Digest of Paramacharya's Discourses on Soundaryalahari (DPDS - 66)

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 Namaste.

Recall the Note about the organization of the ‘Digest’,

from DPDS – 26 or the earlier ones.

V. Krishnamurthy

A Digest of Paramacharya’s Discourses on Soundaryalahari -

66

(Digest of pp.1180 -1185 of Deivathin Kural, 6th volume,

4th imprn.)

 

The next rasa is karuNa-rasa, that is, the rasa of

pitiability and miserability. This is also called

shoka-rasa, the rasa of sorrow and misery. But the Acharya

does not want to depict ambaa in this rasa. Earlier in

shloka 47 also, when he used the words

“bhuvana-bhaya-bhanga-vyasanini”, though She was shown to

have had feelings of sorrow (“vyasanini”) for the people of

the world, it was more because of Her karuNA (divine

compassion) that She was sad, than because of the

‘bhuvana-bhaya’, the horror of samsAra of the people. She

wanted to help them rid of this ‘bhuvana-bhaya’ and so She

was intent on ‘bhuvana-bhaya-bhanga’, namely the

destruction of the fear of the world; and thus it was more

an expression of karuNA (compassion) than karuNa (=shoka,

sorrow). In the same way here also it is the karuNA-rasa

that exhibits itself; thus the shoka-rasa is only shown by

implication from the rasa of divine compassion, that comes

out of the words “te mayi janani dRshhTis-sakruNA” –

meaning, Oh Mother, Your glances that show different rasas,

are full of compassion (karuNA) when falling on me.

 

Note the use of the word “mayi” (on me), here. All along

the Acharya was using the word “naH” (to us, on us),

whenever he was asking for the Grace or blessing to descend

from the divine. But now the matter is so personal that he

makes himself the representative of the entire world, and

asks for the Grace to descend on him, and through him to

every reader of this shloka. All the other rasas can be

objectified as operating on a third person, but the

KaruNA-rasa has to be received as a divine blessing by each

and every one.

 

The shloka is over. But we have covered only 8 rasas so

far. Where is the ninth rasa, shAntaM – that of peace and

serenity? The rasa that is a unification of all these

eight rasas into one is the shAnta rasa. It is the basic

rasa from which all others emerge! It is the Shiva rasa.

The first word “shive” in this shloka denotes that. In the

beginning of Soundaryalahari, in the very first shloka, we

were told that without Shakti, Shivam is nothing but

shAntaM. This shloka begins with “shive” and thereby

indicates that it is that shAnta state that became dynamic

and evolved into the other eight rasas. The whole stotra of

Soundaryalahari depicts ambaaL as the ‘kArya-brahman’; so

the shAnta state of Hers where there is no action has been

only subtly indicated here.

 

Another interesting observation!. The stotra itself begins

with ‘Shiva’. This shloka, which is exactly in the middle

of the whole stotra – it is the beginning of the 51st

shloka – begins with ‘shive’. Thus Shakti occurs in the

very centre of the whole stotra, just as the shiva mantra

occurs in the middle of the four vedas.

 

There is another tradition in the science of ‘alankAra’

however on the concept of shAnta-rasa. According to this

tradition, there are only eight rasas. ShAntaM is not a

rasa at all. Experience, experiencer, feeling, excitement –

all these and their original sources together constitute

what is called a rasa. But in the state of shAnta, all

these have no place; for they are all dormant therein. Then

how can we call it a rasa? But there is quite an opposite

tradition in the same ‘alankAra’ school of experts. They

have detailed in their writings what originates the shAnta

rasa, what would be its background, what are the symptoms,

and what are the accessories for this rasa and so forth.

They call shAnta rasa the ‘rasa of all rasas’!

 

But the argument about there being only eight rasas doesn’t

seem to be acceptable to the Acharya; for he has used the

words “nava-rasAsvAda-taralau” (shloka 50),

“nava-rasa-mahA-tANDava” (shloka 41).

 

There is also a tradition where not only shAntam is the

ninth rasa but there is one more rasa added to the list,

namely ‘vAtsalya’. Acharya’s words “mayi janani

dRshhTis-sakaruNA” (May your glance, Oh Mother, be on me!)

remind us that She is the Mother Supreme and this manner of

the Acharya making himself a child of the Mother, is

exactly what brings the vAtsalya rasa also! Thus the

Acharya has explicitly mentioned eight rasas and implicitly

brought in the other two rasas – all in reference to that

single organ, the eyes of the divine!

 

There is a lot of beauty implicit in Soundaryalahari. One

of these is the mention of ‘Meenakshi’. This also concerns

the ‘eye’. ‘Meenakshi’ itself means the ‘fish-eyed’. Her

very fame from ancient times has always been centred upon

the beauty of her eyes. Of such a great Devi, apparently

neither of the two great works on Devi have spoken. These

two are Lalitasahasranama and Soundaryalahari. But this is

only a first impression. If we carefully look into these

works, we would come to know there is no necessity to

default them for this.

 

For, though there is no explicit mention, Meenakshi is

implicitly mentioned in Lalitasahasranama. In fact it is

this very implicitness that adds a a greater importance to

that. “vaktra-lakshmI-parIvAha-calan-mInAbha-locanA” is one

of the names in the sahasranama. ‘vaktra-lakshmI’ means the

brilliance of ambaal’s face. It is like a great flood

(parIvAha). When the dalliance of the face runs as a flood

of water, there ought to be fish in that flood! Where are

the fishes? The long long eyes of ambaa are the fishes.

‘locana’ means ‘eye’. (‘lokana’ means ‘sight’ or ‘glance’.

By the very fact that it is ‘seen’, the world is called

‘loka’). The ‘locana’ that resembles ‘a fish’ generates the

word ‘mInAbha-locanaM’. Instead of saying ‘MinAkshhi’

explicitly, it is mentioned as ‘MinAbha-locanA’. Well,

that takes care of one ‘default’!

 

In Soundaryalahari, where the shloka 49 talked about the

relationship of Her eyes to various cities, ‘madhura’

occurs. So by giving the name of the city of Minakshi, we

may take it Minakshi has been mentioned. In addition to

this there is shloka 56.

To be continued

Thus spake the Paramacharya

 

praNAms to all advaitins and devotees of Mother Goddess

profvk

 

 

 

=====

Prof. V. Krishnamurthy

My website on Science and Spirituality is http://www.geocities.com/profvk/

You can access my book on Gems from the Ocean of Hindu Thought Vision and

Practice, and my father R. Visvanatha Sastri's manuscripts from the site.

Also see the webpages on Paramacharya's Soundaryalahari :

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/gohitvip/DPDS.html

[Guest guest]

Thank you professorji for another devotional installment on the Rasa

and their relevance in Saundarya Lahari.

 

Professorji writes...

 

For, though there is no explicit mention, Meenakshi is implicitly

mentioned in Lalitasahasranama. In fact it is this very implicitness

that adds a a greater importance to that. "vaktra-lakshmI-parIvAha-

calan-mInAbha-locanA" is one of the names in the sahasranama. `vaktra-

lakshmI' means the brilliance of ambaal's face. It is like a great

flood (parIvAha). When the dalliance of the face runs as a flood of

water, there ought to be fish in that flood! Where are the fishes?

The long long eyes of ambaa are the fishes. `locana' means `eye'.

(`lokana' means `sight' or `glance'. By the very fact that it

is `seen', the world is called `loka'). The `locana' that

resembles `a fish' generates the word `mInAbha-locanaM'. Instead of

saying `MinAkshhi' explicitly, it is mentioned as `MinAbha-locanA'.

Well, that takes care of one `default'!

 

professorji, there is another beautiful description in LS about the

fish-eyed Goddess Meenakshi or meenalochani !

 

UNMESHA NIMISHHOTPANNA VIPANNA BHUVANNAVALI

 

miinaakshii means fish-eyed. Tradition considers that fish hatches

its young ones from the eggs by intently looking at them. Hence it

does not blink its eyes. Likewise shrii miinaakshi who is the mother

of the universe does not blink her eyes, for if she blinks the whole

universe will perish. This is beautifully described in shrii lalita

sahasranaamam as "unmesha nimishhotpanna vippanna bhuvaanavaLi".

 

The drishhTi sR^ishhTi vaadam of advaitam is more apt for

paraashakati than ordinary mortals like us. When SHE opens HER eyes,

this beautiful cosmos arises and when SHE closes it it perishes.

 

Shri LALITA SAHASARANAMA also describes the Ambaa-l as

 

KADAMBA VANA VASSINI (60)

 

one who resides in the Kadamba Forest.

 

kadhamba is the sthala vrksha of Madurai. Since Meenakshi is the

official deity of Madurai , she is also called "kadhambavanvaasini" !

 

Thank you professorji for these beautiful series !

 

Salutations to MADURAI MEEANKSHI , the fish eyed Goddess

MINALOCHANI !