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The Saundarya Lahiri

The Times of India, Oct 17 2015

Radha Kumar

The Saundarya Lahiri of Adi Shankara

Navaratri is the festive period of nine sacred days when the divine Mother Goddess is venerated.The terracotta figurines of the goddess at Harappa reveal the fact that human beings adulated nature or prakriti in the form of a woman perhaps because she is the symbol of genesis, nurture and sustenance. The goddess as Shakti has always been invoked in Ugra, aggressive and in Shanta, peaceful forms. Adi Shankara, the advaita philosopher, was the first to integrate metaphysical deliberation of Shakti, as Saguna Tattva. The quintessential aspect of Shankara's Advaita is the doctrine of Maya. Hence his philosophy is also called, Shakti Advaitism. While at a macro level, the supreme cosmic, omnipotent and omniscient Brahmn when limited by Mayashakti, becomes Ishwara, at the micro level, the Atman becomes jiva.

Maya is anadi, beginning-less; bhavarupa, positive; material, unconscious; jada, indescribable and indefinable ­ sadasadanirvachaniya, with a phenomenal and relative character. It is vyavaharikasatta, vivrata, only an appearance; adhyasa or superimposition. The compositions of Adi Shankara in the Saundarya Lahiri, evocatively capture in verse, the basic features of the philosophical deliberations of the Kaula and Samya traditions of Shakti Upsakas along with the very detailed descriptions of the Sri Yantra with aspects of tantra like the chakras and nadis.

The verses of the Saundarya Lahiri have deep metaphysical implications along with capturing the unimaginable glory of the Devi in this mysterious universe. Each verse is descriptive of the beauty , glory and the importance of Shakti. Nevertheless, it is interesting to read verse 51, which describes the look in the Mother's eye, which is beautifully significant of the navarasa. The composition thus highlights the poetic rendition and composition of the great seer, Shankara.

In this verse, Bhagavadpada Shankara, describing the rasas of the Devi says when the divine goddess looks at Shiva, it is shringara ­ “Sive Srngarardra“.And with dislike when she sees others “Tad-itara-jane kutsana-para“; when she looks at Ganga it is with anger as Ganga is also Shiva's wife ­ “Sarosa Gangaayam“, but that of wonder when she hears the stories of Shiva “Girisa carite vismayavati“.

When looking at the great serpents forming the orna ment of Shiva, her expression is that of dread ­ “Har'abhiyo bhita“ but looks with light hearted sympathy and a patronising smile at the sight of Shiva's ganas ­ “Sarasi ruha saubhagya janani“. She looks at devotees thus: “Sakhisu smera te mayi janani drstih sakurana“.

Shankaracharya, in this composition, captures beautifully the rasas of sringara, love; bibhatsa, disgust; raudra, anger; adbuta, wonder; bhayanaka, terror; vira, heroism; hasya, mirth; and karuna, compassion.

The 100 verses of the Saundarya Lahiri is the Shakta version of Advaita where Shakti changes into the world of multiplicity of jivas and jagat, without forfeiting its non-dual status as a being.“United with Shakti, Shiva is endowed to create; otherwise he is incapable of even movement,“ says the great seer, in his very first verse.

Here, Shakti personified as Devi Tripurasundari, is described in her ultimate beauty and splendour. Complete submission to the Devi is the way to surmount and redeem oneself from this maze of Maya and it is through her karuna, that one can break free from this complex web of the eternal cause and effect cycle.Hence, it was in Shakti Tattva or Devi that the Bhagvadpada saw the pathway to redemption.

Balancing the head and heart

Swami Sukhabodhananda, Fine Tune Heart And Head With Commitment, Feb 09 2017 : The Times of India

In Indian culture, there is a maxim called `andha panku nyaaya'. The narration goes further ­ a blind man and a lame person are trapped in a forest fire. One cannot see but he can walk, while the other cannot walk but he can see. They both help each other... lame person guiding and the blind person carrying the lame person and thus they both escape the forest fire.

We are caught in the forest fire of samsara, living a life of deficiency . Our head and heart each has one type of strength and also one type of weakness.Strengthening the strengths and weakening the weaknesses makes a person integrated. Krishna refers to such an integrated person as yuktaha.In such an integrated space one can come out of the forest fire of samsara, conflict and the ups and downs in life.

We need to amalgamate both head oriented knowledge and heart oriented devotion. In the words of Adi Shankaracharya, both head and heart should blend in the right proportion. Fine tune both your head and heart right now, in all walks of your life. Dealing with your patner, sometimes only the head may not work, sometimes only the heart may not work.At times, you have to be flexible with both dimensions of your heart and head.

The complete works of Adi Shankaracharya addresses both these methods: balancing your head and your heart. What is very important is your commitment towards growth and enlightenment ­ moksha, towards liberation, niravana, call it by any name it does not matter. It is such a commitment which brings about a certain synergy , brings about certain homeostasis in your whole being. Without commitment all knowledge one acquires will only decorate one's ego. Without commitment towards enlightenment all the feelings in one's heart are directed towards decorating a feeling that one is a very heart oriented person. Have you seen a lot of `feeling oriented arrogance' as some people express? More often they shun knowledge and take shelter by declaring that they are just feeling oriented. Therefore, the bottom line is ­ it is neither the head oriented knowledge nor heart oriented feelings but it is the commitment towards liberation ­ nirvana ­ which is most important. Just for a moment let us scan back to the lives of great masters. We realise that there existed thirst for achieving enlightenment irrespective of the situations or difficulties that they encountered in their lives.

By studying the lives of enlightened masters one gets in touch with the recipe for engaging in an adventure ­ a true adventure of life. In fact, this adventure is the very purpose of their whole lifetime. It is said, `What is the quality of an enlightened person (`Siddhashya lakshanaani yani') should become the effort for the seeker ­ saadhakasya saadhanani prayatnena sampaadyani iti shravanaat.

For example, if someone's cooking ability is something to be emulated, the recipe of that good cooking should be taken and adopted in one's life.

Pause for a moment; let us examine clearly our commitment and fine tune our understanding so as to get clarity and polish our understanding. All great masters had commitment towards enlightenment, and it is that commitment with which one's knowledge will sharpen the focus. One's heart, one's elevated feeling is going to smoothen one's way into understanding. Without a deep rooted commitment nothing substantial would happen.