Soundarya Lahari--Verse 27 [ SrI Samkara-Bhagavatpada ]

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<sitam_subba wrote:

>

> japo jalpah silpam sakalamapi mudraa viracanaa

> gatih praadakshina kramana masanaadyahuti vidhim

> pranaamassamvesah sukhamakhila maatmaarpana drushaa

> saparyaa paryaayastava bhavatu yanmey vilasitam

>

 

Whatever action it is of mine, may be taken [as intended] for Thy

worship : [my] prattle as muttering [Thy] prayer; the manifold forms

of my manual work, as the MudrA-s [gesture] employed in [Thy]

worship; [my] loitering, as going round [Thee] clockwise; my taking

nourishment, as offering oblations [to Thee]; [my] lying down, as

prostrating [before thee]; and [my] attending to all other comforst,

as dedicating my entire self to [Thee].

 

After descanting on the greatness of the Devi and the miraculous

powers acquired by her votaries, as a result of meditating on her

form with the appropriate Cakra-s, the author, in this stanza, deals

with the manner in which a typical Jiban-mukta would worship the

Devi's, as prescribed in the BhAvanopanisad. The worship of the Devi

is of twofold character, namely exoteric [the lower form] and

estoteric [the higher form]. The former contains all the elements of

prayer, gesture, circumambulation, oblation and prostration, as

practised by the ordinary worshipper. The latter, which does not

attach any importance to ceremonial forms, is referred to here as

practised by the ever-hallowed Jivanmukta-s. The author so

thoroughly identifies himself with this method, that he uses the

words 'of mine' significantly enough.

 

Prattle - being made of the MAtrkA-s, which are divine, turns out to

be prayer of some form, either mental or muttered or recited alound.

 

MudrA-s - such as are used at the invocation of a deity and other

connected rituals, which take the form of manual gestures.

 

Nourishment - various kinds of solids and liquid food.

This is considered as offering oblations to the Devi in the form of

the JAtharAgni, vital energy in the belly.

 

Lying down - includes sleep, turning one's limb while in bed etc.

LaksmIdhara is of the opinion that the worship of the Devi as the

SAdAkhya-tattva in the SahasrAra, and not the external kind, wherein

the Devi is mounted on a pedestal etc is meant by this stanza.

 

Though Samayin-s have nothing to do with external forms, still there

is a class of Samayin-s who resort to the worship of the Devi in the

middle of the solar disc, with PAsa Ankusa. etc in her arms, based

on the authority of the CandrajNAna-vidyA. This stanza contains the

essence of the practice of JNana-yoga, wherein all action is

dedicated to the paramAtman here represented by the TripurasundarI.

In this sense every natural act and function without exception

should be construed as an act of worship of the Devi.

 

 

The Ocean of beauty

Saundarya Lahari of SrI Samkara-Bhagavatpada

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