Soundarya Lahari Sloka -8 (Lalita Tripura Sundari)

In this context, it will helpful for us to study a picture available in some of our houses, of the deity called Lalita Tripura Sundari.

In this picture, you find the picture form of the goddess described above.
Lot and lots of principles are embedded in this, which will enable us to unfold our own divine part out into life and increase our output to the world, and to the society, and bestow us infinite happiness.

All the five gods are in the picture.

[Note -The picture is available in Giri Traders in Mylapore or in Nanganallur.]

Goddess is sitting in the lap of Sadasiva, who is seen lying on the cot or resting.

But in the picture, you see also some more gods/goddesses- who are they?

The three spouses of the Gods – brahma, Vishnu and Rudra viz.,
Saraswathy devi, Lakshmi devi and Parvati-devi are seen.

And two children are also seen in the picture – who are they?
Lord Vigneswar and Subrahmanya.

Let us come back to the meaning of the portion of the sloka – sudhasindhor madhye- in the middle of ocean of nectar or amrita.

Sudha means nectar or amrita which enables a devotee to get out of the janana-marana infinite loop, and also destroyer of ageing, disease, and decay.

This means, a devotee, if by upasana, able to lift his mind to this abode centre, he is no more affected by any of the bhava rogas. He gets self realization and enjoys the bliss of Pure consciousness. He will ever be helpful for all others in the world, since for him, no others, are there, or if at all available, all are his people only.

Manidweepa is the vaasagriha of devi – which implies that a devi bhakta will get all wealth, health and permanent happiness.
Devi bhakta can get purushaarthaas very easily.

This picture, we referred has below the picture, a Sricakra.

This Sricakra, has , in its centre, a bindu which is called sudhaasindu.

In the sadasivaatmaka bindu, is hidden the naada of paraa sakti, which is referred in the sloka as cidaananta lahari.

Our body-mind-intellect complex is Sricakra, and is most divine, not only ours, but everything in the world; because whatever we see as world of objects is nothing but consciousness or god only - since, if there is no consciousness, there is no world at all; that is why Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa refers as –
Amee yantra:
tumee yantri,

I am yantra and you are yantri – the BMI complex is yantra – Sricakra, and the one inside the heart of all is yantri – the atman or consciousness. The same factor is referred in gita chapter – kshetra kshetrajna yoga as –

idam sariram kaunteyakshetram ity abhidhiyateetad yo vetti tam prahuhkshetra-jna iti tad-vidah

this body is called kshetra or temple and one who resides inside this and knows this kshetra is called kshetrajna or god.

This sloka deserves a very deep study separately which we will see later, on a particular occasion.

Sudhasindhor madhye- cintaamani griha- the abode or seat of the goddess. This is posited not in this world, [the world seems to appear and disappear in this], it is beyond; it is in the middle of amrita saagara; in the island of precious jewels; This has 25 outer praakaaraas., just like for example., a big temple has got three prakaraas, outermost, innermost and middle. The praakaaraas are made of the following material and different gods/goddesses are seated in these praakaaraas:-

1. Iron,
2. steel,
3. tin,
4. combination of above,
5. brass,
6. pancaloha,
7. silver,
8. gold, - Kadambavana is there, Mantrini syamaladevi’s abode.
9. pushparagam,
10. padmaragam,
11. gomedakam,
12. vajram,
13. vaidooryam,
14. indraneelam,
15. pearl, - Ashtadikpaalakaas
16. marakatam, - Dandini or Varaahi, Senaanaayaki
17. pavizham, - Yogini
18. navaratnam, - Mahavishnu
19. naanaaratnam, - Eesaanan
20. mind, - Taradevi
21. buddhi, - Vaaruni
22. ahamkara, - Kurukulladevi
23. sun, - Martaandabhairava
24. moon, - Moon or Candra
25. manmatha - Sringaravana.

Inside this Sringara Vana is Mahapadmavanam and Karpaka forest and in the centre of that there is the cintamanigriha; in the agni-corner of that there is cidagnikunda, in the east of that on both sides, mantrini and dandini are seated; and on the four dwaaraas or gates, there are caturaamnaaya devataas; inside this there is the Sreecakra which has nana aavaranaa – 9 coverings.

In the centre of Sricakra, there is the bindupeetha called sarvaanandamaya; in that peetha, in the pancabrahmaasana, on the lap of Lord Paramasiva, Goddess Supreme, Tripura Sundari is seated.

The five parts of the mancha, four legs and the top plane of the cot – which forms the lap of Paramasiva, are referred by the Divine Omkara mancha representing the five component parts of the Pranava mantra – which are A, U, M, Bindu and naada.

In Lalitaasahasranaama, there is the sloka –

380. bindumaNDalavAsinyai

This Bindu which is in the central location of the Sricakra, which is the in the middle of the triangle, is also called as Sarva-aananda-maya, in which the jnaani is there, enjoying perfect aananda, without any upaadhi, and blessing the whole world of sthaavara and Jangama. All the enjoyments one gets from the external world of objects, which is never steady and which may vanish any time, is a dust compared to this amritaananda which never diminishes; not only that; it can shared by infinite number of devotees, which still remains the same, like a falls of amritasaagara.

When one chants Omkaar, the Pranava-Mantra, Bindu and Naada join just like the devotee who gets the blessings of anugraha of Sadasiva and goddess Paraasakti. i.e., Paraasakti is the divine Naadam hidden in the Sadaasivaatmaka Bindu. Few taste of this divine naadam, and get realized.
This is the Treasure island, wherein, there is the treasure, for which you need not take bath in any sacred river, you need not do any penance, just turn your vision from extroverted-ness to introverted-ness. Very simple, sitting where you are, without worrying about time, space, objects around the world, you get it; but total mental surrender is required for that. Proper study of Soundarya lahari, will take us to that stage, and make our life most successful.