Soundarya Lahari-- Verse 23 [ SrI Samkara-Bhagavatpada ]

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, venkat bhasksr

<sitam_subba wrote:

>

> tvayaa hrutvaa vaamamvapuraparitrupteyna manasaa

> sariraardham sambhoraparamapi sankey hrutamabhoot

> yadeytatvadroopam sakalamarunaabham trinayanam

> kucaabhyaamaanamram kutila sasi coodaala makutam

>

 

I fancy that the other [half] as well, of Sambhu's frame, has been

absorbed by Thee with Thy mind, not satisfied with having absorbed

that left one; for, this, Thy form, is entirely of a red colour, has

three eyes, is slightly bent with [the weight of] the breasts, and

wears over its crown the crescent-moon.

 

 

The theme of this stanza, as of several others, is the complete

union of Siva with Sakti. But the author accomplishes this purpose

adroitly enough, by making use of the hermaphrodite form of

ArdhanArIsvara, in which Siva is worshipped, wherein he occupies the

right half and UmA, his spouse, the left half. The distinct

characteristic of Siva are a pale white colour, a crown with the

crescent on and the three eyes. The Sakti is represented to have

such a mastery over Siva that, in the first instance, she gradually

encroaches on his form an dannexes one half of it, ie the left,

wherein her characteristics, namely the colour of the rising Sun and

her left breast replace Siva's, while the third eye and the crown

with the crescent on are shared in common. Not satisfied with this

achievement of hers, she further encroaches on the right half of

Sambhu's form as well, and, having absorbed his entire form by

eclipsing his colour and developing another breast, assumes the

female form, so well depicted in this stanza, thus showing beyond

doubt that she has become more than one half of her lord.

 

This stanza may also be taken to support, by implication, the well-

known doctrine of the Uttare-kuala's, for whom there is no Siva-

tattva apart from the Sakti-tattva, as the former stands absorbed in

the latter.

 

 

The Ocean of beauty - Saundarya Lahari of SrI Samkara-Bhagavatpada

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