Soundarya Lahari - 1

Soundarya Lahari, meaning Waves of Beauty, consists of two parts viz. Ananda Lahari, meaning Waves of Happiness (first 41 stanzas) and Soundarya Lahari (the next 59 stanzas).

It is believed that Lord Ganesha himself etched the Ananda Lahari on Mount Meru (some people believe that Sage Pushpa Dhantha did the etching). It was read from there by Sage Gouda Pada who taught it to Adi Sankara. Adi Sankara himself added the rest of the 59 stanzas and completed it.

These 100 stanzas are supposed to be the foremost among mantra literature. It is also believed that by making suitable yantras and reciting particular stanzas and worshipping the yantras almost anything can be obtained in the world .There are more than 36 commentaries on Soundarya Lahari written in Sanskrit. Of them, the most famous is that written by Lakshmi Dhara alias Lalla. His commentary is used to understand the meaning of the different verses.

Part-1 - Ananda Lahari (The Waves of Happiness)

Shivah shakthya yukto yadi bhavati shaktah prabhavitum
Na chedevam devo na khalu kusalah spanditumapi;
Atas tvam aradhyam Hari-Hara-Virinchadibhir api
Pranantum stotum vaa katham akrta-punyah prabhavati

Lord Shiva, only becomes able.
To do creation in this world.
Along with Shakthi
Without her,
Even an inch he cannot move,
And so how can, one who does not do good deeds,
Or one who does not sing your praise,
Become adequate to worship you
Oh, goddess mine,
Who is worshipped by the trinity…1

Taniyamsam pamsum tava carana-pankeruha-bhavam
Virincih sanchinvan virachayati lokan avikalam;
Vahaty evam Shaurih katham api sahasrena shirasaam
Harah samksudy'ainam bhajati bhajati bhasito'ddhalama-vidhim.

Lord Brahma, the creator of yore,
Selects a dust from your feet,
And creates he this world,
The great Adisesha - with his thousand heads,
Somehow carries a dust of your feet,
With effort great,
And the great Lord Rudra,
Takes it and powders it nice,
And uses it as the holy ash…2

Avidyanam antas-timira-mihira-dweeppa-nagari
Jadanam chaitanya-stabaka-makaranda-sruti jhari
Daridranam cinta-mani-gunanika janma-jaladhau
Nimadhanam damshtra mura-ripu-varahasya bhavati.

The dust under your feet, Oh Goddess great,
Is like the city of the rising sun,
That removes all darkness, unfortunate,
From the mind of the poor ignorant one,
Is like the honey that flows,
From the flower bunch of vital action,
To the slow witted one,
Is like the heap of wish-giving gems,
To the poorest of men,
And is like the teeth of Lord Vishnu
In the form of Varaha,
Who brought to surface,
The mother earth,
To those drowned in this sea of birth…3

Tvad anyah paanibhyam abhaya-varado daivataganah
Tvam eka n'aivasi prakatita-var'abhityabhinaya;
Bhayat tratum datum phalam api cha vancha samadhikam
Saranye lokanam tava hi charanaveva nipunav

Oh, She who is refuge to all this world,
All gods except you mother,
Give refuge and grant wishes,
Only by their hand.
But only you mother
Never show the world in detail,
The boons and refuge that you can give,
For even your holy feet will suffice,
To remove fear for ever,
And grant boons much more than asked…4

Haris tvam aradhya pranata-jana-saubhagya-jananim
Pura nari bhutva Pura-ripum api ksobham anayat;
Smaro'pi tvam natva rati-nayana-lehyena vapusha
Muninam apyantah prabhavati hi mohaya mahatam.

You who grant all the good things,
To those who bow at your feet,
Was worshipped by Lord Vishnu,
Who took the pretty lovable feminine form,
And could move the mind of he who burnt the cities,
And make him fall in love with him.
And the God of Love, Manmatha,
Took the form which is like nectar,
Drunk by the eyes by Rathi, his wife,
After venerating you,
Was able to create passion,
Even in the mind of sages the great…5

Dhanun paushpam maurvi madhu-kara-mayi pancha visikha
Vasantaha samanto Malaya-marud ayodhana-rathah;
Tatha'py ekah sarvam Himagiri-suthe kam api kripaam
Apangat te labdhva jagadidam Anango vijayate

Oh, daughter of the mountain of ice,
With a bow made of flowers,
Bow string made of honey bees,
Five arrows made of only tender flowers,
With spring as his minister,
And riding on the chariot of breeze from Malaya mountains
The God of Love who does not have a body,
Gets the sideways glance of your holy eyes,
And is able to win all the world alone…6

Kvanat-kanchi-dama kari-kalabha-kumbha-stana-nata
Pariksheena madhye parinata-sarachandra-vadana;
Dhanur banan pasam srinim api dadhana karatalaii
Purastad astam noh Pura-mathitur aho-purushika.

With a golden belt,
Adorned by tiny tingling bells,
Slightly bent by breasts like the two frontal globes
Of an elephant fine,
With a thin pretty form,
And with a face like the autumn moon,
Holding in her hands,
A bow of sugarcane, arrows made of flowers,
And the noose and goad,
She who has the wonderful form,
Of the ego of the God who burnt the three cities,
Should please come and appear before us…7

Sudha-sindhor madhye sura-vitapi-vati parivrte
Mani-dweepe nipo'pavana-vathi chintamani-grhe;
Shivaakare manche Parama-Shiva-paryanka-nilayam
Bhajanti tvam dhanyah katichana chid-ananda-laharim.

In the middle of the sea of nectar,
In the isle of precious gems,
Which is surrounded by wish-giving Kalpaga trees,
In the garden Kadamba trees,
In the house of the gem of thought,
On the all holy seat of the lap of the great God Shiva,
Sits she who is like a tide
In the sea of happiness of ultimate truth,
And is worshipped by only by a few select holy men…8

Mahim muladhare kamapi manipure huthavaham
Sthitham svadhistane hridi marutamakasam upari;
Mano'pi bhruu-madhye sakalamapi bhittva kula-patham
Sahasrare padme saha rahasi patyaa viharase.

Oh Goddess mine,
You live in seclusion with your consort,
In the lotus with thousand petals,
Reached after breaking through the micro ways,
Of the power of earth in Mooladhara,
Of the power of water of Mani poora,
Of the power of fire of Swadhishtana,
Of the fire of air in the heart,
And of the power of ether in-between the eyelids…9

Sudha-dhara-sarais carana-yugalanta vigalitaih
Prapancham sinchanti punarapi ras'amnaya-mahasah;
Avapya svam bhumim bhujaga-nibham adhyusta-valayam
Svam atmanam krtva svapishi kulakunde kuharini

Using the nectar that flows in between your feet,
To drench all the nerves of the body,
And descending from the moon with nectar like rays,
Reaching back to your place,
And coiling your body into a ring like serpent,
You sleep in the Kula Kunda - with a hole in the middle…10

(Translated by P R Ramachander)