Describing the glorious attributes of Sri Lalita Maha Tripurasundari's form, Vasinyadi Vagdevatas give an account of Her ‘angas’ in an astonishing manner. Starting from the way she emerged from the ‘ Chidagni Kunda’, Her purpose, shoulders, bow and arrows, radiance, beauty of Her face, the adornments, the Champaka, Asoka, and Punnaga flowers She wears, the speciality of Her eyes, the thatankas formed by the sun and the moon are explained in beautiful figurative language! Not only this, She has defeated the famous Kacchapi--the Veena of Goddess Saraswathi by Her mellifluous voice! She has drenched the Manas of Kamesa with her beautiful exceptional! smile! Her Chubuka or Chin has no parallel! Her neck radiates with the Mangalya tied by Kameswara! She wears golden ‘angadas and keyuras!’ Her breasts are the fruits borne by the creeper like hair- ‘romali’ originating from Her Navel!
Lalithambika's waist is very slim! It is as if it is balanced precariously on the numberless hair- ‘romas’. “Lakshyaroma lathadhara samunneya madhyama”.She is draped in Her favorite “arunaruna kausumbha” dress! The space between her two breasts has been dwarfed by the friction between them and entered Her cave like Navel! Sankara calls Her Navel a stable whirlpool on the Ganga! It is the starting point to the hair that support the bud like breasts of Devi! It is the “homa kunda” for the fire- passion of Manmatha! Further Sankara says that it is the walking place of Rati, Manmatha's wife and the cave for the fulfilment of Kameswara's eyes!
Sankara, at last, seems satisfied with the descriptions of of Devi's ‘angas’ particularly face, eyes, ears, shoulders, Chubuka, breasts and the navel! He now turn his attention to the waist of Lalitambika and conjures up amazing visions of its position and significance. Says Sankara, “Gem of women! O Parvati! By nature Your waist is lean and looks tired due to the heavy movement of the breasts! It is thus bent and gives an impression that it may snap at any time! The state of Your waist is similar to that of a tree on the side of a river whose bank has given way! Let that stable Waist of Yours be safe and sound forever!”
The whole description of Devi's waist is full of exaggeration! Normally women have a slender waist! It is Nature's arrangement and an important feature of her beauty! Sankara thinks that the waist has become lean and looks tired on account of the movement of Her heavy breasts! He imagines that the waist is bent because of the heaviness of Her breasts! He even goes to the extent of commenting that it is snapping slowly! Sankara gives a excellent simile for the state of Her waist! Her waist is similar to the position of a tree on the side of a river whose bank is broken!
Poetic license is the prerogative of every poet! Shelly called poets as “ Unacknowledged legislators of the world!” They are the masters of their mind and can conjure up any vision however strange it may be and unacceptable to the common man! Sankara is attempting to heighten the beauty of Devi who is the representation of all women in the universe. As the name of the classic suggests, it is the “ Wave of Beauty”-- “Soundarya Lahari”! Sankara is involved in every description that enhances the Divine Beauty of Devi! All metaphors and exaggerations have the single purpose of Increasing and embellishing the Divine glory and beauty of Lalithambika! Sankara's description of Devi and Her Beauty should never be misunderstood! There is none that can appreciate the beauty of a woman better than her own son! Women are expected to have slender waist and that is taken as an ideal for woman's beauty! The waist of a woman is often compared to the waist of the lion by the poets! “Mrigaraja madhyama!”
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