Soundarya Lahari Series (Article 19) : Verse 17 – “Mastery over words, Knowledge of science”

WORD FOR WORD Meaning:

savitri bhir vacam – those word-bearing elements

sasi mani silabhanga ruci bhih – of broken moonstone lustre

vasin yadya bhih – with her word Vashinis

tvam saha – as associated with you

janani – o mother

sancintayati – yah – he thus able to contemplate

saha – he

karta kavyanam – the author of (great) poetic works

bhavati – he becomes

mahatam – great (poetic works – above)

bhangiruci bhihi – of scintillating sweetness

vaco bhih – by words

vak devi vadana kamala moda madhuraih – adding sweet charm to the lotus face of the Goddess of the Word

Here acharya is referring to Vashinyadhi vagdevatas, Oh Mother one who meditates on you as vashini and vagdevata who are a source of speech. The radiance from vashini and vagdevata is compared to the lust of freshly cut fruit which is very sweet. Who meditates on vashini vagdevata form can produce as delightful and appealing to ears can produce beautiful poems which is the fragrance from the mouth of Saraswathi. The fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth of Soundarya lahari Shankara is talking about Sativikaka, Rajasa, tamasika forms of Saraswathi. One of the Bhashyakaras mentions that one should meditate on Devi as if she is placing her hand on our head. Why is it mentioned here? In the sixteenth mantra, she is meditated in a forest of lotus. A thick forest where no sunlight can enter. The early morning sun rays enter into lotus forest, Sahasrara is innumerable. In that, Aruna Kirana is a particular red color. In that form, when Devi places her hand on our head is what is felt as Aruna Kirana. Oh, Devi, one who meditates in you, the vashini vagdevata are a source of speech and they are surrounded around you. The speech is sound only but it is compared to the radiance of freshly cut moonstone. Speech is sound but cannot have rays of light. Shabda can not only be heard, but it also has illumination. One who meditates in such a manner can become poets and authors, So delightful and emitting words, sweet words emit from such sadhakas. It is fragrant which is coming out of Saraswathi’s mouth. The sound that has attained clarity is called shabda spota. The first glimpse of shakti takes only when this shadba spota attains clarity. The sound that has clarity is the first glimpse of Devi. Here Bhagavatpada describes this pristine form of shakti when she first emerges into view in her 16 forms of Chandra by comparing her radiance with freshly cut moonstone. The vision of such a form of Devi could turn anyone into a poet. Until they had the darshan of Devi in this form, they have experienced the Devi in the form of clarity of sound. Shankara acknowledges the divine intervention in our lives who worship her in the same manner as Valmiki and Kalidasa. The works of Valmiki and Kalidasa would not have been written without Devi’s sakshatkara. This mantra emphasis vak siddhi,

When sound and mantra is combined together we get the sweetness of sound and speech. That sweetness of speech can easily be said to be the vashikaran mantra of Devi. By very sweet and pleasant speech one can rule over the people. This is nothing but Devi’s favor. It is the presence of Devi in him that is also a sign of her grace, The auspiciousness and sound are unanimous. This mantra can also be meditated on the Vagbhavakuta of Panchadasi mantra. Vagbhava kutaika mukhapankaja which is the symbolic nature of Devi’s face. One should not get into the experience of siddhis which are the culmination of Devi’s worship.

Vagdevi, ashtavagdevi, vashinyadhi, and ashtavadevatas are referred to 8 Vargas in the Sanskrit alphabet.

Moonstone is actually Chandra Kanta mani. This Chandra Kanta mani is the Ghani bhuta or solidifying of moon’s rays that is light which gets solidified into stone and becomes Chandra Kanta shila. In Panchgani vidya and also the manifestation of the universe, From akasha the whole universe has manifested, the light can also be solidified which is called Ghani bhuta. The Chandra Kanta Shila will again liquify and by the moon rays and that is the aksharas. These aksharas take the form of sounds and words and then sentences. Parashakti manifested with the following 16 Kalas.

कामेश्वरी, भगमालिनी, नित्यक्लिन्ने, भेरुण्डे, वह्निवासिनी, महावज्रेश्वरी, शिवदूती, त्वरिते, कुलसुन्दरी, नित्ये, नीलपताके, विजये, सर्वमङ्गले, ज्वालामालिनी, चित्रे, महानित्ये,

kāmēśvarī, bhagamālinī, nityaklinnē, bhēruṇḍē, vahnivāsinī, mahāvajrēśvarī, śivadūtī, tvaritē, kulasundarī, नित्या, nīlapatākē, विजय, sarvamaṅgaḻē, jvālāmālinī, खट्टे, mahānityē.

కామేశ్వరీ, భగమాలినీ, నిత్యక్లిన్నే, భేరుండే, వహ్నివాసినీ, మహావజ్రేశ్వరీ, శివదూతీ, త్వరితే, కులసుందరీ, నిత్యే, నీలపతాకే, విజయే, సర్వమంగళే, జ్వాలామాలినీ, చిత్రే, మహానిత్యే,

ಕಾಮೇಶ್ವರೀ, ಭಗಮಾಲಿನೀ, ನಿತ್ಯಕ್ಲಿನ್ನೇ, ಭೇರುಂಡೇ, ವಹ್ನಿವಾಸಿನೀ, ಮಹಾವಜ್ರೇಶ್ವರೀ, ಶಿವದೂತೀ, ತ್ವರಿತೇ, ಕುಲಸುಂದರೀ, ನಿತ್ಯೇ, ನೀಲಪತಾಕೇ, ವಿಜಯೇ, ಸರ್ವಮಂಗಳೇ, ಜ್ವಾಲಾಮಾಲಿನೀ, ಚಿತ್ರೇ, ಮಹಾನಿತ್ಯೇ,

These thithi nityas are also worshiped in Srichakra. The shodasha kalas are the manifestation of Mahatripura Sundari. What was unmanifested was already present, and it manifested into the universe. And they refer to thithi Nitya devatas and then Tripura Sundari. He also talks about Dwadashi yoginis. Chatush shashti yogini Gana Sevitha. 33 crore refers to the most important divinities. The fundamental principle of what we think constantly and deeply, we become herself. The very principle of Srividya is that. Another misconception is that Devi only gives Jeevan mukthi and deha mukthi. He confers both, that Devi gives both spiritual and materialistic needs of the sadhaka. Her slide glance makes a very old man who ugly and who lost all his strength, the number of young girls runs behind him. Her simple smile is enough for those who seek material and prosperity. Hence, one should contemplate on her along with vagdevi with a sweet voice, fragrant voice. Chandra Kanta is believed to give wealth. Shankara has enormous visualizing capacity. Why does Shakara compare moonstone with Vagdevata’s? It is because moonstone has the capability of melting the alphabets and sound. Wherever she is there, she is always surrounded by vagdevatas. She is red in color and always sits on Shiva’s left lap. Shiva being purest form and when she sits on his left lap and Devi being Red incomplex, the reflection is of Aruna.

In this verse, her complexion does not radiate. She appears in red complexion and vagdevi appear in moonstone complexion. That is the difference here. The point mentioned by Shankara is the bright red color is marginally diffused by vagdevi so that one can meditate with a cool appearance like Chandra Kanta. We cannot look on the sun and meditate because she is very bright. Appearance with vagdevi is in cool appearance hence one can meditate on her. If her grace is showered on Sadhaka, the sadhaka can create poetry. One who meditates on her with 8 vagdevi can compose epics and hymns, Saraswathi face also becomes happy and the poet gets the flow of thoughts. As she inhabits the goddess of letters, her face becomes more gleaming and her face gets the radiance as more and more hymns are composed. Letters are the vagdevis and these letters are residing in Saraswathi, she becomes immensely happy and it is also explained that such compositions have a natural fragrance. This mantra has a yantra called Sakala kovidha yantra. It has a Beeja mantra also called sam. This is one form of Saraswathi called Neela Saraswathi and tara. Neela saraswathi and Tara is ugra devatas, one of the dasa mahavidyas. Immediately after the birth of a child, if one writes the Beeja mantra, he/she will become a great poet. At the same time, if the mantra is scripted on a lotus leaf and offered at home coinciding with a solar eclipse, then the yagna kartha becomes a great scholar. When we worship Sri Chakra, in the end, there is a vagdevi in astakona and each Kona is a vagdevata.

Chanting procedure and Nivedyam( offerings to the Lord) : If one chants this verse 1000 times every day for 45 days, and offers Honey,Milk, sugarcane and sugar as naivedyam , one is said to be the master of sciences and Shastras.

Sri Gurubhyo Namah

Sri Matre Namah