Line by Line summarized meaning of the sanskrit verses in Shivananda Lahari discourse
Day 32 – September 2 – verse 78 – 82
Verse78
This verse is a prayer to the Lord to uplift (uddhāra) the intellect (buddhi).
The buddhi is compared to a bride. A girl who is well versed in domestic matters is an ideal choice for a bride. Likewise, my intellect has all noble qualities, is eternally associated with the good hearted persons, has limitless patience and is well trained to offer services to the Lord. Therefore O Lord, please accept my buddhi as Your bride and bless me by tying a mangasutra to it. A bride is usually lifted up and carried. You too lift and carry this new bride called ‘my buddhi’. It means bless me with auspiciousness. Take it away with You.
Sadupachāra vidish vanubodhithām,
Savinayām suhrudam sadupāśritām,
Mama samuddhara buddhi mimām prabho,
Varaguṇena navodha vadhoomiva
I have a suitable bride (vadhu) with me O Lord; it is my buddhi. She has –
Sadupachāra vidish vanubodhithām – obtained the full training in conducting Your services and has good etiquette (sadupachara)
Patience (sahana) is a great trait amongst ladies. In this aspect the earth is compared to a mother. Earth displays extreme patience. Never lose this trait, under any circumstances. When patience is lost, every small problem appears like a huge mountain; for a person who is extremely patient even huge problems appear trivial.
Savinayām – is eternally humble (vinaya)
Suhrudam sadupāśritām – has always been associated/ been in the company (upāśrita) of the noble hearted persons (suhrudam).
Mama samuddhara buddhim imam prabho –
imām mama buddhim prabho samuddhara – O Lord, please carry/ uplift (uddhara) my buddhi to this state
Varagunena – by showering upon it good traits (gunas); by tying the mangalasutra
The mangalasutra is also known as guna. Here it implies tying the buddhi with auspicious traits
navoda vadhoomiva – carry this bride and take her (please carry my buddhi with You).
Navoda vadhum iva varagunena sammudhara.
When the heart tries to influence the mind with negative thoughts/ traits, the buddhi should step in and take a decision to move in the right path. It should not allow the heart to drag the mind to lower levels.
Verse 79
In a very unique way, Shankara bhagavadpada begs the Lord to give him darshan of His lotus feet.
All of us desire to have a glimpse of Sadguru’s pāda. When it is fulfilled, we desire to touch those holy feet. Thereafter we desire to keep it on our Sahasrara and later on we desire to keep it in our heart. Finally we desire to take them home with us. Likewise here Shankara Bhagavad pada desires to have a vision of the Lord’s feet. The vision in dhyana is not strong enough for him to hold.
Nityam-yogi-mana-ssarojadala-sanchāra-kshama-stvath-krama-
Ssambho tena katham kathōra yamarāng-vakshah-kavāta kshithah.
Atyantham mrudulam twadamgriyugalam haa me manaschintaya,
Tyethllochana gocharam kuru vibho hasthena samvahaye.
Nityam yogi mana ssarojadhala sanchāra-kshama-stvath-krama – Your tender feet are appropriately suited (samarthya, kshama) to roam about in the lotus petalled mind of holy saints (sadguru). This is your svath krama.
Yogis retain Your feet in their mind. Therefore to see Your feet, we should seek refuge in saints/ Sadguru.
Ssambho tena katham kathora yamarang vakshah kavāta kshithah – O Shambho, how could such tender feet kick forcefully the hard door (kavāta) called Lord Yama’s chest?
Atyantham mrudulam twadamgriyugalam – Your possess utmost tender feet
haa me manaschintaya – I am worried about what would have happened to them (due to kicking Yama’s chest).
Tyethllochana gocharam kuru – Please Make them visible to my eyes (lochana gocharam)
Vibho – O Lord
Hasthena samvāhaye – so that I can tenderly massage them with my hands.
According to Agama shastra, the idol should be installed such that it starts either from our navel, heart, throat, nose, brumadhya or Sahasrara point. When this is done, the gaze of the deity will fall directly on our navel etc. and our gaze on His feet. We should always look first at the feet and then gradually upwards. Only in swayambhu lingam it is left as is.
Offering namaskaram to Sadguru’s sandals gives immense punya. The benefit of doing seva to him is obtained.
O Lord, You possess such delicate tender feet that are accustomed only to walking in the lotus like soft minds of the great saints. How could you kick that hard chest of Yama, with these tender feet? How much pain Your feet would have suffered due to this? I am worried about them. Please make your feet visible to me, O Lord, so that I can gently and lovingly massage them and thus reduce the pain.
What a wonderful way to seek darshan of His feet!
Verse 80
Eshyathyesha janim manosya kathinam tasmin natā neeti ma,
Drakshāyai giri somni komalapada nyasah purabhyāsita,
Noched divya gruhāntareśu sumana sthalpeshu vedyādiśu,
Prāyassathsu shila taleśu natanam sambho kimartham tava.
The Lord has seen us before we were born and thought thus –
Eshyathyesha janim – this being will be born
Mano asya katinam – his mind will be inflexible and hard (Katina)
Tasmin nata neethi ma – I will have to dance (nata) on it
Drakshāyai giri somni komalapada nyasah purabhyāsitah – therefore (with this forethought) you have practiced (purābhyāsita) with your tender feet, by dancing on hard rocky surfaces of mountains
Noched divya gruhanthareshu – if not, why did You not dance in temples and divine places
Sumana sthalpeshu – or on bed of flowers
vedyādishu – or on great stages (vedya)
Prayassathsu –
Shila thaleshu natanam – Why did you dance on hard rocky and thorny surfaces of mountains
Sambho kimartham tava – What else can be the meaning behind this O Lord shambho?
Verse 81
This verse explains the qualities of jeevanmukta (liberated while living) in a simple way.
Kanchit kālam uma mahesa bhavata padāravindārchanai,
Kanchid dhyāna samādhibischa natibhi kanchit kathā kārnanaih,
Kanchit kanchit vekshanaischa nuthibhih kanchid daśā meedriśim,
Ya prapnoti mudā twadarpita manaa jivan sa muktha khalu.
Kanchit kālam – those who spend a little portion of their day
Uma mahesa – O Lord uma mahesha
Bhavada padāravindārchanai – On worshipping Your lotus feet
Kanchid dhyāna samādhibischa – who spend little time on dhyana and samadhi
Nathibhi – and who bow in reverence to You
Kanchit katha kārnanai – and some time in listening to Your glories (katha)
Kanchit kanchida vekshanaischa – who spend a little time looking at your intently
Nuthibhi – and singing Your glories (nuti)
Kanchid dasām eedrisim – those who thus divide their time in Your activities
Ya prapnothi muda twadarpitha manaa – those who have thus offered their mind to You in entirety
Jivan sa muktha khalu – are jeevanmuktas (are liberated even when living)
Verse 82
Srihari is the greatest amongst Gods. Such Srihari desires the company of Lord Shiva, states this verse.
Bāṇathwam vrishabhatwam Ardha-vapusha bhāryatwam aryāpate,
Goṇithwam sakkhitā mridangavahata chetyādiroopam dadhow,
Twat pāde nayanārpaṇam ca krutavan twad deha bhāgo harih,
Poojyāt poojyatarasya eva hi na chet ko vaa tadanyo adhika.
Bāṇathwam – Srihari became Your arrow (bāna)
The demons Tripurasura had sought a special boon from the Lord. Therefore for their destruction Lord Shiva came in a special appearance in which Mountain Meru became the bow and Srihari took on the form of the arrow (Narayana astram).
Vrishabhatwam – He took on the form Your bull (vrushabha).
At one time Shiva called out for Nandi, but Nandi was not in vicinity. Sensing this to be a suitable opportunity, Srihari took on the form of Shiva’s bull and appeared there. Shiva mounted on it and moved about. A little time later he noticed that the bull was moving about freely, as if it understood his needs, without waiting for any guidance from Him. He then realized that it was Srihari. To return this favour, Shiva incarnated as Hanuman. The first seva that Hanuman performed for Rama was to carry Him on his shoulders.
Ardha vapusha bhāryātwam – He took on a female form to complete Your ardha nareshwara form.
In the shloka, Sarva mangala mangalye…. Gouri Narayani namostute.
Here Gouri and Narayani are recited after one another. Here Narayani refers to Narayana’s sister. She is Durga maata. She is the sister of Narayana who married Shiva.
At one time, when Gouri left her abode to incarnate as Kāli, Narayana manifested as Gouri. Shiva absorbed this Gouri into Himself and took on ardhanareeshwara form. All the sages prayed to Narayana to return back to Vaikunta. He said to the sages, ‘bring my sister back from her Kāli form. Let her come here and only then I shall leave”.
Gouri means infinite golden glow.
Aryāpate – O husband of Gouri (āryam) Gonithwam –
Hari incarnated as a boar (varaha, goṇi) so that He could have Your vision
Sakkhitha – He is a good friend of Yours
Mridhangavahatha chetyadhiroopam dhadhow – Sri mahavishnu held the Mrudamgam in his hands and played it so that You could complete Your cosmic dance (rudra tandava).
During Shiva’s rudra tandava, all the deities including Ganapati, Subrahmanya got tired and gave up. Vishnu however continued relentlessly playing the Mrudamgam to match the speed of Shiva’s tandava. It went on for a long time. All Devatas remained as mere spectators watching these two great lords in action. After a long time, due to playing of the Mrudamgam, Mahavishnu’s palms began to bleed. A drop of this blood fell on Shiva. Shiva stopped for a minute and observed it. He realized that it was dripping from Vishnu’s palms. Vishnu, closing His eyes, was immersed in playing the Mrudamgam. Shiva was deeply touched by this. He asked Vishnu to stop and said, “why did you continue when your palms were bleeding thus?’ Vishnu said, “its ok if my palms bleed. But I did not want your dance to stop”. For all these helps rendered by Hari, Shiva incarnated as Hanuman.
Twat pāde nayanārpanam – Once Hari offered his eye as a flower to complete Shiva’s worship.
At one time for the Sahasranama puja only 999 lotus flowers were available. Narayana reflected- I am known as Padmaksha, which means my eye itself is a lotus. Let me offer this to Shiva and complete the worship.
cha kruthavan twad deha bhāgo hari – Hari is eternally seated in Your heart; He is Your heart. He obtained this state.
Poojyat poojyatharasya eva hi na chet ko vaa tadanyo adhikah – who else is greater than Srihari in this entire creation? He could get such greatness only because He managed to obtain Your association.
This shows the abheda between Shiva and Hari. Hari worships Shiva and hence attains greatness. Shiva worships Hari and through it earns greatness. This story explains the history behind the incarnation of Hanuman.