Soundarya Lahari--Verse 56

[Guest guest]

Tav'Aparne karne-japa-nayana-paisunya-cakitA

nilIyante toye niyatam animesAh sapharikAh;

iyam ca srIr baddhac-chada-puta-kavAtam kuvalayam

jahAti pratyUse nisi ca vighatayya pravisati.

 

 

 

O AparnA the [glittering] SapharikA fish ever hide themselves under

water without winking, afraid of the tell-take narure of Thine eyes,

which are so close to Thine ears. The Goddess of Beauty, again,

leaves the blue lily at daybreak when its doorlike petals close, and

forces an entrance [into it] at nightfall.

 

The Devi's eyes resembles both the SapharikA fish and the blue lily.

The poet weaves out of his imagination the situation so cleverly

portrayes in this stanza. The aquatic asylum sought by the fish,

which are ever awake, is said to be due to their fear lest their

rivals, the Devi's eyes which are so close to her ears, should carry

any tales against them. Simarly the lilies lose their beauty at

daybreak when their petals close, and bloom with the fullness of

their beauty at nightfall, when the Devi's eyes, being closed in

sleep, would not outshine the beauty of the lilies.

 

Yantra image in : SS homepage.

 

http://www.shaktisadhana.org/Newhomepage/sadhana/Commentaries.html

 

The Saundarya-Lahari of Sri Samkara-Bhagavatpada.

By Pandit S. Subrahmanya Sastri and T.R Srinivasa Ayyangar.