Line by Line summarized meaning of the sanskrit verses in Shivananda Lahari discourse
Day 6 – August 2 – verse 10 and 11
Verse 10
This verse states that any form of birth does not make a difference to that being who has surrendered his heart to the Lord, because they will eternally live in the God’s purview.
Naratwam devatvam naga-vana-mrugatwam masakata,
Pasutwam keetatwam bhavatu vihagathwādi-jananam
Sadā twatpādābja-smarana-paramānanda-lahari.
Vihārāsaktam ched- dhrudaya-miha kim tena vapushā.
Naratvam – Being born as a human being or having human feelings (nara bhāvana)
Amongst all beings, getting a human birth and even in that birth getting sat sangatya is extremely difficult. Even thereafter getting a desire for liberation is more difficult.
What is the meaning of the word Nārāyana? He who is in the middle of water is Narayana. Now getting to the deeper meaning- It is that position which the man (nara) reaches through his efforts/ jnana (ayana). That place is also known as Paramdhāma. Ramaya +ayana= Ramayana; Nara+ ayana= Narayana.
Devatvam – Being born as a celestial
Man through his tremendous efforts and punya attains the position of Deva.
Naga vana mrugathwam masakatha – Or being born as any mountain (naga) or forest animal or insects/ worm (maśakatha)
Paśutvam – Being born as an animal
Kītatvam – Being born as a tiniest insect (krimi)
Bhavathu vihagathwadi janananam – Being born as a bird or being born in any form
does not matter to me, as long as
Sada twad pādābja smarana paramānanda lahari – My thoughts are eternally focused upon your lotus feet; for this itself is the flow of supreme bliss (paramananda lahari)
The story of the scared place Srikalahasti wherein the elephant, spider and snake got liberation is a proof of this.
Vihārasaktham che drugdayam – If my mind is intently desirous (āsakta) of strolling there (vihara)
Iha kim tena vapusha – then, how does it matter which birth/ form I get?
This hymn teaches us that mind and heart play a significant role in bhakti. Birth is not important, our Sadhana, our devotion is most important. The mind should learn to rest at those feet.
There is a beautiful story in Paduranga mahatyam. Near a temple pond, a sow gave birth to a piglet. The piglet used to eat the trash that was thrown from the temple. When it died, it was re-born as a dog near the remple premises. The dog used to roam about near the temple. The priest used to give it the left over prasadam. It would drink the water that flowed from the temple after abhishekam. After completing this life, it was reborn as a bird upon a tree in the temple. The bird flew great distances in search of food and when it returned, it would bring a bilva leaf and throw it upon the temple top or on the flag post etc. In its next birth, this being was born as a cow in the same temple. Its milk was used for abhishekam for the Lord. Once when it was being milked in front of the Lord, a drop of milk splashed on to the Lingam. The cow died shortly thereafter and now was reborn as a prince in that kingdom. The prince took on the reins of the kingdom when he grew up. When he was ruling, he was faced with the problem of enemies and was losing. He consulted his minister asked for a way to overcome this problem. The minister asked him to re-build the dilapidated Shiva temple in the kingdom. The king went to the temple and rebuilt it. He could overcome his problems. The king died thereafter and now he was born as a devotee of Lord Shiva near that temple. He sang praises of the Lord and spent his entire time in contemplation of the Lord. After one shivaratri vrata he merged into Shiva.
Where did the story begin from? It was the piglet that ate the temple trash. This shows that in bhakti there is no segregation of different species, castes etc.
Verse 11
In this Verse, Adi Shankaracharya Swami states that irrespective of the ashrama/ classification one belongs to, only he, who surrenders his heart to the Lord gets redemption.
Vaturvā gehī vā yathirapi jatī vā tadi taro
Narō vā yah kaschid bhavathu bhava kim tena bhavati
Yadeeyam hrith padmam bhavad adeenam paśupate,
Tadeeya stwam shambho bhavasi bhava bhāram ca vahasi
Vatur vā – be a Brahmachari
Gehī vā – be a Gruhasta (householders)
Gruhasta (householders) can also practice celibacy and instead spend their time on God. With this they attain liberation quickly. The state of a householder is special because they have the chance to do athithi satkaryam- feed the hungry guests everyday.
Yatirapi – be a Sanyasi
Jaṭi vā – Let it be a person with matted hair (Vanaprastha)
Tadi tarah – or any other person
Narō vā ya kaśchid bhavatu – Let it be any person not in the above classifications, O Lord
Bhava kim tena bhavati – What is it that you will benefit from these classifications?
Yadeeyam hrid padmam yadi bhavad ādeenampasu pate – O Paśupate, Whoever has surrendered his lotus called heart to your care (adheenam)
Tadeeyas twam – You then wholly belong to them
Shambho bhavasi bhava bhāram cha vahasi– You even take over and carry (vahasi) their burden of bhava (samsara, births and deaths) and uplift them, O Shambhu.
You belong to that person who has surrendered their heart completely to You! This is the result of worshipping Shiva whole-heartedly.