Umasahasram stabaka 15
पञ्चदशः स्तबकः 15th Stabaka
शक्तेः स्वागतम् Meditation on Shakti or descent of Divine Shakti
thru meditation
स्वागतावृत्तम् swagata meter
In the Fifteenth stabaka, while portraying the glory of the Divine Mother,
the method of meditating upon her is also presented.
आपदामपहरन्तु ततिं नः
सम्पदामपि दिशन्तु समृद्धिम् |
दन्तकुन्दरुचिदत्तबलानि
व्योमकेशसुदृशो हसितानि ||१५. १||
May the smiles of Devi rendered more powerful by the beauty lent to them
by the Jasmine bud (kunda) like teeth, destroy the heaps of troubles and
bestow a series of good fortunes. ||15.1||
Plural used for hasitasmile, is indicative of its plentiful and gentleness.
अल्पमप्यधिकशक्तिसमृद्धं
मन्दमप्यधिकसूक्ष्मविसारम् |
सुस्मितं स्मरविरोधिरमण्याः
कल्पतां मम कुलस्य शुभाय ||१५. २||
Being gentle it abounds in power; being slow and subtle it is capable of
spreading everywhere; may the smile of the lady of Kamari, bless my family
with auspiciousness. ||15.2||
Vibhavana and Virodhabhasa alamkaras; because feeble cause and strong
effect. ||15.2||
पुष्कराद्रविमतो भुवमेतां
भूमितश्शशधरं क्रममाणा |
नैव मुञ्चति पदं बत पूर्वं
नोत्तरं व्रजति नेशपुरन्ध्री ||१५. ३||
Devi (at the time of creation) stamps her foot on the sky first, without
removing the same, places another on the Sun, simultaneously places one more on
the Earth, one on the Moon etc. Is it not strange and surprising? ||15.3||
The poet is suggesting the allpervasive glory of the deity. Normally beings
capable of walking put one step forward after lifting the previous one;
steps take a successive order of lifting end placing. This is a rule with
the limited, but the unlimited power of the Devi makes her presence felt
everywhere. To be on earth does not make her to vacate her presence on the
sky. The alamkaras are vibhavana and virodhabhasa. ||15.3||
भूषणेष्विव सवित्रि सुवर्णं
मृत्तिकामिव घटेष्वखिलेषु |
विश्ववस्तुषु निरस्तविशेषां
देवि पश्यति सतीं विबुधस्त्वाम् ||१५. ४||
Oh, Mother! Just as gold is integral to golden ornaments, clay is the
essence of all articles. Like pot made of clay, the wise find you as the true
essence of all things present in the universe, without exception. ||15.4||
Omnipresence of the divine principle is understood by the wise, which
actually is the mystery of the universe. ||15.4||
किट्टभूतमखिलेश्वरजाये
दृश्यजातमखिलं निजपाके |
प्राणबुद्धिमनसामिह वर्गः
सारभूत इति सूरिजनोक्तिः ||१५. ५||
Oh Consort of the Lord of the Universe! All that is perceptible in the
world, to speak the truth, is waste; sapless in this process of change and
transformation over which you preside. However, the category of the trio viz.,
prana, buddhi and manas, is the only essence, so say the wise. ||15.5||
The upanishats are truly the treasure house of spiritual wisdom. They
expound in great detail the subtle aspects of life and existence. What is
visible is not the whole and sole of that substance. But it is the other
way. There is an essential principle underlying all matter. The Chandogya
upanishat for instance in its sixth prapathaka holds a discussion on the
subject and arrives at the result, that the subtle essence of anna, ap and
tejas are manas, prana and vak, respectively. ||15.5||
सारमीश्वरि तिलेष्विव तैलं
विग्रहेषु निखिलेषु निगूढम् |
ये धिया मथनतो विदुरेकं
ते भवन्ति विबुधास्त्वयि लीनाः ||१५. ६||
Oh Empress of this Universe! Those who realize after a careful exercise of
their discriminating facilities, that an essential principle is underlying
all those visible forms, even as the presence of oil in the oilseed, become
united with you. ||15.6||
The difference disappears. Unified vision dawns on them. The swetasvatara
upanishat uses this tilatyla, analogy to bring out the essence and the outer
form. It also draws our attention to the unseen presence of agnifire in the
arani or firewood. Only by applying the right force and friction, if two are
aranis rubbed the hidden fire manifests. There is more than what it appears
is the truth. ||15.6||
आयसं त्रिभुवनेश्वरि पिण्डं
वह्निनेव तपसा तनुपिण्डम् |
यस्य चिज्ज्वलनजालमयं स्यात्
तप्तमम्ब स तवालयभूतः ||१५. ७||
Empress of the three worlds, Just as the iron ball gets redhot by continuous
exposure to fire, so also the body of the tapasvin blazes forth by the fire
of tapas. Once the whole being is enmeshed by the power of consciousness,
he joins your abode. ||15.7||
The ironball by constant contact with fire becomes a fireball. The tapasvin
by continuous tapas transforms him into the very essence of existence viz.,
consciousness. He becomes a chinmaya shariri. ||15.7||
योऽरणेर्मथनतोऽतिपवित्रं
वीतिहोत्रमिव वीतकलङ्कः |
प्राणमुज्ज्वलयति स्वशरीरात्
त्वामसावभयदेऽर्हति यष्टुम् ||१५. ८||
Oh the Bestower of Fearlessness Devi! Just as the all purifying fire is
born out of a pair of firewood set to firestone, a sadhaka also is able to
bring forth prana, the vital air, to become fit to worship you. ||15.8||
A sadhaka turns into a disciplined yogi by constant spiritual practices like
tapas, dhyana etc. The body is the firewood; churing is the tapas, dhyana
etc. The prana jwala coming out of kundalini is the Agni. Swetashwatara
upanishat uses this simile. ||15.8||
प्राणता श्वसितमेव विचार्यं
कुर्वता करणमेव निभाल्यम् |
गच्छता गमनमेव विशोध्यं
तत्तनौ मथनमागमबोध्यम् ||१५. ९||
A breathing person should concentrate only on the process of breathing. A
person engaged in activity should think of only that action. A moving person
should think only movement. These activities of breathing, action and movement
deserve to be carefully watched by a sadhaka, so say the sastras. ||15.9||
In the previous verse manthana the process of churning is mentioned. In
this verse it is explained. It is important to know who is at the back of the
act of breathing. By examining the physical action one can get at its root
cause. This careful examination, on being fully aware of our so called natural
activities, is known as churning or manthana by sastras. Remaining quiet (not
engaged in action) one can continue with the activity of churning. ||15.9||
यो रसं पिबति मूर्धसरोजात्
सोमपोऽयमनघः प्रयतात्मा |
अग्निहोत्रमखिलेश्वरि नित्यं
मूलकुण्डदहनस्थितिरस्य ||१५. १०||
Oh Akhileshwari! Mother! The yogi who drinks at the fountain of sahasrara
has his inner being completely purified, and hence called Somapa. He is
performing agnihotra all the timex (not only three times a day)! The process
of burning, dahana, is taking place at the muladhara every moment.
Once the yogi becomes aware of his original nature, there is no
stopping. Rising of kundalini is the ultimate result of all sadhanas. Once
this is achieved nothing remains unfinished for a sadhaka. Agnihotra is the
ritual fire worship enjoined by the Vedas, three times a day.
चिन्मयी पिबसि सोममिमं किं
सोम एव किमसावसि मातः |
पीयसे पिबसि च स्वयमेका
पेयपातृयुगलं किमु भूत्वा ||१५. ११||
Oh, Mother! Since you are chinmayi, pure consciousness, the enjoyer do
you drink the somarasa? You don the double role of being the enjoyed and
the enjoyer, bhoghata and bhoktrtuta. Is it?
तैजसं कनकमग्निवितप्तं
तेज एव कनकाङ्गि यथा स्यात् |
मोदरूपकलया तव तप्तं
तन्मयं भवति मोदजपिण्डम् ||१५. १२||
Oh Kanakangi, just as the gold belonging to the tejasa category becomes
tejasa when subjected to fire. So also the anandasarira coming in contact
with even a small part of your anandaswarupa, becomes completely transformed
into a blissful entity. ||15.12||
In this verse the upanishadic siddhanta viz., all beings are born out of
ananda is beautifully explained. The being of issuing forth from ananda or
bliss, when processed with anandakala becomes ananda itself.
Here is an allusion to tarkashastra, Indian logic. While enumerating
various objects under different categories gold is said to belong to the
category of tejas. Hence it is called taijasa. ||15.12||
काऽपि मोदलहरी तव वीचिर्-
निर्गता दशशतारसुधाब्धेः |
पूरयत्यखिलमम्ब शरीरं
नेह वेद्मि परमे जडभागम् ||१५. १३||
Oh, Mother! The waves of bliss that emanate from the nectarfilled ocean
of sahasrara fill my entire body with blissful experience. I cannot find
any portion of my body being jada or achetana. ||15.13||
The poet Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni is pouring forth his own yogic
experience. The blissful experience at the time of Kundalini jagarana is
mentioned in this verse. ||15.13||
सेयमुत्तमतमा निपतन्ती
शीतलाद्दशशतारपयोदात् |
प्रेरितादखिलराज्ञि भवत्या
बुद्धिसस्यमवताद्रसवृष्टिः ||१५. १४||
Oh Empress of the Universe! As you pour down the best of showers from the
cool cloud of Sahasrara, let this plant viz., the awareness; bring forth
the best of produce impelled by you.
There are three metaphors, rupakas integral to the understanding of the
spirit of this verse.
Dashashatara payoda sahasara as the cloud; buddhi as the sasya or vegetation;
and
Sharira as the ksetrafield where vegetation grows. ||15.13||
That in the previous verse, the sahasrara, last of the chakras, was
conceived as the ocean filled with nectar. All these descriptions and
conceptions bear the stamp of experience. Because the yogi also happens to
be a poet of gifted expression, we have a graphic portrayal of the subtle
changes that take place in the body. ||15.13||
दुग्धसिन्धुमथनादमृतं वा
शब्दसिन्धुमथनात्प्रणवो वा |
लभ्यते सुकृतिभिस्तव वीचिर्-
मूर्धकञ्जमथनाद्रस एषः ||१५. १५||
Oh, Mother! The meritorious obtain Somarasa in the form of a wave from
you who are blissful in nature, even as those who churn the milkocean get
nectar; those who delve deep into the principle of sound, obtain Pranava or
Omkara. ||15.15||
The allusion here is to the story of the Samudramathana found in the
Indian sacred literature. The Samudramathana is perhaps one of the most
significant, meaningful symbols ever conceived by any ancient people. The
constant friction between the internal and the external, between the good
and evil is beautifully brought out by the story. ||15.15||
अस्थिषु प्रवहति प्रतिवेगं
मज्जसारममृतं विदधाना |
बिभ्रती मदमनुष्णमदोषं
मूर्धकञ्जनिलये तव धारा ||१५. १६||
Oh, Mother! Whose abode is the Sahasrara, the powerful flow of somarasa
emanating from you gushes into the innermost cervices of the bones creating
a peculiar awareness that is cool and free from vices. ||15.16||
Mada is the word for the special awareness here. Mada also means one
of the six enemies, arishadvarga, i.e. haughtiness which is a blemish. It
creates forgetfulness. But here mada is regarded as awareness that humbles
the person who experiences its presence in him. The yogi on realizing the
power of the Mother submits himself totally to the will of the Universal
spirit. ||15.16||
तैत्तिरीयकथितो रसलाभः
सोऽयमेव सकलागमवर्ण्ये
एतदेव शशिमण्डलनाथे
तन्त्रभाषितपरामृतपानम् ||१५. १७||
Oh, Mother! Praised in all shaatras, now I realize that you truly are
the celebrated rasa described in the taittiriya upnishat; none but you are
the nectar like posh mentioned in the tantra texts, as you are the heroine
residing in the Somamandala. ||15.17||
Both the Vedic tradition and tantric tradition are speaking of the same
sahasrarasoma says the poet. There is unity of purpose between different
traditions though they appear to be different at the outset. ||15.17||
In the Vedic rituals somarasapana is there; in the tantrik procedure
especially among the kaulacharas consuming intoxicating drinks offered to
the Devi, is practiced. In principle both are blemishless as they represent
sahasrarasoma. ||15.17||
मूर्धसोममजरामररूपे
युक्तवीक्षणकरेण निपीड्य |
शम्भुसुन्दरि सुनोमि धिनोमि
त्वां प्रदीप्तकुलकुण्डनिशान्ताम् ||१५. १८||
Oh Mother of immortal form! Divine Consort of Lord Shankara! I squeeze the
soma juice by the hand, in the form of yogic vision and offer the same to
you, who are seated in the blazing altar (yajnakunda) viz., the Muladhara
Chakra. ||15.18||
In a yaga, the yajamana i.e., the performer of the sacrifice uses the hand
to crush the juice from soma plant placing it on the crushing stone; here
the poet being a yogi who has realized by his yogic vision, says the hand
is nothing but the yogic vision and the awakened muladhara chakra itself is
the sacrificial altar. ||15.18||
दृष्टिरेव रविदीधितिरुग्रा
शीर्षकञ्जशशिनं प्रविशन्ती |
शीतलामृतमयी खलु भूत्वा
योगिनो द्रवति मोदकला ते ||१५. १९||
Yogic perception is the fierce rays of the sun that enter the moon seated
in the sahasrara; from there coolnectar like rasa exudes, which is known as
modakala in tantric language. ||15.19||
Significance of this poetic utterance is understood thus that the moon has
no luminosity of its own is a wellknown fact. When the hot rays of the sun
fall on the moon, they are reflected back as cool and enjoyable moonlight. In
this verse the process of a yogi realizing modakala is worked out. Devi
enters the yogis' eye first and then enters the moon in the sahasrara to
result in the nectar like cool rays that cause the blissful experience,
known as modakala. ||15.19||
मूर्धनि द्रवसि योगयुतानां
चक्षुषि ज्वलसि शङ्करभामे
तिष्ठसि स्थिरपदा कुलकुण्डे
बाह्यतः स्खलसि नैव कदाऽपि ||१५. २०||
Oh, Mother! Beloved of Shankara! You melt in the head of the yogi because
the cool moon residing in the sahasrara; you also express yourself in the
eyes because you are the very cause of sight. And of course you are well
settled in the muladhara. Bereft of these three locations there is no other
place where you melt (exude). ||15.20||
Devi's presence is well established in these above mentioned three locations
in the body of a yogi is the meaning of this verse. ||15.20||
सा यदि द्रवति मोदकला स्यात्
सा यदि ज्वलति चित्कलिका स्यात् |
सा परा स्थिरपदा यदि तिष्ठ-
त्यक्षरा भवति काचन सत्ता ||१५. २१||
If she melts down she is known as modakala; if she blazes forth she is
termed as chitkala; if she remains constant she is known as immutable. It
is one and the same reality that assumes different names because of the
variation in location and function. ||15.21||
Simple inference is that, though the reality is one and the same, it can
take on any form at will as it is pure consciousness itself. ||15.21||
पश्यता नयनमण्डलवृत्तिं
गृह्यसे त्वमचलाधिपकन्ये |
जानता दशशतारविलासं
स्पृश्यसे विदितमम्ब रहस्यम् ||१५. २२||
Oh Parvati! The daughter of the unmoving! I got the secret of you! You
are seen by a yogi, (you become the object of his sight). The yogi, who
experiences the shower of nectar in the sahasrara, gets a glimpse of your
touch. The yogi can see the chinmaya form, and realize the essence of your
anandamayarupa. ||15.22||
The Devi is both chinmayi and anandamayi. There two specific aspects are
realized by the yogi. ||15.22||
व्याप्तशक्त्यसुबलेन लसन्ती
भानुबिम्बनयनेन तपन्ती |
चन्द्रबिम्बमनसा विहरन्ती
सा पुनर्जयति मूर्ध्नि वसन्ती ||१५. २३||
Sporting by the power of prana that is spread everywhere (i.e., activating
everything with the pranic power); doing tapas by the eye in the form of the
orb of the Sun; thinking by the mind in the form of the moon, Oh, Mother! You
reside in the sahasrara. May you be victorious.
In this verse the divinity is spoken of as possessing the Universe for its
body and dwelling at the same time in every being. Both micro and macro are
permeated by the spirit of divinity. ||15.23||
The upanishats declare chandrama manaso jatah chaksho suryo ajayata which
shows that sun is the eye and mind is the moon. ||15.23||
स्वागतं सकललोकनुतायै
स्वागतं भुवनराजमहिष्यै |
स्वागतं मयि भृशं सदयायै
स्वागतं दशशतारमितायै ||१५. २४||
Welcome to the divine spirit worshipped by all the worlds. Welcome to the
queen of the Lord of the Universe; most hearty welcome to the divine Mother
who is ever sympathetic towards me, her child; welcome to her who has graced
the sahasrara. ||15.24||
In this verse the poet yogi showers his grateful thanks on the divinity
as she has been magnanimous enough to reveal the secrets of existence and
made him undergo the mystic experiences. Blessed is he whose life's goal is
achieved. ||15.24||
सत्कविक्षितिभुजो ललिताभिः
स्वागताभिरनघाभिरिमाभिः |
स्वागतं भणितमस्तु भवान्यै
खेलनाय शिर एतदितायै ||१५. २५||३७५
Let these graceful verses set to swagata meter uttered by the best among
poets, offer welcome to Bhavani the goddess, who has come to dwell in my
head to reveal her mysterious ways. ||15.25||
% File name : umAsahsram.itx
%--------------------------------------------
% Text title : umAsahasram stabaka 15
% Author : Kavyakantha Ganapati Muni, disciple of Ramana Maharshi
% Language : Sanskrit
% Subject : philosophy/hinduism/religion
% Description/comments :
% Sanskrit Transliterated by : Various volunteers listed at http://surasa.net/uma, Daksha
% Proofread by : Daksha, Sunder Hattangadi sunderh@hotmail.com
% Translation and Copyrights by :
% Dr. S. R. Leela, Dr. Jayanthi Manohar, M. P. Pandit
% Project Sponsored, Coordinated, and Published by : Daksha and Pradip Dalal
% Latest update : April 14, 2014
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