Soundarya Lahari Series (Article 21) : Verse 19 – “Victory in love”

WORD FOR WORD

Mukham bindum kritva – placing the face at the locus

Kuca yugam – the two breasts

Adhah tasya – below them

Tad adho – below them

Hara ardham – the better half of Shiva

Dhyayad yo – one who should contemplate.

Hara mahishi – o consort of Shiva

Te manmatha kalam – Your erotic aspect

Sa sadyah – he without delay

Samksobham nayati – can stir the sentiments

Vanita – of women

Iti ati laghu – this is but slight

Tri lokim api – even Her of the three worlds

Ashu bhramayati – at once agitates

Ravindu sthana yugam – when sun and moon both form her twin breasts

This mantra gives out a very important aspect of Srividya. The concert of Hara Devi, whoever meditates on your face in the bindu and below your twin breasts along with half akshara Hakara , raises a string of emotions which are invoked by Kamadeva. Once the string of emotions are invoked the sadhaka becomes identified with you (devi) in meditation. To instantly fascinate anyone is not easy, it is only possible to one who meditates on you as triloki and on you as the ruler of all the three worlds with Sun and moon as breasts. In dhyana , an aspirant can reach a point where everything converges and then emerges in the form of experience. That is the result of meditation. One should reach that point. Dhyana, japa has to emerge in the form of experience. To converge that into experience, the point of focus is bindu. How does meditation emerge into experience? The meditation which cannot emerge into experience is just closing our eyes. The result of meditation should result in this kind of experience, the experience may be different. What is meditation? If one closes eyes, chants a mantra is that meditation? then the answer is yes. Whenever there is a focus on a single object then it is called meditation. It can be 1 minute or 2 minutes. Here the point of focus is bindu which is represented by the nucleus of Srichakra. This mantra is a direct reference to the last triangle which has bindu and that bindu is the abode of Shakti. The Sun and moon on Devi’s breasts are Ida and Pingala and the akshara Ha is the experience with the union of the cosmic force. The deep meditation that is done by the sadhaka and when he experiences the union of the cosmic forces, the mind crosses its limitations and new avenues open up. It is to be practiced. This mantra has very special importance to Srividya Upasaka as it highlights the innermost bindu. With all this we are aware of physical and mental dimensions. The spiritual dimension has to be

reached by Srividya upasaka.If we can’t get the spiritual dimension then it is of no use to the upasaka. When a sadhaka is into Srividya he/she should get the experience of spiritual dimension. With the union of the cosmic forces, this dimension opens. The gross experiences become nothing for the sadhaka who can instantly travel through all the three levels of consciousness and experience the turia state, that is the spiritual dimension.

The spiritual dimension is beyond the level of our consciousness or the fourth state which is turiya. Which is neither a waking state nor a dreaming state. Here manmatha Kala is referred to as the divinity of love. Love has a vast explanation. When Manmatha Kala is divided into parts. Man-mind, Matha is churning, Kala is an art form, and also an aspect of the sun and moon is also called Kala. The phase of beauty in a young woman is known as Roopa Kala. Kala is also a ray or a stream. Kala is like the tide or waxing and waning that occur in waves. Similar to the waves, there are various types of emotions. It could be love, hatred, affection, anger, etc. We experience our emotions, and we should observe to see how much time we felt love and affection. Even that love has intensity depending on the person. Anger also has many shades. Anger might lead to insanity. The word Manmatha Kala should be understood as phases of emotion. Shankara speaks about Adyatma Kala. It comes as a surge in the churning of mental waves. That depends on the churning of the mind. Manmatha Kala is the art of churning the mind. Manmatha churns our emotions in abundance which is Manmatha’s mischief. The Kama has been included as one of the purushartha. The expression of Kama should not conflict with the other three (dharma, Artha, Moksha). Artha is a material need that is required during our daily life. To attain Jeevan Mukti or vidheha mukthi sannyasa is not the right way. Dharma in English is understood as a religion, it is not that, it is righteousness. Dharma does not qualify for any prefix and suffix. Triloki is a new dimension to meditate on Devi. Triloki is three lokas as imagined as Virat rupa and is a form of Devi. In the triloka, the sun and the moon at their best. These awaken the mathru bhava. Emotion towards the mother. Matru bhava is divine.The sun is a symbol of prana, and the moon is the nectar, not only for the individual but also for the whole universe. Triloki is a significant epithet. One who can transcend desire and awaken the thought of worship alone can realize the cosmic form of Devi when this happens he becomes Shiva himself. Shakara Bhagavadpada charya was able to do that. He is describing the body of a woman in different dimensions. Desire and Manmatha go hand and hand. We have elements of desire, and the roots of the desire are deeply rooted which is hard to say which came first, desire or vibration. Whether the desire towards something beautiful or is it due to vibration that desire has come. Nasadiya sukta says that desire, Ichcha Sakthi came first. When ichcha comes, Sankalpa comes first which is followed by vibration. All three are rooted in infinite power. Devi Upasakas call it shakti and Shaiva’s call it Shiva. Infinite power is the same, the only difference is the names.

The emotional quality of a person largely determines one’s success in life. One’s potential in achieving goals in life is derived by measuring intellectual development, in doing so we have overlooked emotional development. We have done everything to achieve success, and the least importance is given to emotional development. Emotions should be expressed to understand the nature of our inner selves to realize universal consciousness.

Chanting procedure and Nivedyam( offerings to the Lord) : If one chants this verse 1000 times every day for 25 days, and offers Honey,milk and payasam as nivedhyam , one can achieve victory in love.

Sri Gurubhyo namah

Sri Matre Namah

Hema

Note: The articles written are the extracts from daily online Jnana Yajna conducted by ‘Atmanandanatha’ on Soundarya Lahari

Link to Article 1: Introduction to Soundarya Lahari

Link to Article 2: Synopsis of first 41 verse of Soundarya Lahari

Link to Article 3: Verse1 of Soundarya Lahari explanation

Link to Article 4: Verse 2 Soundarya Lahari explanation

Link to Article 5: Verse 3 Soundarya Lahari explanation

Link to Article 6: Verse 4 Soundarya Lahari explanation

Link to Article 7: Verse 5 Soundarya Lahari explanation

Link to Article 8: Verse 6 Soundarya Lahari explanation