Line by Line summarized meaning of the sanskrit verses in Shivananda Lahari discourse
Day 33 – September 3 – verse 83 – 91
Verse 83
This verse states that by worshipping Sāmbashiva (Shiva and Parvati), who is Parameshwara, the person is bestowed with liberation.
Janana-mruti-yutanām sevayā devatānām,
Na bhavati sukha leśa-samśayo nasti tatra
Ajani mamruta roopam sāmbameeśam bhajante,
Ya iha paramasoukhyam te hi dhanyā labhante.
Janana-mruti-yutanām – who are trapped in the cycle of births and deaths
Sevayā devatānām – serving such devatas
Right from an ant unti the 4 faced Lord Brahma die. The Devatas merge into Parabrahma at end of the kalpa/ time allotted. Devatas will bless with fulfillment of desires. But when they are not permanent, they cannot grant us liberation. We should worship Paramatma who is the source for even these Devatas. Here Shiva is Parabrahma/ Paramatma.
Na bhavati sukha leśa – one is not blessed with even a trace (leśa) of liberation (sukha)
samśayo nasti tatra – there is not even a trace of doubt in this statement
Ajani mamruta roopam – You are without birth (ajani, eternal, beyond birth and death) and are a form of total bliss
Sāmbameesam – O samba esha (O Lord who is together with the Divine mother (sa+amba))
Bhajante – One who worships/ serves You
Ya eha paramasoukhyam – only he is rewarded with ultimate liberation (parama sukha)
Te hi dhanyā labhanthe – such persons are truly fortunate who have held on to You
Jnana is mukti. There is no other way to attain liberation apart from Jnana. Self- realization is the key. Parabrahma is the Lord of all Lords right from the four faced Brahma. Paramatma with the help of Maya created this universe.
Verse 84
Shiva is the groom and the devotees’ intellect (buddhi) is the bride. The qualities of the bride and groom are explained. Shiva is asked to marry this buddhi and thereafter to come and reside in her house itself.
Shiva tava paricharyā-sannidhānāya gowryā,
Bhava mama guna dhuryām budhi kanyām pradāsye,
Sakala-bhuvana-bhandho-sachidananda-sindho,
Sadya hrudaya-gehe sarvada samba sa twam.
Shiva – O Lord of all auspiciousness (Shiva).
The groom has to have an auspicious/ good horoscope.
Thava paricharyaa – to offer services to You,
Sannidhānāya gowrya – and to be a companion and attendant to Mother Gowri
My daughter called buddhi will serve both You and Gowri. She will be a companion to Her.
Bhava – O Lord of creation;
Who has created everything. You have the capacity for creation. The groom should have this trait.
Mama buddhi kanyām – please accept this daughter of mine called buddhi (as another wife)
Guna dhurya pradhaasye – she is replete with innumerable good qualities
This is a trait seen in a to-be bride
Sakala bhuvana bhandho – O Lord, relative for the entire creation;
The entire creation is your relatives. The groom is not an orphan but has plenty of relatives on his side
Sachidananda sindho – You are an ocean of sat, chit and ananda
Sadaya – You are ever compassionate
Husband who is compassionate will look after his wife carefully.
Hrudaya gehe sarvada samba sa twam – You come and eternally reside in my house called heart (hrudaya gehe) along with Divine Mother (samba)
Please accept my intellect (buddhi) as your wife; She is well trained to serve You and Mother Gowri; she is replete with good qualities ; O Lord You are an ocean of compassion, please accept her; do not take her away to your house; instead You along with Mother Goddess come and reside in my house/ heart from now on.
Verse 85
Jaladhi-mathana-dakśo naiva pātāla bhedī.
Na ca vana mrigayāyām naïva lubdhah praveeṇah
Aśana-kusuma-bhoośā-vastra-mukhyām saparyām,
Kathaya Katham aham Kalpayā nīndu moule.
Jaladhi mathana daksho naiva – I do not possess the proficiency (dakśa) to churn the ocean
Naiva pātāla bhedi – Nor do I possess the proficiency to cut across and travel to patala
Vishnu in His varaha avatara dug deep inside the oceans and rescued earth.
Na ca vana mrigayāyām naïva lubdha praveena – nor do I have the skills of a hunter and thus cannot catch any wild animals
Aśana –food
Amruta is available only after churning the ocean; when I lack the proficiency in this, how can I obtain and supply food (amruta) to You?
Kusuma – flowers
The wish fulfilling tree kalpavruksha was born during the churning of the ocean; when I lack the ability to churn from where shall I bring the flowers for Your puja?
Bhoosha – ornaments
To you the snake is an ornament. This I can get only if I dig deep into the earth and reach patala. Naga loka is located here. When I do not have the ability, from where shall I get it?
Vastra – clothes
When I lack the hunting skills, how can I catch any animals and get their skin which You use as clothing?
Mukhyam saparyam – these are the main offering in the puja
Kathaya Katha aham Kalpayam – how can I worship You then
Indu moule – O Lord who retains the moon on His forehead
The hidden meaning in this verse – Our senses and mind should be the flowers offered to God; You become the ornament that adorns Him; amruta sprouts in us due to ardent worship/ dhyana – nectar thus obtained should be offered as His food. We should offer our bhavana in the puja to Him. What is the use if we have all the materials but lack the true bhavana in puja? This is explained in the next verse.
Verse 86
This verse explains the need for the right bhavana for puja. Obtaining materials is only one step. To make the puja fruitful, the essence is the right bhakti/ bhavana.
Pooja-dravya-samruddhayo-virachitāh poojām katham kurmahe,
Pakshitwam na ca vaa kitithwam-api na prāptham maya durlabham,
Jāne mastaka-mangri-pallavam-mumajāne na teham vibho,
Na gnātam pitāmahena hariṇā tatwena tat roopiṇā
Pooja-dravya-samruddhayo-virachitah – O Lord, now I have obtained the puja materials in abundance
Poojam katham kurmahe – but then how am I supposed to do the puja
I do not know the procedure
Pakshitwam – I am not a bird
Lord Brahma took on the form of a swan (when Shiva manifested as a huge illumination)
Na ca vaa kititwam – Nor am I a boar (kiti, varaha)
Vishnu took on the form of a boar
Api na prāptham maya durlabham – it is so rare to be bestowed with ability to get these forms (bird and boar)
Jāne mastakam angri pallavam umajane na te ham vibho – O Lord of uma (Umajane), O all-pervading Lord (vibho)! I do not know the location of Your forehead (mastaka) nor do I know Your tender lotus feet (anghri pallavam, like tender leaves)
I have not seen Your beginning and end; I have not seen Your head nor foot; I am not a swan nor boar
Na gnatham pitāmahena Harina tatwena tat roopina – Neither Lord Brahma (pitamaha, who became the swan), nor Hari (Vishnu) could understand Your tattva (essence) and could not locate them.
How then can I worship You? When even Brahma and Hari failed to understand Your tattva, what am I? Brahma took on the form of the swan, flew upwards and tried to see the head (mastaka) of the Lord; Vishnu became a boar and went down into patala to see the tender lotus feet (anghri pallavam) of this supreme Lord. Both of them failed to locate them even after traversing unimaginable distances. There was no end to this divine illumination.
Where the Gods failed, how can I succeed? I do not know Your feet and Your head. I have the materials but lack the knowledge to do the puja in the right manner.
This verse stresses upon the need for intense bhavana needed so make the puja fruitful. Bhakti is the essence of the puja. It is the most important material in the worship of that all-pervading Lord.
Verse 87
Aśanam garalam phanī kalāpah,
Vasanam charma cha vāhanam Mahokshah,
Mama dāsyami kim kimasthi shambho,
Tava pādāmbhuja bhakthim eva dehi.
Aśanam garalam – poison (garalam) is your food (aśana)
phani kalāpah – snakes (phani) are your ornaments (kalāpa)
Vasanam charma ca – skin (charma) is your dress (vasana)
Vāhanam Mahōkshah – an old bull is your vehicle (vahana)
Mama dāsyami kim – what can you give me
Kimasthi shambho – what other possessions do You have O Shambho?
Shambho means the storehouse (nidhi) of all happiness. There is nothing missing in this treasure chest and there is nothing which He cannot bestow. Shiva is a great yogi who bestows everything upon His devotees but does not keep anything with Himself. Here, Bhagavad padacharya declares – You do not have any possessions.
Tava padāmbhuja bhaktim eva dehi- therefore I beg you to bless me with only one thing- devotion towards You and to be obedient to Your feet. This is the only thing I seek (meva dehi).
All these 4 mentioned here – ornaments, food, vehicles and clothes – have other meanings per Shastras. Snakes on the Lord’s neck depict abhaya (fearlessness). He drank poison to save His devotees (Devatas) and therefore symbolizes our protection (rakshana). Skin as clothing symbolizes that He has no desires. Seated on a bull means He removes the dur ahamkara and bad feelings from within us. Bull symbolizes dharma and seating on it means protecting dharma.
Those who see snakes in dreams should pray to Shiva and Garutmanta before going to bed.
Ishwara is He who is sinless and who completely washes away all our sins. No sin can attach to Him.
After meeting Krishna, when Kuchela left Dwaraka to return to his house, thought in the following way – ‘Krishna could have given me loads of wealth. But He did not do so. Why? Because, with wealth, my buddhi will undergo a change. It will harm me. I should have pleaded with Him, to bless me with good bhakti at least.’
Bhakti is not something available in the market. Only Sadguru should shower it.
Verse 88
Yadha kritāmbho nidhi-sethu bandhana,
Karasthalādhah-kruta-parvatā adhipa,
Bhavani te langhita-padma sambhavah,
Tada shivārcā sthava bhāvana kshamah
Yadha kritāmbho nidhi sethu bandhana – Like Rama I have not built a bridge across the ocean
Sethu bandhana (building bridge to lanka) is one of the supreme achievements of Rama. Even in Bhagavatam there is a reference to it – such is the greatness of this feat. Rama has the ability to build a bridge that connects the devotee and the Lord. Also the Shiva upasana conducted by Rama in Rameshwara is supreme upasana.
Karasthlādha drutha parvatha adhipa – nor like Agastya I have not suppressed the (vindhya) mountain with my palm (kara)
Agastya maharishi is a great Shiva bhakta. Right from coorg, the place where Kaveri originates and up to the place where Kaveri meets the Bay of Bengal, He has installed Shiva lingams everywhere. This includes the Shiva lingam at Mekedatu sangam.
Shivarcha sthava bhavanaa kshama Bhavāni te langitha padma sambhava – nor am I Padma sambhava (Brahma) to offer You worship (archana), stotra (stava), dhyana with total involvement (bhavana).
How then can I worship You?
Indirectly in this verse is a prayer to the Lord to bless with the qualities of Rama, Agastya and Brahma so that we can worship Him with full faith.
Verse 89
Natibhir nutibhir stvam eesa pooja,
Vidhibhir dhyāna samādhibhir na tushtah,
Dhanushā musalena chāsmabhir vaa,
Vada tey preetikaram tatha karomi.
Na tushta – You are not satisfied
Natibhir nutibhir stvam eesa – with my obeisance (nati) or singing of Your glories (nuti), O Lord of the universe (Iśa)
Pooja Vidhibhir dhyana samadhibhir – nor with my puja procedure, dhyana or Samadhi attained
Dhanushā – but worship through arrows (dhanush)
Before the war, Krishna asks Arjuna to please Lord Shiva and obtain the Pasupata astra as a blessing from the Lord. Arjuna seated on the Indrakeeladri Mountain performed intense penance. To test him, Shiva appeared there in the form of a hunter (kirata) chasing a wild boar. The terrified boar hid/ took refuge in Arjuna’s hut. Arjuna with a view to protect it refused to release it. As a result a terrible war took place between Arjuna and the hunter (Kirata – Arjunakirātaneeyam). Arjuna’s arrows got exhausted and so he took his bow to attack the Lord. Shiva broke that bow. Using the broken bow, Arjuna hit the kirata. This mark of the bow remained permanently on Shiva’s forehead. Shiva thought – this person is a very great person. So far no one has been able to hit me in this manner. His devotion as well as his courage should eternally be remembered. Therefore on my shivalingam I will bear a mark of the bow’. Even to this day, a scar/ mark of the bow is seen on most Shiva lingams. Even on our Sacchidanandeshwara linga this mark is visible. Through this mark, Shiva also reminds us of Rama.
Musalena – through clubs
During the war Arjuna hit Shiva with clubs
chasmabhir vaa – and through stones
During the war Arjuna hit the kirata with stones. Shiva stopped fighting because Arjuna pelted stones continuously.
Shiva was covered in a heap of stones. At this juncture the Divine Mother appeared as a kirata and begged him to stop pelting stones. Arjuna began to sweat at that moment. He was perplexed. He was a brave warrior; sweating for this small war was unusual and surprising. He then got a doubt – could it be that I was fighting Shiva?’ Immediately Shiva came out through the heap of stones and gave darshan to Arjuna.
Vada tey preethikaram – all these are dear to you.
Tadha karomi – If so, I will also offer such puja.
In one way it means – You are pleased when people fight You with clubs, arrows and stones. You are not satisfied with my prayers and stotras. I will have to fight like them to gain Your approval. I have my limitations in worship and offering of services. My worship is mediocre. But if you are not happy with it then I too will use arrows and clubs to earn your grace.
But actual meaning – You have blessed Arjuna with pasupata astra; likewise please bless me by removing the animal traits (pasu) in me; uplift me.
Verse 90
Trikarana śuddhi means purity of body, speech and mind (kaya, vaca and manas). Lord’s grace then falls instantaneously on us. The similar intent is expressed in this verse.
Vachasā charitam vadāmi Shambho,
Raha-mudyoga vidhāsu te aprasakta,
Manasā kruthi -meeswarasya seve,
Shirasā chaiva sadāshivam namāmi
Vachasā charitam vadāmi Shambhor – I will sing Your glories (charitam) using my mouth, O shambho
Aham udyoga vidhāsu te aprasakt a- because I do not have the ability to keep my mind (chitta) permanently fixed upon You; my mind is not addicted to being fixed upon You eternally.
I am an ordinary devotee who cannot keep my mind fixed on You at all times. Therefore I will just use my speech to sing Your glories.
Manasā kruthi-meeswarasya seve – mentally (manasa) I will offer services to You, O Lord
Shirasā chaiva sadāshivam namāmi – I will eternally bow to You whole heartedly O Sadashiva.
Bless me that at all times my speech should be directed towards Your glories; my mind should think of You eternally and I should bow in total reverence to You. The dust from the feet of Your devotees falling upon me will purify me further.
When these 3 are achieved, dhyana will come automatically. It is not advised to jump directly to dhyana as it is very difficult. As a pre-requisite to dhyana, the body, mind and speech should be directed towards God (Kaya, vacha, manasa). They should be tools used for initial Sadhana.
When offering namaskara it is very important that our ajna chakra/ head should touch the ground. This is the most important step. In Kriya yoga we take the dust from the ground and keep it on the head. It is very important that this dust from the ground touches the head. ‘This is the place where innumerable bhaktas walk about. Sadguru moves here. Ishwara is here. The dust from their feet I will retain on my forehead. This is my decoration. May my ahamkara be wiped away with this’ is the bhavana. This Kriya yoga namaskara is a very special one of great importance. Even when ladies offer nandi namaskara, they should ensure that their head/ forehead (lalata) touches the ground.
Verse 91
Adhya avidhya hridgatha nirgathasid,
Vidhya hrudhya hrudgatha twat prasadath,
Seve nithyam srikaram twatpadambujam,
Bhave mukther bhajanam raja moule.