Day 14, Shivananda
Line by Line summarized meaning of the sanskrit verses in Shivananda Lahari discourse
Day 14 - August 11 - verse 26 and 27
Verse 26
In this verse Bhagavadpādacharya teaches the method of worshipping the Lord even after attaining the sameepya and salokya with the Lord. How should be our feelings towards the Lord then? This is prema bhakti.
Kadā vā twām drushtvā gireesha tava bhavayangri yugaḷam,
Griheethvā hasthābhyām shirasi nayane vakshasi vahan,
Samāslishyā grāhya sphuta-jalaja-gandhān parimalān,
alabhyām brahmādhair muda-manu bavishyāmi hrudhaye.
Kadā vā twām drushtvā -, When will I ever obtain/ see
Drushtva means ‘having seen’ (past tense). It should be understood that He has had darshan of the Lord. Having darshan is not enough. There should be an incessant desire to hold those lotus feet for ever and ever. What is the use of darshan if these feelings are missing? A person can go to Kailasa or Kedarnath, but if he fails to seek the Lord’s feet for eternity then it is not a extremely worthy visit.
Gireesha - O Lord of the mountains
This Lord is known as Girisha and Gireesha. He blissfully rests in the mountains and hence takes the name Girisha. This mountain is our Sahasrara chakra. At this point which is far above every organ and every feeling, He rests. The lotus in the Sahasrara has a distinct divine smell. This Lord resides at that point which is far away from that smell and hence is Girisha.
When it is said that ‘He is sleeping blissfully in the Sahasrara’ it means that He is in a state that is over and above the 4th stage - tureeyateeta state. He is over and above sleep.
Tava bhavayāngri yugalam - Your holy feet (anghri) that are over and above the shackles of samsara.
Bhavya is that which is above samsara (samsara ateeta), above creation and above every visible state. This is the cause for the samsara and for our existence. Anghri yugalam refers to the pair of feet. Here both the feet are considered as one single entity.
When will I
Griheethvā hasthābhyam - Hold them (gruheetva) with both my hands
Holding the Lord’s feet does not imply snatching or grabbing them roughly. We do not have the knowledge about how the Lord’s feet should be held. Tulsidas states that we do not even have the eligibility to hold them. We should not touch those feet with dirty and unclean hands, unwashed after eating, with nails grown etc.
Even archakas in temples have rules regarding touch the Lord’s feet. After achamanan, they should wash their hands before touching the feet. Feet can be touched only once during archana. After that even the archakas cannot touch the feet again. Feet will be then covered with kavacha so that they are protected. Likewise in our house we should not enter the puja room and touch the feet as and when we like. Only then the pure vibrations will flow in the house.
Madi as a concept has been introduced with hygiene in the mind. Unnecessarily one should not touch another being. Our Shastras do not therefore have the handshake as a tradition. This handshake is a way to transfer germs from one unclean hand to another.
We should wash our hands and be ever ready to touch Guru’s feet. In open palms, the pādas should be lovingly taken. ‘O Lord my hand is a bit rough. I am not even eligible to hold your lotus feet. But yet, please kindly place your feet in my open palms’ should be the prayer.
I will narrate an incident which took place during my childhood. I was a little boy, new to the ashram. Swamiji had entrusted me with the responsibility of waking him up at 3.30 AM. This was my first assignment and I was very eager to carry it out meticulously. All night I remained awake looking at the clock. At sharp 3.30 I knocked the door. No response. Waited for a few minutes and then knocked again. When there was no response I was afraid that I was doing something wrong. It was past 3.30 and I was failing in my task. A senior devotee was passing by and I solicited his advice. He asked me to go in gently and touch Swamiji’s feet. With this Swamiji would wake up he said. Trusting him implicitly I did exactly as I was told. As soon as I touched Swamiji’s feet, he kicked me hard and shouted, “who is this?” nervously I replied. He asked me as to why I had woken him up. Then he said that he was busy in some other country at that time. He was saving some life. I had not realized that disturbing him and touching his feet thus was actually a mistake.
Shirasi nayane vakshasi vahān - and carry them on my head, place them upon my eyes and chest
The padas should then be at first kept on the head. From here the amrita dhara will flow to the entire body. Thereafter the feet should be pressed against our eyes and then against the chest. We should have the bhavana that these feet should eternally rest in the heart.
Head, eyes and chest are three important kendras for these feet. Navel, heart, throat, tip of the nose, ajna chakra and Sahasrara are important focal points for yoga. The sound begins from the nabhi (navel) and at the heart point it undergoes a transformation. When the focus is on the tip of the nose, the mind will not go in any direction.
Here Bhagavad pada swami is coming in the top down approach in mentioning the points of yoga Kendra.
Keeping Lord’s feet on our head also implies that He is stamping our enemy i.e. our ego with his feet and destroying it completely.
Samāslishyā – embrace them tightly without leaving (aslishya)
Now that the feet are locked in the heart we should hold them tightly without letting them go. ‘My heart and Your feet should be intertwined from now on’ should be the prayer in the heart.
Rama embraced Hanuman. During that alinganam Rama whispered to Hanuman - from today I am You and You are me. Hearing this, tears flowed from Hanuman’s eyes. The Lord said that these tears had washed away all of Hanuman’s impurities.
Āgraya - and smell
Sphuta jalaja gandhān parimalān - the divine fragrance of the lotus paste (padma gandha - taken from a lotus) that they emit
Holding the feet tightly we should smell the divine fragrance (āghraya) that they emit
Alabhyām bhramādhyair – (when will I get ) this chance which even Brahma and other Gods do not get
In this verse, all the levels attained during dhyana are explained. This smell is not external. Our mind smells this. Our heart feels this smell.
Muda manu bavishyāmi hrudhaye - When will I enjoy this supreme bliss in my heart?
Verse 27
In this hymn Bhagavad padacharya wonders what He can give to that Lord who has everything with Him.
What can I give You O Lord, You have blessed me with that bliss which even Brahma and other Gods did not get. What is that item which I can give you to express my gratitude? You have with you all forms of riches. I therefore offer my mind to you.
Yasattaya jagat sattvam…tasmai Sri Gurave namaha - this verse should be recited daily. He by whose energy (shakti, sattva), the sattva guna in us increases; whose illumination causes the light in us to glow; whose bliss is the cause for bliss within us; to that Guru I offer my obeisance.
We should teach this 27th stotra to our children and recite it every day. Reciting it daily with understanding of meaning will quickly grant ekagrata. Bad thoughts will be eliminated quickly. In this life at least once we should offer this mind to him. When we give him our mind, our mind and his mind unite.
Karasthe hemādrou Gireesha nikatasthe dhana pathou,
Gruhasthe sarvabuja amara surabhi chinthamanir gane,
Shirasthe sheetāmsau charana-yugalsthe-akhila shubha,
Kamartham dasyeham bhavathu bhavadartham mama manah.
Karasthe hemādrou - You hold the Meru mountain in Your hand
Every possible object is available in this Meru Mountain. It is the golden mountain. Therefore there cannot be any item that He cannot get from it.
When giving we should always give that which is useful to the other person; it is not right to give away items which we find useless. If we do not know what is useful or liked by the other person, then we should give away that item which is dearest to us. It is sin to gift wrap an object absolutely useless to us, and gift it to someone using sugary sweet words and then feel great about the charity.
Likewise when giving to Guru, give the best you can or that which is most dear to you.
Gireesha – O Lord of Mountains
Nikatasthe dhana pathou – Kubera, the Lord of wealth is standing next to You.
Kubera is the reserve bank for the entire creation. With Him by your side, what wealth is there which I can give you?
Gruhasthe sarvabhuja - The kalpavruksha (sarvabhuja, wish fulfilling tree) is in your house
Amara surabhi – Surabhi, the wish fulfilling cow is eternally with you
Chinthamanir gane - heaps of Chintamani gems are scattered beside you
Chintamani is the wish fulling gem - it fulfills every sankalpa of the mind, even if it is not found in the entire creation.
Shirasthe sheetamsau - On your head is the moon
I can’t even fan you because You already have the moon with you (who showers cool rays upon You)
Charana yugalsthe akhila shubha - All forms of auspiciousness (shubha) are lying scattered at your feet
So I can’t even offer my little auspiciousness to You. What then can I give you O Lord. Every form of joy, bliss and wealth you have. I want to give you what you do not have.
Kamartham dasyeham – What can this servant give you
Bhavathu bhavadārtham mama manah - O Lord, the only thing that I can give you is my mind (manas). Let my mind belong to You
This is one thing that you surely do not have. In this way we have to offer our mind to the Lord. This is the only thing we can give to Him, who has given us everything. All our efforts at puja etc. are to each this state wherein we can surrender our mind to the Lord. Only then we have runa vimochana. We are all indebted to Him. If we fail to give our mind, we will remain indebted (runagrasta).