Soundarya Lahari : ( 24/04/2013. )

21/12/2018 3. Notwithstanding any of the early narration , the fact remains that the Saundaryalahari is an amazing lyric, in terms of providing a multitude of insights for the modern and intellectually critical reader : religious, spiritual, literary, musical and historical. It is a work that carries the stamp of Sri Sankara, which is an ability to enchant all, regardless of race, religion or language, till the end of time. Om Sree Lalitambikayai namah : THE SOUNDARYA LAHARI : Jagad Guru Sri Sankaraacharya’s Immortal Creation THE SOUNDARYA LAHARI : STANZAS 1 TO 10. 1. Siva Saktyaa yukto yadi bhavati Saktah prabhavitum na chae daevam daevo na khalu kusalah spanditum api atas twaam aaraadhyaam hari hara virinchaadibhir api pranastum stotum vaa katham akrita punyah prabhavati. O! Bhagavati! Only if Parama Siva is enjoined with You, the Sakti, He is empowered to create. The same Lord is indeed powerless even to move sans Thy company. O! Mother, the celebrities such as Ha

17/11/2018 2. The second point is that the unbroken line of teachers of the four amnayas have handed this work down the generations as flowing from Sri Sankara himself. This cannot be brushed aside lightly. Does not nyaya or the science of logic accept the words of an apta (trustworthy individual) as a mode of proof ? A critical reader will do well to eschew the illogical debate of authorship along the lines set out above and instead concentrate on the puzzle of the Saundaryalahari with it’s two parts which are distinct in terms of content and style (shailee). It is true that the Ananda Lahari dealing with saktism has a degree of poetic elegance and felicity of language and phrase somewhat lacking in the latter half of the work. The fifty one verses dealing with the divine beauty of the Universal Mother from the top of her gem studded crown to her sacred feet is couched in a style that is comparatively forced with only the occasional word or phrase or line reminiscent of

27/10/2018 1. The Saundaryalahari (wave of beauty) is an unique lyrical composition. It combines the virtues of a devotional poem, a foundation text for saktisim (sakti worship) and a mantra sastra all in one. It consists of two parts : the first, called the Anandalahari (wave of bliss) consisting of forty one verses and the second called Saundaryalahari, composed of fifty nine verses. Notwithstanding this, the entire set of hundred verses are referred to as the Saundaryalahari. An additional three verses are accepted by some, bringing the number of verses to one hundred and three. Traditionally the work is ascribed to Sri Sankara, but some dispute this. Their contention is that the master of advaita vedanta postulating the non duality of the self and the  absolute, could not have composed a devotional work, glorifying the duality of Sakti and Siva. And that the intellectual purity of the paramahamsa parivrajaka acharya could not have concerned itself with tantra, yantra an

13/10/2018 5. A child is more familiar with the mother than with the father, because the former is very kind, loving, tender, affectionate and looks after the wants of the child. Whenever the child wants anything, it runs with out-stretched hands to the mother, rather than to the father. If she hears the cry of the child, she leaves her domestic work and runs immediately to look after the child. In the spiritual field also, the aspirant or the devotee—the spiritual child—has intimate relationship with the Mother Durga than with the Father Siva. Lord Siva is quite indifferent to the external world. He is a Tyagi and a Virakta. He wears the garland of skulls of His devotees, rubs the whole body with Vibhuti or holy ash and remains in the crematorium in an intoxicated state. He is absorbed in contemplation of the Self. He remains in a state of Nirvikalpa Samadhi. He has handed over the power-of-attorney to His consort, Durga. It is Mother Durga only who looks after the affairs

26/09/2018 4. Mother worship is the worship of God as the Divine Mother, Sri Mata. Sakti is the power of the Lord or the cosmic energy. Sakti is the energy aspect of Ishwara or the Lord. Sakti is inherent in God. Just as you cannot separate heat from fire, so also you cannot separate Sakti from God, the Sakta, or the Possessor of Sakti. Sakti and Sakta are one. They are inseparable. Worship of Durga or Parvati or Kali is worship of Lord Siva. The Divine Mother, in Her aspect of Durga, is represented as having ten different weapons in her ten hands, and as sitting on a lion. Electricity, magnetism, force, heat, light, the five elements and their combinations are all external manifestations of Sakti. Intelligence, discrimination, psychic power and will are all Her internal manifestations. She keeps up the Lila of the Lord through the three Gunas, Sattva, Rajas, and Tamas. Vidya, Santi, lust, anger, greed, egoism and pride are all Her forms. Her manifestations are countless. Durg

02/09/2018 3. The aspirant thinks that the world is identical with the Divine Mother. He moves about thinking his own form to be the form of the Divine Mother and thus beholds oneness everywhere. He also feels that the Divine Mother is identical with Para Brahman. The advanced Sadhak feels "I am the Devi and the Devi is in me." He worships himself as Devi instead of adoring any external object. He says "Saham", "I am She" (Devi). Saktism is not mere theory or philosophy. It prescribes systematic Sadhana of Yoga, regular discipline according to the temperament, capacity and degree of evolution of the Sadhak. It helps the aspirant to arouse the Kundalini and unite Her with Lord Siva and to enjoy the Supreme Bliss of Nirvikalpa Samadhi. When Kundalini sleeps man is awake to the world. He has objective consciousness. When she awakes, he sleeps. He loses all consciousness of the world and becomes one with the Lord. In Samadhi the body is maintained b

12/08/2018 2. Saktism speaks of personal and the impersonal aspects of Godhead. Brahma is Nishkala or without Prakriti and Sakala or with Prakriti. The Vedantin speaks of Nirupadhika Brahman (pure Nirguna, Brahma without Maya) and Sopadhika Brahma (with Upadhi or Maya) or Saguna Brahman. It is all the same. Names only are different. It is a play of words of Sabda Jalam. People fight on words only and carry on lingual warfare—hair-splitting, logical chopping and intellectual gymnastics. In reality the essence is one. Clay only is the truth. All modifications such as pot, etc., are in name only. In Nirguna-Brahma Sakti it is potential whereas in Saguna-Brahma it is kinetic or dynamic. The basis of Saktism is the Veda. Saktism upholds that the only source and authority (Pramana) regarding transcendental or supersensual matters such as the nature of Brahman, etc., is Veda. Saktism is only Vedanta. The Saktas have the same spiritual experience as that of a Vedantin. The Devi-So

28/05/2018 SAKTI-YOGA PHILOSOPHY : Salutations to the Divine Mother -Swami Sivananda 1. Sakti is Chidroopini. She is pure, blissful consciousness. She is the Mother of nature. She is nature itself. She is the power of Lord Siva or Brahma. She runs this world-show. She maintains the sportive play or Lila or of the Lord. She is Jagad Janani (creator of the world), Mahishasuramardinee (destroyer of Mahishasura), Bhrantinashini (destroyer of illusion or Avidya), and Daridryanashini (destroyer of poverty). Devi is Sakti of Lord Siva. She is Jada Sakti and Chit Sakti. She is Iccha Sakti, Kriya Sakti and Jnana Sakti. She is Maya Sakti. Sakti is Prakriti, Maya, Mahamaya, Sri Vidya. Sakti is Brahman itself. She is Lalita, Kundalini, Rajeshwari and Tripurasundari, Sati, Parvati. Sati manifested to Lord Siva in the ten forms as the Dasa Maha Vidya, viz., Kali, Bagalamukhi, Chinnamasta, Bhuvaneswari, Matangi, Shodasi, Dhoomavati, Tripurasundari, Tara and Bhairavi. Worship of Sak