18th Edition of Shadow Dancing with Mind

Welcome to 18^th Edition of “Shadow Dancing With Mind”. This Edition has the following topics.

FEATURE
My thoughts and quotes from the books that I have been reading...

Soundarya Lahari "Waves of Beauty" - Adi Shankaracharya

Recently, in a discussion, I came across a view that the art, sculpture and writings of ancient India many times were inspired by the kings and emperor’s lustfulness. Examples of Ajanta Ellora caves, Temple sculptures of Konark, Kaam Sutra etc were mentioned... In this context, I am hereby reproducing some interesting examples of how the beauty of Goddess Parvati, consort of Lord Shiva, was described by one of the sages in a very famous literary Book “Soundarya Lahari” in explicit but beautiful terms, full of devotion..

The Soundarya Lahari is not only a poem. It is a tantra textbook, giving instructions on Puja and offerings, many yantras, almost one to each shloka; describes tantric ways of performing devotion connected to each specific shloka; and details the results ensuing there from.

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TALKING POINT

The thoughts, talks and viewpoints that have captured my imagination....

Brene Brown: The power of vulnerability

Some times, I get things come to me, on its own and this one talk by Brene Brown on "The Power of Vulnerability" just popped up in my cyber space wandering. It gave me a lot of food for thought and views that I could relate to... hence I thought of sharing it with my friends here. It’s a beautiful TED Talk about love, belongingness and shame... if you don’t have time to hear and see her speak, then probably you can read the transcript that is provided at the end...

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Vande Matram...

On 15^th August – Independence Day of India, I reproduce lyrics of ‘Vande Mataram’ as well as the beautiful Vande Mataram song sung by A R Rahman, (Oscar winner). The Song Vande Matram is well known as the National Song of our country written by Bankimchandra wrote the 7th November, 1875.

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STILL LIFE

My impressions from the places, which I have captured through my roving lenses...

Creativity all around - Vienna

In month of July, I was in Vienna to fulfil my long time desire to see in person the most reproduced painting in the world ‘The Kiss’ by Gustav Klimt as well as to see the famous museums and Danube River. I have always believed that the creativity is another form of meditation and wanted to soak in the atmosphere of the city that gave many creative genius’s like Klimt, Schiele.. This post has some of my impressions from few days I have had spent there...

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So close to nature - Poland

On one of my recent business trip to Europe, I have had an opportunity spend few days in Poland, visiting one of the largest office furniture manufacturer "Nowy Styl" in Europe and their Factory in Poland. This post carries some of my impressions from the journey... Hope you will enjoy it.

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WHISPERS

Some of my whispers of heart, expressed in forms of poetry, Haiku and free verse..

Nature and life...

Some of my Haiku this week..

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Rain, Rain... Rain again

Some of my Haiku from past... 

This one post is about passionate nights of love... the desires that grow within one’s purity of love, cast by the chaos of mind... sometimes one is not able to control what one wants to do and what one desires in its deepest passionate thoughts...

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WANDERLUST:
My spiritual wandering’s across life...

The long walk to Rishikesh - Kanwarias

Every year the roads to pilgrim places like Haridwar, Rishikesh, Gangotri or Gaumukh (the glacier from where the Ganga originates) in Uttaranchal turns into flaming orange color with Kanwars – the saffron clad devotees, who’s mission is to collect holy ganges water from these holy places and consecrate the Shiva Linga’s at their villages and homes. 

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In search of Krishna - Mayapur and Navdweep

A beautiful journey to Navdweep and Mayapur... a spiritual place for Krishna devotees

Here is a journey to Navdweep in West Bengal, where the Bhakti Movement was started by Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and then later on taken to international shores by International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which is headquartered nearby in Mayapur....

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MANTRA YOGA

From this Edition, I am starting another topic, which is all about Mantra Yoga – A meditation system that I have been following for some time. In this process one uses specific Mantra with breathing technique for manifesting health, wealth, Love, peace and wisdom in one’s own life. First of the series is a very powerful Mantra of Lord Shiva

Om Namah Shivaya - A powerful mantra to attain wisdom

If you are following me on various social media like this blog, Face Book, Twitter or have received email from me then I am sure that you have come across my signature sign off...

ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

And many times, I have been asked what it means. This post explains the meaning of the mantra as well as some very powerful recitations of the mantra chant – One a great Indian classical singer Pandit Jasraj and the other one by a great Krishna devotee Krishna Das which I love listening to....

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Hope you would enjoy this edition of my ‘Shadow dancing with Mind’ Please leave a comment on the pages you visit and I will be very grateful if you click the follow button, so that we can be in touch...
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Shashi
ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

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FEATURE : Soundarya Lahari "Waves of Beauty" - Adi Shankaracharya

Sculpture at famous Sun temple - Konark

Recently, in a discussion, I came across a view that the art, sculpture and writings of ancient India many times were inspired by the kings and emperor’s lustfulness. Examples of Ajanta Ellora caves, Temple sculptures of Konark, Kaam Sutra etc was mentioned... showing explicit images of naked female and male forms in public places that offended the sensibility of modern Indians. So I highlighted that, this was the way, Ancient Indian’s lived and as is the case with many tropical countries, they was actually no need to cover the upper part of the body. This seeming nudity was the way of life for Indians at that point in history, which got reflected in the art and culture of India.

In this context, I am hereby reproducing some interesting examples of how the beauty of Goddess Parvati, consort of Lord Shiva, was described by one of the sages in the Book “Soundarya Lahari” in explicit but beautiful terms, full of devotion..

Brief Note

Adi Shankaracharya
Painting by Raja Ravi Varma

The Soundarya Lahari (Sanskrit: सौन्दर्यलहरी) meaning "Waves Of Beauty" is a famous literary work in Sanskrit believed to be written by sage Pushpadanta and Adi Shankara. Its hundred and three shlokas (verses) eulogize the beauty, grace and munificence of Goddess Parvati / Dakshayani, consort of Shiva.

It is said that once Adi Shankara visited Kailash to worship Shiva and Parvathi. There, the Lord gave him a manuscript containing 100 verses which described the many facets of the Goddess, as a gift to him. While Shankara was returning after visiting Kailash, Nandi stopped him on the way. He snatched the manuscript from him, tore it into two, took one part and gave the other to Shankara. Shankara, desolate, ran to Shiva and narrated the incident to him. Shiva, smiling, commanded him to retain the 41 verses with him as the initial part of the 100 verses and then, write an extra 59 verses in praise of the Goddess himself. Thus, verses 1 - 41 are the original work of Lord Shiva, shedding great light on the ancient rituals of Tantra, Yantra and various powerful Mantras. The remaining verses, i.e. 42-100 are composed by Adi Shankara himself, which mainly focuses on the appearance of the Goddess. All the 100 verses are collectively known as 'Soundarya Lahari'.

The Soundarya Lahari is not only a poem. It is a tantra textbook, giving instructions on Puja and offerings, many yantras, almost one to each shloka; describes tantric ways of performing devotion connected to each specific shloka; and details the results ensuing therefrom. There are many interpretations and commentaries but best of these are arguably those that provide word-to-word translations, as also the yantras, the devotion to be performed and the results of the devotion.

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Text Source: Wikipedia

Below are some of the verses from the book which I liked very much. As these were also Tantra Verses, they are supposed to have an effect on the specific areas of manifestation. So you will find in the beginning, in brackets, what the verse or the tantra is supposed to manifest.... Hope you will enjoy reading this... in case some of you want the verse in Sanskrit, please let me know.

In context with above discussion, please read the Sutra’s numbered 78 – 80 specifically..

Sculpture at Konark Temple

Soundarya Lahari

Part I

1
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.

3
(Attainment of all knowledge)

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.

5
(Mutual attraction between male and female)

You who grant all the good things,
To those who bow at your feet,
Was worshipped by the 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.

13
(Victory in the matters of love)

With dishevelled hair,
With upper cloths slipping from their busts,
With the lock of the golden belt getting open due to the haste,
And with saris slipping away from their shoulders,
Hundreds of young lasses,
Run after the men,
Who get your sidelong glance,
Even though they are very old,
Bad looking and not interested in love sports.

15
(Ability to write poems and ability to become scholar)

Sweetest words rivalling the honey, milk and grapes,
Can only Come to the thoughts of the devotee,
Who once meditates on your face,
Which is like the white autumn moon,
On your head with a crown with the crescent moon and flowing hair,
And hands that shower boons and give protection,
Which hold the crystal chain of beads and books.


18
(Victory in love)

He who meditates on,
The lustre of your beautiful body,
Which is blessed by the rising sun,
And which dissolves the sky and the world,
In light purple hue,
Makes celestial damsels like Uravasi and others,
Who have eyes like the wild startled deer,
Follow him like slaves.

41
(Seeing of the Goddess in person, curing of sexual diseases)

I pray in your holy wheel of Mooladhara,
You who likes to dance,
And calls yourself as Samaya,
And that Lord who performs the great vigorous dance,
Which has all the shades of nine emotions.
This world has you both as parents,
Because you in your mercy, wed one another,
To recreate the world,
As the world was destroyed in the grand deluge.

Part II

43
(Victory over all)

Oh, Goddess , who is the consort of Shiva,
Let the darkness of our mind be destroyed,
By the crowning glory on your head,
Which is of like the forest of opened blue lotus flowers,
And which is soft , dense and shines with lustre.
I believe my mother,
That the pretty flowers of Indra’s Garden,
Are all forever there,
To get the natural scent of thine hair.

57
(All round luck)

She who is the consort of Lord Shiva,
Please bathe me with your merciful look,
From your eyes which are very long,
And have the glitter of slightly opened,
Blue lotus flower divine.
By this look I will become rich with all that is known,
And you do not loose anything whatsoever,
For does not the moon shine alike,
In the forest and palaces great.

74
(Good fame)

Oh mother mine.
The center place of your holy breasts,
Wear the glittering chain ,
Made out of the pearls,
Recovered from inside the head of Gajasura,
And reflect the redness of your lips,
Resembling the Bimba fruits,
And are coloured red inside.
You wear the chain with fame,
Like you wear the fame of our Lord.
Who destroyed the three cities.

75
(Capacity to write poems)

Oh daughter of the king of mountains,
I feel in my mind,
That the milk that flows from your breast,
Is really the goddess of learning, Sarswathi,
In the form of a tidal wave of nectar.
For , milk given by you ,who is full of mercy,
Made the child of Dravida*,
The king among those great poets,
Whose works stole one’s mind.

76
(Complete renunciation, Victory in love)

Oh daughter of the mountain,
The God of love who is the king of the mind,
Being lit by the flame of anger of Shiva,
Immersed himself in the deep pond of thine navel.
The tendril like smoke emanated from there,
And mother, people think,
That this is the line of hair,
That climbs from your navel upwards.

78
(Attracting all the universe)

Oh daughter of the mountain,
Is your navel a whirl pool in river Ganga,
Which looks very stable!
Or is it the root of the climber,
Of the stream of your hair line,
Which has two breasts of yours as buds,
Or is it the Homa fire,
Where the fire is the light from cupid,
Or is it the play house of Rathi, the wife of God of love,
Or is it the opening to the cave,
In which Shiva’s tapas gets fulfilled,
I am not able to make up my mind!

80
(Getting remarkable beauty, Becoming expert in magic)

Oh Goddess mine,
Placed just below your shoulders,
By Cupid , the God of love,
Tearing your blouse which is attached ,
To your body by the sweat,
When you think of the greatness of your Lord,
And resembling pots of Gold,
Your breasts appear to be tied by him,
Securely three times,
By the three creeper like folds*.

96
(Attainment of knowledge and wealth)

Many poets reach the Goddess of learning,
The wife of the creaor,
By composing soulfull poems.
Many who search and attain riches,
Are termed as the Lord of the Goddess of wealth.
Oh, first among chaste woman,
Except Lord Shiva your consort.
Your breasts have not even touched,
The holy henna* tree.

100
(Attainment of all occult powers)

Oh Goddess who is the source of all words,
This poem which is made of words,
That you only made,
Is like showing the camphor lamp to the Sun,
Is like offering as ablation to the moon,
The water got from the moon stone,
And is like offering water worship,
To the sea.

- By Adi Shankaracharya

Translation by P R Ramchander

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ॐ नमः शिवाय

Om Namah Shivaya

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