Soundarya Lahari Series (Article 7) : Verse 5 – “Devi as a Source of Fascinating Attraction and Illusive Power”

Explanation of verse 5 starts with salutations to guru.. The fourth mantra is used for Sankata Nivarana. We have yantra in all the books. As we proceed further we will be learning more about the mantras.There are many bhashyas on Soundarya Lahari. Bhasdhyas speak about 103 mantras on the meditation of herself. Some bhashyas talk about materialistic benefits, some talk about dhyana slokas. Whereas another bhashya from Dindima talks about every mantra for meditation. This mantra’s meditation is done in the full form of Devi.

Now let’s look at individual padha vibhaga:

Harih: Vishnutvam– you

Aradhya — worship

Pranatujana Sounbhagya Janani— who bestows prosperity on all

Naribhutva— Being a female

Pura ripu mapi— even in

shivaKshobham — Create passion

Anayath— You sir the

Smara api– even Karma

Tvam— you

Natva– having bowed before you

Ratinayana lehyena Vapusha— become a personality.

Manmatha attracts due to the eye of Rathi

Muninamapyanthah — even sages sings estetics

Anayath— in the minds of

Prabhavathi— becomes capable of

Mohaya– Maya

Mahatma — Generating Passion

You have bestowed prosperity on all your devotees. You are all that. Vishnu has become an enticing female and stirs passion in Shiva. How can the Parashkthi drag Shiva into the Kama? Eshwara is the embodiment of Gyana. Even Kama deva the god of love, lust having bode an attractive personality to his consort who happens to be Rathi and because of this, he is able to entice great passion in the minds of even sages. The fifth verse talks about Mohini.This mantra also continues to confer her as shakti to her devotees. In the last mantra, it is fearlessness that we have understood. Abhaya and Varada were granted. Here she grants her devotees the power to infatuation, the infatuation to whom is the question here? Not just common people like us who are lustful but even sages have attained the stage of Vairagya, dispassion, and sacrificed thayaga or renunciation. This mantra is focused on the Kama. The general meaning is desire. Verse 5 is all about Kama, passion, and who does it? It is all Shakthi is doing. Is it wrong in doing, no this is need for the creation of the universe? It subtly speaks that Devi Upasaka has a passion for lust. Some of the Vidya tantras prohibit some of the Sanyasi to practice Srividya.For our fortunate Shankara was able to practice the Srividya mantra and give a proper form of worship also in Srividya. even his successor Vidyaranya Swami from where our Guru parampara begins has written a wonderfully on Sriviyda navarnava text. So the kama, lust is needed for creation. This mantra is talking about Sammohana transforms Vishnu into Mohini. The enticing female referred to in this verse, was done by shakti. He Sammohana shakti is transformed into Vishnu to perform a task. He has performed three important tasks which refer to Bramha Sura’s Mohini.There are three occasions where Mohini Appeared. On one occasion where we have heard about Kshirasagara Mathana where Mohini appeared, all the Rakshasha’s were running behind the nectar. It is the same with humans, we do not run behind amrutha tatva, immortality, or Ananda. We run behind temporary happiness in front of lust that is what is subtly conveyed here. Arudrotsava is celebrated during Dhanurmama. The emergence of Adiguru as Dakshina Murthy’s on that day. There is no birth for devatas. Some great disciple must have found the Universal consciousness in the form of Guru. It is the universal consciousness that has taken the form of Guru directly.

This is the reason we have all trimurthy’s in Dakshinamurthy.In Vaishan Sampradaya, we have Dattatreya. It is also the embodiment of all three. So our great sages also had the responsibility to meet different needs. In Srividya Upasana the most important mantra is the Dakshinamurthy mantra. This is in Samayachara.When coming to Kaulachara form of Srivdya, Dattatreya is in the form of Anandabhairava and Anandabhairavi.Here also we can see that Mohini emerged before Dakshinamurthy. Vishnu took the form of Mohini to bring sense into the rishis who were performing Yagnas with Rudra Namaka and Chamaka. The yagnas were only performed for asking boons but not for liberation. Hence Dakshinamurthy emerged. We also see the sammohana part of Vishnu on three different occasions. The sammohana is the shakti of Devi, the parashakti. Shakti always accomplishes whatever is needed through her different forms through her different agents who she programmed and designed to accomplish different tasks. This trend of Parashakthi can be seen in all the processes. She remails behind the scenes and does not display herself. Before the act of creation and at of Sustenance and dissolution there is something behind that was not taken seriously by us, they are not independent. There is always some force for creation.

According to modern science, there is a lot of research about scientific knowledge, advancement going on but it is always the mysterious nature of Shakthi that is in play.She plays this mysterious game where she is the source from which all the forces emanate and does not reveal herself. She can only be known by her attributes. What are her attributes? It is not known to anyone. The attribute of parashakthi si her long gravity. Lost electromagnetic energy or nuclear energy. We are understanding these laws, which have not to reveal the entire form of Devi. The only way to understand Devi is not through her intellect. It can only be experienced.There are 15 Uapsakas of Srividya. One among is Vishnu also. The mantra which is meditated upon, its rishi is known as Vaishnavi. Because of worshipping her, he acquired the power of her to assume any form he wanted. By prolonged medication and worship of Devi in the form of Srichakra. This is how Vinshu acquired the form of Mohini. It is elegant and seductive.There is also Manmathopasa Srividya. Kama deva or Msnmatha attained that power of insight passion. In all, the whole Universe. This was because of the worship of Devi in the form of Sci chakra and Srividya. Due to his meditation and chanting of her mantra, she granted him Sammohana Shakthi. No one can resist the invasion of Manamatha in mind. This mantra says that the cause of attraction is not Kamadeva or Manmatha, It is Shakti herself who transmits the power of charge to those who worship her with devotion and experience her within their minds. IT is not manmatha it is herself which gives the sammohana ” Ratinayana Lehyena Vapush” We know that Manmatha was burnt because he wanted to create passion in Shiva. Rati was able to bring back Kama (Manmatha) by the grace of Shakti. Shakthi wanted Manmatha back. Shakti knows that without Panchya kruthyas creation cannot take place. Shiva not knowing Manmatha is back, remained invisible. Even though Kamadevais invincible of Sammohanna what he emits is invisible. Forces of attraction and repulsion in the universe are always happening. The force of Sammohana Shakthi is compared to electromagnetic waves. Without the electromagnetic waves that are in the universe are responsible for the field of gravity. The gravity draws objects downwards using the force of attraction. The attraction is inherent in the electromagnetic field and we have also seen satellites where opposite side repulsion is seen.Devi Parashkthi bestows the same electromagnetic energy on us, in the form of Prana Shakti as a boon to devotees. Prana Shakti that pervades the entire body, as well as creation, is the gift of Shakti. Due to which we have been given the smallest particles such as Protons, Neutrons, and electrons. In this sloka, we are trying to understand Sammohana which is beyond lust and sex. That Sammohana which is beyond is what is making our universe service. This force of attraction of magnetism is what brings all of us together in our daily life. Parashakthi is intensified by worshipping her with cosmic energy. In verse four we had understood that she granted the experiences according to our own desires that are rooted in our Karma. The power of shakti transforms into pleasure and pain which are subjected through our life. Pain is a great teacher. When we are undergoing pain and suffering, she is giving us more of what we want. Sammohana is the gamett of life. In a single moment, men and women are altered physically and mentally. Even the temperature of the body changes The subject of attraction has to be understood by its entirety. It is divine Sammihana as a means of higher experience. The mantra is used for protection and progress in life by generating the strong force of Sammohana to achieve one’s desires.The final summary for the above mantra would be that Parashakti is urging Manmatha to bring us all under his spell. The reverse of this is that she would grant us the grace of destroying kama by surrendering to her completely.

When we imagine and understand the above lines, it makes a transformation within ourselves, which helps us in our daily dhyana and benefits are plenty. Every Srividya Upasaka needs to at least chant Soundarya Lahari and know the meaning of the verses.

Chanting procedure and Nivedyam( offerings to the Lord) :
If one chants this verse 2000 times every day for 8 days, and cooks Pongal (made from dhal) as
nivedhyam, it is said that one can attract the other sex and make love out of it.

Sri Gurubhyo Namah

Sri Matre Namah