Digest of Paramacharya's Discourses on Soundaryalahari (DPDS-73)

[Guest guest]

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 -

73

(Digest of pp.1221 - 1226 of Deivathin Kural, 6th volume,

4th imprn.)

 

Shloka #65 continued.

 

The three celestials – KumAra, Indra and Vishnu – did not

care for Shiva’s prasAdam, because they were heading

towards Ambaal’s betal leavings. The Acharya excels here by

ascribing an enjoyable reason for this action of theirs.

“chaNDAmsha-tripura-hara-nirmAlya-vimukhaiH” –not having

their mind on Shiva’s prasAdam ‘because it is the share of

ChanDa’!. (‘tripura-hara’ is Shiva). The first prasAdam of

food left over by Shiva belongs rightfully to ChanDa

(ChanDikeshvara). This is the rule. All the world considers

this offering of Shiva’s prasAdam first to Chandikeshvara

as our foremost obligation and privilege. It is remarkable

that ChanDa was born in this human world just like us all,

but rose later to become the fifth deity after the primal

four, namely, Shiva, Parvati, Vighneshvara and Subrahmanya.

In all Shiva temple festivals these five deities are the

ones that are taken out in procession. To receive Shiva’s

prasAdam after it has been offered first to this saintly

devotee, ChanDa, is truly a great blessing to all of us.

 

But to KumAra, the very offspring of Shiva Himself, to

Vishnu who shares half the form of Shiva in the

manifestation as Shankara-Narayana and to Indra the king of

all the divine world, it must be demeaning to receive

Shiva’s prasAdam after it has been offered to a human,

ChanDa, however saintly he may be. All this is built into

the expression

“chaNDAmsha-tripura-hara-nirmAlya-vimukhaiH”. Here

‘vimukha’ can also be interpreted to mean ‘turning their

faces away from’.

 

Next comes their dress while presenting themselves before

ambaal. The head dress worn on the field or when they are

on duty, by the soldiers in the army, are usually taken

off when they want to show respect. Here the three

celestials take off their head dress before they enter the

presence of ambaal.

 

But the question arises: Why did the Acharya say in shloka

#25 that the crowns of Brahma, Vishnu and Indra are doing

the neerajana ceremony to Her divine feet at which they

were prostrating.? Why again did he say in shloka #29 that

when She started in haste to walk over to welcome the

homecoming Lord, She ran the risk of tumbling over the

crowns of Brahma, Vishnu and Indra, who were then

prostrating at Her feet? The situation in both cases is

clear that they were prostrating with the crowns still on

their heads.

 

Well, the only explanation could be that in their intense

mood of devotion that overwhelmed them at those times, they

just forgot (!) the formality of the obligation to remove

their crowns from their heads in the august presence of

ambaal.

 

Let us now come to the “tAmbUla-ucchishhTaM” – the betal

leavings. It has only been said that these three celestials

consumed or swallowed the betal prasAdam of ambaal. There

is no mention, however, of the fruit of such an action, or

about what fruits will accrue to the chewing of the betal

leavings. Of course we can infer that, to these war-lords

who have come back victorious after a war with the asuras,

more victories are bound to accrue in the future by the

blessing of ambaal.

 

On the other hand, that the fruit of taking the ‘tAmbUla

ucchishhTaM’ of ambaal gives extraordinary poetic talent,

is borne out by the fact that three great poets – Kalidasa,

Kalamegar, and Mukar -- became great poets only by the

power of the ‘tAmbUla-prasAdam’ from ambaal. It was the

mahAkAli of Ujjain, AkhilAnDeshvari of Jambukesvaram and

KamAkshhi of Kanchi, respectively, who blessed these

three. Our Acharya himself has composed a stotra called

‘ambAshhTakaM’ ,

 

[Note by VK:

I am not able to locate this stotra.]

 

wherein he says that ambal’s betal leavings will endow one

with poetic talent that will ride higher than the stately

gaits of a high-class race-horse. The very style of that

shloka, such as:

 

“kavitva-paripATI .... koTI-kulA-dadhika-tATImudhara-

mukhavITI-rasena tanutAM”

 

mimics the beat of the hoofs of the racing horse!

 

Whereas according to Soundaryalahari, what bestows the

poetic talent is (in shloka #75) Her breast milk, or (in

shloka #98) the water that has washed Her feet. Nowhere is

it mentioned that the ‘tAmbUla-ucchishhTaM’ of ambaal would

bestow poetic talent. In shloka #98 it is said that the

poetic talent that is usually granted by the

‘tAmbUla-ucchishhTaM’ of Saraswati is already bestowed by

the ‘charana-tIrtha’, the water that has washed the feet

of ambaal. In that sense the ‘charaNa-tIrtha’ is placed

higher in the ladder of spiritual benefaction. The red

paint on the feet makes the water that washes it reddish as

the betal juice. “kalita-alaktaka-rasam” : the water that

gets mixed up with the deep red of lac. ‘alaktaka’ is lac.

‘lAkshhaa’ is also lac. Both sanskrit words could very well

be the source of the English ‘lac’. And again ‘alaktaka’ is

what becomes ‘arakku’ in Tamil.

 

‘As a student when will I have the opportunity to drink

that charaNa-tIrtha?’ , wails our Acharya in that shloka.

The words ‘prakRtyA mUkAnAm-api’ (meaning, even for those

who are dumb by nature) indicate that even the dumb (mUka)

ones can become great poets by that ‘charaNa-tIrtha’. The

Acharya here is perhaps seeing into the future, when one

day there would exactly be such a mUka-kavi!

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]

professorji writes...

 

"It was the > mahAkAli of Ujjain, AkhilAnDeshvari of Jambukesvaram and

KamAkshhi of Kanchi, respectively, who blessed these

three. Our Acharya himself has composed a stotra called

`ambAshhTakaM' ,

 

[Note by VK:

I am not able to locate this stotra.]"

 

professorji,

 

is this the sloka you are referring to?

 

shrIrAjarAjeshvaryaShTakam(ambaashtakam)

 

 

ambA shAmbhavi candramaulirabalA.aparNA umA pArvatI

kAlI haimavatI shivA trinayanI kAtyAyanI bhairavI |

sAvitrI navayauvanA shubhakarI sAmrAjyalakShmIpradA

cidrUpI paradevatA bhagavatI shrIrAjarAjeshvarI || 1 ||

 

ambA mohini devatA tribhuvanI AnandasandAyinI

vANI pallavapANiveNumuralIgAnapriyA lolinI |

kalyANI uDurAjabimbavadanA dhUmrAkShasaMhAriNI

cidrUpI paradevatA bhagavatI shrIrAjarAjeshvarI || 2 ||

 

ambA nUpuraratnakaN^kaNadharI keyUrahArAvalI

jAtIcampakavaijayantilaharI graiveyakairAjitA |

vINAveNuvinodamaNDitakarA vIrAsane saMsthitA

cidrUpI paradevatA bhagavatI shrIrAjarAjeshvarI || 3 ||

 

ambA raudriNi bhadrakAli bagalA jvAlAmukhI vaiShNavI

brahmANI tripurAntakI suranutA dedIpyamAnojvalA |

cAmuNDA shritarakShapoShajananI dAkShAyaNI vallavI

cidrUpI paradevatA bhagavatI shrIrAjarAjeshvarI || 4 ||

 

ambA shUladhanuH kashAN^kushadharI ardhendubimbAdharI

vArAhI madhukaiTabhaprashamanI vANIramAsevitA |

malladyAsuramUkadaityamathanI mAheshvarI cAmbikA

cidrUpI paradevatA bhagavatI shrIrAjarAjeshvarI || 5 ||

 

ambA s.rShTavinAshapAlanakarI AryA visaMshobhitA gAyatrI

praNavAkSharAm.rtarasaH pUrNAnusandhI k.rtA|

oMkArI vinatAsutArcitapadA uddaNDadaityApahA

cidrUpI paradevatA bhagavatI shrIrAjarAjeshvarI || 6 ||

 

ambA shAshvata AgamAdivinutA AryA mahAdevatA

yA brahmAdipipIlikAntajananI yA vai jaganmohinI |

yA pa~ncapraNavAdirephajananI yA citkalA mAlinI

cidrUpI paradevatA bhagavatI shrIrAjarAjeshvarI || 7 ||

 

ambApAlitabhaktarAjadanishaM *ambAShTakaM* yaH paThet

ambAlolakaTAkShavIkShalalitaM caishvaryamavyAhatam |

ambA pAvanamantrarAjapaThanAdante ca mokShapradA

cidrUpI paradevatA bhagavatI shrIrAjarAjeshvarI || 8 ||

 

|| iti shrIrAjarAjeshvaryaShTakaM saMpUrNam ||

 

**********************************************************************

 

Professorji, is this the one you are referring to? in sloka 8, it

says "ambashtakam" yah pathet- those who read these eight verses on

ambaa -

 

i do not have the English translation but most of the names aare

names of Ambaal!

 

i would request any learned member to translate this for all of us!

 

namaste!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

>

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "adi_shakthi16" <adi_shakthi16>

wrote:

> professorji writes...

>

> "It was the > mahAkAli of Ujjain, AkhilAnDeshvari of Jambukesvaram

and

> KamAkshhi of Kanchi, respectively, who blessed these

> three. Our Acharya himself has composed a stotra called

> `ambAshhTakaM' ,

>

> [Note by VK:

> I am not able to locate this stotra.]"

 

Namaste,

 

Shankaracharya's composition is titled : bhramara-aMbAShTakam,

and can be accesed at : http://sanskrit.gde.to/

 

chaaJNchalyaaruNalochanaaJNchitakR^ipaachandraarkachuuDaamaNi.m

chaarusmeramukhaa.m charaacharajagatsa.mrakshaNii.m tatpadaam .

chaJNchchampakanaasikaagravilasanmuktaamaNiiraJNjitaa.m

shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye .. 1..

 

kastuuriitilakaaJNchitenduvilasatprodbhaasiphaalasthalii.m

karpuuradraavamikshachuurNakhadiraamodollasadviiaTikaam .

lelaapaaN^gataraN^gitairaadhikR^ipaasaarairnataanandinii.m

shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye .. 2..

 

raajanmattamaraalamandagamanaa.m raajiivapatrekshaNaa.m

raajiivaprabhavaadidevamakuTai raajatpadaambhoruhaam .

raajiivaayatamandamaNDitakuchaa.m raajaadhiraajeshvarii.m

shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye .. 3..

 

shhaTtaaraa.m gaNadiipikaa.m shivasatii.m shhaDvairivargaapahaa.m

shhaTchakraantarasa.msthitaa.m varasudhaa.m shhaDyoginiiveshhTitaam .

shhaTchakraaJNchitapaadukaaJNchitapadaa.m shhaDbhaavagaa.m

shhoDashii.m

shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye .. 4..

 

shrinaathaadR^itapaalitaatribhuvanaa.m shrichakrasa.mchaariNii.m

GYaanaasaktamanojayauvanalasadgandharvakanyaadR^itaam .

diinaanaamaativelabhaagyajananii.m divyaambaraala.mkR^itaa.m

shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye .. 5..

 

laavaNyaadhikabhuushhitaaN^galatikaa.m laakshaalasadraagiNii.m

sevaayaatasamastadevavanitaa.m siimantabhuushhaanvitaa.m

bhaavollaasavashiikR^itapriyatamaa.m bhaNDaasurachchhedinii.m

shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye .. 6..

 

dhanyaa.m somavibhaavaniiyacharitaa.m dhaaraadharashyaamalaa.m

munyaaraadhanamedhinii.m sumavataa.m muktipradaanavrataam .

kanyaapuujanapuprasannahR^idayaa.m kaaJNchiilasanmadhyamaa.m

shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye .. 7..

 

karpuuraagarukuN^kumaaN^kitakuchaa.m karpuuravarNasthitaa.m

kR^ishhTotkR^ishhTasukR^ishhTakarmadahanaa.m kaameshvarii.m kaminiim .

kaamaakshii.m kR^iNaarasaardrahR^idayaa.m kalpaantarasthaayinii.m

shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye .. 8..

 

gaayatrii.m garuDadhvajaa.m gaganagaa.m gaandharvagaanapriyaa.m

gambhiiraa.m gjagaaminii.m girisutaa.m gandhaakshataala.mkR^itaa.m

gaN^gaagautmagargasa.mnutapadaa.m gaa.m gautamii.m gomatii.m

shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye .. 9..

 

iti shrimatparamaha.msaparivrajakaachaaryasya

shrigovindabhagavatpuujyapaadashishhyasya .

shrimachchha.mkarabhagavataH kR^itau bhramaraambaashhTaka.m

sa.mpuurNam..

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

Namaste

In DPDS -73 (Message # 22143 ) (escribe archives # m21830)the

Paramacharya's discourse goes as follows:

>

> On the other hand, that the fruit of taking the `tAmbUla

> ucchishhTaM' of ambaal gives extraordinary poetic talent,

> is borne out by the fact that three great poets – Kalidasa,

> Kalamegar, and Mukar -- became great poets only by the

> power of the `tAmbUla-prasAdam' from ambaal. It was the

> mahAkAli of Ujjain, AkhilAnDeshvari of Jambukesvaram and

> KamAkshhi of Kanchi, respectively, who blessed these

> three. Our Acharya himself has composed a stotra called

> `ambAshhTakaM' ,

>

> [Note by VK:

> I am not able to locate this stotra.]

>

> wherein he says that ambal's betal leavings will endow one

> with poetic talent that will ride higher than the stately

> gaits of a high-class race-horse. The very style of that

> shloka, such as:

>

> "kavitva-paripATI .... koTI-kulA-dadhika-tATImudhara-

> mukhavITI-rasena tanutAM"

>

> mimics the beat of the hoofs of the racing horse!

 

I appreciate the posts of Adi Sakthi (m21849) and of Sunderji

(m21885)in culling out two ambaashhTakams from Shankara's works.

Thanks. They are excellent. But what I am looking for is the stotra

that contains the above lines "kavitva-paripATI ...." etc. And this,

the Paramacharya says is contained in that "ambaashhTakam" which is

still eluding us!

 

praNAms to all advaitins and devotees of Mother Goddess.

profvk

[Guest guest]

thank you sunderji!

 

that is so lyrical just like shankara's other slokas ! from the style

also, it is unmistakable a composition of shankara's! the

alliteration, i mean...

 

can u post the meaning pl...

 

btw, what about the 'ambashtakam' i posted? whose composition is

that? that is also beautiful!

 

i have seen bharatanatyam performing to the ambashtakam i have

quoted!

 

thank you ! you are always very kind and generous with your help!

 

love and blessings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

> Shankaracharya's composition is titled : bhramara-

aMbAShTakam,

> and can be accesed at : http://sanskrit.gde.to/

>

> chaaJNchalyaaruNalochanaaJNchitakR^ipaachandraarkachuuDaamaNi.m

> chaarusmeramukhaa.m charaacharajagatsa.mrakshaNii.m tatpadaam .

> chaJNchchampakanaasikaagravilasanmuktaamaNiiraJNjitaa.m

> shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye ..

1..

>

> kastuuriitilakaaJNchitenduvilasatprodbhaasiphaalasthalii.m

> karpuuradraavamikshachuurNakhadiraamodollasadviiaTikaam .

> lelaapaaN^gataraN^gitairaadhikR^ipaasaarairnataanandinii.m

> shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye ..

2..

>

> raajanmattamaraalamandagamanaa.m raajiivapatrekshaNaa.m

> raajiivaprabhavaadidevamakuTai raajatpadaambhoruhaam .

> raajiivaayatamandamaNDitakuchaa.m raajaadhiraajeshvarii.m

> shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye ..

3..

>

> shhaTtaaraa.m gaNadiipikaa.m shivasatii.m shhaDvairivargaapahaa.m

> shhaTchakraantarasa.msthitaa.m varasudhaa.m

shhaDyoginiiveshhTitaam .

> shhaTchakraaJNchitapaadukaaJNchitapadaa.m shhaDbhaavagaa.m

> shhoDashii.m

> shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye ..

4..

>

> shrinaathaadR^itapaalitaatribhuvanaa.m shrichakrasa.mchaariNii.m

> GYaanaasaktamanojayauvanalasadgandharvakanyaadR^itaam .

> diinaanaamaativelabhaagyajananii.m divyaambaraala.mkR^itaa.m

> shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye ..

5..

>

> laavaNyaadhikabhuushhitaaN^galatikaa.m laakshaalasadraagiNii.m

> sevaayaatasamastadevavanitaa.m siimantabhuushhaanvitaa.m

> bhaavollaasavashiikR^itapriyatamaa.m bhaNDaasurachchhedinii.m

> shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye ..

6..

>

> dhanyaa.m somavibhaavaniiyacharitaa.m dhaaraadharashyaamalaa.m

> munyaaraadhanamedhinii.m sumavataa.m muktipradaanavrataam .

> kanyaapuujanapuprasannahR^idayaa.m kaaJNchiilasanmadhyamaa.m

> shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye ..

7..

>

> karpuuraagarukuN^kumaaN^kitakuchaa.m karpuuravarNasthitaa.m

> kR^ishhTotkR^ishhTasukR^ishhTakarmadahanaa.m kaameshvarii.m

kaminiim .

> kaamaakshii.m kR^iNaarasaardrahR^idayaa.m kalpaantarasthaayinii.m

> shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye ..

8..

>

> gaayatrii.m garuDadhvajaa.m gaganagaa.m gaandharvagaanapriyaa.m

> gambhiiraa.m gjagaaminii.m girisutaa.m gandhaakshataala.mkR^itaa.m

> gaN^gaagautmagargasa.mnutapadaa.m gaa.m gautamii.m gomatii.m

> shriishailasthalavaasinii.m bhagavatii.m shrimaatara.m bhaavaye ..

9..

>

> iti shrimatparamaha.msaparivrajakaachaaryasya

> shrigovindabhagavatpuujyapaadashishhyasya .

> shrimachchha.mkarabhagavataH kR^itau bhramaraambaashhTaka.m

> sa.mpuurNam..

>

>

>

> Regards,

>

> Sunder

[Guest guest]

advaitin, "adi_shakthi16" <adi_shakthi16>

wrote:

>

> can u post the meaning pl...

>

> btw, what about the 'ambashtakam' i posted? whose composition is

> that? that is also beautiful!

>

 

Namaste,

 

Posting the meanings would literally wipe out the beauty of

the composition! sandhi-vigraha is an alternative for the sake of

easy reading, but singing the lilting meter is the only way to enjoy

it! Please forgive my reluctance to 'mutilate' the divinity of the

poem!

 

The ambashtakam you posted (nor the one Prof. VK-ji refers

to), is not in the Complete works of Sankara, now online at URL:

 

http://www.sankara.iitk.ac.in/

 

For other selections of stotras, these sites are good:

 

http://www.ambaa.org/stotrams/rajaraj.htm

 

http://sanskrit.gde.to/doc_devii/doc_devii.html

 

 

 

Regards,

 

Sunder

[Guest guest]

respectecte sundarji ,

i agree.

sanskrit is the lsnguage that has been

perfected to the limits of human intelligence and

erudition.

it will take 100s of yrs for any other language

to reach that level of perfection and attainmemnt.

realize the meanings by tasting the words, and

with the help of your mother tongue which too is

nothing but a hybrid of sanskrit.

apologetically,

a.v.krshnan.

 

 

 

--- Sunder Hattangadi <sunderh wrote: >

advaitin, "adi_shakthi16"

> <adi_shakthi16>

> wrote:

>

> >

> > can u post the meaning pl...

> >

> > btw, what about the 'ambashtakam' i posted? whose

> composition is

> > that? that is also beautiful!

> >

>

> Namaste,

>

> Posting the meanings would literally wipe

> out the beauty of

> the composition! sandhi-vigraha is an alternative

> for the sake of

> easy reading, but singing the lilting meter is the

> only way to enjoy

> it! Please forgive my reluctance to 'mutilate' the

> divinity of the

> poem!

>

> The ambashtakam you posted (nor the one

> Prof. VK-ji refers

> to), is not in the Complete works of Sankara, now

> online at URL:

>

> http://www.sankara.iitk.ac.in/

>

> For other selections of stotras, these sites

> are good:

>

> http://www.ambaa.org/stotrams/rajaraj.htm

>

> http://sanskrit.gde.to/doc_devii/doc_devii.html

>

>

>

> Regards,

>

> Sunder

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Thank you sunderji!

 

I am already familiar with the links you have posted .

 

 

I know most of the meanings of that sloka "ambashtakam" but there are

some westerners in my group who like to read the english translation

along with the original sanskrit.

 

take the word 'uma' for instance ...

 

most hindus know the word 'uma' refers to 'parvati'

 

but the word uma also means "u-ma" - "do not meditate " - this is

because when Parvati was in deep meditation on Lord Shiva, her mother

called out saying "uma, uma uma" - "do not meditate .... "

 

you posted Bhramara- ambashtakam

 

bhramara means bee -noot many people know the meaning

 

 

I enjoy thayagaraja kritis although i do not know Telugu! but it

still helps if you know the meaning of the words!

 

but i do appreciate your genuine desire to help members here by

posting suitable links etc...

 

i am proud to be part of this Sangha!

 

love and blessings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

advaitin, "Sunder Hattangadi" <sunderh>

wrote:

> advaitin, "adi_shakthi16"

<adi_shakthi16>

> wrote:

>

> >

> > can u post the meaning pl...

> >

> > btw, what about the 'ambashtakam' i posted? whose composition is

> > that? that is also beautiful!

> >

>

> Namaste,

>

> Posting the meanings would literally wipe out the beauty of

> the composition! sandhi-vigraha is an alternative for the sake of

> easy reading, but singing the lilting meter is the only way to

enjoy

> it! Please forgive my reluctance to 'mutilate' the divinity of the

> poem!

>

> The ambashtakam you posted (nor the one Prof. VK-ji refers

> to), is not in the Complete works of Sankara, now online at URL:

>

> http://www.sankara.iitk.ac.in/

>

> For other selections of stotras, these sites are good:

>

> http://www.ambaa.org/stotrams/rajaraj.htm

>

> http://sanskrit.gde.to/doc_devii/doc_devii.html

>

>

>

> Regards,

>

> Sunder