Soundarya Lahari Sloka

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Soundarya Lahari Sloka -34

[seshasesheebhaavam]
[mutual growth]

Sareeram twam sambho: sasi-mihira-vakshoruha-yugam
Tavaatmaanam manye bhagavati navaatmaana-managham
Atah seshah sesheetyaya-mubhaya-saadhaaranatayaa
Sthitah sambandho vaam samarasa-paraananda-parayoh

Sareeram - body
twam - your
sambhoh - to Lord Paramasiva
sasi-mihira-vakshoruha-yugam - having God Sun and God moon as divine breasts
[akhila bhuvana vyaapta devi – viraat roopa]
Tava - your
atmaanam - body or aatman
manye - think [see with my mind]
bhagavati - Oh! Goddess Supreme!
Navaatmaanam - siva who has nine vyooha samooha
Anagham - pure [devoid of evil]
Atah - hence
seshah seshee ity - feeling of ‘I’ and ‘mine’
ayam - this
ubhaya-saadhaaranatayaa - equal for both
Sthitah - stands good
Sambandhah - relationship
vaam - in you [both]
samarasa-paraananda-parayoh - equaling aanandabhairava, aanandabhairavi

Oh! Paraasakti!
You, who has the Sun and the Moon as the breasts, are the body of Paramasiva; and Paramasiva who has nine vyooha surrounding him is your body – like this I see with my mind. Hence, the I and mine are common for you both, who are aanandabhairavi and aanandabhairava, are equal, in all respects

Sambhoh :-
The aanandabhairava who is the rishi for the mantra referred in earlier two slokas is mentioned here.
Bhagavati:-
Utpatyaadi vetanam bhagam, tatwateeti bhagavati.
Bhagavaan:-
Utpattimca vinaasamca bhootaanaamaagatimgatim
Vettividyaamavidyaanca sa vaacyo bhagavaaniti
Navaatmaanam:-
Paramasiva is nine-vyooha swarooopa :-

Kaala - the time from nimesha [second] to kalpaanta; candra and soorya are also included in this as they are also kaalaatmaka. They are kaala vyooha
Kula - neelasuklaadi roopa are the kula vyooha
Naama - ghata pataadi samjnaa form the naama vyooha
Jnaana - savikalpa nirvikalpa roopa-jnaana form the jnaana vyooha
citta - ahamkaara, citta, buddhi, mahattatwa, mind are the citta vyooha
Naada - paraa, pasyantee, madhyamaa, vaikharee roopa sabdaa form naada vyooha
Bindu - moolaadhaaraadi shatcakra vyooha is called bindu vyooha
Kalaa - akaaraadi pancaasad varnaas form kalaa vyooha
jeevan - bhoktaa jeevaatmaas form jeeva vyooham

kaalavyooha-
closing/opening of the eyes, movement of the fingers, breathe, count the heart beats –the starting with this and then minute, ghati, yaama, day, night, date, week, month, year and such timings are made by man. Kaala is beyond these - Kaalaateeta. As far as we are concerned, sun and moon are the pratinidhi of the kaala sankalpa and the niyaamaka sakti. All the components that can be included in the anaadi kaala is called the kaala vyooha.

Kulavyooha –
This indriyagraahya prapanca is full of objects. Varna is the one which enables us to differentiate the khara, drava, and vaataka objects. White, black, blue, yellow are all the varnabheda components in the same prakaasa dhaara. The saajaatya and vaijaatya of all objects are in some respects depending on varna. Hence, the varnaas are called kula vyooha.

Naama vyooha –
Through the jnaanendriyaas man has intellectual understanding about the objects in the world and their functioning. He keeps it in mind and uses when necessary to teach others regarding the same. For this he forms certain words and sabdaas. When you say, pot, cloth, running etc – there is no connection between the pronouncing of the words and the shape or name or functioning of the objects. Instead of pot we can say, kuta or ghata also. Words are just the way – the prateekaa useful for remembering and recalling to others the prapanca objects or their pratibhaasaa. We give each object one name, that’s all. But when we discuss about those things, it may not be possible to handle them as we like or make them function compulsorily. Hence, this prapanca is naama roopaatmaka. The totality of the objects in the world is called naama vyooha.

Jnaana vyooha –
This is the aadhaara or jnaana for the first three vyooha referred above. The curiosity of the mind which starts with the enquiry of what, why when and how etc culminates first in vikalpa jnaana and ultimately leads man to nirvikalpa jnaana. Each human being is able to understand according to his mind and intellect strength –
The panca bhoota or elements join in different proportion to form different compounds or materials.

The bhoota sanghaata join with caitanya and bring forth jeevaas and objects
Limit or boundary of action environment karma bandha – these limit the man’s intellect and accordingly he gets jnaana. Different people have different knowledge or jaana and the totality is called jnaana vyooha.

Citta vyooha
All the above four vyooha act on the basis of the mind only.
Mind is not having any form. It is not also the sareeraantargata indriya visesha.
Inside all the jeevaas there is the same paraasakti which shines itself and makes the whole world shine. But, still, each individual is not like another. Then what is that "satta"which differentiates one individual from another? Even the great realized paramajnaani if he is a dehabimaani – will have hunger, thirst, pain, happiness etc. when one says I am hungry or when one says I am happy or when one says I am god , even in such cases, there is the consioucsness called I available with anybody. Even the jnaani’s mind may sometimes act in such a way that it will loose hold and act according to indriyaas. The mind which reacts with the ishtaanishta and sukha-dukha is called citta. That part of the citta which differentitates good from bad, wanted from unwanted, and leads the mind to the righteous path is called buddhi. The aarjita samskaara which leads the buddhi is daivopalabdha and hence it is called mahattatwa. Mind is that power which gets controlled by ahamkaara, citta, buddhi, and mahattatwa and controls them too. In one way, we can say the first four referred are the counterparts of the mind. The power of the mind is the caraacaravyaapta paramacaitanya sphurana. Cittavyooha is the combination of mind, ahamkaara, buddhi and mahattatwa.

Naada vyooha –
This whole world is of sabda roopa. Prapanca is the aavishkrita roopa of sabdaveeci. The aroopa-nirguna-nishkalanka brahma transforms [for jnaanis – seems to transform] into prapanca only in the form of sabda. The naadabrahma acts in four ways in the pindaanda [every person]. Individual starts speaking due to the divine power inside only. It is due to the shrishti abhivaanca of the iswara it is referred. In the form of kundalini roopa, from the moolaadharastha paraasakti, emerges the aavishkaranavaancaa sphurana. This is termed as "paraa" sabda. You can say either that this paraa sabda involves everything in itself or it does not involve anything. It is the tejoroopa which is undescribable and is of trememdous power as Bhagavad Gita chapter 11-sloka 18, which refers about the viswaroopa darsana therein as below :-

Twamaksharam paramam veditavyam
twamasya viswasya param nidhaanam
twamavyayah saaswata dharma goptaa
sanaatanastwam purusho mato me

anaadi madhyaantamananta veeryam
anantabaahum sasi soorya netram
pasyaami twaam deepta hutaasa vaktram
swatejasaa viswamidam tapantam

the paraa sabda gradually is taken from moolaadhara upwards. When it reaches the naabheesthana, i.e., the manipooraka cakra, it learns [by seeing] from individuals, circumstances and environment. Because it is said to see it is then referred by the name "pasyanti". Again, when it goes up and reaches the anaahata cakra in the heart, it merges close with the samskaara of the individual. How an individual wants to use his sabda power depend on his samskaara. The difference between the words of a yogya and ayogya is formed by the sabda brahma mingling with his samskaara. This sabda is almost moulded but still it is not fully formed and hence, called "madhyama". At this time, the sabda comes fully in control of the cittavyooha. When this sabda comes under the control of the breathing and through the swaasa kosa, it expands and contracts and comes out therein, the sabda combined with naadatantri sound and otherwise also, and and further through the combined effect of the sabda going through the kantha, taalu, danta and adharoshta the pronunciations are formed and due to the karanaas as tongue, lips the fully transformed bhaashana sabdaas are formed. Since these words formed of aksharaas, and akshara sanghaata padaas and the pada sanghaata words are capable to be heard and taken in to the mind and undergo vikharana process and hence called by the name "vaikharee". The sound which appears as different languages depending upon the time and space or country is this vaikhari only. The sabdaroopa consisting of paraa, pasyanti, madhyama and vaikharee together is called as naada vyooha.

Binduvyooha:-
The pindaandastha shadaadaara cakra is called as binduvyooha. This consists of the six cakraas called moolaadhaara cakra, swaadhishthaana cakra, manipooraka cakra, anaahata cakra, visuddhi cakra, aajnaa cakra.

Kalaavyooha:-
The varnaas or aksharaas starting from ‘a’kaara to ‘ksha’kaara is called kalaavyoohaa. This represents the samastaprapanca and also the objects, vikaaraa and the actions involved therein. We have to note clearly the difference of naadavyooha from kalaavyooha. Naadavyooha represents pindaandastha sabdabrahma vyaapaara. Individual is formed of two parts –
1. sareerastha jeevaatma, and
2. the sareera covering that the jeevaatma
Individual has jnaana [originally available in the first birth and before] and ajnaana [stored in so many janmaas] {these are all illusions and a person is not at all born and will never die – only the body undergoes change as per newton’s law}. Ajnaana consists of two parts – non-apprehension or ignorance or avidyaa and mis-apprehension or erroneous knowledge. Once this erroneous knowledge is removed, the ajnaana will automatically vanish and jnaana alone will remain and this state wherein only self in pureconscious form is there is called as realization. Actually, nothing is newly obtained, only Self or god or love or pure consciousness is available and is forgotten temporarily due to maayaa and is regained back when one gets out of the clutches of maaya. Kalaavyooha is anaadi and ananta and is sarvaadhaara for sarva vijnaana. And is also the prabhava for sarva pratibhaasa and all actions.

Jeeva vyooha:-
Prapanca is bhoota samghaata. Bhoota is that which is derived from the nirguna paraaasakti due to guna sannivesa earth and everything in the earth [caraas and acaraas] are formed of panca bhoota. Jeevavyooha is the group of jeevaatmaas who are bhokta.
The above nine vyooha called navavyooha is the body of sambhu. There is nothing different from sambhu.

The nine triangles in the sri cakra represent the nine vyooha.
these navavyooha can be grouped into three types – bhoktaah – bhogah – bhogyam
bhoktaah – aathma vyooha
bhogah - jnaana vyooha
bhogyam - kaala, kula, naama, citta, naada, bindu, kalaa
the prapaca vyaapta paramacaitanya has nine dharmaas. Prapanca is the pratibhaasa sankeernata of these dharmaas.

Seshah seshee :-
During the shrishti, sthiti, laya of the world there is equal part for both siva and sakti, but due to the fact that aanandabhairavi surrenders to aanandabhairava and hence both become sesha seshee. Sesha seshee bhaava is equal for both.

Samarasaparaananda parayoh:-
One who is enjoying samarasa and paraananda.
Samarasa means aiswarya ; paraananadah means the supreme happiness- sat chit aananda.
Since both Siva and Sakti are equal; Siva is called Samayah and Sakti is called Samayaa.

Samatwa is of five types:-
In the sreecakra pooja, samatwa is the first one-this is called Adhisthaana saamyam.
Srishti, sthiti, laya and in such actions anushthaana saamyam. This is second one.
Nritya and in such acts – avasthaana saamya – this is third one.
Siva-sivaa, bhairava-bhairavi and in such names – naama saamya – this is fourth one.
Red color, third eye – in these roopa saamya – this is the fifth one.
Aanandabhaira is bhoktru, bhoga and bhogya.
So too, aanandabhairavi also. Hence they both are equal.
Hence nava vidha aikya is also same for both.

In families, where chanting of this sloka with reverence is done, therein, mutual relationship between the partners will become full and they attain moksha and definitely the other purushaarthaas- so says the great Tetiyoor Subrahmania Saastri.
If the question arises, whether Siva is greater or Sakti is greater,
The possibilities are :-
Siva is great and sakti also;
Siva is not great and sakti too is not great;
Siva is great, but sakti is not;
Siva is not great but sakti is great;
There is no world without siva and sakti both and hence both are great is the correct version. All other possibilities are wrong.
There is no separate siva or sakti. This is the sankalpa of the kaula mataacaara.
You can compare this with the simple question in computer field :-
Whether software is great or hardware.
We know the answer.
But –
The upaasanaa in the form of naama rooopa becomes meaningless as far as sakaladharmasoonya nirvikalpa siva; because, he is withut karma or sakti. He is not capable of giving results.
"paro hi sakti rahitah kartum na kincana sivopi
savataam yaati kundalinyaa vivarjitah"
So says vaamakeswara tantram.

In the sreecakra pooja, the bindu is kaameswara swaroopa; there is no separate pooja for kaameswara, but you have to imagine the aavaahana of the devi in the bindu of kaameswara swaroopa.

For daahaka sakti, agni is the adhishthaana;
similarly, without a dharmi, the dharma roopa sakti cannot exist and hence,
only to establish the saktitwa,
dharmi roopa paramasiva is imagined.

This paramasiva saamarthya, paramasiva abhinna devi is the paraasakti and
her upaasana is paramasiva upaasana or brahmopaasana.
Devi bhagavatam says :-

"Yevam sarvagataa saktih saa brahmeti vivicyate
sopaasyaa vividhaih samyag vicaaryaa sudhiyaa sadaa"

Sunday, April 23, 2006

Soundarya Lahari Sloka -33

[sowbhagya mantram]
[sakala sowbhagyam]

Smaram yonim lakshmeem tritaya-mida-maadau tava mano
Nidhaayaike nitye niravadhi-mahabhoga-rasikaah
Bhajanti twaam cintaamani-gunanibaddhaaksha-valayaah
Sivaagnau juhvantah surabhigrita-dhaaraahuti-sataih

Smaram - "Kleem" the Kaama beeja mantra
yonim - "Hreem the Buvaneswari beeja mantra"
lakshmeem - "Sreem" the Lakshmi beeja mantra
idam tritayam - these three
aadau - in the beginning
tava - your
mano - of the panchadasaaksaree mantra [ the divine mind ]
Nidhaaya - combining
yeke - few persons
nitye - Oh! eternal! Goddess Supreme!
niravadhi-mahabhoga-rasikaah - knowing the aananda from the continuous unbroken japa
Bhajanti - do the aaraadhana or pooja
twaam - you
cintaamani-gunanibaddha aksha-valayaah - making the continuous stream of thoughts as the japamaala
Sivaagnau - in the agni in the sakti triangle in the Sri Cakra
juhvantah - doing [ offer ]
surabhigrita-dhaaraahuti-sataih - hundreds of aahutis by the aatmaananda obtained by the ghee given by kaamadhenu

Oh! eternal Goddess Supreme! few persons knowing the aananda obtained from the continuous unbroken japa, do the aaraadhana or pooja for you, making the continuous stream of thoughts as the japamaala, in the beginning of Your divine Panca Dasa Aksharee mantra, combining the three "Kleem" [ the Kaama beeja mantra ], "Hreem [ the Buvaneswari beeja mantra ], "Sreem" [the Lakshmi beeja mantra], offer hundreds of aahutis by the ghee given by Kaamadhenu in the Agni in the Sakti triangle in the Sri Cakra.

There is similarity between the Panca-Dasa-Aksharee mantra and Saavitree mantra.
In the Panca-Dasa-Aksharee mantra there are three kootaas whereas in the Savitree mantra, there are three paadaas.

If we add with the Savitree mantra, the three vyaahritees Bhoo, Bhuvah, Suvah, then the mantra gets converted to Gayatri mantra.
So too, in the Panca-Dasa-Aksharee mantra, if you add three of the five vimarsa pranava mantras called aim, hreem, sreem kleem, sowh, then the mantra gets converted to sowbhagya pancadasaaksharee.

In this sloka it is directed to add Sreem-Hreem-Kleem;
there is also another alternative mantra called sowbhagya mantra which is formed by adding aim-kleem-sow in the beginning of each koota.

Sivaagnih :-
In the triangular shaped kunda if you form the agni, it is called sivaagnih. Great devotees, offer pure ghee obtained from cow on this agni with the bhaavanaa "sivoham" and apply all their actions [manasaa, vaacaa, karmanaa] to the god.

Bhavanopanishad says :-
Aham twam asti naasti kartavyam akartavyam
upaasitavyamiti vikalpaanaa-maatmani vilaapanam homah.
Juhwantah – offer to agni the goddess – this is called antar yaaga.
Chintaamani guna nibaddhaakshavalayaa – the japamaalaa has fifty one akshara shape. In that the place for the letter "Khsa" is called "meru". It is the sacred stone in the centre of the japamaalaa. Once you do the japa with the maalaa- counting, you should not cross over the meru, but go in the reverse direction then on reaching the meru. You only touch the meru.
The devotees can do this offering in one of the three ways depending on their mental condition; if he is a beginner [not a spiritual one], then he can do the offering with the materials in the agni physically formed one.

Second case is, he can offer the mentally prepared aahuti in the mentally prepared agni.
The third case is [for a spiritual seeker] , he can offer the aahuti in the agni in his own heart of hearts.

This is referred by Bhagavaan Raman Maharishi thus in his "Upadesa Saaram" thus :-
Kaaya vaag mana kaaryamuttamam
poojanm japa cintanam kramaat

Smaram yonim lakshmeem :-
Smaram represent "ha"kaara
Yonim represent "sa"kaara
Lakshmeem represent "ka"kaara

In the sloka referred in sloka 32, in the mantra,
"ka ye ee la hreem ha sa ka ha la hreem sa ka la hreem"

Replace the first three letters by "ha sa ka", "haadi vidyaa" or "lopaamudraa vidyaa" is formed.
Aksha maalaa – is a prateeka of the sabda brahma which is imperishable which is also appearing as the destructive prapanca.

Antar nirantara nirindhanamedhamaane
Mohaandhakaara paripanthini samvidagnau
Kasmimcidadbhoota mareeci vikaasa bhoomau
Viswam juhomi vasudhaadi sivaavasaanam

In the inner heart of hearts, unbroken, but without indhana, lighting and destroying the mohaandhakaara and for the strange mareecis serve as vikaasa bhoomi – such a samvit shaped agni –
in this agni, I offer everything and anything in the world including Earth and Siva. [this is aatma samarpanam].

Saturday, April 22, 2006

Soundarya Lahari Sloka -32

[Sri Vidya, Panca-Dasa-Aksharee Mantra]
[sakala kaarya jayam, long life]

Sivah saktih kaamah kshiti-ratha ravih seetakiranah
Smaro hamsah scakra-stadanu ca paraa-maara-harayah
Amee hrillekhaabhi-stisrubhi-ravasaaneshu ghatitaa
Bhajante varnaaste tava janani naamaavayavataam

Janani - Oh! Goddess!
Sivah - siva beejaakshara mantra ‘ka’
saktih - sakti beejaakshara mantra ‘ye’
kaamah - manmatha beejaakshara mantra ‘ee’
kshitih - prithwi beejaakshara mantra ‘la’
athah - after that
ravih - surya beejaakshara mantra ‘ha’
seta-kiranah - cool candrakiranabeejaakshara mantra ‘sa’
Smarah - manmatha beejaakshara mantra ‘ka’
hamsah - hamsa mantra/aakaasa beeja mantra ‘ha’
cakrah - indra beeja mantra ‘la’
tadanu ca - after that
paraa- - paraa beeja mantra ‘sa’,
maara- - manmatha beejaakshara mantra ‘ka’
harayah - hari beejaakshara mantra ‘la’
Amee - this
te - your
Varnaah - aksharaas
Hrillekhaabhih - along with bhuvaneswari beeja akshara mantra ‘hreem’
Tisrubhih - three
avasaaneshu - at the end of each koota
ghatitaa - attached
Bhajante - is formed
tava - your
naama-avayavataam - as the parts of the mantraas

Oh! Goddess! Supreme!
The three sets of letters ka, ye, ee, la [first four]
Ha, sa, ka, ha, la [second five]
Sa, ka, la [third three]

Total 12 letters , with these, add in the end of each set hreem;

ka, ye, ee, la, hreem
Ha, sa, ka, ha, la, hreem
Sa, ka, la, hreem

Totally put together there are 15 letters which form your divine mantra.

The letters serve as part of your naama and avayava, Oh! Goddess! One who chants this mantra will definitely get the complete blessings of goddess and get moksha.

In this sloka, the Panca Dasa akshari maha-mantra called “kaadi vidya” for which the first letter is ‘ka’ is referred indirectly. There are three parts for this called ‘kootaas’.

The first is called vaaghbhava kootam for which the mantra is ka, ye, ee, la, hreem;
This shines with brilliance of the pralaya kaala agni, starts from mooladhaara and reaches anaahata.

The second is called kaamaraaja kootam for which the mantra is ha, sa, ka, ha, la, hreem;
This possesses the brilliance of crores of suns, starts from anaahata and reaches aajnaa-cakra.

The third is called sakti kootam for which the mantra is sa,ka, la, hreem;
This shines with crores of candraprakaasa, starts from aajnaa cakra and widens through to the middle of lalata or forehead.

The brialliant rays from the sacred stones of different colours from each of the koota overlap each other and form a tremendous indescribable divine brilliance, which is beyond the reach of anything else in the world. The ‘naada’ which starts from the moolaadhaara pass through these garlands of stones form a thread like structure. The bindu kala or part which falls on the hreem beeja in each koota is called by the respective names – vahni kundalini, soorya kundalini, and soma kundalini.

From the letters of the panca dasa akshari [15] mantra only the world has evolved, starting with the pancabhootaas - ether or sky or aakaasa, air, fire, water and earth.
The characteristic or guna of the aakaasa is only one – i.e.,the sabda or sound;
The characteristic of the air which has come from the aakaasa has two gunaas viz., sparsa or touch and sabda or sound.

The characteristic of the fire which has come from air is consisting of three gunaas – viz., sabda or sound, sparsa or touch and roopa or form.
The characteristic of the water which has come from fire is consisting of four gunaas – viz., sabda or sound, sparsa or touch, roopa or form and rasa or taste.
The characteristic of the earth which has come from water is consisting of five gunaas – viz., sabda or sound, sparsa or touch, roopa or form, rasa or taste and gandha or smell.

The five panca bhootaas and their characteristics are :-

aakaasa sound or sabda
air sound or sabda and sparsa or touch
fire sound or sabda , sparsa or touch and roopa or form
water sound or sabda , sparsa or touch , roopa or form and rasa or taste
earth sound or sabda , sparsa or touch , roopa or form, rasa or taste, and smell or gandha

The total characteristics of all the panca-bhootaas are 15 in number [1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 ] and the letters of the panca dasa akshari maha mantra are also 15 [ 5 + 6 + 4 ]; the chanting of these letters will give the effect of prostrating the panca-bhootaas or prostrating the whole world, since the whole world consists of nothing but the panca-bhootaas only.

This is referred by the great poet Bhaskara rayar in Vari Vasya Rahasyam .
The equivalent of the same sloka is contained in Lalitaa Sahasra Naama :-

Srimad vaaghbhava kootaika swaroopa mukha pankajaa
Kanthaadha katiparyanta Madhya koota swaroopini
Sakti kootaika taapanna katyadhobhaaga dhaarini

While meditating on the roopa or form of goddess, one has to do it with:-

The face of goddess as vaaghbhava kootam
The middle part from neck to hip as kaamaraaja kootam

The third / lowest part from the hip downwards as sakti kootam.

The first koota is comparable to jaagrat state
The second koota is comparable to swapna state
The third koota is comparable to deep sleep state

The great poet Lakshmidharar says that you have to add one more letter at the end to
complete the mantra as shodasaakshari [16 letters] instead of paca dasa akshari [ 15 letters] by adding the letter sreem in the beginning of the 15 letters. And hence the name "Sree Vidya".The fourth state so formed is equivalent to the turiya state.

Lalitaa Sahasra Naama refers like this :-
Aatmavidyaa mahaavidyaa sreevidyaa kaamasevitaa
Sree Shodasaakshari Vidyaa trikootaa kaamakotikaa.

Haadi vidyaa :-
Sowbhaagya vardhinee of the kaivalyaasrama refers like this –

This sloka also refers to lopaamudraa vidyaa called haadi vidyaa and And also to durvaasa vidyaa referred by the trayodasa akshari mantra.

Lopaamudraa vidyaa – or haadi vidyaa - Ha sa ka la hreem ha sa ka ha la hreem sa ka la hreem
Durvaasa vidyaa or trayodasa akshari [13 letters] mantra
Ha sa ka la ha sa ka ha la sa ka la hreem

This panca-dasa-akshari mantra is most sacred, most secret and most powerful one.

Refer Bhagavad Gita chapter 9 – sloka 1 wherein Lord Krishna tells Arjuna :-
"Idam to te guhyatamam pravakshyaamyanasooyave
Jnaanam vijnaanasahitam yat jnaatwaa mokshyase asubhaat"

This mantra also will lead us to the spiritual knowledge, in due course of time.
The parasakti has become by vivarta the 36 tatwamayi including the sivaadiparyanta
Paraadivaikharyanta sabdamayi
Binduadi bhoopuraanta cakramayi
Sthoolaadi kaarana paryanta dehamayi

To know which parasakti, four vedaas, six saastraas, eighteen puraanaas, meemaamsaa nyaayavistaara, dharmasaastra and so on the 14 vidya were formed.

Such a parasakti is definitely to be known. Then only spiritual knowledge also will be complete. We undergo physical and mental pain everyday, every moment, and it gets stored day by day and become dangerous which prevents us to do any constructive activity.
This mantra is aadhi – vyaadhi vinaasini [aadhi – for mind and vyaadhi for body]

All the factors become clear to us like
Srishti-sthiti-samhara, tirodhaana-anugraha, jnaataa-jnaanam-jneyam, tatsaamarasyam, sooryacakram, agnicakram, somacakram, brahmacakram, mitresanaathan, shashteesanaathan, jaagrat-swapna-susupti-turiya, vaama-jyeshtaa-raudree-saantaah, icchaa-jnaana-kriyaa,ambikaa-kaameswari-vajreswari-bhagamalini-mahaatripurasundari, aatma-vidyaa-siva-sarva tatwam, kaamagiripeetam-poornagiripeetam-jalaantarapeetam-odhyaanapeetam, praadakshina-uttara-pascima, swayambhoolinga-baanalinga-itaralinga-paralinga, pasyanti-madhyama-vaikhari-paraa,

by the chanting and knowing the meaning of the mantra. Totally, we can say, we will know the self and the jeeva-jagat-isawra secret and come to know ourselves in turn. We get self knowledge. [temporarily we have forgotten about the same].

The twelve great giant saints we see in puraanaas – viz.,
manu, candra, kubera, lopaamudraa, manmatha, agasthya, nandikeswara, surya, Vishnu, shanmukha, siva, durvaasaa have known this mantra and are examples for us to follow and get moksha in life, by knowing the self. {it is like, taking a thorn by another thorn; we have ignorance-non apprehension or "agrahana" and mis-apprehension or erroneous knowledge or "anyathaagrahana"; this can go only by turning our attention to right knowledge by removing our tamas and rajas qualities to satwa and then to get out of the satwa qualities also and becoming the real Self}.

Great saints refer about this Sree Vidyaa mantra thus :-
"sri vidya yasya jihwaagresa saakshaal paramassivah yasya no pascimam janma
swayam yo vaa na sankarah tenaiva labhyate vidyaa sreemal panca dasaakshari
mokshakaihetuvidyaa tu sri vidyaa naatra samsayah na silpaadijnaanayukte
vidwatsabdah prayujyate tasaadvidyaavi devaatra vidwaan vidwaaniteeryate "
Lalitaa trisati refers about Sri vidya like this :- (translated to Malayalam)
"sreevidya yaarkku naavinkal avan taan parameswaran aarkkillayo
punarjjanmamaar saakshaal sivanallayo avannu taan labhikkum sree vidyaa
pancadasaakshari mokshahetukavidyaa srividyaa taanilla samsayam kalaavidyaa
nipunane vidwaanennura ceykolaa sree vidyaavediye maatram vidwaanennu paranjidaam"

Rajarajeswari tantra refers like this :-
"shodasaarnam mahaamantram mantrarajottamottamam, sakrit sravanamaatrena
kotijanmaaghanaasanam mahaapaataka koteenaam bhanjanam smritimaatratah
upapaataka daurbhagyasamanam bhuktimuktidam visharogaadidaaridrya mrityusamhaarakaarakam saptakoti mahaamantra paaraayanaphalapradam catussamudraparyanta bhoodaanaphaladam sive sahasrakoti godaanaphaladam
dhyaanamaatratah kotyaswamedhaphaladam jaraamrityunivaaranam kim punarbahunoktena sivasayoojyadaayakam"

This mantra of Maha-tripurasundari represents the kundalini sakti which pervades through the shadaadhaara cakraas.

The 3 khandaas agni, soorya and soma represent the three sakti – icchaa- kriyaa-jnaana, the 3 states sushupti, swapna and jaagrat, the three bhoktas praajna, taijasa and viswa, the 3 gunaas satwa, rajas and tamas.

Aagneya khanda jnaana sakti jaagrat viswa tamas
Saura khanda icchaasakti swapnam taijasa rajas
Soma khanda kriyaa sakti sushupti praajna satwa
The hrillekha referred in the sloka or the manta "hreem" called as [bhuvaneswari beejam] at the end of three kootams and chant the mantra gives one moksha by giving viveka and thereby jnaana.

Hrillekheva jaagarti
Praanasaktiriyam paraa
Hrillekhaa kathyate tasmaa-
Maayaa caa cintya vaibhavaa
Anayaa rahitaa sarve
Nirjeevaa mantra raasayah
Atastu sarvavidyaanaam
Iyam utbodhinee mataa’

It is said that the [15 + 1 sreem] 16 letters of the shodasaksharee vidyaa refers to the 15 tithi-devataas like prathama, dwitiya, tritiya, caturthi, pancami, shashti, saptami, ashtami, navami, dasami, ekaadasi, dwaadasi, trayodasi, caturdasi and pournami or amaavaasyaa.
The sixteenth one [sreem] is the beejaakshara mantra of Baalaa Tripura Sundari the supreme power divine or the pure consciousness which is all pervading.
It is referred that the sixteen letters or mantras represent the sixteen lotus petals in the visuddhi cakra [at the throat].

Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Soundarya Lahari Sloka -31

[64 tantraas and Sri-Vidya]
[sarva vaseekaram]

Catuh-shashtyaa tantraih sakala-matisandhaaya bhuvanam
Sthitastattat-siddhi prasava paratantraih pasupatih
Punastwa-nnirbandhaa dakhila-purushaarthaika ghatanaa-
Swatantram te tantram kshititala mavaateetara-didam

Catuh-shashtyaa tantraih - by 64 tantrasaastraas
Sakalam - all
atisandhaaya - after filling up
bhuvanam - world
Sthitah - kept quiet
Tat - tat - siddhi - prasava - bestowing that siddhi alone which one wants
paratantraih - other tantraas
Pasupatih - Lord Paramasiva
Punah - further
twat-nirbandhaad - by your compulsion
akhila-purushaartha-yeka ghatanaa - for giving all the four purushaarthas like dharma, artha, kaama and moksha
Swatantram - capable of
te tantram - your tantra
kshititalam - [in this] world
avaateetarat - brought to practical principle
idam - this srividya

People in the world of different types and different tastes wish different types of fruits of actions and they pray god for getting the results. Paramasiva gave them the concerned fruits according as the actions and correspondingly filled up the whole world with 64 different tantra saastraas for getting different types of results of actions, and kept quiet further. But on your [goddess’s]compelling, he gave further the srividya and the pancadasaakshari mantra which bestows the divine wealth or spiritual wealth for a person [along with the four purushaarthaas], who is deserved and a staunch devotee. Thus Sree Vidyaa and Panca – Dasa -Aakshari mantra came to the world. (Panca-Dasa-Akshari mantra and Sri Vidya will be covered in the next sloka - 32)

these 64 tantraas give siddhi for a person who uses the same. The method followed in these is the propitiation of the different devataas by yantra, mantra, homadravya, oushadhaas and get the corresponding [boon] siddhi from them. All these 64 tantraas are described in the scriptures as narration by Lord Paramasiva to his partner Parvati. They became famous in the world through the rishis who heard it directly on meditation and then from the gurus who got from the rishis. There is no mention in these that the person should use the siddhi for the welfare of the world only. Hence, the siddhaas who get the same may need fame and name; may use it for selfish purpose; and then for troubling others also; in such a case, it will lead him to trouble like the characters in puraanaas like hiranyaaksha, kamsa, raavana etc. he may lose it in that case; also he may forget his original goal of life and get permanently trapped in the chain of birth and death and get immersed in bhava saagara which is full of sorrows and travails. These are mainly for getting the kaama and artha and not moksha, especially for example, walk in the waters of the rivers and ocean, walk through the space or aakaasa, indrajaalavidya, parakaayapravesa, chiranjeevitwam, make the body strong or light, seeing the materials below the ground or far far away in some other place, controlling the flow of water, agni or air in the environment. These always give the corresponding results only and sometimes for this one has to apply different other tantraas also. That is why in the sloka it is referred as “tat tat siddhi prasava paratantraih”.

In this sloka, it is referred that Lord Paramasiva does the process of atisandhaanam of the whole world. Atisandhaanam means cheating or vengeance. This may seem to be yuktirahita. The devotee or bhakta who starts the saadhana with his mind on the god but on getting the tantravidya and the cheap results and gets trapped and forgets the ultimate goal of life and thereby gets total destruction as we see in puraanaa characters. Hence, the word is correct. Otherwise, the Bhagavad Gita quote –

“Ye yathaa maam prapadyante taanstathiva bhajaamyaham” goes wrong.
For the normal functioning of the prapanca, this is a must. In the prapanca, the sun rises every day in the morning and sets everyday in the evening following the correct cycle for millions and millions of years; all the others gods earth, air, fire, water, yama, indra, are all discharging their duties. The seven days in a week follow systematically; the 12 months follow every year systematically; the number of days in a year including the leap year follow systematically; the days in a month follow systematically including the correction to February for leap year. The four yugas follow correctly one after another. This normal functioning of the world will be affected by a saadhaka getting the siddhis and misusing the worldly powers like the pancabhootas, sun, moon, stars, etc and making the world malfunctioning is most dangerous and hence, Lord Parmasiva has done such a thing. Such a devotee who follows wrong principles, troubles insects, creatures, birds, animals unnecessarily and even men by nishiddha karama and tries to upset the balance of the world functioning, may land himself in trouble, unaware of what to do and face destruction.
These tantras are not to be abandoned; they can be used for good purpose instead of for destructive purposes. Weapons serve both good and bad purpose. Fire serves good and bad purpose. Atomic energy even is used for good and bad purposes. The tantraas should not reach the hands of terrorists or militants which may cause havoc; they themselves may find in trouble, even if they get it. Hence it is told that Lord Parama Siva did the same.

Siva Gita refers as –

kartaapi sarvalokaanaam akshaiyyaiswaryavaanapi
sivah sivohamasmeeti vaadinam yanca kancana
aatmanaa saha taadaatmya bhaaginam kurute brisam.

Swatantram te tantram –
This is named as samayaacaaram, [the first method]. The five great saints -

Vasishta, suka, sanaka, sanandana, sanatkumara together wrote five samhitas [each one
wrote one] called “Subhaagama Pancakam”

Vasishta samhita,
suka samhita,
sanaka samhita,
sanandana samhita,
sanatkumara samhita

In which this samayaacaaram is referred, which will be referred in the next sloka 32..

There is another method [second method] referred in “kaula maarga” using 64 tantraas.
1. mahaamaayaatantram
2. sambaratantram
3. yoginitantram
4. jaalasambaram
5. tatwasambarakam
6. bhairavaashtakam
7. braahmee
8. maheswari
9. kaumaari
10. vaishnavi
11. varaahi
12. indraani
13. caamundaa
14. sivadootee
15. brahma
16. Vishnu
17. rudra
18. lakshmee
19. umaa
20. skanda
21. ganesa
22. jayadratha
23. candrajnaanam
24. maalineetantram
25. mahaasammohanam
26. mahocchushyam
27. vaatulam
28. vaatulottaram
29. hrilbhedam
30. tantrabhedam
31. guhyatantram
32. kaamikam
33. kalaavaadam
34. kalaasaaram
35. kubjikaamatam
36. tantrokhyam
37. veenaakhyam
38. trotalam
39. trotalottaram
40. pancaamritam
41. roopabhedam
42. bhootoddhaamaram
43. kulasaaram
44. kuloddheesam
45. kulacoodaamani
46. sarvajnanottaram
47. mahaakaaleematam
48. mahaalakshmeematam
49. siddhayogeswareematam
50. kurupikamatam
51. devaroopikaamatam
52. sarvaveeramatam
53. vimalaamatam
54. poorvaamnaayatantram
55. pascimaamnaayatantram
56. dakshinaamnaayatantram
57. uttaraamnaayatantram
58. oorddhwaamnaayatantram
59. vaiseshikatantram
60. jnaanaarnavam
61. veeraavaleetantram
62. arunesam
63. mohineesam
64. visuddheswaratantram

There is yet another method [third method] called “misra maarga” which uses eight tantraas called candrakalaa vidhyaashtakam.

Candrakalaa
Jyotsnaavatee
Kalaanidhi
Kulaarnavam
Kuleswari
Bhuvaneswari
Baarhaspatyam
Durvaasamitam

Out of these three methods, samayaacaara is the best suited one for vaidikaas and capable of getting all the four purushaarthaas and will be referred in the next sloka 32.
The above sloka 31 has referred about the 64 tantraas which is unimportant for a real devotee whose goal is spiritual and can skip to sloka 32 and give more attention to that, where reference about Sri Cakra and Sri Vidya is referred.
Any devotee can adopt any of the three methods according to his taste and necessity.

All people of all groups accept that the whole prapanca is the work of sakti.

Even the saankhyaacaarya says “prakritih kartree” and accept thereby the kartritwa of the jagat for the prakriti.

The oupanishadaas who are vivartaas accept that prapanca is maayaa kaarya or sakti kaarya.

Taarkikaas say “eeswarecchayaa paramaanushu kriyaa jaayate” and thereby accept kriyaa sakti and icchaasakti.

The upaasana of the goddess who is :-

“Shrishti sthiti upasamhaara tirodhaana anugrahaika
rata sarva caitanya roopa
sarvatatwaswaroopini sarvatatwaateeta
paramaamritasakti roopini”

is done in 3 ways :-

baahya roopa pooja for those who are not having the intellectual strong conviction about the mind or intellect or aatman can make the sricakra in silver or gold or other metals and do the pooja of the same thinking it as the devi and do external pooja or baahya pooja.

the same baahya pooja referred in 1 done using madhu maamsaadi and is called kaula maarga. In this method or group of followers, there is no siva and sakti separate. Sivatatwa is antarbhoota in sakti tatwa. Sakti has transformed into jagat. The same is kundalini. Trikona is also the bindusthana. This bindu is to be worshipped. This itself is of two types :-

uttara kaula - pooja for sricakra trikona done
poorva kaula – pooja for the actual yoni of the goddess done.
One who follows this kaula maarga has to keep in mind and follow the three points –
one – nishkalanka sadaacaara nishta is required.

Bhavishyottaram says –

“Na kulam kulamityaahuraa caarah kulamucyate”
Paramasiva says to Parvati like this :-
“Kulamargarato devi na maayaa ninditah kwacit aacaara rahitaayetra
ninditaastena cetare”

two – atirahasyatwam :-

Sri Parasuraama says :-

“Gupto muktah prakato brishthah anyaastu sakalaa vidyaah prakataa
ganikaa iva iyantu saambhavee vidyaa gupta kula vadhooriva
praakatyaannirayah”
three – strong jitendriyatwam like hanuman :-

ajitendriya can not get into any one of these methods.
If the kaula maarga tat para is strong in these three – he gets kshana siddhi.

[Soutraamani, jyotishtomam, vaajapeyam are the yaagaas performed by the kaula maarga tatparas.]

the description of the method and the effects achieved can be seen particularly in the “Devi Bhagabvatam” in Suka Janaka Samvaadam. In this kaula marga method, all the four varnaasrama group can perform but should follow the method prescribed for each of them:_

“vipraa kshoni bhujovisastaditare kshee raajya madhwaasavaih
Twaam devih tripure paraaparamayeem santarpyapoojaavidau
Yam yam praarthayate manah sthiratayaa teshaam ta yevadhruvam
Taam taam siddhim avaapnuvanti tara saa vighnairavighneekritaah”

[ Brahmins should do pooja with ksheera [milk ] as offering to devi.
Kshatriyaa should do pooja with aajyam [ghee] as offering to devi.
Vaishyaa should do pooja with madhu [honey] as offering to devi.
Soodra should do pooja with madyam [drink] as offering to devi. ]

The third is the samayaacaara contained in the five samhitaas referred above and is the most simplest and safest one and supreme one and easiest to adopt and will be covered in the next sloka number 32.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Soundarya Lahari Sloka -30

[meditating on Goddess with the intellectual conviction that I the aatman am devi]
[para kaaya pravesah]

Swadehodbhootaabhi-rgrinibhi-ranimaadhyaabhi-rabhito
Nishevye nitye twaam ahamiti sadaa bhaavayatiyah
Kimaascaryam tasya trinayana-samriddhim trinayato
Mahaasamvartaagni-rviracayati neeraajanavidhim

Swadeha-udbhootaabhih - emerging from your own [goddess’s] body
grinibhi - similar to divine [cosmic] rays
animaadhyaabhih - by the devataas such as animaasiddhi
ashtamaa siddhi – the eight supernatural powers are :-

1. anima – reducing one’s body to the size of an atom.
2. mahima - expanding one’s body to an infinitely large size.
3. garimaa - becoming infinitely heavy
4. laghimaa - becoming infinitely light
5. Praapti - unrestricted access to all places
6. praakaamya - realizing whatever one desires
7. isitwa - absolute lordship
8. vasitwa - subjugating all

abhitah - surrounded by
Nishevye - worthy to be worshipped
nitye - [Oh! Supreme consciousness!] Eternal [Goddess!]
twaam - you
aham iti - as one’s own atman
sadaa - always
bhaavayati - thinks [meditates]
yah - who
Kim aascaryam ? - is this surprise?
tasya - his
trinayana-samriddhim - siva saayoojya wealth also
trinayatah - for him who thinks as a small piece of leaf
Mahaasamvartaagnih - mahaa pralaya agni
viracayati - follows [and teaches him- the devotee]
neeraajanavidhim - the method of worship by showing mangala aarati

Oh! Supreme consciousness! Eternal Goddess!

You deserve to be worshipped with yourself surrounded by the devataas (as anima-siddhi), who are the kiranaas came out from your body. One who worships you as his own ‘atman’ or inner self and is the pure consciousness devoid of any stint of unhappiness or worry or free of the shadoormis always and at all moments in his life, to him, who considers even the sivasaayoojya position as ‘trina’ or a dry grass, the mahaa-samvarta-agni teaches him the method of applying mangala aarati pooja. Is there any surprise in this?

Trinayana samriddhim –
Trinayanah –
Trinee nayanaani maargaah praapakaah
soorya candraagni roopaah
Yasya darsanaaya iti sa trinayanah
Yadwaa idaa pinkalaa sushumnaa maargaah
Trayah tad darsane upaayaa iti
Trinayanah sadaasivah yadwaa
Trinayanaani cakshumsi yasya sah

[Sadaa Siva is he, who is shown as he partner of the supreme power or the witness, by the gods Sun, Moon and Agni; else Sadaa Siva is the divine ultimate path shown by ida, pinkala, and sushumna naadi; or else Sadaa Siva is the one who has three eyes.]

Bhagavad Gita chapter 15 – sloka -6 says –

Na tad bhaasayate suryo na sasaanko na paavakah
Yad gatwaa na nivartante taddhaama paramam mama

[the supreme consciousness or pure consciousness which is referred as sadaa siva is one which cannot be lit by the sun god or moon god or agni; one who reaches that state will never come back to life of birth and death which is a suffering. That abode is the most purest one.]

Amma says :-

Arkannu kannu kandeeduvaan
Neittiri kaattendatundo?

[is there the necessity of a candle or light to be shown for the sun god ?]

Bhagavad Gita chapter 15 – sloka -12 says –

Yad aaditya gatam tejo jagad bhaasayatekhilam
Yaccandramasi yaccaagnau tattejo viddhi maamakam

[know the pure consciousness which is seen to exist fully pervading in the sun, moon and agni and the whole world.]

The pure consciousness is one which is the I – which is referred by the meaning of the sentences below:-

I am not part of the body;
I am not product of the body;
I am not property of the body;
I pervade all over the body and over the whole world;
But I am not at all affected by the conditions of the world and the bodies therein;
Even when the body perishes, I exist still in tact as pure consciousness – sat chit aananda.

Upanishad says
Na tatra suryo bhaati Na candra taarakam
nemaa vidyuto bhaanti Kutoyam agnih?
Tameva bhaantamanubhaati sarvam
tasya bhaasaa sarvamidam vibhaati

[sun does not seem to rise there;
neither the moon nor the nakshatraas;
and not the lightning – then
where is the question of agni lighting the pure consciousness the I;
that alone is, self luminous and
everything else in the world gets brilliance from the self luminous pure consciousness the Sadaa Siva].

The three eyes of the supreme power are the sun, moon and the agni it is referred in puraanaas. We the humans have only two eyes, but the devotee of goddess will in turn get the third eye which is called the inner eye of consciousness which has to open to get the blessings of the goddess or Sadaa Siva.

Let us recall the song we referred in sloka 26 as given below:-

Kan turanneeduvor kandeela nin roopam
Kaatorttidunnavar ketteela nin naadam

One who sees this world of objects and gets erroneous knowledge or misapprehension,
[and thinks that he can correct the world], will not be able to see the goddess by the naked eyes [or sense objects, or by mind or even intellect];

Kannadacheedu kaatakakkeedu
Ullil teliyum hridaya nivaasini
Ullil teliyum hridaya nivaasini

[but he can get the vision of the goddess supreme or get ultimate happiness by turning his attention from worldly vision to inner vision] –


Yellaa bhaagyangalum maranjaal maatram kittunna sowbhagyame
[We get this sowbhagyam only when we discard by mind the egocentric “i” and “mine”]

Yella soundaryavum marannal maatram kittunna soundaryame
[We get this sounderyam only when we discard by mind the egocentric “i” and “mine”]

Ul kann turakkuvaan sakti yekeedane unmattanaakkeedane
Ullil teliyunna naal varakkum kannu neeril kulichcheedum jnaan
kannu neeril kulichcheedum jnaan”

{Oh! Goddess! Bestow me the pure mind so that my inner eye of consciousness will open and get me the unmattabhaava. Else I will go on calling you untiringly with tears shedding from my eyes continuously till you give this blessing.}

The devi dhyana sloka of Lalitaa sahasra naama refers like this –

Arunaam karunaa tarangita aksheem
drita paasa ankusa pushpa baana caapaam
Animaadibhiraavritaam mayookhai-
rahamityeva vibhaavaye bhavaaneem

if one does all work surrendering to the goddess who is imagined or meditated upon by him in his heart of hearts, and by his intellect tuned that the goddess is the aatman in him as “bhavaanyevaahamasmi”, will make him a great devotee, beyond comparison, similar to the level of hanuman, and definitely the whole world will do the pooja of such a person. Such a person will turn out to be a stiraprajna, or gunaateeta or bhakta or jnaani or sanyasi or yogi enjoying perfect happiness and thereby imparting the same to others too as referred by –
Bhagavad Gita chapter 2 – sloka -14 and 15 –

Raagadweshaviyuktaistu vishayaan indriyaiscaran
Aatmavasyairvidheyaata prasaadam adhigaccati
Prasaade sarva dukkhaanaam haanirasyopajaayate
Prasanna cetaso hyaasu buddhi paryavatisthate.

He gets the prasaada of bhagavaan which is the pure consciousness in his heart which in turn is the happiness ever and this prasaada is the medicine for sarva dukha or bhava roga. . [sarvadukkha harini or bhava roga nivarini]
This state of mind of a bhakta or yogi is also referred in the Upanishad by the words :-

Brahmavid brahmaiva bhavati.

What is the level of happiness he gets and gives to others ?
This is given by the sloka of Bhagavad Gita chapter 2 – sloka -46 –

Yaavaanaartha udapaane sarvatah samplutodake
Taavaan sarveshu vedeshu braahmanasya vijaanatah

His happiness is like ever overflowing [noopura ganga] waters – amritadhaaraa or amritasudha. Any number of persons can take amrita from this and still the level of the amritadhaara will remain the same.

Let the almighty shower Her blessings on all to get this amrita sudha.

Soundarya Lahari Sloka -29

[ Devi welcomes Paramasiva ]
[ prasavaarishta nivritti-]
[ attracting even the deadly enemies ]

Kireetam vairaincam pariharapurah kaitabha bhidah
Kathore kotheere skalasi jahi jambhaari makutam
Pranamreshweteshu prasabhamupayaatasyabhavanam
Bhavasyaabhyuthaane tava parijanokti vijayate

Kireetam - crown
vairaincam - Lord Brahma’s
parihara - come off from [without hitting or hindering]
purah - appearing in front
kaitabha bhidah - Lord Vishnu’s [the killer of Kaitabhaasura]
one who removes the devilish qualities in us
Kathore - very strong
kotheere - on the crown
skalasi - you are going to hit against [but don’t do it]
jahi - come off [ from the crowns of Brahma, Vishnu, Indra ] so saying
jambhaari - Lord Indra’s
makutam - crown
Pranamreshu - while [ Brahma, Vishnu, Indra ] bowing to you
yeteshu - these people [ Brahma, Vishnu, Indra ]
prasabham - with anxiety
upayaatasya - coming
bhavanam - your house
Bhavasya - seeing Lord Parama - Siva
abhyutthaane - when you are approaching and going
tava - your
parijana uktih - the words uttered by your friends
vijayate - the ghosha or words of bravery comes


Oh ! SupremeGoddess ! Amma !

you come without hitting Lord Brahma’s crown who is prostrating in front of you;
you are going to hit against Lord Vishnu’s [the killer of Kaitabhaasura ] crown [ who is prostrating to you ].

You come away from Lord Indra’s crown [who is prostrating toyou ]-

so say your colleagues when Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Indra are praying you [ with danda namaskaara ] on seeing you welcoming Lord Sadaa-Siva who is approaching you, your friend’s words come as [bravery] ghosha.

[ this means that all the devaas are prostrating goddess with their head and crown touching devi’s ( akhila loka naayika – paraa bhattaarika ) divine lotus feet ].

In the picture we discussed earlier in one of the sloka of this Soundarya Lahari, we have referred about the picture called Sree Baalaa Tripura Sundari wherein we referred that the four legs of the manca [ cot ] of the goddess has four legs which are represented by
Lord Brahma,

LordVishnu, Lord Iswara and Lord Rudra. And the top of the cot is Sadaa-Siva.

{the same is also referred in the Lalita Sahasra Naama}

The five Lords are doing their duties –

Brahma does the creation process –
Vishnu does the maintenance process –
Rudra does the destruction process – and
iswara does the tirodhaana and
Sadaa Siva does the blessing [ anugraha ] process for the devotees.

All these devaas are acting according to your order only;

without you, they are inert or action-less.

The Goddess is described in the Lalitaa Sahasra Naama as –

Pancabrahma swaroopini
(who is acting with five specific different names and forms )
Brahma roopa
(acts as brahma)
Shrishti kartree
(does creation or generation)
Govinda roopini
(acts as Vishnu)
Goptri
(does organization or maintenance)
Samhaarini
(destroyer)
Rudra Roopaa
(acts as Rudra)
Iswari
(acts as eeswara or eesaana)
Tirodhaanakari
(who is not seen with our naked eyes or sense organs or mind or intellect )
Sadaa sivaa
(the supreme consciousness the total macro action form to bless devotees)
Anugrahadaa
(to bless devotees)
Panca kritya paraayanaa
(who does the five specific acts )
Panca preta mancaadisaayini
(possessing the manca of five bodies
(which are inactive without your presence)

as four legs and the top of cot )

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Soundarya Lahari Sloka -28

[devi’s taatanka mahimaa]
[visha bhayam-akaala mrityu nivaaranam]

Sudhaamapyaaswaadhya pratibha-bhaya-jaraamrityu-hraineem
Vipadhyante viswe vidhi-satamakhaadhyaa divishadah
Karaalam yat shwelam kabalitavatah kaalakalanaa
Na sambhostanmoolam tava janani taatanka-mahimaa

janani - Oh! Goddess!
pratibha-bhaya-jaraamrityu-hraineem - [capable of] removing the dangerous ageing and death
Sudhaam - amrita
Aaswaadhya apy - even after taking
vidhi-satamakha-aadhyaah - [including] Lords Brahma, Indra
viswe - all [other]
divishadah - devaas
Vipadhyante - get destroyed during mahaa-pralaya

[devaas are supposed to have no shadoormi including death
Shadoormi – birth – growth-development- decay-disease – death
Refer Tatwabodha of Sankara in the sareeratraya wherein it is referred as –
Asti jaayate vardhate viparinamate apaksheeyate vinasyateeti shadvikaaravat yetat sthoola sareeram]

Story :-

Once the devaas had the saapa of Durvaasa the great saint, who was a staunch devi bhakta. Hence, they were affected by the six changes. They bowed to the great maharishi who gave them the parihaara – let them take nectar from the churning of the paalaazhi, so that they can get back the nitya yauvana and can get rid of the death. This is in the paalaazhi mathana story which is very famous. Vaasuki the great serpent which was given the job of biting the great king pareekshit was now given the job of becoming the rope for churning the ocean. Mandara parvata or mountain was made the stick or ‘mattu’ with which the churning is to be done. On one side devaas and on the other side asuraas were there churning the ocean. But what appeared first from the churning process was kaalakoota visha which was sarva samhaaraka which may destroy the whole world. Hence to protect the world, Lord Paramasiva drank the poisonous kaalakoota visha. When it reached his neck or throat, goddess picked up his throat and hence it stayed there and hence Siva is called Neela kantha. It added to the beauty of Siva. Hence, Siva became Sreekantha, Neelakantha and Kaalakantha. But in the end of the churning process, nectar or amrita was obtained and by drinking it, devaas became deathless or amaraa and nirjjara. But even in spite of taking this nectar also, devaas die at the mahaapralaya kaala. But you alone are the witness, Oh! Goddess! Who witness the taandava of Sadaa Siva.

Karaalam - most dangerous
Shwelam - poison
Kabalitavatah - having swallowed
Sambhoh - to Lord Siva
Kaalakalanaa - the end of kaala or time
Na - [is] not
Yat - this means
Tanmoolam - the reason for that
Tava - [is] your
taatanka-mahimaa - divine ear ring in your ear

[according to haindavaacaara, widows wont wear ornaments specially ear ring. If Siva had to die, then Parvati the Goddess have to become widow and ear ring has to be removed from her ears, which is not right, because, actually parvati is referred as our pure consciousness which is ever there, witnessing even during the taandava of the Sadaa Siva. The pure consciousness or Brahman which is beyond time and space, which is eternal (beyond time) and all pervading (beyond space) was – it is – it will ever be.
It is told that the taatankaas are sun and moon for the ear rings of the goddess.]

Oh! Goddess! even after taking amrita [nectar] which is capable of removing the dangerous ageing and death (jaraanara and marana), all devaas including Lords Brahma, Indra get destroyed during mahaa-pralaya.

{laya – temporary death of the gross body everyday during sleep
pralaya – permanent death of the present gross body
mahaapralaya – permanent death of all bodies gross and subtle}

For Lord Siva, who consumed poison (aala kaala visha), there is no death or end and it is
because of your Taatanka mahima (divine ear ring), Oh! Janani!

Taatanka mahimaa- The great author Laksmidharar refers about this as –

Taatankasya karnaabharanasya saamartyam; taantanka-cchaayaavaatwam kaalasya naasti
kaalotpatti-sthiti-layaanaam taatankaika-niyatatwaatiti devyaah paativratya mahimaa
sarvaatisayee iti.

The famous sloka Rudram refers like this:-

Yaa te rudra sivaa tanooh sivaa viswaaha bheshajee
sivaa rudrasya bheshajee taya no mrida jeevase

[Oh! Lord Paramasiva! The goddess who is occupying half of your body is the [divine] medicine for the whole world. She is the medicine for you who is Rudra also. You are still alive even after consuming poison, because of her grace only.]
Kaalaswaroopi Lords Sun and Moon eat away the age of everybody in the world but they become your ornaments Oh! Goddess!

[during every day, everyone wakes up and during every night, everyone sleeps unaware of his own body and even the whole world]

Sowbhagya bhaaskaram refers as -

Soorya candrau sthanau devyaastaaveva nayane smrite
Ubhau taatankayugalam ityeshaa vaidikee srutih

Arunaamodini refers as :-

Ata yeva suvaasinyaa kadaacitapi karnabhooshanam na parityaajyam iti upadesah

Hence, pativrataas should never be without any ear ring in her ears.

Lalitaa Sahasranaama refers as –

Taatanka yugaleebhoota tapanotupamandalaa

Pancadaseestavam says –

Kalpopasamharana kalpita taandavasya devasya khandaparasoh
para bhairavasya paasaankusaikshava saraasana
pushpabaanaanaa saa saakshinee vijayate tava moortirekaa

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Soundarya Lahari Sloka -27

[samayaacaara maanasika pooja]
[aatmajnaanasiddhi]

Japo jalpah silpam sakalamapi mudraa viracanaa
Gatih praadakshinya-kramana-masanaaddhyaahuti-vidhi
Pranaamah samvesah sukhamakhila-maatmaarpana-drisaa
Saparyaa paryaaya-stava bhavatu yanme vilasitam

aatmaarpana-drisaa - by aatma samarpana bhaava [by total surrender to the supreme power who is available in the heart]
jalpah - simple speech [or words uttered]
Japah - japa
sakalam silpam api - all actions of the hand
mudraa-viracanaa - the descriptions of the mudraas
Gatih - walk
praadakshinya-kramanam - [action of ]doing the pradakshina
asanaadi - eating [and other deeds] so on
aahuti-vidhih - homa
samvesah - lying down [sleeping]
Pranaamah - namaskaara
Sukham - with ease [what other deeds also]
me[pronounce as may] - let
yad vilasitam - what ever action is
akhilam - all [these]
tava - your
Saparyaa paryaayah - the method of pooja or worship
bhavatu - may become

Oh! Goddess Supreme! by aatma samarpana bhaava let my simple speech [or words uttered] become japa for you. Let all actions of my hand become the descriptions of your mudraas. Let my walking become pradakshina for you. Let my eating [and other sensory and mental and intellectual pleasures] become homa or aahuti you. Let my lying down become pranaama for you. And whatever else I perform with ease let all these become the method of worship for you.

Mudra :
Samkshobhini, vidraavini, aakarshini, vasankari, unmaadini, mahaankusa, kesari, beeja, yoni, trikantaa : these ten mudraas are the important ones with respect to devi upaasana.

Lalita Sahasranaama refers devi as “dasa mudraa samaaraadhyaa”

Whatever be the actions of the hand, all actions of a jnaani are mudraas of Goddess Supreme. The jnaanis who follow “samayaacaara “ never do any pooja with sricakra or with any mudra; but whatever they do naturally, become pooja for the Goddess Supreme. Whatever they utter become stuti or Upanishad words and whatever they do become pooja for all the Gods.

Siva maanasa pooja written by Sankara says :
Aatmaa twam girijaa matih sahacaraa praanaah sareeram graham
Pooja te vishayopabhogaracanaa nidraa samaadhisthitih
Sancaarah padayoh pradakshina vidhih stotraani sarvaa giro
Yad yad karma karomi tatta-dakhilam sambhoh tavaaraadhanam

Oh! Lord [Sadaa] Siva !You are [my] aatman. My intellect is [your] Partner Girija. My panca praanaas and their associates [like praana, apaana, vyaana, samaana, udaana and so on] are the your sahacaraas. My Sareeram [body] is your abode. my sensual [also mental and intellectual] pleasures are all your pooja. The actions of my feet are the methods of pradakshina for you. All my words are your stotras. What-else I do, all those are the methods of aaraadhana for you.
{Note: Sri Neelakantan has referred about this sloka in the beginning of our Soundarya Lahari session. So many thanks are due to him for the response at the appropriate time }.

Let us recall in this context the poem by the great Tamil poet “Thaayumaanavar” who refers like this :

Thullumariyaa manathu balikodutten karma tuttadevataikalillai
Turiya nirai caanta devataiyaamunakke Thozhumpan anbhabhishekaneer
Ulluraiyil yennaavi naaivettiam praanan omkumati doopa deepam
orukaalamandritu sadaakaala poojaiyaa oppuvit teyn karunai koor
tellimarai vadiyitta vamutappizhampe thelinta teyne seeniye
divyarasa miyaavun tirandozhuku paake tevit taata vaanandame
kallanari voodume mella mella mouniyaaik kalakkavaru nalla urave
karutariya cir sabaiyil aananda nirtamidu karunaa karakkadavule
Bhaavanopanishad says like this :

Jnaanam arghyam jnyeyam havih jnaataa hotaa Jnaatru-jnaanakjneyaanaa-mabheda bhaavanam Sreecakra poojanam. Bhaavanaayaa-mapramattataa upacaarah. Aham twam asti naasti kartavya- makartavyamitivikalpaanaamaatmani vilaapanam homah. Bhaavanaa-vishayaanaa-mabheda bhaavanam tarpanam.
[The meaning of this is that there is only one Brahman which is sat chit aananda and the triputi jnaatru-jnaana-jneya vanishes; only pure consciousness remains.This is called jnaatru jnaana jneya abheda bhaavana and this is sree-cakra-pooja]

In this context let us recall the two lines of Abhiraami Andaadi : sloka 10 below:-

Ninrum irundum kidantum nadantum ninaippatunnai
Enrum vananguvatun malarttaal.

Refer Bhagavad Gita chapter nine sloka 27- in this context which says :

Yatkaroshi yadasnaasi yajjuhoshi dadaasiyat
Yattapasyasi kaunteya tat kurushwa madarpanam

[Whatever you do, you eat [intake by indriyaas, mind , intellect ], havis you apply tapas you do, let all thesebecome unto you]

The above method of offering pooja referred in this sloka 27 is that of a jeevan-mukta yogi. The jeevan mukta does not require either any internal or external method of pooja. All his words/actions are becoming pooja unto the Lord.

The body of each person is yantra [micro level] for the sree-cakra-pooja. The world is also the yantra [macro level]. The mantra for sree-cakra-pooja is called shodasaakshari matra. In this shodasaakshari mantra nyaasa, there are two types:-

Shodaanyaasa and mahaashodaanyaasa.
A devotee who does mahaashodaanyaasa becomes a jeevan-mukta.

All actions of such a jeevan-mukta become pooja to Goddess supreme and in turn all gods all over the world.

This is referred in Dakshinaamoorthy samhita wherein Lord Siva refers to Goddess Parvathi thus :-

Mahaashodaanyaasa kartaa suddho bhavati sarvadaa
[the devotee who practices/has practiced mahaashodaanyaasam is ever pure]
Japo jalpobhavettandraa samaadhirabhidheeyate
Twacaa yat kriyate karma tanmudraa racanam bhavet
Tattaddhyaanam bhavedicchaa jaayate yatra mat priye
[his utterances of words become japa and tantra samaadhi for the lord; his actions (of jnaanendriyaas and karmendriyaas ) become mudraa-racanaa and icchaa-dhyaana ]
Praadakshinyam bhavettattadyatra yatra hi gacchati
Yatra yatraasane tishtettattadeva namaskriyaa
Yadyaducchaaryate vaacaa tat stotrapathanam bhavet
Yadaa yadaa bhavet swapnastadanusmaranam bhavet
Tasmaadayam mahaasuddho bhavet sarvatra sarvadaa.
[His travel becomes pradakshina and his rest becomes namaskaara; his utterances become stotras]

Hence, he is ever pure : as referred by the Advaita Makaranda sloka :-

Ahamasmi sadaa bhaami
Kadaacinnaahamapriya
Brahmaivaahamatah siddham
Sat chit aananda lakshanam

Such a person will definitely become one as referred by the Mundaka Upanishad mantra :-

Sa veda yetad paramam brahma dhaama
Yatra viswam nihitam bhaati subhram
Upaasate purusham ye hi akaamaah
Te sukram yetad ativartanti dheeraah
All the living [so we refer , for our purpose] mahaatmaas, depict this by their practical approach C[manasaa vaacaaa karmanaa].

Here is a prayer which is given by Amma to all over the devotees in the world :-

Amme! Yente yetu vaakkum ninde vaakkayi teeratte.
Yente yetu icchaiyum ninde icchayaayiteeratte
Jnaan cheyyunna yethu karmavum
nee cheyyunna karmamaaiteeratte.
Jnaan evidekku kaal eduthu vacchaalum
Athu ammayilekkethicherunna paatayai teeratte.
Jnaan evide kidannalum atu ammakkulla namaskaaramaiteeratte.
Jnaan entu kazhicchaalum atu ammakkulla
yajnamaayiteeratte.Amma nee yevide, amma nee yevide
Enne vittu piriyalle, yennil ninnu piriyalle, yennil ninnu piriyalle
Bhakti taa jagadambe !
Premam taa jagadambe !
Viswasam tannenee rakshikoo jagadambe !
Viswasam tannenee rakshikoo jagadambe [amriteswari].

Amma says to her devotees often :
Bhaktiyillatta jnaanam
kadicchaal pottatta paara poleyaanu.

This sloka and the method referred in this sloka 27 if a devotee adopts to implement will, no doubt, become in due course, a stiraprajna, a gunaateeta,a bhaktaa, a jnaani or a yogi.

Let the blessings of almighty be on all of us.

Soundarya Lahari Sloka -26

[Paativratya mahima of Parasakti Devi]
[Satrusamharam – internal and external]

Virincih pancatwam vrajati hariraapnoti viratim
Vinaasam keenaaso bhajati dhanado yaati nidhanam
Vitantdree maahendree-vitatirapi sammeelita-drisaa
Mahaasamhaare asmin viharati sati twatpati-rasau

Virincih - Lord Brahma
pancatwam - destruction
“pancabhootaanaam vyashti roopataam maranamiti yaavat”
vrajati - gets
harih - Lord Vishnu
aapnoti - gets
viratim - end
“uparatim maranamiti yaavat”
Vinaasam - destruction
Keenaasah - Yama [Lord Yamadharamaraja]
bhajati - gets
dhanadah - Lord Kubera
yaati - gets
nidhanam - destruction
Vitantdree - gets immersed in deep sleep
“veseshena tandree prameelanam jaadyam yasyaah saa - nidraanetyartthah”
maahendree-vitatih
api - the group of devas including Lord Indra who follow suit
“mahendrasyeyam mahendree caturdasaanaam manoonaam indraanaam vitatih api sankopi sammeelati samyangmeelitaa drisaa drishtir-yasyaas saa”
sammeelita-drisaa - closing the eyes
Mahaa-samhaare - at the mahapralaya kaala
asmin - [such as] this
viharati - plays with you
sati - Oh1 Pativrata Goddess!
Twatpatih - your husband Sadaa Siva
“sadaa sivah harah asau sahasratala-kamale paridrisyamaanah”
Asau - this

During the mahapralaya kaala, all tatwaas including goddess earth, merge in the one above that panca-bhoota and the last one gets immersed in infinity; only sakti and siva both remain. Then the goddess Sakti only witnesses the Samhaara [rudra] taandava of her partner Sadaa Siva.
Lord Brahma comes [assumes name and form] and goes [gets destruction of name and form]. Lord Vishnu comes [assumes name and form] and goes [gets destruction of name and form]. Lord Yama comes [assumes name and form] and goes [gets destruction of name and form]. Lord Kubera comes [assumes name and form] and goes [gets destruction of name and form]. The group of devaas including the head Devendra follow suit - come [assumes name and form] and go [gets destruction of name and form].

During the maha-pralaya kaala, Oh! Goddess Supreme! This Sadaa-Siva, your husband, dances, the samhaara taandava being witnessed by you alone.

Every day we assume name and form [during waking and dreaming state]; and lose our name and form temporarily [during deep sleep state]. But “I” the pure consciousness in us remain in tact without getting affected the least. This consciousness is our original character or swaroopa which is referred as sat – chit – aananda in scriptures.
In the “Advaita makaranda ” sloka 2 the great poet, describes this consciousness as

“ahamasmi sadaa bhaami
kadaacit naahamapriyaha
brahmaivaahamatassiddham
sat chid aananda lakshanam”

This consiousness is different from the jiva if we think multiple jeevaas in the following way :-
We can get any external knowledge such as physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics etc. but for this you have to put effort or karma –

Knowledge [external] + karma = happiness [unsteady] and sorrow mixed.
Knowledge [alone ] = self or pure consciousness or “I” or unbounded awareness or happiness devoid of any stint of sorrow.

Apraaptasya praaptah – one may want to get a new substantial thing or position or power or status newly in the world. This requires tremendous effort on one’s part.

Praaptasya praaptah – this does not require any effort or karma but one has just to recall his original memory which was lost temporarily due to ajnaana or ignorance and erroneous knowledge. We may refer the Bhagavad Gita chapter 18 sloka 73 where in you find the following quote from arjuna to Lord Krishna as –

“nashto mohah smritir labhdhaah twatprasaadaanmayaachyuta
Sthitosmi gatasandehah karishye vacanam tava”

the knowledge referred by arjuna here is the one of the praaptasya praaptah which enabled arjuna to overcome his grief, anger and all negative qualities thereby succeed further in the battlefield. No new knowledge was imparted by Lord Krishna to Arjuna; but on the removal of ignorance and erroneous knowledge, the right knowledge was clear to Arjuna as clear as the sun which was so far covered by the clouds, but now on removal of the clouds of ignorance and erroneous knowledge, the sun the aatman, was seen clearly without any new effort. Lord shri Krishna also refers in the Bhagavad Gita that he is not imparting anything newly found by him but what ever is referred is available readily in Upanishads as each chapter of Gita ends with the saying that

“iti srimad bhagavad gitaasu upanishatsu brahmavidyaayaam yogasaastre sri krishnaarjuna samvaade purushottamayogo naama pancadasoddhyaayah”
[this is for chapter 15].

This “I” is referred as witness the “Sadaa Siva” and in scriptures as Brahman.
This refers to - the knowledge we already have ever with us – but temporarily the jeeva has forgotten it – for getting back this knowledge, you need not put any effort but only you have to correct your intellect [intellectual conviction] which was so far either wrong or partial [alpa] or absent and no karma is required;
We may refer in this context, the poem referred by “Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi” called “Upadesa Saaram” sloka 1 in which he quotes like this –

“Karturaajnayaa prapyate phalam
karma kim param karma tajjadam
Kriti mahodadau patina kaaranam
phalamasaaswatam gati nirodakam”

Also, we may refer Sankara’s “Viveka Coodaamani” in which he refers –

“Avijnaate pare tatwe saastraadeetistu niscalaa
Vijnaate pi pare tatwe saastraadeetistu niscalaah”

For getting the knowledge about our own self, the pure consciousness, we need not search anywhere outside, but correct our erroneous knowledge thereby removing our non-apprehension and mis-apprehension.

Permanent happiness we search outside in the world of objects, emotions, thoughts but is not at all available in the world outside but is ourselves – the subject – the pure consciousness. World consisting of temporary status can give only temporary happiness that too only in the presence of myself or “I” or “consciousness” and in the absence of this consciousness as in sleep or moorcchaa or unconscious state, even we are not able to know that we are happy, though the world of objects disappear totally for some time and we are not having unhappiness but we are not aware. This is possible only in the waking state. Hence the Upanishad quote –

“uttishtata, jaagrata, praapyavaraan nibodhata.”

Hence, the correction of our erroneous knowledge has to take place in jaagrat avastha and not in sleep or dream.

{During sleep or laya [not pralaya or maha pralaya, but temporary pralaya], we are ignorant or the knowledge of our own self is absent temporarily, which is not harmful. But erroneous knowledge, which also is present during our waking and dreaming states, is most dangerous and is the cause of all our sorrows and miseries and not any time, space, object, or body or relation, or circumstance or the world outside.

During the time of so called death of a [body] person - pralaya happens – the body is destroyed but another body will follow, to satisfy our unfulfilled desires due to the vaasanaas remaining}.
Lalita-sahasra Naama refers like this –

“maheswara mahakalpa mahaataandava saakshinee”

The poem “Kalyana vrishtistavam” refers like this –

“Kalpopasamharana-kalpita-taandavasya
Devasyakandaparasoh para-bhairavasya
Paasaankusaikshava caraasana-pushpabaanaa
Saa saakshinee vijayate tava moortirekaah”

Soota samhitai also refers like this –

“Asankhyaavilayam yaanti brahmaanah panditottamaah
Asankhyaa vishnavo rudraa asankhyaa vaasavaadayah
Yeka yeva sivaha saakshaat srishtistityantahetavah”

Mundaka Upanishad one of the dasopanishads for which Sankara wrote commentaries is referring about this knowledge –
The disciples [who are grihastaas] who approach the guru ask the prime question {for which the whole world of scientists and so on are yet to get an answer unless they delve deep into the scriptures}. This is not to undermine any knowledge of science, but to indicate that for any knowledge, the consciousness is required.

The question goes like this –

“kasminnu bhagavo vijnaate sarvam idam vijnaatam bhavati iti”

Oh! Bhagavan! [guru] please show [tell] us about that one, by knowing which, the whole world [of objects, emotions, thoughts] becomes known.
There are two yuktis by which a thing or knowledge which is superior or not is found.
Anvaya yukti and vyatireka yukti.

If consciousness is there, there is the world of objects – anvaya yukti.

If consciousness is not there, there is no world of objects – vyatireka yukti.

But even if world of objects are not there, there is the consciousness [deep sleep state].
The same consciousness which is available all over [seems to be different in different persons] during sleep, is available now also and always – it was – it is – it will be for ever - everywhere; but due to our non apprehension of the same and due to misapprehension of the truth, we mistake it and possess erroneous knowledge and absence of right knowledge. For getting the right knowledge, we need not do any work but have to correct our erroneous knowledge thereby getting correct knowledge as referred in Bhagavad Gita chapter 2 sloka 41 as –

“Vyavasaayaatmikaa buddhirekeha kuru nandana”

This knowledge is not an object or even the whole world, but we ourselves who is the subject and happiness ever.

For knowing this, we have to study continuously under the guidance of a SadGuru, for a sufficiently long period of time. [which we don’t do [normally], which is the cause of our own sorrow or misery in life and anything in the world.]
Bhagavad Gita chapter 4 sloka 34 says –

“Tad viddhi pranipaatena pariprasnena sevayaa
Upadekshyanti te jnaanam jnaaninastatwa darshinah”

You can get this knowledge which due to anaadi maayaa was seen to be lost [actually it is not lost at all] back by approaching a guru and applying your whole hearted pranaams to him, by surrendering your heart at his holy feet, by doing service [without expectation] to him [though he may not need it at all] and after sufficient time by which your mind becomes calm and quiet, ask your questions frankly to the guru who will impart this knowledge to you.

You need not go in search of the guru, but guru will come in front of you in any form [not as desired by you] if you have the deepest desire as referred in the tatwa bodha –[saadhana catushtaya]

Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi says the quote often as –

“Eeswaro gururaatmeti “
[moorti bheda vibhaagine
Vyomavat vyaapta dehaaya dakshinaamoorthaye namaha]

Our atma is our guru and eeswara-
During waking state, we find we are jeevaas. But during sleep, we don’t find any jeeva, which means jeeva merges with eeswara enjoying perfect bliss, [though we are not aware of the same during sleep].

If one is able to succeed in finding the aatman by studying the saastraas or scriptures or from a sad guru, he will understand the meaning of this statement. But one must have complete faith for this.
Bhagavad Gita chapter 6 sloka 5 refers –

“Uddharedaatmanaatmaanam naatmaanamavasaadayet
Aatmaivahyaatmano bandhuraatmaiva ripuraatmanah”

[Paativratya mahima of Parasakti Devi]
[Satrusamharam – internal and external]

Refer the famous Mandukya Upanishad about which Sri Rama tells Aanjaneya to
get rid of the bandha or to get liberation or mukti as –

“Maandookyam evam evaalam
mumukshoonaam vimuchyate”

[mandukya alone will suffice for a mumukshu to get liberation]

This Upanishad says –
“samvisati aatmanaatmaanam ya evam veda”
[one atma who wants to get liberated, will get his true nature]

We have to turn our attention from external mode to internal mode as referred in”Lalita Sahasra Naama” as –

“antarmukha swabhaavaayai namaha
[by introspection it is possible to get liberation]
bahirmukha sudurlabhaayai namaha”
[by external sense organs or by the extroverted mind or extroverted intellect it is not possible to get liberation]

refer the Lord Ganapathi bhajan song which goes as this –

“tedi tedi engo odukinraar
[people are running here and there all over the world (to get happiness)]
ulle thedi kandukollallaame
[but happiness can be searched to be available inside our heart of hearts]
kodi kodi mada yaanaikal panicheyya
[crores and crores of egocentric elephants work]
kunrena vilangum pemmane
[you are the god of gods of the mountains ]
prabho ganapathe paripoorana vaazhvarulvaaye”
[Oh ! Prabhu! Lord Vigneswara! You will give me a life of fulfilment ]

No effort or karma required externally, you need not change your environment, people, place, circumstance, time, relation etc but correct your vision of wrong knowledge to right one.

We have so many erroneous knowledge about us, about our relatives, about our nation, about world and so on which needs to be corrected. Not the people place or thing to be changed outside. We may refer in this context about the poem Sankara’s “Viveka

Coodaamani” sloka number 254 in which he refers –

“Jaati neeti kula gotra dooragam
[I am away from jaati, neeti, kula and gotra]
Naama roopa guna dosha varjitam
[I am away from naama, roopa, guna and dosha]
Desa kaala vishayaati vartiyat
[I am away from desa, kaala, and vishaya]
Brahma tatwamasi bhaavayaatmani”
[I am that brahma tatwam – so meditate]

[Paativratya mahima of Parasakti Devi][Satrusamharam : internal and external]

In the “Advaita makaranda” the great poet says like this -
“mayiyevodeti chid vyomni
[in me the chidaabhaasa alone seem to appear ]
jagat gandharva pattanam
[this magic world which is like gandharva nagaram which is never steady which goes on ever changing and disappears later]
athoham na katham brahma
[then why am I not the Brahman?; I am Brahman alone]
sarvajnam sarva kaaranam”
[I am the cause of sarvam the whole world and I am sarvajna, I know everything.]

Also refer Maaya Pancakam which refers like this
“Nirupama nitya niramsake api akhande
[Uncomparable, eternal, having no component parts, still unbreakable]
mayi citi sarvavikalpanaadisoonye
[in me the pure mind devoid of the vikalpa sankalpa]
Ghatayati jagadeesajeevabhedam tu
[happens thus like isa jeeva difference]
aghatitaghatanaa pateeyasi maaya”
[this maayaa is playing the role of impossible but magic]

There is one song of amma which goes like this :
“aananda roopiniye tiranju
[I went in search of the person or goddess who gives aananda]
Amritaswaroopiniye tiranju
[I went in search of the amritaswrupini.]
Ajnaananaasini jnaanapravaahin
i[I came to know that she is the ajnaananaasini, jnaanapravaahini,]
Aatmaswaroopiniyennarinju
[Knew as aatmaswaroopini][who is posited inside our heart of hearts and also everywhere.]Aatmaswaroopiniyennarinju[aatmaswaroopini]Kan turanneeduvor kandeela nin roopam Kaatorttidunnavar ketteela nin naadam
[One who sees this world of objects and gets erroneous knowledge or misapprehension,][and thinks that he can correct the world], will not be able to see the goddess by the naked eyes [or sense objects, or by mind or even intellect];
Kannadacheedu kaatakakkeeduUllil teliyum hridaya nivaasiniUllil teliyum hridaya nivaasini
[but he can get the vision of the goddess supreme or get ultimate happiness by turning his attention from worldly vision to inner vision]
Yellaa bhaagyangalum maranjaal maatram kittunna sowbhagyame
[We get this sowbhagyam only when we discard by mind the egocentric “i” and “mine”]
Yella soundaryavum marannal maatram kittunna soundaryame
[We get this soundaryam only when we discard by mind the egocentric “i” and “mine”]
Ul kann turakkuvaan sakti yekeedane unmattanaakkeedaneUllil teliyunna naal varakkum kannu neeril kulichcheedum jnaankannu neeril kulichcheedum jnaan”

{Oh! Goddess! Bestow me the pure mind so that my inner eye of consciousness will open and get me the unmattabhaava. Else I will go on calling you untiringly with tears shedding from my eyes continuously till you give this blessing.}

as Bhagavan Ramana Maharishi says there are two methods of approach for anything.
1. loka drishtyaa
2. jnaana drishtyaa

The second is the correct and the first approach is erroneous for getting spiritual knowledge or knowledge about our own self.Guruji (Sri Sri Ravisankar) refers this as “You have to act locally but think globally”.
[but many of us who fail in life in the end is due not only to the complete neglect of this and also due to the wrong following- we think locally and act globally]

Amma says about the same in other words as-

“Hridayam vikasicchilla,pakshe budhdhi maatram vikasichhu”
[there is no co-operation between head and heart mind says another decision : but intellect says one]

what is the result of this ?the outcome is given by the Bhagavad Gita sloka chapter 2 sloka 62-63
dhyaayato vishayaan pumsah
[one who meditates on external world of objects]
Sangasteshoopajayate
[He gets his mind attached to the objects]
sangaatsan jaayate kaamah
[hence he picks up desire towards that object]
kaamaat krodhobhijaayate
[if not able to get the object, he gets anger
]krodhaadhbhavati sammohah
[anger leads to greed]
sammohaat smriti vibhrama
[his memory power weakens]
smriti bhramsaat buddhi naaso
[his intellect loses power of right decision]
budhdhi naasaat pranasyati
[every thing is lost if right intellect is lost]

[Paativratya mahima of Parasakti Devi]
[Satrusamharam internal and external]

For this (to overcome this sorry state of affairs of losing the right intellect or gaining the intellectual conviction) we need both chitta suddhi and chitta yekaagrata and then jnaana yogyataa, and then we have to proceed in the right direction.

Chitta suddhi can be gained only by (nishkaama) karma yoga; chitta yekaagrata can be attained only by bhakti yoga (unconditional) and only when we get both chitta suddhi and yekaagrata - we can proceed to gain this right knowledge about our own self.

For this, our mind is to be turned inwards and understand thoroughly by sravana, manana and nidhidhyaasana that the permanent happiness we search is not in world of objects but in ourselves, in our pure mind, in our pure intellect and that is the greatest achievement

we can get in life in many and many births. The treasure island is inside us - but we search it outside thinking it as an object; instead it is the subject and need not be sought for; only thing we have to do is not all to put any new effort to gain anything new, but to remove our wrong notions about ourselves and the world and the god and the guru. We have to remove our non apprehension and misapprehension and be at ease.

Refer Baba’s quotes often to his disciples:Why should you be diseased when you are already at ease.Why fear when I am here always?
What is the use of sitting in an air conditioned building without the conditioning of the-agitations of the desire in the mind.?

Refer Bhagavad Gita chapter which says :
Asaantasya kutah sukham?

Amma says repeated for the benefit of the devotees all over :
Paritasthitiye alla maatrendatumanasthitiye aanu maatrendatu.

The above referred state of mind is referred byBhagavan Ramana Maharishi in upadesa saaram as -“hrit sthale mana swastataa kriyaaBhakti yoga bodhaasca niscitam”

This is the state of mind referred to be that of a jnaani [in chapter 4 jnaana karma sanyasa yoga and in chapter 7 aatma samyama yoga and chapter 9 C raaja vidyaa raaja guhya yoga ] or bhakta [in chapter 12 bhakti yoga] or gunaateeta [in chapter 14 gunatraya vibhaga yoga] or stiraprajna or stitaprajna [in chapter 2 saankhya yoga] in gita

What have we to lose for this? money, material, position, status, power, house, relations, and what else - we need not lose anything - but correct our erroneous knowledge and act in the world as anybody acts in this world -as amma says in another song :

Kaarunya peeyoosha dhaamam
[the abode of ultimate unconditional overflowing kaarunya]
Amma kaanappedunnatma satyam
[amma is the aatma satyam which we can see directly with our inner eye ofconsciousness without any external karma or external effort]
Jnaanena bhaavam marannatma samtripti
[forgetting the thought of the ego centric small “i” and getting aatma samtripti]
Nedunnavar kaanmu satyam
[who gets this knows the truth]
Nedunnavar kaanmu satyam
[who gets this knows the truth]
Teerthangalil kulikkenda
[you need not bathe in holy waters]
Ghora ghoram tapam cheytidenda
[need not do hectic penance]
Ammayil maanasam chemme unarthichu
[apply your mind on your own self that is amma and be strengthened in mind]
Dhanyarai teerkkuvin janmam
[make your birth fulfilled ]
Dhanyarai teerkkuvin janmam
[make your birth fulfilled]

Refer in this context, the quote given by ashtaavakra to janaka in the ashtaavakra gita as:

“Antar vikalpa soonyasca
bahir swacchanda caarinaha”
Be calm in the mind internally and don’t show emotions outside; but externally act so that you have to work with different types of people under different circumstances at different times.
Let the almighty Goddess bestow Her blessings on each of us in the world, so as to enable us to succeed in our attempts.
Let us not be selfish in the mind C at least let us chant for a moment everyday within our heart of hearts.
“Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu”
[Let the whole world be happy.]
“Asato maa sat gamaya
[Let the untruth vanish giving way to truth]
Tamaso maa jyotir gamaya
[Let the darkness vanish giving way for light ]
mrityor maa amritam gamaya “
[let the fear of death vanish giving way to fearlessness.]
“sarveshaam swastir bhavatu
[Let every where be happiness or safety]
sarveshaam saantir bhavatu
[let everywhere be peace]
sarveshaam poornam bhavatu
[let everywhere be the fulness]
sarveshaam mangalam bhavatu”
[let everywhere be the good or divine]
aum saantih saantih saantih
[aum peace peace peace]
aum sri gurubhyo namah
[pranaams to the great guru]

harih om

[note : harih aum means hurry home C be your natural own self which is happiness ever devoid of even a stint of unhappiness or sorrow. we are already at home, but temporarily we have forgotten about it and we imagine so many things against our natural swaroopa. Hence have to come back to our original ]

Thursday, April 06, 2006

Soundarya Lahari Sloka -25

Soundarya Lahari Sloka -25
[the pooja of the three Gods(all gods) are contained in the Devi pooja itself]
[high level power, fame and name]

Trayaanaam devaanaam triguna-janitaanaam tava sive
Bhavet pooja pooja tava caranayo-ryaa viracitaa
Tathaa hi twat paadodvahana-manipeetasya nikate
Sthitaa hyete-saswanmukulita-karottamsa-makutaah

Trayaanaam devaanaam - the three gods [Brahma, Vishnu and Rudra]
triguna-janitaanaam - taken form possessing the three gunaas
tava - your
sive - Oh! Goddess! Who is the spouse of Lord Siva
Bhavet - become
pooja - pooja
pooja - pooja
tava caranayoh - on your holy feet
yaah - whichever
viracitaa - being performed
Tathaa hi - that is correct
twat paadodvahana-manipeetasya - of the ratna peeta of the goddess which carries the divine lotus feet of goddess
nikate - nearby
manipeetasya nikate –
the six aadhaara cakras [in the body] are the manipeeta. They are grouped into three sets –

agni kantha - position of brahma called Brahma granthi
soorya kantha - position of Vishnu called Vishnu granthi
soma kantha - position of Rudra called Rudra granthi

lalita sahasra nama refers as –

brahma granthi vibhedinyai namaha

Vishnu granthi vibhedinyai namaha

Rudra granthi vibhedinyai namaha


Moolaadharaambujaaroodhaayai namaha
Swaadhisthaanaambujagataayai namaha
Manipooraantaruditaayai namaha
Anaahataabja nilayaayai namaha
Visuddhi cakra nilayaayai namaha
Aajnaa cakraabja nilayaayai namaha
Sahasraaraambujaaroodhaayai namaha


when a devotee performs pooja as per the antar yaaga principle in the six aadhaara cakras, then it becomes the puja for all the gods [the three gods].


Sthitaah hi - are posited [or standing]
yete- - these [gods]
saswat - always
mukulita-karottamsa-makutaah - keeping the bowed hands on the crown

Oh! Goddess Supreme! What ever pooja is being performed on your holy lotus feet, that becomes automatically the pooja for the three gods; it is definite!.
These gods are always posited with their bowed hands on their divine crown which is in turn, placed on your abode [or the Ratna cot] offering their pranaams to you, asking your blessings, so that they can perform their duties according to their three natural gunas.

The maaya god [eeswara] when dominant with rajo guna, the god is referred as Brahma, the creator or generator or in Sanskrit the function is called as srishti.

The same maaya [eeswara] god when dominat with satwa guna is referred as Vishnu, the organisor or in Sanskrit the function is called as sthiti.

The same maaya god [eeswara] when dominant with the tamo guna is referred as Rudra, the destroyer or in Sanskrit the function is referred as samhara or laya.

The Durga Candra Kala Stuti written by the great spiritual poet, Appayya deekshitar refers as –
Yad poojanaha stuti namaskritibhir bhavanti
Preetaah pitaamaha ramesa haraas trayobhih
Teshaamapi sarva karunair dadhateem vapoomshi
Taam eeswarasya taruneem caranyam prapadye
[Puja to Goddess as per antaryaga is equal to pooja of all gods and goddesses].