Line by Line summarized meaning of the sanskrit verses in Shivananda Lahari discourse
Day 29 – August 30 – verse 63, 64, 65 and 66
Today is Rishi panchami. It is the day on which all rishis together worshipped Ganapati and hence is an auspicious day. It is a very scared day for prayer/ worship.
Verse 63
This verse explains the story of Bhakta Kannappa or Tinna who belongs to Srikalahasti. For Tirupati, Srikalashasti is the Kshetra palaka. One should visit Srikalahasti after visiting Tirupati. This temple exists on the banks of River Swaramukhi within the Jnana Prasoonamba sannidhi.
This temple at Srikalahasti was consecrated by the Devatas. With time and with no proper maintenance, it turned into a dilapidated one. The entire area was covered by thick forests.
To a hunter couple a boy named Tinna was born. Tinna means ‘one who directly speaks the truth and who walks on the path of dharma’. True to his name he was always on the path of dharma. Once when he was hunting, he came across a wild boar and began to chase it. The wild boar ran through the dense forests and finally hid itself in a bush. Tinna went to the bush and to his surprise within the bush the wild boar was not to be found. Instead he found a Shivalinga. It was dirty as it was not being maintained. Tinna was fascinated and attracted towards this Shiva linga. It is the Vayu linga/ atma linga.
Immediately he removed his slippers and using them he cleaned the lingam. He then got mouthful of water and poured it on the Lord as abhishekam. He got raw meat and offered food to the Lord and forced him to eat. Lastly he offered even his eye to the Lord. Let us now understand the verse.
Margā varthita paduka pasupater angasya koorchāyate,
Gandoo śāmboo nishechanam pura ripoh divyābhishekaa yate,
Kinchid bhakshita māms sesha kabalam navyopahārayate,
Bhakti kim na karoth yaho vanacharo bhakthā vatam sāyate.
Marga avarthita pāduka pasupater angasya koorchāyate – The slippers (paduka) with which he was roaming about (marga avartita) turned into a brush (koorcha) which which he cleaned Your body, O Pasupate
Kurcha means a brush that is used for cleaning. Bhagavad pada here refers to the hunter’s slippers as Paduka. This is because by touching Shiva, the slippers had earned the merit to be called paduka.
Gandoo śāmboo nishechanam puraripoh divyābhishekaa yate – The mouthful of water that he brought from the river, O Lord, (pura ripo means the Lord who destroyed the Tripura) became the divine abhisheka for You.
Tinna was holding bow in one hand and meat in the other. To offer abhisheka therefore he filled his mouth with water and poured it upon the lingam. For the Lord, this is equivalent of the Deva abhishekam.
Kinchid bhakshita māmsa sesha kabalam navyopahārayate –The meat pieces (māmsa) that he tasted (kinchid bhakshita) and then offered was to You, O Lord, the Navya upahara (new tasty food; fresh food).
Bhakti kim na karoth yaho – Oho! What is it that true bhakti cannot grant
Vanacharo bhakthā avatamsā ayate – this uneducated tribal hunter of the forest became the most supreme amongst Your devotees (bhakta avatamsa)
Kurcha also means ‘bru mahdya sthana’, Ajna chakra. Tinna offered his eye to the Lord. When he had to offer the second eye, he kept his foot on the lingam, so that he could identify the position of the Lord’s eye and just as he was about to cut off his second eye, the Lord appeared before him. The Lord addressed Tinna as Kannappa – the person who had donated his eye to the Lord. After Mahavishnu, Kannappa was the only one to offer eye to Him. Furthermore the Lord declared that unless Naivedya is offered to Kannappa, Lord Shiva will not accept Naivedya.
Even today in Srikalahasti naivedya is offered first to Kanappa and then to Lord Srikalahasteshawara.
This is the ultimate state of bhakti. An uneducated tribal hunter became the supreme amongst devotees due to his pure devotion.
Verse 64
This is the paduka stotra for Lord Shiva.
Vakshastādana mantakasya kathinapasmara sammardanam,
Bhoobrith paryatanam namatsura shira koteera samgarshanam,
Karmedam mrudalasya tāvaka pada dwandvnasya gowripate,
Machchetho mani pāduka viharanam Shambho sadā angikuru
O Lord, how much pain Your feet would have endured
Vakshastādana mantakasya Kathina – in kicking the hard chest (vakshatha) of Yama, the Lord of death.
When Yama wanted to take away the life of Markandeya, the ardent devotee of Shiva, Shiva emerged from the Lingam and kicked Yama on his chest with full force, in order to save the boy. The Lord kicked kāla with His bare foot. How painful it would have been?
Apasmara sammardanam – in destroying the demon Apasmara (mohasura)
This means trampling and pressing away the ajnana; only then the demon can be killed.
Bhoobrith paryatanam – in wandering about in the mountains (bhubrith)
Namat sura shira koteera samgarshanam – due to the pricking of the crowns of the crores of Devatas who offer obeisance to You;
The crores of Devatas (sura) eternally offer obeisance to Your feet with their crown (koteera), the tip of their crown prick your feet; You walk barefoot, O Lord, the tips of these crowns prick your feet.
Karmedam mrudalasya thavaka pada dwandasya gowripate – O Gowri pate, these actions (karmas) cause immense pain to your delicate pair of feet,
Machchetho mani paduka viharanam – therefore use my chitta (mind) which are as strong as rubies (mani) as Your padukas to walk about
Shambho sadā angikuru – O Lord Shambhu, Please always wear them.
It means please take my mind and my heart with you; padukas are always with the master; my mind should be beneath your padukas.
Verse 65
What can be difficult to obtain (durlabham) for those who are eternally devoted towards serving Your lotus feet- Yacchetas tava pāda padma bhajanam tasyeha kim durlabham?
Vakshastādana śankaya vichalito vaiwaswato nirjarāh,
Kotirojjwala ratna deepa kalikā neerānjanam kurvate.
Drushtwa mukti vadhu sthanoti nibhrutāślesham bhāvani pate,
Yacchetas tava pāda padma bhajanam tasyeha kim durlabham
Vakshastādana sankhaya vichalitah vaiwaswatah – Afraid that Shiva will kick once again on his chest, Yama (vaivaswata) keeps away from devotees of the Lord
Yama, who is otherwise ruthless, now keeps away from the devotees of the Lord; He is so scared. The Lord hit him on his chest when he tried to take away Markandeya. Lord Shiva as Mrutunjaya increases our longevity. This is attained through His pada sava.
Nirjara Kotirojjwala ratna deepa kalika neeranjanam kurvate – Crores of immortal (nirjara) Devatas surround the devotee and offer Him camphor light (neerajana) that is akin to the illumination of thousands of Suns to Him.
In other words, the Devatas offer to the devotee the raksha kavacham. That is why we see such divine radiance and glow in the face of the true devotees; this comes from His sattvik guna. It is due to Shiva’s greatness that the Devatas offer camphor light to the devotees. In other words he attains this level because he is Shiva’s devotee.
Drushtwa mukti vadhus thanoti nibhruthaslesham – the girl (vadhu) called liberation (mukti) comes and embraces (slesham) the ardent devotee.
It means that Shiva rewards His devotee with liberation (mukti) after leaving this body.
Bhāvani pate – O husband of Goddess Bhavani,
All this was possible only because of Your grace.
Yacchetas tava pāda padma bhajanam tasyeha kim durlabham – What can be difficult to obtain (durlabham) for those who are eternally devoted towards serving Your lotus feet?
The Lord showers upon His devotee that which is most difficult to attain. Such things are not always visible. Here the Lord blesses the devotee by giving him salvation (deathlessness). A person who gets total contentment does not need anything else. Contentment is not available in the market; only the Lord has to bless us with it. It is durlabham (difficult to obtain).
Some people, due to constant failure to get what they want, attain a state of dispassion. This is not true contentment. True contentment means to share/ give away that which belongs to you. Eg- to be able to give away/ share the sweet when it is available (belongs to you) reflects contentment. This can be attained through bhakti.
Verse 66
This verse states that the Lord has created this entire universe solely for his pleasure and we are puppets in his hands. Therefore our actions should those that are pleasing to him.
Kreedārtham srujasi prapancha-makhilam krredāmruga-sthe-janāh,
Yat karmācharitham mayā cha bhavatah prethyai bhavatyeva tat,
Shambho swasya kuthūhalasya karanam macheshtitam nischitam,
Tasmān māmaka rakshanam pasupate kartavya-meva twaya.
Kreedārtham srujasi prapancha-makhilam – You created this entire universe solely for your pleasure/ play (kreeda)
He is the sutradhari who holds all the strings in this creation.
Krredāmruga-sthe-janāh – the people (jana) are all the puppets (kreeda mrga) held by You
Some force controls us and we are completely tied down by it. We living beings are the animals (mrga) in this play.
Yat karmā charitham mayā cha bhavatha prethyai bhavatyeva tat – therefore please accept with love O Lord all the actions performed by me (mayā)
After watching a puppet show, the credit goes solely to the person who has controlled these puppets and not to the puppets. Likewise when we are puppets, who should be responsible for our actions? We are all dolls that have been strung to a thread which is held by Him. It means that we should be very responsible in our actions and stop our self from bad deeds. We cannot attribute bad deeds to Him and escape from responsibility.
Shambho swasya kuthuhalasya karanam macheshtitam nischitham – because I decisively perform all actions solely for your pleasure
I engage only in those deeds that give pleasure to You O Lord. Also, O Lord give us chance to act per your directions/ wishes only.
Tasmat mamaka rakshanam pasupate karthavya meva twaya – due to this, O Lord Pasupate, You are duty bound (kartavya meva twaya) to offer me protection (rakshanam).
O Lord I am a puppet in your puppet show. You have created this universe solely for your pleasure and are controlling it. Therefore all my actions are in fact Your actions. I offer all my actions to You; let all my actions performed be those which bring joy to You. O Lord, I am after all your puppet; looking after me is therefore your responsibility. It is your duty to protect me.
This verse teaches us to offer all our actions to the Lord. We should remain as tools in His hands. You should beg that He uses you as a tool to do good deeds that bring joy to Him.