The Soundarya Lahiri by Shankara - Sankara

THE SOUNDARYA LAHARI
Shankara

PAGE TWO -STANZAS 61 TO 70

        Oh   banner   of   the   race   of   the   snowy   mountain!   let   this bamboo   like   bridge of   your   nose,   fructify   for   us   the   reward which   is   imminent   and   appropriate. It   (the   nose)   bears   pearls within,   and   flowing   from   the   profusion   of   which, by   the   cool exhalation   (through   the   nostril),   it   bears   the   pearl   (nose ornament)   on   the   outside   also.

        Oh   one   with   beautiful   teeth!   I   speak   of   that   which   is similar   to   the beauty   of   your   lips,   which   is   naturally red.   Let   the   coral   creeper   bear   fruit! The   Bimba   fruit out   of   desire   to   reflect   that   image   (the   red   lips)   is   red. (Hence)   how   will   it   not   be   bashful   to   ascend   the   balance (for   being   weighed   against   the   red   lips)   by   even   a   little bit?

Note:   The   Bimba   fruit   compared   to   red   lips   by   poets
is   inadequate   in   this   case.   Hence   an   imaginary   fruit,
namely   the   coral   fruit   is   suggested   as   a   possible   standard
of   comparison.

      The   Cakora   birds   drinking   the   mass   of   moonlight   of   (your) smile,   of   the moon   of   your   face   became   dull   in   the   beak, from   excesive   (sweet)   taste. Desiring   sour   taste,   therefore, they   drink   of   their   own   free   will,   excessively every   night, the   wave   of   nectar   of   the   moon,   thinking   it   to   be   sour   gruel.

         Oh   Mother!   that   tongue   of   your's   (which)   is   the   colour   of the   hibiscus flower,   by   unceasingly   repeated   prayer   of   stories enumerating   the   virtues   of (your)   husband,   is   victorious. Seated   on   the   tip   of   which   the   crystal   stone (like)   clearly brilliant   form   of   Saraswati   is   transformed   into   a   ruby   (like) appearence.

        Oh   Mother!   the   mouthfuls   of   betel   leaf   and   areca   nut   with fragments   of   camphor   white   as   the   moon,   from   your   mouth, are   dissolved   (by   chewing)   by   Visakha,   Indra   and   Upendra, who   have   returned,   having   won   the   Daityas   in battle,   who have   removed   the   helmets   and   armour   and   who   are   averse   to the   remnants   of   offerings   to   Siva,   which   is   the   share   of Chanda   (alone).

      When   Saraswati   was   singing   with   the   lute   of   the   varied noble   work(s)   of   Pasupati,   (and)   when   you   began   to   speak words   of   approbation   with   the nodding   of   (your)   head, (thinking)   the   low   sweet   tones   of   the   strings   of   her own lute   as   detracted   by   their   sweetness,   she   covers   (it)   out of   sight   with the   wrapper.

Oh daughter of the mountain! in what manner will we speak of your chin touched by the tips of the hand by Himavan with paternal affection, which was repeatedly raised by Girisa intent on kissing, which is worthy of being held by the hand of Sambhu, which is the handle for the mirror of the face nd which
is beyond compare?

This your throat which is with horripilation always from the embrace of the arms of Siva, bears the beauty of the stalk of the lotus of the face. Below which the necklace of pearls, innately white (and) soiled by the copious mud of the black sandal bears the loveliness of the root of the lotus.

Oh sole expert of musical modes, musical modulations and songs! The three lines in your neck which are like a reminder of the number of the many stranded thread tied well at the wedding, which are like the boundary restricting the fixity of the three scales of music, from which the forms of many varieties of sweet musical modes are produced, shine.

Brahma praises the beauty of your four creeper like hands, soft as the lotus stalk with (his) four (remaining) mouths, being afraid of the nails of Siva from the destruction of the first (head, by them), with the mind to the simultaneous placing of the four (remaining) heads in the hand offering refuge from fear.

STANZAS 71 TO 80

Oh Uma! you tell (us), how will we speak of the beauty of your hands, which detract (your) nails which shine with the redness of the new lotus? Alas, let the lotus some how obtain a little similarity (for becoming an object of comparison). (This will be possible only) if it acquires the red dye from the sole of the foot of Lakshmi who plays (on it).

Oh Devi! let this your pair of breasts, pouring forth from the tip, (milk) drunk simultaneously by Skanda and Ganesa remove our pain always. Having seen which (the bosom), Heramba with a heart confounded by doubt, quickly touches by the hand his own frontal globes (on his elephant face) (and) causes laughter (in the divine couple).

        Oh   banner   of   the   lord   of   mountains!   These   your   breasts   are the   ruby   containers   of   the   essence   of   ambrosia.   There   is   not a   quiver   of   doubt   in   our   minds   (in   this   matter).   Those   two who   drink   from   it,   (namely),   Ganesa   and   Kartikeya   are   young boys   even   today,   unknowing   of   the   pleasure   of   union   with
the   spouse.

       Oh   Mother!   the   expanse   of   your   bosom   bears   the   spotless necklace   of pearls,   made   with   the   pearls   sourced   from   the frontal   globes   of   Gajasura   (and   whitish   grey   in   colour). Variegated   internally   by   the   colour   of   (your)   Bimba   like (red) lips,   it   is   like   the   fame   (white)   mingled   with   the   valour (red)   of   Siva.

       Oh   daughter   of   the   mountain!,   I   think   your   breast   milk is   the   ocean   of milk   which   flows   from   the   heart   as   the nature   of   Saraswati.   Having   tasted your   (milk)   which   was given   by   (you)   possessed   of   compassion,   the   Dravidian child became   a   charming   composer   amongst   mighty   poets.

Note   :   The   identity   of   the   Dravidian   child   is   controversial.
Reputed   to   be   Sri   Sankara,   or   a   Siddha   who   had   composed   the
Anandalahari,   or   the   Saint   Tirugnanasambandhar.

         Oh   daughter   of   the   mountain!   with   a   body   devoured   by   the series   of flames   of   the   fury   of   Hara,   Cupid   became   immersed   in the   deep   pool   of your   navel.   A   tendril   of   smoke   arose   from   it. Oh   Mother!   people   think of   it   as   your   line   of   hair
(above the   navel).

         Oh   Sivaa!   Oh   Mother!   this   something   which   is   shaped   like a   very small   wave   of   the   river   Kalindi,   in   your   lean   waist, which   manifests (itself   only)   to   wise   men,   is   like   the   sky, which   is   in between   the   pitcher like   breasts,   (and)   has become   slim   from   (their)   mutual   friction,   (and)   which is entering   the   cave   of   the   navel.

       Oh   daughter   of   the   mountain!   let   your   navel   which   is   a steady   whirlpool of   the   river   Ganga,   which   is   a   basin for   the   part   of   the   creeper   like   line of   hair   with   the breasts   for   (flower)   buds,   which   is   the   hollow   for   the (sacrificial)   fire   of   the   lustre   of   Cupid,   which   is   the pleasure   house   of   Rati, which   is   like   the   opening   of   the cave   of   (sacrificial)   fulfilment   to   the   eyes of   Girisa, (and)   which   is   indescribable,   be   victorious.

Oh   best   of   women!   Oh   daughter   of   the   mountain!   let   your naturally   slim waist,   suffering   fatigue   by   the   weight   of the   bosom,   curved   in   shape,   (and)   is as   if   breaking, with   the   stability   similar   to   the   state   of   a   tree   in   the breached river   bank,   be   happy   for   a   long   time.

        Oh   Devi!   (Thinking   that)   it   is   enough   to   protect   you   from breaking   (from the   burden   of   your)   breasts   which   on   perspiring immediately   split   the   bodice   in   contact   with   the   sloping sides,   which   rub   at   the   underarms,   (and)   which   have the   lustre of   golden   pots,   (your)   waist   was   tied   thrice,   as   if   by   the lavali creeper   of   the   three   folds   of   skin   in   (your)   upper   belly by   Cupid   who   made   it.

                                                    STANZAS 81 TO 90

         Oh   Parvati!   the   lord   of   the   mountains   presented   to   you in   the   form   of   a   (wedding)   gift,   heaviness   and   vastness having   cut   (them)   from   his   own   flanks.   Therefore   this your   vast,   heavy   mass   of   the   hips   and   loins   behind   conceals the   entire   earth   and   reduces   (it)   to   lightness   (in comparison).

         Oh   You!   Oh   daughter   of   the   mountain!   Oh   knower   of   Vedic injunction! you   exist   having   vanquished   both   :   the   trunks of   elephants   and   the   stalk portion   of   the   golden   plantain tree,   by   both   thighs,   (and)   both   frontal   globes on   the   fore head   of   the   elephant   of   Indra,   by   the   two   knees   which   are well   rounded   and   hard   from   prostrations   to   the   husband (Siva).

        Oh   daughter   of   the   mountain!   to   defeat   Rudra,   Cupid assuredly   made your   two   shanks   into   a   quiver   with double   (the   usual   number   of)   arrows within.   In   front of   which   are   seen   the   heads   of   ten   arrows   in   the   guise of   nail   tips   of   the   pair   of   feet,   sharpened   on   the whetstones   of   the   crowns of   the   celestials   (bowing at   your   feet).

      Oh   Mother!   these   two   feet   which   are   borne   by   the   Upanishads as   a diadem,   place   (them)   with   compassion   on   my   head   too. The   water   used   for   washing   which   (the   feet)   is   the   Ganga in   the   mass   of   the   matted   hair   of Pasupati,   (and)   the   lustre of   the   lac   dye   of   which,   is   the   red   colour   of the   gem
on   the diadem   of   Hari.

          We   tell   the   word   `obeissance'   to   this your pair of feet, to   that   (pair) which   is   delightful   to   the   eye,   which   is brightly   lustrous   (and)   which   has liquid   lac   dye,   by   which (feet)   Siva   desires   to   be   struck,   (and   hence)   envies greatly the Asoka tree of   the   pleasure   garden.

        Your   two   lotus   feet   hit   on   the   forehead   of   the   husband,   bowing in   shame after   having   falsely (teasingly) comitted the blunder of   calling   (you)   by   a   wrong   name.   A   sound   of   joy   is   made   (then) by   the   jingling   of   (your)   anklet,   by Cupid,   who   was burnt, and   who   has   had   the   thorn   (of   hostility)   from   within plucked
out   after   a   long   time.

        Oh   Mother!   your   two   feet   which   are   beautiful   even   when residing   in   the   snowy   mountain,   which   are   manifest   (open) at   night   as   well   as   in   the   last part   of   (the   night),   (and) which   bestows   wealth   (on)   the   followers   of   the Samaya   school, triumph   over   the   lotus,   which   is   destroyed   by   a   mass   of snow,   which   sleeps   at   night   (and)   which   wishes   to   be   the (passive) abode of   Lakshmi.   What   is   the   wonder   here?

         Oh   Devi,   how   was   your   forefoot,   the   abode   of   fame   (and) no   resort   of   calamity,   decided   by   the   wise   (poets)   to   be equal   to   the   hard   tortoise   skull?   Having   taken   which   (the forefoot)   by   the   two   arms,   at   the   time   of   marriage, how was   it   possibly   placed   on   the   mill   stone   by   Purabhida, with   (apparently)   a   loving   heart   ?

        Oh   Candi!   your   feet   with   the   moon   like   nails   (which   cause) the   closing   of the   lotus   like   hands   of   the   celestial maidens,   which   instantly   give   to   the   poor   auspicious   riches incessantly   are   as   if   laughing   at   the   celestial   trees   which give   fruits   (only)   to   (other)   celestials   by   the   tender shoots   of   the   tips   of   the(ir)   hands.

       May   my   life   with   the   (five)   sense   organs   (plus   the   mind) as   feet   proceed   to   the   state   of   being   a   six   legged   one (a   bee),   plunging   into   this   your   (lotus)   foot,   auspicious like   the   bunch   of   flowers   of   the   coral   tree,   which   scatters the   honey   of   the   bunch   of   flowers   of   great   beauty,   which give   to   the   poor wealth   according   to   desire   incessantly.

                                                          STANZAS 91 TO 100

          Oh   one   pocessed   of   a   beautiful   life!   the   resident   swans with   a   mind   to   commence   the   practice   of   the   sport   of placement   of   the   steps,   (though)   they trip,   do   not   abandon play.   Therefore   for   their   instruction,   the   auspicious   gem (studded)   anklet   of   the   lotus   feet,   under   the   pretext   of jingling,   perhaps   teach   (them).

          The   servitors,   Druhina,   Hari,   Rudra   (and)   Iswara   have become   your   bed.   Paramasiva,   disguised   as   the   coverlet made of   (his)   white   lustre,   by   the reflected   red   colour of   your   lustre,   seems   like   the   sentiment   of   love   embodied (and)   yeilds   joy for   your   eyes.

        The   indescribable   compassion   of   Sambhu,   (called)   Arunaa in   order   to   protect the   world,   excels   as   curliness   in the hair, natural   straight   forwardness   in   the gentle   smile, as   the   (delicate)   Sirisa   (flower)   in   the   mind,   as   the   lustre of   a   gem   in   a   (hard) rock   in   the   slope   of   the   bosom,   as excessive   slenderness in   the   waist,   (and)   as   wideness   in the   matter   of   the   bosom   and   hip.

       This   orb   of   the   moon   is   an   emerald   container   full   of   water, filled   with bits   of   camphor;   the   stain   is   musk.   The   empty hollow   (of   the   container), by   (virtue   of)   your   utilisation every   day,   is   indeed   filled   again   and   again by   Vidhi   for   your sake.

         You   are   in   the   inner   apartments   of   Siva.   Therefore,   the rules   of   propriety in   the   worship   of   your   two   feet   is   not not   easy   for   those   with   fickle   senses. Thus   surely,   these celestials   with   Satamkha   as   the   chief   (forbidded   from entering   the   inner   apartments)   take   away   (only)   the matchless   superhuman   powers
of   Anima   and   others   (Siddhis) stationed   in   proximity   to   your   door.

         Do   not   several   poets   serve   the   wife   of   Vidhata   ?   With   wealth of   some sort,   who   does   not   become   the   lord   of   the   goddess   of wealth   ?   Oh   Sati! Oh   first   among   chaste   women!   except Mahadeva,   contact   with   your   bosom is   not   easy   even   for   the (inanimate)   Kuravaka   tree.

         Oh   Queen   consort   of   the   Parabrahman,   the   knowers   of   the Agamas   call (you)   as   the   goddess   of   speech,   the   wife   of Druhina,   as   Padma   the   wife of   Hari   (and)   as   Adri   tanaya, the   wife   of   Hara.   (But)   you   are   the indescribable fourth one,   the unattainable,   the   boundlessly   glorious   Mahamaya, (and)   you   cause   the universe   to   revolve.

        Oh   Mother!   tell,   at   what   time   will I drink the   water bearing   the   lac   dye, used   for   ablution   of   your   feet ? Being   the   cause of   poetry   even   of   the naturally   dumb (and   hence)   similar   to   the   betel   and   areca   nut   juice of   the lotus   face of Vani, when   will   it   be   bestowed?

          He   who   worships   you   sports   with   Saraswati   and   Lakshmi, (and   is   a) rival   to   Vidhi   and   Hari.   With   a   beautiful body,   he   lessens   the   chastity   of Rati.   Living   eternally and   casting   off   contact   with   the   soul   bound   by spiritual ignorance   and   the   bond   of   spiritual   ignorance,   he   relishes the   joy   called   supreme   bliss.

          Oh   generator   of   words,   this   your   hymn of praise, by your own   words (is   like)   the   performance   of   the   oblation   of lights   with   the   flame   of   the lamp   for   the   sun;   the performance   of   oblation   with   drops   of   water (oozing   from) the   moon   stone,   for   the   moon   (and)   giving   satisfaction   to the   ocean   with   his   own   waters.

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