Line by Line summarized meaning of the sanskrit verses in Shivananda Lahari discourse
Day 7 – August 3 – verse 12 and 13
Verse 12
In this verse Adi Shankaracharya Swami states that it does not matter where one stays, what is more important is that he has placed his antahkarana (inner mind) completely in Shiva.
Guhāyām gehe vā bahirapi vane vā adri shikare,.
Jale vā vahnou vā vasatu vasateh kim vada phalam,
Sadā yasyai vānthah karana mapi sambho tava pade
Sthitam chedyogosau sa cha parama yogi sa ca sukhi
Guhāyām Gehe vā – Let (the person) him be in a cave (for tapas)
Bahirapi vane vā – Or let him be outside the house in a forest (vane)
Adri shikare – Or on the top of the mountain
Jale vā – Let him be in water (rivers, ocean, like jalasthambana vidya)
Vahni vā – or being seated in the middle of fire (panchagni tapas)
Vasatu vasate kim vada phalam – What does it matter where he lives; can there be any fruit (phalam) for residence?
Sadā yasyai va antahkaraṇam api sambho tava pade – O Shambho, he whose antahkarana (inner mind) is eternally fixed on Your lotus feet
Antahkarana is that which inspires/ prachodana from within us.
Sthitam ched yogosau sa ca paramayogi sa ca sukhi – and is seated there; is the Parama yogi who enjoys eternal happiness (parama sukha). This fixing of the mind is itself yoga (yogousou).
What is the use of all tapas, done in difficult situations, if the mind is not fixed on the supreme Shiva? The person who sits in the cave, in fire, water etc. cannot get mukti if his mind is not completely fixed on the Lord. On the other hand a person who lives amidst all comforts places his inner mind on God is a true yogi.
Verse 13
In this verse Adi Shankaracharya is reminding the Supreme Lord of His duty to offer protection.
Asāre samsāre nija-bhajana-dūre jada dhiyā
Bramantam māmandham parama-kripaya pāthu muchitam
Madanyah ko deena-stava kripana rakshāti nipuna,
Tvadanyah kova me trijagati śaranya paśupate.
Asāre samsāra- In this tasteless samsara (ruche, asāra).
Saints who look at the big picture – beginning and end find this samsara is only filled with births and deaths. So they term it asāra– tasteless. Samsara does not mean wife, children, wealth etc. Only repeated births and deaths are samsara.
Jada dhiya – I am a dull witted person (jada; this is because of ignorance) .
Nija bhajana dhūre – who has distanced from singing Your bhajans (no longer look at daily chores as your seva)
Bramantam māmandham – I am that blind person who is simply wandering.
Blind here means no antar dristhi.
Parama kripaya pāthu mucitam – it will be good for you (uchitam), O Lord, to compassionately uplift and protect me.
Madanya ko deena – Who else can be more pitiable than me; (You will not find anyone more poorer than me)
Tava kripana rakshaati nipunah – You possess a great expertise in offering protection and compassion
Tvadanya kova me trijagati saranya paśupate – Who else apart from You in these 3 worlds, can offer me protection, O Lord Paśupate?