Day 27, Shivananda
Line by Line summarized meaning of the sanskrit verses in Shivananda Lahari discourse
Day 27 - August 28 - verse 54, 55, 56, 57, 58 and 59
Verse 54
Here Shiva is once again compared to peacock. The male peacock dances to attract the female. It dances at the beginning of monsoon, there should be thick dark rain bearing clouds and few other requirements. At times it dances when it is in fear.
Sandhyā gharma dinātyayo harikarā gātha prabhootā naka,
Dhvāno varida garjitam divisadām drishticchatas chanchala,
Bhaktānām paritosha bāshpa vitatir vrishtir mayurī shivā,
Yasminnujwala tāndavam vijayate tam neelakantam bhaje
Sandhya gharma dinātyayo – In the evening twilight (Sandhya) time when the heat (gharma) has cooled down
This cool evening weather appears like the beginning of the cool monsoon season.
Harikara agātha prabhootha anakad dhvāno - to the drum beats (anakad, drum) from the hands of Lord Vishnu (hari)
Sri Hari wanted to see Shiva’s tandava. So Hari began to play the Mrudamgam in full fervour. Shiva happily danced to its beats. This to You was like the thunder.
Vāridha garjitham – just like the peacock dances to the tunes of the thundering clouds.
divisadām drishticchatas chanchala – under the gaze of the Devatas which is like lightening
The Devatas were watching this divine dance. Their gaze appeared like flashes of lightening.
Bhakthanam parithosha bhāshpa vithathir – where the tears of joy shed by the devotees is the rain
Mere thunder and lightning are of no use; it should rain profusely for a peacock to dance.
vishtir mayuri shiva Yasminnujwala tandavam vijayathe - Just as the peacock dances only in the presence of a female (mayuri peahen), Lord Shiva dances to joyfully and victoriously to please Mother Goddess Shivā.
tham neelakantam bhaje – to such Lord Neelakanta I bow down.
O Lord dance thus and enter our mind, is the prayer hidden in this.
Verse 55
The previous verse was about ujjwala tandava. This verse speaks about his Samyak tandava and how the Lord is immersed in it (sambhrama). He is lost in its bliss and all those who are there in the vicinity become spell bound and merge in that bliss. Nataraja Swamy stands on one leg. In some photos they represent Nataraja as standing on big toe itself. In all Shiva temples, a Nataraja mandapa will exist. The Lord comes here and performs tandava. Nataraja swamy is the moola purusha for those learning dance.
Aadyāyāmiti tejase sruthipader vedyāya sadhyāya te,
Vidhyananda mayātmane trijagata ssamrakshanod yogine,
Dhyeyakhila yogibhi ssuraganair geyāya māyāvine,
Samyak tāndava sambramāya jatine seyam nathissambhave.
Ādyāyā - You are the foremost/ primordial being (adya) in this creation.
Without You creation was not possible. You are anadi and ananta.
Amithi tejase – Your radiance is limitless;
You have created this entire universe with just Your sankalpa
Sruthipade vedyaya – All this is stated in the Veda
Sādhyāya te - You are the only fruit (phala) of all Sadhana;
We should understand about Your essence (tattva) and reach You. Else all Sadhana is a waste.
Vidyānanda mayātmane – Jnana and ananda are Your forms;
The bliss that comes from knowledge is Your form.
Trijagata ssamraksanod yogine - You have taken on the task/ job of protecting all the three worlds
Dhyeya – You are the one on whom we should contemplate;
Our Sadhana should be to get Him in our dhyana. Our buddhi should run towards Him.
Akhila yogibhi ssuraganair – all the yogis and all the celestials
Geyāya – sing your glories
Māyāvine - You are the one who has conquered māya; due to Your maya you have created this entire universe.
Samyak tāndava sambramāya – When You are so immersed in the samyak tandava
Jatine – He who has long tufts
The Lord was so immersed in tandava that his tuft got distorted and His hair began to fly in all directions.
Seyam nathi ssambhave – To such a Lord, O Shambhu, I bow.
Sa+iyam nathi - this namaskara of mine, may it reach you. Please accept the namaskara that I had offered earlier; Namaskara should be per the procedure prescribed in the shastra.
Verse 56
Nityāya trigunātmane purajite kathyāyani śreyase
Sathyāyadi kutumbine munimanah pratyaksha chinmurtaye
Māyāsrushta jagatrayāya sakalāmnāyānta sanchāriṇe
Sāyam tāndava sambramāya jatine seyam nathissambhave.
Nithyaya – You who are of eternal existence
Trigunatmane – who are the embodiment of the three gunas;
Who has conquered the three gunas; who are over and above the gross, subtle and causal bodies; who is the form of trinity
Purajite – who has destroyed/ won victory over Tripurasura;
Kathyāyani śreyase – who has blessed Mother Katyayini with the supreme fruit of having worshipped Him;
You showered auspiciousness upon Her
Sathya - You are the personification of truth
Ādi kutumbine – You are the first householder in this entire creation; Parvati Parameshwara first couple.
Munimanah pratyaksha chinmurthaye – Who manifested before the minds (mano) of the realized saints (muni) in the form of Jnana (chin murti)
Māyāsrushta jagatrayāya – Using māya who has created all these three illusory worlds
Sakalāmnāyānta sanchāriṇe – who wanders about in the crown jewel (anta, end point) of the Vedas (āmnāya) i.e. in the Upanishads.
Sakala āmnāya anta sancharine
Sāyam tandava sambramaya – who is immersed in the evening tandava
Jatine – O Lord who has long tufts
Seyam nathissambhave - O Shambhu, I offer my obeisance.
Verse 57
Nityam swodara poshanāya sakalān uddishya vittāśaya,
Vyartham paryatanam karomi bavath sevam na jāne Vibho,
Majjanmantara pushyapāka balata stvam sśarva sarvāntara
Sthishtisyeva hi tena vaa pasupate te rakshaniyō aasyaham
Nityam swodara poshanāya – Every day, in order to feed my stomach (udara)
Sakalān uddhishya – I fall at everyone’s feet/ I contact useless people
Vitha aśaya Vyartham – in order to fulfill all useless desires
Paryatanam karomi – I wander aimlessly everywhere
Bavatha sevam na jane Vibho - O all pervading Lord, I do not know how to serve You
Majjanmanthara puṇyapāka balata – Due to the ripening of the meritorious deeds of some previous births ,
I have come to know that
Tvam śarva – You are Sharva
Sharva is the Lord who destroys the sins of the people
Sarvāntara thistas – You exist/ reside within everything.
Eva hi tena vaa pasupathe – For that reason (tena) O Lord Pasupathe
Te rakshaniyo smaham – I have become worthy of Your protection.
Please do not be angry with me O lord that instead of doing Your seva and I am running behind all useless people in order to fill my stomach. You are the Lord of all animals, O Pasupathe, please protect me. Is it not your duty to look after me, after all you are all pervading?
Verse 58
Eko vārija bāndhawah kshithi nabho vyāptam tamo mandalam,
Bithwā lochana gocharapi bhavathi twam koti surya prabhah,
Vedha kinna bhavasyaho ghanataram kee drug bhaven mathama,
Statsarvam vyapaneeya me paupathe sākshat prasanno bhava.
Eko vārija bandhawa – The Sun, the friend/ relative of the lotus (vārija)
The lotus blooms only when the Sun rises; here the entire world is compared to a lotus and it if filled with radiance only when the Sun rises. ‘Surya ekāki chalati’- Sun is travelling alone. Even though He is alone, He showers infinite illumination. We should learn from the Sun the Advaita principle and we should not fear being alone.
Kshithi nabho vyāptham – with its radiance is spreading throughout the space (nabhah) and earth (kshiti)
Tamo mandalam – and is destroying the darkness everywhere
Bithwa lochana gocharabhi bhavathi – why are you not visible to my eyes, O Lord
Twam koti surya prabha vedya - Vedas declare that You possess the brilliance of crores of suns.
You are addressed as Koti surya samaprabha. His rays are in crores means that He drives away our ignorance in entirety.
Kinna bhavasyaho ghanatharam kee drug bhaven mathama- Why then o Lord, the darkness within me is not being dispelled?
The radiance of one Sun is driving away the darkness of this entire galaxy. You have with You the radiance of a crore Suns. If so, Why is my inner darkness not being washed away?
Tat sarva vyapaneeya me paupathe sakshat prasanno bhava - Being pleased with me, O Paśupate, please destroy (vyapaneeya) the tamas within me.
This is ajna roopa prarthan - in a commanding tone to the Lord. ‘You live up to your reputation by helping me’ is the substance of this hymn.
This vision (sakshatkara) cannot be had with physical eyes. Arjuna wanted to see the Lord but when the Lord actually gave His darshan, Arjuna expressed his inability to see Him. Can we see the mid day sun for a long time? This vision sought is here antar darshana. All the indriyas should experience it.
Shiva is worshipped as Sun in rudram.
Verse 59
Hamsa padmavanam samichchathi yathā neelambudham chātaka,
Kokah kokanada priyam prati dinam chandram cakorastatha,
Chetho vānchati māmakam pasupathe chinmārga mrugyam vibho,
Gowrinatha bhavath padābja yugalam kaivalya soukhya pradam.
Hamsa padmavanam samichchathi yadha - Just as the swan desires to wander in the garden of lotuses
neelambhudham chataka - Just as the chataka pakshi intensely longs for the rain bearing blue clouds (neela ambuda)
Kokah kokanadha priyam – Just as the chakravaka bird (kokah, a member of the goose family) longingly awaits the Sun
Prathi dinam chandram chakorastatha - Just as the chakora bird awaits for the moon every night
In the same way,
Chetho vānchathi mamakam pasupathe – my mind (chetah) is longing for You, O Paśupate
Chinmārga mrugyam vibho - which, O Lord Vibho, can be reached only through the path of knowledge (chin marga)
Sadguru is margabandhu. He comes and helps us when we are proceeding in the path of knowledge.
Gowrinatha – O husband of Gowri
Bhavath padabjha yugalam – It is praying to Your lotus feet (padabja yugalam)
Kaivalya soukhya pradam –to bless it with the bliss (sukham) called ultimate liberation (kaivalya)
We have originated from mind (manas). We are where are mind exists.