STANZAS 51 TO 75
Let the all pervading one who is
a resident of Srisailam, who dances much
to the desire of Bhringi, who seized
the pride of the elephant demon, who
manifested joy at the sight of Vishnu, who
is united with the sacred syllable
Om, who has a greatly white body, who
is honored by Cupid, who is on the
side of the good in the protection
of the gods, and he who is the
lord of Bhramara, sport anew in
person in the blue lotus of my mind.
(Interestingly, this verse can be taken
as a description of a male bee by
virtue of paronomasia.) (The mention of
Srigiri or Srisailam in the two
central verses of the lyric suggests that
it was perhaps composed here.)
Oh Sambhu, Oh Neelakandhara, who showers
the ambrosia of compassion, who works
diligently to destroy the heat of
excessive distress, who is well worshipped
by the gods so that the grain of
knowledge may bear crop, who can
assume the desired form, who has dancing
peacocks of devotees, who resides in the
mountain, and who has a halo of
waving matted hair, the Cataka bird of
my mind,
desires
you always. (Interestingly, this verse can
be taken as a description of a cloud
by virtue of paronomasia)
I worship that Neelakantha, who has
the sky for his crest, who has the
leader of the serpents as a necklace, who
favours those who bow in salutation,
who sings with sounds like Keki, when
instructing
on
the sacred syllable Om, who dances
joyously having seen the dark, auspicious
beauty of Parvati and who takes
pleasure in sporting in the garden of
Vedanta. (Siva is likened to a
dancing peacock)
In the twilight at the end of
a hot day, when thunder is the sound
arising from the drum hit by the
hand of Vishnu, when lightning is the
rays of light from the glances of
the heaven dwellers, when widespread rains
are the tears of delight of the
devotees, when Siva is the peahen,
he in whom, the splendid (fierce) dance
triumphs, I worship that blue necked one.
(Siva is the peacock which dances
joyously
with the advent of rain)
To Sambhu who is primeval, who is
boundlessly lustrous, who is known and
attainable through the Vedic verses, who
is of the nature of
knowledge-bliss, who is industrious in the
protection of the three worlds, who
is meditated on by all contemplative saints,
who is sung about by the groups
of gods, who is the originator of
Illusion, who is zealous about the
correctness of the (fierce) dance and who
has matted hair, salutations to you, such
as those (said above).
To Sambhu who is eternal, who is
of the nature of the three qualities,
who is the conqueror of the cities
(of the demons), who is the bliss of
Katyayani, who is truth, who is the
pre eminent pater familias, who is
apprehended in the mind of the sage as
a personification of knowledge, who
created the three worlds by the agency of
Illusion, who moves within the boundaries
of all the Vedas, who is zealous
about the evening (fierce) dance and who
has matted hair, salutations, such as
those (said above).
I wander purposelessly always, for
nourishing my belly, aiming at all
desirous of wealth. Oh Vibhu, I do
not know to serve you. On the
strength of the result of good deeds from
another birth of mine, (I know) Oh
Sarva, that indeed you are present within
all. For that or another (reason), Oh
Pasupati, I am worthy of being
protected by you.
The sun though but one, having
cleaved the orb of darkness pervading the
earth and sky comes within scope of
vision. You are effulgent as ten million
suns, why are you not known ? Alas
what sort will my denser mental
darkness be ? Having removed all that,
Oh Pasupati, become clearly visible to me.
Just as the Swan intensely desires
the cluster of lotuses, the Cataka bird
the dark cloud, the Ruddy goose the
sun, and the Greek partridge the moon,
likewise, Oh Pasupati, Oh Vibhu, Oh Gowrinatha,
my mind desires your pair of lotus
feet, every day, which is sought by the path of
knowledge and which is the bestower of the
bliss of emancipation.
Just as one dragged by flood water
approaches the bank, the fatigued wayfarer the
shade of the tree, one who fears
the rain the comfortable home, the guest
a householder, the ndigent one the
righteous master, one overcome by great
darkness the lamp and one
who is made uneasy by the cold the
fire, likewise Oh mind, you
approach the lotus feet of Sambhu,
which removes all fear
and
which is joyous.
Just as it's own series of seeds
reaches the Ankola tree here, the needle
the loadstone, the chaste woman her
own lord, the creeper the tree and
the river the ocean, like wise, (when) the
state of the mind having approached
the two lotus feet of Pasupati, stays
there always, that (state) is said
to be devotion.
Oh Deva, devotion in the form of
a mother, having placed the child of
a devotee on the bed of meditation
on you, causes horripilation by tears of
joy, covers (one) with purity, fills the
stomach
with the ambrosia of your story
placed in the conch tip
of
speech and protects the body by the
stones of Rudraksha
berries
and sacred ash.
The sandal pounded on by the road
is the bundle of Kusa grass for the
body of Pasupati, the sprinkling of the
mouthful of water is the divine bath
for Siva, the mouthful of partially eaten
remnant meat is the fresh oblation.
What does not devotion do (even such
uncivilised acts)? Oh how wonderful, the
forest dweller (a barbarian devotee by
name Kannapar), is the crest jewel of
devotees !
Hitting the chest of the god of
death, trampling the cruel demon Apasmara,
roaming the mountain, friction with the
diadems on the heads of the bowing
gods : this is the task of thy soft
pair of feet, Oh Gowripati. Oh
Sambhu, accept always to walk with the
gem studded sandals of my mind.
Oh Bhavanipati, for him whose mind
is engaged in the worship
of
your lotus feet, what is difficult
to accomplish here ? Out of apprehension
of a blow on the chest, the god
of death departs, the immortals wave the
buds of light from the shining gems of
their diadems as an act of adoration
and the bride of liberation having seen
him bestows on him a firm embrace.
You create the entire universe for
play, people are animals of sport for
you. Whatever actions have been done by
me, it is indeed for your pleasure. Oh
Sambhu, it is certain that my
actions are the cause of your
pleasure. Therefore Oh Pasupati, my protection
must indeed be done by you.
I resort to meditating on the
supreme Sadasiva, which is the beautiful
land of enjoyment with many types of
pleasures, with floods of (joyous) tears,
manifest thrills of joy and sought by
those desirous of the fruit of the
eternal state.
Oh compassionate one, Oh Pasupati, protect
my only cow of devotion, which constantly
yeilds unlimited ambrosia of joy, which
lives
in the cowpen of your pure feet and
which is the fruition of
(my)
great merit.
Oh Deva, the quality of ignorance,
the charecterstic of an animal, the quality
of being blemished and possessing a
crooked gait are not present in me.
Oh Rajamouli, even if present, why
am I
unfit
to be your ornament?
The lord Rajasekhara who is easily
worshipped in public or in private with
an independent intellect, who is the
personification of graciousness, who is
the giver of countless rewards and who
surpasses the world is present in my
heart.
With rising devotion as the bent bow
string (and) the bow of meditation furnished
with the unfailing series of arrows
of rememberance of Siva, having vanquished the
enemies of sin, the victor who
is the best amongst those of good
intellect, posesses with joy, the eternal
glory of sovereignity.
Having observed well with the collyrium
of meditation, having cleaved the area of
darkness with great oblations and prayers
of Iswara's name, they who raise
here your lotus feet, which is the resort
of
the celestials and which is adorned by
serpents, they Oh Siva, are fullfilled.
Oh wise mind, you learn the worship
of the lotus feet of Parameswara, for the
sake of which, even Vishnu put on
the guise of
a boar and which is the field for
the sovereign drug of liberation desired
for (by you). What further (needs be said)
?
Let the great divine fragrance of
Siva's lotus feet, which endeavours to
remove the foul smell of the fetters
of desire, pain etc., bestow fragrance to
the basket of my mind.
Oh enemy of Cupid, Oh leader of
all the worlds, Oh one mounted on
the bull, having mounted the horse of (my) mind,
which
is auspicious, which has a charming
variegated gait, which is swift, which is
skilled in the interpretation of internal
thoughts by external gestures, which is
faultless and which has fixed auspicious marks,
move about.
STANZAS 76 TO 100
Devotion staying in
the sky of Mahesa's feet, rains pleasure
like a row of clouds. He whose pond
of a mind gets filled (with it),
that crop of his birth is entirely
productive, and not another.
The intellect, devoted to the lotus
feet of Iswara, in order to become
permanently fixed (in it), constantly remembers
(it). It worries, like a wife
seperated from her husband, imagining it
to be real, recollecting, envisioning, narrating
(about it) etc. and is as if very
infatuated with prayer formulations sacred to
Siva.
Oh Prabhu, raise up this intellect
of mine, which has been adviced about the
methods of service to the virtuous,
which is modest, which is loving and which
has recourse to the good, like a
newly married bride by the good qualites
of the husband.
Oh Sambhu, your foot is suitable to
move on the petals of the lotus mind
of the contemplative saint. How (is
it possible ) to injure the hard,
door (like) chest of the god of death
by it ? Oh alas, your pair
feet are extremely tender! My mind thinks
(thus). Oh Vibhu, bring this (foot) within scope
of (my) vision, I will stroke it
gently by my hand.
This one will be born (again). This
one's mind is hard. I will dance on
it. Thus (thinking) for my protection, the
placement of the tender foot on the
ridge of the mountain was practiced
formerly. If not, when there is an
abundance of space within celestial homes,
on flower (like) couches and in
quadrangles, wherefore your dance, Oh
Sambhu, on rocky surfaces ?
Oh Uma Mahesa, he is indeed
liberated while alive, who (spends) some time by
worshiping your lotus feet, some by
religious and abstract meditation, salutations, some
(time) by listening to (your) story, some (time)
by seeing you,some (time) by praising (you)
and who reaches this state with a
mind offered to you with joy.
Oh Aaryapati, Vishnu took forms such
as that of being an arrow, being a
bull, being a wife (by taking) half
of (your) body, being
a boar, being a female companion and
being the bearer of the drum.He
offered (his) eye at your feet. He is
part of your body. Amongst those deserving
honour, indeed he alone is more honourable.
If not, who else is greater than
him ?
By the worship of the gods endowed
with birth and death, there is not (even)
a small amount of happiness. There
is no doubt therein. They who worship here
Isa who is with Amba, the unborn
being of eternal nature, they alone
are blessed and obtain supreme pleasure.
Oh Siva, I give the maiden of
my intellect, fit for the burden of
virtue, for service to you, in proximity
to Gowri, Oh source of all. Oh
friend of all the worlds, Oh ocean of
Existence-Intellect-Bliss, Oh compassionate one, you
(must) live always in the home of
(my) heart.
I am quite unskilled in churning the
ocean, (for your flower the moon and your
food, the poison which arose from
it), nor in piercing the nether world (for
your ornament, the serpents) and I am
quite an unskilled hunter for hunting in
the wild (for your tiger skin
garment). Oh Indumouli, tell me how will
I arrange for the food, flower, ornament
and garment that is prominent in
your worship ?
A profusion of materials for worship
have been arranged. How will I perform
worship ? The form of a bird
nor that of a boar has not been
obtained by me and is difficult to obtain.
Oh Uma jani, Oh Vibhu, I do
not know your head and blossom like
feet. Indeed it was not known by
Brahma (or) by Vishnu, in it's true
nature, through that form (of a bird
or a boar).
(Your) food is poison, the serpent
is (your) necklace, (your) garment is hide
and (your) vehicle is a big bull.
What will you give me ? What
do (you) have, Oh Sambhu ? Give only
devotion to your lotus feet.
When the bridge on the ocean has
been built, (as by Rama), when the
lord of the mountain has been placed
under the palm of the hand (as by
sage Agastya) and Brahma has been surpassed
(by me), (only) then I will become
competent Oh Siva, for your worship,
praise and meditation.
Oh Isa, you are not pleased by
bowing in salutation, by praise, by
performance of worship (nor) by religious (and)
absract meditation. Tell, what (worship)
gives greater pleasure to you : with
a bow, (as the warrior devotee Arjuna
hit you), with a pestle (as the
elderly woman
devotee hit you) or with stones (as the hunter devotee
hit you ?) I
will (also) do so.
Oh Sambhu, I am not intent upon
the modes of superior yoga. I only
speak your story with words, I
worship the form of Iswara with the
mind and I bow to Sadasiva with the
head.
Oh Rajamouli, the primordial nescience
situated in the heart has departed (and)
agreeable knowledge has reached the heart
by your grace. I worship (and)
meditate on your lotus feet which bestows
auspiciousness and is the repository of
liberation.
Sins, the bad writings of fate,
misfortune, pain, bad egotism (and) foul
words have been driven away. Oh Gowrisa,
uplift me here, who is always
drinking the essence of your story by
(your) noble glances.
Let my heart take constant delight
in him who wears the crescent moon on the head,
in him who has a beautiful cloud like
neck, in him who is the great light, in
him who is the sovereign (and) in
him who is Girijanatha.
That which speaks of Bharga, that is
the tongue, those which see (Bharga), they
are the eyes, those which worship (Bharga),
they alone are hands, he who always
remembers (Bharga), he alone is fullfilled.
"My feet are extremely tender, your
mind is extremely hard". Oh Bhavanisa,
leave off doubt such as this. (If)
so, Oh Siva, how was the entry
on the mountain (feasible) ?
Oh Purahara, having held immobile the
rutting elephant of the heart with the
goad of calmness, having pulled (it)
strongly with the iron chain of
devotion, tie (it) on the tying post of
(your) foot, with the fetter of the
intellect.
This rutting, large elephant of the
mind, moves all around with an arrogant
attitude. Having seized it prudently, with
the rope of devotion, lead this to
the firm pillar of final beatitude.
Oh Deva, Oh Gowripriya, you accept
my maiden of poetry, who is possessed of
all decorations, who has a straight gait,
who is of good conduct, who has a
beautiful colour, who is praised by the
wise, who has charming qualities, who is
distinguished, who abounds in excellences, who
is charecterised by superior ornaments, who
has got decorum, who has a brilliant
line denoting wealth (in her palm) and
who
is auspicious. (Interestingly, this verse can
be taken as description of the excellences
of the poem Sivanandalahari, by virtue
of paronomasia )
They, Vishnu and Brahma, with the
intention of seeing your feet (and) head,
got the form of an animal (and) they
became fatigued, moving in the heaven and
earth (in their search). Oh Sambhu, Oh
Swami, (then) tell how (you) make yourself
known before my eyes ?
Oh
Paramasiva, Oh Siva, is this proper
of you ?
Enough of praise. I do not speak
falsely. At the time of the discourse,
of the enumeration of the praiseworthy,
the gods such as Brahma etc. know
that you are to be counted first. Like
chaff shaken off the grain, your
devotees Oh Sambhu, know you to be the
excellent of excellent objects, amongst the
praise worthy, when discussing the subject of
the foremost amongst the exalted.
Thus concludes the Sivananda
Lahari composed by Sri Sankaracharya.
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