The Soul and Its Destiny

The Soul and Its Destiny
By Swami Nikhilananda 

The Vedanta philosophy discusses the
nature of the soul from two standpoints:

1. Absolute or transcendental and
2. Relative or phenomenal


From the absolute standpoint, the soul is non-dual, immortal, ever pure, ever free, ever illumined, and one with Brahman. It is untouched by hunger or thirst, good and evil, pain and pleasure, birth and death, and the other pairs of opposites. That is the soul's true nature. The realisation of which is the goal of a man's spiritual aspiration and striving. From this absolute standpoint, the soul is called PARAMATMA or Supreme Soul.

But from the relative standpoint, the Vedanta philosophy admits the existence of a multitude of individual souls called JIVATMAS, and distinguishes them from the Supreme Soul. Attached to the body, the individual soul is a victim of the pairs of the opposites. Entangled in the world, it seeks deliverance from the eternal round of birth and death, and with that end in view, studies the scriptures and practises spiritual disciplines.

The embodied soul is associated with the sense organs, the mind and vital breath (Prana). There are ten sense organs, all subordinate to the mind as the central organ; five organs of perception and five organs of action. The five organs of perception comprise the organ of taste (tongue),smell (nose), vision (eyes), hearing (ear), and touch (skin). The five organs of action are the hands, the feet, the organ of speech, the organs of evacuation and the organ of generation.

The four functions of the mind

The mind is the inner organ and consists of such functions as desire, deliberation, doubt, faith, want of faith, patience, impatience, shame, intelligence and fear.

The impressions carried by the organs of perception are shaped by the mind into ideas, for we see only with the mind, hear with the mind. Further, the mind changes the ideas into resolutions of the will.

There are four functions or divisions or parts of the mind.

One part of the mind called Manas, creates doubt.
The Buddhi (intellect) makes decisions
Chitta is the storehouse of memory
Aham (the ego), creates I-consciousness.
The five organs of action, the five organs of perception, the five pranas, the mind, and the intellect constitute the gross and the subtle body of the embodied soul (jiva). The subtle accompanies the individual soul after death, when the gross body is destroyed. The subtle body is the abode of the KARMA or impressions left by action, determining the nature of the new body and mind when the soul is reborn. As the jiva (the embodied soul) does and act, so it becomes.

The presence of an irrefragable Self or consciousness is assumed in all acts of thinking. The Self or consciousness, which is the true 'seer' or subject, is unchanging intelligence, and can never be imagined to be non-existent. Atman (the Self) in man and Brahman in the universe are completely identical.

The idea of body, senses, and the mind, associated with the non-self, is falsely superimposed upon the Self, and the Self, which is of the nature of pure consciousness, appears as a jiva, or phenomenal being, subject to the various limitations of the physical world.

The soul:
The Rishis speak of two souls: the real soul and the apparent soul. The real soul is birthless, death less, immortal, and infinite. The same real soul, under the spell of ignorance, appears as the apparent man identified with the body, mind and senses. This apparent man becomes, on account of his attachment to the body, a victim of birth and death, virtue and vice, and the other pairs of opposites.The apparent man is bound to the world, and it is he,again, who strives for liberation. The enjoyment of material pleasures, and the subsequent satiation and weariness; the consciousness of bondage, and the struggle for freedom; the injunctions of the scriptures, and the practice of moral and spiritual disciplines- all this refers to the apparent man. Again, it is the apparent man who performs virtuous or sinful deeds, goes, after death, to heaven or hell, and assumes different bodies. But it must never be forgotten that rewards and punishments are spoken of only with reference to the reflected, or apparent soul. The real soul is forever free from the characteristics of the relative world.

But the real soul is always free, illumined, and perfect. The real sun, non-dual and resplendent, shines brilliantly in the sky, though millions of its reflections are seen to move with the movement of the waves.

Two souls are mentioned in the Vedas

From The Mahabharata
Santi Parva Section CCXXXVI
Translated by Sri Kisari Mohan Ganguli

Vyasa said: "That has been said to be Manifest which is possessed of these four attributes, viz., birth, growth, decay and death. That which is not posessed of these attributes is said to be Unmenifest. Two souls are mentioned in the Vedas and the sciences that are based upon them. The first (which is called Jivatman; embodied soul) is endued with the four attributes already mentioned, and has a longing for the four objects or purposes (viz., Religion, Wealth, Pleasure and Emancipation). This soul is called Manifest, and it is born of the Unmanifest (Supreme Soul). It is both intelligent and non-intelligent. I have thus told thee about Sattwa (inert matter) and Kshetrajna (immaterial spirit).

Both kinds of Soul, it is said in the Vedas, become attached to objects of the senses. The doctrine of the Sankhyas is that one should keep onself aloof or dissociated from objects of the senses. That yogin who is freed from attachment and pride, who transcends all pairs of opposites, such as pleasure and pain, heat and cold, etc., who never gives way to wrath or hate, who never speaks an untruth, who, though slandered or struck, still shows friendship for the slanderer or the striker, who never thinks of doing ill to others, who restrains the three, viz., speech, acts and mind, and who behaves uniformly towards all creatures, succeeds in approaching the presence of Brahman.

That person who cherishes no desires for earthly objects, who is not unwilling to take what comes, who is dependent on earthly objects to only that extent which is necessary for sustaining life, who is free from cupidity, who has driven off all grief, who has restrained his senses, who goes through all necessary acts, who is regardless of personal appearance and attire, whose senses are all collected (for devotion to the true objects of life), whose purposes are never left unaccomplished, who bears himself with equal friendliness towards all creatures, who regards a clod of earth and a lump of gold with an equal eye, who is equally disposd towards friend and foe, who is possessed of patience, who takes praise and blame equally, who is free from longing with respect to all objects of desire, who practises Brahmacharya (celibacy), and who is firm and steady in all his vows and observances, who has no malice or envy for any creature in the universe, is a Yogin who according to the Sankhya system succeeds in winning Emancipation."
"I am the Self seated in the hearts of all beings"
-Gita,Chapter 10, verse 20:
The soul is the very pivot of our existence. Either man is the body and has a soul or man is the soul and has a body. If man is the body and has a soul, then the materialist is right. Then glorification of the body is the goal of existence, and competition, violence, and hatred are the means to attain this goal. But if man is the soul and has a body, then religion is right. Then the body becomes a secondary thing, only a means to fulfil a spiritual end.

The Rishis of the Upanishads describe the different
courses followed by the unillumined souls after death.

After death the souls of the extremely wicked-
those who are given to violence, greed, lust, passion and cruelty - assume after death the subhuman bodies of animals and insects. They too, after the punishment is over, come back to earth to be incarnated as human beings. The experiences in a subhuman body cannot destroy the innate spiritual nature of the soul.

Those who have performed meritorious actions on earth, but with the selfish motive of reaping their results, pass after death through a succession of stations associated with gloom and darkness, and at last arrive at an inferior heaven called the 'plane of the moon' where they enjoy for many years material pleasures as a reward for their previous works. Afterwards they are reborn on earth and again take up the thread of their spiritual evolution. This is known as the 'way of the fathers.'

Then there is the 'way of the gods.' Those who devote themselves to worship and righteous activities but cannot attain to Self-Knowledge owing to certain defects, pass, after death, through a number of stations associated with light, and at last reach an exalted sphere called the plane of Brahma, corresponding to the highest heaven of the dualistic religions. The inhabitants of this plane are always aware of Cosmic Consciousness, but a thin obstacle stands in the way of their complete emancipation. After spending many years in meditation, they attain to emancipation at the end of the cycle, when the whole plane itself is absorbed in Brahman, or the God-head.

What Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi
wrote about a cow named Lakshmi

"Even as a calf Lakshmi behaved in an extraordinary way; she would daily come to me and place her head at my feet. Years later, on the day the foundation was laid for the goshala (cow shed), she was so jubilant that she came and took me for the function. Again on the day of graha pravesham (on completion, making formal entry to the cow shed), she came straight to me at the time appointed and took me to the goshala. In so many ways and on so many occasions, she behaved in such a sensible and extremely intelligent way that one cannot but regard her as an extraordinary cow. What are we to say about it?"

"The soul goes out of the body enveloped with subtle parts
of the elements with a view to obtaining a fresh body."
Brahma Sutra.III.i.i.

In a universe of oneness, death is impossible

Bell's Theorem suggests that conscious human activity influences the behaviour of subatomic particles in actual laboratory experiments.

The implication that human consciousness is a factor in determining the features of the 'real' world is affirmed by the quantum physicist H.S.Stapp. Stapp contends that Bell's Theorem is the most important result in the history of science, and that it demonstrates the effect of human consciousness at the level of Macrocosm. The impact of our consciousness lies both in the direction of the very small and the very large (microcosm and macrocosm).

The principle of oneness is revealed through Bell's Theorem and through the connectivity in the 'Biodance'. In essence it says that through the unbelievable richness of contact that every human has with the universe at large and with every other human being, our concept of death is wrong. In a universe of oneness, death is impossible. The richness of connectivity renders personal extinction impossible, because personal extinction is possible only in a universe of personal isolation. We do not live in such a universe.

The failure to feel the universal oneness that envelopes us all perpetuates the greatest illusion of modern man: the inevitability of personal extinction. This illusion can be countered by an appreciation of the quality of oneness in the universe so well described by modern science.

The usual tradition of equating death with an ensuing nothingness can be abandoned, for there is no reason to believe that human death severs the quality of oneness in the universe. If we participate in this universal quality before our death, our survival after death is demanded. The oneness principle endures and we endure with it.

The theorems of Godel and John.S.Bell do much to affirm the experiences of the great Rishis of the Upanishads.

Our greatest spiritual achievement may lie in total integration of the spiritual and the physical - in realising that the spiritual and the physical are not two aspects of ourselves but one. Perhaps the ultimate spiritual goal is to transcend nothing, but to realise the oneness of our own being, which is implied by Godel and Bell.

The view of ourselves as independent objects that are isolated from the universe we inhabit is erroneous. We cannot distance ourselves from the universe because of our oneness with it.

Existence

There was neither non-existence nor existence then.

There was neither the realm of space nor the sky which is beyond.

What stirred?
Where?
In whose protection?

                             Was there water, bottlemlessly deep?

There was neither death nor immortality then.
There was no distinguishing sign of night nor of day.
That One breathed, windless, by its own impulse.
Other than that there was nothing beyond.

Darkness was hidden by darkness in the beginning,
with no distinguishing sign, all this was water.
The life force that was covered with emptiness,
that One arose through the power of heat.

Desire came upon that One in the beginning,
that was the first seed of mind.
Poets seeking in their heart with wisdom
found the bond of existence and non-existence.

Their cord was extended across.
Was there below?
Was there above?
There were seed-placers, there were powers.
There was impulse beneath, there was giving forth above.

Who really knows?
Who will here proclaim it?
Whence was it produced?
Whence is this creation?
The gods came afterwards, with the creation of this universe.
Who then knows whence it has arisen?

Whence this creation has arisen
– perhaps it formed itself, or perhaps it did not –
the One who looks down on it,
in the highest heaven, only He knows
or perhaps He does not know.

VIJAYADASAMI

VIJAYADASAMI

The Great Goal And Its Attainment

tavàmçtasyandini pàdapaïkajenive÷itàtmà kathamanyadicchati

sthite.aravinde makarandanirbharemadhuvrato nekùurasaü hi vãkùate

TODAY is the glorious day of the celebration of the Mother’s Victory. It is a day of Vijaya, when all the gods rejoice and all mankind is in an exuberance of joy; for they have received the Supreme Assurance that so long as they turn to the Mother in their extremity and distress, there will be no lack of support and of strength. For, Mother is the champion of those in distress and those who seek refuge at Her divine feet. She is Strength Infinite, Maha-Shakti; and as such we have but to turn to Her and no more will weakness persist in us. The supreme victory over all the forces of darkness, ignorance and nescience is achieved and we shall be partakers together with the Mother of joy of Vijaya. Vijaya-Dasami is a supreme day of confidence, strength and courage for all seekers.

On this day all aspirants and those in quest of God have the greatest strength and courage for by the annihilation of all the forces that stand in the way of the fullest manifestation of divinity, Mother has thrown open the gateway as it were to the abode of Para Brahman. The worship of the Mother upon this supreme day is the worship of Maha-Maya in Her purest and absolute Vidya aspect. Till now, during the Navaratra, we worshipped the Mother in Her different aspects as She is manifest in this phenomenal world of human affairs. But when we come to Vijaya, we transcend the Mother in all Her external and Vidya-Avidya aspects and we gaze into Her face as the Pure Vidya-Maya, the Para-Shakti, to gaze at Whom is verily to gaze into the Infinite and the unfathomable depth of Para Brahman Himself.

For, we started at the very commencement of this worship by declaring that Mother is none else than the Para Brahman. The Supreme Being is Itself the Mother. Therefore, in Her Pure aspect as Vidya-Maya, She is Para Brahman Itself; and it is in Her radiant and all-glorious form of the Vidya, the radiance of Atma-Jnana, that we offer our salutations and adorations to the Mother upon this Supreme and blessed day of Vijaya Dasami.

On this day there no longer exists any element of the lower nature. There is no Asuric Sampat at all. There is no trace of demoniacal nature. All that is darkness has been completely annihilated. It has vanished. There reigns Mother and Mother alone in all Her supremacy. She is once again that mass of infinite consciousness. To invoke Her in this radiant, all vigorous aspect is to plunge ourselves in the supreme worship of the Transcendent Being. Thus, now, we start our worship and adoration of the Supreme Being, reaching which man has no more to go this round of painful birth and death. That is the abode of everlasting light from where there is no more return to sorrow. There is no more pain. Once for all we reach that supreme abode which is beyond all sorrow, all pain and all delusion. That is the supreme goal of the aspirant, the seeker, of all human beings, in fact, for this human birth has been given to us for that purpose of the highest attainment and for that purpose alone. All other pursuits are delusions and the one purpose of attaining the Supreme Being is the sole meaning, end and aim of this invaluable and precious human birth.

Guru: The Embodiment of Supreme Power

Upon this glorious day, let us take the opportunity of looking into one very great secret of the spiritual life. We have considered the Mother in Her threefold aspects of Durga, Lakshmi and Sarasvati, as She is manifest as different movements in this phenomenal existence, as different qualities in the aspirant and also as different forms of living and different phases of man’s life and activities. But all this has been more or less in an impersonal way. She is also manifest in a special and an occult form; and this occult form of Her is in the nature of a divine personality. The manifestation of the Mother as our divine preceptor is a rare secret that is revealed to the heart of the spiritual seeker only through the Grace of the Lord, of Mother Saraswati. This secret of the direct personal manifestation of the Mother in Her supreme aspect of Vidya-Maya and Vidya-Shakti is the Guru to the disciple. She is the Sat-Guru to the seeker. To a spiritual seeker, that spiritual being whom he has accepted as his spiritual preceptor and the Guru is in the completest sense the visible personal manifestation and embodiment of the Supreme Divine Mother. Upon this conception of the Divine Mother rests the entire foundation of the seeker’s spiritual life. Upon this rests the entire philosophy in Hindu culture. This is a unique conception the parallel to which cannot be found in any other culture upon the whole earth. This secret of seeing the Supreme Being as embodied and manifest in the visible personality of the Sat-Guru is at the very bottom of the success of the aspirant’s spiritual quest. Thus, to every circle of spiritual seekers that particular personality whom they have surrendered themselves to and whom they have accepted in the core of their hearts as their spiritual guide, is the Supreme Embodiment of Para-Shakti, he is Brahma, he is Vishnu, he is Maheshvara, he is Shakti, and he is the Akshara Para Brahman Himself. This is a truth which no aspirant who is earnest in his quest for the Eternal can afford to lose sight of or miss or forget even for a single moment of his spiritual life. For him the human aspect of the Guru’s personality should vanish; in its stead there should stand before him only the radiant embodiment of the Supreme Divine Power. This is an earnest reminder and a prayer to all aspirants and all seekers throughout the universe, be they of the East or of the West. This is a reminder also of the attitude which they should adopt towards their Sat-Guru, be they the followers of any spiritual personage whom they have accepted in the inmost core of their hearts as their spiritual Guru.

For, the degree and the measure by which we shall be fully aware of this special manifestation of the Mother in Her purest Vidya-Maya aspect in and through the living personality of the Guru, to that degree and in that measure will be the unfoldment of the divine knowledge in our consciousness; to that degree and measure will be the success of our spiritual realisations. Therefore it is that again and again the aspirant and the seeker who has surrendered himself at the feet of his Sat-Guru is reminded to worship the Guru-God; and the Slokas which all aspirants repeat every day embody this great secret and this highest truth:

Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshvarah

Guruh Sakshat Param Brahma Tasmai Sri Gurave Namah.

Dhyanamulam Gurormurtih, Pujamulam Guroh-Padam

Mantramulam Gurorvakyam, Mokshamulam Guroh-Kripa.

Tvamhi Vishnur Virinchistvam Tvamcha Devo Mahesvarah

Tvameva Shakti-ruposi Nirgunastvam Sanatanah.

Guru is Brahma. Guru is Vishnu. Guru is Siva. Guru is the Supreme Brahman Itself. Prostration to that Guru.

The form of Guru is the root of meditation. The feet of Guru are the root of worship. The teaching of the Guru is the root of all Mantras. The Grace of Guru is the root of Salvation.

Thou art Vishnu. Thou art Brahma. Thou art the god Mahesvara. Thou alone art the form of Sakti. Thou art the attributeless Eternal.

What is the real form of Guru? What should we feel he is?

Yasyantar Nadi Madhyam Na-hi Kara-charanam Nama Gotram Na Sutram

No Jatir Naive Varno Na Bhavati Purusho No Napumsam Na Cha Stree

Nakaram No Vikaram Na-hi Jananamaranam Nasti Punyam Na Papam

No Tattvam Tattvamekam Sahajasamarasam Sat-Gurum Tam Namami.

In these glorious utterances we have a little of the great secret of this manifestation of Divine Vidya-Maya revealed to us.

The Quintessence of Great Scriptures

Upon this glorious day of Vijaya our worship of the Divine Mother in Her victorious Vidya-Maya aspect, this in reality constitutes the adoration of the Supreme Para-Brahman as manifest and embodied in and through the spiritual personality of the Sat-Guru. We have worshipped the Mother in various ways. Today we have specially tried to adore Her in the form of the written word, the lofty scriptures; the Vidyarambha with the reading of the Gita, the Brahma Sutras, the Bhagavata, the Ramayana, etc. Therefore, it will not be out of place to just mention in a few words what this approach to the Mother as the written word, as the scripture, She actually means to us. As I have tried to explain, Svadhyaya means a very special process to the aspirant. But it is also a practical way of life. The Svadhyaya is meant to mould our aspirations, our aims and ideals and our day-to-day living and actions also. Therefore, these scriptures—Gita, Brahma-Sutras, Bhagavata, Ramayana and the Mahabharata—contain a number of valuable lessons to us upon the spiritual path.

In a word, what is the great call of the Mother through the Bhagavad Gita? In the Bhagavad Gita, Mother has one supreme admonition and call, Tyaga. Gita means Tyaga; it is the scripture of the secret of renunciation. It says the one method of realising the Supreme is to renounce all that belongs to the phenomenal world—renounce your Kartritva-Abhimana, egoism, attachment—to feel the whole universe is the Virat-Svarupa and that all your actions are worship of the Virat. Anasakti and Tyaga are the supreme admonitions given in the Gita. In the Bhagavata we have the positive side. Renounce this phenomenal world; detach the mind from everything that belongs to this perishable world and have supreme love for the Lord. The one word which sums up the entire message of the Bhagavata is Love: love for the Lord. It is the radiant essence of pure Prem. It is Rati for the Lord. Gita teaches complete detachment; Bhagavata says: attach thyself to and whole-heartedly give thyself in complete oneness of love at the feet of Bhagavan.

The Mahabharata sums up the one ideal of sticking to Dharma. The Message of the Mahabharata is: even if life is to be sacrificed, do not deviate from the code of Dharma. Stick to Dharma even then. By Dharma one will be able to purify one’s heart and life.

In the Ramayana the practical ways in which Dharma manifests itself in all the spheres of man’s life are given. For, the Ramayana is a scripture which places before us concrete and practical living models of the ideal man of Dharma. It is a scripture which puts before us the moulds of the ideal husband, the ideal son, the ideal brother, the ideal wife, the ideal servant, the ideal seeker and the ideal king. The ideals of all these aspects of man’s life in their detailed aspects are given in the form of concrete models in the various divine personalities of the Ramayana. If a man wishes to cultivate Love of the Lord and to live a life of Dharma, how then is he to conduct himself in his various aspects? For this the Ramayana gives the pattern upon which he may mould himself so that he may live a life of Supreme Dharma.

In the Brahma Sutras we are given the ultimate reason for all these things. It shows the supreme goal for which man has come. It says: the one purpose of this life is to reach the imperishable, that which is eternal bliss and to this end all these things are the means. Through the means you reach that Supreme Abode, reaching which there is no more return into the world of pain and death; for, the ultimate conclusion of the Brahma Sutras is that once having reached the Para Brahman through Dharma, Tyaga, Bhakti, Na Punaravartate the Jiva returns no more. He is once for all established in the transcendent, infinite consciousness, immortal existence, the eternal bliss, and perennial peace.

This is the goal. Yadgatva Na Nivartante Tad Dhama Paramam Mama says the Lord in the Gita. Having reached that Abode, man does not return to this world.

It is of the nature of Supreme plenitude. Yo Vai Bhuma Tat Sukham. That Bhuma is the goal of man in this world.

Knowing which nothing else remains to be known. Yasmin Jnate Sarvamidam Vijnatam Bhavati.

Obtaining which there is no greater thing to be obtained. Yam Labdhva Chaparam Labham Manyate Nadhikam Tatah.

That is the glory, the supreme splendour of the transcendental state which we are all here to strive for, to attain and to enjoy eternally. Thus, they have given us the goal and the ideal. The goal is Self-realisation. The means are the Tyaga of the Gita, the Bhakti of the Bhagavata, the Dharma of the Bharata, and the ideal life of the Ramayana.

We have gone through these supreme scriptures, to bring to our minds in its most vivid and intense form the aim and goal of human life, the means of its attainment and the practical pattern of the spiritual aspirant’s life if he should attain the end through these means.

Prayer:

Upon this day of the Vijayadasami which culminates the nine-days worship of the Supreme Divine Mother, let us all pray to Her that She may illumine our hearts as Buddhi, as Smriti. Let us all pray to Her that as Smriti She may ever keep alive these great truths in our hearts so that we may base our entire lives, mould our entire lives and conduct our entire lives upon a vivid consciousness of these truths. For mysterious is Her power as Bhranti and Maya that even though we know these truths we hear of them again and again, and we try to remember them, yet somehow in the twinkling of an eye, She makes us forget them; She makes us be only aware of these external objects of the sensual world. We forget those great truths the moment Her veil is thrown over our consciousness. We become conscious only of things to indulge in and things that give us momentary pleasure and bind us to this external world of names and forms.

Therefore, we must pray again and again: “Mother, manifest to us as the Vidya-Maya. May my consciousness be illuminated by Thy Vidya-aspect.” As we have seen just now, while reading the Devi Sukta, She is everything—Nidra, Kshudha, Chaya, Trishna, Bhranti, etc.,—at the same time She is Buddhi, Daya, Matha. We should, therefore, fold our hands, bow at Her feet and pray: “Ha, Mother! Manifest Thyself to me in Thy illuminating aspect and save me from the aspect of Thy Avidya-Maya.” She will be propitiated; She will be pleased; and She will open Her radiant eyes upon us; She will smile upon us. Then all our delusion, all our sorrow, all darkness will come to an end; and we shall see Her as the Satchidananda Para Brahman.

These ten days we have tried to touch an infinitesimal fringe of the garment of the Mother. We have tried to see if we may understand a little atom of the Nature of the Mother. We may go on speaking for hours and hours through all eternity, yet we shall not be able to gain even a fraction of an idea of the unknowable nature of the Mother. All scriptures, all sages from eternity, have failed to express Her in Her entirety. Therefore, it will be presumptuous for us to think that through a few words, we have understood even a little fringe of the garment which the Mother has thrown over Herself and through which She hides Herself. What we have known is unto the grain of mustard; what remains unknown of the Mother is like the vast shores of the oceans. But, it is the love of the child that would make it approach the Mother and try to grasp Her hand and to know Her. Therefore, these ten days our attempt at trying to speak about the Mother has not been in the form of an endeavour to know Her—if She reveals Herself, then only can we hope to know—it is an attempt at a little flower-of-feting, a little worship at the feet of Divine Mother. Worship has been carried on during these nine days in is various ways. There has been music, songs, dance, decoration, Puja; and as one part of the worship, we have offered our adorations in the form of Her own aspect as Vak, which She Herself has given to us. We have tried to adore Her with words. And, upon this supreme day of Vijayadasami, we conclude this worship through words by offering at Her divine feet and praying to Her: “Mother, accept even this. Thou art love. Thou art compassion. Thou art illumination. Thou art release. Why to say all this? Suffice it to say: Mother, Thou art Mother. Therefore, as Mother, accept this humble offering of love at Thy Feet and may we all be blessed by Your Grace. Smile upon us, Mother; banish the darkness of Thy Avidya-Maya. Confer upon us all seekers at the Lotus Feet of this Divine Personality, our Gurudev, the radiance and illumination of Atma Jnana and the bliss of Satchidananda”. 

Soundarya Lahari Part 4... concluding part

Soundarya Lahari Part 4... concluding part

76
(Complete renunciation, Victory in love)
Hara krodha jwalaavalibhir avaleedena vapusha
Gabhire thee nabhisarasi kruthasangho manasija
Samuthasthou thasmath achalathanaye dhoomalathika
Janastham janithe thava janani romaavalirithi

Oh daughter of the mountain,
The God of love who is the king of the mind,
Being lit by the flame of anger of Shiva,
Immersed himself in the deep pond of thine navel.
The tendril like smoke emanated from there,
And mother, people think,
That this is the line of hair,
That climbs from your navel upwards.

77
(Gaining Micro sight, Attracting every one)
Yadhethath kalindhi thanu thara ngaa kruthi shive
Krushe mahye kinchid janani thawa yadbhathi sudheeyam
Vimardha –dhanyonyam kuchakalasayo –ranthara gatham
Thanu bhootham vyoma pravishadhiva nabhim kuharinim

The mother of universe who is Shiva and Shakthi,
In the narrow part of the middle of your body.
The learned men seem to see a line,
Which is in the shape of a small wave of the river Yamuna,
And which shines and glitters, and appears like the sky ,
Made very thin by thine dense colliding breasts,
Entering your cave like navel.

78
(Attracting all the universe)
Sthiro gangavartha sthana mukula romaa vali latha
Kalaabhalam kundam kusuma sara thejo hutha bhuja
Rathe leelamgaram kimapi thava nabhir giri suthe
Bhila dwaram siddhe rgirisa nayananam vijayathe

Oh daughter of the mountain,
Is your navel a whirl pool in river Ganga,
Which looks very stable!
Or is it the root of the climber,
Of the stream of your hair line,
Which has two breasts of yours as buds,
Or is it the Homa fire,
Where the fire is the light from cupid,
Or is it the play house of Rathi, the wife of God of love,
Or is it the opening to the cave,
In which Shiva’s tapas gets fulfilled,
I am not able to make up my mind!

79
(Getting magical capability, Bewitching all others)
Nisargha ksheenasya sthana thata bharena klamajusho
Namanmurthe narree thilaka sanakaii –sthrutayatha eva
Chiram thee Madhyasya thruthitha thatini theera tharuna
Samavasthaa sthemno bhavathu kusalam sailathanaye

Oh daughter of the mountain,
You who is the greatest among women,
Long live your pretty hips,
Which look fragile,
Which are by nature tiny,
Which are strained by your heavy breasts,
And hence slightly bent,
And which look like the tree,
In the eroded banks of a rushing river.

80
(Getting remarkablebeauty, Becoming expert in magic)
Kuchou sadhya swidhya-sthata =ghatitha koorpasabhidurou
Kasnthou dhormule kanaka kalasabhou kalayatha
Thava thrathum bhangadhalamithi valagnam thanubhava
Thridha naddham devi trivali lavalovallibhiriva

Oh Goddess mine,
Placed just below your shoulders,
By Cupid , the God of love,
Tearing your blouse which is attached ,
To your body by the sweat,
When you think of the greatness of your Lord,
And resembling pots of Gold,
Your breasts appear to be tied by him,
Securely three times,
By the three creeper like folds*.

81
(Stopping fire)
Guruthvam vistharam ksithidharapathi paravathy nijaath
Nithambha Dhhachhidhya twayi harana roopena nidhadhe
Athasthe vistheerno guruyamasesham vasumathim
Nithambha =praabhara sthagayathi lagutwam nayathi cha

Oh, daughter of the mountain,
Perhaps Himavan , the king of mountains,
Gave readily as dowry to you,
The density and breadth from his bottom,
So that your behinds are broad and dense.
And therefore they both hide all the world,
And make the world light.

82
(Stopping flood, Getting powers like Indhra)
Karrendranam sundan kanaka kadhali kaadapatali
Umabhamurubhyam –mubhayamapi nirjithya bhavathi
Savrithabhyam pathyu pranathikatinabham giri suthe
Vidhigne janubhysm vibhudha karikumbha dwayamasi

Oh daughter of the mountain,
Who knows the rules of the Vedas,
Using your two thighs,
You have achieved victory over,
The trunks of the elephant,
And the Golden pseudo stem of group of Banana plants,
And achieved victory over frontal globes,
Of Iravatha* the divine elephant,
By your holy round knees,
Which have become hard,
By repeated prostrations to your lord.

83
(Stopping of the army)
Paraa jenu rudhram dwigunasara garbhoy girisuthe
Nishanghou Unghe thee vishamavishikho bhada –maakrutha
Yadagre drishyanthe dasa satra phalaa paadayugali
Nakhagrachadhyan sura makuta sanayika nishitha

Oh daughter of the mountain,
The five arrowed cupid,
To win , Rudhra your lord,
Has made your legs,
In to an arrow case,
With ten arrows.
In the end of the case,
Are your two feet,
Studded with ten of your so called nails,
Which are the ten steel tipped arrows,
Sharpened on the crowns of Devas.

84
(Getting redemption, Entering into another’s body)
Sruthinam murdhano dadhati thava yau sekharathaya
Mama'py etau Matah sirasi dayaya dhehi charanau;
Yayoh paadhyam paathah Pasupathi-jata-juta-thatini
Yayor larksha-lakshmir aruna-Hari-chudamani-ruchih

Oh mother mine,
Be pleased to place your two feet ,
Which are the ornaments of the head of Upanishads,
The water which washes them are the river Ganges,
Flowing from Shiva’s head,
And the lac paint adorning which,
Have the red luster of the crown of Vishnu,
On my head with mercy..

85
(Removing fear of ghosts)
Namo vakam broomo nayana ramaneeyaya padayo
Thavasmai dwandhaya sphuta ruchi rasalaktha kavathe
Asooyathyantham yadhamihananaaya spruhyathe
Passonamisana pramadhavana kamkhelitharave

We tell our salutations,
To thine two sparkling feet.
Which are most beautiful to the eyes,
And Painted by the juice of red cotton.
We also know well ,
That God of all animals, your consort,
Is very jealous of the asoka trees in the garden ,
Which yearn for kick by your feet.

86
(Removing fear of ghosts, Victory over enemies)
Mrisha krithva gothra skhalana matha vailakshya namitham
Lalate bhartharam charana kamala thadayathi thee
Chiradantha salyam dhahanakritha –munmilee thavatha
Thula koti kkana kilikilith –meesana ripuna

In a playful mood,after teasing you,
About you and your family,
And at a loss to control your love tiff,
When your consort does prostrations,
Your lotus like feet touches his forehead,
And the God of love , the enemy of your Lord, who was burnt,
By the fire from his third eye,
And was keeping the enmity with your lord,
Like the ever hurting arrow,
Makes sounds like Kili Kili*,
From your belled anklets on the legs.

87
(Attracting of serpents)
Himani-hanthavyam hima-giri-nivas'aika-chaturau
Nisayam nidranam nisi charama-bhaghe cha visadau;
Varam laksmi-pathram sriyam ati srijanthau samayinam
Sarojam thvad-padau janani jayatas chitram iha kim.

Oh mother mine,
The lotus flower rots in snow,
But your feet are aces in being in snow,
The lotus flower sleeps at night,
But your feet are wakeful night and after night,
The lotus makes the goddess of wealth Lakshmi live in it,
But your feet gives Lakshmi* to its devotees,
And so your two feet always wins over the lotus,
What is so surprising in this?

88
(Making wild beasts obey)
Padham the kirhtinam prapadham apadham Devi vipadham
Katham nitham sadbhih kutina-kamati-karpara-thulam;
Katham vaa bahubhyam upayamana-kaale purabhida
Yad adhaya nyastham drshadi daya-manena manasa.

Oh, Goddess Devi,
How did the poets compare,
The foreside of your merciful feet,
Which are the source of fame to your devotees,
And which are not the source of danger to them ,
To the hard shell of tortoise,
I do not understand.
How did he who destroyed the three cities,
Take them in his hand,
And place them on hard rock*,
During your marriage?

89
(Getting rid of all diseases)
Nakhair naka-sthrinam kara-kamala-samkocha sasibhi
Tarunam dhivyanam hasata iva te chandi charanau;
Phalani svah-sthebhyah kisalaya-karagrena dhadhatam
Daridhrebhyo bhadraam sriyam anisam ahnaya dhadhatau.

Your moon like nails,
Oh mother who killed Chanda,
Which makes the celestial maidens,
Fold their hands in shame,
Forever tease your two feet,
Which unlike the holy trees in heaven,
(Which by their leaf bud like hands,
Give all they wish to the Gods,)
Give the poor people wealth and happiness,
Always and fast.

90
(Cutting of bad spells cast)
Dhadhane dinebhyah sriyam anisam asaanusadhrusim
Amandham saundharya-prakara-makarandham vikirathi;
Tav'asmin mandhara-sthabhaka-subhage yatu charane
Nimajjan majjivah karana-charanah sat-charanathaam.

My soul with six organs,
Is similar to the six legged honey bees,
Which dip at your holy feet,
Which are as pretty,
As the flower bunch,
Of the Celestial tree,
Which always grant wealth to the poor,
Whenever they wish,
And which without break showers floral honey.

91
(Getting of land, Getting riches)
Pada-nyasa-kreeda-parichayam iv'arabdhu-manasah
Skhalanthas the khelam bhavana-kala-hamsa na jahati;
Atas tesham siksham subhaga-mani-manjira-ranitha-
Chchalad achakshanam charana-kamalam charu-charite.

She who has a holy life,
The swans in your house,
Follow you without break,
As if to learn ,
Your gait which is like a celestial play.
So thine lotus like feet,
Taking recourse to the musical sound,
Produced by gems in your anklets,
Appears to teach them what they want.

92
(Getting ability to rule)
Gataas the mancathvam Druhina-Hari-Rudr'eshavara-bhrutah
Sivah svacchac-chaya-ghatita-kapata-pracchada-pata;
Tvadhiyanam bhasaam prati-phalana-rag'arunathaya
Sariri srungaro rasa iva dhrisam dhogdhi kuthukam.

Brahma, Vishnu, Rudhra and Easwara,
Who are the gods who rule the world,
Become the four legs of your cot,
So that they are able to serve you always.
Sadhashiva who is white in colour.
Becomes the bed spread on which you sleep,
And appears red , because he reflects your colour.
And to your eyes which are the personification,
Of the feelings of love,
He gives lot of happiness.

93
(Fulfillment of desires)
Araala kesheshu prakruthi-saralaa manda-hasithe
Sireeshabha chite drushad upala-sobha kucha-thate;
Bhrusam thanvi madhye pruthur urasijh'aroha-vishaye
Jagat trathum sambhor jayahti karuna kaachid aruna.

Her mercy which is beyond.
The mind and words of Our Lord Shiva,
Is forever victorious in the form of Aruna,
So as to save this world.
That spirit of mercy is in the form of,
Curves in her hairs,
In the form of natural sweetness in her smile.
In the form of pretty tenderness of a flower in her mind,
In the form of firmness of a ruby stone in her breasts,
In the form of thin seductiveness in her hips,
In the form of voluptuousness in her breasts and back.

94
(Getting all desires)
Kalankah kasthuri rajani-kara-bimbham jalamayam
Kalabhih karpurair marakatha-karandam nibiditam;
Athas thvad-bhogena prahti-dinam idam riktha-kuharam
Vidhir bhuyo bhuyo nibidayathi nunam thava krithe.

The moon that we know is thine jewel box,
Filled with water of incense,
The blackness we see in the moon,
The musk put for thy use in this box,
And the crescents we see of the moon
Is thy canister of emerald,
Full of divine camphor.
And for sure,
Brahma the creator refills these daily,
After your use,
So that they are always full.

95
(Getting of all desires)
Pur'arather antah-puram asi thathas thvach-charanayoh
Saparya-maryadha tharala-karananam asulabha;
Thatha hy'ethe neetah sathamukha-mukhah siddhim athulam
Thava dvar'opantha-sthithibhir anim'adyabhir amarah.

You are Leading light of the home of Lord Shiva,
Who destroyed the three cities,
And so coming near you and worshipping at thine feet,
Are not for those with weak mind.,
Who do not have control of their senses.
And that is why perhaps,
Indra and other Gods,
Stay outside your gates,
And attain your sweet self,
By practice of siddhis like Anima.

96
(Attainment of knowledge and wealth)
Kalathram vaidhathram kathi kathi bhajante na kavayah
Sriyo devyah ko va na bhavati pathih kairapi dhanaih;
Mahadevam hithva thava sathi sathinam acharame
Kuchabhyam aasangah kuravaka-tharor apyasulabhah.

Many poets reach the Goddess of learning,
The wife of the creaor,
By composing soulfull poems.
Many who search and attain riches,
Are termed as the Lord of the Goddess of wealth.
Oh, first among chaste woman,
Except Lord Shiva your consort.
Your breasts have not even touched,
The holy henna* tree.

97
(Redemption of the soul)
Giram aahur devim Druhina-gruhinim agaamavidho
Hareh pathnim padhmam Hara-sahacharim adhri-thanayam;
Thuriya kapi thvam dhuradhigama-niseema-mahima
Maha-maya visvam bhramayasi parabhrahma mahishi.

Oh , Parashakthi who is one with Parabrahma,
Though those who have learned Vedas,
Call you as Brahma’s wife Sarawathi,
Or call you as Vishnu’s wife Lakshmi,
Or call you as Shiva’s wife Parvathi,
You are the fourth called Maha Maya,
Who gives life to the world,
And have attained all that is to attain.

98
(Mastery over words)
Kadha kaale mathah kathaya kalith'alakthaka-rasam
Pibheyam vidyarthi thava charana-nirnejana-jalam;
Prakrithya mukhanam api cha kavitha-karanathaya
Kadha dhathe vani-mukha-kamala-thambula-rasatham.

Oh , mother mine,
When shall I , who begs for knowledge
Be able to drink, the nectar like water,
Flowing from your feet,
Mixed with reddish lac applied there?
When shall that water attain,
The goodness of saliva mixed with Thambola*,
From the mouth of goddess of learning,
Which made one born as mute,
Into the king of poets?

99
(Attainment of ultimate bliss)
Saraswathya lakshmya vidhi hari sapathno viharathe
Rathe pathivrithyam sidhilayathi ramyena vapusha
Chiram jivannehva kshapathi pasu pasa vyathikara
Paranandabhikhyam rasayathi rasam twadjanavaan.

Those who worship thee , oh mother,
Are so learned and so rich,
That even Brahma and Vishnu,
Are jealous of them
They are so handsome,
That even the wife of Cupid, Rathi,
Yearns for them.
He unbound from the ties of this birth,
Always enjoys ecstasic happiness,
And lives for ever .

100
(Attainment of all occult powers)
Pradhipa-jvalabhir dhivasa-kara-neerajana-vidhih
Sudha-suthes chandropala-jala-lavair arghya-rachana;
Svakiyair ambhobhih salila-nidhi-sauhitya karanam
Tvadiyabhir vagbhis thava janani vacham stutir iyam.

Oh Goddess who is the source of all words,
This poem which is made of words,
That you only made,
Is like showing the camphor lamp to the Sun,
Is like offering as ablation to the moon,
The water got from the moon stone,
And is like offering water worship,
To the sea.


& The result of chanting and worshipping with the stanza which follows
* The Thousand headed serpent who carries the worlds on his head
* Another name for Mooladhara Chakra
* The geometric design of Sri chakra(holy wheel) where the mother resides is described here.

* The Lord of all souls
* A mythical bird in Hindu mythology which is supposed to dring moon light
* Composed by Adhi Sankara Bhagawat Pada
* The nose jutting in between the eye brows
* Mythical birds supposed to drink the moon light
* The three major parts of Karnatic Classical music.-procedure, undulations and song
* Another name for Lord Ganesha
* God Subrahamanya
* The Tamil poet Tirugnana Sambandar who preceded Sankara
* The three folds on the belly.
* The elephant on which Indra rides
* Sound of teasing also Sound from anklets
* wealth is also called Lakshmi
* A rite in Hindu marriage called Asmarohanam
* The henna tree is supposed to wish for the embrace of maidens
* Betel leaf, betel nut and lime used for chewing..

Soundarya Lahari Part 3

Soundarya Lahari Part 3..


51
(Attracting all people)

Shive sringarardhra tad-ithara-jane kutsana-paraa
Sarosha Gangayam Girisa-charite'vismayavathi;
Har'ahibhyo bhita sarasi-ruha-saubhagya-janani
Sakhishu smera the mayi janani dristih sakaruna

Mother of all universe,
The look from your eyes,
Is kind and filled with love, when looking at your Lord,
Is filled with hatred at all other men,
Is filled with anger when looking at Ganga,
The other wife of your Lord,
Is filled with wonder , When hearing the stories of your Lord,
Is filled with fear , when seeing the snakes worn by your Lord,
Is filled with red colour of valour of the pretty lotus fine,
Is filled with jollity, when seeing your friends,
And filled with mercy, when seeing me.

52
(Victory in love, Curing of diseases of ears and eye)
Gathe karnabhyarnam garutha iva pakshmani dhadhati.
Puraam bhetthus chitta-prasama-rasa-vidhravana-phale;
Ime nethre gothra-dhara-pathi-kulottamsa-kalike
Tav'akarn'akrishta-smara-sara-vilasam kalayathah.

Oh , flower bud,
Who is the head gear ,
Of the king of mountains,
Wearing black eye brows above,
Resembling the feathers of eagle,
And determined to destroy peace,
From the mind of he who destroyed the three cities,
Your two eyes elongated up to thine ears,
Enact the arrows of the God of love.

53
(Attracting all the world, Seeing the Goddess in person)
Vibhaktha-traivarnyam vyatikaritha-lila'njanathaya
Vibhati tvan-netra-trithayam idam Isana-dayite;
Punah strashtum devan Druhina-Hari-Rudran uparatan
Rajah sattvam vibhrat thama ithi gunanam trayam iva

Oh, Darling of God Shiva,
Those three eyes of thine,
Coloured in three shades,
By the eye shades you wear,
To enhance thine beauty,
Wear the three qualities,
Of satvam, rajas and thamas,
As if to recreate the holy trinity,
Of Vishnu, Brahma and Rudra,
After they become one with you,
During the final deluge.

54
(Destruction of all sins., Curing of eye diseases)
Pavithrikarthum nah pasupathi-paradheena-hridhaye
Daya-mithrair nethrair aruna-dhavala-syama ruchibhih;
Nadah sono ganga tapana-tanay'eti dhruvamamum
Trayanam tirthanam upanayasi sambhedam anagham.

She who has a heart owned by Pasupathi,
Your eyes which are the companions of mercy,
Coloured red, white and black,
Resemble the holy rivers ,
Sonabhadra , which is red,
Ganga which is white,
Yamuna , the daughter of Sun, which is black,
And is the confluence of these holy rivers,
Which remove all sins of the world.
We are certain and sure,
That you made this meet and join,
To make us , who see you , as holy.

55
(Power to protect, Curing of diseases of kidney)
Nimesh'onmeshabhyam pralayam udayam yaati jagati
Tave'ty ahuh santho Dharani-dhara-raajanya-thanaye;
Tvad-unmeshaj jatham jagad idham asesham pralyatah
Pari-trathum sankhe parihruta-nimeshas tava drusah.

The learned sages tell,
Oh , daughter of the king of mountain,
That this world of us,
Is created and destroyed,
When you open and shut,
Your soulful eyes.
I believe my mother,
That you never shut your eyes,
So that this world created by you,
Never , ever faces deluge.

56
(To get freed from imprisonment, Curing of eye diseases)
Tav'aparne karne-japa-nayana-paisunya-chakita
Niliyante thoye niyatham animeshah sapharikah;
Iyam cha srir baddhasc-chada-puta-kavaiam kuvalayam
Jahati pratyupe nisi cha vighatayya pravisathi.

Oh, She who is begotten to none,
It is for sure,
That the black female fish in the stream,
Are afraid to close their eyes.
Fearing that thine long eyes,
Resembling them all,
Would murmur bad about them,
In your ears to which they are close by.
It is also for sure,
That the Goddess Lakshmi,
Enters the blooming blue Lilly flowers,
Before your eyes close at night,
And reenter in the morn when they open.

57
(All round luck)
Drisa draghiyasya dhara-dhalita-nilotpala-rucha
Dhaviyamsam dhinam snapaya kripaya mam api Sive;
Anenayam dhanyo bhavathi na cha the hanir iyata
Vane va harmye va sama-kara-nipaatho himakarah

She who is the consort of Lord Shiva,
Please bathe me with your merciful look,
From your eyes which are very long,
And have the glitter of slightly opened,
Blue lotus flower divine.
By this look I will become rich with all that is known,
And you do not loose anything whatsoever,
For does not the moon shine alike,
In the forest and palaces great.

58
(Cure from all diseases, Victory in love)
Araalam the paali-yugalam aga-rajanya-thanaye
Na kesham adhatte kusuma-shara-kodhanda kuthukam;
Tiraschino yathra sravana-patham ullanghya vilasann-
Apaanga-vyasango disati sara-sandhana-dhisanam

Oh goddess, who is the daughter of king of mountains,
Who will not but believe,
That the two arched ridges between your eyes and ears,
Are the flower bow of the God of Love,?
Side glances of your eyes,
Piercing through these spaces,
Makes one wonder as if the arrows have been ,
Sent through thine ears.


59
(Attracting every one)
Sphurad-ganddabhoga-prathiphalitha-thatanka yugalam
Chatus-chakram manye thava mukham idam manmatha-ratham;
Yam-aruhya druhyaty avani-ratham arkendhu-charanam
Mahaviro marah pramatha-pathaye sajjitavate.

I feel that thine face,
With the pair of ear studs,
Reflected in thine two mirror like cheeks.
Is the four wheeled Charriot,
Of the God of love.
Perhaps he thought he can win Lord Shiva,
Who was riding in the chariot of earth,
With Sun and moon as wheels,
Because he was riding in this chariot.

60
(Giving power of speech to dumb, Making your predictions come true)
Sarasvatyah sukthir amrutha-lahari-kaushala-harih
Pibanthyah Sarvani Sravana-chuluk abhyam aviralam;
Chamathkara-slagha-chalita-sirasah kundala-gano
Jhanatkarais taraih prati-vachanam achashta iva te.

Oh Goddess , who is the consort of Lord Shiva,
Your sweet voice which resembles,
The continuous waves of nectar,
Fills the ear vessels of Saraswathi,
Without break,
And she shakes her head hither and thither,
And the sound made by her ear studs,
Appear as if they applaud your words.

61
(Victory over mind, Getting of wealth)
Asau naasa-vamsas tuhina-girivamsa-dhvajapati
Thvadhiyo nedhiyah phalatu phalam asmakam uchitam;
Vahathy anthar muktah sisira-kara-nisvasa galitham
Samruddhya yat tasam bahir api cha mukta-mani-dharah

Oh Goddess , who is the flag of the clan of Himalayas,
Let your nose which is like a thin bamboo,
Give us the blessings which are apt and near.
I feel mother,
That you are wearing a rare pearl,
Brought out by your breath,
Through your left nostril,
For your nose is a storehouse,
Of rarest pearls divine.

62
(Good sleep)
Prakrithya'rakthayas thava sudhati dantha-cchada-ruchaih
Pravakshye saadrisyam janayathu phalam vidhruma-latha;
Na bimbam tad-bimba-prathiphalana-raagad arunitham
Thulam adhya'rodhum katham iva bhilajjetha kalaya.

Oh goddess who has beautiful rows of teeth,
I tried to find a simile to your blood red lips,
And can only imagine the fruit of the coral vine!
The fruits of the red cucurbit,
Hangs its head in shame,
On being compared to your lips,
As it has tried to imitate its colour.from you,
And knows that it has failed miserably.

63
(Bewitching all)
Smitha-jyothsna-jalam thava vadana-chandrasya pibatham
Chakoranam asid athi-rasataya chanchu-jadima;
Athas the sithamsor amrtha-laharim amla-ruchayah
Pibanthi svacchhandam nisi nisi bhrusam kaanjika-dhiya.

The Chakora* birds,
Feel that their tongues have been numbed,
By forever drinking,
The sweet nectar like light emanating,
From your moon like face,
And for a change wanted to taste,
The sour rice gruel during the night,
And have started drinking,
The white rays of the full moon in the sky.

64
(Getting of all knowledge)
Avishrantam pathyur guna-gana-katha'mridana-japa
Japa-pushpasc-chaya thava janani jihva jayathi saa;
Yad-agrasinayah sphatika-drishad-acchac-chavi mayi
Sarasvathya murthih parinamati manikya-vapusha.

Mother mine,
The well known tongue of yours,
Which without rest chants and repeats,
The many goods of your Consort, Shiva,
Is red like the hibiscus flower.
The Goddess of learning Saraswathi,
Sitting at the tip of your tongue,
Though white and sparkling like a crystal,
Turns red like the ruby,
Because of the colour of your tongue.

65
(Victory, Control over words)
Rane jithva'daithyan apahrutha-sirastraih kavachibhir
Nivrittais Chandamsa-Tripurahara-nirmalva-vimukhaih;
Visakh'endr'opendraih sasi-visadha-karpura-sakala
Viliyanthe maatas tava vadana-tambula-kabalah.

Oh mother of the world,
The lords subrahmanya, Vishnu and Indra,
Returning and resting after the war with Asuras.
Have removed their head gear,
And wearing the iron jackets,
Are not interested in the left over,
After the worship of Shiva,
Which belongs to Chandikeswara,
And are swallowing with zest,
The half chewed betel,
From your holy mouth,
Which has the camphor as white as the moon.

66
(Sweet words, Mastery in music)
Vipanchya gayanthi vividham apadhanam Pasupathea
Thvay'arabdhe vakthum chalita-sirasa sadhuvachane;
Tadhiyair madhuryair apalapitha-tantri-kala-ravam
Nijaam vinam vani nichulayati cholena nibhrutham.

Oh mother of all,.
When you start nodding your head,
Muttering sweetly, “good,good”,
To the Goddess Saraswathi,
When she sings the great stories to you,
Of Pasupathi our lord,
With the accompaniment of her Veena,
She mutes the Veena by the covering cloth,
So that the strings throwing sweetest music,
Are not put to shame,
By your voice full of sweetness.

67
(Appearance in person of the Goddess)
Karagrena sprustam thuhina-girina vatsalathaya
Girisen'odasthama muhur adhara-pan'akulataya;
Kara-grahyam sambhor mukha-mukura-vrintham Giri-sute
Kadham-karam bramas thava chubukam aupamya-rahitham.

Oh daughter of the mountain,
How can we describe the beauty of your chin,
Which was with affection caressed,
By the tip of his fingers by your father Himavan:
Which was oft lifted by the Lord of the mountain, Shiva,
In a hurry to drink deeply from your lips;
Which was so fit to be touched by his fingers;
Which did not have anything comparable,
And which is the handle of the mirror of your face.

68
(Attracting the king)
Bhujasleshan nithyam Pura-damayituh kantaka-vathi
Tava griva dhatte mukha-kamalanaala-sriyam iyam;
Svatah swetha kaalaagaru-bahula-jambala-malina
Mrinali-lalithyam vahati yadadho hara-lathika.

Your neck appears full of thorns always,
Due to the hairs standing out,
By the frequent embrace of thy Lord,
Who destroyed the three cities.
And looks like the beauty of the stalk,
Of your lotus like face.
The chain of white pearls worn below,
Is dulled by the incense and myrrh,
And the paste of sandal applied there,
And is like the tender stalk,
Dirtied by the bed of mud.

69
(Mastery over music)
Gale rekhas thisro gathi-gamaka-gith'aika nipune
Vivaha-vyanaddha-praguna-guna-samkhya-prahibhuvah;
Virajanthe nana-vidha-madhura-ragakara-bhuvam
Thrayanam gramanam sthithi-niyama-seemana iva the.

She who is an expert in Gathi, Gamaka and Geetha*,
The three lucky lines on your neck,
Perhaps remind one,
Of the number of the well tied manifold thread,
Tied during your marriage,
And also remind of the place,
In your pretty neck,
Where originates the three musical notes,
Of Shadja, Madhyama and Gandhara,

70
(Compensation for mistakes done to God Shiva)
Mrinali-mridhvinam thava bhuja-lathanam chatasrinam
Chaturbhih saundaryam Sarasija-bhavah stauthi vadanaih;
Nakhebhyah samtrasyan prathama-madhanadandhaka-ripo
Chaturnam sirshanam samam abhaya-hasth'arapana-dhiya.

Brahma, the God born out of Lotus,
Afraid of the nails Of Shiva,
Who killed the Asura called Andhaka,
Which has clipped of one of his heads,
Praises with his four faces,
Your four pretty , tender hands,
Resembling the lotus flower stalk,
So that he can ask for protection for his remaining four heads,
By use of your four merciful hands at the same time.

71
(Getting of wealth)
Nakhanam uddyotai nava-nalina-ragam vihasatham
Karanam te kantim kathaya kathayamah katham Ume;
Kayachid va samyam bhajatu kalaya hanta kamalam
Yadi kridal-lakshmi-charana-tala-laksha-rasa-chanam.

Oh Goddess Uma,
You only tell us ,how,
How we can describe,
The shining of your hands,
By the light of your nails,
Which tease the redness of freshly opened lotus?
Perhaps if the red lotus mixes,
With the liquid lac adorning,
The feet of Lakshmi,
Some resemblance can be seen.

72
(Conquering fear of darkness, Getting grace from Goddess, Making slave of Yakshini)
Samam devi skanda dwipa vadana peetham sthanayugam
Thavedham na khedham harathu sathatham prasnutha mukham
Yada loakakhya sankha kulitha hridayo hasa janaka
Swa kumbhou herambha parisrusathi hasthena jhhaddithi

Our Goddess Devi,
Let your two cool breasts,
Which have faces that always,
Give out milk,
And are simultaneously drunk deeply.
By Skanda and the elepahant faced Ganesha,,
Destroy all our sorrows.
Seeing them and getting confused,
The Herambha* feels for his two frontal globes,
To see whether they are there,
Making you both laugh.

73
(Production of milk, Redemption)
Amuu theey vakshoja vamrutharasa manikhya kuthupou
Na sadhehaspatho nagapathi pathake manasi na
Pibhanthou thow yasma dhavadhitha bhadusangha rasikou
Kumara vadhyapi dwiradhavadhana krouncha dhalanou

Oh, Victory flag of the king of mountains,
We never have any doubt in our mind,
That your two breasts divine,
Are the nectar filled pot made of rubies,
For The elephant faced one,
And he who killed Crownchasura*,
Even today do not know the pleasure of women,
And remain as young children.

74
(Good fame)
Bahathyambha sthamberam dhanuja kumbha prakrithibhi
Samaarabhdham muktha mamibhi ramalam haara lathikam
Kuchabhogo bhimbhadara ruchibhi rathna saabhalitham
Prathapa vyamishram puradamayithu keerthimiva thee

Oh mother mine.
The center place of your holy breasts,
Wear the glittering chain ,
Made out of the pearls,
Recovered from inside the head of Gajasura,
And reflect the redness of your lips,
Resembling the Bimba fruits,
And are coloured red inside.
You wear the chain with fame,
Like you wear the fame of our Lord.
Who destroyed the three cities.

75
(Capacity to write poems)
Twa stanyam manye dharanidhara kanye hridhayatha
Paya paraabhaara parivahathi saaraswathamiva
Dhayavathya dhattham dravida sisu raaswadhya thava yat
Kaveenam proudana majani kamaniya kavayitha

Oh daughter of the king of mountains,
I feel in my mind,
That the milk that flows from your breast,
Is really the goddess of learning, Sarswathi,
In the form of a tidal wave of nectar.
For , milk given by you ,who is full of mercy,
Made the child of Dravida*,
The king among those great poets,
Whose works stole one’s mind.