RE: saundaryalaharI - 1 (contd.)

[Guest guest]

>

> Gummuluru Murthy [sMTP:gmurthy]

> Friday, October 29, 1999 5:36 AM

> advaitin

> saundaryalaharI - 1 (contd.)

>

> Gummuluru Murthy <gmurthy

>

> shri lalitAyai namah

>

> Just like the first four brahma sUtrAs lay the foundation

> for all brahma sUtrAs, this first verse lays the foundation

> for the rest of saundaryalaharI.

>

> shri shankara starts this stotra with the auspicious expression

> shiva, thereby providing a benedictory address to the Supreme Being.

> shiva refers here to the nirguNa brahman, described in the shruti

> as neti, neti and as avyaktam etc. That is ungraspable by sense organs,

> uninferrable and incomprehensible to the mind.

>

> Word shiva is derived from vashakAntau.

>

> [ hiMsidhAto ssimhashabdo vashakAntau shivasmr^tah

> varNavyatyAt ssiddhau pashyakah kashyapo yathA

>

> siMha is derived from hiMsi, and shiva is derived from vasha by inversion

> of the alphabets. Similarly kashyapa is derived from pashyakah ]

>

> vashati means one who brightens, that is who is self-effulgent, i.e. one

> who brightens the whole jagat inside Him. Such shiva who has united with

> the divine Mother has the ability to create the world. If He is not

> united,

> He would not have the ability even to stir (vibrate).

>

>

[Madhava Replies:]

Hari Om!

 

My humble pranams to Murthygaru for taking up the divine task of

sharing his wisdom on Srividya. I feel blessed. How ever, since Sri

Murthygaru wanted all the members to participate in expressing their views,

I am trying to write something that I thought of...

 

shivah shaktyA yukto yadi bhavati shaktah prabhavitum

na ced evam devo na khalu kushalah spanditam api

atah tvAm ArAdhyAm hari-hara-viri~ncAdibhir api

praNantum stotum vA katham akr^ta-puNyah prabhavati 1

 

Sri AdiSankara started " soundarya lahari " with the most auspicious

expression " Shiva " .

 

asminscEtE jagatsarvaM tanmayaM SabdagAmiyat |

tadvAnAcchiva ityuktaM kAraNaM brahma tatparaiH ||

 

(SivapaMcAksharee bhAshya, 13 - Sri Adisankara)

 

The entire world that is cognizable, sleeps in him (sarvaM jagat

asmin SEtE). The unmanifest, being goaded by the nature (tanmayaM tadvAnAt)

has become the speech (SabdagAmi). That is why the " Karana Brahma " is

called as " Siva " by those who know him!

 

The letter " Si " stands for the unmanifested nature (avyakta

prakRiti). " Va " stands for the power that has made this world visible.

 

" Soundarya Lahari " means a wave of beauty. How is the beauty

recognized? Only through senses. What is the power that is giving the

power to the sense? That is " Shiva " . She is explaining him. It is like

explaining the inexplicable. He is the light and she is the glow. He is the

moon and she is the light. Both are dependent on each other. She is

manifested because he is there. If she is not there then there is no chance

of even thinking of him. That is why, we shall think of the word " Shiva " ,

again and again. Here, how am I thinking? The thinking process, that makes

us reach him, is nothing but She --- so beautiful, so wonderful, so

great... That is why we shall think of Shiva before thinking of Sakti.

Sakti makes Shiva visible, she makes you understand *him*. If you want to

reach him, pray her.

 

I am a bit afraid of my father, I am scared that, some times he

wouldn't grant me what I want... I go to my mother, I request her. She is

so loving and kind, she goes in to my father's office room and makes him

agree to what I want. That is the power of mother, so beautiful, so

wonderful, so great... " aghaTana ghaTanA paTeeyasee namO namaH " ....

 

Once again, my humble pranams to you Murthygaru for making me think

of think of those divine parents.

 

Regards,

Madhava