Soundarya Lahari Series (Article 28) : Verse 26 – “Eternity of Lord Shiva and Devi”

WORD FOR WORD

Virincih pancatvam vrajati – Brahma regains his pure quintuple nature

Harihi apnoti viratim – Vishnu becomes passionless

Vinasam kinaso bhajati – the God of Death destruction meets

Dhana daha yati nidhanam – the God of Wealth courts bankruptcy

Vitandri mahendri vitatir api – the great Indra becomes functionless

Sammilita drsha – with half-shut eyes

Maha samhare asmin – in this great doom

Viharati – he sports

Sati – o constant spouse

Tvat patihi asau – Your lord alone

Mahendra is another name for Indra;

Dhana daha yati nidhanam – the God of Wealth courts bankruptcy

dhana daha refers to the God of Wealth – Kubera.

Vinasam kinaso bhajati – the God of Death destruction meets

Kinaso refers to Yama, the God of Death.

Virinci is Brahma, the God of Creation.

The consort Shiva is alone, sporting in such a state of dissolution. The whole Soundarya Lahari is understood with the help of tantra. The word tantra is not used by Amnaya mattas which is wrong. Tantra is explained very clearly by Aamnaya peettas. Although Shakti and her consort Shiva, the creation exists within a time-space. They are together and that is known as yoga. These four form yugas and at the end there is dissolution. In the end, all the energies that are manifested from the unmanifest are also not spared ( Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheswara). At the time of thirodhana annihilation and dissolution. The source of the universe is consciousness and brahmanda from the source. The only tattva that remains apart from energy is Shakti and Shiva which is pure chetana. Though absorbed, once again the shakti is inseparably united with Shiva. The creation is Maya to manifest its creation. The Prakriti, nature, and Shakti absorb everything to her womb; she assumes the state of a great slumber while being united with Shiva. On account of absorption with her while being in union with Shiva the creation remains in the seed form because. The seed form is known as Shadakya tattva. When everything is absorbed that tattva has to remain. This remains to initiate another creation. After everything is absorbed the Ichcha Shakti seed remains. Until then she is able to contain the iccha shakti by merging her other three shakti’s Icha, Gyana, and Kriya into herself. So iccha Shakti is desired. When we apply the same philosophy to our life, the iccha shakti which is the desire manifests. Ichcha Shakti is a seed. Most of us fail in our enduring, including spiritual endurance.

Something we desire is not happening because the seed is not mature enough to sprout. Gyana os shat chakras and kriya of making them energized is only possible when we have the longing desire for it. Without any amount of kriya or concentration, we won’t be able to achieve the goal. Shakti is devotion, union with Shiva. This is what ensures his existence. The existence of consciousness is possible because shakti is united with Consciousness and that is the seed. At the time of the pralaya shakti devours all except for shiva tattva The entire creation, Brahma tattva is reduced back into primordial elements; earth, water, fire, air, akasa.

Brahma is reduced into different elements. Sustainer Vishnu also into seed form. Shakti absorbs Sada shiva into herself. Sadashiva and shakti become inseparable until the great Tripurasundari ” Shiva shakti yuktah” waits for another creation. The shakti takes the form of Maya that manifests as Maya.

The idea presented by Shankara is the worship of shakti, consciousness, which is further enhanced in verse 26. The only eternal tattva apart from shiva or consciousness is energy. The energy protects shiva like any wife or beloved would protect her husband. The spouse protects her husband, the purity and chastity of a wife is very important to protect her husband which is also referred to by Sati. Some effort has to be restored regarding the role of the wife in a household. It is she that is divine in the form of a wife who protects her husband. How do we treat the one that protects us and how one should get energized to protect one another.

According to the verse, after complete dissolution, only Lord Shiva(Pati, the Lord) and Shridevi(Sati, devoted wife of Lord Shiva, i.e. Shri Parvati) remain, because they are the Ultimate Reality. All other deities are their different powers and hence they are withdrawn back during the dissolution. We need to practice detachment while being attached to our worldly desires, family, or anything that even arises as a desire. From desire arises attachment, from attachment, anger arises, jealousy and disappointment. while having the comforts of life and not getting attached to these. In Soundarya lahari the stanzas are referred to as the chakras. The meditation on our chakras by making them more energized. Mahaswami’s version on the 26th sloka where he refers to Mahasamharam, the great dissolution. In that great dissolution when Brahma, Vishnu, Indra, Kubera are all perished and only SHIVA remains quoting Sati, Sati Sati. The glory of Ambal’s pathivrathayam. He underlines Sati being the supreme chastity by sacrificing her physical body where her husband was not respected and thought to continue to live in that place to live in such a place. Although she perished at that time, she is imperishable, eternal. Sati should be understood as she who is eternal. Her husband can have no end. We call it sati pati. Sati in the form of women, physical form, the energy is eternal. If the energy is held properly, that takes care of pati. Sati is the energy behind pati.

Chanting procedure and Nivedyam( offerings to the Lord) : If one chants this verse 1000 times each day for 6 consecutive new moon days, offering sweet pongal as prasadam, it is said that one would be able to overcome his enemies.

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

Link to Article 9: Verse 7 Soundarya Lahari explanation

Link to Article 10: Verse 8 Soundarya Lahari explanation

Link to Article 11: Verse 9 Soundarya Lahari explanation