Sivaanandalahari – 7

For the commentary on previous stanzas click on the category ‘Sivanandalahari’ to your right and find them there.

मनस्ते पादाब्जे निवसतु वच:स्तोत्र-फणितौ
करौचाभ्यर्चायां श्रुतिरपि कथाकर्णन-विधौ ।
तव ध्याने बुद्धि-र्नयन-युगलं मूर्ति-विभवे
परग्रन्थान् कैर्वा परमशिव जाने परमत: ॥ ७ ॥

manaste pAdAbje nivasatu vacha:stotra-phaNitau
karauchAbhyarchAyAM Srutirapi kathAkarNana-vidhau |
tava dhyAne buddhi-rnayana-yugalaM mUrti-vibhave
paragranthAn kairvA paramaSiva jAne paramata: || 7 ||

Oh Paramasiva, may my mind focus on your lotus feet, words on praising you, my two hands on doing Archana, my ears in hearing your holy stories, brain in meditating on you and eyes on your beauty. After all these I don’t need to know any other holy books

Commentary

Sri Appar wrote in his ThEvaram as follows:

தலையே நீவணங்காய் – தலை
மாலை தலைக்கணிந்து
தலையா லேபலி தேருந் தலைவனைத்
தலையே நீவணங்காய்.

கண்காள் காண்மின்களோ – கடல்
நஞ்சுண்ட கண்டன்றன்னை
எண்டோ ள் வீசிநின் றாடும் பிரான்றன்னைக்
கண்காள் காண்மின்களோ.

செவிகாள் கேண்மின்களோ – சிவன்
எம்மிறை செம்பவள
எரிபோல் மேனிப்பி ரான்றிறம் எப்போதுஞ்
செவிகள் கேண்மின்களோ.

மூக்கே நீமுரலாய் – முது
காடுறை முக்கணனை
வாக்கே நோக்கிய மங்கை மணாளனை
மூக்கே நீமுரலாய்.

வாயே வாழ்த்துகண்டாய் – மத
யானை யுரிபோர்த்துப்
பேய்வாழ் காட்டகத் தாடும் பிரான்றன்னை
வாயே வாழ்த்துகண்டாய்.

நெஞ்சே நீநினையாய் – நிமிர்
புன்சடை நின்மலனை
மஞ்சா டும்மலை மங்கை மணாளனை
நெஞ்சே நீநினையாய்.

கைகாள் கூப்பித்தொழீர் – கடி
மாமலர் தூவிநின்று
பைவாய்ப் பாம்பரை யார்த்த பரமனைக்
கைகள் கூப்பித்தொழீர்.

ஆக்கை யாற்பயனென் – அரன்
கோயில் வலம்வந்து
பூக்கை யாலட்டிப் போற்றி யென்னாதவிவ்
வாக்கை யாற்பயனென்.

கால்க ளாற்பயனென் – கறைக்
கண்ட னுறைகோயில்
கோலக் கோபுரக் கோகர ணஞ்சூழாக்
கால்க ளாற்பயனென்.

உற்றா ராருளரோ – உயிர்
கொண்டு போம்பொழுது
குற்றா லத்துறை கூத்தனல் லால்நமக்
குற்றார் ஆருளரோ.

இறுமாந் திருப்பன்கொலோ – ஈசன்
பல்கணத் தெண்ணப்பட்டுச்
சிறுமா னேந்திதன் சேவடிக் கீழ்ச்சென்றங்
கிறுமாந் திருப்பன்கொலோ.

தேடிக் கண்டுகொண்டேன் – திரு
மாலொடு நான்முகனுந்
தேடித் தேடொணாத் தேவனை என்னுளே
தேடிக் கண்டுகொண்டேன்.

அஞ்சும் அடக்கடக் கென்பர் அறிவிலர்
அஞ்சும் அடக்கும் அமரரும் அன்கிலை
அஞ்சும் அடக்கில் அசேதனமா மென்றிட்டு
அஞ்சும் அடக்கா அறிவறிந் தேனே.
(திருமந்திரம்)

Here the Saint Thirumoolar tells us that it is not possible to control the indhriyaas because it would be to go against their nature. What is their nature? The nature of the sense organs is to go towards the sense objects. What happens when they go to the sense objects? The indhriyas get hurt and the mind is drawn towards the sense objects and away from the Self. This is like the fly that get attracted by the fire and eventually consumed by it. Instead if the indhriyas are directed towards the worship of Easwara then they would by default not go towards sense objects. This is what Thirumoolar means by saying “அஞ்சும் அடக்கா அறிவு”

“Aathmaavaa arE dhrashtavya: srOthravyO manthavyO nidhidyaasithavya:” This upanishadic statement teaches us the importance of dhyaanam to attain Brahmasaakshaathkaaram. Why dhyaanam? Because it is the surest way to disengage the indhriyas whose tendency is to go to sense objects and (thus) turn the mind to bahirmukham. Dhyaanam turns the mind inwards into antharmukham and because of this the indhriyaas are automatically put to rest. “Paramasthu pumaan dhyaathO, dhrushta: keerthitha: sthutha: sampoojitha: smrutha: praNatha paapmana: sarvaanunmoolayathi” so say the saasthra. By sticking to a maarga of any of Shiva swaroopa dhyaana or Shiva swaroopa dharsana, or Shiva naama sankeerthana or Shiva sthuthi or Shiva pooja or just Shiva namaskaara it would burn the jeeva’s sins root and stem. It also burns the soham and moham that causes the karmas of punya and paapa which in turn causes one to be born and dead repeatedly in this ocean of samsaara. Needless to say that there can be no other mangala swaroopam than Shiva. Knowing that Shiva kainkaryam alone is capable of giving MOksha, one should dedicate his mind to the sacred feet of Shiva and it will bring all indhriyaas into focus in the worship of Shiva.

தத்துவப்பேயோடே தலையடித்துக் கொள்ளாமல்
வைத்த வருள் மோன வள்ளலையே–நித்த மன்பு
பூணக்கருது நெஞ்சு போற்றக்கர மெழும்புங்
காணத்துடிக்கு மிருகண்.
(தாயுமானவர்)

(to be continued..)

Sivaanandalahari – 6

For the commentary on previous stanzas click on the category ‘Sivanandalahari’ to your right and find them there.

घटो वा मृत्पिन्डोऽप्यणुरपि च धूमोग्नि-रचल:
पटो वा तन्तुर्वा परिहरति किं घोरशमनम् ।
वृथा कन्ठक्षोभं वहसि तरसा तर्कवचसा
पदांभोजं शंभो-र्भज परमसौख्यं अज सुधी: ॥ ६ ॥

ghaTo vA mRutpinDo&pyaNurapi cha dhUmogni-rachala:
paTo vA tanturvA pariharati kiM ghoraSamanam |
vRuthA kanThakShobhaM vahasi tarasA tarkavachasA
padAMbhojaM SaMbho-rbhaja paramasaukhyaM aja sudhI: || 6 ||

Arguments whether it is a pot or mud or atom, smoke or fire, mountain, cloth or thread can only pain the throat but won’t relieve you of death. Oh intelligent one, worship the lotus feet of Shambu and seek the supreme comfort.

Commentary

Aum

கைவல்யஞானநீதி னல்லோருரைக்கிலோ கர்மமுக்கியமென்று நாட்டுவேன்
கர்மமொருவன் நாட்டிலோ பழய ஞானமுக்கியமென்று நவிலுவேன்
வடமொழியில் வல்லானொருத்தன்வர வுத்ராவிடத்திலே வந்ததா விவகரிப்பேன்
வல்ல தமிழறிஞர் வரின் அங்ஙனே வடமொழியில் வசனங்கள் சிறிதுபுகல்வேன்
(தாயுமானவர்)

What can stop the terrible arrival of Yama? It is the Saakshaath ParamEswaraaL’s Paadham. In order to attain it all the praanis have to do Shiva bajanam. That is the easiest way to stop Yama. When this is so, ‘dhus-tharkaath suviramyathaam’, why do you do himsa to your buddhi by indulging in arguments that have no relevance to the Sruthi just because it gives you small pleasures? This is not the best way nor is it advisable to reduce your buddhi which is capable of understanding the most subtle meanings of the Sruthi.

‘Naanya: panthaa vidyathE ayanaaya’. Moksha cannot be attained without resorting to Brahmavichaaram. Every mumukshu should be steadfast in conducting his inquiry and therefore please understand that arguments are not totally discouraged. However ‘dhus-tharkaathsu viraagyathaam’, it is necessary to shun kutharka vaadham. You should only do anusandhaanam of Sruthi related tharka. This secret was given to Nachikethus by Yama in the manthra ‘naishaa tharkENamathiraapanEya’. Yama says that all arguments that are unrelated to Sruthi are incapable of delivering Maksha padhavi.

கற்றதுங் கேட்டதுந்தானே ஏதுக்காக
கடபடமென் றுருட்டுதற்கோ கல்லால் எம்மான்
குற்றமறக் கைகாட்டுங் கருத்தைக் கண்டு
குணங்குறியற் றின்பநிட்டை கூட அன்றோ

(தாயுமானவர்)

Thus to be interested in and brought into swaanubhoothi of Sruthi related tharka one should have done sukruthu in many janmaas. No way could it be otherwise. Even if a person has attained the Gnana that the Aathmaswaroopam is non-different from Brahman because of his poorva punya that enabled him to know it through the saasthras such as tharkam, Veda pramaanam, nyaayam etc. you cannot definitely say that he has attained Moksha. This is because people have the tendency, at the very moment of attaining kinchitha gnaanam, afflicted by kaama and krodha etc., begin to roam around thinking there is no one greater than them. In such state if one does the tharka even those that relate to the Sruthi there is no benefit if there is ahambhaavam and lack of Parameswara bhakthi. Only those who have dhruda bhakthi to Gnaana dhaatha Shambu can alone get Moksha. This is emphasized in ‘yathaa gnaanam vinaa mukthi: naasthyupaaya sathairapi| Thathaa bhakthim vinaa gnaanam naasthyupaayasathairapi|| That is, just as you cannot attain Mukthi without Brahmagnaanam, you cannot also attain Brahmagnaanam and Mukthi without dhruda bhakthi of Parameswara. This is emphasized by Sri Bhagavat Paadhaal in this sloka.

Brahma nishtaas who have known this rahasyam ceaselessly do Easwaradhyaanam. Our Bhaashyakkaara says ‘mukthaa api leelayaa vigraham kruthvaa bhajanthe’. Even those who have attained Mukthi (note the word ‘api’ that emphasizes this) do poojanam of the mangala vigraham of Parameswara. Doing Bhagavat Bhakthi is a swaabhaavika lakshanam of Mukthaas. This is indicated by the word ‘leelayaa’. Aachaaryaal describes ‘leelayaa’ as “leelayaa, hEthunaa na thu bhaddhajeevavath, karmahethunaa, vigraham, kruthvaa, swayamEva dhEham dhruthvaa saayujyaadhimukthimanaadruthya bhajantheethi.” That is, it is not like the bhakthajeevas that they take a sareeram according to their poorva karma (which always happens by karthuraagnayaa) and do the bhajanam but of their own accord (swayam sankalpam) they do this in order to swim like the swans in Amrithasaras.

Thus this sloka lays stress on Easwara Bhakthi as the most superior one and that every mumukshu should completely shun the dhus-tharkam which causes the wasting of the precious life just like the frog that was caught in the terrible mouth of the poisonous teeth of a snake, unaware of its imminent death was trying to catch a fly that was passingby! ‘Samsaara sarpadhashtaanaam janthoonaam avivEkinaam| Chandrasekhara Paadhaabhja smaraNam paramoushadham|| To those praaNis who are bitten by the samsaara sarpam that causes punarapi jananam, punarapi maranam, only the ocean of mercy Sri Chandrasekhara (My crores of saashtaanga namaskaarams to our ParamaachaaryaaL Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswathi SwaamigaL) remains as the great aushadham to this halaahala visham of the snake of samsaara. So let us all resolve to do Shivadhyaanam always.

Aum Namasivaaya|

(to be continued..)

Sivaanandalahari – 5

For the commentary on previous stanzas click on the category ‘Sivanandalahari’ to your right and find them there.

स्मृतौ शास्त्रे वैध्ये शकुन-कविता-गान-फणितौ
पुराणे मन्त्रे वा स्तुति-नटन-हास्येष्वचतुर: ।
कथं राञां प्रीतिर्भवति मयि कोऽहं पशुपते
पशुं मां सर्वञ प्रथित कृपया पालय विभो ॥ ५ ॥

smRutau SAstre vaidhye Sakuna-kavitA-gAna-phaNitau
purANe mantre vA stuti-naTana-hAsyeShvachatura: |
kathaM rA~jAM prItirbhavati mayi ko&haM paSupate
paSuM mAM sarva~ja prathita kRupayA pAlaya vibho || 5 ||

I don’t possess expertise of scriptures Manusmruti, Siksha, Kalpam, Vyakaranam, nruktam, chandas, Jyotisham, medicine, Sakunam, arts of pleasing others with poems and music, in explaining Puranas, proper use of Mantras, praising, acting and humour. How will the kings be pleased with me? Oh lord of all beings, all knowing, famous, all pervading, who am I ? Please protect this ignorant being with your mercy.

Commentary

Is there a bhoga greater than that was enjoyed by the great Mahabali? Even Mahaabali who held the saarvabhauma padhavi of the trilokas understood that nothing would be achieved by these padhavis and realized that he had wasted his life like a pasu. ‘pasyanthi ithi pasavaha’ – what is prathyaksham was taken by me as sathyam and I was satisfied and had wasted my time. “Aham prathyayavedhyam jeevathathvam kim?” What is the thathvam of that jeevathma that is known by the sound ‘I’? O Sarvavyaapi, I surrender to you. You are the One to do away with my ‘pasuthwam’. So please, please give me that upadesam that will release me from the shackles.

தானமுந் தவமும்யோகத் தன்மையும் உணரா வென்பால் ஞானமுந் தெவிட்ட இன்ப நன்மையும் நல்குவாயோ
(தாயுமானவர்)

Whosoever chants this sloka in Sivasannidhi and prostrates before Pasupathi is sure to be released from his pasuthvam.

Sivaanandalahari – 4

For the commentary on previous stanzas click on the category ‘Sivanandalahari’ to your right and them there.

सहस्रम् वर्तन्ते जगति विबुधा: क्षुद्रफलदा
न मन्ये स्वप्ने वा तदनुसरणं तत्कृतफलम् ।
हरि-ब्रह्मादीनामपि निकिटभाजा-मसुलभं
चिरं याचे शंभो शिव तव पादांभोज-भजनं ॥ ४ ॥

sahasram vartante jagati vibudhA: kShudraphaladA
na manye svapne vA tadanusaraNaM tatkRutaphalam |
hari-brahmAdInAmapi nikiTabhAjA-masulabhaM
chiraM yAche SaMbho Siva tava pAdAMbhoja-bhajanaM || 4 ||

In this world thousands of Gods exist which give small rewards. Even in dreams I won’t consider praying to them or think of the benefits that accrue from them. I shall always beg to worship your lotus feet though it is difficult even for Brahma and Vishnu who are close to you.

————-

In explaining the last stanza we said that the essence of the Vedas is the revelation of Shiva. In fact the Vedas also reveal the Sivashakthi Aikyam because Sri Rudram says: “Nama Sivaaya cha Sivatharaaya cha”. The Vedas also say “NamasivaayEthi keelakam, SivatharaayEthi Shakthihi”. In this stanza AchaaryaaL emphasizes the Eka Bhakthi pointing out the futility of worshipping the sahasra devathaas. Given below are two verses from Thevaaram composed by Sri Sundaramoorthi Nayanar that combines both Sivashakthi Aikyam and Eka Bhakthi.

பொன்னார் மேனியனே புலித்தோலையரைக்கசைத்து
மின்னார் செஞ்சடைமேன் மிளிர்கொன்றையணிந்தவனே
மன்னே மாமணியே மழபாடியுண்மாணிக்கமே
அன்னேயுன்னையல்லாலினியாரை நினைக்கேனே.
(சுந்தரமூர்த்தி நாயனார்)

சந்தாருங்குழையாய் சடைமேல்பிறைதாங்கினல்ல
வெந்தார் வெண்பொடியாய் விடையேரிய வித்தகனே
மைந்தார் சோலைகள்சூழ் மழபாடியுண் மாணிக்கமே
எந்தாய் நின்னையல்லால் யினியாரைநினைக்கேனே.
(சுந்தரமூர்த்தி நாயனார்)

In Soothasamhitha it is said “vrukshasya moolakesena shaaka: pushyanthivai yatha| SivE rudrajabaath preethE preethaa Evasya dEvatha:|| That is, just as when you water the root of a tree various branches of it are benefited, in the same way by doing rudrajapam you satisfy all the devathas. Therefore whosoever wants what different phalas, he does not have to worship many different devatas but by doing Siva Japam he can gets all he wants.  Shiva fulfils every desire of a person because he is ‘Ashuthosh’ – one who is easily pleased and so he bestows the wishes. Moreover the contention is not that Shiva supersedes other devathas but that every devatha is none but Shiva only. He is the one who is sitting, he is the one who is lying down, he is the one who is sleeping, he is the one who is awake, he is the one who is standing, he is the one who is running, he is the one who is in the midst of the sabha, he is the one who is the sabha naayaka, he is the one who is a carpenter, he is the one who is a potter, he is the one who is a hunter and he is the one who is a fisher and so on. This describes Shiva to be the one who is in many roopas. In Sri Rudram He is variously described as having Sarveswarathwam, Sarvasareerathwam and Sarvaandaryaamithwam.

In this stanza Adhi Shankara shows his dhruda bhakthi by saying that he will not worship anyone but Shiva and that it would not deter him even knowing that great beings such as Vishnu and Brahma would find it difficult to reach Shiva. I would like to remind to the readers of the great story of Arunaachala where Brahma and Vishnu were unsuccessful in finding the head or the feet of Lord Shiva.

(to be continued)

Sivaanandalahari – 3

For the commentary on previous stanzas click on the category ‘Sivanandalahari’ to your right and them there.

त्रयीवेद्यं हृद्यं त्रिपुरहरमाद्यं त्रिनयनं

जटा-भारोदारं चलदुरगहारं मृगधरम् ।

महादेवं देवं मयि सदयभावं पशुपतिं
चिदालंबं सांबं शिवमतिविडंबं हृदि भजे ॥ ३ ॥

trayIvedhyaM hRudhyaM tripuraharamAdhyaM trinayanaM
jaTA-bhArodAraM chaladuragahAraM mRugadharam |
mahAdevaM devaM mayi sadayabhAvaM paSupatiM
chidAlaMbaM sAMbaM SivamativiDaMbaM hRudi bhaje || 3 ||

I meditate in my heart on Paramasiva who is known through the three Vedas, who is sweet to the mind, who destroyed the three cities, who is first of all things, who has three eyes, who looks distinguished with matted locks, who has the moving snake as his necklace, who holds a deer in his hand, who is greatest among all Devas, who is self luminous, who is compassionate to me, who is the lord of all beings, who is the source of wisdom and who is always with Ambika .

Commentary

Our Charanaar has said that of the three Vedas, Yajur Veda is in the middle. In the middle of Yajur Veda is Sri Rudram. And in the middle of Sri Rudram is the great Panchaakshari manthra “Namasivaaya cha”. This shows that the essence of the Veda is the revelation of Shiva. Consider the following the following Thevaaram that highlights the importance of the Pachaakshari manthra.

மந்திரநான்மறையாகியவானவர்
சிந்தையுணின்றவர் தம்மையாள்வன
செந்தழலோம்பியசெம்மைவேதியர்க்
கந்தியுண்மன்திரமஞெழுத்துமே.
(பன்சாக்ஷரத்திருப்பதிகம்)

காதலாகிக்கசிந்துகண்ணீர்மல்கி
ஓதுவார்தமைநன்னெறிக்குய்ப்பது
வேதநான்கினுமெய்ப்பொருளாவது
நாதனாமநமச்சிவாயமே.
(நமச்சிவாயதிருப்பதிகம்)

The dhyaana mahimaa of this greatest of all manthras destroys the kaama krodha lobha madha maathsaryam of all the living beings and brings unto them the nirmala aananda swaroopam. If dhyaanam of the panchaakshari could bring this loftiest peace what will be the effect if a person could abandon karthruthvaabhimaanam, abandon the fruits of karma and dedicating them to Parameswara? Bhagavan Ramana says: “Easwaraarpitham nechyayaakritham chithasodhakam, mukthi saadhakam.”

In the puraana the three asuras Thaarakaakshan, kamalaakshan and vidyunmaali had made mayan to construct for them three fantastic flying forts made of iron, silver and gold with which they would fly into every city of the naras and devas and harass them. These three forts would join in a single line once every three thousand years. If at that time these three forts could be shot by a single missile then only they could be destroyed. Devas surrendered to Parameswara and pleaded with him to come to their rescue from the harassment of these three asuras.

KshoNi yasya rathO rathaangayugaLam chandraarka bimbadhvayam, kodhanda: kanakaachalo hariraboodhbhaaNo vichissaaradhi| ThooNiro jaladhirhayaa: sruthichayO mourvI bhujangaadhipa: ThansminmE hrudhayam ramathaam parabrahmaaNi|| To him this bhoomi became the chariot, Chandra sooryaaL became the wheels, mahaa Meru parvadham became the bow, Vaasuki the great sarpa raja became the thick thread that ties the ends of the bow, Mahaa Vishnu became the arrow, Brahma was the charioteer, the four Vedas became the four horses of the ratham and the ocean became the ambaraadhooNi. This was the spectacular vehicle on which Shiva rode towards the three asuras who have joined in a single line and shot them all with one single arrow and destroyed them. Such is the feat of this greatest Parameswara. The thathwaartham of this story is that the jeeva raasis with their three bodies (sthoola sukshma kaarana sariras) do greatly suffer from the ills of the miserable samsaara which is due to not knowing who we are. It is only due to the relationship that we have to this sthoola sookshma kaaraNa sareerams that these sufferings ensue. It is the Shivaanubhavam and Shivagnanam that removes these sufferings and brings us the Moksha. ‘Gnanam Maheswaraadhichcheth’ is the saasthra. To attain this advaita gnana Parameswara’s grace is absolutely necessary.

(to be continued)

Sivaanandalahari – 2

For the commentary on previous stanzas click on the category ‘Sivanandalahari’ to your right and them there.

गलन्ती शंभो त्वच्चरिथ-सरित: किल्बिषरजो
दलन्ती धीकुल्यासरणिषु पतन्ती विजयताम् ।
दिशन्ती संसारभ्रमण-परितापोपशमनं
वसन्ती मच्चेतो-ह्रदभुवि शिवानन्दल्हरी ॥ २ ॥

galantI SaMbho tvachcharitha-sarita: kilbiSharajo
dalantI dhIkulyAsaraNiShu patantI vijayatAm |
diSantI saMsArabhramaNa-paritApopaSamanaM
vasantI machcheto-hradabhuvi SivAnandalharI || 2 ||

Oh Lord Sambhu, the flood of Sivananda or Siva’s bliss, which flows from the river of your history, which destroys the dust of sin, flowing through the canals of the intellect, which gives Shanti from sorrows arising from the whirl pool of life, which lives in the heart, be always victorious.

The Shivaanandha created by the combination of Saakshaath Paarvathi and Parameswaraal is described in the prakrthi as a punya theertha. The source of this punya theertha is Sri Parvathi-Parameswaraal’s Charithram that flows like a river (Charith). What is this punya charithram? It consists of Parameswara’s wonderous leelas of Thripura Samhaaram, Mrithyunjayam which are brought to light in Shiva Puraana, Linga Puraana, Skanda Mahaapuraana and Jagan Maatha’s great feats of
Mahishaasura Mardhanam etc that are exemplified in Devi Mahaathmyam, Devi Bhagavatham, Lalithopaagyaanam and so on.

“Ekaanthino yasya na kanchanaartham vaachchanthi ye vai bhagavatprapannaaha| Adyathputham thachcharitham sumangalam gaayantha aanandhasamudhramannaaha||” Who can describe the great Mahimas of this Charitha if Aadhi Sesha of a thousand heads cannot describe it? All we can do is to become swans in this kathaamrutha saras and swim in great delight!

Whosoever remembers this charithra at the time of his greatest misfortune, that very moment of his memory he would be released from his misery. This is His greatest Kaarunyam that swells and floods towards the devotee is described by Bhagavatpaadhaal as “thvachcharitha sarithaha” In this great torrent of water that gushes out smashes to smithreen those sanchitha karmas, does away the aagaami karma and blunts the veeryam of the praarabhda karma. This gives the devotee the parama saanthi to enjoy his Shivaanubhavam!

Thus all our indriyaas that have been immersed into Sivaanandham lose their ability to wander towards the vishayaas and therefore get their layam. Moreover, “Manaha, param kaaranamaamananthi samsaara chakram parivarthayedhyath” says the saasthra. That is it is the manas that is the reason for the wheel of samsaara of birth and death. This is the root cause of all our dhukkam. This huge dhukkam is done away by the flood of Shivaanandam. Also the Sruthi says, “Raso vai saha” and so this Shivaanandam is complete and permanent.

When you take a dip in great theerthas like the Ganga, it removes the paapas that have accrued but does not remove the vaasanas that cause the sins. But the pravaaham of Shivaanandam not only removes all the paapas but also does away the beginningless agnaana that causes the sins. The Sruthi says, “Ethasvaivaanandasyaanyaani bhoothani maathraamupajeevanthi”. That Ananda which is held as the greatest Ananda and the root of all Ananda, know that to be Shivaananda. That is it covers all Ananda from manushyaananda to Brahmaananda and beyond!

Thus Paramaacharyaal describes the endless glory of Shivaananda and the means to attain it as Shiva Bajanam.

Aum Nama Sivaaya!

(to be continued)

Sivaanandalahari – 1

Sivaanandalahari – 1

Anbesivam. I am posting commentary on Sivanandalahari hopefully on a daily basis. Sivananda Lahari is one of the foremost among the Siva Stotras. This is a virtual Bhakti Sastra. It explains the various types or kinds of Bhakti. I intend giving the stotras in Sanskrit, the transliteration in English and the meaning along with my own bhaashyam.

Sivaanandalahari – 1

औम् श्री गणेशाय नम :
शिवाभ्यान्नम:

कलाभ्याम् चूडालंकृत-शशिकलाभ्यां निजतप:-
फलाभ्यां भक्तेषु प्रकटित-फलाभ्य़ां भवतु मे ।
शिवाभ्या-मस्तोक-त्रिभुवन-शिवाभ्यां हृदि पुन-
र्भ्वाभ्या-मानन्द-स्फुर-दनुभवाभ्यां नतिरियम् ॥ १ ॥

aum SrI gaNeSAya nama :
SivAbhyAnnama:

kalAbhyAm chUDAlaMkRuta-SaSikalAbhyAM nijatapa:-
phalAbhyAM bhakteShu prakaTita-phalAbhYAM bhavatu me |
SivAbhyA-mastoka-tribhuvana-SivAbhyAM hRudi puna-
rbhvAbhyA-mAnanda-sphura-danubhavAbhyAM natiriyam || 1 ||

My Namsakarams to auspicious Shiva and Parashakti who have artistic form, wear crescent moon on the head, beneficiaries of mutual penance, whose grace is displayed on their Bhaktas , who lavishly bestow all Mnangalams to the three worlds, who appear in the heart afresh every time they are thought of and who experience the bliss of Atma Anubhava.

My commentary:

Aum Sri Kaamaakshyai Namaha! Aum Namasivaya!

The beauty of this very first sloka of Sivaanandhalahari is that it pays homage to Sri AmbaaL in the very first word ‘Kalaabhyaam’ indicating his wish for parama mangaLam in the completion of his great poetry on Lord Shiva. The saastra says “Pavithraanaam Pavithram yo MangaLaanaam cha mangaLam” and accordingly Adi Shankara starts with the mangaLa sabhdam of ‘Kalaa”. This is also in accordance with the Nyaaya “Sreyaamsi bahuvignaani” and his wish for the benefits of starting with the praise of Sri AmbaaL who remains the kalpavriksham for the devotee and the Vedic prayer “Maathru Devo Bhava”, that Sri Adi Shankara starts with the word “Kalaabhyaam”. There is also a preference for the word “Kalaa” for it starts with the letter “Ka” which is the first letter of the Shodasi manthra. This shows that the idea of starting this with “Ka” kaara sabhdam is to start it off to ward off any vignam that may ensue. Above all it indicates the unparelleled devotion of Sri Bhagavat PaadhaaL to the mother who started off his Sanyaasa Aashrama with the blessings of his mother that we learn from Sri Shankara Vijayam that he remembered his mother whenever he took a dip in every holy river of the country. Asmaari maathaapi cha puposha dadhaara yaa dhukkamasoda boori – here from the word maathaapi we clearly discern his greatest maathru bhakthi. “Yaa Devi sarvabootheshu maathruroopena samsthithaa”. If he has so much love for the mother of his mortal body how are we to fathom or describe his love for the mother of all – from Brahma to the smallest amoeba! So this is the way he starts off Shivaanandalahari with parama prema of the this Jaganmaatha this great Paraashakthi. AmbaaL encompasses sakhala kalaas from laukika vidya to Brahma Vidya and remains the swaroopam of Paarvathi and Parameswaraal as is given in the Veda “Easaanas sarva Vidyaanaam”. In Devi Mahaathmyam it says: “Ashtaadhasanimeshaathsu kaashtaa thrisaththuthaaha kalaaha”. That is by spinning the kaalachakra it is the Rudhrarupam that brings an end to the ‘kaalam’ and by the word ‘kalaabhyaam’ Bhagavat PaadhaaL points out the Shivashakthi that is behind the Rudrarupam.

“Chandrasekharamaasraye mama kim karishyathi vai yamaha”. This was the great shout with which Maarkandeya came running towards Shiva and hugged the Lingam when he was being pursued by yama. (My salutations to our great Mahaperiavaal Sri Chandrasekhara Saraswathi). And Shiva bound by the great bhakthi of this child Maarkandeya took the form of Lingothbhava moorthi and kicked Yama with his left foot and saved Markandeya from death and he remained Chiranjeevi. Thus if we keep worshiping this Mrithyunjaya we all would be able to cross the great ocean of kaala. There is no doubt about it.

This sloka can be termed as the vyaakyaanam of Panchaakshari manthra because only by Panchaakshari manthra can both Shiva and Shakthi can be satisfied. “Shivaacha Shivascha Shivau thaabyaam Shivaabhyaam”. In this is contained both Shiva thathva and Shakthi thathva. The Shakthi thathva is contained with great difficulty in the ‘ya’ kaaram at the end of Panchaakshari manthra.

Therefore anyone who does the japam of Panchaakshari mathra will have the twin benefit of ihikam, aamushmikam.

I spoke about ‘bhava’. It indicates that part of the time that is yet to come, the future. In the division of time past is irretrievably lost, the present is so fickle (kshanikam) that it is more an illusion than real. However the reality is the future that is sure to arrive! It is of the nature of consciousness in the prakrthi that people carry the guilt and the misery of the past rather than the happiness. It is because the nature of worldly existence is such that we have more dhukkam than sukham. The Buddhists points this out (sarvam dhukkam, dhukkam) and attribute this to the consciousness and therefore their remedy lies in the loss of consciousness which they term it as Nirvana. This loss of consciousness is not unknown to us for we experience it in our daily life in the form of deep sleep where neither the world exists nor ourselves. However as you wake up you realize that there has been a real you who has experienced the deep sleep without whom you cannot recall the soundness of your sleep. In this we Advaitins conclude that the pleasantness of the deep sleep is not experienced instantly but only recalled due to the nature of the sleep which is ignorance. Instead of coming to this conclusion the Buddhists focus only on the loss of consciousness during the sleep as the absence of dhukkam and then convert that sleep or ignorance to be made permanent as the remedy! The Advaitins on the contrary point out that the nature existence is consciousness and cannot be done away with. Gita says: “Naasatho vidhyathe bhaavo naabhaavo vidyathe sathaha”. The unreal has no existence, the real never ceases to be”. The Existence is Consciousness and it is Real. This Conciousness exists even during the sleep (ignorance) as its witness! So our panacea for the misery is really the breaking of this sleep, this ignorance.

Time, Kaala, as we said before is Shiva who is Kaalabhairava. Bhava as part of this Time is also Shiva as extolled in the Veda as “Namo Bhavaaya cha Rudhraaya cha”. If the future holds out to be misearable for ever then Veda is meaningless and we need not aspire for anything. Perhaps the endless sleep of the Buddhists would be the one to crave for! But such is not the case as Gita points out that “na abhaavo vidyathe sathaha”. And our Vedas point out to Lord Shiva as the Bhava Roga Vaidyanaathan as our salvation to misery.

(to be continued)