Day 28, Shivananda
Line by Line summarized meaning of the sanskrit verses in Shivananda Lahari discourse
Day 28 - August 29 - verse 60, 61 and 62
Verse 60
The mind is being instructed about how it should take shelter in the lotus feet of the Lord.
Rodha stōya hruth śramena pathika sschāyām, taror vrishtita,
Bheetah swastha gruham gruhasthamathithi deena prabhum dharmikam,
Dheepam santhamasaakulasscha shikhinam shheetha vruthastham thadha,
Chethassarva bhayapaham vruja sukham Shambho padambhoruham.
Rodha sthoya - Just as the man being dragged away by flood waters eagerly looks forward to reaching a river bank (rodha)
Hrutha śramena pathika sschāya tharor - Just as the tired traveler (śramena pathika) eagerly looks for a tree so that he can rest under its shade (chāya),
Vrishtita bheetha swastha gruham -Just as the person totally drenched in the rain is terrified and longs for the comforts of home
Gruhastham athithi -Just as the traveler/ guest longs for the sight of hospitable householder,
Deena prabhum dharmikam - Just as the poor long for a rich person who is very charitable in nature,
Dheepam santhamasa akulasscha - Just like the person who is terrified by darkness longs for light,
shikhinam sheetha vruthastham thadha - just like one suffering from biting cold longs for the open fire to warm himself
Chetah - Oh my mind,
Shambho padāmbhoruham - you too long for those lotus feet of Shambhu
Sarva bhayāpaham vruja sukham - which will remove all fears and instead shower happiness and bliss
Verse 61
In this verse the definition of bhakti is being given. What is true bhakti and how should a true bhakta behave? What is the supreme most bhakti? Can offering a single obeisance to the Lord at our leisure moment be defined as bhakti? Is praying to God at times of trouble, bhakti? What exactly is bhakti? Which bhakti can be classified as prathama, madhyama and uttama bhakti? How should one reach the state of uttama bhakti?
This is one of the most important verses of this Shivananda Lahari. It just defines bhakti - bhaktir uchyate.
Through this verse Bhagavad padacharya is teaching the definition of bhakti and through this teaching us to scale up to this level.
Ankolaṃ nijabeeja santati rayaskkantopalam soochikā,
Sādhvī naija vibhum latā kshithiruham sindhussaridvallabham,
Prapnothiha yatha thatha pasupateh pādāra sindhu dwaiyam,
Chetho vruthi roopetya thishtati sadā saa bhakthirithy uchyathe.
Ankolam nija beeja santatih - Just as the seeds of the Ankola tree rush towards the mother tree,
Ankola is a very special tree. There is a place in Karnataka named after it. When its seeds fall to the ground only a few grow into trees. All the remaining seeds, gradually climb up on to the mother tree’s trunk and get inseparably attached to it.
A devotee’s mind should attach itself to God in this manner.
Dattatreya Swami holds the Ankola staff in his hand; ankola wood is very thorny, therefore to hold it requires immense patience and strength. The staff is made together with its thorns. Only He holds Ankola danda; this is Avadhoota sampradaya.
Ayaskkāntho palam soochikā – Just as an iron piece rushes towards the magnet or vice verse
An iron piece when kept in the vicinity of a magnet rushes and sticks to it. In reality these are lifeless objects (jada padartha). Yet they rush with full force towards each other. Likewise our mind should eternally rush towards thoughts of the Lord.
Sādhvi naija vibhum – Just as a pativrata thinks only about her husband
A chaste woman treats her husband as God and eternally her thoughts are focused upon him. Like wise the mind of the devotee should eternally be focused upon divinity.
Latā kshitiruham – Just as a creeper winds itself around the tree
Sindhussarid vallabham - Just as all the rivers rush towards the ocean
There is a hymn called Shiva mahima stotra written by a Gandharva called Pushpa danta. In it he says, tamasi sarita marnava iva - just as all the rivers rush all across the land only to merge into the ocean
Chetho vruthhi roopethya – when all the actions of the mind (cheto)
Prapnothi iha yathā thathā pasupateh pādāravinda dwayam – reaches the lotus feet of Pasupate
Thishtati sadā – and remains there permanently
Saa bhakthirithy uchyate – it is known as bhakti
Bhakti is that which is devoid of vibhakti (divisions); our mind should always be merged with that of Paramatma. Until we reach this stage we should declare that we are sadhakas who are on the path of learning bhakti.
Shivananda Lahari, while praising the Lord, also teaches us the methods of reaching Him. Mind should be taught to flow in this direction called bhakti. It is said that we should reach the feet of the Lord.
Bilwa, Shami, rose are all special trees/ plants and thus they are thorny. Only after pain comes pleasure.
Verse 62
In this verse Bhagavad padacharya states that bhakti is Janani (mother). Bhakti and Jnana protect us like mother and father respectively; for this reason both are essential. Both of these cause vairagya which in turn leads towards liberation. Bhakti is the mother (janani) who protects the new born infant (arbhaka) called bhakta (devotee).
This is a very emotional and touching verse and the bhavana contained here is difficult to express. Tears are salty bur tears of joy are sweet and cold. Bhakti has been compared to mother’s tender touch and the care that she showers upon the new born. The newborn is in a helpless situation and just like the love that a mother provides at that time, the mother called bhakti tenderly cares for us, her children.
ānandāśrubhi rāta noti pulakam nairmalyata schādanam,
Vācha śankha mukhe sthitaischa jatharā poortim charithrāmrutai,
Rudrakshai rbhasitena deva vapuśo rakshām bavad bhavanā
Paryankhe viniveśya bakthi janani bhakthārbhakam rakshati
Anandā shrubhir āthanothi pulakam – The tears of joy (ananda āsrubhi) shed by the mother upon seeing her new born infant, fall on its entire body (ātanoti) due to which it gets goose bumps/ horripilation (pulakam)
Seeing the new born whom she has carried for 9 months in her ***, the mother sheds tears of joy. The tears come down to the tip of her nose and from there the drops fall on the infant. The infant, who was crying until then, feels this drop of cold water on his/ her body and with it he gets Goosebumps all over his body.
In this way the mother called bhakti seated inside us, causes our body to vibrate with joy (romacha). With this many unseen diseases gets washed away.
Nairmalya thas chādanam - She covers (chādanam) the baby with the purest (nairmalya) clothes
The mother wraps the new born in the purest and most clean clothes; likewise the mother called bhakti covers us with pure vibrations (nirmala bhāvana). With this the impurities within us get washed away. The horripilation caused by the tears of joy and the pure vibrations created with it wash away all our diseases. This bhakti is the kavacha for us to protect us from the external disturbances.
Vacha sankha mukha sthidaischa jathara poorthim charitra amruthai- She fills the devotees’ stomach (jathara) completely by telling stories called guru charitra from the conch shaped (shanka mukha) tiny vessel and thus pours nectar to him.
The mother feeds the infant with milk from the conch shape vessel (uggu patra); likewise the mother called bhakti feeds and fills the stomach of the devotee by telling (vācha) stories i.e. the nectar called Guru’s/ Lord’s stories.
Rudrakshai rbhasithena – She protects the baby with rudraksha and vibhuti (bhasita)
Applying vibhuti has many health benefits. Everyone should apply vibhuti.
Deva vapushah rakshām bavad bhavanaa paryankhe viniveshya - so that he will get the protection of the devas and then she puts the child to bed in the cradle (paryankah) called bhavat bhavana (deep intense feelings of love towards the supreme; His contemplation).
Deva means ‘He who is self illuminated’. Dhyana is the cradle.
Bhakti janani - the mother called bhakti
Bhakta ārbhakam rakshati – protects the new born (Arbhakam) called devotee (in this way).