Soundarya Lahari--Verse 44

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tanotu kshemam nastava vadana soundarya lahareem

pareevaahastrota saraniriva seemanata saranih

vahantee sindooram prabala kabaree bhaara timira

dvishaam brundai bandeekrutamiva naveenarka kiranam

 

(oh Mother ! ) Giver/Protector of (our) Welfare; Your Face ( the radiant)

Beauty(of which) is Cascading (for our benefit)

 

(this radiance has) Scorched (evil and darkness) Seems So (from) The parting

in(your) Hair (which) Similarly (made its way through the black hair)

 

(and then) There is (the) Sindoor (vermilion mark on the head which looks as

if) Dense Cloud Laden Darkness (of your hair)

 

(like) Enemy Powerful (of sun) Captured (the) New/Rising Sun's Rays

 

Soundarya Lahari is mentioned in first line of this verse which gives the

name Soundarya Lahari to the whole composition. Beauty of Devi's face is for our

protection and welfare. Its radiance drives out evil and ignorance. It saves the

worlds from Siva's wrath by attracting him. This beauty flows like a cascading

stream in the Himalayas. In a classic example of poetic excellence Adi Sankara

compares this stream to the parting in Devi's hair. This parting when

contrasted with the Black Bee colour of her hair is symbolic of her power which

can illuminate the mind of a devotee even if it is immersed in total

darkness.She wears Sindoor, the Vermilion mark in this parting. The brilliant

purple colour of this Sindoor is like the the rays of the early morning Sun.

Again the purple hues are in contrast with her thick flowing black hair. Sun has

many enemies including dense black clouds which try to block him. Adi Sankara

compares this to the hair locks of the Devi playing on

her forehead around the Sindoor. This verse again emphasises that, what is

described here is not just specific beauty but the universe which Devi has

created and has chosen to manifest her self in it as Siva Yuvati for its welfare

and protection.

 

Some verses nearly identical to those in Soundarya Lahari are found in many

other compositions attributed to him or others. Adi Sankara has arranged in a

masterly fashion the existing knowledge and verses and with his scholastic and

poetic brilliance, he produced an unsurpassed composition.This verse (44) is

also present in Soubhagya Vardhani. The arrangement of lines is different. Lines

3 & 4 of this verse are lines 1 & 2 in Soubhagya Vardhani and vice versa. Thus in

Soubhagya Vardhani, Sindoor is described first and parting later.

 

Yantra is a square with Bijaksharam Kleem in the centre. All the 4 edges of

square end in tridents at both ends.

 

This is a powerful verse and Upasana will result in removal of whatever are

causing problems to the devotee, deceases or other factors.

 

 

 

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