpent: the good one and the bad one. The former is

what gives the nectar. The latter gives only poison. It is this latter one that is destroyed by

the peacock of Lord Subrahmanya and the Garuda-vehicle of Lord Vishnu. When the

former (the good one, the nectar-showering serpent) is the form of Subrahmanya, we say

He is nAga-rAja, the King of snakes. It is the same one that Lord Vishnu is having as his

bed-rest. It is the same one that Lord Nataraja is having around his raised foot. And it is

the same one who came as Patanjali and taught the yoga-shAstra, where, even if the

kundalini yoga is not particularly mentioned, the kundalini that arises out of that yoga is of

the serpent form.

Besides the peacock and Garuda, there is one more enemy of snakes. That is the

‘nakulam’ or mongoose. One of the names of ambaal is ‘nakuleshvari’. It is actually the

name of ‘MantriNI’ the chief Minister in the universal kingdom of Queen Lalita-ambaal.

The latter keeps only the portfolio of gracing the devotees and delineates the other duties of

administration of the entire universe to MantrinI. The sahasranama name ‘mantriNI-

nyasta-rAjya-dhUH’ meaning, ‘She who has delineated the responsibility of the burden of

administration to MantriNi’ arises from this fact. ‘ShyAmaLA’ and ‘Raja-mAtangI’ are

other names of this MantriNI. Meenakshi of Madurai is also the same. She is the

‘nakuleshvarI’, who shakes up the sleeping serpent-power in the mUlAdhAra Chakra and

opens up the treasury of the Atman to us. The ‘mUlAdhAra’ has another name ‘kulam’.

The kundalini sleeps in the ‘kula-kunDa’. What wakes it up is the ‘nakuli’. This word

arises from ‘nakulam’ which should be broken up as ‘na kulam’ to mean, ‘not kulam’, and

therefore the opposite of ‘kulam’.

Of the three enemies of the serpent, Garuda is important; because he is also the one

who brought the amRit to the serpents after fighting even the King of the divines, Indra.

That the serpents could not partake of the amRit, is a different story. The fact that Garuda

is the opposite of the serpent and of its poison and has connections with the story of the

divine nectar is what is made capital of in #20 of Soundaryalahari.

He who meditates on ambaal in Her moonstone form which radiates rays of amRit,

can conquer the poison of the serpent like Garuda, the King of birds. Not only that; by his

very look, such a person eradicates, in anybody else, the poison of an extreme fever. By

meditating on the Goddess as the One who pours amRit, his own body system gets the

amRta-nADI, perhaps from the sahasrAra-chakra and so his glance, his sight, itself is

enough of a cure for the poison of the fever.

The eight vAg-devatAs are themselves of the moonstone colour. Their seat is in the

eight triangular portions of the eight-sided AvaraNa in the ShrI-chakra. This AvaraNa is

itself called ‘sarva-roga-hara-chakram’, that is, the chakra that eradicates all diseases. All

of this is due to the effect of mantras.

Though the crystal colour of the moonstone is what is praised above as the colour of

ambAL to be meditated upon, the colour of the devatA of ShrI-vidyA mantra is red or

crimson. This colour of the Goddess has been praised, two slokas earlier (#18) but since it

talks of ‘vashIkaram’ (captivation into submissiveness) I did not want to mention it. But

still I want to tell you how the redness is important.

Thus spake the Paramacharya.

-36--

(Digest of pp.942-950 )

In Soundaryalahari, as well as in many similar works, there is mention about

attaining a most attractive form, captivating women into submission by means of mantra,

and such matters. These should not be taken literally. What does it mean to bring another

into submission to you? It only means that you are already submitting yourself to such

practices. To appropriate a lot of property simply means to allow oneself to be

appropriated by that thought of proprietorship. To want to bring somebody else into

submission implies that you are already submissive to such thoughts. Thereafter there is

no question of bhakti towards ambaal or of surrendering to Her. Our Acharya would never

have meant to make us slaves to such mean desires.

What he intended must therefore be to warn us well ahead so that we can steer clear

of such desires and aspirations. Just as all rivers fall and get absorbed into the sea, so also

all desires should get absorbed in oneself, never to rise up again – says the Gita. That is the

kind of shAnti, Peace, that our Acharya would have advocated. It is the captivation by

oneself of all desires and the absorption of all of them into oneself that the Acharya must

have meant by the power of ‘vashyaM’, meaning, ‘captivation into submission’. All the

three worlds become a woman who submits to the jnAni in submission – this is the vashyam

that he talks about in Sloka No.19; not the captivation of a woman into submission for

lustful objectives.

Now let me come, as I promised, to the importance of the red colour of ambaal. It

is the colour of the eastern sky when the sun is just rising. Kameshvari is of that colour.

What is so great about it? There is some physics of light here and there is also the

philosophy of creation and dissolution. Red is at one end of the spectrum. When a colour is

visible it means the light wave corresponding to that colour is the only thing that has not

been absorbed by the medium that transmits the light. Whatever colour is reflected, that

shows up; and whatever colours are absorbed, they do not show up. When white shows up

it means none of the colours is absorbed, all of them are ‘reflected’ and they merge into one

colour, white. When dark shows up it means all the waves of light are absorbed and there is

no ‘reflection’.

Of the three gunas, shuddha-satvaM, or pure satvaM, is the one that does not keep

any of the three for itself and therefore it is pure white, like milk. It is taken to be indicative

of the para-brahman, though the latter transcends all the colours and the gunas. On the

other side, the colour that keeps all the colours within itself and does not let any reflection

out is black and this is the colour of ‘tamas’. It is pure Ignorance. The in-between guna is

rajas, the kriyA-shakti. It is red in colour because it is the first colour that separates itself

from the pure white sunlight and forms the beginning of the projection of the other colours

and creations.

From the pure white of satvaM to the total darkness of tamas, the entire spectrum

and variety of creation -- all of them have come from the parabrahman, through the first

emanation of the ‘red’ Kameshvari. The ‘kriyA’ (Action) that projects the jIvas from

brahman, and the ‘kriyA’ that takes the jivas back to brahman – both the kriyAs are those

of the parA-shakti who rose up as the all-red Kameshvari from the first ‘thought’ of the

Ultimate.Therefore ‘red’ is indicative of Creation and is therefore the colour of Creator

BrahmA. The activity of life is all due to the flow of blood which is ‘red’ in colour. The

Sanskrit word for blood is ‘rakta’ which also means ‘red’. Creation is done by a poet also;

so the poetic talent, ‘kavitvam’ is also taken to be ‘red.

There are differences in the redness of rajas. The seeds of ‘kundumani’, the fruit of

bitter gourd, and ‘pAdirip-pazham’ are all red.

(Note by VK: (1) The botanical name for ‘kundumani’

is Abrus precatorius.

The seeds of this contain

poisonous proteins.

(2) I am not able to get the English name

for ‘pAdirippazham’).

But the first one is poisonous, the second is bitter though good for health, while the

third is sweet as well as good for health. In rajas also, there is the rajas that binds, the

rajas that keeps a goal of moksha and the rajas that lifts you up to moksha. The ‘redness’

of Kameshvari is of the third type. It is that redness which has to be meditated upon, says

shloka #18, as the one that engulfs all the region from the sky to the earth. The words

‘saraNi’ and ‘lahari’ both mean a flood. ‘ShrI’ stands for the beauty of ambaal. ‘ShrI –

saraNi’ mentioned in #18, is therefore nothing but Her Soundarya-lahari, the flood of

Beauty.

The mention of ambaal’s Supreme Beauty (Slokas 12 and 18) in this part of

Ananda-lahari, in spite of its yantra, mantra and esoteric occupations, is to tell us that all

this is to lead us on to the darshan of that supreme beauty of ambaal’s form, described in

the latter part, namely, Soundaryalahari. That physical form of course is contained in the

‘head-to-foot’ description; but the redness that radiates from that form is a light that fills

up the universe!

--37—

(Digest of pp. 950-958 )

In the sahasra-nAma ( (poem of )one thousand names) of Lalita there is a long

series of names which describe the divine form from head to foot. Naturally the hands have

a due place there. But the hands and the weapons held in them are talked about even

before the head-to-foot description starts. The weapons are not said to be just held, but

they are built into an esoteric description. The weapons pAsham, ankusham, bow and

arrow are each given a philosophical meaning. The ‘pAsham’ (noose) is called ‘rAgam’

(desire) there.

‘rAga-svarUpa-pAshADhyA’: Desire is the noose which binds. So She has the noose

of Desire in Her hands. But the desire is not the wrong desire, it is the desire that binds

one to ambaal. At that point there shoud be no hate or dvesham. That is why there is an

ankusham (goad). And then there are the bow and arrow to help us bind our mind and

senses to the Ultimate. Only after this the darshan of ambaal in Her head to foot physical

form will be obtained. But even before that form is visible, what one sees is the vast spread

of the red colour everywhere. So the name that occurs just before the first name in the

head-to-foot description is ‘nijAruNa-prabhA-pUra-majjat-brahmANDa manDalA’,

meaning, ‘She immerses the entire universe in Her crimson effulgence’. The same idea is

said in the second line of Shloka 18:

divaM sarvAM urvIM aruNima-nimagnAM.

In several places in the Soundaryalahari, we find the same descriptions as in Lalita

SahasranAma almost in the same words.

The forehead of ambaal is like an inverted half-moon :

dvitIyaM tan-manye makuTa-ghaTitaM chandra-kalashaM (Shloka 46);

ashhTamI-chandra-vibhrAja-daLika-sthala-shobhitA (L.S.)

If She opens Her eyes, it is Creation; if She closes them, it is Dissolution:

nimeshonmeshAbhyAM praLayam-udayaM yAti jagatI (Shloka 55);

unmeshha-nimishhotpanna-vipanna-bhuvanAvaLiH (L.S.).

Not even a tree bearing precious gems (vidruma-latA) can equal the enchanting lips

of ambaaL:

dantachhada-rucheH pravakshye sAdRshyam janayatu phalaM vidruma-latA (Shloka

62);

nava-vidruma-bimba-shrI-nyakkAri-radanacchadA (Lalita-sahasranama).

The jingling of the gems in the anklets of ambaal’s feet is described in both almost

in the same words:

Subaka-maNi-manjIra raNita- ... charaNa-kamalaM (Shloka 91);

sinjAni-maNi-manjIra-maNDita-shrI-padAmbujA (L.S.)

The idea that ambaaL’s very speech can beat the sweetness of the vINA-music of

Goddess Sarasvati, epitomised in the Lalita-shasranama line

nija-sallApa-mAdhurya-vinirbhatsita-kacchapI,

is developed in a whole Shloka No.66 of Soundaryalahari.

While giving examples and analogies to various parts of the form of ambaal, when it

comes to the chin of ambAL, both the Lalita sahasranama and the Soundaryalahari, say

that it is devoid of all analogies:

Katham-kAram brUmas-tava chubukam-aupamya-rahitaM (Shloka 67);

anAkalita-sAdRshya-chubuka-shrI-virAjitA (L.S.)

Before the radiance of the pair of lotus feet of ambaal, the real lotus pales into

insignificance, according to the Lalita-sahasranama line:

pada-dvaya-prabhA-jAla-parAkRta-saroruhA.

This idea is developed elaborately in Shloka 87 where the Acharya shows in how

many ways the divine feet pales the lotus into insignificance. Lotus withers away in snow.

But ambaal, whose house of birth as well as the house of marriage both are in Himalayas,

the feet are always excelling in snow. Lotus droops during night; but the divine feet beam

with freshness. The lotus has the Goddess Lakshmi within it (and would not give it!),

whereas the divine feet of ambaal dispense wealth and prosperity (that is, Lakshmi) to all

who touch them. Thus the divine feet are always one up, -- so ends the Shloka (#87)

“himAnI hantavyaM ....”.

While the Acharya has done stotras on Vishnu and Shiva giving a head-to-foot

description of the deities, he has shown great originality in the fund of his innovative

descriptions and analogies. Then why did he not do it here in the case of ambaal? Why did

he have to borrow from the Lalita Sahasranama? It shows only the Acharya’s humility and

the high pedestal on which he places the Lalita-sahasranama.

Now let us follow the main trend of our coverage of Soundaryalahari. In Shloka 21

he talks about the flood of absolute bliss in brahman that is experienced by one who has

reached the apex in KunDalini yoga. This flood is legitimately called by him ‘AhlAda-

lahari’. ‘AhlAda’ means happiness, joy, bliss.

And now comes one of the most easy-worded, but profoundly meaningful Shloka,

#22.

--38—

(Digest of pp. 958-963 )

The next shloka is of great interest. Even in the portion of Anandalahari, which is

supposed to be mainly the esoteric content of the ShAkta scriptures, there are shlokas

which reflect the pure bhakti sentiment coupled with excelling poetry. One such shloka is No.22. In this shloka one is lifted from the dvaita-bhakti to an advaita-like stage where

there is a symbiosis of bhakti, shakti and jnAna.

bhavAni tvam dAse mayi vitara dRShhTiM sakaruNAM

iti stotuM vAnchan kathayati bhavAni tvam-iti yaH /

tadaiva tvaM tasmai dishasi nija-sAyujya-padavIM

mukunda-brahmendra-sphuTa-makuTa-nIrAjita-padAM //22 //

“bhavANi” – Oh Mother bhavAni. Bhava is the name of Shiva. The Shakti of Bhava

is BhavAni.

tvam vitara : Please (you) cast

dRShhTiM : (your) glance

sakaruNAM : (which is) coupled with Grace and Compassion

mayi : on me

dAse : (who is your) servant.

vAnchan : Wishing

iti stotuM : to praise thus,

yah: whoever

kathayati :says

bhavAni tvaM iti : “bhavAni tvaM” ,

tadaiva (= tadA + eva) : then and there, (that is, even before you complete the

remaining words “dAse mayi vitara dRShhTiM sa karuNAM”)

tvaM : You

dishasi : grant, give

tasmai : to him

nija-sAyujya-padavIM : your own sAyujya status.

(We shall come to the fourth line of the stanza later)

The marvel here is, that the devotee has not yet said the full prayer of his, namely:

Oh Bhavani, You please cast on me, your servant, your glance of compassion and

grace. He has just said: “Oh Bhavani, You” ! That itself is sufficient for the

Goddess to pour Her maximum Grace of Her own sAyujya status on the devotee.

This is the implication of the words ‘tadA-eva’ in the beginning of the third line of

the stanza. The very moment one says ‘bhavAni tvaM’, he is granted the Grace. How

is this? And what is this sAyujya status that is being granted?

(The sAyujya concept was described

in the first paragraph of DPDS – 29 - VK)

The sAyujya status is that which becomes one with the Object of Adoration. But

what is being said here is not the oneness with the nirguNa-brahman. Why am I

saying this? Now go to the fourth line of the shloka.

Mukunda: vishnu

Brahma : creator brahma

Indra : Indra, the King of the divines

sphuTa-makuTa : the shining crown

nIrAjita-padAM : the feet which have been offered the ceremonial waving (nIrAjana)

of lights before them.

And thus, the last line means, in conjunction with the third line, “Then and there,

You give him your sAyujya status, (which earns them) Your feet that have been

given the ‘nIrAjana’ (waving of lights) by the Gods Vishnu, Brahma and Indra who,

by falling at Your feet, have had their shining crowns touch your feet and thus have

offered worship to it”.

It is the sAyujya status (the identity in form and essence) that privileges the devotee

to enjoy the worship of even the Gods, through their ‘nIrAjana’ to the Divine Feet,

with which there is identity now.

If one reaches advaita-sAyujya (identity) with the Ultimate, things will not be like

this; for there is no ‘form’ there and there are no feet to be worshipped! And then

there will be no gods in name and form. The advaita sAyujyam is the oneness with

the Ultimate nirguna-brahman where there is no more universe. So what is said in

this shloka is not the sAyujya of advaita.

It is the supreme brahman which manifests itself as the First Cause in terms of

parAshakti. She is the Queen of this Universe and She adminsiters this whole

universe by Her own agents such as Brahma and Indra. It is those divine agents

who fall at Her feet in obeisance. It is in that state that the individual soul (jIvAtma)

becomes one with the parAshakti in its sAyujya status. It is that sAyujya that is

spoken of here.

The interesting fact is that even the advaita shAstras do speak of this state.

Of course the goal of the advaita scriptures is not this. The peaceful nirguNa state

without any mention of shakti or of any ‘action’ is the goal of advaita. But the

‘Ishvara’ that advaita talks of does ‘get into action’! It is He (taking the place of

‘parAshakti’ of the shAkta schools) who does all the leelA with the devotee. That is

why, even though the Ultimate is something in which there should be no talk of ‘the

rise of desire’ or the ‘occurrence of determination (sankalpa)’, the Upanishads do

speak like ‘Whatever objects He desires, they appear by His very desire’. (‘yam

kAmam kAmayate saH asya sankalpAd-eva samut-tishhTanti’ --Chandogya U. VIII -

2). This means just that He has the quality of ‘aishvarya’, namely, the godliness of

being parAshakti.

Even if the person goes via the path of jnAna and looks forward to the

advaitic union in nirguNa brahman, the parAshakti catches hold of him, as it were,

on the way and makes him play along with Her in saguNa-sAyujyam (identity with

Ishvara, the aspect of brahman with form) in the world of action! But the play does

not end there. He soars even higher spiritually. He is now in identity with the

parAshakti, the Director of the entire universe and all its play. It is in that state he

enjoys the bliss of union with the saguNa Ultimate. It is a state where there is the

apex of Devotion and also the sense of advaita-jnAna – a perfectly peaceful and

blissful state.

--39—

(Digest of pp. 964 - 969 )

Thus the identity (sAyujyam) that shloka 22 talks about in its third line has

something to do with jnAna, bhakti and shakti. It is not the brahman-realisation spoken of

in advaita.

Now we shall take up the pun on the words ‘bhavAni tvaM’ in the shloka. As soon as

the devotee utters the words ‘bhavAni tvaM’ as a beginning for his full sentence: ‘bhavAni

tvaM dAse mayi vitara dRshhTim sakaruNAM’ the Goddess is ready to grant him the highly

merited sAyujyam (identity) with Her. What is so powerful in those two words ‘bhavAni

tvaM’? This is where the poet has played with Sanskrit grammar.

The word ‘bhavAni’ can be interpreted in two ways – one as a noun, and another as

a verb. The verbal root is ‘bhava’. This itself gives the two meanings. When ‘bhava’ is a

noun it is a name of Lord Shiva. In this context ‘bhavAni’ would mean ‘the consort of

bhava’, that is, ambaal. ‘bhava’ as a verb would mean ‘be’ or ‘become’. In this context,

‘bhavAni’ would mean ‘Let me become’ or ‘Let me be’. So ‘bhavAni tvaM’ would mean

‘May I become You’. Remember that in Sanskrit a sentence accommodates changing the

order of the words in the sentence without affecting the meaning.

Ambaal is an ocean of compassion and grace. So when a devotee seeks the identity

with Her by the two simple words ‘bhavAni tvaM’, She doesn’t wait for his further words;

She simply grants the sAyujya-status ‘then and there’ ! But the irony of it is, he, the

devotee, considers himself too low in the spiritual ladder to merit anything great and he has no conception of what honourable return from the Goddess awaits him. ‘Just a glance

towards this poor me, Oh Mother!’ – this is all what he pleads for. Note that the poet uses

the word ‘yah’, meaning, ‘whoever’. So the devotee does not have to be a great ‘sAdhu’. He

could be any one. He may not even know that there is a status called ‘sAyujyam with

ambaaL’! The couple of words ‘bhavAni tvaM’ has such an effect even on ordinary persons

who recite it.

The Almighty is the Lord. I am only a servant – This is the attitude of the devotee in

the first line of the shloka. Of course it is an attitude of duality, not advaita. But even to

such a person who only wants to be a servant of the Goddess, ambaal hands over in a

platter the very advaita itself. Certainly this is saguNa-advaitam. But would She not also

grant him, in due course, the nirguNa-advaitam?

Take the case of Hanuman. He was always steeped in the concept “dAsohaM”,

(‘dAsaH + ahaM’) meaning, “I am your servant”. ‘dAsa’ means servant. By the very fact

that he was steeped in that concept of “dAsohaM” all his life, he reached the advaitic stage

of “sohaM” (‘saH + ahaM’), which means, “I am He (That)”. What this shloka says is that

ambaal transforms every one who comes to Her with the attitude of “dAsohaM”, to the

apex stage of “sohaM”! It is a stage which is difficult for countless persons who struggle

for the realisation of “aham brahmAsmi” and for even still more who ceaselessly meditate

on the words “tat-tvaM-asi” of the guru. While many of them find it an inaccessible ideal,

it is granted even to the ordinary person who sincerely comes to ambaal with the two

words “bhavAni tvaM” though with something else in mind.

We have still not finished with ‘bhavAni tvaM’. So far we considered ‘bhavAni tvaM’

as two words. But ‘bhavAni-tvaM’ can also be considered as a single word. Then it means

‘the state of being bhavAni or parA-shakti’. The structure of the single word is something

like ‘amaratvaM’ which means ‘the state of being immortal’ and like ‘kavi-tvaM’ which

means ‘poetic talent’. So the moment the devotee says ‘bhavAni tvaM’ ambaal takes it as a

request for ‘bhavAni-tvaM’ and She grants the ‘bhavAni-tvaM’ to him. In other words She

gives Her own status, namely the status of sAyujya with Her to him.

Remember the devotee has not even begun his petition to Her. But even before He

asks in full, She is ready to give him not only what he asks but even more. Recall the

“vAnchA-samadhikaM” of shloka 4, where it was said that Her feet are capable of gracing

the devotee with ‘more than what is wished’!

At this point the Paramacharya

makes a very subtle comment about Adi Shankara,

which is exquisite. It also shows

the bhakti which he has towards

(the Acharya) Adi Shankara. I am giving the following

paragraph (almost) in exact translation,

so that it can be enjoyed in the original. VK

When we see this, something remarkable strikes us. Suppose somebody is a great

scholar in a language and without any knowledge-arrogance he is also a sincere devotee of

the Goddess, to the extent that he considers himself as nothing but a lowliest servant of

ambaal, -- all this is actually a description of the Acharya himself -- such a one never

ignores even the commonest of people, but discovers a deep content even in their ordinary

comments and speeches. Such profound contents will certainly be granted to him (at his

stature) as an experience, by ambaal. But when he says that such an experience will be

given by ambaal even to the common man, why would She not give it to him who has the

greatness of heart to see the profound in the profane! The stanza of KuraL (in Tamil)

which says: “From whomsoever whatsoever is heard, to see the Truth in that is

Knowledge” gets a new meaning here. “Knowledge” may as well be taken to mean

“Experiential Knowledge”!

--40—

(Digest of pp. 970 - 973 )

In the Vaishnava tradition, they do not accept the attributeless non-dual brahman,

but they do talk about One-ness with the state of the Almighty Mahavishnu, along with all

His powers. But even when they say this, out of deference to propriety, they make an

exception to what one can obtain. The exception is ‘LakshmI-patitvaM’, that is, ‘the state of

being the spouse of Lakshmi’. Naturally whatever powers and states of Mahavishnu you

may aspire for and actually get, becoming the spouse of Lakshmi is taboo. In the same

manner in the branch of philosophy called ‘ShivAdvaitam’, they talk of oneness with Lord

Shiva, but they make a similar exception, for the same reason of propriety. All this is

because, the destination in both these schools of philosophy is a couple, such as ‘Narayana-

Lakshmi’ or ‘Shiva-Parvati’. The very fact that one has to make an exception throws a

shade of doubt on the other statements of objectives.

One would like not to make any exception at all. That is where this shloka (#22)

opens the door for us. It says: ‘Don’t aspire to become Narayana or Shiva; Don’t have your

object of meditation the divine form of Narayana or Shiva, with the purpose of becoming

one with it. Pray that you should become one with the form of the Mother, that is ambaal

or Lakshmi. In their capacity of universal Mother, they will not only accept your prayers

but will also give you that identical oneness with them. That Lakshmi or that ambaal are

themselves internally in oneness with Vishnu and Shiva respectively. So when a jIva

merges in the Mother, the Mother takes him along with Her and merges the jIva in either

the Vishnu-form or the Shiva-form, thus granting you the Vishnu-sAyujyam or the Shiva-

sAyujyam’. This shloka therefore gives the right strategy for us to become one with the

Almighty at the same time not transgressing the elementary propriety of pati-patnI.

To say it shortly, first you become the mother then the father. So first it is the

oneness of filial affection. When the mother becomes one with the father, it is the apex of

all bhakti attitudes, namely the attitude of nAyikA. And that is what takes us to the

ultimate advaita – so say the great rishis and saints who have gone through it all! Go back

now and enjoy the imagery in shloka No.12, where the divine damsels in order to

understand the beauty of ambaal, imagine their oneness with Lord Shiva and expect to get

a glimpse of the full beauty of ambaa.

Thus in this single shloka, the Acharya has brought in advaitam and dvaitam,

philosophy as well as a delightful pun, service to the Lord as well as the concept of the

nAyikA (beloved of the Lord) bhAva -- all blended together.

To top it all we have one more thing to enjoy about this shloka. This is in the fourth

line. It talks about the Divinities like Vishnu, BrahmA and Indra falling at the feet of the

Goddess and the divine feet get the nIrAjana (Reverential waving of Lights) from such

great Gods. In fact Soundaryalahari has three such nIrAjanas. One in this shloka, one in

shloka 30 and one in the very last shloka (#100).

The situation in #30 is not the accidental utterance of words of Shloka 22, which

meant identification with the Absolute in the generous interpretation of the poet. There it is

not just any one, ‘yah’. He is not even just a devotee and a scholar. It is far more than that.

He has risen above the ‘dAsohaM’ stage and has reached the ‘sohaM’ stage. It is the stage

where the conviction that ‘I am one with You’ (= ‘tvAm-aham iti sadA bhAvayati yah’). He

lives in that continuous identification with the Absolute. To such a one, says the Acharya

(in #30), even the Cosmic Fire of Dissolution is just a nIrAjana (waving of Lights) only.

Because it is so to the Mother Goddess. And it is therefore also so to one who has

continually identified with Her.

The third ‘nIrAjana’ comes in the very last shloka where the Acharya offers this

Soundaryalahari itself as a waving of Lights to that Sun-like Light, that is the ambaa

Herself in Her capacity as the Source of all Speech and Learning. The words of the

Soundaryalahari are words which emanated from Her. So Her own words form the

nIrAjana to Her.

These three nIrAjanas can be classified as one for Creation, one for Sustenance and

one for Dissolution. But not in that order. They come in the order: Sustenance, Dissolution

and Creation. The devi-praNava is ‘umA’. The letters come in the order: ‘u’ (which is the

letter for Sustenance, for it represents Vishnu ); ‘ma’ (which is the letter for Dissolution,

for it represents Rudra) and ‘a’ (which is the letter for Creation, for it represents

BrahmA). The first nIrAjana talks about the worship by Vishnu, BrahmA and Indra. It is

significant that this listing of the divines begins with Vishnu, thus indicating that we are

talking about the nIrAjana meant as an offering of the Sustenance function. The second

nIrAjana (#30) corresponds to the Dissolution function is already built into the very words

‘the conflagration of Cosmic Dissolution proves only to be the nIrAjana’ (“mahA-

samvartAgnir-viracayati nIrAjana-vidhiM”).

How does the third nIrAjana (#100) correspond to the Creation function? I shall

explain this now.

Thus spake the Paramacharya.

- 41 -

(Digest of pp.974- 979 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

The waving of lights that is mentioned in the last shloka, the third nIrAjanaM of the

whole work, has a specific reason. The Acharya says that the entire work is actually Hers,

and therefore it is fitting, he says, to visualise the work itself as a nIrAjanaM to the goddess.

Mother Goddess created this universe out of Her own wish and imagination. In the same

way though the poet may have created this work, the words are actually Hers and so She is

the Origin for the work. So from that Infinite source of Light, a fragment of a lighted

camphor is taken out and used as nIrAjanaM to Her, through this work. In other words the

whole work shows only a fragment of Her Infiniteness. And that is why the third

nIrAjanaM (Shloka 100) corresponds to Creation. Thus Soundaryalahari has three

wonderful nIrAjanaMs built into it.

Let us now come back to shloka 22, where the first nIrAjanaM is taking place. The

nIrAjanaM here is nothing but the dazzle of the crowns in the heads of BrahmA, VishNu

and Indra.

The interesting point here is the omission of Rudra, the third of the Divine Triad. If

you are talking of the divine cosmic functions, the triad must include Rudra, certainly. But

the purpose here is different. It is to show the supremacy of Mother Goddess over

everything. The three divines mentioned here are, Indra, the King who maintains the

divine world, Vishnu, the One who maintains the entire world, and Brahma, the One

Creator to whom all the divines and all the universe make their first appeal, whenever

there is a universal crisis. So the maintenance of the created world is the thing in question

here. That is why I told you earlier that this nIrAjanaM is the ‘sthiti-nIrAjanaM’ (the

waving of lights corresponding to the Sustenance function). For that very reason also,

Rudra, the God of Dissolution function, is not mentioned.

Further there is an esoteric purpose. The attributeless brahman transcends the

three qualities satva, rajas and tamas. Of these three, the first is usally associated with the

Sustenance Function and with Vishnu. The second, with the Creation function and

BrahmA. The third is associated with the Dissolution function and with Rudra. In the case

of jIva, the same three are the waking state (where we do the maintenanace function of

carrying on the activities of life), the dream state (wherein we, out of our own mind, create

endless varieties) and the deep sleep state (wherein all is quiet and is dissolved). But even

in that deep sleep state, there is a life within, which is unaffected by any of the three; that is

the turIyaM, familiarly called ‘caturthaM’ (the fourth) in Mandukya Upanishad. The three

states of awareness – waking, dream, sleep – pertain to the jIva; therefore it is what

happens in the microcosm (the ‘pinDa’). The three states of Creation, Sustenance and

Dissolution, pertain to the Ishvara; this is what happens in the macrocosm (the ‘aNDa’).

The fourth, ‘turIyaM’, is common to both. That ‘turIyaM’ or attributeless brahman,

which is the substratum behind the saguNa-brahman, that is Ishvara, is the very same

‘turIyam’ that lies as the ‘Atman’ , the substratum of the three states of the jIva.

Why did I get into all this metaphysics? It is to tell you that the ‘samhAra’ state,

namely ‘Dissolution’ is what is nearest to the turIya, the Brahman. Neither in the jAgrat

(waking) nor in the svapna (dream) is the jIva as restful and unperturbed as in the turIya-

samAdhi state. But he is so in the sushhupti (deep sleep) state. But again that calm that he

obtains in the sushhupti state is not an ‘experiential’ calm. It is so only in the ‘samAdhi’

state. That is of course true. However, when compared to the jAgrat and svapna states, the

sushhupti state is the one nearest to the turIya-samAdhi state. In the Cosmic level also, it is

the samhAra-rudra that is nearer to the peace of para-brahman than the Creator BrahmA

or the Maintainer Vishnu. It is that para-brahman that is called ‘Shivam’ in the ShAkta

literature. Rudra is samhAra-mUrti, Ishvara is the tirodhAna-mUrti who is responsible for

the mAyA phenomenon and SadAshiva is the anugraha-mUrti, responsible for the grant of

moksha. And then beyond the three there is the para-brahman that is shivaM. In spite of

this classification, in general parlance and tradition, rudra, Ishvara, SadAshiva and

Shivam are usually identified as the same whereas the creator brahmA and the sthiti-kartA

Vishnu are taken only as brahmA and VishNu.

What we have said about Shiva also applies to Mother Goddess. The parA-shakti

which is the fullest dynamic expression (shakti) of para-brahman, is usually talked about as

identical with Parvati, the consort of Rudra but not Sarasvati or Lakshmi. Even in

Soundaryalahari She is addressed as ‘hima-giri-sute’ or ‘tuhina-giri-tanaye’ and not as

Sarasvati or Lakshmi.

The bottomline of it all is this. It is only for Rudra there is an identity with Shiva;

not for the murtis BrahmA or VishNu. Here the context is the nIrAjanaM in the form of

the crowns falling at the feet of ambaa. And in this context it was not decent to bring in

Shiva or Rudrain this part of Soundaryalahari where the emphasis is on philosophy and

tantra. In the later part, where there is a free licence for poetic imagination, we have

instances where even Shiva falls at the feet of the Goddess, the context however being that

of Love.

It may be pointed out, in objection to what I have said above, that even in this first

part, in shloka 25, it says: “It is enough to make one offering at Your feet. That itself is

equivalent to an offering to the divine triad. Because they have placed their heads at your

feet in obeisance, the offering at your feet to your feet is also automatically made to those three.”

But a careful study of shloka 25 tells a different story.

- 42 –

(Digest of pp.978 - 981 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

I was telling you about the non-mention of Rudra in shloka #22. And that led me on

to shloka #25, which we shall scrutinise now in order to understand that, in keeping with

the esoteric nature of Anandalahari, the subtlety of the pati-patni relationship between the

murtis of shiva and ambaa has not been damaged there. For there is not even a loophole

therein to bring the identity of Rudra and Shiva.

(Note: Though the Paramacharya does not get into

Shloka #25 in detail, in order for us to understand

the key point he makes about it, I give below

my own word-by-word translation of #25,

for the benefit of readers. VK)

trayANAM devAnAM triguNa-janitAnAM tava shive

bhavet-pUjA pUjA tava caraNayor-yA viracitA /

tathA hi tvat-pAdodvahana-maNipIThasya nikaTe

sthitA hyete shashvan-mukullita-karottamsa-makuTAH // 25 //

yA pUjA : The worship

viracitA : done

tava caraNayoH : at They Feet

bhavet : becomes, as it were,

pUjA : the worship

trayANAmM devAnAM : of all the three deities (Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra)

tava triguNa-janitAnAM : who were born of Thy three guNas

tathA hi: Indeed it is this way.

Ete : These gods

sthitAH shashvat ; are stationed, ever,

maNipIThasya nikaTe : in proximity to the seat of gems

tvat-padodvahana : that bear Thy feet

mukulita-karottamsa-makuTAH: with their joined palms held (in salutation to Thee)

above their diademed heads

[Now we shall go back to

the Paramacharya’s explanations: VK)

The three divinities mentioned here are referred to as “triguNa-janitAnAM”,

meaning, ‘those who have their origins in Thy three guNas, satva, rajas and tamas’. Rudra

is the only one who has the tamas as the source. Since he is said to ‘be born’ (janitAnAM)

of tamas, it is tantamount to saying that he is ‘born’ of Her and therefore He is Her

offspring. And this justifies his falling at Her feet. Since the topic here is to say that the

pUjA of the Divine Triad (born of Her guNas) is actually embedded (included, implied) in

the pUjA of Mother Goddess, the deity Rudra, who is generally equated with Shiva, has to

be included here. But whenever one wants to develop the theme that even great divines

worship the devI, (as in shloka 22) one uses Mukunda, BrahmA and Indra without

mentioning any of the names Rudra, Shiva or Ishvara which names are identified with

Shiva. All the divines disappear in the Grand Dissolution, while the one who doesn’t

disappear even at the time of the Dissolution, is not here at the scene of falling at the feet!

Lest I forget, let me now itself dwell on a subtle point regarding the nIrAjanaM

corresponding to the Grand Dissolution (mahA-pralaya) (shloka 30).

(Again, as before, I give below the shloka #30

and its meaning, though the Paramacharya

does not choose to give the word-by-word meaning: VK)

svadehodbhUtAbhir-ghRNibhir-aNimAdyAbhir-abhito

nishhevye nitye tvAm-aham-iti sadA bhAvayati yaH /

kim AshcaryaM tasya trinayana-samRddhiM tRNayatA

mahA-samvartAgnir-viracayati nIrAjana-vidhiM //30//

nitye : Oh the Eternal One,

nishhevye : Oh the One adored by all,

yah : He who

sadA : always

bhAvayati : thinks of (meditates on)

tvAM : You

abhitaH : (You, who are) surrounded

ghRNibhiH : by rays

svadehodbhUtAbhiH : emanating from one’s own body

aNimAdhyAbhiH : such as aNimA and the like,

aham iti : as “I”,

kim Ashcaryam : What wonder is there (meaning, No wonder) that

tasya : for him

triNayatA : (who) makes into insignificance

trinayana-samRddhiM : the glory of the three eyed (Shiva),

mahA-samvartAgniH : The Great Fire of Dissolution

viracayati : is (only) a performance of

nIrAjana-vidhiM : the rite of waving of Lights.

The content here is this: Those who meditate with a complete (advaitic)

identification with ambaa, are themselves offered the nIrAjanaM by the Fire of the Grand

Dissolution. But in an earlier shloka, (#26), it is said that BrahmA, Vishnu and all other

divines disappear at the time of that mahA-pralaya, but Shiva alone remains, sporting with

Her. The question now arises: How come, in shloka 30, it talks as if the ‘tvAm-aham’

worshippers (that is, those who have identified themselves with Mother Goddess) survive

during the Great Dissolution and receive the nIrAjanaM of the mahA-pralaya?

Yes, it is alright --, in the following sense. If they had been different from ambaa,

they would have certainly been destroyed in the Dissolution. But they are in advaitic

oneness with ambaa. They are the ‘tvAm-aham’ upAsakas. They are the ‘I am one with

You’ entitites. In other words they are one with the devi. Of course this devi is not the

attributeless (nirguNa) one. How can there be a nIrAjanaM for the nirguNa? The first line

of Shloka 30 means ‘You who are surrounded by divine powers like aNimA, which are all

rays emanating from Your own body’. This itself says we are talking of the saguNa form

only here. The identity or oneness (sAyujyaM) that is talked about here is the same as the

‘bhavAni-tvam’ idea of shloka 22.

But again one may question: ‘Then, why are they talked about as separate and as if

they are separately receiving the nIrAjanaM of the Fire of Dissolution?’. Though they may,

in their identity with the Mother, have a feeling that they are themselves doing the play of

Dissolution, along with that, there will be a symbiotic feeling of appreciation and bliss at

the sight of the divine leelA taking place right before them.

Let us note clearly that never can a jIvAtmA attain the identity of being the doer of

Creation, Sustenance and Dissolution. To be in that kind of complete oneness with the saguNa-brahman in total advaitic identification is an impossibility. The peak of experience

can only be the ‘feeling’ as if it is itself doing the activities of the saguNa-brahman. The

feeling can be very deep and profound. But never can it become the original. In order to

compensate for this gap in complete identification, one is graced by Ishvara with this apex-

like experience of being witness to the divine deeds. In fact, let me venture to say, that the

very purpose of being a saguNa brahman may well be to grant this experience to that single

one in a million!

- 43 –

(Digest of pp.982 - 987 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

The very deed of ambaa in keeping some people on the border of duality and non-duality is

probably for the purpose of making them see the Cosmic Play of Dissolution. Naturally

such people will not be engulfed in that play of Dissolution, because they are themselves

privileged spectators of the play! These are the “I-am-one-with-You” people (of shloka 30).

Even when it is said in shloka 26 that He (Shiva) is the only one who survives the praLaya,

the “I-am-one-with-You” people who are those in identification with Shakti are, by the

very reason of their being very privileged spectators of the Pralaya, are not consumed by

the pralaya. They are one with Her. There is no contradiction between the shlokas.

This concept of ‘being consumed by pralaya’ needs further clarification. Though we use the

word ‘Shiva’ generally, so long as He is the ‘Kameshvara’ or the attributeless ‘shivam’ He

cannot be consumed by pralaya. But when He is one of the divine triad, as the Rudra in

charge of Dissolution, or the Maheshvara in charge of the ‘tirodhAna’ function, or the

SadAshiva of the ‘anugraha’ function, he will not be there after the pralaya, because there

is no pancha-kRtyam (the five Cosmic Functions) once the pralaya is over. The

Kameshvara who is non-distinct from ambaa, and the nirguNa-shivam which is the

substratum of them both are the only ones which are there. The eternal truth and existence

of nirguNa-satyaM need not have to be re-emphasized or re-affirmed. So when we talk of

who survives the pralaya it is only ambaa and the Kameshvara-shiva who is One with Her.

This is what is referred to in Shloka 26 when it says “viharati sati tvat-patirasau” (meaning,

‘Your husband alone is in the play’). Read along with the word “para-brahma-mahishhi”

(Shloka 97), we should have meant only the para-brahman by the word ‘tvat-patiH’ in #26.

But in the case of para-brahman, there is no question of any action like ‘playing or

sporting’ (“viharati”); that is why the interpretation of ‘Kameshvara-shiva’ (who is non-

distinct from ambaa) for “tvat-patiH” in Shloka 26.

In the shloka where it talks of the ‘I-am-one-with-You’-people it says even the ‘wealth or

prosperity’ of Shiva Himself is nothing before them. With great gymnastics of sound effect

it says: “trinayana-samRddhiM triNayataH” (that is, even the majesty of the three-eyed

One is like straw before the wind). Why was it said like this? Shiva might be Ishvara; but

the ‘aishvarya’ (Wealth) that gave Him that name, came from the parA-shakti. Without

Her action, there is no Shiva, no Wealth of any kind for Him. Even if there was anything in

terms of authority or jurisdiction, He shares it with so many other divinities to each of

whom She has allotted responsibilities as well as the associated authority and wealth of

Power. On the other hand, the ‘I-am-one-with-You’ people are one with Her and so they

enjoy all Her aishvarya in fullness. So they are the greater ones!

I must warn you here. Let us not be carried away by this poetic devotional exaggeration.

There is no separate identity for either of Ishvara and devi. In fact what is Hers is His and

what is His is Hers.

A final subtle point. I just talked about the greatness of the ‘I-am-one-with-You’-people.

But notice that they are not saying ‘You are one with me’; that is where there is also a

modesty revealed. One of the mahA-vakyas is ‘aham brahma asmi’ that is, ‘I am brahman’.

Another is: ‘ayam Atma brahman’, that is, ‘This Atman, in other words, what is cognised

as jIvAtman, is nothing but brahman’. These two mahA-vAkyas and the essence of ‘I-am-

one-with-You’ of shloka 30 are all the same. However, those who look only at the word-

sequence of the mahAvAkyas, are likely to misunderstand them as saying : “The person

who is in this jIva-bhava is calling himself brahman’ – instead of correctly understanding:

“It is brahman that is this jivAtma”.

But when the mahAvakya comes forth from the mouth of the Guru it creates no such

confusion. Because it says: “That is what you are” and clearly implies ‘That has become

you’. In fact it indicates “Without you there is nothing to be called ‘I’”. And thus modesty

is automatically oozing out here. This is what the conviction ‘I am one with You’ also

disseminates. Along with it, there is also the grandeur of the association with the

aishvarya of the Almighty. All these ideas have gone into the Acharya’s expressive line

‘trinayana-samRddhiM triNayataH’.

The bottom line is this: The jIva which is in identity with the Mother Goddess and the Lord

who is non-distinct from Her, both are ever there.

I referred to shloka 26 above. It talks about how when everything and every one gets

dissolved in the pralaya, only the Lord Shiva along with ambaa are remaining in sport. It

mentions the disappearance of the others one by one. The Creator BrahmA reaches his

end. Vishnu arrives at a dead stop. The God of Death (“kInAsha”) himself dies (“

vinAshaM bajati”). The Divine Treasurer (“dhanadaH”) also perishes without any help

from all his wealth (“nidhanam yaati”). Notice the gymnastics in the poetry here, which

describes the gymnastic sport of the divine couple during the process of Dissolution of the

Universe. Even during such a great pralaya (mahA-samhAra), ambaa’s spouse (“patiH”)

alone survives! Reason: Your tATanka-mahimA. This is what is taken up in shloka 28.

- 44 –

(Digest of pp.987 -993 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

sudhAm-apy-AsvAdya prati-bhaya-jarA-mRtyu hariNIM

vipadyante vishve vidhi shatamakhAdyA divishhadaH /

karALaM yat kshhvelaM kabaLitavataH kAla-kalanA

na shambhos-tan-mUlaM tava janani tATangka-mahimA // 28 //

AsvAdya api : Even after having consumed

sudhAm : the nectar

prati-bhaya-jarA-mRtyu-hariNIM : (which) eradicates the dreadful old age and death

vishve divishhadaH : all the divines

vidhi-shatamakhAkhyAH : like BrahmA, Indra and others

vipadyante : meet their end (at the time of pralaya).

Yat : (But) the fact that

shambhoH : for Lord Shiva

kabalitavataH : who had consumed

karALaM kshhvelaM : the terrible poison (of KalakuTa)

kAla-kalanA na : there is no submission to Time

tan-mUlaM : has its reason (in)

janani : Oh Mother

tava tATangka-mahimA : the Glory of Your ear-ornament (tATangka).

We have always been led to believe that some one who has consumed he most dreadful

poison has to meet his end, whereas some one who has taken the nectar will be immortal.

What is happening here is exactly the reverse. All the divines who had partaken of the

nectar have all to disappear at the Deluge whereas the Lord who has consumed the most

dreadful hAlAhala, is standing as the lonely survivor after the Deluge.

What is more, this partition of the Lord on the one side and all the other divines on the

other side is also happening in the context of Service to the Mother Goddess. Mukunda,

Brahma and Indra and all those divines fall at Her feet with their crowns touching Her feet

(#22), while the crownless dweller of the burial ground is distinguished as unique. The

punchline of this remark is that those who fell at Her feet are destroyed in the praLaya, but

He who did not so prostrate before Her is unaffected by the praLaya!

There is even another shloka (#29) which says that She runs to welcome the one who did

not serve, and while so running, tramples on the crowns of those that chose to serve Her

and fall at Her feet!

[Since the Paramacharya elaborates rather lengthily

on this reference to shloka 29 here,

I am giving it here with meanings and all,

though he has not yet finished his discussion of #28. VK ]

kirITaM vairinchaM parihara puraH kaiTabha-bhidaH

kaThore koTIre skhalasi jahi jambhAri-makuTaM /

praNamreshh-veteshhu prasabham-upayAtasya bhavanaM

bhavasyA-bhyutthAne tava parijanoktir-vijayate // 29 //

vijayate : Remarkable (= to be noted) are

tava parijanoktiH : the words of your maids-in-attendance,

abhyuthAne : at the hasty stir to welcome

bhavasya : Lord Shiva

upayAtasya : (who) had come

bhavanaM : home

prasabham : suddenly, unannounced.

praNamreshhu eteshhu : “Amidst all these prostrating (divines)

parihara : avoid

vairincham kirITam : the crown of Creator Brahma;

purah : in front (of you)

skhalasi : you are trampling (over)

kaThore koTire : the heavy crown

kaitabha-bhidaH : of ‘the enemy of Kaitabha’ ( = ‘Vishnu’)

jahi : (also) avoid

jambhAri makuTam : the crown of ‘the enemy of jambha’ (= ‘Indra’)”.

Among the many names of the Creator Brahma, the Acharya most often uses the name

‘virinchi’ (See shlokas nos.1, 2 and 12 for example). The word ‘rinchati’ means ‘creates’ .

The prefix ‘vi’ before the word adds a special effect to that action indicated by ‘rinchati’. In

other words, Creator Brahma does the creation work most effectively and with dedication.

Therefore he is ‘virinchi.

‘Kaitabha-bhit’ denotes the One who vanquished the asura Kaitabha; therefore it is Vishnu.

When He was in yoga-nidrA, the asuras Madhu and Kaitabha attacked the Lord BrahmA,

patent in the region of the divine navel of Lord Vishnu. And Brahma sang a song of praise

of lord Vishnu so that He may wake up. The Lord obliged by shaking up the Goddess

Yoga-nidrA, and vanquished the two asuras. Goddess Yoga-NidrA is none else but the

Mother Goddess. It is quite fitting therefore that Vishnu is remembered here as Kaitabha-

vid; because it is Kaitabha that connects Vishnu, Brahma and parA-shakti in the same

cosmic event.

His (Vishnu’s) crown is not just an ordinary one. It is solid, not hollow in its material. Why

is it solid? The reason comes in the stotra called ‘Vishnu-pAdAdi-keshAnta-stotra’ of the

Acharya himself. “kRta-makuTa-mahAdeva-linga-pratishhTe’ meaning thereby that the

crown of Vishnu is in the form of a shiva-linga. Now comes the ironical situation!. It is this

crown that the maids-in-attendance of ambaa are wanting her not to trample over. It is the

shiva-linga-formed crown on the head of Vishnu that is now at the feet of ambaa! And that

is what She is about to trample, in her hurry to welcome Her Lord, when He arrives home

suddenly. When Bhakti and Love are in full flood, as in the case of Kannappar’s

behaviour, none can default any action, even if it looks like one that is faulty!

The context in which this happens is still more interesting. Bhava is returning to his

bhavanam – this is the context. Bhava means Shiva. Bhavanam means home. He is

returning home unexpectedly and ambaa, as soon as She became aware of this, She hastens

to welcome Him – in the tradition of a traditional pati-vratA. ‘prasabhaM’ means in great

haste and excitement’. And here comes a word ‘abhyuthAnaM’ that has great significance.

‘abhyuthAnaM adharmasya’ – does it not ring a bell? It is the Lord’s promise in the Gita,

that he will come whenever there is a damage to dharma. In that context, ‘abhyuthAnam’

means ‘rising to the occasion’. But now Soundaryalahari adds another meaning to that

word ‘abhyuthAnaM’. It also means ‘rising to welcome’ or ‘welcoming’. This sets up an

interesting thought in my mind. Why not we appropriate this meaning in the shloka of the

Gita also. Then it would mean:

abhyuthAnam adharmasya = the welcome offered by adharma.

In other words, to make the Lord come down as an avatar, a welcome strategy would be

adharma. It was the adharma of a Ravana, of a Hiranyakashipu, of a Kamsa that brought

in three great avatars of the Lord!. But let us not carry the analogy too far. We should also

remember what finally happened to these carriers of the welcome banner!

We have strayed too far from the shloka 28, which was our main discussion point. Let us go

back to it now.

- 45 –

(Digest of pp.996-1000, 1015 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

The feat that Shiva survives even the kAla-kUTa poison, that stays in his throat is

the glory of the ear-ornament of ambaa – this is the content of Shloka 28. In other words

Shivaa (meaning, ambaa) is the medicine for Shiva. This thought goes back to the Vedas. In

the Rudram chapter of Krishna Yajur veda, the 2nd

mantram of the 10th

anuvAkam says:

Oh Rudra!, You have a form which includes the most auspicious form of parAshakti,

which is a cure for the entire universe and which is in total unison with your form, let that

bless us to live a full life. In other words, it says there are two bodies for the Lord; when it

shows up as Rudra it is frightening (“ghora”). When it shows up as Shiva it is

“auspicious”, because He has also this other body which is the one in unison with Shivaa

(ambaa).

[Note by VK: The Paramacharya does not usually

quote vedic passages in public during his speeches,

though he may give the purport of such passages.

This is the mantram that he is referring to:

yA te rudra shivaa tanuuH shivaa vishvAha bheshhajI /

shivaa rudrasya bheshhajI tayaa no mRDa jIvase //]

In the world of duality, there is good as well as bad. Both come from the same

Absolute Reality that is God. It is not as if one comes from God and the other comes from

Satan. This is not acceptable to our scriptures. The same Almighty is the Rudra of

destruction and is also the most compassionate, most peaceful Shiva.

When we talk of the ‘ghora’ form, the word ‘ghora’ includes all that is bad like

‘anger’, ‘sorrow’ etc., though the direct meaning of ‘ghora’ is ‘frightful’. The opposite

form called ‘aghora-mUrti’ includes all that is good. When we look at worldly life, we have

the feeling it is ‘bad’ that is predominant. That is why our elders call this ‘samsAra’ a

‘ghora-samsAra’. But it is not totally ‘ghoram’ nor does it end as ‘ghoram’. Now and then

some peace, some happiness is mixed up with it. This is like a medicine which is graced to

us by the Lord. Probably it is divine will that this worldly life has to be a mixed life of good

and bad. Maybe ‘bad’ is intended to be more in abundance, so that we would all want to

get away from this and reach our Real Nature of Atman. I said ‘Maybe’ because how can

anybody know what was the ‘divine intention’?

Just as there are medicines for diseases, for this ‘ghora’ events of life, there is a

medicine of ‘shivam’! But even that does not cure the illness totally. We get hungry and we

eat to satisfy the hunger. But hunger is not for ever satisfied! Again we get hungry and

again we have to eat! So also the ‘ghora’ part of life comes again and again and the shivam

part gives us the medicine every time. That medicine is called ‘SHIVAA’ -- say the vedas.

They say: “Oh Lord! Do you know what converts your Rudra-body into the ‘shiva-body’?

It is the ‘extended shiva’, namely ‘SHIVAA’. Therefore ‘SHIVAA’ is also the universal cure

for everything!” This is the declaration of the mantram from Rudram referred to above.

The matter does not end there. She is not just “vishva-bheshhajI” . The Shruti

continues: “She is also ‘Rudrasya bheshhajI’, the medicine that will bring down the

‘roudra’ (=frightening) nature of Rudra and transform it into a ‘karuNa’ (=

compassionate) nature”.

Indeed we think that Shivaa is just the consort of Shiva and that is why She has

been called Shivaa. But the above words of the vedas go to the extent of saying that only

when the medicine of ‘Shivaa’ is applied to Rudra, Rudra becomes ‘Shiva’ ! It is further

confirmed by the fact that the auspicious form of Rudra is not referred to by the masculine

term ‘Shiva tanuu’ (the Shiva body) but it is declared to be the feminine word ‘Shivaa

tanuu’. Thus the body is the one coming from the Mother concept. So the attitude is that of

the mother, and the physical form is the father’s. It is the Shivaa bheshhajI that converts

Rudra into Shiva.

The incident of Shiva drinking the poison that came out from the Ocean of Milk,

and retaining it in his throat, for the purpose of saving those of the world outside, namely

all the divines and those in his Cosmic stomach, namely the entire universe, is graphically

pictured in a Sivanandalahari shloka (#32), wherein the poet-author (The Acharya)

wonders “Was it a ‘siddha-gulika’ that you put into your mouth?”. Siddha-gulika refers to

a medicine from the Siddha-vaidya-shAstra. It is interesting to note that this links well with

the ‘bheshhajI’’-word (bheshhaja – medicine; bheshhajI – Doctor) that is being used here

in the veda-mantra.

This idea that the Lord has within Himself another body which is wholly that of

Shivaa and the usual idea that the Lord has an ardha-nArishvara (half-male, half-female)

form are together combined in another shloka (#23) where ambaa is branded as one who

has appropriated for Herself the entire body of Her husband! :

tvayA hRtvA vAmaM vapur-aparitRptena manasA

sharIrArdhaM shambhor-aparaM api shangke hRtam abhUt /

yad-etat-tvad-rUpaM sakalam aruNAbhaM trinayanaM

kuchAbhyAm AnamraM kuTila-shashi-chUDAla-makuTaM //23//

yad-etad : The fact that

tvad-rUpaM : this form of Yours

sakalam aruNAbhaM : is fully red

trinayanam : (and) having three eyes

kuchAbhyAm Anamram : (and) is bent because of the breasts

kuTila-shashi-chUDAla-makuTaM : incomplete-moon-hair dress-crown , meaning,

(and) having a crown of hairdo with the half moon in it,

shangke : makes me doubt (that)

vAmaM vapuH hRtvA : having taken the left side of the body

aparitRptena manasA : but not being satisfied (with it),

aparaM sharIrArdhaM : another half of the body

shambhoH : of Shiva

api : also

hRtaM abhUt : has been appropriated

tvayA : by You

Thus spake the Paramacharya.

- 46 -

(Digest of pp.1015 -1027 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

The very beginning of the shloka “tvayA hRtvA” brands ambaa as a ‘thief’! You have already appropriated half of His body. And you were not satisfied. Now You have appropriated the other half also.

The gymnastics of words is delightful. In ‘aparitRptena’ there is an ‘apari’. This is is in the first line. In the second line there is ‘aparam’. This latter means ‘other’. But ‘apari’ is the opposite of ‘pari’. ‘pari-

tRptena’ means: by one who is fully satisfied. The ‘pari’ stands for ‘fully’. So ‘apari-tRptena’ means: by one who is not satisfied fully. Having taken only half the body how can She have a ‘full’ satisfaction? She had only a partial satisfaction ! That is what is indicated by the ‘apari-tRptena’.

It is the left side of the Lord’s body that belongs to ambaa. This is the age-old tradition. That is how the Acharya expected to see ambaa when he sought Her darshan. But what did he see? He expected to have a darshan of Father and Mother in the ardha-nArishvara form. But what he saw was the Mother’s form, including the right side. Father is crystal-white and Mother is crimson-red. But what he saw was “sakalam aruNAbham” – fully crimson-red. He expected to see a masculine form on the right side, but what he saw was “kuchAbhyAm-Anamram”. So the Acharya concludes -- in poetic fancy, of course – that the other (right) half of Shiva’s masculine body also has been taken over by ambaa. Note that Shiva Himself is described in the vedas as “taskarANAm patiH” – the head of all the thiefs! But ambaa has executed a theft on Himself, by stealing the other remaining half of His body – though She had been, with great condescension, given half of His body (the left side) already!

And it is delightfully interesting to note that the poet in the Acharya does not say that “the other half of the body has also been captured”. He dares not, even in poetic fancy, make that charge assertively against ambaa. He only says “shangke” – ‘I suspect’ !

Let us analyse it still further. When one says ‘I suspect’, one should give reasons. He has already given two reasons: ‘Wholly crimson-red’ is one; ‘the features of the chest’ is another. But this is not enough. To support his charge further, he gives two more, which clinch the issue. These are the two features: “trinayanam” (three eyes) and “kuTila-shashi-chUDAla-makuTaM” (crown that includes the half moon in it). These two are

exclusively the features of Lord Shiva. His name, even according to the vedas is ‘tryambaka’. In the preliminary mantras to the rudra-prashna, the dhyAna-shloka beginning with “ApAtALa-nabhasthalAntha ...” the second line describes Him as “jyoti-sphATika-linga-mouli-vilasat-

pUrnendu ..” which means that as the shiva-linga, He has the full moon on His top. When the same devatA is figured anthropomorphically as a Person, He would have on His head, only a half moon . Thus the three eyes and the crescent moon ‘belong’ to the Lord. But when the Acharya had the darshan he saw both these in ambaa Herself!

In fact the darshan he had was of Kameshvari, the devatA of Soundaryalahari. Kameshvari has a third eye in Her forehead. In the meditating shloka of LalitA-sahasranAma, the shloka begins with ‘sindhUra-aruNa-vigrahAM’. The sindhUra colour ascribed to the form here is the crimson-red colour, indicated by ‘sakalaM aruNAbhaM’ in our current shloka. Following that, the dhyAna-shloka goes on next to “trinayanam” (three eyed). Thus the red colour and the three eyes are

natural to the form of Kameshvari. But in the present shloka (#23) the Acharya takes the stance, in his poetry, that the former (namely, the red colour) is naturally Hers, whereas the latter (namely, the three eyes) has been appropriated from the Lord’s form!

Continuing the dhyAna-shloka, we have the expression “tArA-nAyaka-shekharAm” meaning, ‘who has the Moon on Her head’. This the Acharya has used in his shloka as ‘kuTila-shashi-chUDAla-makuTAM’.

Thus the Acharya has made a nindA-stuti (Praise by pointing out faults) of ambaa by using the same four characteristics which ambaa has, according to the dhyAna-shloka, namely, red colour, three eyes, crescent moon on the head and the feminine form. But two of them he says ambaa has appropriated from the Lord. In fact it is the Acharya who has appropriated two of the four all of which rightfully belong to Her, by accusing Her of appropriating those two from Her Lord.

It is not that the Acharya did not know. He certainly would know that all four are natural characteristics of LalitAmbA. “trinayanA” (‘The three-eyed’) is one of Her names occurring in the LalitA-sahasranAma. “chAru-chandra-kalAdharA” is also another. In ShymALA-danDaka of Kalidasa,

we have him addressing Her as “chandra-kalAvatamse” (She who has ornamented Her head with the Crescent Moon). Thus ambaa does have these two characteristics as Her own. In pictures of olden times I have myself seen Her being depicted thus. But the ordinary commonfolk still think that the concepts of ‘three eyes’ and ‘crescent moon on the head’ are exclusively those of Lord Shiva. And, the Acharya, in his poetic excitement, joins the commonfolk and creates a ‘nindA-stuti’!

There is still another angle! The shloka under discussion revels in the idea of ambaa having appropriated the Lord’s characteristics and also his right half. But the poetic world knows that it is the other way round. It is the Lord who has appropriated Her characteristics and legitimately what is due to Her!

In the ardha-nArishvara form the third eye is common to both the masculine and the feminine forms. It is by the third eye He consumed Manmatha, the God of Love, to ashes. So the credit of that consumption should go half and half to both the Lord and ambaa. But who is known as Kama-dahana-mUrti? It is He. Similarly when KAla, the God of Death, was attempting to get the Shiva-devotee MarkanDeya into his death-noose, he was vanquished by the left leg of the Lord, and thus He has earned the name ‘Kala-samhAra-mUrti’ and known as such as the world over. But the left leg in the ardha-nArIshvara form actually belongs to ambaa and so the credit for vanquishing Kala should go wholly to ambaa. Thus on both counts it is He that should be faulted for appropriation and not She!

Well, we could go on like this. But the final essence of all this discussion is that there is no appropriation on either side. It is all One form and One Supreme. The Lord’s form is totally in Her and Her form is totally in His. LalitA Herself is ‘Shiva-shakty-aikya-rUpiNI’; this advaita is the

bottomline of the whole thing.

[At this point the Paramacharya becomes silent

and starts talking in a measured low voice]

Alright, the form is totally red; it is ambaa. But if one begins to look at the form in its various parts, amidst the redness, there is visible only the third eye and the crescent moon at the top. That reminds us of the Lord. But if you look for Him He is not there. Nothing except those two characteristics of His are visible. It is probably this experience that prompted the Acharya to say:

[Now the Paramacharya raises his voice]

“ Oh! You got half the body as your own; and now you have taken over the whole body”!

None can partition the Shiva-experience. You cannot have it piecemeal; you have to have the whole of it. This is what ambaa has done!

- 47 –

(Digest of pp.1028 -1032 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

japo jalpaH shilpaM sakalam-api mudrA-virachanA

gatiH prAdakshhiNya-kramaNam ashanAdy-Ahuti vidhiH /

praNAmaH samveshaH sukhaM akhilaM AtmArpaNa-dRshA

saparyA paryAyaH tava bhavatu yan-me vilasitaM // 27 //

(The word-by-word meaning comes out in the Paramacharya’s explanation itself; so it is

not given separately)

Whatever actions we do everything must be in dedication to ambaa – this is the sum and

substance of this shloka. Worship, japam, showing mudrAs by the fingers of the hand,

circumambulation, prostration, offering in the fire with the chanting of mantras in

propitiation of ambaa – all these are usually done in honour of ambaa by Her devotees.

Yes, all these have to be done. But the matter should not end there. Doing all this for a

portion of the time, and then for the rest of the time getting fully immersed in material

matters of the world, is exactly what should be avoided. It is not like ‘A few hours for

ambaa; and the rest of the time for me and my worldly activities’. All the time everything

should become a worship, everything should be a japam, a homam and an offering. That is

how we should change our life style. Not only the devotees, but all should be able to do this.

But how is this possible? Is this feasible? Don’t I have to bathe? Don’t I have to eat, sleep,

mix with people, do my work in the world? I hear you are all raising these questions

immediately. You may say that even the great so-called jnAnis (enlightened ones) are

certainly doing all these routine activities of worldly life. So what is wrong?

Let it be. She as the Divine Mother has to perform Her leelA. That is alright. But how is it

that the jnAnis, who know it is all Her leelA, are still working in the mundane world? You

should also be like those jnAnis. Be in the world, not of the world. Maybe it is not possible

just immediately. But gradually, you can train yourself to be so. Effort and constant

practice are needed. For the present, start convincing yourself that your bathing, eating,

talking, sleeping, walking, and all these ordinary activities are all happening because of Her Shakti – without which by yourself you cannot do a single thing. Constantly tell

yourself that this is so. Slowly keep widening this belief for evcery action of yours.

When you recognize that you are eating because of the power She has given you to eat, you

would not have the heart to send rubbish stuff into your stomach. When the belief settles in

that it is ambaa that makes you walk, you will hesitate twice before wasting it on going to

the races or the movies. When you know that it is by Her Grace you are talking, you would

not waste it on gossiping or scolding another or discussing disgusting material. When we

are aware of the fact that hands and feet are working because of Her, we would stop using

them for doing wrong things.

Gradually, in due time, this conviction has to spread to your mental activities also. In other

words, the egoistic thought of ‘I am planning this or that’ will give way to the thought ‘Let

Her get this done, if She wishes’. This change in the thought processes is important because

it is through the mind all the mAyic changes and troubles of the world emerge. And they

prevent the nullifying of the mind and the entry into jnAna mArga. Once we transfer the

responsibilities to the Divine Mother, the impact of the mind will slowly disappear.

Thereafter, whether She keeps us talking, walking or eating or She keeps us without any of

these, in any case, we would be peaceful at the bottom of our heart. It is to reach that state,

to pray for that state to be possible, that this shloka has been given to us by the Acharya.

“japo jalpaH”: ‘jalpa’ means talk, whether it is meaningful or not. So all this talk should

be a japam. In other words, it is the state of whatever we talk becoming an offering of

japam for Her.

There are several mantras like ‘BalA’, ‘ShhoDashI’, and ‘panchadashI’. All these mantras

are done in a japa form. We are not saying that they should not be done. But ultimately,

the japa as a separate activity has to disappear and the conviction should occur that

whatever we talk is a japa offering to Her.

“sakalaM shilpam-api mudrA-virachanA”: Whatever I do by my hand, let it be a mudrA

that one does in Your pUjA. Here ‘shilpam’ must be taken to mean any kind of work.

Unfortunately the tamil word ‘shilpam’ means only sculpture. Maybe because Man

produces forms just as the Creator creates human beings.

“gatiH prAdakshhiNya-kramaNaM” : Whatever movement I do let it be a

circumambulation of You. Wherever I go let me have the feeling that I am doing a

pradakshhiNA of You.

“ashanAdi” : food, etc. Since the ‘etc.’ is there it means not only food that is eaten, but food

that is consumed by the other senses like eyes and ears. So all sensual experiences are

covered.

“Ahuti vidhiH” : Let them be the offerings given to the sacred fire lit for You.

In fact all eating is done only after giving the first five morsels to the five prANas. In the

Gita also, the Lord says that He it is who digests the food by being VaishvAnara as

‘JATharAgni’ in the stomach. Once we have the conviction that it is He that is sitting inside

and consuming what we send through the mouth, then we would not be sending in wine

and meat for His consumption. The same logic applies to the sensual consumption by eyes,

ears, skin, and nose. Everything is experienced by Him and so let us dare not send in

undesirable things.

“praNAmas-samveshaH” : Let my very sleeping be a namaskara done to You. Once we

realise that our lying down for rest is nothing but a namaskaram at the feet of ambaa, that

would itself give us total peace and relaxation.

Why carry on this list in detail. It is not necessary to do special japa, homa, namakara and

such rituals. Whatever we naturally do , let it be our pUja to You – this is the meaning of

“sukham akhilam AtmArpaNa-dRshA saparyA paryAyaH tava bhavatu yan me vilasitaM”.

Here “saparyA” means pUjA. “paryAya” has many meanings, one of which is ‘substitute’.

So this gives the meaning: Let whatever I do be a ‘substitute’ for the pUjA to be done to

You.

- 48 –

(Digest of pp.1033 - 1037 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

Note the words “sukham-akhilaM-AtmArpaNa-dRshA” in the third line of shloka 27.

“sukham” means ‘without strain’, ‘naturally’. The word is very significant here. Since our

mind is not in our control, it becomes a great strain to make it subscribe to a moralistic

routine. But if we train our mind to think that everything is the work of ambaaL, the

attempt to become moralistic slips into a natural frame wherein the goal is attained

effortlessly. Because, when we have surrendered everything to Her, the mind starts doing

what is natural to it, namely, it behaves like a pure mind. And that is the road to eternal

happiness.

The words “AtmArpaNa-dRshA” is the life-line of this shloka; not only of this shloka, but of

all Hindu scriptures. This is the Atma-nivedanaM, the last of the nine-fold bhakti

methodologies enunciated in the Bhagavatam. It is also the complete Surrender described

in all Bhakti literature and particularly in the Bhagavad-Gita. The expression literally

means: “By the attitude which is ready to lay one’s life at Her feet”. Only when that

attitude is present, all talk becomes a japa, all action becomes a mudrA, and so on for the

rest. Let things become like this through the attitude of “Atma-samarpaNaM” (laying one’s

life at the feet). The word “bhavatu” in the last line stands for this plea. A person who can

do this surrender, would have his whole life sanctified as a pUjA to Her Almighty.

An exactly analogous thought almost in the same words has been given in “Shiva-mAnasa-

pUjA” by the Acharya himself.

AtmA tvaM girijA matiH sahacarAH prANAH sharIraM gRhaM

pUjA te vishhayopa-bhoga-racanA nidrA samAdhi sthitiH /

sancAraH padayoH pradakshhiNa-vidhiH stotrANi sarvA giro

yad-yat karma karomi tat-tad-akhilaM shambho tavA-rAdhanaM //

You Lord Shiva are my AtmA; my mind is ambikA, the daughter of the Mountain; my five

prANas are the GaNas that serve you; my body is your temple; all my involvement in

sensual experience is your pUjA; my sleep is the samAdhi state; my wanderings on my feet

constitute Your pradakshhiNa; whatever I talk shall be your praises; whatever I do O

shambho, all that shall be a propitiation of You.

Such a dedication of everything at the feet of the Lord is what is prescribed by the Lord in

the Gita:

Yat-karoshhi yad-ashnAsi yaj-juhoshhi dadAsi yat /

Yat-tapasyasi kaunteya tat-kurushhva mad-arpaNaM // IX -27

Whatever you do, whatever you eat, whatever you offer in the homa-fire, whatever you

give away, whatever intense concentration you do – all that should be offered to Me.

“There is nothing that I do” “Good or bad, Am I the doer?” – Such expressions of total

surrender are everywhere in the works of Nayanmars, Alvars and also the saints of other

religions. It is this kind of total surrender that gives the destination of one’s birth, namely,

jIvan-mukti.

What is talked of as ‘the cessation of mind’ in the path of jnAna becomes the ‘total

surrender’ in the path of bhakti. Both are “AtmArpaNaM” only. Both have the same result,

namely, jIvan-mukti – Release (even) while alive!

To sum up, the body does what it does because it is being made to do so by the jIva within

it; so also what all this jIva does is because it is being made to do so by a Supreme jIva-

Shakti behind it and that is the Mother Goddess. For that Shakti, not only this Jiva is the

body but all the jIvas – nay, in fact the entire Universe is the body. So whatever happens in

the Universe is because of Her. Once this idea settles deeply in our minds then there will be

no problem of ‘laying our lives at Her feet’ (Atma-samarpaNaM).

The concept that ambaaL is pervading the whole universe immanently is elaborated in two

shlokas (#34, 35) by the Acharya.

sharIraM tvaM shambhoH shashi-mihira-vakshhoruha-yugaM

tavAtmAnaM manye bhagavati navAtmAnaM anaghaM /

atah sheshhas-sheshhI-ity-ayam-ubhaya-sAdhAraNatayA

sthitas-sambandho vAM sama-rasa-para-nanda-parayoH //34//

Bhagavati : Oh Goddess,

Manye : I think

tvaM : You

shashi-mihira-vakshhoruha-yugaM: (who) have the Sun and the Moon as your breasts,

shambhoH sharIraM : (are) the body of Shiva,

anaghaM : (and) the spotless

navAtmAnaM : (Ananda-bhairava, i.e. Shiva) who has nine facets (of presentation)

tava AtmAnaM : (as) your AtmA.

ataH : Therefore

ayam sambandhaH : this relationship

sheshhaH sheshhI iti : of ‘the accessory’ and ‘the principal’

vAM : between You two

sama-rasa-parAnanda-parayoH : who are ParAnanda and ParA, the enjoyers of the same

Infinite Bliss

sthitaH : is poised

ubhaya-sAdhAraNatayA : as a mutual common factor.

“You are the body of Lord Shiva, O Goddess” – thus begins the verse. Earlier it was said

that the whole body of the Lord has been appropriated by Her. But now are we talking of

the ‘crimson-coloured body with a crescent moon and a third eye’? No. We are talking of

this vast cosmos of million universes which together constitute His virAt-svarUpa (cosmic

form). That cosmic body is ambaaL, says the verse. The life-giving force for that entire

cosmos is the Absolute Reality, the para-Brahman.

Mark it! What is being said here seems to be contrary to what was declared in the very first

shloka “shivaH shaktyA yuktah ...”.Without Shakti, Shiva cannot even move – that was the

statement there. So it appeared as if Shiva is an inert body and ambaaL is the life-giving

force. Here it is being said that She is the body and ...” !

No contradiction is intended or implied. There are two viewpoints.

49 –

(Digest of pp.1038 -1044 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

The first shloka says that She is the soul and He is inert without Her presence. This shloka

(#34) says that He is the soul and She is His body. There are two viewpoints here.

I must have myself said – in interpreting the first shloka – that He is inert without Her. To

be precise, it is not “He is inert without Her”, but “He is inert-like without Her”. The Shiva

that we spoke of in Shloka #1, is the actionless, attributeless, nameless Brahman. That

Brahman can never be called something that is inert, devoid of ‘cit’ or Consciousness. But

it is something to which we cannot attribute the act of cognizing itself. In that sense there is

no ‘awareness’ of being ‘complete-in-itself’. It is in this sense, the word ‘inertness’ is used

when talking of Brahman. So it is ‘as good as inert’. The ‘as if’ part here is the punchline.

The Brahman, that ‘does not know(!) itself’ -- this to become the Brahman that ‘knows’

itself is due to the jnAna-shakti and that is ambaa. It is this jnAna-shakti, that now brings

its own ichhA-shakti and kriyA shakti, and the process of Evolution starts. So the nirguNa-

Brahman, until it ‘knows’ itself, is inert and the shakti that makes it, as it were, know itself,

is its soul – it is in this sense the first shloka talks of ‘He is inert without Her’!

Shloka 34 is talking about ‘kArya brahman’. Ishvara is SaguNa-brahman. When Shakti as

Kameshvari prompts Him, He creates the entire Universe and is involved in the cosmic

functions. It is in this context the entire Universe is His body and the soul within is the

kArya-shakti that is Ishvara. The icchA shakti that is Kameshvari prompts the

Fundamental Reality that is Brahman.

The contention of advaita however is: It is Brahman that, through MayA, becomes saguNa

Brahman which transacts its cosmic functions. There is no separate chaitanyaM (life,

consciousness) for mAyA. It is inert. It gets a chaitanyaM from Brahman, hides Brahman

and projects the universe instead, in Brahman. The administration of this universe takes

place by the same Brahman but now as Ishvara coupled with mAyA.

Brahman is shivaM and ambaa is mAyA – I have already told you so. It is because of mAyA

that the Universe exists. So one can speak of the Universe itself as mAyA and therefore the

form of ambaa. That mAyA is inert; it shines because of brahma-chaitanyaM. Therefore

ambaa is spoken of as the body and the shiva who is in the place of Brahman can be spoken

of as its soul. This is why “sharIraM tvaM shambhoH” – You, Mother, are the body of

Shiva!.

In Sankhya school of philosophy, it is almost the same. ‘Purushha’ is the basic Truth

behind all jIvas. ‘PrakRti’ is the basic cause for the Universe. The two are like body and

soul, according to Sankhya. Scholarly opinion holds that the contention of shloka 34,

namely, that ambaa is the body of the Lord and the universe itself is ambaa (through the

words ‘shashi-mihira-vakshhoruha-yugaM’) is more akin to Sankhya than to advaita. The

reasoning goes like this:

Brahman is hidden by mAyA. Brahman appears as the universe and this is the projection of

mAyA. Of these two things, it is the ‘hiding’ part that is dominant whenever we talk of

mAyA. Even in ordinary parlance, we say ‘the thing disappeared like mAyA!’. On the other

hand ‘prakRti’, instead of being associated with the ‘hiding’ part, is usually emphasized in

the case of what appears as Nature. PrakRti gets the dominant emphasis whenever we talk

of the universe appearing in the place of Absolute Reality. In Sankhya, the 24 tattvas like

the five elemental fundamentals, pancha tanmAtras, and then the senses, etc. all are

focussed on the Universe and its constitution (=make-up). Even advaita shAstras have

accepted the 24 fundamental tattvas more because of the importance given to it by

traditional scholars. In advaita sAdhanA, these have no recognized place. In the practical

sAdhanA of an advaitin, knowing about the 24 fundamentals is neither advantageous nor

disadvantageous. The transformation of prakRti into the Universe and its living beings is

important only in Sankhya.

Though the beginning of this shloka (34) takes us back to Sankhya and advaita, the later

ideas take us to the two traditions in ShAkta school, namely, the Kaula and the Samaya. In

fact even the idea that ambaa is the body of the Lord and the Universe itself is ambaa -- has

also a basis in the ShAkta scriptures. Kaulam is the tradition wherein one does external

worship with yantram, deity and all. Samayam is that which does the pUjA esoterically in

the heart-space (hRdayAkAsha).

Irrespective of any of these philosophies, what is important to note in this shloka is the

Acharya’s refusal to forget the motherly love inherent in the Mother Goddess. Though

ambaa is depicted as the cosmic Form of the Lord, the Acharya does not have the mind to leave it as an inert ‘form’ or ‘body’. He keeps thinking about the Mother as the Mother of

the Universe and its beings and therefore Her breast-feeding of Her children is hinted at by

the mention of ‘shashi-mihira-vakshhoruha-yugam’! That the Sun and the Moon are the

life-givers of everything in the universe is a scientifically accepted fact. Therefore the

Mother who protects us as anna-poorNeshvari also feeds our lives through the Sun and the

Moon. Poetically, in the language of Bhakti, they are the ones who feed us with life-

sustaining breast-feed and that is why they are the two breasts of the Cosmic Form that is

ambaa.

It is customary to talk of the Sun and the Moon as the two eyes of the Lord. In

Soundaryalahari itself, shloka 48 says that “Your right eye is the Sun that brings out the

day; and your left eye is the Moon that creates the night”. In Lalita Sahasranama ambaa’s

ear-ornaments are said to be the Sun and the Moon. But over and above all this, it is this

shloka that touches us most, because it makes us the Mother’s children who are breast-fed

by the Sun and the Moon as Her breasts.

- 50 –

(Digest of pp.1045 -1050 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

We have not yet done with Shloka 34. The Sheshha-SheshhI-bhAva (The Principal and the

Accessory concept) that comes in the third line of the verse has tremendous conceptual

significance.

“sharIraM tvaM shambhoH” indicates that ambaa is the body and Shiva is the soul. Since

the body is usually taken as ‘containing’ the soul one should not think that soul is a

property of the body. It is not like ‘the purse is in my pocket; so the purse is my property’.

By thinking like that one commits the foolishness -- as the Acharya himself mentions in his

ShaTpadI-stotra – of thinking that the Ocean is the property of the Waves; the Wave is not

the property of the Ocean! The fact that the waves are the only thing visible from the

outside and the calm water beneath is not visible, does not mean that the waves ‘possess’

the ocean beneath them! So also with ‘body and soul’. If the soul (life) leaves the body, the

body becomes rotten and decays. The soul goes and takes another body. Therefore it is the

body that is ‘possessed’ by the soul. The soul is the possessee and the body is the property

of the possessee. In Sanskrit the word ‘svaM’ indicates the possessed property. It is from

this word ‘svaM’ the word ‘svat’ and the Tamil word ‘sottu’ (meaning ‘property’ or ‘possession’) are derived.

When ‘svam’ is the possessed property, the possessee is ‘svAmi’. It is the Lord who is the

‘svAmi’ for the whole universe, because everything is His, in His possession, His property.

The possessor-Lord is called ‘SheshhI’. ‘Sheshha’ is the one ‘owned’ by the SheshI. Soul is

the sheshhI and body is sheshha.

This concept of jIvas and Universe as the body and the Lord as the soul and on the same

basis as sheshha and sheshhI is an important tenet of the vishishhTAdvaita school of

Ramanujacharya.

If the Lord is taken to be the nirguNa Brahman as per advaita, then ambaa was first said

to be the I-consciousness of the Lord, by the Acharya. The first half of the very first shloka

meant only that. Then in shloka #7, explicitly ambaa was said to be ‘Aho-purushhikA’. In

this kind of thing, there is no distinction between sheshha and sheshhI; the shiva and shakti

are in indivisible unison. But looking at the phenomenal world of duality, the talk arises

about the divine Triad, and the divinities in charge of the five cosmic functions. And in this

state they are able to function only with the help of a fragment of Her Shakti. Just by the

dust of Her feet they are able to do what they have to do (shloka 2). Or by just the winking

of Her eyes (shloka 24). These shlokas point to the fact that She is the Mistress of the whole

show; in other words, She is the SheshhI; and these divinities are the sheshhas who do Her

bidding. Even the alternates of Shiva, namely, Rudra, Maheshvara and SadAshiva who

belong to the same category, are also sheshhas and She is the SheshhI for them too.

Over and above all this, from the minutest earthworm all the way up to the Cosmic

Divinities of the five functions, all of them have been created and given life by the

presence of Her Shakti within. So She is the SeshI to all of them . In other words all of us

are Sheshas, accessories, for that SheshI, the principal.

This shloka also tells us in its second line how She is the SheshhI and He is the Sheshha.

Ishvara is nine-faceted – these nine facets starting with Time and ending with jIva.

[Note by VK: The nine facets referred to here are:

KAla, Kula, nAma, jnAna,citta,

nAda, bindu, KalA and jIva]

That is the navAtmA that is mentioned in the shloka. For all of these the life giving shakti is

ambaa. So She is the SharIrI or SheshhI. And Ishvara, who has the nine aspects, is

Sheshha.

Now change the viewpoint. You will see that He is the SheshhI and She is the Sheshha. For,

She being Shakti, Energy, Power, there must be someone who wields that Shakti, Power

and Energy. That is the Lord Shiva! Even when He is the saguna-Brahman or the kArya-

Brahman, He is the Ishvara who is the soul of everything in the universe as the First Cause

and the effects, namely, all that is animate and inanimate, His body, that is, ambaa. So She

becomes the Sheshha.

The simple meaning of SheshhaM is ‘Remainder’. So the original, which ought to be far

more than the SheshhaM, is the SheshhI. That is the paramAtman. From that fullness of

the paramAtman all this world has emerged, which appears to be infinite and full. After

emerging from fullness, what has emerged seems to be full. This is what the upanishadic

mantra (pUrnamadaH pUrnamidaM) says. In other words it only tells us that the

paramAtman is the SheshhI and we are all his Sheshha. Ambaa is manifesting as all the

multitudinous universe and the life within is the Shambhu-Brahman. Therefore “sharIram

tvam shambhoH”. Ambaa is the sheshha and He is the Sheshhi.

Thus the Acharya here does not make any distinction between the different viewpoints of

ShAktaM, ShaivaM, VishishhTAdvaitam, Sankhyam and advaitam. The universe that is

discardable as mAyA in advaita is here talked of as the body of the paramAtman. When

you think of nirguNa-Brahman, the question of soul and body, sharirI and sharira, sheshhI

and sheshha does not arise. But in the phenomenal world when we view things from our

mundane angle, the universe is said to be the body and the indwelling paramAtman the

sharIrI – very much as in vishishhTAdvaita philosophy.

The Acharya says in this shloka that this Sheshha-SheshhI bhAva is equally the

characteristic of both. Already the “samaya” school of ShAktaM talks of five equalities

between Shiva and Shakti.

[VK : See DPDS – 7]

And here the Acharya has added one more equality, namely the Sheshha-SheshhI bhava!

Just as the universe is visible so also the body is visible. So long as the mind is there both

the body and the universe will certainly be visible. When the mind is inactive as in sleep, or

in sedation or in samAdhi, there is no universe, body or activity of the senses. Where is the

distinction in that state, between body and its life or soul, who is the sharIrI, what is the

sharIra, who is the SheshhI, who is the Sheshha? In sleep and in sedation, there is no

duality because nothing is cognized. For the jnAni who is in the samAdhi state, again there

is no universe or phenomenal activity because of the absence of mind. There is no jIvAtma

being ‘monitored’ or ‘enlivened’ by the ParamAtman. To comprehend the presence of

these two, function of the mind is necessary. Is it the state like sleep or sedation where there

is nothing? No. That is not a state of complete void; it is a state of One-ness, namely the

presence of the One without a second! This is how advaita has been established by the

Acharya.

But other than that jnAni, the experience of every one else has to see everything – starting

from the mind and going all the way to the five fundamental elements – as pervaded by

ambaa. And that is what the Acharya is training us to do. As a beginning for this

perception he says Brahman (shivam) is the soul and the unvierse (ambaa) is the body.

And he goes on to say in this next shloka (#35), that mind itself, which is the cause for all

duality, is ambaa.

Thus spake the Paramacharya

51

(Digest of pp.1050 -1055 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

manas-tvaM vyoma tvaM marud-asi marut-sArathir-asi

tvam-Apas-tvaM bhUmis-tvayi pariNatAyAM na hi paraM /

tvameva svAtmAnaM pariNamayituM vishva-vapushhA

cid-AnandA-kAraM shiva-yuvati-bhAvena bibhRshhe //35//

“manaH tvaM” – You are the mind. Mother, it is this mind that is

responsible for all the truant behaviour and all the consequent troubles; but even that mind is You yourself. ‘I may ask you, O Mother; Who are you?’ – even this question is rising only in my mind and that again is You!

In the path of jnAna, they talk of the destruction of the mind. But here we are told that the mind itself is ambaa. The advantage in convincing oneself that the Mother Goddess Herself is our mind, is that it paves the way for stopping all further truant behaviour and thus inviting further troubles. It is by such practice one ends up with the void where there is no mind; it is actually not void, but is called jnAna-AkAsha, that is,

Knowledge-space. Maybe it is not visible now. So what? Right now what you are able to see is the blue vast sky; learn to see that it is also ambaa.

“Vyoma tvaM” -- You are Space. Not only just Space. You are the five elements. The thing next to AkAsha is air; and that is also You. “marud-

asi” – air are you. “marut” means ‘air’ (VAyu). Hanuman is called ‘MAruti’ because He is the son of ‘marut’.

At the next level there is agni, fire. That is also your another form. Even the Veda says: “agni-varnAM, tapasA jvalantIM”, -- ‘of the colour of agni, shining by the fire of penance’. Fire travels the way the wind blows, therefore it is called ‘marut-sArathiH’. Fire has marut (Wind) as its pilot!

“tvaM ApaH. tvaM bhUmiH” – You are Water. You are the Earth.

Ambaa is in the form of the five fundamental elements and so manifests Herself in the five chakras in the body, from mUlAdhAra to Vishuddhi.

Where is the need for elaboration one by one? There is nothing where You are not manifest. “ tvayi pariNatayAM na hi paraM”. The ‘pariNatAyAM’ means that ambaa Herself has become all this. ‘na hi paraM’ shows that there is nothing more supreme (paraM) than Her.

All that was said so far constitute the first two lines of the shloka. In the latter two lines, it says: “In order to make yourself pervade the whole universe, You Yourself as the consort of Lord Shiva manifest in the form of Knowledge-Bliss’.

The fullness is Existence-Knowledge-Bliss (sat-cid-AnandaM). Shiva is not

only just ‘sat’ (Existence), but also Knowledge and Bliss. As Knowledge it ‘knows’. As Bliss it is ‘blissfully happy’. This knowing and being happy are the effects of ambaa. That is why She is called ‘cid-Ananda-lahari’ (Shloka 8). What is the reason for this expression of knowledge and Bliss? The third line of the shloka answers this.

“tvaM eva svAtmAnaM pariNamayituM vishva-vapushhA” – meaning, ‘For the purpose of your pervasion as the entire universe, You took the Knowledge-Bliss Expression in the role of the consort of Shiva’.

‘The brahman knowing itself and revelling in the Bliss of that Knowledge does not just end there; the expansion as Knowledge and Bliss is for the purpose of manifesting itself as the Universe’ – This is the kind of thought in this shloka. It is out and out a ShAkta doctrine. It is not there in advaita. When advaita school dwells on Creation, they say: “It is all because of mAyA; the questions of How and Why do not lead us anywhere. The whole business is to discard this mAyA and rest in the base, the

substratum . So where is the need for research about How this came and for what purpose?’ On the other hand, in the traditions of Bhakti, like ShAktaM, they give you reasons for Creation – that the same Cit (that is,

Supreme Consciousness) manifests as several fragments of consciousness and the same Ananda (that is, Supreme Bliss) manifests as several fragments of Bliss, and that Creation is enable us to watch the play of that Universe. According to them it is that drama that we take to be wholly real and we consequently are immersed in that mAyA. ‘Even in this mAyic universe what flows is only that Consciousness-Bliss (cidAnanda-rasam); in the same way as the substratum of existence being called ‘shiva-yuvati’. If only we realise that all this creation of universe is to

make us enjoy Her play, Her drama, Her expansion, then we can delight in that blissful view of the miracle, and in turn, be immersed in that CidAnanda.

Note that the word ‘pariNAma’ (transformation) has been used twice. There is no ‘transformation’ concept in advaita. In advaita, Brahman does not get transformed, as milk does into curd. The changeless brahman appears as the universe through mAyA – that is the advaitic contention. It is Sankhya that talks of the universe as the transformation of PrakRti.

Even there they don’t say that it is the transformation of the Purusha, but it is so only of PrakRti. Our Acharya has adopted that tenet here and used the form of that tenet as given by the ShAkta tantra.

It will be interesting to research into how much the Acharya condescends to stray away from advaita in order to accommodate the various tastes of people with the purpose of lifting them up. One may question: ‘Could he do such things, ever?’. The only answer could be: ‘Only a compassionate one such as the Acharya can’!

There is a branch of Kaula called uttara-kaula. They interpret ‘shiva-yuvati’ as follows. ‘Shiva-yuvati’ does not mean ‘the consort of Shiva’. It

is Shivam itself that encompasses the Shiva-tattva within itself and manifests as the ‘yuvati’, the feminine consort. The SahasranAmam also has ‘svAdhIna-vallabhA’ which means ‘She who has her husband in her control’. A little stretching of that meaning will indicate that She has Him within Herself. And this will help us to be confirmed of the Acharya’s words ‘na hi paraM’ (there is nothing other than Herself) in this shloka.

-52-

(Digest of pp.1056 - 1060 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

I was saying how the Acharya is helping us to keep Her sarva-vyApakatvaM (Her pervasion of everything) always in our memory. Memory is in the mind. And he has begun this shloka (#35) with the words “manas-tvaM” (You are my mind). All our problems arise in the mind and so mind is the source, origin of all our troubles. But if we start thinking that, that Mind itself is ambaaL, then we have nowhere else to go! We have got it! Mind has now to be turned to what is within. It is not necessary to ‘kill’ it root and branch. Even if it turns outside and looks at the world, we now know that all the five elemental fundamentals are nothing but ambaaL. “vyoma tvaM” - SSpace is You; “ marud-asi” – Air is You. ... “tvayi pariNatAyaM na hi paraM” – There is nothing that is not a

transformation of Yourself. Thus we see everything as ambaaL. And the mind which sees and enjoys these sights is also the same Mother.

If one trains oneself to this way of viewing everything as The Mother, in due course, we will obtain the same Knowledge-Bliss experience even in this play of Creation. Our little little pleasures – sensual or otherwise - and our fragments of knowledge all merge in that supreme Bliss and Knowledge. And we become the cid-Ananda svarUpa itself. We become one with the Shiva-yuvati, the Reservoir of Existence-Knowledge-Bliss

itself. What else is there beyond that?

In the museum of the former Baroda state, there is a manuscript which has a picture for every shloka of Soundaryalahari. One copy of it is in Philadelphia Art Museum. I have already told you of this in another connection. A Professor from the University of Pennsylvania sent three pages from that collection to our Professor in the University of Madras and asked for clarification. In it there is a remarkable picture even for this shloka (#35), which obviously would not seem to admit any pictorial representation.

To wind up let me give you the gist of the two shlokas #s 34 and 35. It is ambaaL who is the body of Ishvara. Body here includes both the gross and the subtle. The gross body is mentioned in the “sharIram tvam” shloka. The subtle body is referred to in “manas-tvam” shloka. This mind could be our own mind or the supreme Mind called Mahat, which is the origin

for all the five elemental fundamentals. It is from that Mahat all the five elements originated, until they finally became this universe. That is why “There is nothing other than You”. Though You are called the body of the soul called ‘shambhu’, You are the one who is indistinguishable between soul and body; You yourself have expanded as this universe.

There is a little echo here of the siddhAnta of Shri Ramanuja, in the concept of the body and soul, applied to the universe (Shakti) and the Ultimate (Shambhu). However, finally the shloka winds up with the words ‘cidAnandAkAraM’, thus ending up with advaita. The ambaaL is the Knowledge source (cin-mUlaM); She is also the Bliss source (Ananda-mUlaM). But these two cannot be separated from the Existence source (san-mUlaM). None of the three can be kept in isolation; just as in a sweet dish we cannot separate the form, the taste and the smell. So the cit and Ananda cannot be separated form their base, the sat. To manifest to the

world this Knowledge and this Bliss , the One Reality appears as two and takes the posture of “shiva-yuvati”. This is only a bhAva, an attitudinal

posture.

After the “manas-tvaM” shloka, there follow five shlokas (#s 36 to 40) which depict how the divine couple take their seats in the kunDalini chakras representing AkAsha, Air, Fire, Water and Earth (mentioned in the order of evolution from the subtle to the gross). In each chakra they have a distinct name, different function, and unique characteristics. But the one characteristic that is common to all of them is the Supreme Compassion. In #36, they shine (in the AjnA chakra) with the effulgence

of millions of Suns and Moons and lift up the devotee to a status higher than the Sun, the Moon and the Fire. In the next, (in the vishuddhi

chakra) they radiate, from their pure crystalline source, the infinite coolness like some supreme moonlight thus eradicating the obstacle of an inner darkness. Just as the mystical bird ‘cakora’ consumes moonlight, the devotees enjoy that mystic coolness.

In #38, residing in the anAhata chakra the couple is now in the form of a hamsa couple. The ‘hamsa’ word should indicate the ‘parama-hamsa’ characteristic of a sannyAsi, a jnAni of advaitic enlightenment. It is that seat from which the praNava mantra “OM” generates by itself. It is the praNava that is the source of all words. It is the dialogue of this divine hamsa-couple that is the source of all eighteen vidyAs. And they swim in the mAnasa lake (that which pertains to the mind) drinking the honey of brahmAnanda (Bliss of brahman) oozzing out from the lotus of Knowledge. The traditional ‘hamsa’ has the unique characteristic of being able to separate water from milk. In the same way this unique divine hamsa couple separates the bad things that we do, takes only the good things and blesses us with their Grace.

The couple has been depicted as doling the same thing together in the three chakras above. But when we come to the svAdhishhTAna chakra

(shloka #39), the superior compassion of the Mother dominates. This chakra corresponds to the Fire element. This is where the Lord opens his Third Fire Eye and completes his Dissolution function. While the flames of the angry Rudra destroy the universe, with Her “dayArdrA dRshTih” (the look that is wet with Compassion), through the gracious and cooling effect of that glance She comforts the whole universe. We may wonder here: “Can the Father be ever equivalent to the Mother?”. As if to answer our question the poet uses the word “samayA” here to refer to the

Mother Goddess – confirming thus the principle that, though the two might appear to be different for the outside world, in essence they are one and the same.

But the Lord Himself (shloka #40) in the MaNipUraka-chakra is the dark blue rain cloud that pours cool showers on the universe – thus quelling the Fire that He Himself raised and thus preparing for a further creation. And it is then that ambaal brilliantly lights up by Her lightning.

And thus we come to the last (#41) of the part called Ananda-lahari.

tavAdhare mUle saha samayayA lAsya-parayA

navAtmAnaM manye nava-rasa-mahAtANDava-naTaM /

ubhAbhyAm-etAbhyAM udaya-vidhim-uddishya dayayA

sanAthAbhyAM jajne janaka-jananImat jagad-idaM // 41 //

manye : I meditate

mUle AdhAre : in the mUlAdhara chakra

tava : of Yours

navAtmAnaM : the form of Shiva called Ananda-bhairava, with his nine

facets

nava-rasa-mahA-tANDava-naTaM : [nine-rasas- grand style –tANDava-dance] that is, who dances in a grand style the tANDava dance (peculiar to

the masculine world), incorporating the nine rasas,

samayayA saha : along with samayA, another equivalent form of You

lAsya-parayA : (who is) involved in the dance ‘lAsya’, peculiar to the feminine world.

idam jagat : This universe

jajne : becomes

janaka jananImat : endowed with Father and Mother

etAbhyAM ubhAbhyAM : by this couple,

sanAthAbhyAM : who mutually resonate with each other

uddishya : aiming at

udaya vidhiM : the regeneration rule

dayayA : with compassion.

-53-

(Digest of pp.1061 - 1071 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

Shloka #41 is the last shloka of Ananda-lahari. It propitiates ambaaL along with Lord Shiva in the lowest chakra, that is, mUlAdhAra. It is

remarkable to note that this shloka as well as shloka #34 have both mentioned “navAtmAnaM” for Lord Shiva. From #34 to #41 the topic has been the divine couple. With this shloka the discussion on the chakras is completed. So in addition to interpreting “navAtmA” as the nine-faceted (starting from Time etc.) Shiva, we can also interpret it as “six chakras plus the three granthis (knots)– together making a set of nine, for which He is the Atman”.

“lAsya” is the dance that is characteristically feminine. It is delicate, gentle and polished. On the other hand the masculine dance “tANDava” would be noisy, forceful and aggressive. In ‘tANDava’ what is important is ‘nRttaM’ in which the assemblage of beats (‘tALa’) and nuances in the pace (‘gati’) and march (‘jati’) of the dance dominate. In ‘lAsya’ it is the bhAva (face expression of mental states) that dominates. Hence the traditional association of words like ‘masculine’ and ‘feminine’ with these dance forms.

Lord Shiva is called ‘mahAnaTaH’, the great dancer. ‘mahAkAlo mahAnaTaH’ is part of the list of names of Shiva in amara-kosha.

Without His dance there cannot be any movement in the world. Even when the world is to dissolve, He has to do the ‘dance’ of destruction! Since the first shloka has already said that His very movement itself is due to Her, it follows that every movement in the Universe is because of Her. She lets Him do the magnificent dance and She also joins with her lAsya. It is this ever-lasting dance of this divine couple that is the reason

for the multifarious movements that we beings make with our physical bodies, or the varied physical reactions that our nerves exhibit in concordance with the attitudinal expressions that invade us through anger, sorrow, or lust. When we are engulfed in sorrow, why should the eyes twitch? When we are invaded by anger why do the lips twitch? It is

all because the Lord is within us and He goes through His dance covering all the nine rasas, that are expressed by the lAsya of ambaa. All these are

related to the varying attitudes that engulf us.

There are also dances without the attitudinal expressions. All the world is making periodic revolutions. The planets are going round the sun. The wind blows. Everything is a dance. The fire is a dance of the flames. Water is dancing through its floods. These are ‘tANDava’ without ‘bhAva’. But they cause various bhAvas in us. When the breeze blows past us we feel happy. But the same wind when it blows fiercely as a storm, we feel the bhAva of fear. And so on. This is what has been said in this shloka. Ananda-bhairava (the Lord) and Ananda-bhairavi (ambaa) are doing this tANDava-lAsya dance. And we meditate on this scene in mUlAdhAra-chakra. ‘Ananda-bhairavi’ is the name of a raga in music. But here it

goes also with dance.

“maheshvara-mahAkalpa-mahAtANDava-sAkshhiNI” is one of the names of ambaa in LalitA-sahasranAma. There it is the tANDava dance of the Lord at the time of Dissolution, that She is watching as a witness. But the tANDava dance described in this shloka is the dance of Creation. So She joins in it with Her lAsya.

‘Ananda’ – joy, happiness, bliss – usually goes with excitement and dance.

The divine couple are dancing with the fullness of Ananda in them. But we should not think therefore we can take liberties with them. That is why the disciplining bhairava name is associated with their names. ‘bhairava’ indicates anger, fear and the like. All for disciplining us. But the bhairava nature is only temporary. It is Ananda that is permanent. And the greatest Ananda is universal compassion. Hence the word ‘dayayA’ in this shloka.

The word ‘dayA’ means compassion. Where do they show the ‘dayA’ in

this dance of creation? The very creation is the compassionate act. For without creation how do we, with all our baggage of sins behind us, ever reach Him ultimately? It is to help all the souls to have opportunities of redemption that a creation starts after every dissolution. This greatest act of compassion is done by the Dance of Creation of this divine couple.

Hence ‘dayayA’! ‘udaya-vidhim uddishya’ means ‘with the purpose of regulated creation’.

The divine couple therefore is the Father and Mother of the universe. ‘janaka-jananI’. Let the world not feel that there is no one visible to take care of it. There is an invisible father and mother. The world (jagat) has become janaka-jananImat, endowed with a father and mother and therefore also ‘sanAtha’, that is, (endowed with) a ‘care-taking Lord’. In fact our children feel that if even one of the parents is not there, they are ‘anAtha’ (orphaned). So when both of them are there we are not ‘anAtha’ but ‘sanAtha’.

But wait. There is a greater subtlety. The word ‘sanAtha’ used in the shloka is not about our being ‘anAtha’ or ‘sanAtha’. The word actually used is ‘sanAthAbhyAm’ that goes with ‘ubHAbhyAM etAbhyAM’. Therefore ‘sanAthAbhyAM’ refers to the divine couple. In other words it is they, each one of them individually, who needs a ‘nAtha’ (care-taking overlord), because they have nobody ‘above’ them. But if you carefully read the shloka the correct meaning will spark; it is not somebody else who is taking care of them as their Lord – there is nobody – but it is they themselves, namely Shiva the Lord and ambaaL the Shakti, who are taking care of each other. Each is a ‘nAtha’ for the other. There is no Shiva without Shakti; and no Shakti without Shiva. In one viewpoint, He is the SheshhI (the Principal) and She is the Sheshha (the Accessory); in

another viewpoint, She is the Principal and He is the Accessory. When He drinks the poison She protects Him and when She is in the form of the daughter of Daksha and later the daughter of the Mountain King, He protects Her. This mutual support and protection that this divine couple give each other is the mysterious divine symbiosis that all the Shiva Agamas, and mantra shAstras, and the Tamil Tirumandiram talk about eloquently. Tirumandiram verse No. 333 says “By the grace of the ShaktimAn, Shakti dispenses Her Grace and by the grace of Shakti, the ShaktimAn dispenses His Grace”.

In the Trichinopoly Rock Fort Temple dedicated to the Lord, His manifestation there is ‘TayumAnavar’ .

(Tamil word meaning, He who became also the Mother –

there is a whole story behind it,

wherein He appears at the right time as the Mother-nurse

who helps a lonely woman-devotee deliver her baby - VK)

But though He has become the mother, the temple dedicated to Him has also a sannadhi for ambaa, the Mother. It is in the precincts of this temple that all the shlokas of ‘Anandalahari’ have been engraved on the walls.

Thus with the auspicious account of the divine couple becoming the Father and the Mother of the whole universe, the Anandalahari portion of Soundaryalahari ends.

-54-

(Digest of pp.1072 - 1085 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

(Note by VK: At this point the Paramacharya looks back on the Anandalahari portion and

describes in the form of an overview how Shiva and Shakti have been dealt in different

relationships within this first part of Soundaryalahari).

The capability of ‘moving’ the immovable impregnable Father of the Universe is Her

greatest glory. Soundaryalahari starts with that glorious idea in the very first shloka. He is

the executor of the Dissolution Function of the Universe. But even that function could be

done only by the power of the dust of Her feet, says the 2nd

shloka. His relationship with

Her is like our relationship to Him. In other words She is in the place of a Goddess for

Him, as is confirmed by the word “ArAdhyAm’ in the first shloka. A little later (in #7) She

is His Self-awareness personified – Aho-purushhikA . In the next shloka He is Her equal,

She as Kameshvari sitting on the lap of the Kameshvara form of Shiva (“parama-shiva

paryangka-nilayAM”). This is where they are together the twin form of saguNa-brahman, as

King and Queen of the ‘five cosmic functions’. Shloka 9 (“sahasrAre padme saha rahasi

patyA viharase” – You are revelling with your husband in the sahasrAra-lotus) depicts Her

as the saguNa-brahman coalescing within Him, the nirguNa-brahman. Another shloka (#11)

depicts how they are situated in unison in the ShrI-chakra. And in the next shloka it talks

of how as an ideal pati-vratA, She reveals Her full form only to Him. But after twelve

shlokas later, (shloka #23) She has not only taken half His body but has captured the

remaining half also.

The next shloka (#24) needs more than a passing mention.

[Shloka 24 is not quoted by the Paramacharya

but since he deals with it in detail,

I am giving the shloka below

without the word-by-word meaning.

These meanings automatically come forth

in his explanations. V. K.]

jagat-sUte dhAtA harir-avati rudraH kshhapayate

tiraskurvan-netat svam-api vapur-Ishas-tirayati /

sadA pUrvas-sarvaM tadidam-anugRHNAti ca shivaH

tavAjnAm-Alabhya kshhaNa-calitayor-bhrUlatikayoH //24//

It begins in the style of shloka 2 where the Trinity is spoken of as doing their work only

with Her grace. “jagat-sUte dhAtA” – Brahma originates the universe. “hariH avati” –

Vishnu protects and maintains it. “rudraH kshhapayate” –Rudra destroys. Not stopping

here, it goes on to talk also about the remaining two cosmic functions and the deities in

charge of those functions. One of them is Ishvara who carries out the ‘tirodhAna’ aspect.

“Ishas-tirayati” is what the shloka says: The Lord Isha deludes by His mAyA. And all this

happens by mandate (“tava AjnAm-Alabhya”) from ambaaL. “kshhaNa-calitayoH bhrU-

latikayoH” – by the subtle movement, for a second, of Her eyebrows! The absorption by

mAyA is not only of the universe and all creation but of the Trinity also: Brahma, Vishnu

and Rudra. Not only that; He himself disappears into the fifth functionary namely

SadAshiva. “svam-api vapuH Ishas-tirayati” – Isha makes His own body disappear.

“sadAshivaH” is the name of the fifth cosmic functionary. The shloka names him “sadA-

pUrvaH shivaH” meaning, ‘shiva with a prefix of sadA’.

At this point, one should note how a funny situation is implied here by the poet. The five

cosmic functionaries are lower in hierarchy to ambaaL and her pati Lord Shiva. But one of

those functionaries, namely the One who dispenses Grace has the name which means

‘Always Shiva’. And in order that the meaning should strike us in the face, the poet,

instead of using the straight word ‘sadA-shiva’, uses the construction ‘Shiva with a prefix

of sadA’ .

Shloka #24 therefore shows the Lord as Rudra, Ishvara and SadAshiva in the relationship

of functionaries under the suzerainty of ambaaL.

In the next shloka (#25) the Trinity are considered to be at the feet of ambaaL, but by that

very reason, they are also worshipped; because, those who propitiate ambaal offer their

flowers in obeisance at the feet of the Mother and the flowers do fall on the crowns of the

Trinity, which are in prostration at those divine feet. In #25, by using the expression

“trayANAM devAnAM triguNa-janitAnAM”, they can be considered as born of ambaaL and

therefore She is their jananI.

In #26, when everybody meets their end, even in the time of the Grand Dissolution (mahA-

samhAra) , the Lord is depicted as sporting with Her. The Grand Dissolution, seemingly a

negative mode, is actually a great anugraha from the Almighty to the Universe; for, the

millions of jIvas are brought back from their karmic whirl into the fold of the Supreme.

“mahA-samhAre asmin viharati sati tvat-patirasau” : Here the key word is ‘viharati’. It

means ‘plays in joy’, generally; but it also means ‘destroys’.The sanskrit words ‘haraNaM’,

‘apaharaNaM’, ‘samharaNaM’, ‘viharaNaM’, ‘apahAraM’, ‘samhAraM’ , ‘vihAraM’ – all of

them can be used interchangeably. So taking the words ‘tvat-patiH viharati’ , we have to

interpret it as ‘Your husband is engaged in Destruction’.

This interpretation leaves ambaaL out of the business of Destruction. He does it and She

watches it. The authority for this interpretation comes from Lalita-sahasranAmam where

She gets the name: ‘maheshvara-mahAkalpa-mahAtANDava-sAkshhiNI’. I have already

mentioned this in my explanation of shloka #41. The interesting point here is that She is the

sAkshhI and He is the actor – in the action of mahA-samhAra. A similar sAkshhI status for

Her is given in the great pilgrimage centre of Chidambaram, where the Lord performs the

tANDava dance of Creation, while the ambaaL there, is a silent witness!

But in shloka #9, as we have seen just a little while ago, the word ‘viharasi’ is used for

ambaaL herself. In the context there, it is the union of Shiva and Shakti. This is the last

stage of Involution. It is the union of jIvAtmA and paramAtmA. There is no negative of

Destruction there. There is only the flooding of nectar in fullness in the Jiva. It is actually a

delightful experience for the jIva when the kunDalini reaches the sahasrAra. So the word

‘viharaNaM’ for ambaal is quite apt with the meaning of joyful play.

Among the various relationships of Shiva and Shakti, there is also the guru-shishhya

relationship.

-55-

(Digest of pp.1086-1091 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

Almost all the Agamas, Tantras and Samhitas are supposed to have been taught by the Lord to ambaaL.

[Note by Ra. Ganapati: Generally,

rites of worship follow the Agamas,

Tantras and Samhitas according to

the deity that is being worshipped

– Shiva, Devi or Vishnu]

–

This guru-shishya relationship – with the Lord as guru and ambaaL as shishyaa, comes in

shloka #31.

[I am giving shloka 31 here along with its translation,

though the Paramacharya does not do so,

but still discusses it in detail. V.K.]

catuH shhashhTyA tantraiH sakalam-atisandhAya bhuvanaM

sthitas-tattat-siddhi-prasava-paratantraiH pashupatiH /

punas-tvan-nirbandhAd-akhila-purushhArthaika-ghaTanA-

svatantraM te tantraM kshhiti-talaM avAtItarad-idaM //31//

pashu-patiH – Lord Shiva

sthitaH - remained as if fulfilled

atisandhAya – after having deceived

sakalaM bhuvanaM– all the world

catuH-shhashhTyA tantraiH – with the sixty four tantras

tattat-siddhi-prasava-paratantraiH. – (that that – result – generating --worldy fulfillments)

which expound practices that result in one or other of various psychic powers and worldly

fulfillments.

punaH – But again,

tvan-nirbandhAt – by Your insistence,

avAtItarat – (He) revealed

kshhiti-talaM – (to the ) world

idaM – this

te tantraM – Thine own tantra,

svatantraM – independent (of all the others)

akhila-purushhArthaika-ghaTanA – (which is) capable of conferring all the purushhArthas

(by itself)

The Lord taught the various 64 tantras (means or strategies for attaining an end) to the

world. But each one of them can give a certain type of worldly benefit, not more. In some

sense this is a curtain of delusion thrown on the people of the world. The four

purushhArthas (objectives of life) are dharma, artha, kAma and mokshha. All these can be

had in one stroke by resorting to the Shri VidyA tantra. The Lord knew this. Then why did

he not teach that also to the world? In fact the Shri VidyA tantra not only gives the worldly

benefits but also takes one to the level of Brahman-realisation, because it makes all worship

internal and focusses the entire physical and mental body toward that Ultimate goal of

brahman-experience. So the Mother Goddess insisted that the Lord should teach this also

to their worldly children.

The word ‘nirbandhAt’ is very aptly put. It was She who involved the actionless brahman

somehow into being the cause of the Cosmic World-play. But what happened? The play

became so involving that it became a cosmic dance for Him. The dance of the five cosmic

functions; then the samhAra dance, where the parA-shakti is only a non-participating witness! And then there are the seven different dances called ajapA-dance, kukkuTa-dance,

and so on. In addition to this there is the nine-fold dance mentioned in shloka 41. Over and

above this there are the 64 leelas, like bikshATanaM, tripura-dahanAm, and jalandhara-

vadha – not to speak of the 64 leelas particularised in the temple-city of Madurai, where

Meenakshi reigns. Not only he is involving himself in a pluralistic capacity, but He has also

manouvred to distract the populace into the 64 tantras that give worldly benefits and

retained the supreme Shri VidyA Tantra which could give the advaitic realisation to them.

It is at this point ambaaL decided to insist that they be taught the Shri VidyA tantra. It is of

course the worship of ambaaL. But instead of Herself propagating it, She wanted this

husband of Hers, this guru of Hers, to bring it to the world. This shows three

characteristics of the Mother Goddess. Firstly, Her conjugal devotion to the ‘pati’; secondly

Her respect for Her guru; and thirdly Her infinite compassion on Her children, the people

of the world. It need not be emphasized it is the third quality, the motherly affection, that

shows uppermost here.

The Shri VidyA tantra has several greatnesses of which one is the fact that it is the most

concordant with the vedic route. Of course all the tantras can be adapted to the vedic

route; but some of them do present obstacles to such vedic adaptation. So there is a

necessity to speak of tantras which are concordant with vedic practices and which are not.

It was our Acharya who established the pure vaidic pUjA and instilled life into it. It is true

that even this pUjA contains some of the mantras which owe their origin to the tantra way.

When he initiated the vaidic pUjA rituals in connection with the upAsanA following the

Shri VidyA tantra, he followed only the samayAchAra discipline.

It is this tantra that he calls ‘te tantraM’ (Your tantra). In other words it is Hers, and She

got it initiated into the world by the Lord Himself by insisting on it (‘nirbandhAt’). And

again, it is interesting to note that in all those other tantras, very often only a lower

hierarchical position is given to Shiva. On the other hand, it is in this tantra which is

delibrately called ‘te tantraM’ , that there is a perfect equality (‘samaya’) between Shiva

and Shakti!

Looking back at the Anandalahari portion we see that Shiva and Shakti have been

represented in several different roles – Shiva, as Her Majesty’s most obedient servant; as

Husband with an equal role; as a functionary so positioned by Her; as Husband only in

name; as Guru; as devotee ; even as a son. And again, ambaaL has been depicted

severally, as half of His body; as one who has appropriated even the other half of Shiva’s

body; as life-saver; and as the motive force who moves Him.

In spite of all this, what is most important in this Anandalahari section are the two shlokas

32 and 33 where the esoteric nuances of the Shri VidyA tantra are mentioned. The later part

of the hymn is a description of the physical form of the Goddess; whereas the first part is

the representation of that form through the akshharas. Any deity for that matter has two

forms – one physical and the other, the form of sound. This Anandalahari part is the

sound-form (shabda-svarUpa) of ambaaL. The physical form is a vision for the eyes. The

sound-form is to be heard by the ears, articulated by the tongue through speech. In fact the

physical form actually emanated from the sound. Only by the japa of the sound the other

form becomes visible. Of course the same thing also means that it is the physical form that

is the goal and the japa of the sound or the akshharas is only a means for that end. And

thus we come to the end of Anandalahari looking forward to that goal of viewing the

delightful physical form of ambaaL.

The Acharya ends the Anandalahari portion with the mention of “janaka-jananI” – the

Father and the Mother, of the whole universe. So the philosophical part is going to be set

aside now and we go on to see the physical form of the Mother in all its infiniteness of

Grace, Compassion and Beauty.

Thus spake the Paramacharya

56

(Digest of pp.1091- 1098 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

“VaidarbhI rIti” and “GaudI rIti” are two styles in Sanskrit poetry. The former conveys

delightful thoughts by very gentle words, flowing like a river of honey. The latter, which

originated in Bengal, has not only difficult thoughts, but they are also expressed in a high-

sounding noisy style. The Acharya has used both the styles in Soundaryalahari. He has just

finished the Anandalahari portion with the mention of ‘jananI’, thus bringing the Goddess

as near as a Mother to us. But, lest that should make Her very familiar and simple for us,

and lest that might make us under-estimate Her majesty and grandeur, he starts the

Soundaryalahari portion, with a bang, through the 42nd

shloka, with a complicated thought

and with a torrent-like flow of language.

The subject is the description of ambaal’s head. We see in the shloka the dazzling shine of

the bright hot sun and the cooling comfort of gentle moonshine, through the poet’s

imagination and his language.

Gatair-mANikyatvaM gagana-maNibhis-sAndra-ghaTitaM

kirITaM te haimaM himagiri-sute kIrtayati yaH /

sa nIDeyac-cchAyAc-cchuraNa-shabalaM chandra-shakalaM

dhanuH-shaunAsIraM kim-iti na nibadhnAti dhishhaNAM // 42 //

himagiri-sute : Oh Daughter of the snow-capped mountain

yaH : Whoever

kIrtayati : describes

te : your

haimaM kirITaM: golden crown

sAndra-ghaTitaM: studded densely with

mANikyatvaM gataiH gagana-maNibhiH: the (twelve) suns that have become the precious

ruby stones (on the crown)

kim saH na nibadhnAti dhishhaNAM: why would he not record the idea (that)

chandra-shakalaM: the crescent moon (on the crown)

nIDeyac-cchAyAc-cchuraNa-shabalaM : (bird’s nest –shadow –reflected shine – enveloped

- variegated colour) which reflects the variegated colours from the shadows of the (gems) in

that nest (of the crown)

dhanuH-shaunAsIraM iti : is (nothing but) Indra’s bow (rainbow)?

The whole metaphor pours like a torrent from the heavens as Ganga did on Shiva’s head.

Once this description of Amba’s crown on the head is done in this shloka, the style changes

from the next shloka to a softer one. ‘Chandra-sekhara’ is a name of the Lord, because the

half moon is on His head. Already in shloka No.23 Devi was described as having the Moon

on Her hairdo. So She is also ‘Chandra-sekhari’. Shiva has also the name ‘Surya-sekhara’

because in many of the Shiva-kshhetras, there are certain days on which the rising Sun’s

rays directly fall on the linga in the sanctum sanctorum. Here we have also a Surya-

shekharI, because not just one Sun but twelve Suns are supposed to be sitting in the form of

ruby gems on the crown of Devi. The very first line of the shloka thus brings before us the

grandeur of Her enthralling form with the blinding dazzle of twelve suns radiating from

the gems of Her crown.

The use of the word ‘hima-giri-sute’ is significant. ‘hima’ means ‘snow’. So ‘hima-giri-

sutA’ means ‘the daughter of the snow-capped mountain. The first line has brought the

heat of twelve suns in the picture. As a contrast the second line cools it off and brings in

the coolness of ‘hima-giri’. Also the daughter of ‘hima-giri’ that is Parvati is said to be of

cool greenish colour. It is Sati, the daughter of Daksha who immolated herself in the Fire of

Daksha-yajna; and the same Sati, immediately after that heat of the immolation, was born

in Her next birth as the daughter of the Himalayas, fresh as green, in the form of hima-giri-

sutA, called Parvati. In modern times in the time of jnAna-sambandhar, the argument with

the Jain saints ended up only after the palm leaves of his devotional songs (tevAraM)

survived the heat of the fire into which they were placed, and they emerged as green leaves

with the writing unscathed.

The crown on the head of Devi is made of gold. ‘hema’ means gold. ‘haimam’ means ‘made

of gold’. In Kenopanishat, the Goddess appears as Brahma VidyA and teaches the divines

led by Indra. There the word used for the Goddess is ‘haimavatI ’. Our Acharya interprets

it in two ways: one, as ‘hima-giri-sutA’, namely Parvati and the other as, the One who

shines with the shine of ‘hema’, that is ‘a golden shine’. It is perhaps his intention to show

the connection with the Upanishad that the Acharya in the very first shloka of the

Anandalahari portion, uses both the words ‘hima-giri’ and ‘hema’. To boot, let us

remember that in the Upanishad, Her disciple was Indra; and here also ‘Indra-dhanus’ is

mentioned as ‘dhanuH shaunAsIraM’, the rainbow.

The golden crown is studded with ‘suns’ as gems. So the ‘suns’ are specks on the crown;

but on the crown there is the big crescent moon. In the real world the Sun is far far bigger

than the Moon. Here it is the other way. The moon pours out nectar as well as the cool

snow. So its cool downpour from the moon are the snowflakes on the crown. The bright

light from the sun-gems falls on them and gets refracted as a multi-coloured rainbow: This

is the ‘nIDeyac-chAyAcchuraNa-shabalam’. This extraordinary poetic imagination -- that

the self-effulgent moon’s rays receive the sun’s light and thereby the rainbow appears --

beats all scientific understanding. That, of course, is the privilege of poetic liberty.

In the very first shloka that starts describing the beauty of ambaaL, the idea of white light

being refracted into the several constituent colours of the rainbow is brought in, as if to

indicate esoterically that the nirguNa brahman manifests itself as the varied multipliciy of

the universe by the magic of parAshakti.

But why imagine refraction? One can also imagine it to be reflection. Instead of taking

that the light of the Sun falls on the cool rays of the moon and in that flow of cool snow it

becomes the multicoloured rainbow, one can also imagine that there are several suns whose

lights are in various colours and they get reflected in the mirror-like crescent moon and

produces the rainbow effect.

In fact the poet here implies that it is not just his imagination; this is what anybody would

say if he wants to describe the multicoloured radiance from the gems of the golden crown

on the head of the Goddess.

Another point which comes out here is the modesty of the Acharya in underplaying himself

and speaking so highly of others who might be in his position of describing the Devi’s

glory. The modesty with which he begins this very first shloka of the Soundarylahari part

goes on till the very end.

57

(Digest of pp.1107- 1114 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

tanotu kshhemaM naH tava vadana-soundarya-laharI

parIvAha-srotaH saraNiriva sImanta-saraNiH /

vahantI sindUraM prabala-kabarI-bhAra-timira-

dvishhAM bRndaiH bandhIkRtam-iva navInArka-kiraNaM //44//

[Since the word-by-word meaning is

automatically coming out of

the Paramcharya’s explanations,

it is not given here separately. VK]

This shloka has an added significance since it has contributed to the title of the stotra

‘soundarya-laharI’.

“naH kshhemaM tanotu” : Let there devolve auspiciousness on all of us. Thus begins the

shloka auspiciously. What is supposed to devolve the auspiciousness?

“sImanta-saraNiH” : The line of the parting of hair (on the head). ‘SImanta’ is the parting

of hair. ‘saraNiH’ means path, route, line, wave, flow. The particular meaning will depend

on the context. Here it is ‘line’. The word ‘SImanta-unnayanaM’ denotes a special ritual

that is done for pregnant women for the benefit of the foetus. The ritual consists of

drawing a line along the sImantaM of the woman with the chanting of certain mantras.

This is good for the foetus. The word sImantaM is a union of ‘sImA’ and ‘antaM’. SImA

means boundary, here, the boundary that parts the two sides of the hair. Its ‘antam’ is the

end of that boundary. Technically it should have been ‘sImAntaM’ but the middle long ‘a’

has been shortened. This is actually an exception to the usual grammatical rule. A similar

exception, but in the opposite direction, takes place in the name ‘VishvAmitra’ where it

should have been only ‘Vishvamitra’, thus meaning, friend of the world. On the other hand

as ‘VishvAmitra’ (‘Vishva’ + ‘amitra’) it now means ‘the enemy of the world’. Again this is

an unusual grammatical exception.

So ‘SImantaM’ means ‘the end of the boundary or border’. Of what is it the border or

boundary? For a human body there are two boundaries. One is the foot and the other is

the head. In the boundary that is the head, the line of parting of the hair goes up to the

position of ‘brahmarandra’ and ends there. So it is called ‘the end of the boundary’ or

‘sImantaM’.

Goddess Mahalakshmi permanently resides in five places. A lotus, the frontal lobe of an

elephant, the hind part of a cow, the spine on the back of a bilwa leaf, and the sImantaM of

a sumangali.

It is interesting to note that the Acharya has used “vadana-soundarya-laharI’ (waves of

beauty of the face) in this shloka and this has become the title of the whole stotra. We do

not know who made it the title, but what we may conclude is that it is quite apt. What is

further interesting is the fact that this beauty-wave occurs in the shloka where the sImanta

of the Devi is talked about. It is this flood of facial beauty that should bring us the

auspiciousness that we need. ‘tanotu kshhemaM naH tava vadana-soundarya-laharI’.

Now let us find out what is so special about the sImanta here. “vahantI sindUraM” : It (the

sImantaM : the parting in the hair) bears the vermilion. The word ‘sindUraM’ also means

‘red lead’ which is used for medicinal purposes in Siddha medicine. In North India almost

all Ganesha deities would be totally soaked in this sindUraM. And in the same way they

would do it for the Anjaneya deity also. Maybe the indication is that the beginning and the

end are the same!

In traditional books, kumkumaM is spoken of as sindUraM. The Veda-mAtA (Mother

Goddess representing Shruti) bows down in obeisance to ambaa. It is the kumkumaM from

the sImantam of Veda-mAtA that has sprinkled itself on the feet of ambaa. This idea

occurs in LalitA-sahasranAma. ‘SImanta-sindUri’ is the expression there. It is in the

parting of the hair that kumkumaM is applied. On the forehead however, that is, between

the eyebrows where one applies the ‘tilakam’ what is applied is ‘kastUri-tilakam’ -- this is

what one gathers from the sahasranAma. Recall the name: “mukha-chandra-kaLankAbha-

mRga-nAbhi-visheshhakA”. It says, just as there is a spot (kaLanka) on the disc of the

moon, so also is the kastUri-dot on the face of ambaa. This name occurs (in the

sahasranAma) between the name that describes the forehead (aLika-sthala) and the name

that describes the eyebrows (cillikA). Therefore it is clear that the name ‘mukha-chandra-

kaLankAbha- ...’ describes the centre of the eyebrows. So kumkumaM at the parting of the

hair (SImanta-sindUri) as well as the kumkumaM at the centre of the eyebrows – both are

called ‘sindUraM’ by the Acharya.

According to the shAstras, the place where sumangalis (women with living husbands) have

to adorn the kumkumaM is the parting of the hair, at the place where it starts from the

forehead. The practice of adorning the centre of the eyebrows is only a cosmetic addition.

It is at the centre of the eyebrows where one concentrates the Supreme. It is in that

manner one wears the vibhUti or sandal-paste, etc. at that spot; so also kumkumaM is also

applied there. Whatever it be, the characteristic of a sumangali is only the kumkumaM at

the parting of the hair. Women of olden days applied the kumkumaM first at the parting of

the hair and then only on the forehead between the eyebrows.

The location of the central parting of the hair is a kind of residential address of the

Goddess Bhagya-lakshmi of Prosperity. Goddess ambaa has the kumkumaM along the

entire parting of the hair. That is what this shloka says. ‘SImanta-saraNI’ means only that.

In fact as the shloka goes, it appears that there is a round spot of kumkumaM at the point

where this ‘saraNI’ (the path) starts at the top of the forehead and thereafter along the

path of the parting, it goes as a streak of red. There is no greater bliss than the pleasure of

visualising ambaa with this SImanta-sindhuram. In other words the place of residence of

mahAlakshmi has been decorated with kumkumaM. In fact there is much more in this.

58

(Digest of pp.1115 -1119 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

[Note by VK: The delightful commentary in Tamil

of the Paramacharya on this shloka, #44,

has been really a difficult one for me

to present in English (in DPDS – 57, 58 and 59).

The superb majesty of his discourse

should be enjoyed in the original]

In the Assembly of ambaa, on both sides of Her, Lakshmi and Saraswati are said to be

fanning Her. This is what the name “sa-cAmara-ramA-vANI-savya-dakshhiNa-sevitA” says

in the Lalita-sahasranAma. Instead of having them as Her assistants, She has them both as

Her very eyes – this is what the name “kAmAkshhi” means. “kA” means Saraswati and

“mA” means Lakshmi. And “akshha” means ‘eye’. So “kAmAkshhi” is the One who has

‘kA’ and ‘mA’ as Her eyes!

Later, shloka 64 says that Saraswati dwells in Her tongue. In fact, the grace of ambaa in

bestowing power of expression to devotees is well known. That is why Saraswati is spoken

of as dwelling in Her own tongue. And the poet in the Acharya plays gymnastics with the

word japa in that shloka, where it says: Your tongue defies the japa (hibiscus) flowers in its

redness because it is constantly engaged in the Japa (mantra-repetition) that gives

expression to the glories of Lord Shiva; the redness of Her tongue is so intense that the

Goddess of Speech, Saraswati, who dwells therein, gets Her crystal-like white complexion

changed into the colour of a ruby (noted for its reddishness). We already saw in Shloka 16

that poets have spoken of Her as ‘shRngAra-laharI’ in Her form as the ‘red’ Saraswati

(aruNa-saraswati).

Thus, of the two fanning divines, one of them, Saraswati, is elevated to the position of

residing in the divine tongue of ambaa. So, the other of them, namely Lakshmi, is now elevated in this shloka (#44), to even a higher position, namely, the top of the divine head

itself. Lakshmi resides in the sImanta of ambaa; and it is that Lakshmi who is decorated

with the kumkuma-ornamentation of redness.

So the parting of the hair goes like a white streak amidst the jet black forest of hair

(‘cikura-nikurumbaM’ of shloka 43) which looks like waves of blue-black on either side of

it. It is the whiteness of the sImanta (parting line) that is usual; but here ambaa’s sImantaM

has been made reddish by the sindUraM. So the blackness of the locks of hair on either side

and the redness of the parting line make the imagination of the poet run riot. Many of us

do not appreciate such poetic licence, because of our preoccupation with the utilitarian

value of everything we see or experience. But a poet does not just see beauty; he invents

original analogies and that is what makes us enjoy both the poetry and the devotional

sentiment built into it.

‘prabala-kabarI-bhAra-timira-dvishhAM bRndair-bandhIkRtaM iva navInArka-kiraNaM’ -

- these are the words.

‘arka’ is the Sun. ‘arka-kiraNaM’ means the Sun’s ray. ‘navIna’ is new. So ‘navIna-arka-

kiraNaM’ means the rays of the rising Sun. Certainly it is reddish. Only when the Sun

comes up higher and higher it loses its redness of appearance and becomes pure white. But

at the point of rising it is red. The Acharya sees the sImanta-sindUraM on the divine head

as one of the red rays of the rising Sun. At the beginning of the parting, namely at the top

of the forehead, the sindUraM is a big dot (red) and so is the Sun itself (rising) and the

saraNi, namely the line of parting, is the red ray emanating from that Sun.

‘prabala-kabarI-bhAra-timira-dvishhAM bRndair-bandhIkRtaM’. Does this not sound like a

cluttering chatter of teeth? Why this hard construction ? The very words speak of a

thunderous noise of battle. Who is battling with whom? The talk is about the sImanta-

saraNi. Then who is warring with it?

‘kabarI-bhAra-timiraM’ means the darkness shown by the jet black dense hair. The

adjective ‘prabala’ prefixed to it, indicates a further strength to that darkness. When

something is ‘strong’ it can be expected to be aggressive also, in the worldly ways of

thinking. So whom will this darkness challenge or contest? Only Light. What is opposed to

darkness is light. It is the sun which dispels the darkness of the night and brings the day. It is not even just the sun; it is the morning sun that night considers as the harbinger of its

doom. Because darkness never ‘sees’ the full Sun. As soon as the first ray of the morning

sun appears, darkness has to wind up and run.

And here, while darkness is in the form of ambaa’s hair, the morning sun has appeared in

the form of the sindUraM on the top of the forehead. It is the crimson ray of the morning

sun that is represented by the sindUraM-coloured parting of the hair. And it is this parting

that prevents the darkness on either side to become one large mass of darkness. Further, it

is the darkness of the hair that has been pampered by oil, shampoo, and flowers – as has

been indicated by the words ‘ghana-snigdha-shlakshhNaM’ (luxuriant, soft and oily) in

shloka #43. Because it has been ‘pampered’ it has become ‘prabala’ (exceedingly strong)

now. And that gives it the courage to dare challenge the redness of the sImantaM!

59

(Digest of pp.1122 -1128 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

Darkness of night is the dominating factor all night. But the moment the rising sun with its

crimson rays shows up, darkness has to flee. It has always been the unfulfilled ambition of

‘darkness’ to settle this score with the young sun. And here is ambaa having all the world’s

darkness, as it were, collected in her hair. But She has also brought the young sun in the

form of the sindUra-spot right in the midst of this dark forest of hair. It is a life-time

opportunity for darkness. With gusto it swallows all the rays emanating from that sun, for

once. But still there is one single ray of crimson which goes straight across the centre of all

this dark hair. It is that crimson which gives a decorating hue to the black hair. And it is

the jet black background which brings out the majesty of the crimson parting of hair.

Thus we can see darkness having vanquished all but one ray of the bright rising sun. Why

did it not go all the way by its challenge and overpower that one remaining ray also? But

for that single ray remaining in its place, how would it be established that darkness had

vanquished the bright sun and its rays? It is the one remaining ray of the sun that tells us

that the other rays have been vanquished.

[Note by VK: Though the Paramacharya did not say this,

I can hear him saying: “Don’t you remember,

in the Sundara Kanda, every time Hanuman vanquishes

an entire army, he spares one person,

so that he may go back to Ravana

and say what happened in the battle”!]

“dvishhAM bRndaiH” means ‘by the gangs of enemies’. It is from the root ‘dvishh’ that the

word ‘dveshha’, meaning ‘hate’ is derived. “bRndaM” means a crowd, a gang. The crowd

of hair on ambaa’s head flows wave after wave and so looks like armies of black ready for

fight. “bandIkRtam-iva” means ‘as if imprisoned’. It is the rising sun in the form of the

sImanta-sindUraM that is imprisoned here by the armies of black hair.The word

“bandIkRtaM” is significant. Not only have all the crimson rays of the rising sun been

vanquished, but even that one remaining ray has been imprisoned by the dark army

surrounding it on either side so densely that it cannot move this way or that way!

Incidentally, if one wants divine presence, the parting of the hair has to be straight in the

centre – not this side or that side – of the hair on the head. And the sindUraM has to come

from pure turmeric, not from any other artificial source.

Among the many meanings of “bandhaM” one is ‘imprisonment’. The meaning of

“bandIkRtaM” is ‘be imprisoned’. The difference is between the active and the passive. So

here ‘bandIkRtaM iva’ means ‘as if imprisoned’.

Well, what has all this – fight between darkness and light -- to do in the devotional stotra

“soundarya-laharI”? In shloka 43, it was said that Her black braid of luxuriant locks of

hair itself will eradicate the dense darkness of ignorance in us. In the same way he says in

this shloka that the sImantaM (parting of hair) which in a sense has been imprisoned by

the black forest of hair on either side, will grace us with all prosperity. In fact the

sImantam is the residence of Lakshmi the Goddess of Prosperity. Its ‘imprisonment’ is only

an imagination; ‘bandIkRtam-iva’ – as if imprisoned – is the word. Now we shall see the

other side of this sImantaM. We shall indeed see its greatness. I began with what appeared

to be its negative side because I wanted to end up this shloka with the positive side. The

Acharya of course begins this shloka only with the positive.

Now look at the first two lines:

tanotu kshhemaM naH tava vadana-soundarya-laharI

parIvAha-srotaH saraNiH iva sImanta-saraNiH /

Great poets do not waste their words. So when our Acharya uses ‘laharI’, ‘parIvAhaM’,

‘srotas’ and ‘saraNI’, which all convey more or less the same meaning ‘flood’, there should

be something deeper in it. Yes, there is a deeper point. There are shades of differences in

the meaning. ‘laharI’ is the bubbling, wavy and noisy water-flow. ‘parIvAhaM’ is the real

flood of water which simply marches forward. ‘srotas’ could even be a silent rivulet.

‘saraNI’ is a straight flow of water, like that in an artificial canal. What starts as a ‘laharI’ ,

widens up into a ‘parIvAhaM’ and then flows like a controlled river ‘srotas’ between two

banks and finally is channelised into a canal ‘saraNI’.

This is how ambaaL’s beauty starts from Her face as a laharI and spreads like a pravAha.

When it touches the top of the forehead it becomes a srotas. The banks on either side of this

srotas is the hair on either side of the sImantaM. Actually the flood of beauty cannot be

dammed by the forest of hair. What is the greatness of ambaaL’s beauty if one can dam it

by holding it between two banks? ‘vaktra-lakshmI-parIvAhaM’ (the flood of beautiful

brilliance) says lalitA-sahasranAmaM. The brilliance starts from the face and overflows as

a flood into the locks of hair on the head but is contained in the form of a ‘saraNi’ –

sImanta-saraNi – between the dense forest of hair on either side. It is this brilliance

(lAvaNya) of the Mother Goddess that bestows prosperity and happiness to all Her

devotees. And since it all starts from the face, he calls it ‘vadana-soundarya-laharI’. And

legitimately, the whole work has been named – we do not know by whom – Soundarya-

laharI.

This shloka ‘tanotu kshhemaM naH’ properly meditated on, will bring us divine help in

controlling our mind and all its evil tendencies – ‘dvishhAm bRndaiH’ – by which we are

all imprisoned – ‘bandIkRtaM’.

60

(Digest of pp.1130 -1140 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

Here comes one shloka (#46) where the Acharya has done delightful innovation with the

simple idea of the ‘moon-like divine face’.

lalATaM lAvaNya-dyuti-vimalaM AbhAti tava yat

dvitIyaM tan-manye makuTa-ghaTitaM candra-shakalaM /

viparyAsa-nyAsAd-ubhayam-api sambhUya ca mithaH

sudhA-lepa-syUtiH pariNamati rAkA-himakaraH // 46 //

‘lalATaM’ is the forehead. ‘lAvaNya-dyuti’ is the beautiful Light. ‘vimala’ means faultless.

“AbhAti”, shines. So the first two lines mean: The forehead that shines in the pure

brilliance of its divine beauty may be thought of (‘manye’ – I think) as the second form of

the crescent moon of your crown. ‘makuTa-ghaTitam candra-shakalaM’ means the crescent

moon that ornaments the crown. In other words what is said is that there is the cresecent

moon on ambaa’s head.

Traditionally, we all know that both Ishvara and Ambaa have only the third day moon on

their head, not the half moon or ashhTamI-candra.In all images of both these deities we

could have noticed that the third day moon (the figure of the moon on the third day of its

appearance) embedded in their head, would be showing the sharp corners of the curves on

both sides as two dots. If it is the ashhTamI-candra (the half moon ) that is depicted, we

would also see the diameter joining those end points. In a crescent moon this diameter

would not show nor would the remaining portions of the moon – though we can imagine

the full figure of the moon by mentally completing the crescent into a full moon. It requires

quite an imagination to visualise this. But the key to this is the pair of sharp corners in

which the crescent ends.

On the other hand the semi-circular forehead of Ambaa is actually a half-moon. No portion

of the half-moon is missing here. In the sahasranAma also it is said of her forehead (aLika-

sthala) : “ashTamI-candra-vibhrAjad-aLika-sthala-shobitA”.

Thus we have a cresent moon above, and also below it in the form of the forehead the half

moon. Now comes the fun in the third and fourth lines:

“ubhayam api” – these two. The half moon in the crown and the half moon in the forehead.

“mithaH” – mutually, with respect to each other.

“viparyAsa-nyAsAt” – joined in the reverse order. “viparyAsa” means ‘the opposite order’.

They have to be joined in the reverse order because, the half moon in the crown is in the

form of the lower half of a full moon and the half moon of the forehead is of the form of the

upper half of a full moon.

So we have to join them in the reverse order. “sambhUya” means ‘attached’. What is the

means of attaching them? It is the “sudhA-lepa-syUtiH” of the moon itself. “sudhA” means

‘nectar’. “lepa” is ‘paste’ or ‘gum’. “syUtiH” means stitching or sewing. In fact the English

word ‘sew’ comes from ‘syUtiH’ of Sanskrit. Thus if one attaches the half moon on the

head of ambaa and the half moon of her forehead, with the former as the lower part and

the latter as the upper part, and use the nectar which oozes out of the moon for pasting

them then the full moon itself shines! “rAkA himakaraH pariNamati”!

The next shloka (#47) is more complicated. But it is the complication and the poetic

inventiveness that make us stay long at the shloka and therefore longer in the thought of

ambaa.

Bhruvau bhugne kimcit bhuvana-bhaya-bhanga-vyasanini

tvadIye netrAbhyAM madhukara-rucibhyAM dhRta-guNaM /

dhanur-manye savyetara-kara-gRhItaM ratipateH

prakoshhTe mushhTau ca sthagayati nigUDhAntaram-ume // 47 //

“bhruvau kimcit bhugne” : ‘frowning a little’. ‘bhruvau’ means the pair of eyebrows.

When the eyebrows are contracted either in anger or in thought, we are said to frown.

Incidentally, the Sanskrit word ‘bhrU’ must have originated the English word ‘brow’ and

also the tamil word ‘puruvaM’, all meaning ‘eyebrow’! Here we are talking about the

eyebrows of ambaa. If the frowning is complete, the natural bend in the eyebrows

disappears and they align themselves in a straight line. Here ambaaL’s eyebrows are not

contracted in anger, but they are more ‘bent’ than normal; that is why, the word ‘kimcit’ is

used. She is frowning in the thought of encountering a fear for Her children, namely, us,

the people of the world.

The words ‘bhuvana-bhaya-bhanga-vyasanini’ mean ‘sorrowed (by compassion) with the

worry of the need to destroy the fear (of samsara) of all the world’. She is a flood of bliss,

certainly – Ananda-lahari. But She is constantly thinking about how to redeem this world from its endless misery of ignorance and consequent suffering in samsara. It was Her snap-

of-the-finger decision once that created the five Cosmic functionaries for the good of the

world; cf. “kshhaNa-calitayoH bhrU-latikayoH” - ‘by a movement of Thy creeper-like

brows’ - of shloka #24.

Of course it is not explicitly stated that Her frowning is because of Her worry about the

world. It could even be because of Her alertness at the onset of a ‘bhaya’, danger to Her

beloved children of the world. If She is intending to eradicate the fear from people even

before the danger occurred, then ‘bhuvana-bhaya-bhanga-vyasanini’ does not fit here. Only

when the situation is confronted with a danger, and a consequent fear in the people, only

then the ‘bhanga’ (destroying) of that ‘bhaya’ makes sense. We can go on analysing the

verse-line in this manner endlessly. That is the beauty of the poetry in this shloka!

But note, whether it is sorrow or anger that is the cause of the frowning, it is not a thing for

enjoyment; on the other hand, the Acharya here seems to be enjoying the scene with all his

heart. So the contracting of the eyebrows is not the usual kind. It is more profound than

that. And that is the content of the other three lines of the shloka. In short, the words

‘dhanur-manye’ of the third line are the key to this puzzle. ‘I think it is the bow’, says he.

That is, the two eyebrows are thought of as one bow. But the wonder here is that both the

eyebrows are considered not as two bows but one single bow. ‘dhanur-manye’ –in the

singular. Then what about the gap between the two eyebrows, where there is no growth of

hair? Actually there should not be; for, as a Tamil preoverb goes, if the brows meet, it

harbingers destruction of everything – “kUDina puruvam kuDiyaik-keDukkuM”.

So then how come, the two eyebrows are compared to a single bow? Whose bow? Is it just a

comparison? What is great about all this except some poetic gymnastics? We shall see.

Thus spake the Paramacharya

61

(Digest of pp.1141 - 1151 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

(Shloka #47 continued)

The Acharya does not see the two eyebrows of ambaa as two bows. He conceives of both of

them as one bow – not as one arc from bottom to top, but as two arcs of the same bow. It

appears as if a skilful archer is at the point of stringing his arrow through the bow,

everything is in tension, and one can see even the little vibration as a wave of the two arcs.

Thus the two eyebrows together constitute a single bow. But mark it! At the centre, there is

a gap. Between the eyebrows, just above where the nose begins, there is a gap in what

appears as the bow. Not only there is this gap in the bow, but the bow string also has a gap;

for in the same shloka the Acharya is saying in the second line that the two honey-beetle-

like black eyes of ambaaL and their brilliance constitute the bowstring. And this bowstring

has a gap in the middle because there is the nose-ridge that is dividing it. If both the bow

and the bowstring have gaps right in the middle, then where is the bow, where is the

string? Then the whole analogy will crumble.

So we have to probe a little more deeply. The bow is Manmatha’s bow – “ratipateH

dhanuH”. What is the authority or rationale for thinking of it as Manmatha’s bow? The

rationale is:

“tvaDIye netrAbhyAM madhukara-rucibhyAM dRta-guNaM”.

dRta-guNaM: with the bow-string held

tvadIye netrAbhyAM: by Your eyes

madhukara-rucibhyAM : that shine and move about like honey bees

The two black honey-bee-like eyes of ambaaL are radiating a brilliance, which is not static,

but is superlatively dynamic; they are moving this side and that side fast enough to cover

all the beings in the world so that the dRshhTi of ambaaL may shower grace and

compassion on them. This fast movement of the honey-bees (eyes) gives the visual illusion

of an infinite line of black sparkling dots and that is what makes the bowstring! And

remember, only Manmatha has such a bow-string made up of honey-bees. And that is why

‘ratipateH dhanuH’ is not unreasonable in this context. And whom is he (manmatha)

aiming at by this bow and arrow? Obviously Lord Shiva. Any time He is prone to go away

and sit in isolation as Dakshinamurti. Then who will be there with Mother Goddess to look

after the world? It was She who put Him in this seat of ‘One of the Triad’, with a specific

duty and also as Ishvara and Sadashiva with duties of anugraha and tirodhana.

We are still to untangle the problem of the bow and bowstring not falling apart in the

middle since they appear to have gaps in the middle. The solution of the riddle is found in

the words (fourth line and part of the third line):

“savyetara-kara-gRhItaM prakoshhTe mushhTau ca sthagayati nigUDhAntaraM ume”

‘prakoshhTa’ is wrist. ‘mushhTi’ is clenched fist. ‘sthagayathi’ means ‘hides’. ‘nigUDHa’ :

‘not visible’. ‘antara’ : interspace. So far we have arrived at the following meaning: “By the

wrist and clenched fist is hidden an interspace, that is (therefore) not visible.

Let us now visualize the imagery which the poet is bringing before us. An archer (here, it is

Manmatha) is holding the bow. The hand holding the bow will have its clenched fist in the

middle of the bow and thus it is the fist that is hiding the middle of the bow. Similarly the

other hand will have its wrist in front of the middle of the bowstring and thus will hide that

middle. Thus if we do not further think about it, both the bow and the bowstring will have

a vacant space in their middle. And a little more observation will tell us that it is the wrist

and the fist that are filling up the corresponding hidden space and so neither the bow nor

the bowstring is in two pieces. This is how the pair of eyebrows of ambaaL with the vacant

(browless) middle and the two eyes with the nasal ridge in the middle exhibit a bow and

bowstring with their middle hidden by the fist and the wrist respectively.

Now we have to further enquire which hand is doing what. The words “savya-itara-

gRhItaM” (meaning, held by the other-than-right hand) tell that story. Even in the very

next shloka which talks about the right and left eyes of ambaa as the Sun and Moon

respectively, “savya” is used for ‘right’ , though “savya” also means ‘left’ in most other

places.

Incidentally, there are some Sanskrit words which have valid contradictory meanings for

the same word. “chhAyA” stands for both shadow and light. “nyAsa” means

‘abandonment’ as well as ‘seizure’. “shiti” means both ‘black’ and ‘white’.

In this shloka it is important to understand which hand is holding the bow and which hand

is ready to shoot off the arrow. Recall also that Manmatha is also capable of shooting

arrows with left hand just as Arjuna is. But if he is shooting the arrow with the left hand

the bow will be in his right hand. We are watching this, standing before ambaaL.

First understand that Manmatha has to be in a horizontal lying posture a little below the

level of the eyebrows of ambaal to shoot the arrow upward; because the line of eyes

(bowstring) is below and the central stem of the bow (line of eyebrows) is above. Now if

Manmatha is holding the bow (of eyebrows) in his right hand and we are looking at it

from his left ( because on his right is ambaal’s face, so we cannot be looking from that side),

the two things that are in our view at the middle portion of the whole system are: one, his

right fist closing in on the middle of the bow and two, his right forearm on the farther side

from us. What we see of the fist is only the fingers closing in on the middle of the bow, but

they cannot completely hide the bow as much as they would if we were seeing from the

other side. From the other side we would have seen only the back portion of the palm and

that would have completely hidden what he is holding. Again, coming to the right forearm

hiding the middle of the bowstring, there is no chance at all for such hiding, for the

forearm is on the farther side.

On the other hand, if he were holding the bow by his left hand the back portion of the

clenched fist would be completely, really completely hiding the middle of the bow; not only

that, the forearm (the prakoshhTa) being between us (the viewer) and the bowstring, would

be completely hiding the middle of the bowstring. And this is exactly what is happening.

The interspace between the eyebrows of ambaal is hidden – in the poet’s imagery, by

manmatha’s prakoshhTa (forearm and wrist) - and the nasal ridge causing the

discontinuity in the line of the moving eyes – in the poet’s imagery, this is hidden by the

mushhTi (clenched fist).

This, I think, is what the shloka depicts in the last two lines of this four-line verse! But

don’t think that it is all only poetical gymnastics only. There is a great significance for this

shloka beyond the gymnastics of its imagery.

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Among the several great achievements of ambaaL is the fact that She gave life to

Manmatha who was earlier burnt to ashes by the Lord Himself. She did it so that the play

of Creation could go on. But then She also was concerned about the welfare of the created

world. The waywardness and indiscipline of people of the world, did bother Her. As the

Mother of the Universe She wanted the Father also should join Her in the activity of

redeeming the millions of the world. Instead of helping Her in this direction He, the Lord,

had the propensity to retire into seclusion for penance. She knitted her eyebrows at the

thought of this.

That very frown of Hers became an encouraging factor for Manmatha who was now alive

by Her Grace. Making Her own knitted eyebrows his bow, He came to Her help. He

assured Her that he (Manmatha) will keep the bow (of Her eyebrows) in readiness so that

the very moment Lord Shiva shows any propensity to retire into aloofness, he can release

his arrow and change His mind. During that earlier occurrence when he tried this he was

burnt to ashes by the Lord; this happened because He was at that time trying it on his own,

with a great air of confidence built by his own ego. But now, in all humility, he says that he

will take refuge in Her own face and use Her own eyebrows and eyes for his equipment of

bow and bowstring. By the very fact that it is now Her own divine act, it won’t result in

failure as in the earlier case!

Thus it is the frown of the eyebrows that causes everything. It is at the control of that frown

that the entire Universe and its divine functionaries are all functioning. No doubt therefore,

that if we take refuge in the same eyebrows by meditating on them, the bad influence of

manmatha will not be on us!

--------------------------------------------------

Now the Acharya comes, in the description of ambaaL from head to foot, to Her eyes. In

the previous shloka (#47) itself, there was a casual mention of the black honey-bee-like eyes.

But in that shloka the dominant factor was the eyebrows. Now we come to the eyes proper.

This shloka #48 talks about the three eyes of ambaal and the importance of the third eye.

ahas-sUte savyaM tava nayanaM arkAtmakatayA

triyAmAM vAmaM te sRjati rajanI-nAyakatayA /

tRtIyA te dRshhTiH dara-dalita-hemAmbuja-ruciH

samAdhatte sandhyAM divasa-nicayor-antaracarIM //48 //

tava: Your

savyaM nayanaM: right eye

sUte: causes

ahaH: the day

arkAtmakatayA: it being of the form of the Sun, (or) possessing the definitive characteristic

of the Sun

rajanI-nAyakatayA: Being of the form of the Moon (the Lord of night)

te vAmaM (nayanaM): Your left eye

sRjati: creates

triyAmaM: the night.

te: Your

tRtIyA dRshhTiH: third eye

dara-dalita-hemAmbuja-ruciH: (which resembles) the red golden lotus slightly in bloom

samAdhatte: beautifully generates

sandhyAM: the two sandhyAs, i.e. the two twilights

antaracarIM: which come in between

divasa-nishayoH: day and night.

The eye-balls of the right and left eyes of ambaaL are like black honey-bees. The third eye

however is different; it is crimson-red like melted gold. This is the agni-netra of the Mother.

The first two eyes are, according to all shAstras and purANas – except of course the

Purushha-sUkta – the Sun and the Moon. The central eye, usually referred to as ‘lalATa-

netra’ is agni, Fire.

The first line says: Because your right eye is of the form of the Sun, it generates the day-

time. Note that the word ‘savyaM’ is used here for ‘right’ as opposed to ‘vAmaM’ for left

(see the second line).

‘hemAmbuja’ is golden lotus. The Meenakshi temple in Madurai has the sacred tank called

the tank of the golden lotus. It is ambaal’s third eye that is the golden lotus there.

It is interesting to note that while the two eyes denote the progenitors of ‘day’ and ‘night’,

the third eye – which is between the two eyes –must generate the intervening time

(sandhyA) between day and night. And, incidentally, this shloka therefore establishes that

ambaaL is Time itself; ‘kAla-svarUpiNi’.

The Mother does not stop by just creating ‘day’, ‘night’ and the two sandhyAs. The three

Cosmic Functionaries who take care of the triple acts of creation, protection and

dissolution, are created by Her (shloka #53). Without distinguishing between the colours of

the three eyes, the lines of red, white and black are depicted as rajas, satva and tamas and

these originate the three functionaries, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, who, at Her bidding, do

the acts of creation, protection and dissolution.

But Shloka 55 presents the Compassionate aspect of the Mother and compensates for the

possible impression of Her as the ultimate progenitor of Destruction at the Dissolution

time. “If You close Your eyes, the world gets destroyed. And when You open them, the

world is created again. The presently created world should not be destroyed – that is what

Your Mother instinct feels. That is why perhaps, Oh Mother, You are not winking Your

eyes” says the Acharya in the 55th

shloka – thus echoing the general understanding in the

Hindu world that the divines don’t wink their eyes at all.

In another shloka #54, the three colours white, red and black which stand for satva, rajas

and tamas are presented from a different perspective. The river Ganga is white. It comes

from Shiva’s matted hair. Yamuna river is black, because it has an inseparable

relationship with Krishna. The third one is Saraswati which is invisible but flows under

Ganga and Yamuna as an underground current. In stead of Saraswati, the Acharya takes

the Sone river, which is red. The meaning of SoNa is red. If Ganga is taken as Shiva and

Yamuna is taken as Vishnu, then the SoNa river is to be taken as ambaaL. It is ambaal’s

favourite son Vighneshvara who presents Himself as the red Sona-bhadra stones that are

available in plenty in the Sone river-bed. The three lines, white, black and red, in ambaal’s

eyes represent the Triveni of Ganga, Yamuna and SoNa. Therefore it is ‘anaghA’ that is,

sinless. The dRshhTi, glance that emanates from that ‘sinless’ confluence of the three great

rivers will eradicate all our sins. “Let it sanctify us”, winds up the Acharya, as a prayer

that benefits, in his usual style, not only the one who says this but all of us!

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imprn.)

Here is a shloka which combines, by a poetic artifice of metaphorical meanings, the divine

glance of ambaaL with several (actually, eight) meritorious locations (kshetras) in the land

of Bharat.

vishAlA kalyANI spuTa-rucir-ayodhyA kuvalayaiH

kRpAdhArA’dhArA kimapi madhurA’’bhogavatikA /

avantI dRshhTis-te bahu-nagara-vistAra-vijayA

dhruvaM tat-tan-nAma-vyavaharaNa-yogyA vijayate // 49 //

te dRshhTiH : Your eye-glance

vijayate : excels in glory (with qualities of being ---)

vishAlA: broad,

kalyANI : auspicious,

ayodhyA kuvalayaiH : invincible (even) by the blue lilies

spuTa-ruciH : (in) brilliant clarity,

AdhArA kRpAdhArA :the basis for the flood of compassion,

kimapi madhurA: indescribably sweet,

bhogavatikA: pleasurable,

avantI : protective, and

bahunagara-vistAra-vijayA : with victories spread over several cities,

tat-tan-nAma-vyavaharaNa-yogyA : well befitting the names of cities indicated by those

qualities,

dhruvaM : certainly.

Of these, the four names ‘ayodhyA’, ‘dhArA’ (Bhoja’s capital), ‘madhurA’, ‘avantI’ (Ujjain)

are well known as the names of cities.

‘VishAlA’ (coming at the beginning of the verse) is also one such; it is the other name of

Badrinath. Recall the slogan-cry of devotees: ‘Jai bhadri-vishAl’! In the Valmiki

Ramayana when Rama and Lakshmana are taken by Vishvamitra to Mithila, on the way

they pass through the city of ‘VishAlA’.

In the Kannada region, there is a ‘KalyANi’ in the district of Bidar. In the days of the

Acharya that region was called ‘Kuntala’, with its capital at Kalyani. In later days when the

Chalukya dynasty of Vatapi came to an end, but again emerged as a powerful influence, it

came to be known as the ‘Kalyani Chalukya dynasty’.

BhogavatI is another city. This is known as ‘kambath’ in Gujarat. The Englishmen called it

Cambay. That is why the name of ‘Gulf of Cambay’ came up.

VijayA is another city. It is not the Vijayanagar of Hampi in Bellary District of Karnataka.

Nor is it the Vijayanagaram of Srikakulam District of Andhra, where the famous Gajapati

kings ruled. In order to distinguish these two Vijayanagara’s, the Hampi Vijayanagara

was called ‘Vijaya’ and the Andhra Vijayanagara was called ‘Viziya’ by later English

Historians. It was the Hampi Vijayanagara that became the seat of the famous

Vijayanagara Empire in later days; because the city was named ‘VidyA-nagara’ by

Bhukkaraya. But that was in the 14th

century. Neither this nor the Andhra Viziya was

there at the time of the Acharya. So the ‘Vijaya’ that he has immortalised in this verse

must be something else, probably the Kurukshetra of the Mahabharata. The last shloka of

the Gita says: “Where there are Krishna and Arjuna, there rules Vijaya also”!. It may be

this Vijaya is referring to Kurukshetra. It is interesting to note that Arjuna was himself

also known as ‘Vijaya’.

These eight cities are not ordinary places. The relationship of ambaaL to them all is

because of the fact that Her eye-glance (dRshhTi) while falling on the entire universe fell

in addition with an extra force on these eight places. And, to boot, the meanings embedded

in the names of these eight cities, also fit as a characteristic of the dRshhTi of ambaaL. This

is shown by the extra meaning imbedded in these words in addition to them being simple

proper names of cities.

The Commentators wax eloquent on the precise meanings of ‘vishAlA dRshhTi’, kalyANI

dRshhTi’ and so on for all the eight epithets for the glance of ambaaL. I do not remember

them all. But let me now tell you generally what all this means.

At this point, Ra. Ganapathy, the writer of these records,

supplies the following footnote.

“Lakshmidhara’s bhashya on Soundaryalahari

describes these eight kinds of eye-glances thus.

‘vishAlA dRshhTi’ shows an inner satisfaction.

‘kalyANI’ shows the miraculous nature of the dRshhTi.

‘ayodhyA’ is the smile shown by the very eyeballs.

‘dhArA’ is that enchanting glance of the lover.

‘madhurA’ is what is shown by contracted eyes.

‘bhogavatI’ is the glance shown by friendly affection.

‘avantI’ is the innocent look.

‘vijayA’ is the side glance emanating from the position of

the eyeball moving to the extreme corner of the eye”.

The breadth of coverage of the glance of ambaal is vast and so it is vishAlA. It also

generates auspiciousness for the whole world; so it is kalyANI.

Now let us come to ‘ayodhyA’. This name could have come to the capital of the state ruled

by the Ikshvaku kings by one of two reasons. Their headquarters must have been so well

protected by moats and fortresses that they were invincible. Or perhaps, they were

considered so invulnerable that nobody came to fight with them. On both contacts their

place is ‘ayodhyA’! But the point here is, in what way the name fits ambaal’s eye-glance?

First of all, dRshhTi itself is a word for ‘eyes’. Poetic liberty with ‘eyes’ compares it with

blue lilies. Going one step higher, poetic licence even plays havoc with the roles of

‘upamAna’ (example) and ‘upameya’ (that which is exemplified); thus they interchange the

roles of ‘upamAna’ and ‘upameya’. In the current context, it is not uncommon to say ‘the

eyes which belittle the blue lilies’. And then one gets to be more aggressive and says ‘ in the

war of comparison, the eyes are the winners over the blue lilies’. It is in this strain the

Acharya says ‘eyes which are invincible by the blue lilies’. And this invincibility is what is

built into the word ‘ayodhyA’!

It is ambaal’s eye-glance that bestows the rain of compassion, that is, it is the basis

(‘AdhAra’) for the rain (‘dhArA’) of compassion (‘kRpA’). Therefore it is ‘kRpA-dhArA

AdhArA’, thereby doubling the use of the sound ‘dhArA’ which is the name of the famous

capital of Bhoja. And does it not indicate also the generosity of King Bhoja whose awards

always excelled in their profusion because they were always given with both hands rather

than a single hand, thus doubling the size of the benefaction?

64

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imprn.)

Sweetness is the innate characteristic of ambaal’s form. So how sweet would be her

dRshhTi, in particular! Therefore it is ‘madhurA’. The corresponding city in North India is

Mathura. But here it is the ‘Madhura’ of the Tamil region.

‘Bhogavati’ is said to be a place in Prayag (modern Allahabad). But the shloka talks about

‘nagaras’ only. So a part of Prayag cannot be what he is referring to. Also Bhogavati is

also the name of a city in the nether-world and also the name of Ganga which flows in the

three worlds. But the Acharya is talking here only about cities on Earth, none of these

would be the Bhogavati that he is referring to. So it must refer to only Cumbath in

Gujarat, which has however lost its good old name of Bhogavati!

Well, how does that name fit as a description of ambaal’s eye-glance? The word means

‘deserving of experience’. If only ambaal’s glance can fall on us, what greater experience

can we think of, other than the bliss such a glance will bestow on us?

‘avantI’ means that which protects. It is ambaal’s eye-glance that is a great force of

protection for us. The city named Ujjain also has the name ‘avantI’. In fact the name once belonged to both the city as well as the kingdom of which it was the capitol. Later, in order

to avoid confusion, the kingdom continued to be called ‘avantI’ while the capitol was

named ‘Ujjain’. Later it appears that the capitol was also called ‘VishAlA’.

A final observation. Ambaal’s dRshhTi certainly falls on the whole universe and therefore

on all the cities of the world. But these eight have been highlighted because the divine

glance has all the qualities indicated by the names of these cities; and that is what makes

the poet in the Acharya express his delight through this shloka.

The next shloka (#50) makes a direct connection between poetic talent and ambaal’s eyes,

by bringing in a comparison between Her third eye and the other two eyes:

kavInAM sandarbha-stabaka-makarandaika-rasikaM

kaTAkshha-vyAkshhepa-bhramara-kalabhau karNa-yugalaM /

amuncantau dRshhTvA tava nava-rasAsvAda-taralau

asUyA samsargAd-alika-nayanaM kimcid-aruNaM // 50 //

dRshhTvA: Having seen

tava: Your

kaTAkshha-vyAkshhepa-bhramara-kalabhau : (side-glance – pretext – honeybees – young)

two eyes resembling the young of honey-bees,on the pretext of (casting) side-glances

amuncantau: not leaving

karNa-yugalaM : the two ears

sandarbha-stabaka-makrand-aika-rasikaM : (poetry – bouquet – honey – exclusive – tasting)

which enjoy the exclusive taste of honey dripping from the bouquet of poetic sentiments

kavInAM : of the poets

nava-rasa-AsvAda-taralau : and eager in tasting the nine rasas

alika-nayanaM : the third eye (on the forehead)

asUyA-samsargAt: out of jealous hostility

kimcid-aruNaM : (has become) slightly reddish.

The key word here is ‘asUyA-samsargAt’ . Where came this hostility? Why? To whom?

These are the interesting subtleties of the Acharya’s composition in this shloka. The

redness of the third eye is usually attributed by poets to the traditional association of agni

(fire) with the third eye, just as the other two eyes are associated with the Sun and the

Moon. But the eye that goes with the Sun should then be associated with heat and the other

eye with the coolness of the Moon. That way there will be a distinction between the two

eyes. The Acharya naturally wanted to deviate from this stereotyped analogy of the three

eyes to the Sun, the Moon and agni. He assumes therefore that all three eyes were

naturally of the same colour originally, but now because of the feeling of jealousy on the

part of the third eye towards the other two eyes, it became red!

And, he gives a legitimate reason for this jealousy. The word ‘sandarbha’ means

‘opportunity’ or ‘circumstance’. In the context of this shloka it means that kind of exquisite

poetry which coordinates characters, events, circumstances, words, flight of imagination,

metre, and everything connected with poetry. When poets make a bouquet out of such

excellent poetry, all the nine sentiments – rasas – flow out like honey. This is the honey that

is exclusively enjoyed by the ears of ambaaL. Her eyes are themselves long and when the

side glances are there, the ends of the eyes reach the ears! And that is how the eyes partake

of the poetic honey that has already been poured into those ears by poets. Enjoying this

taste of honey the eyes would not leave the ears (‘amuncantau’). Since the eyeballs are so

fascinated by that enjoyment, they do not come off from the ears; they are compared to the

young ones of honey-bees which get stuck in the depths of the honey-full stems of flowers!

But here, in the poet’s imagination, ambaaL is playing a trick with Her devotees. She has a

duty of pouring out compassion and grace on the people of the world. If She is only

enjoying the flattering stotras poured into Her ears to such an extent that even Her eyes get

stuck in extending their side-glances up to the ears, then She will be failing in Her duty of

compassion to the rest of the world. Hence the use of the words ‘kaTAkshha-vyAkshhepa’.

On the pretext of a side-glance She is allowing Her eyeballs to move sideways up to the

ears. This side-glance pretext is for the world to be blessed with Her infinite compassion. In

other words She is achieving both by Her side-glance – one is pouring out Her Grace on the

world and two, the eyes themselves are sharing with the ears the honey-taste of the poetic

fancies that reach the ears.

What are these poetic fancies? They are all about the Lord. But this idea is not there in this

particular shloka. By sheer habit I just used the words ‘about the Lord’. But it is not all

mine. In shlokas 60 and 66, where Saraswati Herself is singing praises and Mother Lalita is

listening with enjoyment, it is said ‘vividham-apadAnaM pashupateH’, meaning ‘the varied

leelas of Lord Shiva’.

Another shloka which talks about the fact that Mother Lalita is enjoyhing the music of

Sarasvati is shloka #60. There are two “lahari’s” in this shloka. “sarasvatyAs-sUktIH

amRta-laharI kaushalaharIH” are the beginning words. We have already seen various

“lahari’s”: Ananda-lahari; Soundarya-lahari; cidAnanda-lahari; shRngAra-lahari. In this

shloka (#60) though it looks like there are two “lahari’s”, in actual fact there is only one,

namely, “amRta-lahari”. The other one, “kaushala-hari” is not a “lahari”. It means that

which captivates the “kaushala” (talent). The content of the first line of shloka #60 is to say

that the words (actually, prayers – sUktis) of Sarasvati capture even the flooding flow of

nectar (amRta-lahari). Earlier in shloka #50, it was said that the ears store up the honey of

praises from poets. Here the same ears are said to be the small receptacles (chuLuka-

pAtraM) of those prayers given out by no less than the Goddess of Learning Herself. When

the ears are so personified, the clang of the ear ornaments (kuNDala-gaNaH) when Mother

Lalita nods Her head in appreciation, is said to be the cries of ‘hear hear’ of those ears in

appreciation of Sarasvati’s praises.

65

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After having described how the eyes enjoy the nine rasas poured out by poets into the ears

of the Mother, now the Acharya tells us how the eyes themselves show the dance of the nine

rasas:

Shive shRngArArdrA tad-itara-jane kutsana-parA

saroshhA gangAyAM girisha-carite vismayavatI /

harAhibhyo bhItA sarasiruha-soubhAgya-jananI

sakhIshhu smerA te mayi janani dRshhTis-sakaruNA // 51 //

It is the eyes that can show all the different rasas that reflect the status of the mind. The

ears are simply of no use for this task. The lips of course can reflect anger (by twitching in

a certain way) and sorrow (by twitching in a different way). Sometimes they also show

happiness by showing a slight movement peculiar to a smile. But the one organ in the body

which shows out all the attitudes that exist internally is the eye. Whether it is love, disgust,

anger, wonder, fear, courage, comic mirth, compassion, or serenity, for all these the eye is

the indicator. In dramatics the rasa of compassion is also shown by the sorrowful eye, but

the rasa of divine compassion (karuNA) is recognised in dance forms only by the eye. The

artist when bringing to life his picture or painting, takes the greatest care on his depiction

of the eyes for it is through them that he brings out the state of mind of his subject. A slight

alteration in the presentation of the eyeballs will change the entire bhAva of the painting.

Equal care has to be taken of the eyes by the actor or actress in a play. All this world is a

play of the Mother. And She showers all the rasas through Her eyes. And that is what is

taken up in this shloka.

In what context is the shRngAra rasa (the sentiment of Love) dominant? Naturally in Her

relationship with the Lord. ‘Shive shRngArAdrA’: The eyes are wet by the rasa of Love

towards Shiva. His crystal whiteness is flooded by Her redness and thus draws Him into

the shRngAra rasa – as is talked about in shloka 92.

The expression of Love is something that attracts. The opposite of this is not the fear or

terror (raudra rasa) that is generated by anger. Anger has always a reason. Love is blind.

So Love has no reason or rhyme. The opposite of it is the bhIbatsa rasa (the sentiment of

disgust) that also has no reason. We have many things in us that are disgusting – both

physically and mentally. But ambaa the Universal Mother takes all of us in Her arms. How

can She have any rasa of disgust? Yes, She has – when some male other than Her Lord,

comes to Her not as Her child, but as an adult. Even Lord Shiva came to Her in disguise

once, with tales of blame on Shiva and that is the time when She exhibits the bhIbatsa rasa

as exquisitely described by Kalidasa. By just closing the eyes also, She may exhibit the

disgust.

“tad-itara-jane kutsana-parA”: “tad-itara” means ‘other than He (Shiva)’. ‘kutsana-parA’

means ‘full of disgust’. ‘jane’: in the people. ‘kutsana’ is the same as ‘bhIbatsa’.

When does She show Her ‘raudra’ rasa – the rasa of extreme anger? “saroshhA

gangAyAM”. ‘rosha’ and ‘roudra’ are the same. When the Lord is keeping another woman

right on the top of His head – that is what Shiva is doing with GangA – She is naturally

angry. He gave Her only half His body; whereas the other woman is sitting on his head!

She is not angry with Him; She is a pati-vratA. But She shows Her anger on GangA! By a

poetic ruse the Acharya here gives Her the feeling of an ordinary human female!

‘adbhuta’ is another rasa. It is the wonder expressed at something extra-ordinary. “girisha-

carite vismaya-vatI”: ‘vismaya’ is wonder. ‘GirIsha’ and ‘Girisha’ are both names of Lord

Shiva. ‘GirIsha’ is ‘Giri-Isha’, that is, the Lord of the Kailas mountain. ‘Girisha’ means the

One who resides in Kailas mountain. His history is full of wonders and miracles. The

destruction of Tripura, the burning of Manmatha, the vanquishing of GajAsura, the

silencing of Kala, the killing of the asura ‘andhaka’, the consumption of the HalAhala

poison, the roaming about as a mendicant (BikshhATanaM), the tANDava dance of

Nataraja, and the 64 leelas in the kshhetra of HalAsya (Madurai) – all these and many

more! That the Actionless (‘nishh-kriyaH’) Ultimate got involved in all these numerous

actions was itself due to ambaa -- that is why the Soundaryalahari started. She wonders at

the Leela-actions of the Lord and we wonder at Her miraculous prompting that made Him

do all the actions!

The next is ‘bhayAnakaM’, the rasa that expresses fear. She as the Universal Mother is

‘abhaya-vara-pradA’, the dispenser of abhaya, fearlessness and vara, boon. How can She

have fear? Yes, She has. The poet in the Acharya says She is ‘harAhibhyo bhItA’ – afraid of

the snakes on the person of the Lord! Actually the very snake depicted around a Shiva-

linga is Herself – in the form of the KunDalini in every jIva. And still She is ‘afraid’ of

Shiva’s snakes! This is another divine play!

The rasa of ‘vIra’, that is, courage, is certainly visible in Her great leelas of the destruction

of MahishhAsura and BaNDAsura, where She could be seen as the very personification of

‘vIraM’. But the Acharya could not possibly bring himself to link Her vIraM with such

destructive episodes. Instead he says ‘sarasIruha-soubhAgya-jananI’ – the One who

generates the brilliance of the lotus. Lotus-brilliance is red. Redness indicates the rasa of

‘vIraM’. In fact he could have said that She excels the brilliance of the lotus. For he does

not want even that slight hint of a competition or battle implied in the word ‘excels’. So he

says She ‘generates’ (‘jananI’) the brilliant redness of the lotus.

One more observation about the word ‘jananI’. There is also an alternate reading as

‘jayinI’. This means ‘the One who wins’. Her eye certainly wins the brilliance of the lotus.

In this reading, the concept of ‘winning’ is explicitly stated. Whether it is winning or

generating, what is significant here is that it is the very eyes of the Mother that do these

actions directly. So far the ‘rasas’ that we have seen earlier – like anger, fear, wonder, etc. –

are all only shown as a reaction to something else by the eyes. Whereas, this ‘vIra rasa’ is

not a reaction by the eyes, it is an action performed by the very eyes!

“sakhIshhu smerA” -- humorous among Her friends. The mischievous look that She would

exhibit in Her humorous conversations with friends is what is enjoyed by the Acharya here.

The remaining of the nine rasas are: ‘shoka’ that is sorrow which is also exhibited as

‘karuNA’ (divine compassion) and ‘shAnta’ that is serenity.

Thus spake the Paramacharya

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The next rasa is karuNa-rasa, that is, the rasa of pitiability and miserability. This is also

called shoka-rasa, the rasa of sorrow and misery. But the Acharya does not want to depict

ambaa in this rasa. Earlier in shloka 47 also, when he used the words “bhuvana-bhaya-

bhanga-vyasanini”, though She was shown to have had feelings of sorrow (“vyasanini”) for

the people of the world, it was more because of Her karuNA (divine compassion) that She

was sad, than because of the ‘bhuvana-bhaya’, the horror of samsAra of the people. She

wanted to help them rid of this ‘bhuvana-bhaya’ and so She was intent on ‘bhuvana-bhaya-

bhanga’, namely the destruction of the fear of the world; and thus it was more an

expression of karuNA (compassion) than karuNA (=shoka, sorrow). In the same way here

also it is the karuNA-rasa that exhibits itself; thus the shoka-rasa is only shown by

implication from the rasa of divine compassion, that comes out of the words “te mayi janani

dRshhTis-sakruNA” – meaning, Oh Mother, Your glances that show different rasas, are full

of compassion when falling on me.

Note the use of the word “mayi” (on me), here. All along the Acharya was using the word

“naH” (to us, on us), whenever he was asking for the Grace or blessing to descend from the

divine. But now the matter is so personal that he makes himself the representative of the

entire world, and asks for the Grace to descend on him, and through him to every reader of

this shloka. All the other rasas can be objectified as operating on a third person, but the

KaruNA-rasa has to be received as a divine blessing by each and every one.

The shloka is over. But we have covered only 8 rasas so far. Where is the ninth rasa,

shAntaM – that of peace and serenity? The rasa that is a unification of all these eight rasas

into one is the shAnta rasa. It is the basic rasa from which all others emerge! It is the Shiva

rasa. The first word “shive” in this shloka denotes that. In the beginning of

Soundaryalahari, in the very first shloka, we were told that without Shakti, ShivaM is

nothing but shAntaM. This shloka begins with “shive” and thereby indicates that it is that

shAnta state that became dynamic and evolved into the other eight rasas. The whole stotra

of Soundaryalahari depicts ambaaL as the ‘kArya-brahman’; so the shAnta state of Hers

where there is no action has been only subtly indicated here.

Another interesting observation!. The stotra itself begins with ‘Shiva’. This shloka, which is

exactly in the middle of the whole stotra – it is the beginning of the 51st shloka – begins with

‘shive’. Thus Shakti occurs in the very centre of the whole stotra, just as the shiva mantra

occurs in the middle of the four vedas.

There is another tradition in the science of ‘alankAra’ however on the concept of shAnta-

rasa. According to this tradition, there are only eight rasas. ShAntaM is not a rasa at all.

Experience, experiencer, feeling, excitement – all these and their original sources together

constitute what is called a rasa. But in the state of shAnta, all these have no place; for they

are all dormant therein. Then how can we call it a rasa? But there is quite an opposite

tradition in the same ‘alankAra’ school of experts. They have detailed in their writings

what originates the shAnta rasa, what would be its background, what are the symptoms,

and what are the accessories for this rasa and so forth. They call shAnta rasa the ‘rasa of

all rasas’!

But the argument about there being only eight rasas doesn’t seem to be acceptable to the

Acharya; for he has used the words “nava-rasAsvAda-taralau” (shloka 50), “nava-rasa-

mahA-tANDava” (shloka 41).

There is also a tradition where not only shAntaM is the ninth rasa but there is one more

rasa added to the list, namely ‘vAtsalya’. Acharya’s words “mayi janani dRshhTis-

sakaruNA” (May your glance, Oh Mother, be on me!) remind us that She is the Mother

Supreme and this manner of the Acharya making himself a child of the Mother, is exactly

what brings the vAtsalya rasa also! Thus the Acharya has explicitly mentioned eight rasas

and implicitly brought in the other two rasas – all in reference to that single organ, the eyes

of the divine!

There is a lot of beauty implicit in Soundaryalahari. One of these is the mention of

‘Meenakshi’. This also concerns the ‘eye’. ‘Meenakshi’ itself means the ‘fish-eyed’. Her

very fame from ancient times has always been centred upon the beauty of her eyes. Of such

a great Devi, apparently neither of the two great works on Devi have spoken. These two are

Lalitasahasranama and Soundaryalahari. But this is only a first impression. If we

carefully look into these works, we would come to know there is no necessity to default

them for this.

For, though there is no explicit mention, Meenakshi is implicitly mentioned in

Lalitasahasranama. In fact it is this very implicitness that adds a a greater importance to

that. “vaktra-lakshmI-parIvAha-calan-mInAbha-locanA” is one of the names in the

sahasranama. ‘vaktra-lakshmI’ means the brilliance of ambaal’s face. It is like a great flood

(parIvAha). When the dalliance of the face runs as a flood of water, there ought to be fish

in that flood! Where are the fishes? The long long eyes of ambaa are the fishes. ‘locana’

means ‘eye’. (‘lokana’ means ‘sight’ or ‘glance’. By the very fact that it is ‘seen’, the world

is called ‘loka’). The ‘locana’ that resembles ‘a fish’ generates the word ‘mInAbha-

locanaM’. Instead of saying ‘MinAkshhI’ explicitly, it is mentioned as ‘MinAbha-locanA’.

Well, that takes care of one ‘default’!

In Soundaryalahari, where the shloka 49 talked about the relationship of Her eyes to

various cities, ‘madhura’ occurs. So by giving the name of the city of Minakshi, we may

take it Minakshi has been mentioned. In addition to this there is shloka 56.

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The first two lines of Shloka 56 are:

tavAparNe karNe japa-nayana-paishunya-chakitAH

nilIyante toye niyatam-animeshhAH shapharikAH /

tavAparNe has to be broken as tava aparNe. aparNA is the name of ambaa. The name

aparNA means ‘She who did not even eat the leaves’. In her manifestation as the daughter

of the Mountain King, when She was doing penance in order to be wedded to Lord Shiva,

She adopted such a terrific self-discipline, wherein, She did not even have the fallen leaves

as Her food.

aparNe: Oh Goddess, who has the name aparNA,

niyataM : certainly,

shapharikAH: the female fishes

nilIyante : hide themselves

toye: in water

japa-nayana-paishunya-chakitAH: (talking – eyes – tell-tale – trembling) trembling in fear

that Your eyes (that extend up to the ear) are perhaps carrying tales of slander (about

them)

tava karNe: to Your ears.

Why do fish never swim in the upper regions of the ocean and instead always stay in deep

waters? The Acharya here imagines an interesting reason. They see ambaal’s eyes which

extend up to Her ears. She is always rolling Her eyes on all sides in order that not a single

being in the universe misses Her blessed glance of protection. And so they now and then

reach the extremities of the eye and appear as if they are touching the ears! And the fishes

think that is when the eyes say something secretive into the divine ears. They think

defensively that the devi’s eyes are perhaps telling tales about them (the fishes); because

they always think that the fish-eyed looks of the devi are only competing with them as

rivals in terms of fast movements. And naturally they are afraid the devi might take it on

them and therefore they stay in deep water! They know that if they are really put to test

they will lose in competition with ambaal’s eyes both in the beauty as well as in fast

movement.

In the Meenakshi temple at Madurai, there is the tank called ‘The tank of the Golden

Lotus’. There are no fishes in that tank. The folklore is that they don’t come there because

they know they cannot compete with the beauty of the eyes of Goddess Meenakshi. Thus

the Acharya in making a comparison of ambaal’s eyes with fishes and in painting a picture

for us of the fishes not wanting to show up before Her, has really subtly hinted to us of

Goddess Meenakshi in this shloka!

This takes care of the other ‘default’ – namely, that in Soundaryalahari, where is the

mention of Meenakshi?

One more observation on this shloka before we move on . This is about the word

‘animeshhAH’. It means ‘without winking the eyes’. By the way, the word ‘nimeshha’

means a unit of time equal to about one-fourth of a second. The Tamil word ‘nimishhaM’

meaning ‘a minute’ must have come from this ‘nimeshha’. That ambaal does not wink Her

eyes was effectively used by the Acharya in just the previous shloka (#55). There he says

that Creation and Dissolution take place just during the winking of Her eyes. And so in

order to prevent this universe (that has been created at the opening of Her eyelids) from

dissolution She does not wink Her eyes at all !. Here the general traditional belief that the

divines do not wink their eyes has been used by the Acharya as a remarkable expression of

Her protective feeling towards the whole universe. But we can also look at it in another

way. The fraction of a second during which the winking takes place may deny the

Compassionate Divine Glance to Her children of the world; and maybe that is why She

does not wink Her eyes!

But how can the same non-winking of eyes apply to fish? Of course there is the traditional

belief that fishes by nature don’t sleep. But again this belief has been elevated to a poetic

imagination by the Acharya visualising that the fish don’t wink because they, being afraid

of the effect of slander about them by Her eyes, want to be alert all the time against any

‘attack’ by Her even while they hide themselves in deep water!

Next comes one of the most touching shlokas (#57) of Soundaryalahari. Here we have to

melt our hearts in prayer. Maybe this particular shloka was done by the Acharya when He

was overcome by Her KaruNA in all its fullness. But the Acharya shows his humility even

here. Instead of saying “Your Grace has descended on me with all its overflowing fullness”,

he says, in talking of Her Grace, “Would it not also reach me?” Look at the humility of our Acharya in spite of his being at the apex of Bhakti, JnAna, Spiritual Power and Poetic

Excellence!

Indeed all the great nAyanmars, and Alwars, when they sing about their love of God vie

with each other in expressing the sentiment of humility coupled with grief and self-pity.

“Oh Lord, Would you not condescend to shower your grace on this poor little devotee of

Yours?” – this is the running theme in many of their compositions. Our Acharya also does

this. My own opinion is this. These great giants of devotion do not have to belittle

themselves so much. They are all already realised souls. But they sing in this strain because

they want us ordinary folk to be able to appeal to the Almighty in that strain. Ignorant as

we are, we lack that humility and we don’t even know how to pray. And that is why they

give us the very words to pray with that kind of humility. And here, in this shloka #57,

ambaal has prompted our Acharya to pray to her in that style with superlative humility!

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dRshA drAghIyasyA dara-dalita-nIlotpala-ruchA

davIyAmsaM dInaM snapaya kRpayA mAm-api shive /

anena-ayaM dhanyo bhavati na ca te hAnir-iyatA

vane vA harmye vA samakara-nipAto himakaraH //57 //

“dRshA” denotes ‘by the eye’ as also ‘by the glance’.

“drAghIyasyA” means ‘longer than anything’. The comparison is with any thing else in the

world. Therefore the expression ‘dRshA drAghIyasyA’ connotes the eye-glance that can

outreach any distance. In other words ambaal’s glance falls on those even in the farthest

corners of the universe. And naturally it does not distinguish among them; it falls on all of

them equally.

“dara-dalita-nIlotpala-ruchA” : Usually ‘ruchi’ is taken to mean the taste that the tongue

feels. But the feeling of ‘light’ that is associated with the eye-sense is also called ‘ruchi’. In

shloka #48 earlier, the Acharya used ‘dara-dalita-hemAmbuja-ruchiH’ – the ‘ruchi’

corresponding to the golden lotus slightly in bloom – for ambaal’s third eye. Thus the light

of fire that comes from the third eye is the golden lotus and the other two eyes are blue

water-lilies (‘nIlotpala’). The two sounds of ‘la’ in ‘nIlotpala’ give the soft gentle touch of

sweetness to the description. It befits the deity whose name itself – ‘lalitA’ – contains the

same two soft sounds of ‘la’. Just as an expert jewel-maker chooses the right colour and

nature of the gem-stones to be studded in his jewels so as to maximise the attractiveness

and majesty of the jewel that he makes, the poet in the Acharya chooses his words

meticulously to fit the subject and produce the delightful sound effect!

The nIlotpala radiates cool beauty. The coolness compares to the compassion that radiates

from the graceful eye-glance of ambaal. And it permeates the whole universe. This

radiation is not the eye-blinding brilliance of the golden lotus (hemAmbuja) – which belongs

to the third eye. The Lord’s opening of the third eye is known to radiate terror. We have

no instance of ambaal’s opening of Her third eye. So what is prayed for here is the

nilotpala-glance of the right and left eyes.

Then there is the qualification ‘dara-dalita’ for the nIlotpala. When the waterlily is fully

closed but ready to blossom, the cool shine of the moon falls on it and it starts to open up.

‘dalita’ indicates the just-opened state of the petals of the lily. ‘dara’ – meaning, ‘a little’ --

indicates that the blossoming is not full but very little. If the lily opens out fully, it won’t

give the eye-shape. Nor is it totally a bud. Only a closed eye would look like a lily-bud. And

we know that ambaal never closes her eyelids! She has to cast Her glance on all the world

all the time!

Nor can we say Her eyes are fully open. Actually such a fully open look from the eyes

would not radiate compassion; only in anger the eyes will radiate such a full stare. In a

compassionate look, the eyelids are half closed and half-open. In complete shAnta (Peace)

state the eyes will be almost closed though a little of it is visible. So when ambaal casts Her

graceful compassionate glance, the eyes have the half-blossomed state of the nIlotpala. It is

in this state that the flower also has a subtle attraction, for what is inside is not visible, but

what is inside is also showing a little! A poet also enjoys and revels in such a state where he

dares not say something explicitly but still is not totally implicit.

When you look at a nIlotpala petal, it shows up as blue in the outer fringes but as you look

more and more inside and follow it up to its base, the blue colour fades and brightens up

into white. This happens even in the petals of a red lotus. Thus when a nIlotpala flower

shows up as a silken blue with a polished oily surface, with no other colour spoiling the blueness, then it must be only in its half-blossomed state. When it has fully blossomed, the

white colour at the bottom will begin to show up. Hence the words ‘dalita’ ( just blossomed)

and ‘dara’ (only a little). What an accurate matching of words!

Now let us go to the second line of the shloka:

“davIyAmsaM dInaM snapaya kRpayA mAm-api shive”

Note that the first line had a number of words sounding with ‘da’. ‘dRshA’, ‘draghIyasyA’,

‘dara’, and ‘dalita’. And the same flooding of words with ‘da’ continues even in the second

line: ‘davIyAmsaM’ and ‘dInaM’. And again the sound effects of ‘drAghIyasyA’ and

‘davIyAmsaM’ are the same. All this is of course gymnastics of words. That is only the tip

of the iceberg. The gymnastics of the contents of the words is thousand times more superb.

‘davIyAmsaM’ is also a word denoting a degree of comparison just as ‘drAghIyasyA’ was in

the first line. ‘davIyAmsaM’ denotes ‘farther than anything’. So it indicates the person who

is praying is farthest removed from Her. ‘dInaM’ indicates lowliness, pitiability,

worthlessness,and a state of total fright. All these meanings are together applicable here.

The Acharya has put in this word so as to have all its meanings relevant here.

Such a lowly person is to be bathed (snapaya) in the rain of compassion from the Mother

Goddess. But where is the rain of compassion supposed to come from? It is not ‘from’; it

is ‘by’. By Her glance. By Her ‘kaTAkshha’ – glance of grace.

But if you look at the first line there doesn’t seem to be any need for such a prayer. For

‘drAghIyasyA’ is the nature of Her eye-glance; that means it is far-reaching and covers the

entire world. Not only it covers universally every one, but it does not also make any

distinction from person to person. So there is no reason to assume that somebody has been

left out.

Why then is this prayer ‘snapaya kRpayA’ – meaning, please deign to bathe (this devotee)

in Your compassion?

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(Shloka 57 continued)

“snapaya kRpaya mAm-api shive” – ‘Bathe even me by Your grace, Oh Mother’ : Why this

prayer, when the first line of the shloka has already assured us that ambaal’s

compassionate glance is ‘drAghIyasyA’ , that is, it reaches the farthest corners and extends

to every one without any distinction? That is because this ‘lowly one’ (dInaM) is

davIyAmsaM (far removed even from the ordinary range of people – in that sense, the

lowliest). And the Acharya’s stamp of humility comes out not only in these two words, but

in the additional word ‘mAM api’ – meaning, ‘even me’. He asks for ambaal’s grace ‘even

on this poor me’.

The whole thing implies “My Mother! You have probably kept me so far removed from

you, because I do not deserve the universal kaTAkshhaM (divine glance of grace) that you

bestow on all. I am probably of such poor spiritual merit. But now I pray to you. Would

you not deign to cast your glance even on me?”! “Please do not just glance, but really bathe

me by a downpour of your grace” (snapaya kRpayA).

Why this poor self-estimation? Obviously, the Acharya is praying for all of us. We usually

do not deign to rise to this pedestal of humility when we pray to God. Because our ego

prevents us from becoming so humble. But the Acharya is teaching us how to pray. It is

said that Jesus took all our sins on himself and got himself crucified on the Cross. Here the

Acharya is speaking for us and taking on himself all our faults as if they are his and pleads

for Divine Mother’s Grace to descend on him (for us) in the fullest sense!

The Acharya usually prays for all of us; he uses the word “naH” (cf. Shlokas 7 and 44). But

in shloka #51, where he was referring to the nine rasas oozing forth from Her eyes, he used

“mayi” (on me), which was a little puzzling to us. But the explanation for that comes here.

The Compassionate Glance mentioned there happens to be the subject of this shloka #57.

By itself Her divine glance is ‘dRAghIyas’, that is, reaches the farthest. Therefore nobody

need pray to Her for that Glance. But here the speaker (the Acharya) considers himself the

lowliest of all; so he has to pray for that divine benefit of Her Glance. And that is why in

shlokas 51 and 57 he uses “mayi” !

[Note by VK: In shlokas 22 and 51 also,

the Acharya uses the word “mayi”.

But the Paramacharya’s explanation

fits there also !]

The followers of the tradition of Shri Krishna Chaitanya, who follow the dvaita-bhAva

bhakti, are well known for their attitude of extreme humility in their prayers to God. But

in that kind of modesty our Acharya excels them here!

“Well ! You have yourself accepted that you have been banished from My Grace and that

too deservingly, by your own admission. Then why do you still pray to Me?” – ambaaL

might ask. And the Acharya, as if anticipating this possible rejoinder from ambaal, puts in

the third and fourth line of this shloka:

anena ayaM dhanyo bhavati na ca te hAnir-iyatA

vane vA harmye vA sama-kara-nipAto hima-karaH //

Though I am undeserving according to shastraic rules and regulations, where comes a rule

or restraint when pure love is the principal matter? There are things which have an

equanimous relationship with everything else irrespective of norms and regulations. In fact

this kind of equanimous view is what the Gita raises to the sky. There have been people of

that kind; and there are things of that kind. Take for instance the moon. It is always ‘hima-

karaH’ – that which makes everything cool. The moon does not make any distinction as to

which place on earth should receive its cool moonlight. Does he make any discrimination

between a high tower and a low pit? Whether it is a forest (“vane vA”) or a mansion

(“harmye vA”) he pours his moonlight equally. Neither does he pour more of it in the

quadrangle of the king’s palace nor does he pour less of it in the shrubs of the thorny

forest. He is “samakara-nipAtaH” – that is, one who falls equally everywhere. In the same

way, can you not Oh Mother, dispense your cool Grace on me, even though I am covered

by the rough and tough dirt of worldly sins!

In other words, all this argument is to say that the Mother Goddess should not take into

account my quality; She should have ‘sama-dRshhTi’!

But then it appears the ambaal raises another question. “Suppose the weight of your sins

boomerangs back on my “kaTAkshha” (divine Graceful Glance) itself? And the Acharya

replies: “na ca te hAnir-iyatA”. ‘iyatA’: by this. ‘te’: for you. ‘hAniH na’: there is no loss.

The additional word ‘ca’ makes the ‘te’ as ‘te ca’, meaning, for you too.

Your dRshhTi, glance, will not be affected by the object on which it falls. Just like the

moon. Its light falls on all and sundry; but the moon itself is not affected by any such object

on which its light falls. When the moon itself is not affected by the object that benefits by it,

what to speak of Your compassionate Glance. On whomsoever it may fall, even though it be

a faulty object such as me, how can it affect Your dRshhTi? “na ca te hAnir-iyatA” – By this

you are not affected either.

When it is said that ‘for you too’ there is no loss, then there should be something else

mentioned which has necessitated that word ‘too’. Just as “you too” there has to be a ‘me’

on the other hand. The answer is in the expression “anena ayaM dhanyo bhavati” – This

person (namely, I) also becomes blessed.

The moment Your compassionate Glance falls on someone, that someone is blessed with

infinite bliss. You also do not lose anything. I get everything. That very undeservingness

which removed me farthest from you has now been more than compensated by the beatific

of Your dRshhTi.

The Acharya has composed this shloka only for us to get that treasure of beatification of

Her Grace. We all live in this world seeking to decorate ourselves with fame, honour,

position, power and what not. But all this ‘alankAra’ (=decoration) is nothing before what

that ‘alankAra’ of Her benign Grace that can bring in the ultimate jnAna to us in no time.

The shloka ends with ‘samakara-nipAto himakaraH’. By this he pleads with ambaal for her

equanimous view of all. It is this very sama-darshana – that is the view which sees

everything as brahman along advaitic lines – that the poet MUka praises in Shloka 48 of

his ‘AryA-shatakaM’. Just as this Soundaryalahari shloka talks of moonlight falling equally

on the forest as well as the mansion, MUka kavi compares ‘vipinaM’ (forest) and

‘bhavanaM’ (House) and says that one who has ambaal’s graceful glance will consider

both of these equanimously. Three things bother man. Lust, Anger and Fear. Fear

disappears by ambaal’s Grace; even the forest becomes a home for him. Friend and Foe become equal to him. In other words the anger in the enemy disappears. And thirdly even

an inert stone is not any lower in esteem than the sweet lips of an young girl; in other

words, lust flies away from him. The bathing in Her Grace drives away all these three and

gives one the treasure of advaita. The dhanya (blessedness) that this shloka talks about is

the one who has obtained the dhana (treasure) of that advaita.

Oh What a beautiful shloka! Deserves to be meditated on over and over again!

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There is a subtle matter of yoga-shAstra in shloka #61. In the order of description of the

divine form from head to foot, the next, after the eyes, is the nose.

asau nAsAvamshaH tuhinagiri-vamsha-dhvaja-paTi

tvadIyo nedIyaH phalatu phalam-asmAkam-ucitaM /

vahaty-antar-muktAH shishira-kara-nishvAsa-galitaM /

samRddhyA yat-tAsAM bahir-api ca muktAmaNi-dharaH // 61 //

tuhina-giri-vamsha-dhvaja-paTi : (Snow-mountain - lineage – flag ) Oh Flag of the House of

the Mountain of Snow,

asau tvadIyaH nedIyaH nAsAvamshaH : this nose of Yours, which is more like the hollow

bamboo staff of that flag --

phalatu : May it bestow

asmAkaM : on us

ucitaM phalaM : the appropriate fruit.

vahati : (it -- that is, the staff-like nose --) contains

antaH : in its inside,

muktAH : pearls.

yat tAsAM samRddhyA : for it is out of their abundance

bahir-api ca : that even on the outside

muktAmaNi-dharaH : (there appears) a nasal pendant, in the form of one pearl,

shishira-kara-nishvAsa-galitaM : (moon-cooled – outgoing breath – pushed out) pushed out,

as it were, by the moon-cooled breath of the left nostril.

It is natural for the bamboo to be hollow. Ambaal’s smooth nose has also the hollows of the

nostril. And it is natural for ambaal to have nasal pendants. Here we are talking of pearl

pendants – cf. muktAmaNi-dharaH. In Madurai and Kanyakumari, the diamond nasal

pendant of the Goddess is famous. “tArA-kAnti tiraskAri nAsAbharaNa-bhAsurA” is one of

the names in Lalita Sahasranama. It means She excels even the lustrous light of the stars by

means of the dalliance of Her nasal ornaments. A star radiates light of all colours. The light

of the star is also of the diamond-type. So the ornament that is spoken of here in the

Lalitasahasranama must also be a diamond nasal ornament. A pearl never radiates

several colours. The tradition of “pearl nasal pendant” (muthu-mookuthi – in Tamil)

always associated with ambaaL shows that perhaps at one time it was the pearl pendant

that must have been dominantly in vogue.

The fullness of both masculine and feminine beauty is usually talked about in respect of

Lord Krishna. So the deities of Krishna always show a nasal pendant. There is a famous

shloka starting with the words “kasturi-tilakaM ....” praising Krishna, in which you get the

words “nAsAgre nava-mouktikaM” – ‘brand new pearl ornament at the tip of the nose’ .

Here the Acharya’s citing of pearl pendant as the nasal ornament for ambaaL contributes

well to the metaphor of the bamboo flag-staff. When a bamboo is of an excellent variety,

there is an ancient tradition (handled as such by poets respectfully) that such a bamboo

contains pearls inside it. A similar belief is there with respect to the frontal globe

(mastakaM) of an elephant and also with respect to sugarcane. Indeed in shloka 74 of

Soundaryalahari the Acharya tells us that ambaal’s chest is adorned with a necklace made

of pearls got from the frontal globe of Gajasura, slain by the Lord. In the present shloka,

ambaal’s nose which is, as it were, the hollow bamboo staff, is visualised to contain pearls

as per the tradition about the bamboo.

But wait! Tradition says there are pearls within the bamboo, not outside it! Here the nasal

pendant of ambaal is outside the nose. Isn’t it a flaw in the analogy?

The Acharya takes care of this beautifully. It is through the hollow of the nose (bamboo)

that ambaal is exhaling her breath. When air passes through the hollow of a bamboo there

results the music of the flute. Here the nasal breath exhales the pearls that are inside and

pushes them out as a nasal pendant! It is the breath of the Almighty that is said to

constitute the Vedas. The ultimate content of the Vedas is Mukti, the final Release. ‘Mukti’

and ‘mukta’ (pearl) are handled by poets for purposes of rhyme. Here the Acharya says

that it is the mukti that is exhaled by ambaal in the form of the mukta!

There is a further play of words in the use of ‘vamsha’. This word means ‘bamboo’. Recall

the shloka beginning with the words ‘vamshI-vibhUshhita-karAt’ in praise of Krishna. It

means that His hand is adorned by the flute of the bamboo. The same ‘vamsha’ also means

‘lineage’. So ambaal is addressed as the flag of the lineage of the Mountain King – ‘tuhina-

giri-vamsha-dvaja-paTi’.

Now let us take up the Yoga matter, hidden in this shloka. The breath that comes out of

ambaal’s nose and that brings the pearls outside is spoken of as coming out of the ‘left

nostril’. But there is no word in the shloka which directly means ‘left nostril’. The only

words are ‘shishira-kara-nishvAsa-galitaM’.

‘nishvAsa’ is exhalation;

‘uchvAsa’ is inhalation;

‘galita’ means ‘expelled (out)’.

‘shishira-kara’ is what indicates the left nostril, though its direct meaning is just ‘the

moon’. Note that ‘shishira’ and ‘hima’ mean the same thing, namely, ‘cold’. Whenever the

Acharya talks of the moon in relation to ambAl, he uses ‘hima-kara’ or ‘shishira-kara’

meaning that which gives a soothing of cold. Thus ‘shishira-kara-nishvAsa-galitaM’ means

that which is exhaled by the ‘moon-exhalation’. How this becomes the ‘left- nostril-

exhalation’ is the hidden secret of Yoga in this shloka.

According to yoga-shAstra, when the mind is drawn towards desire or anger or the like,

the inhalation is by the left nostril and exhalation by the right. On the other hand, when the

mind stays deep in noble thoughts, the inhalation is by the right nostril and exhalation by the left. When there is no thought passing through the mind the breath stays as kumbhaka

without exhalation or inhalation. AmbaaL is always engrossed in the most noble thought of

compassion. So She inhales by the right nostril and exhales by the left!

Now the chandra-nishvAsa (moon-exhalation) of ambaal is explainable from Yoga. There

are three nADis in the human body through which the spiritual current passes. On the

right of the spinal column there is the ‘pingala’, on the left there is the ‘iDA’ and the

central one is ‘sushhumnA’. Since there is identity between JivAtmA and ParamAtmA, the

names ‘moon’ for the left eye, ‘sun’ for the right eye and ‘agni’ for the third eye translate

into the names ‘moon channel’ for ‘iDA’ on the left, and ‘sun channel’ for ‘pingala’ on the

right. Hence the meaning of ‘shishikara-nishvAsa’ is exhalation by the left nostril!

Thus spake the Paramacharya

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(Digest of pp.1211 -1217 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

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imprn.)

Smita-jyotsnA-jAlaM tava vadana-candrasya pibatAM

cakorANAm-AsId-ati-rasatayA canchu-jaDimA /

atas-te shItAmshor-amRta-laharIm-Amla-rucayaH

pibanti svac-chandaM nishi nishi bhRshaM kAncika-dhiyA // 63 //

This is another shloka of poetic charm, now dealing with the charm that flows from

ambaal’s smile. Earlier in shloka 42 She was said to have the moon in Her crown. Now Her

face (vadanaM) itself is the moon (vadana-candra). VadanaM also means ‘mouth’. The root

word ‘vad’ is ‘to speak’. ‘Satyam vada’ – Speak the truth. Therefore one can say that the

primary meaning of ‘vadana’ is ‘mouth’. But here it is ‘vadana-candra’ – the moon-like

face. There is no expression like ‘moon–like mouth’!

Moonshine flows from the moon–like face. The moon in the sky displays a dark spot on it.

But ambaal’s face-moon (vadana-candra) has, in its centre, arrays of sparkling teeth.

tava: Your

Vadana-candrasya : moon-like face

Smita-jyotsnA-jAlaM : (smile – moonlight – luminous sweep) luminous sweep of the

moonshine of your smile

In other words, it is the smile that illuminates as moonlight from your face. Now what

happens to this moonlight? The cakora bird drinks it. There is a tradition in Sanskrit

literature that the cakora bird feeds on the nectar flowing from moonlight rays.

pibatAm cakorANAM : of the cakora birds which drank

Here the cakora birds have drunk the moonlight flowing from ambaal’s face. What then

happened to the cakora birds? They became insensitized by saturation of the sweetness of

the drink.

ati-rasatayA: by the extreme sweetness

canchu: the peaks

cakorANAM : of the cakora birds

jaTimA AsIt : became numb (were numbed).

Now how to correct this? The cakora birds were intelligent enough to make the correction

themselves.

ataH: Therefore (i.e., because of the numbness of their peak)

te : these cakoras

Amla-rucayaH: (seeking to have) a taste of the sour

bhRshaM : heavily

pibanti : drink

nishi nishi : night after night

amRta-laharIM : the wave of nectar (i.e., the moonlight)

shItAmshoH: of the cool-rayed moon,

svacchandaM : to their heart’s content

kAncika-dhiyA : taking it to be the sour antidote (for the satiation of sweetness).

Usually it is the privilege of Sanskrit poets to take great pride in fancying that the cakora

birds drink the nectar flowing from moonlight for their very sustenance. This certainly

makes the category of cakora birds unique among all birds or beings, because they are the

only ones which live on just moonlight. But our Acharya soars higher, in his poetic fancy,

over all other poets. He makes the cakora birds even higher on the scale by saying that they

drink the grandest nectar that flows from ambaal’s smile. That makes the ordinary

moonlight nectar pale into insignificance because it is, as depicted here, a sour drink when

pitted against the divine drink of moonlight flowing from the smile of ambaal’s moonshine-

face.

In the first part, Anandalahari, it was said that Lord Shiva is the only one who survives

even the pralaya whereas these divines who partook of the nectar would all be consumed

by that pralaya. And the reason was said to be that ambaal Herself is the Nectar of

Consciousness, far superior to the material nectar and it is the eternal association with Her

that protects Him. Now we know that, even superior to that material nectar churned out of

the milk ocean, there is the Nectar of the smile from Her moonshine face. So higher than

the Nectar of Consciousness (chaitanya-amritam) is the nectar of Her Beauty (saundarya-

amRtam), which is Her form, nay, Her face; not even that, it is Her smile from that face.

All this the poet in the Acharya could have said simply that Her smile is more fascinating in

beauty than moonlight. On the other hand he brought in the cakora bird, made moonlight the tasteful food for the cakora and pronounced ambaal’s smile sweeter than that taste.

Putting together all these ideas, we see that it is the wave of Consciousness (chaitanya-

laharI) that becomes a tasty food for the eyes by becoming the wave of ambaal’s beauty

(Soundarya-laharI) and becomes also a tastier-than-nectar object for the tongue. Thus

Chaitanya (Consciousness), Soundarya (Beauty) and Madhurya (Tasteful excellence) – all

of these are in essence Her shower of Love. It is that moonlight shower of Love that we

should be consuming, in the form of cakoras, deliciously relishing the moon light-food!

Maybe we are not able to ‘eat’ moonlight like the cakora. But we take delight in eating our

own food under moonlight, especially on a full moon night. The moon then cools the very

atmosphere that surrounds us and makes it very pleasant to us. The full moon is certainly

very pleasant to all of us. But the Sun of Wisdom is not so pleasant. Ignorance is darkness;

wisdom is light. Though the wisdom is given by jnAna-sUrya (the Sun of Wisdom), it may

also be unpleasantly hot, because it is the Sun that is giving it. On the other hand the moon

gives both light (of wisdom) and pleasant experience. The Goddess of jnAna (JnAna-

ambaal) removes our Ignorance while at the same time being pleasant. In the Purushha

sUkta we are told that mind arose from the moon. So the mind should be both cool and

pleasant. That is why ambaal who is most pleasant to us is always associated with the

moon. She Herself resides in the region of the moon. ‘Chandra-maNDala-madhyagA’ says

the sahasranAma. And that is again the reason why the Pournami (full moon) day is

important for ambaal and we do special pUjA for ambaal on that day.

She wears the Moon on Her head. In the head of the Yogi She descends as the full moon

and pours out the nectar. For us laymen also, our Acharya has brought to us the

moonshine of Her smile.May we cherish and remember it for ever. May we become the

little cakoras drinking to our heart’s content the nectar-shower of Her Grace!

72

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imprn.)

raNe jitvA daityAn-apahRta-shirastraiH kavacibhiH

nivRttaish-caNDAmsha-tripura-hara-nirmAlya-vimukhaiH /

vishAkh-endro-pendraiH shashi-vishada-karpUra-shakalA

vilIyante mAtas-tava vadana-tAmbUla-kabalAH //65 //

caNDAmsha-tripura-hara-nirmAlya-vimukhaiH: (Chanda’s share - Shiva – leavings –

looking away) : Rejecting the offering-remnants of Shiva as the share of the devotee

Chanda,

vishAkh-endro-pendraiH : the celestials KumAra, Indra and Vishnu

jitvA : after having conquered

daityAn : the asuras

raNe : in battle,

nivRttaiH : return to you

mAtaH : Oh Mother,

apahRta-shirastraiH : with their head-dresses (helmets, etc.) removed

kavacibhiH : but with their armour-jackets on,

tava vadana-tAmbUla-kabalAH : (eager to receive) as Your gracious gift (Prasada) the betal

rolls used by You

vilIyante : and chew them

shashi-vishada-karpUra-shakalAH : (until) they dissolve along with the moon-white pieces

of refined camphor contained in them.

Just in the previous shloka (#64) the Acharya has said that Goddess Saraswati who dwells

on the tip of Her tongue, gets Her crystal-like white complexion changed into the colour of

a red ruby because of the ruddiness of the tongue that defies the japa (habiscus) flowers in

its redness. I have already told you about this.

(Note by VK: See DPDS – 58)

Here this shloka talks about the symphony of red and white that the betal-chewing gives to

ambaal’s tongue. You may ask wherefrom comes this whiteness. Betal-chewing only

produces a reddish tinge.

I take resort to the words “shashi-vishada-karpUra-shakalAH”. Maybe the Acharya

thought : “We only talked about the white Saraswati at the tip of ambaal’s tongue

becoming red. But while writing bhashyas, and while composing stotras we have been

propitiating only ShAradA the white Goddess. Then why not bring Her whiteness into

ambaal’s tongue that dwells on the betal rolls?”!

That the mouth is full of betal rolls is a characteristic attribute that we use in all our

descriptions of a sumangali. Even the Sahasranama says of Her: “tAmbUla-pUrita-mukhI”,

meaning, “The One whose mouth is full of chewing betal”. Ambaal, who is Auspiciousness

personified should always be visualised by us only this way.

There is nothing that can excel the leavings of her “tAmbUla” (betal roll). It is called

‘tAmbUla-ucchishhTaM’ (betal-leavings). Only we humans have to consider another

human’s food-leavings as something demeaning. That of ambaal is sacred. Our body is

nothing but meat. But the divine body is akshhara. It encompasses all from “a” to “kshha”.

That is why it is called ‘akshhara’, which also means ‘immutable’. The divine body is

nothing but all the mantras personified; because no mantra goes outside of “a” to “kshha”.

Over and above all that, it is Love personified. And hence it is that Her betal leavings are

most sacred.

And who is receiving it? Not just a devotee, a poet or a rishi. Her own son, KumAra; Her

own devotee, Indra, who received Brahma-vidyA from Her (refer Kenopanishad); and Her

own masculine form in the form of Vishnu. The Acharya has woven a really marvelous

dramatic scene in which these three receive Her betal leavings.

“senAnInAM aham skandaH”, says Krishna in the Gita. “I am KumAra among the

warriors of the world”. His trident (‘Vel’, in Tamil) is victorious, wherever it appears. Its

very name is shakti. It is nothing but parA-shakti Herself. And it was this KumAra who

went as the chief of all the divine forces to wage war with the enmies of the divines.

Naturally the King of the divines, Indra, goes along with Him. Vishnu has another name

Upendra – because He was born as a son (VAmana) to the same parents that bore Indra.

Thus these three, VishAka (KumAra), Indra, and Upendra (Vishnu) are returning to

Mother Goddess after their victory over the asuras. The first thing that they look for is the

gift of ambaal’s betal leavings.

Earlier to the brith of KumAra, once the divines did win over all the asuras. That was

when they were all puffed up with pride. They thought it was their own Power (shakti) that

brought them the victory. The parA-shakti made them realise how incomplete their Power

was, in each one of them. She put before them a piece of straw which stood like a rock

before all their might. This story of their becoming just a speck of dust in the presence of

the supreme Shakti is told very graphically in Kenopanishad. It was only after this that

Indra, among them all, immediately became very humble and he was taught the Brahma

Vidya by ambaaL.

KumAra, Indra and Vishnu very modestly want to offer their victory over the asuras, at

the feet of ambaal and partake as prasad, of Her betal leavings. Ambaal usually revels in

feeding others rather than enjoying the food Herself. Different varieties of sweet dishes are

usually accepted by Her as offerings, not for Her own sake, but for the sake of Her

devotees. For Herself She is content with the betal rolls!. But then, who eats all that food in

Her house? It is the Lord!—so that He may not go ‘begging’ for food in His style as a

‘BikshhATana’ (the roaming mendicant). When the three divines return from their

victorious war, it was just the time when the Lord had finished His dinner. But they (the

celestials) did not care for the Prasad of Lord Shiva – because they were heading towards

ambaal for Her betal leavings!

And the Acharya excels here, by ascribing a reason to this action of the three celestials.

73

(Digest of pp.1221 - 1226 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

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imprn.)

The three celestials – KumAra, Indra and Vishnu – did not care for Shiva’s prasAdam,

because they were heading towards Ambaal’s betal leavings. The Acharya excels here by

ascribing an enjoyable reason for this action of theirs. “chaNDAmsha-tripura-hara-

nirmAlya-vimukhaiH” –not having their mind on Shiva’s prasAdam ‘because it is the share

of ChanDa’!. (‘tripura-hara’ is Shiva). The first prasAdam of food left over by Shiva

belongs rightfully to ChanDa (ChanDikeshvara). This is the rule. All the world considers

this offering of Shiva’s prasAdam first to Chandikeshvara as our foremost obligation and

privilege. It is remarkable that ChanDa was born in this human world just like us all, but

rose later to become the fifth deity after the primal four, namely, Shiva, Parvati,

Vighneshvara and Subrahmanya. In all Shiva temple festivals these five deities are the ones

that are taken out in procession. To receive Shiva’s prasAdam after it has been offered first

to this saintly devotee, ChanDa, is truly a great blessing to all of us.

But to KumAra, the very offspring of Shiva Himself, to Vishnu who shares half the form of

Shiva in the manifestation as Shankara-Narayana and to Indra the king of all the divine

world, it must be demeaning to receive Shiva’s prasAdam after it has been offered to a

human, ChanDa, however saintly he may be. All this is built into the expression

“chaNDAmsha-tripura-hara-nirmAlya-vimukhaiH”. Here ‘vimukha’ can also be interpreted

to mean ‘turning their faces away from’.

Next comes their dress while presenting themselves before ambaal. The head dress worn on

the field or when they are on duty, by the soldiers in the army, are usually taken off when

they want to show respect. Here the three celestials take off their head dress before they

enter the presence of ambaal.

But the question arises: Why did the Acharya say in shloka #25 that the crowns of Brahma,

Vishnu and Indra are doing the neerajana ceremony to Her divine feet at which they were

prostrating.? Why again did he say in shloka #29 that when She started in haste to walk

over to welcome the homecoming Lord, She ran the risk of tumbling over the crowns of

Brahma, Vishnu and Indra, who were then prostrating at Her feet? The situation in both

cases is clear that they were prostrating with the crowns still on their heads.

Well, the only explanation could be that in their intense mood of devotion that

overwhelmed them at those times, they just forgot (!) the formality of the obligation to

remove their crowns from their heads in the august presence of ambaal.

Let us now come to the “tAmbUla-ucchishhTaM” – the betal leavings. It has only been said

that these three celestials consumed or swallowed the betal prasAdam of ambaal. There is

no mention, however, of the fruit of such an action, or about what fruits will accrue to the

chewing of the betal leavings. Of course we can infer that, to these war-lords who have

come back victorious after a war with the asuras, more victories are bound to accrue in the

future by the blessing of ambaal.

On the other hand, that the fruit of taking the ‘tAmbUla ucchishhTaM’ of ambaal gives

extraordinary poetic talent, is borne out by the fact that three great poets – Kalidasa,

Kalamegar, and Mukar -- became great poets only by the power of the ‘tAmbUla-

prasAdam’ from ambaal. It was the mahAkAli of Ujjain, AkhilAnDeshvari of

Jambukesvaram and KamAkshhi of Kanchi, respectively, who blessed these three. Our

Acharya himself has composed a stotra called ‘ambAshhTakaM’ ,

[Note by VK:

I am not able to locate this stotra.]

wherein he says that ambal’s betal leavings will endow one with poetic talent that will ride

higher than the stately gaits of a high-class race-horse. The very style of that shloka, such

as:

“kavitva-paripATI .... koTI-kulA-dadhika-tATImudhara-

mukhavITI-rasena tanutAM”

mimics the beat of the hoofs of the racing horse!

Whereas according to Soundaryalahari, what bestows the poetic talent is (in shloka #75)

Her breast milk, or (in shloka #98) the water that has washed Her feet. Nowhere is it

mentioned that the ‘tAmbUla-ucchishhTaM’ of ambaal would bestow poetic talent. In

shloka #98 it is said that the poetic talent that is usually granted by the ‘tAmbUla-

ucchishhTaM’ of Saraswati is already bestowed by the ‘charana-tIrtha’, the water that has

washed the feet of ambaal. In that sense the ‘charaNa-tIrtha’ is placed higher in the ladder

of spiritual benefaction. The red paint on the feet makes the water that washes it reddish as

the betal juice. “kalita-alaktaka-rasam” : the water that gets mixed up with the deep red of

lac. ‘alaktaka’ is lac. ‘lAkshhaa’ is also lac. Both sanskrit words could very well be the

source of the English ‘lac’. And again ‘alaktaka’ is what becomes ‘arakku’ in Tamil.

‘As a student when will I have the opportunity to drink that charaNa-tIrtha?’ , wails our

Acharya in that shloka. The words ‘prakRtyA mUkAnAm-api’ (meaning, even for those

who are dumb by nature) indicate that even the dumb (mUka) ones can become great poets

by that ‘charaNa-tIrtha’. The Acharya here is perhaps seeing into the future, when one day

there would exactly be such a mUka-kavi!

74

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imprn.)

vipanchyA gAyantI vividham-apadAnaM pashupateH

tvayArabdhe vaktuM calita-shirasA sAdhu vacane /

tadIyair-mAdhuryair-apalapita-tantrI-kala-ravAM

nijAM vINAM vANI nichulayati cholena nibhRtaM // 66 //

There is a whole dramatic scene here. It takes place in the very presence of ambaal.

Ambaal is sitting totally relaxed and listening to a music performance. Whose music? That

of Saraswati Herself! The word ‘VANI’ meaning, Saraswati, occurs in the fourth line of the

shloka. She is playing on the Veena. Simultaneously She is also singing. The very Goddess

of Arts, Music and all Knowledge is performing. One can only imagine the infinite

grandeur of the sweet richness of such a performance.

‘VipanchI’ means Veena. ‘ParIvAdinI’ also means Veena. The Veenas belonging to

particular celestials have particular names. Narada’s Veena is called ‘mahatI’. That of

Tumburu is ‘KalAvatI’. Saraswati’s is ‘KacchapI’. The word ‘kacchapa’ means tortoise.

The drum of Saraswati’s Veena is in the shape of a tortoise. Hence it is called ‘kacchapI’.

Prof.Sambamurti (of Madras University) says that even today we can see it in the

Phillipines, where they call it ‘katjapI’. In Lalita Sahasranamam we have the name: ‘nija-

sallApa-mAdhurya-vinirbhatsita-kacchapI’. It means ‘One whose speech is more melodious

than kacchapI, the Veena of Saraswati’. It is the idea contained in this single line that has

been elaborated by our Acharya in a full shloka (#66) of Soundaryalahari and transformed

into a fascinating dramatic scene!

VipanchyA gAyantI: playing on the Veena.

But I translate it as ‘playing on the Veena and vocally accompanying it also’. Why do I

make this rendering? Because of the words:

Vividham-apadAnaM pashupateH : Variegated anecdotes pertaining to Lord Shiva.

How can these anecdotes be also performed by Saraswati without being vocalised? The

surest way to please ambaal is to sing the praise of Her Lord. And the Glory of the Lord is

endless. Saraswati is singing and praising the infinite glories of Lord Shiva. Naturally

ambaal is enjoying both the music of the Veena and the singing of the Lord’s glories.

Now let us come to the second line of the shloka.

Calita-shirasA : by the nodding head. Now and then She nods Her head in approval and

appreciation. A nodding of the head (‘shirah-kampa’) can show more delicacy of

appreciation than by an applause of the hand (karaH-kampa). Whether it is in music, or in

writing, or in studies or in sports, one requires appreciation. And reciprocally, it is the

appreciation of the audience or the respondent that provides further inspiration to the

musician, writer, student or sportsman. The same thing is happening here. Ambaal is

enjoying in appreciation and Saraswati is going on playing on the Veena and singing.

tvayA-Arabdhe vaktum sAdhu vacane : When you started speaking appreciative words.

It appears ambaal suddenly, instead of silently nodding Her head, also began to applaud

orally by saying a few appreciative words: ‘sAdhu, sAdhu’. These words mean ‘Good,

Good’. They are the Sanskrit equivalent of the English usage: ‘hear, hear’. But as soon as

these words were spoken by ambaal something dramatic happened. This is the punchline of

the story. It is in the third and fourth lines of the shloka.

tadIyair-mAdhuryair-apalapita-tantrI-kala-ravAM : (By their – sweetness – degraded –

strings –music) Before the sweetness and melody of those words the sweet sound of the

Veena paled into insignificance.

Just one or two words only must have come from ambaal. ‘tvayA Arabdhe’ means ‘just

when you began to speak’. In our own way of thinking there could be nothing sweeter and

more melodious than the music of Saraswati’s Veena; for She is the Goddess of Music. If

there could be something more pleasant it must be Her own voice. But now the few words

that stemmed forth from ambaal, have transformed all that into nothing. Saraswati stopped her singing when She realised the overpowering sweetness of ambaal’s voice. Not

only that. Her Veena-music also has been over-powered. What did She do to Her Veena?

nijAM vINAM vANI niculayati cholena nibhRtaM :

vANI : Saraswati

niculayati : hides

nijAM vINAM : Her own Veena

cholena : by (its) cover, (in its case)

nibhRtaM : so that it will not show up.

Saraswati draws the cover on Her Veena and hides it! In other words She accepts that Her

Veena is nothing before the sweet voice of ambaal and stops it then and there.

Ambaal, though She had all the musical sweetness in Her own voice, intended to honour

Saraswati by nodding Her head all along and also saying the appreciative words ‘SAdhu’.

But instead of encouraging the performer to perform more, it resulted in the performer

bowing down and stopping the performance. This incident brings into focus the greatness

of both Saraswati and ambaal.Saraswati hung down Her head in shame and stopped

singing. But what does the Veena do? Even after being stopped, the music of the Veena

has a characteristic reverberation (anuraNanam, in Sanskrit; rIngAram in Tamil), due to

the resonating vibrations of the strings. So Saraswati quickly silences it by hiding it under its

own cover (‘cholena nibhRtaM’).

We can go on thus enjoying the scene by visualising it in various ways, scene after scene in

this drama.

Maybe it was different. Maybe ambaal was not appreciating the music but was nodding

Her head to the ‘vividham-apadAnaM pashupateH’ -- the different stories of the glories of

Lord Shiva -- maybe that was what was being enjoyed by Her in appreciation. Suddenly

Saraswati might have realised this, at the time when ambaal opened Her mouth to say

‘SAdhu’.

There could be no end to such speculations of ours on the scene. On the whole the shloka

brings out the melodious sweetness of Her voice, in addition to all the beauty of form that

the other shlokas have been revealing all along. There can be no doubt that by meditating

on this shloka one gains excellence both in music and the composition of it.

75

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volume, 4th

imprn.)

gale rekhAs-tisro gati-gamaka-gItaika-nipuNe

vivAha-vyAnaddha-praguNa-guNa-sankhyA-pratibhuvaH /

virAjante nAnAvidha-madhura-rAgAkara-bhuvAM

trayANAM grAmANAM sthiti-niyama-sImAna iva te // 69 //

The intensive knowledge in music and musical technicalities of the Acharya is manifest in

this shloka. The words ‘gati’, ‘gamakaM’, ‘gItaM’ and ‘grAmaM’ are technical words

understood well only by musicologists. One should actually refer to the latter part of

Bharata’s ‘nATya-shAstra’, ‘SangIta-ratnAkaraM’ of Sarangadeva and ‘caturdaNDi-

prakAshika’ of Venkata-makhi. I have only an incomplete knowledge of these.

‘Gati’ is procedure or path. It denotes one of two kinds: ‘deshi’ and ‘mArgaM’. The

former is more regimented like a train on its rails. The latter keeps changing with the

times and caters to latest tastes.

‘GamakaM’ is undulation. It has five subtly different varieties in it.

‘GItaM’ of course is song. But it is not just the text (sAhitya) of the song; it also includes the

svaras.

‘Eka-nipuNa’ is unequalled excellence. So ambaa is the ‘Gati-gamaka-gItaika-nipuNA’ that

is, unequalled Mistress of the musical technicalities of ‘gati’, ‘gamakaM’ and ‘gItaM’.

‘GrAmaM’ –the word occurs in the fourth line of the shloka – means the three-fold

classification of rAgas, according to the shadja, madhyama and gAndhAra svaras. As music

arises in the voice box of the body and as the voice box is situated in the neck, the Acharya

is saying that these three ‘grAmas’ are manifesting themselves as the three lines in the neck

of ambaal. Of course all women would have these three lines or folds in their neck. But that

is because originally ambaal is having these three lines in Her neck! Men have ‘Adam’s

apple’ in their neck, which is absent in women. The western story is that the original man

ate the Eden Garden apple and that started his involvement in the samsAra of the world.

The Indian story is that the Lord swallowed the KAlakuTa poison which was, according to

ambaal’s request, stifled at the position of the throat of the Lord and that is why the bulge

is showing in all male human necks. Both the stories only go to show that we all have the

same origin and we are all brothers born of the same Father, irrespective of the religion we

may profess. In one case the very nutritious apple that ‘keeps the doctor away’ becomes the

original source of this dreadful samsAra. In the other case the dreadful poison sits there in

the throat of the Lord without harming anyone. Both are cosmic mysteries.

All forms of men are nothing but the Lord and all forms of women are just ambaal. This is

what the Adam’s apple of the male neck and the three lines in the female neck tell us.

The great saint Appar has sung a song beginning with the words ‘mAdar piRaikkaNNiyAn’

in the kshetra of Tiruvaiyaru. He saw the male and female forms of the elephant, chicken,

peacock, swan and parrot and had the spiritual experience of visualising all of them as the

divine couple, Shiva-Shakti. ‘kaNDen-avar tiruppAdam, kaNDaRiyAdana kaNDen’, says he

– ‘His divine feet did I see; things that had never been visualised, did I witness’. If we care

to use our intelligence and look for the Divine around us with intense Bhakti we can also

have this darshan of Shiva-Shakti always and everywhere.

Shiva is white; Shakti is red – that is the way we have explained how the changeless White

Shivam (Cause) sprouted out as the Red Kameshvari (Effect). Just like this Shiva-Shakti,

the white-red coexistence can be seen in many of our worldly matters. In fact once we

begin to recognize this spectacle in all matters of this world as well as of the other world,

we would be amazed as if we have had the very darshan of Shiva-Shakti. Particularly, what

pertains to the male is white and what pertains to the female is red – this principle will help

us get into the spiritual sAdhanA of witnessing Shiva-Shakti all around us.

The ‘tejas’ of man is called ‘shuklaM’ (white) and that of woman is called ‘shoNitaM’ (red).

What he wears on his forehead is white ‘vibhUti’ and what she wears is red

‘kunkumamM’. In the ‘nAmaM’ of the Vaishnavas, it is the white part that belongs to the

Lord, whereas the red part is that of the Mother Goddess. In fact that is why it is called

‘Shri-chUrNaM’ – the powder of the Goddess. What man dons is white ‘veshti’ and what

she does is the saree, which is ‘kusumbA’ (red). The word ‘kusumbA’ means saffron. That is

the ideal colour for the wedding saree (kUraip-puDavai). ‘aruNaruNa-kausumbaM’, where

ambaal’s saree is described as the reddest of the red.

Again, in this interplay of red and white, we have our own blood which has both red cells

and white cells. Just as in ambaal’s red, the white of Shivam is merged, so also the red

corpuscles of the blood dominate the whiteness of the white corpuscles and show the colour

of blood as red!

In the ordinary decorative drawings (kolam, in Tamil) in front of the house or the deity,

though the kolam is in white, it is usually bordered by red. For the same reason the

markings on the outside walls of temples are in red and white. Even though the inside deity

may be a Vishnu deity (whose colour is blue), the outside walls are striped only with white

and red.

If it is an abhishekam of the deities, we have milk and honey. If it is the fragrance we have

‘pachaik-karpuram’ (which is green) and saffron. If it is offering of flowers through an

archana, we have jasmine (white) and ‘arali’ (red). If it is food that is offered, we have curd

rice (called dadhyannam) and ‘sarkaraip-pongal’. Even with the ordinary white idli, we

combine the red chili powder or sambar!

Here the idli is bland and peacefully white; whereas the chili powder that goes with it is

fearfully red! White is Peace and Red is Power and Action. So when we want to stop a war

we show the white flag. A revolutionary activity is manifested by a red flag. Thus Shiva-

Shakti is all around us in the forms of Peace and Rajas (activity). But again, nor should we

separate Shiva and Shakti as two different entities; and that is what exactly is shown by the

symbiosis of red and white corpuscles in the blood. The white corpuscles fight with the

invasion of disease and the red ones nurture us with oxygen. When there is bloodshed in a

battle, it is the red cross that brings relief and cure!

Even in the ordinary colour spectrum, it is red that shows up first on the side of white. The

opposite colour that is violet is on the other extreme. It is this violet (linked with blue) that

is the direct opposite of the peaceful Shivam, that goes with Vishnu who denotes Vishnu-

mAyA sharing the colour with Vishnu-DurgA and MahA-kALi. It is the Shiva-kAmeshvari

that has contact with both the Peace of Shiva on the one side and the dynamism of MAya

on the other side. For the same reason, in the apex work of philosophy called ‘pAdukA-

mantram’, the Light that is the Cause of all that is gross as well as subtle is called

‘traipuram mahas’ and when one talks of the unfoldment of the same as Jiva and the

Universe it is mentioned as “rakta-shukla-prabhA-mishraM” -- red and white confluent

effulgence – thereby indicating both the outward dynamism of the Effect and the inward

Peace of the Cause.

Thus spake the Paramacharya

76

(Digest of pp.1243-1248 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

Shloka 69 continued:

The Shiva-factor and the Shakti-factor that are respectively manifest in the male and the

female, are most explicitly manifest in the bulge of Adam’s apple in man and the three lines

on the neck of woman. These are the three lines that are referred to as “gale rekhAs-

tisraH” by the Acharya. The verse also allows us to interpret it as showing that She is

expert in all the three facets ‘gati’, ‘gamakam’ and ‘gItam’ of music. In addition to this

implicit indication, he explicitly says in the fourth line of the shloka: The boundaries

between the different ‘grAmas’ based on the ‘shadja’, ‘gAndhAra’ and ‘madhyama’ in

music are what is shown by the three lines on Thy neck – “trayANAM grAmANAM sthiti-

niyama-sImAna iva te (gale rekhAs-tisro virAjante)”.

Recall “trayANAM devAnAM triguNa-janitAnAM” from Shloka 25. [See DPDS-45]. The

triad of Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra were said therein to have originated from the three

guNas. Here the ‘trayANAM grAmANAM” also mentions along with it the three guNas in

line 2.

What is stated in line 2, namely, “vivAha-vyAnaddha-praguNa-guNa-sankhyA-

pratibhuvaH” that is, “A reminder of the strands of the auspicious string made by twisting

several threads and well tied round the neck at the wedding ceremony”. This refers to the

most auspicious wedding of Goddess Parvati and the Lord. The direct meanings however

are:

vivAha-vyAnaddha : wedding – tied well.

guNa-sankhyA: consisting of a certain number of guNas.

praguNa : noble guNas.

pratibhuvaH: that which authenticates, guarantees.

These direct meanings do not add up to an easily understood message. The “guNa-

sankhyA” refers to the number three, coming from the three guNas satva, rajas and tamas.

But when it comes to “praguNa” he is talking of ‘strands of string’, because guNa also

means ‘strand’. And ‘praguNa’ means ‘auspicious strands’. And this is what brings in the

‘mangala-sUtra’ (auspicious marriage thread) that is tied at the time of the wedding

ceremony. In other words, it means that three noble strands of string have been twisted to

make the mangala sUtra for the Goddess. And it is these three strands that are recalled –

‘pratibhuvaH’ – by the three lines on the neck of ambaa. Of course, in addition, we can also

interpret that the three lines implicitly stand for the three guNas also.

There are those who say that the ‘pANi-grahaNaM’ (holding of the hand) is the deciding

religious rite for the wedding. The tying of the mangala-sUtra may not be the tradition in

many areas. But the very fact that the Acharya has mentioned it here in connection with

the wedding of God and Goddess, gives it a unique importance. The ‘holding of hand’ is

an event that does not leave any trace of itself after the event. On the other hand it is the

mangala-sUtra that permanently stands out as a distinguishing mark of married status to

women and is also respected by all as such. At the time when the solar months of Aquarius

(mAshi, in Tamil) and Pisces (panguni, in Tamil) coalesce, it is the mangala-sUtra that is

greatly and duly worshipped by women. Even in the Lalita Sahasranama, we have

“kAmesha-baddha-mAngalya-sUtra-shobhita-kandarA” – She whose neck is adorned with

the mangala-sUtra fastened thereon by Her consort Kameshvara.

Another point. The Acharya says only ‘guNa’ meaning ‘strand of thread’. In modern

times, women replace the marriage thread by a golden chain and a heavy tirumangalyam

and rolling balls (kuNDu, in Tamil) on either side of it. It is very inappropriate. The

alleged plea is that the string becomes dirty in due course of time. If you coat it with

turmeric every day it won’t become dirty.

There is a five-fold (pancakaM) mention of triads in this shloka: The three lines on the

divine neck, the three musical nuances “gati, gamakaM and gItaM”, the three guNas, the

three ‘grAmas’ of music and finally, the three strands of mangala-sUtra.

A sound musical tradition aims at the preservation of its age-old purity. The classification

in terms of ‘grAmas’ is not supposed to be mixed up. It is to show the distinctness of the

three ‘grAmas’ that the three lines on the divine neck are so distinct, says the Acharya. All

this emphasizes the need for a certain discipline in following the music traditions.

When music is performed as “nAdopAsanA” (a dedicated worship of ‘nAda-brahman’)

with bhakti, then that music itself will lead to Self-Realisation. When one merges in the

disciplined musical confluence of shruti and laya, that merger itself becomes the merging

in the Atman. ‘Entaro mahAnubhAvulu’ -- sang Tyagaraja, the great ‘nAdopAsaka’ (the

worshipper of ‘nAda-brahman’) and he was one such great soul-experiencer

(mahAnubhAva) of the musical trinity. All three of the trinity were great souls who attained

this Self-Realisation through the path of Devotional Music. Interestingly, all these three

flourished in the same time frame within the past one and a half centuries.

Incidentally, I have added a sixth triad to the five-fold triads (of this shloka) that I spoke of

earlier!

Though the three qualities of satva, rajas and tamas are only three in number they give rise

to an infinite number of quality-combinations in the worldly characters that we experience.

So also, just from the seven svaras of music, with various permutations and combinations

according to the three ‘grAmas’, the musical world has generated numerous rAgas. This is

what is mentioned in the shloka as “nAnAvidha-madhura-rAgAkara-bhuvAM” – meaning,

‘those which generate the mine of multifarious melodious rAgas’ . Here the word ‘those’

goes with ‘of the three grAmas’ (“trayANAm grAmANAM”) in the fourth line.

The word ‘rAga-Akara’ is significant. Just as a mine gives out gold and gems as you dig

deeper and deeper, so also the subtleties of the seven svaras yield numerously different

rAgas as you delve deep. The word “Akara” means ‘mine’. The ocean yields gems (ratnas)

and that is why it is called ‘ratnAkara’. The commonly used words “karuNakara” and

“dayAkara” should mean only ‘a mine of compassion and grace’ rather than ‘one who

shows compassion or grace’.

Again the word ‘madhura’ in “nAnAvidha-madhura-rAga-bhuvAM” is also significant.

‘madhura’ means sweet and melodious. What is not sweet or melodious should not form

part of music. All this meticulous use of words in this verse show how knowledgeable the

Acharya is in the subtleties of music and its understanding. Obviously he was himself a

‘gati-gamaka-gIta-eka-nipuNaH’ – Master of the musical technicalities of the procedure,

undulations and song of music!

77

(Digest of pp.1252-1265 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

Shloka #75 says further about the breast milk of ambaa. It generates, says the shloka,

everything superlatively noble – like wisdom, compassion, beauty, knowledge, and the arts.

“sArasvatam iva”, meaning, everything for which Sarasvati is the source. They all flow like

a flood from the heart – “hRdayataH payaH pArAvAraH”. It was that milk of wisdom, Oh

Mother, that you fed to that child of the Dramila country. And that child became a noted

poet among great composers – “kavInAM prouDhAnAM ajani kamanIyaH kavayitA”.

“prouDha-kavi” means a poet rich with poetic talent. The feminine word “prouDhA”

denotes a girl who has attained puberty. Just as the physical tejas attains maturity, a

person whose poetic talent has attained perfection and maturity is called a “prouDha-kavi”.

Ironically, a “prouDha-kavi” is also prone to be proud! And in the poetry that flows from

such a one there is likely to be a mischievous air of superiority. It may not appeal to the

heart. But the milk of wisdom, which flows like a flood from this ocean of ‘SArasvata’,

generates poetic inspiration that captivates the heart. By using the words “payaH

pArAvAraH parivahati” – the milk ocean flows like a flood – the Acharya has added one

more ‘lahari’, namely, the lahari of breast milk that represents all that is great in the

Mother, to the various lahari’s mentioned in Soundaryalahari -- cidAnanda-lahari,

shRngAra-lahari, etc. When this ‘kshhIra-lahari’ (the flood of milk) is tasted by the

dramila-shishu (Tamil child), the latter becomes a poet who composes captivating songs

that make him distinguished among even ‘prouDha’ composers!

Now who was this ‘dramila-shishu’? The immediate feeling is that it should be the well-

known Sambandar, also known as ‘JnAna-sambandar’ of the Tamil region, who flourished

in the seventh century A.D. But the Acharya’s time was in the sixth-fifth century B.C.,

approximately.

[ Here the Paramacharya takes for granted

his own elaborate thesis-like discussion

on the date of Shankara,

that runs to hundreds of pages,

in his earlier discourses. These have been recorded

by Ra. Ganapati in the 5th volume of his book

‘Deivathin Kural’. So I am not able to enter into that topic here. VK]

The story about the child JnAna-sambandar is that the Mother Goddess fed her breast milk

to the three-year old child and the child burst into ecstatic singing glorifying Lord Shiva

and Parvati. Commentators on Soundaryalahari opine that a similar incident did happen

in the case of the Acharya himself when he was a child and therefore conclude that the

‘dramila-shishu’ refers to the Acharya himself! Instead of saying ‘I have that experience’

he is saying it in third person, in all modesty. But even here one can ask: How come the

Acharya talks about his own poetic talent in such superlative terms? Is this in keeping with

his well-known modesty? Well, the point to note here is that the matter is not about poetic

talent. The significant point is the glory of the milk of wisdom that flows from ambaal.

Actually the Acharya has talked about himself as ‘the farthest of the lowly’ (daviyAmsaM

dInaM) in shloka #66. And the significance now is that even such a ‘lowly’ person has

reached poetic heights of excellence by the divine milk of wisdom.

On the correct interpretation of ‘dramila-shishu’ there have been controversies from very

early times. Several commentators have debated this issue. No definite conclusion has been

accepted by all. But let us not stay on that issue. What we need is not the correct meaning

of ‘dramila-shishu’ but the truth that we should seek that wisdom that flows incessantly

like milk from ambaal’s grace!

shrutInAM mUrdhAno dadhati tava yau shekharatayA

mamApy-etau mAtaH shirasi dayayA dhehi caraNau /

yayoH pAdyaM pAthaH pashu-pati-jaTA-jUTa-taTinI

yayor-lAkshhA-lakshhmIH aruNa-hari-cUDAmaNi ruciH // 84 //

mAtaH : Oh Mother,

yau tava caraNau : Those feet of Yours (which)

shrutInAM mUrdhAnaH : the crests of the vedas (namely, the Upanishads)

dadhati : bear

shekharatayA : as (their) head ornament,

yayoH : for which (feet)

pashu-pati-jaTA-JUTa-taTinI : the river (Ganga) in the matted locks of hair of Lord Shiva

pAdyaM pAthaH : (become) the water-offerings at the feet,

yayoH : for which (feet)

aruNa-hari-cUDAmaNi-ruciH : the red brilliance of the diadem of Vishnu

lAkshhA-lakshhmIH : (becomes the brilliance of red lac,

dhehi : please condescend to keep

etau : such feet

mama shirasi api : on my head, too

dayayA : out of compassion.

The description of Mother Goddess from head to foot finally comes to the divine feet. The

divine feet are requested to be placed on this devotees’s (The Acharya’s) head. This is a

kind of ‘Guru DikshhA’, that is, spiritual initiation by the Guru. But it is not openly said to

be so. Because, such initiations always have to be guarded as secret. Kenopanishad details

how the Mother Goddess appeared to the devas and gave spiritual initiation to Indra, their

King. The words ‘umA’ ‘haimavatI’, ‘strI’ ‘bahu-shobhamAnA’ used in that narrative are

the only instances where the Absolute is specifically mentioned as manifesting as Guru in

the vedas. The deities ‘Shiva’ or ‘Vishnu’ are never mentioned in the Vedas in the capacity

of Guru. The two times Shivam and Vishnu are mentioned are in Mandukyopanishad and

Kathopanishad; but in both cases it is a state that is described and not a Person. It is

therefore in the fitness of the wisdom of the vedas that the Acharya here describes the

divine feet of ambaa as the head ornament of the Upanishads!

The praise of the divine feet goes on for several shlokas. In shloka 88, the Acharya asks:

Mother, How did thy Consort, Lord Shiva, with all His softness (“dayamAnena manasA”)

towards You, have the heart to place them with his hand on a hard granite grinding stone

at the marriage rite? -- “upayamana-kAle, bAhubhyAm AdAya dRshhadi nyastaM”. The

word “upayamana” stands for a marriage ceremony. Just as ‘upanayana’ stands for the rite

that initiates a boy into the spiritual path, by initiating him into the Gayatri, so also the

‘upayamana’ stands for the rite that initiates a girl into married life. In this rite the

bridegroom places the feet of the bride on a granite pasting stone as a part of the rite. The

Mother Goddess Herself is considered here by the Acharya as an ordinary bride going

through the same marriage rite.

The act of placing the feet on a granite stone attains a spiritual significance in the context of

ambaal. For this we have to go to Shivaananda-lahari shloka #80 where the Acharya asks:

“Oh Lord! Why are You dancing on this hard granite? On the auspicious day of Pradosha

why can’t You dance on a softer surface, in fact made up of flower offerings? Is it because

you have anticipated that I will be born with a hard heart on this earth and You have to

dwell and dance in that hard rock-like heart?” Taking cue from this we can now interpret

this shloka #88 of Soundaryalahari as saying: “Oh Mother, the Lord is having compassion

towards You and wants to train You to dance along with Him in the hard hearts of people

of this earth. That is why He is placing Your soft feet on the hard granite as a preview for

Your feet”!

It is those divine feet of ambaaL that have to be meditated on by us for melting our hearts.

There is no other way! Particularly it is our ego that stands solidly like a rock between us

and mokshha. And that is why, for our sake, the Acharya has put in the words “mama api”

in shloka #84.

78

(Digest of pp.1265-1283 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

The shloka # 91 also is in the same trend of praise of Devi’s feet. Usually poets describe the

gait of their heroic women as ‘hamsa-gati’, the gait of swans. But in #91, the Acharya

reverses this analogy. He says that it is the swans that learn their gait from the beauty of

ambaal’s gait! In compassion with the swans Her divine feet actually ‘demonstrate’ how to

produce that graceful gait, but in the act of this demonstration they (the feet) indeed ‘teach’

the swans the theory of this gait! “teshhAM shikshhAM AcakshhANaM”, says the shloka.

And how is this ‘teaching’ done? She is having anklets on Her feet, studded with precious

gems. “subhaga-maNi-manjIrac-chalAt” – the auspicious jingling of the gem-studded

anklet, is the pretext of teaching! The jingling of the gems is poetically extolled as the words

of the teaching. Earlier in Shloka #60, it was said that the clang of her ear ornaments, as

She shakes Her head in appreciation of Sarasvati’s speech, seem to be appreciative words

spoken by Her. Thus the jingling of the ear ornaments of ambaa was the appreciation of

Sarasvati in #60 and here in #91, the jingling of the gems of Her anklet turns out to be the

teaching of the swans, which are the vAhanas of Sarasvati!

Having described and praised in his inimitable poetry all the different parts of the divine

body and thus having immersed us in the waves (lahari) of beauty (soundarya) of ambaaL,

the Acharya finally comes to the seat on which that Fullness of Form is seated. This is

shloka #92. Therein he also mentions the crimson glory (“rAga-aruNatayA”) which the

entire body emanates. In Lalita sahasranama, the description of the devi begins with

“udyat-bhAnu-sahasrAbhA” – the effulgence of thousand rising suns –and then goes on to

describe the form from head to foot. Here for a change, the Acharya first describes the

form from head to foot and finally ends up with the composite Glory of the whole Form.

The crimson redness of ambaal makes even the assumed whiteness of Lord Shiva appear as

the ‘red’ KAmeshvara. The redness indicates creation just as the rising sun is the harbinger

of activity. The Mother-Father role for the whole universe has to be taken up and that is

why KAmeshvara becomes overpowered by ‘redness’ and becomes, as it were, the

embodiment of erotic sentiment. (“sharIrI shRngAro rasa iva”).

But once the world is created it needs all the infinite compassion of the Mother. In fact the

very purpose of creation seems to be to manifest that Compassion. The brahman, without a

second, cannot show any compassion or love because there is no second. When it

manifested as Shiva-shakti, as partners in a sati-pati relationship, the love that arose is

called ‘shRngAra’. When the same love directs itself to the created world, it is called

‘karuNA’ (Compassion). So the shRngAra rasa of shloka #92 becomes the karuNA-rasa of

shloka #93. And this is proclaimed with a poetic gymnastics of words:

“jagat trAtuM shambhor-jayati- kAcid-aruNA”

jagat trAtuM : For the purpose of protecting the universe,

karuNA : the Compassion

shambhoH: of Shivam, the Immutably white

kAcid-aruNA : as the indescribable redness, that is, ambaaL

jayati : shines gloriously.

Thus the Shiva-Shakti advaitam is established.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

The Acharya has a motherly affection towards all humanity in the sense that they should

never succumb to the lower instincts of man. Having talked about the shRngAra (Love) of

the divine couple, the Acharya wants to issue a warning to posterity, lest mankind may slip

into an error. This error could be of two kinds. One might take liberties with the worship

of the divine through yantras and mantras, emphasized in the Ananda-lahari part; and,

because, the divine has been said to be the Mother and Father of the universe, one might

construe it as a licence to take liberties with that Universal Parent-couple.

Yes, you can treat them as your Mother and Father and worship them as you like, pouring

forth all your love. But in that case there should be no yantras, nor should you bring in

any mantras for invoking them. Mantras and Yantras have to be used only with the proper

ritualistic sanction and discipline. When these latter are absent, just go about your

worship by doing Soundaryalahari as a devotional recitation and no more. In fact I know

many of you do only that. There is nothing wrong in it. And I am constrained to say ‘many

of you’ and not ‘All of you’. For there are people who get into such spiritually advanced

scriptures for curiosity, for academic research, or for enjoyment of literature, without

observing the need to control their sensual distractions. Such failure to follow ethical and

religious discipline is the second potential error, of the two errors that I talked about.

Obviously the Acharya does not want his beautiful poem on the beauty of the divine to end with the whimper of a mundane rude warning to the public not to be swept into the

profane. He issues the warning, however, in the subtlest terms. Instead of saying:

“Whatever you do with this stotra, do it with great discipline of mind and control of the

senses”, he indicates, in shloka #95, what awaits those who approach Her without the

necessary self-discipline and regulatory mind. In modern times I see some people write

without any sense of shame at the fact that they are only fanning the fumes of basal

instincts of man. Not only that, they seem to justify such writing and use alibis like

‘Realism’. When one provokes another to fall down in ethical and moral standards, the

provocateur accrues more sinful discredit to himself than the one who has been provoked

into sin. And that is why, as an author, the Acharya takes great care to see that his readers

do not fall into any trap of sin. So in shloka #95 he paints what happens if you fail to follow

discipline.

purArAter-antaHpuram-asi tatas-tvac-caraNayoH

saparyA-maryAdA tarala-karaNAnAm-asulabhA /

tathA hyete nItAH shata-makha-mukhAH siddhim-atulAM

tava dvAropaAnta-sthitibhir-aNimAdyAbhir-amarAH // 95 //

asi: You are

antaHpuraM : in the inner apartments, (as Consort)

pura-arAteH : of the Destroyer of the cities (that is, of Lord Shiva)

tataH : and therefore

saparyA-maryAdA : the proper regimen and privilege of worship

tava caraNayoH : of Your feet

asulabhA : (is) difficult to attain

tarala-karaNAnAM : for those with fickle senses, or of unregenerate mind.

tathA : Thereby

ete shata-makha-mukhAH amarAH : these deities headed by Indra

nItAH hi: are led, indeed, (only up to)

atulAM siddhiM : an unparalleled achievement

aNimAdyAbhiH : by the psychic powers like aNimA, etc.

dvAropAnta-sthitibhiH : who are stationed in proximity to the gates (which are only

peripheral to Your mansion ).

This shloka employs a negative compliment to those of fickle senses, who are said to reach

‘atulAm siddhiM’ (matchless siddhi). But Who is giving them this achievement? Only those

who stand at the Gates of the Royal mansion, far removed from the sanctum sanctorum of

ambaa’s inner apartments. These are the attendants of ambaal stationed in the outermost

rounds (AvaraNas) of Her navAvaraNa mansion (the nine – round Shrichakra). In fact

they stand even outside the outermost round. They are the ten devatas, eight of them

representing the eight siddhis (the psychic powers) aNimA, mahimA, etc. So the deities who

propitiate them have to stand only at the same outer rounds of the Devi’s mansion and

naturally get only what these attendant devatas can give them. And the Acharya satirically

calls, almost in contempt, what they bestow to the seeker, as ‘atulAm siddhiM’ (matchless

psychic power). Thus indirectly the Acharya is saying that we should aspire to reach not

these siddhis, which are given by the ‘dvAropAnta-sthitAH’ – those who guard the gates --

but we should aim far beyond.

Shiva-Shakti couple, in their inner apartments, have to be understood in the esoteric sense.

The right understanding will not come to those who are still imprisoned by their minds.

Even the poetic descriptions in the stotra should not draw us to the state in which the very

celestials like Indra find themselves only just at the gates of the mansion and not inside!

Only those who honour and welcome the mental discipline and the strict regimen required

for a valid entry into the Royal Mansion, beyond what the fickle-minded celestials can

reach, should ever attempt to do the Shri Chakra worship. Once that welcoming desire is

planted in the mind, naturally ambaal will lead us to the understanding and following of

all the rules of the rituals that constitute the Shri Chakra Puja. This is the message of this

shloka. What a beauty that the Acharya has driven it all so nicely and softly into us,

without a single harsh word about the consequences of unregulated and indisciplined

worship!

- 79 -

(Digest of pp.1287-1295 of Deivathin Kural, 6th

volume, 4th

imprn.)

girAm Ahur-devIM druhiNa-gRhiNIM Agamavido

hareH patnIM padmAM hara-saha-carIM adri-tanayAM /

turIyA kApi tvaM duradhigama-nissIma-mahimA

mahAmAyA vishvaM bhramayasi para-brahma-mahishhI //97//

Agama-vidaH : Those who know the scriptures

AhuH : declare (You)

girAM devIM : as the Goddess of Speech,

druhiNa-gRhiNIM : the wife of Brahma the Creator

padmAM : (as well) as Lakshmi,

hareH patnIM : the wife of Lord Vishnu

adri-tanayAM : (and as well) as Parvati, the daughter of Mountain-King,

hara-saha-carIM : the Consort of Lord Shiva.

tvaM : (But) You, (on the other hand),

turIyA : are the fourth (higher than the other three),

kA api : not to be delimited as This or That,

duradhigama-nissIma-mahimA: of unique glory that is both unfathomable and limitless,

para-brahma-mahishhI : (in fact) the Queen-Consort of the Absolute brahman

mahA-mAyA : (being) the great Cosmic mAyA

bhramayasi : revolving and compering

vishvaM : the entire universe.

The distinctive keyword in this shloka (#97) is the unusual expression “para-brahma-

mahishhI”. All along, the Soundaryalahari has been saying that the parA-shakti is the

highest with sovereign power. In order to show to the world their Father and Mother, that

Shakti brought in a KAmeshvara and gave him the status of a husband to Her. That was

our understanding. Here the words “Queen-Consort of the Absolute brahman” have

significant connotations. It means that the para-brahman is the sovereign and ambaal is

next to him, as his wife. The word “mahishhI” means Queen-Consort. One who herself

rules is not called a “mahishhI”; she would be called “mahA-rAjnI” or “cakra-vartinI”.

‘rAjA’ and ‘rAjnI’ have the same connotations, except one is male and the other is female.

So also ‘chakravarti’ and ‘cakravartinI’. But there is no pair of words ‘mahishha’ and

‘mahishhI’; the King is not called ‘mahishha’. Actually ‘mahishha’ is an asura who was in

the form of a buffalo! ‘Mahishhi’ is a unique word used for the Queen-consort, the second

in command, of a King. Corresponding to that meaning of ‘mahishhI’ there is no male

word ‘mahishha’!

The stotra began with saying that it is She who makes Him move. And at several places we

have been told that it is She who is the Agent-Provocateur for every action in the world.

She is the One who takes care of Him even at the time of dissolution. After all this, when

he comes to the end of the stotra the Acharya winds up with Her as the dutiful ‘patni’ of

Him who is the all-in-all. In fact She Herself would like it only this way. Is She not the One

who is writing all this poetry through the pen of the Acharya?

Now let us go to the rest of the shloka. Though the last word is “para-brahma-mahishhI”,

earlier he mentions Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Parvati – the Consorts of the Trinity of Divines

–and then only brings in the ParAshakti that is KAmeshvari, the ‘consort’ of the turIyaM

that is brahman. Just in the previous shloka (#96), he had said: “There are those who have

courted and attained Sarasvati though She is the wife of Brahma. There are all the rich

who are called ‘ShrimAn’, because Shri, that is Lakshmi, resides with them, though She

belongs to Lord Vishnu. But nobody can fault You as having deserted your husband.

Therefore You are the greatest in chastity!” There is an implied let-down here of Sarasvati

and Lakshmi. The Acharya clears himself of this let-down, in the present shloka #97. The

Teacher of advaita that he is, he cannot afford to make distinctions between deities. He is

the one who gave all importance to the name of Sarasvati, by creating ShAradA Pitham and

Sringeri where all the worship is for ShAradambAl. The dasha-nAmi classification of

renunciates has two of the categories named as ‘Sarasvati’ and ‘BhArati’; note that no other

deity gets into the names of the dashanAmi’s. In the same way, he was the one who

composed the famous ‘kanaka-dhAra-stavaM’ on Lakshmi. In fact it was his first

composition!

So the very first thought of the shloka is to clear any distinction between deities. It is to

ambaa he says “You are the One who is known as Sarasvati the Goddess of Speech, and

You are the One who is also known as Mother Lakshmi”. This is not a casual statement

from him, says he. The knowers of the Vedas themselves say so (“AgamavidaH AhuH”), he

adds humbly. And then it is You who is also Parvati, the wife of Rudra. All are

parAshakti. And this is nothing but advaita. And this advaita prompts him to mention the

turIyam, the Fourth.

According to ShAkta philosophy and also according to Shaivam, there are Divinities for

the Five Cosmic Functions. The Absolute Truth is beyond. Not like this in advaita. Vedic

authentication of advaita comes from Mandukya Upanishad. The dream state of every jIva

is Creation, the waking state is Sthiti (Sustenation) and the sleeping state is Dissolution; and

that which is still awake even in that sleep state is the Fourth, that is brahman. In the

same strain, in this shloka, the Acharya goes to the ‘turIyaM’ after mentioning the three

shaktis of the Trinity; he does not go to the other two of the cosmic functions.

The ‘Shakti of brahman’ is not specially talked about by him in advaita. Nor can we say it

is never talked about. Right in the commentary of the very first sUtra, in Brahma-sutra-

bhAshhya, The Acharya, detailing the ‘lakshaNa’ of brahman in the words “nitya-shuddha-

buddha-mukta-svabhAvaM” , he adds “sarvajnaM”; by this addition it is therefore accepted

that this ‘One’ (ekaM) also admits of ‘sarvaM’ ( a multiplicity) and all that is ‘known’ by

This. Later, more explicitly, he adds another lakshaNa: “sarva-shakti-samanvitaM”

(possessing all powers). Further in the commentary on II-1-30, “sarvopetA ca tad-

darshanAt”, the duality status is recognised and he says brahman has a varied shakti-yoga.

Here ‘shakti-yoga’ means that which coeexists with shakti. This is what becomes the “para-

brahma-mahishhI” in the language of ShAktaM, as in this shloka of Soundaryalahari.

One direct disciple of the Acharya was SarvajnAtman. He was the last disciple. He is one

of the leading exponents of advaita. Listen to him in ‘Samkshhepa-ShArIrakaM’ III-228,

229. “In Shuddha-advaita there is nothing like Shakti, leelaa or creation. However, even for

those with such faith, there is a place for karma and upAsanA. Seen from that vyavahAra

perspective, the cit (Brahman, Consciousness) takes a role of shakti and with its inert

mAya-avidyA power, creates the universe”. Yet, in the advaita works of the Acharya the

aim is not to direct attention to this dance of Shakti. Without giving any importance to

Brahma-shakti, he always discards creation as the work of mAyA and calls on us to think of

the turiya-brahman beyond. Mostly he does not even refer to the shakti or energy that is

beyond a gender specification. When that is so, what to talk of Her as the ‘patni’ of

brahman!

But the same Acharya, the teacher of brahma-vidyA, now talks as the teacher of Shri Vidya

and shows the way to those who have a taste in this direction. And the way is KAmeshvari,

the ‘para-brahma-mahishhI’. The Shri Vidya tantra also has the same aim as advaita-sAyujyaM. Thus he combines the turIya at the goal of the jnAna path of advaita and the

Shiva-Shakti concept in the Bhakti path.

Incidentally when he says ‘turIyA’ in the feminine, not only does that mean the parAshakti

beyond the three of Sarasvati, Lakshmi and Parvati, it also means that ‘turIyA’ is the patni

of the ‘turIyaM’ that is brahman.

Notice that there is a unification of advaita Vedanta with ShAktam here. The parAshakti of

the ShAkta philosophy is identified with the mAyA of advaita Vedanta. When it is spoken of

as ‘duradhigama-nissIma-mahimA’ (of unfathomable and boundless glory) the language is

of ShAktam. For in advaita mAyA is considered to be ‘tuchhaM’ and therefore to be

discarded as an incomprehensible anirvacanIyaM. But here it is the glorious parAshakti!

Our Acharya is matchless when it comes to his role as a spiritual teacher. In

Soundaryalahari he has talked both advaita and Shri Vidya and has made a beautiful

symbiosis of the two philosophies so as to be palatable, enjoyable and adaptible to both the

Vedantins and the Shri Vidya followers. And this has been possible because, as I have told

you in the beginning, Shri Vidya is nearest to advaita, among all schools of thought.

In the beginning he talked about the capability of Shakti making the first prompting that

makes Him move. And now at the end he makes the same Shakti as the prime mover of

everything in the universe: “vishvam bhramayasi”. Naturally this compering and revolving

includes all the motion of the universe. Krishna in the Gita talked only of the movement of

the living when He said: “bhrAmayan sarva-bhUtAni”. By that He meant only the

movement of the minds of living beings. But here the Acharya has included the movement

of not only the living (cetana) but also of the non-living (acetana), by the use of the word

“vishvaM”.

This mAyA or parAShakti that makes both the living and the non-living dance to Her

tunes, is the same one who as Mother Goddess graces all of us not only with everything

mundane but finally the very Bliss of brahman (“ parAnanda-rasaM”). This is the content

of Shloka 99.

80

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imprn.)

sarasvatyA lakshhmyA vidhi-hari-sapatno viharate

rateH pAtivratyaM shithilayati ramyeNa vapushhA/

ciraM jIvan-neva kshhapita-pashu-pAsha-vyatikaraH

parAnandAbhikhyaM rasayati rasaM tvad-bhajanavAn // 99//

The modesty of our Acharya is well-known. It is going to exhibit itself again in the next

shloka #100 where he says, in winding up the stotra, that nothing is his, it is all ambaal’s

work. So he does not give any phala-shruti (a list of what one achieves by reading this

stotra; ‘phala’ means fruit, consequence, reward) as is usual with all devotional

compositions. Instead, he gives, in this shloka #99, a different form of phala-shruti, wherein

he says what an upAsana of ambaal would give a devotee (tvad-bhajanaVAn, meaning, one

who propitiates You), and thus indirectly hinting to us something like a phala-shruti. The

first part of this stotra is the form of Her in mantra and tantra. The second part is the form

of Her physical beauty. Thereby the whole stotra becomes Her very Self. So the recitation

of this stotra is itself an upAsanA. The reciter is the ‘bhajanavAn’.

What does the ‘bhajanavAn’ get? The only answer could be: What will he not get?

Whether it is of this world (‘iha’) or of the other world (‘para’), he will get everything. One

might say, from a Vedantic point of view, that ‘iha-phala’ is no ‘phala’ at all. But who has

that kind of maturity that does not want mundane rewards of this world? One has to start

from the tastes of this world and move on to discard them only gradually. The movement

from the ‘iha’ (meaning ‘here’, ‘now’) to the ‘para’ (meaning ‘distant’, ‘subsequent’) has

to go from stage to stage in the natural course of one’s evolution. It is in this context that

this shloka details both the ‘iha-phala’ and the ‘para-phala’ as rewards for the upAsaka.

Both the kinds of rewards may be put together under four heads: Knowledge, Wealth,

Beauty, Life. Of these the first one goes along with both ‘iha’ and ‘para’.

Knowledge is obtained by Learning. The Goddess of Learning is Sarasvati. But ambaal

Herself gives all that is given by Sarasvati – to such an extent that even Brahma, the

Creator, is envious of such a devotee who has got all the learning that Sarasvati can bestow.

Brahma the Creator, the consort of Sarasvati, was all along thinking that he was the sole

beneficiary of Sarasvati’s favours. Remember that Brahma with his four faces always

chanting the four vedas is the repository of all knowledge. Still he feels that the devotee

who is favoured by ambaal with all that Sarasvati has ever given Him, is a kind of

competitor to Him vis-a-vis Sarasvati. ‘How come, this human devotee of ambaaL has

more favours of the Sarasvati-type than what I myself have!’ is the Creator’s feeling. This

is part of the first line of the shloka. “SarasvatyA vidhi-sapatno viharate”.

The other part of the first line – “lakshhmyA hari-sapatno viharate” says the same thing of

Vishnu, whose consort is Lakshmi. Again , ambaal’s Grace gives Her upAsaka, all favours

of the Lakshmi type – meaning, wealth and prosperity -- that Vishnu Himself is envious!

The Acharya mentions Sarasvati before Lakshmi. In other words, he talks of Knowledge

before Wealth. If the choice is given to us we might want to put Wealth before Knowledge.

I am sure that if God were to suddenly appear before us and ask us what we want, most of

us – nay, almost all of us – would ask for wealth, as our first priority. Wealth is the one

thing that never satiates the human mind.

Certainly, Knowledge, Wealth, and Beauty are all desired by every one. But it is Wealth

that gets the first seat in this. There is an interesting irony here. As far as wisdom and

knowledge are concerned, none of us would call oneself unwise or unknowing. Even if we

do not know we usually like to pose as one who knows! We don’t take extraordinary efforts

to make an improvement to our real knowledge. The same story with Beauty. None of us

would like to be told that there is no beauty in us. And we would not like others also to

think of us otherwise. In the case of Knowledge we may be slack in making efforts to

improve. But in the case of Beauty every one of us takes elaborate pains to improve our

presentation and appearance. This is the story with Knowledge and Beauty.

On the other hand, in the case of wealth, we all behave differently, almost contrarily. We

may have wealth but we would not like other people to know about it. Always we make a

plea for our need to have more and we go about taking that posture. In the case of

Knowledge and Beauty, we pose as if we have them even if we do not have them. In the case

of Wealth it is the opposite! This is the irony, which clearly establishes that, among the

three, Wealth is our first preference.

But our Acharya mentions Knowledge first and then only Wealth. This only shows his

infinite concern for us. However much he may know our minds and their predeliction for

wealth in preference to knowledge, he wants to do good to us by influencing us in favour of

the one thing that he knows will only do good to us. Because if wealth is accrued before the

wisdom to use that wealth properly, there is every chance that such wealth will be lost in no time. His thinking goes along with Taittiriyopanishad where, the prayer is for ‘medhA’

(Right knowledge) (1.4.1) and then it says ‘Thereafter (‘tataH’) give me wealth’ (1.4.2). His

own Bhaja Govindam also emphasizes this in “artham-anartham bhAvaya nityaM”.

In an earlier shloka (#97) he said “You are Sarasvati, You are Lakshmi, Parvati also; and

You are the source of them all, because You are the Queen-Consort of the Absolute

Brahman” He did not call Sarasvati or Lakshmi as the Goddess of Learning or the

Goddess of Wealth. Instead He made them the Shaktis corresponding to the ‘sRshhTi’

function and the ‘sthiti’ function. In apposition to the fact that they were the Shaktis

corresponding to Cosmic functions, ambaal was placed as the Universal Shakti integrated

into the parabrahman itself. And thereby She becomes the source of all other Shaktis. So the

Learning and Wealth which are the domains of Sarasvati and Lakshmi, have their original

source in ambaal. Naturally, by propitiating ambaal, the other two also are obtained.

And thirdly, ambaal is the original source of Power for the God of Love, namely ‘KAma’. In

fact Her own name is KAmeshvari, KAmAkshhI and KAmakoTi. It is that KAma who was

reinstated by her by being given a new life. It is he who reigns over the third fundamental

desire of man, namely, Beauty. That is why when somebody possesses all the beauty that

we can think of, we say the person is a Manmatha in physical form. The stotra that talks

predominantly of the ‘soundarya’ (beauty) of ambaal, is now said to give the beauty that

man desires. In the case of Sarasvati and Lakshmi, they were feminine; so it was said (in

the first line) that a devotee of ambaal gets knowledge (Sarasvati’s gift) and wealth

(Lakshmi’s gift) in such abundance that their own husbands were envious of the recipient.

Now Manmatha is male and so when his bounty of beauty is bestowed on the devotee due to

ambaal’s Grace, his own wife Rati, becomes suspicious of the identity of the recipient –

whether he is Manmatha himself! This is the content of the second line of the shloka.

Well, Knowledge, Wealth and Beauty – all three have been obtained. Are these enough?

What if the recipient does not live long? Then that itself will negate everything else! That is

why all our scriptures include in their benedictions, ‘dIrghAyuH’ as the first blessing.

Without long life and the implied good health, everything else is of no value.

And this is what is promised in the third line of the shloka. This is the most (materially)

significant benefit to the upAsaka. ‘ciraM jIvanneva’ says the shloka. But as one goes on in

one’s life, living long, in due time he gets into the thought process: “All these days I have

obtained everything of value in this world (‘iha’) in terms of knoledge, wealth and beauty,

- all by ambaal’s Grace. Let me hereafter work through the same upAsanA of ambaal, for

betterment of my after-life”. And then, what happens, is said in the third and fourth line of the shloka:

“ciraM jIvanneva kshhapita-pashu-pAsha-vyatikaraH

parAnandA-bhikhyaM rasayati rasaM tvad-bhajanavAn”

He who propitiates You, namely Your upAsaka, lives long, is able to discard the pashu-

pAsha knot and enjoys the infinite bliss of BrahmAnanada.

So long as a JIva revolves in the quagmire of the senses and their natural attractions, the

JIva is nothing but an animal (pashu). That is when the bond of ‘karma’ anchors him to the

concept of ‘janma’ (birth and death). It is that bond that is called ‘pAshaM’. It makes him

revolve again and again in the samsAra cycle. It is the sword of jnAna that cuts it asunder.

And then he is no more a pashu. He becomes Shiva, the pashu-pati (the Lord of the pashu).

The parAnandaM – supreme bliss of advaita – is then the essence (rasa) of his experience.

Note that the Acharya uses his words very carefully. He does not say he ‘experiences’ that

‘rasa’. If he wanted to say so he would have used the words ‘pibati’ (drinks, consumes) or

‘AsvAdayati’ (tastes). But he has put in the word ‘rasayati’ meaning, he becomes the rasa

(essence) himself and it is that becoming that is termed as ‘rasayati’. In other words there is

no duality of the experiencer and the experienced. There is only one ‘rasa’. It is advaitam!

The great teacher of advaita uses two concepts of what is going to develop in future as the

great Shaiva siddhanta. This shows his universality of outlook. Also, all along he has been

propagating Soundaryalahari according to the ShAkta schools of thought. Accordingly

Shakti was placed in the dominant position. But when he ends the stotra he raises Shiva to

dominance and effortlessly throws in two important concepts -- namely ‘pashu’ and

‘pAsha’ -- of the Shaiva canon.

-------------------------------

The flood of beauty of Mother Goddess is now terminating. All floods have to terminate in

a sea or ocean. This flood (lahari) of words has now to merge in the ocean of shabda-

brahman. The Acharya uses the word ‘salila-nidhi’ which is the same as ‘jala-nidhi’ that

means ‘ocean’.

pradIpa-jvAlAbhir-divasakara-nIrAjana-vidhiH

sudhA-sUtesh-candropala-jala-lavair-arghya-racanA /

svakIyair-ambhobhiH salila-nidhi-sauhitya-karaNaM

tvadIyAbhir-vAgbhis-tava janani vAcAM stutir-iyaM // 100 //

vAcAM janani: Oh Mother who generated Speech,

divasakara-nIrAjana-vidhiH : (just as one does) the light-waving ritual to the Sun-God

pradIpa-jvAlAbhiH : by the flames of a lamp,

arghya-racanA : (just as) the offering of the arghya ritual

sudhA-sUteH : to the moon

candropala-jala-lavaiH : by the water drops that ooze out of the moonstone in contact with

moonlight,

salila-nidhi-sauhitya-karaNaM : (just as) offering ritual bathing to the ocean

svakIyaiH ambhobhiH : by its own water,

tava iyaM stutiH : (so also is) this stotra on You

tvadIyAbhiH vAgbhiH : composed of Thine own words.

An elaborate explanation is needed for this final shloka.

81

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imprn.)

(Shloka 100 Continued).

The great Acharya always does something different from other poets. Usually they all end

their work with a phala-shruti – a listing of all the good things that will accrue by the

reading, recitation and repetition of the stotra just finished. Here our author is himself a

unique combination of the deity of the stotra and Her own Lord. So we would expect the

last shloka of the stotra to be a magnificent phala-shruti that soars far higher than the

ordinary. But what do we find?

Instead of trying to soar higher, he actually makes himself the humblest of the humble.

“Why talk of phala-shruti for such an apology of a stotra, that has just been done by Her

Grace? What accrues to whomsoever that worships Her has already been told in shloka

#99. Let me stop there. Whatever happens in the world, whether highly commendable or

not, all that is founded on Her Will. If everything turns out to be commendable then that

may not contribute to the variety that is the spice of Her leela. That is why perhaps She

encourages and prompts some low-level achievements also, for the very purpose of

highlighting really higher ones! This stotra is one of such promptings of Hers. She is the

Source of everything and so this is also Her child. And I am placing Her child at Her own

feet.” This is the spirit of the final shloka #100. In shloka #27 the Acharya laid himself at

Her feet – that was his Atma-samarpaNaM. Now he is placing this child of Hers at Her own

divine feet.

Thus he does not show it off as something worthy of being submitted to Her as an offering.

He thinks that it is absurd to make such a submission. This absurdity reminds him of three

other absurdities that are current in the world. And this is what makes the final shloka.

The word ‘divasa-kara’ means one who produces the day (‘divasa’), therefore, the Sun.

When a deity in the form of an idol of worship is located in the innermost sanctity of a

garbha-griha in a temple then a waving of camphor flame makes sense because it really

lights up the dark sanctum sanctorum and brightens up the deity with all its decorations.

But what can a poor camphor flame do to brilliant sunlight? In fact it is the other way. The

brilliance of sunlight actually dampens any light that may be emanating from the camphor

flame! “The devi is the fullest Effulgence of the Shakti that is Speech (‘Vak’). Before that

Light, what can this poor stotra of mine do in terms of lighting up anything?” This is the

attitude in which the Acharya is submitting his work at Her feet and compares his action to

the absurd action of lighting up camphor and showing it as an offering to the Sun-God!

Every time he talks of the ‘hot’ Sun he immediately refers to the ‘cold’ moon! Here also the

second example of absurdity (2nd

line of the shloka) is about the moon. Worship is being

done to the Moon-God. In any ritual worship, there are usually three offerings by means of water. One is ‘pAdyaM’ (that which is offered for washing the feet). The second is

‘arghyaM’ (that which is offered in the hands). The third is ‘AcamanIyaM’ (that which is

offered to be taken in by the mouth). Technically, ‘arghyaM’ means “that which is valued

most”. Therefore that formality has a special value. Now in one such pUjA that the

Acharya might have witnessed, probably something like the following took place.

There are two gem-stones talked about in ancient literature. They are Moon-stone and

Sun-stone. Probably these were there in ancient times and are now extinct. The sunstone

draws into itself the rays of the Sun and radiates heat. Almost like a concentration through

a lens. The moonstone is just the opposite. It absorbs moonlight into itself and pours out

cool water! Now what some one did in the worship of the Moon was to take that water

poured out by the moonstone and offer it to the Moon-God as an ‘arghyaM’! ‘candra-

upala’ is moonstone. ‘upala’ is stone. And the moon itself is called ‘sudhAsUti’ because

moon is said to pour out nectar by its light. ‘sudhA’ is nectar.

There is a gradation of absurdities in the two absurdities cited. Camphor has an

independent existence outside of the Sun. The only dependence of camphor on the Sun may

be that camphor may not light up if it is continuously exposed to an absence of any light or

heat. On the other hand, the case of the moonstone pouring out water is totally dependent

on the moon, because it is the moonlight that makes it give out water. Thus the absurdity

of using the water from the moonstone to offer arghyaM to the Moon is a greater absurdity

than the camphor flame being shown to the Sun!.

The third absurdity (from the third line of the shloka) is still more absurd. And the

Acharya must have witnessed it many a time because he has travelled from coast to coast in

the entire country. For example he must have seen it in Rameshvaram where people dip in

the Ocean and offer worship to the Ocean-God Varuna. Any ritual worship has, as one of

its sixteen formalities, a ritual bathing, called ‘abhishhekaM’. How does one do

‘abhishhekaM’ to the ocean? Is it not funny? ‘Abhishhekam’ to the Ocean! But they all do

it. The Acharya himself must have done it when he went to Rameshvaram. What do they

do? They take some drops of water from the ocean itself and sprinkle it on the ocean with

the mantra beginning with : “Apo-hishhTA mayo bhuvaH. (Oh Water! You are conferring

bliss) ....”. ‘If millions of people over the centuries have done this kind of worship of

Varuna during their bath in the ocean, then why can’t I’, says the Acharya, ‘take a few

words from that ocean of Vak (Speech) and offer it to Herself, the Goddess of all Speech?’.

The word ‘sauhityaM’ in the third line of the shloka, is generally taken to mean the ritual

act of ‘tarpanaM’ (offering a little palmful of water) but the word actually means ‘that which is most beneficial or pleasant’. In our country which is generally hot, the most

pleasant thing is to give a bath. So I extended its meaning to ‘abhishekam’ or bath, in the

pUjA to the Ocean. Anyway it increases the intensity of the absurdity still further and so

suits the context well!

Look at the gradation among the three examples. The Sun and Camphor are two distinct

entities. The water oozing out of the moonstone gem, though caused by moonlight, still is

different from the moon. But in the case of water being taken out of the sea and being

offered to that sea of water itself, there is no medium involved; the water is the same. So the

third example brings you to the peak of absurdity. And this quite naturally fits with the

attitude of the Acharya when he thinks that what he has composed is nothing but the words

of ambaal Herself. She is addressed as ‘vAcAm janani’ -- meaning, the origin, the source, of

everything that has anything to do with Speech -- in the fourth line. “What has been done

is what You Yourself have composed in Your own words. It is all Yours. There is nothing

of mine there”. This is how the Acharya makes a complete surrender. He does not even use

the words ‘samarpaNaM’ or ‘arpaNaM’ meaning dedication. But it is clear that he has

offered his entire self to the Goddess. The jIvAtmA has totally negated itself and there is

only the paramAtmA thereafter. By means of the bhakti stotra of Soundaryalahari the

Acharya has shown us what it is to reach the Self-Realisation of Oneness with the Ultimate.

And, most of all, he shows to us the peak of modesty. “vidyA-vinaya-sampanna” say our

ShAstras. Here is the colossal example of vidyA (Learning) and vinaya (Modesty). If nothing

else, we should learn this from the Acharya. His advaita lesson may not penetrate into our

head. But this lesson in modesty that he teaches us should. Any time we feel heavy in our

head, the thought must come: ‘Whatever I think I am is Her Grace’. And that thought will

help us lighten the burden of I-ness in the head. Even the inhaling breath is given by Her; it

is Hers. If only it had been ours we would never die!

If we thus start living as an instrument in the hands of ambaal, it will lead us to an advaita

state of merging in Her. This lesson of being nothing but an instrument in Her hands and

negating oneself as the doer is what this shloka tells us as the final teaching of all brahma-

vidyA. Because it is this lesson and the consequent living of it (‘abhyAsa’) that takes us on

to an advaita-anubhava (experience of non-duality). This is the phala-shruti that is unsaid

here by the Acharya. It is the phala (reward, fruit) that asks for no phala! Only when there

is a ‘doer’ there is a ‘phala for the doer’. When the ‘doer’ himself has been negated, there is

no question of ‘phala’.

How does one negate and dissolve oneself and be only Her instrument ? Only by thinking of Her. We do not even know what the Universal parAshakti is like? So thinking of that

parA-shakti is an impossibility. But here in this Soundaryalahari our Acharya has brought

Her to us in a beautiful form from head to foot. Her form itself is nothing but Beauty and

he has added beauty to it by his beautiful play of words. Looking at, and thinking about,

that beauty from head to foot, in all the details that the Acharya has brought to us, is the

only antidote for the ego in which we are all steeped in. She has blessed us all with our

intellects and with the facility to use our speech and mind. Use all this in Her favour as a

decoration. What She gave us, give it back to Her. That will kill our ego. Not only speech,

but any art or science that we are capable of -- make it as an ornament for Her. In that

attitude of humility every activity of ours will take us up the spiritual ladder. Whatever we

then do will become a sAdhanA to reach Her.

When one thus merges in the flood of Her beauty through these delightful stanzas of

Soundaryalahari, maybe he will himself accrue all those qualities of beauty. Maybe not.

But one thing is certain. In the eyes of the world he will appear to have become so endowed

with all the beauties of the Mother Herself. For he has taken the nectar of Wisdom and the

Milk of Love that flows from Her and so he should naturally be bubbling with that divine

bliss that She has given him.

He might have a bald head. But the world will be attracted to him as if he has the “kirITaM

te haimaM” (cf. #42) quality! His face may have all kinds of distortions. But others would

gather round him to see his “vadana-soundarya-laharI” (cf. #44). Maybe he has squint eyes;

but it would be “dara-dalita-nIlotpalaM” (cf. #57) for the others. His uncouth mouth will

appear to surpass the beauty of “vidruma-latA” or “bimba” (# 62). Even when his body is

disproportionate and unattractive, because of the bhakti and Divine Love with which he is

full he would shine so well as to be said: “jayati karuNA kAcid-aruNA” (cf. #93). Every

movement of his would benefit the rest of the world as to say there is nothing better than

this “lakshmI-caraNa-tala-lAkshhA-rasaM” or “nava-nalina-rAgaM” (cf. #71). Every step

that he takes would make us melt in respect; and that is the “karaNa-caraNa-shhaT-

caraNaM”-type (cf. #90) of jIva which merges in that lotus feet of Hers. Thus one who dips

into the stotra that is Soundaryalahari, would become ultimately a veritable Soundarya-

lahari (flood of beauty)! There is no doubt that, with the blessings of our Acharya, The

Mother of the Universe to whom we bow in prostration, by means of these Soundaryalahri

shlokas, will gradually, but steadily, lead our Atman to become, ultimately, one with that

Ocean of Bliss.!

Concluded.

Thus spake the Paramacharya

Aum Shri Matre namaH / tvadIyAbhir-Angila-vAgbhiH janani idam guror-

bhAshhaNAkhyaM gadya-vyAkhyanam gurvanugrahAt samkshhiptaM samAptam ca / lokAs-

samastAs-sukhino bhavantu // Aum tat sat //

Salutations to The Auspicious Mother. Oh Mother! By the Grace of the Guru (The

Paramacharya), this prose commentary named ‘Discourses of the Guru’ has now been

summarised and also completed, in words of English which are Your own. May all the

Universes turn out to be happy. Aum tat sat.

Source - http://www.krishnamurthys.com/profvk/gohitvip/DPDS.html