Day 18, Shivananda
Line by Line summarized meaning of the sanskrit verses in Shivananda Lahari discourse
Day 18 - August 15 - verse 34 and 35
Verse 34
Shiva’s bravery and courage (sāhasa, sthairya and dhairya) are being explained. These are the traits of a Guru according to Shastras.
Kim broo ma-stava sāhasam pasupathe kasyāsthi Shambho bhava-
Dhairyam chedrusam-atmanah stithi–riyam chānyaih katham labhyate
Braśyaddeva gaṇam trasan muṇi ganam nasyat prapancham layam
Pasyan nirbhaya eka eva viharathy ānanda sāndro bhāvan.
Kim broo mas tava sāhasam - What can be said about (broo) Your sāhasam (courage)
Pasupathe - O Paśupate
kasyāsthi Shambho bhava-dhairyam - O Shambho! What can be said about Your dhairyam (sustained intelligence, fortitude and wisdom).
No one can equal you in sahasam and dhairyam.
Ca īdruśam atmanah stithir iyam - and of your Atma-sthairyam
No one else possesses this sort of (Idrusam) atma sthithi/ sthairyam
chānyai katham labhyathe – It is not even possible for anyone to acquire it
Braśyad deva ganam - The deva ganas tremble in fear and fall (braśya).
They are running in fear.
trasan muni ganam – even the saints (muni gana) are ruined
nasyat prapancham – the entire world (prapancha) which is made up of the five elements is totally destroyed
layam - at the time of Pralaya
Pasyan nirbhaya eka eva viharathy – You alone fearlessly watch it and roam about everywhere freely
Ānanda sāndhro bhāvan – O Lord, You are a personification of total bliss.
If the bliss of all the creation is gathered in one place, the form of Shiva will arise.
What can I say about you O Lord? No one can match your sthairya and dhairya and atma sthithi? At the time of final destruction (Pralaya), when all the Devatas and saints are trembling, you fearlessly move about everywhere, all alone, in a state of divine bliss. This is the state of final pralaya, after 72 Manvantaras.
In texts/ shastras which explain about Mother Goddess, the term pralaya is explained. Even in Lalita Sahasranama it is said that at the time of pralaya, Shiva will be performing the ananda tandava or Rudra tandava or Pralaya tandava. Rudra tandava is the tandava performed in-between yugas, when creation is not totally destroyed. The tandava that is performed when the creation is totally eliminated and nothing exists is Pralaya tandava. At this time Brahma would have merged into Maha Vishnu and Vishnu would have gone into deep meditation. Only Shiva remains.
In texts relating to Shiva it is said that at the time of tandava, the earth scatters into bits under the force of His steps. The snake Vasuki is unable to match his steps at that time and hence it gives up.
Every night during our deep sleep state, Shiva together with Shakti perform tandava in our Sahasrara. He takes care of us when we are in that state of deep sleep. He roams about with Shakti freely and fearlessly at that time in our Sahasrara.
Thinking of Shiva’s sthairya and dhairya blesses us with these traits. Those who have atma sthairya do not know any fear.
A yogi at the time of giving up his body, happily gives it up knowing that Shiva will roam about freely.
There are certain places where the Ashtadaśa shakti peethas, Bhairava kshetra and Jyotilinga come together. Among such places are Kashi, Srisailam, Ujjaini. The greatness of Kashi cannot be explained even when spoken for one whole day. Ujjaini means the place which gives us eternal victory. Here the Lord is Maha kāla i.e. the Lord who is immeasurable; it is the undivided time which cannot be measured by any factor. That is why it is Mahakaḷikeśa maha kāḷā linga - this Lord is the husband for that Mother who is undivided time. He is the adhipati for such a force. Ujjayini is also known as Avanti. Avanti is one of the mukti kshetras- Avanti purī dwaravati chaiva. Avanti means ‘that which protects’. In other words, He is the Lord who is undivided time but yet the Lord who protects. Mahakāla is the Lord who performs tandava during Pralaya.
Verse 35
Why should we worry about pralaya and all these fearful thoughts when the Lord Himself has taken responsibility of our yoga kshema?
Yoga Kshema-durandharasya sakalaaśhraya pradodh yoginah,
Drushtādrushta-matopadeśa krutino bāhyāntara vyāpinah,
Sarvagnasya dayākarasya bhavatah kim veditavyam maya
Shambho twam paramantaranga iti me chitte smarāmyanvaham.
Yoga kshema durandharasya – You have taken on the load of both our Yoga and Kshema.
Yoga is that which enables us to get that object (padartha) which otherwise we would not have got. Kshema means to protect that object once it is obtained. He is Bhāravahah- who has taken on the
responsibility of our spiritual growth/ yoga. Bhagavad Gita states -
Ananyas chinta yanto mām…. Yogakshemam mahamyaham.
Ananyas chinta yanto mām - He who thinks Me without any other distraction/ thought
Ye janāh paryupāsate - How who whole heartedly worships Me; He who sees that Lord in every being, in every other God (parita upasate)
Tesham nitya abhi yuktānām - and those who are fixed in this devotion
Yoga-kśemam vamahāmy aham - I will take on the responsibility of their Yoga and kshemam.
Sakalāśhraya pradodh yoginah - Showering auspiciousness on every being is your udyogah (job).
He has taken upon Himself this udyogah. Every person should have a udgogah- the task which is beneficial to us and to others around us.
Even a small good deed does not go for a waste - nahi kalyāna krt kaschid durgatim tata gacchati. The Lord always returns our good deeds with far superior returns.
Drushta-adrushta-mathopadesha-kruthinah - You are showering auspiciousness upon this world (krutinah) by preaching (upadesha) about the worldly (Iha, drushta) and non- worldly (para, adrushta) acquisitions/ results. This preaching the messages from the Vedas (mata, Your abhiprāya).
You take on the position of Guru so as to teach this Veda. Through this preaching You ensure auspiciousness falls upon us.
Bāhyāntara vyāpinah - You are the all-pervading Lord who pervades both inner and outer worlds (bāhya and antara).
Unnadi okade shivude ga..
Sarvagnasya – You are all knowing.
Sarvangya means He who knows not only our present thoughts, past as well as future thoughts. He is all knowing. He knows our karma and our mind in complete detail. Sarvangya and Trikalagnya are synonyms
Dayā karasya - You are an ocean of compassion
Even though He is sarvagnyah who knows every thought of ours, He forgives us and further looks at us compassionately.
Bhavathah - O Lord
Kim veditavyam mayā – What more is there to be learnt (Veditavya) by me (mayā)?
Shambho - O Lord Shambho
Twam paramā antharanga ithi me – You are the one who resides deep within me; You are the most trusted companion of my anta ranga.
This is the level of friendship that we should develop with the Lord. Parama antaranga- most dear friend of the inner self. Be with me eternally in this manner.
Veda becomes Deva.
Chitte smaramyanvaham - At all times in my mind I should think in this manner.