MANMATHA'S QUIVER (Soundarya Lahari 83)

The beauty of Sri Lalitambika

is indescribable and incomparable! Vasinyadi Vagdevatas describe Her exceptional beauty in the first twenty one slokas of Sr Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra. With such beauty and adornment, Devi prepares Herself for the terrible fight with Bhandasura and his evil company! In fact she has emerged from the homa kunda for the specific purpose of rooting out evil and establish Dharma! The Devas had prayed for Her intervention as Bhandasura and his train were invincible! Is she not the ocean of compassion? ”Avyaja karunamurthy rajnana dhwanta dipika”-Her compassion is causeless and She is the torch that dispels all darkness! She is of “ Sandrakruna samanadhika varjitha”- Her compassion is very deep and all are equal to Her irrespective of their status, humble or noble! There is no power equal to Her; She has all power; She brings all happiness and grants emancipation; She is the inherent force in everyone and the embodiment of all mantras! “ Sarva sakthimayi sarvamangala sadgatiprada Sarveswari sarvamayi sarvamantra swarupini”

Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama specifically says that  the softness and gentleness of DEVI's thighs is known to Her spouse Kameswara alone! Her forelegs (janu) are in the shape of “ Manikya' makuta- a crown of ‘Manikya’ precious stone! Then comes the description of Devi's ‘ jangha’ “ “Indragopa parikshiptha Smara thunabha janghika”--It is similar to Manmatha's hidden quiver of arrows!

Sankara's description of the thighs of Devi is in line of what the Sahasranama has said. She has lightened the entire universe by covering it with Her ‘ Nithambas!’ She has defeated the softness of the elephant trunks and plantain stems by Her round and fine thighs! She has even defeated the hard and stony nature of the heads of ‘Diggajas' by her hard forelegs by prostrating to Her spouse Iswara repeatedly!

Sankara's poetic imagination conjures up an amazing vision of Her “ jangha” which only a poet like him can think of!  Says Sankara, “ O Mother, Daughter of Himavan! In order to defeat and disturb the severe penance of Siva, Manmatha laid aside his ten arrows and made Your “Janghas” his quiver! In other words the “ janghas are perfectly round and look like the quiver where arrows are kept! Indra, king of Gods and other Devas are ever at Her feet worshipping Her!

Sankara refers to Manmatha's attempt to bring together Siva and Parvati by disturbing the severe penance of the Lord! Sankara says that Manmatha laid aside his five flower arrows and others. He converted Devi's ‘Jangha’ as his quiver for his arrows! The round and perfect ‘ Janghas’ are an invitation for love and eroticism! Sankara's description of Devi, with the exception of the first few slokas, is full of Sringara rasa! We wonder at his imagination and the visions that he perceives in his inner vision! We cannot take exception to his descriptions as he has his poetic license!!

"SOFTER THAN THE ELEPHANT TRUNK AND HARDER THAN ITS HEAD" (Soundarya Lahari 82)

Vasinyadi Vagdevatas revel in the glorious description of the different ‘angas’ of Sri Lalita Maha Tripurasundari! The descriptions are so figurative that it it is very difficult and challenging to explain them! It is only after a detailed account of the purpose of Devi and the adornments She wears, Her ‘ayudhas’,eyes,face, nose, earstuds, forehead, voice, smile, chin, neck, decorated shoulders, breasts, slender waist, and others that She is said to ready Herself for the terrible fight with Bhandasura and his train! She is fully draped in red and there is no adornment that She does not wear! “ Sarvaruna navadyagi sarvabharana bhushita.” She is seated on the lap of Kameswara, “ Siva Kameswa rankastha.” She is in the center of SuMeru and the chief of the city of Srinagara, “ Sumerusrunga madhyasta Srimannagara nayika Chintamani grihantasta Pancha Brahmasana sthita” She resides in the Chintamani home and on the pedastal of “Pancha brahmas!” She is stationed in the great lotus Forest and resides in the “ Kadamba Vana!” She is at the middle of the ocean of Amirta! She is Kamakshi the bestower of all desires! “ Maha padmatavi samstha Kadamba vanavasini Sudhasagara madhyasta Kamakshi kamadayini!” She is very proud of the praise of Her glory by all sections of Devas! “ Devarshigana sanghata sthuyama natma vaibhava!

Describing the thighs of Devi, Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra says that their softness is known to Kamesa alone! The forelegs are in the form of “ Manikya' makuta”-crown of precious stone Manikya'! “ Kamesajnatha soubhagya mardavorudwayanvita Manikya makutakara janudwaya Virajita!” She has defeated the brightness of the lotus by the radiance of Her feet! They are adorned by the jingling diamond ‘manjiras’. Her gait is royal and dignified as that of the female Swan! “ Sinjana manimajra manditha sripadambuja Marali mandagamana mahalavanya sevadhihi”

After describing how Himavan gave away his great burden and the width to his daughter Parvati and how She covered the entire world with Her ‘Nithamba’, Sankara describes Devi's thighs and forelegs. Says Sankara, “ O Mother! You have already won over the very soft elephant trunks and those of the golden banana trees by Your round and nice thighs! By prostrating again and again at the feet of Your Spouse, Your forelegs have hardened themselves so much that they defeat the hard heads of the Divine Elephants!”

Sankara compares Devi's thighs to the soft trunks of the elephants and remarks that they are softer than them! He also says that they are softer than the golden banana stems which by nature are very soft! As such no object in the world can be softer than the thighs of Devi whose nature is known to Her spouse Kameswara alone! It is duty of the wife to prostrate and worship

Her husband. By repeatedly doing so Devi's forelegs have become hardened and rough! Sankara, in exaggeration, says that Her forelegs have beaten the hardness of the heads of the eight Divine Elephants which are called the “Diggajas!” Sankara's description of Devi and Her beauty is full of metaphors and exaggerations!

Sankara refers to the eight Divine Elephants that are supposed to guard the eight directions! They are considered to be mighty and invincible according to mythology! It is believed that they hold the earth in eight directions! First of the eight ‘Diggajas’ is Airavata, the spotless white elephant that emerged from the ocean of milk when it was churned by the Devas and the Asuras! That was taken by Indra, king of Devas! The other elephants are Pundarika, Vamana, Kumuda, Anjana, Pushpadanta, Sarvabhouma, and Supratika. Their wives are Abhra, Kapila, Pingala, Anupama, Tamraparni, Subhradanti, Anjana and Anjanavati respectively!

DEVI'S NITHAMBA--(Soundarya Lahari 81)

The dhyana sloka of Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra puts in essence the beauty and glory of Lalithambika in these words: “ Sarvalankarayuktham, sakala mabhayadam bhaktha namram Bhavanim; Sakumkuma vilepana malikachumbi kasthurikam samandahasi thekshanam sasara  chapa pasankusam aseshajana Mohini marunamalya bhushojwalam…” She is adorned with all types of ornaments and jewels, offers abhaya or fearlessness to all, obedient to Her devotees, has the Vermillion smear all over Her form, has kasthuri bindi on Her forehead, with sweet smiling looks, with bow, arrows, pasa and ankusa! She is the temptress (mohini) of all and shines with brilliance with the red garlands and dress! Can there be any better description of Devi than this?  Everything about the form of Lalithambika is so beautiful and beyond proper description! After describing the “ Kuchadwayi”- the breasts of Devi and Her slender waist Vasinyadi Vagdevatas speak about the other ‘angas' of Devi! Sankara goes a little further in saying that she is sweating and her jacket has reached a breaking point due to to the movement of Her breasts!

The speciality of Her navel is explained as the stable whirlpool on the river Ganga! The romas or creeper like hair that support the budlike breasts are the starting point for the fire or the erotic passion of Manmatha! The navel is the ‘homa kunda’ for the fire of the Love God and walking place for Rati, the spouse of Manmatha! It is also described as the cave for the satisfaction of the eyes of Iswara says Sankara! Sankara considers Devi’s waist as very slim and delicate and  likely to snap at any moment! It is bent because of Her heavy breasts! It is swaying like a tree on the bank of the river that has given way!

Sankara, in this sloka, describes the manner in which Sri Lalitambika makes the entire universe very light! Says Sankara, “O the Daughter of Himavan, Parvati! Your father has given the legacy of  his burden and width to you! That is the reason why Your great and wide “ Nithamba” (buttocks) on the backside of the waist girdle have wrapped the entire earth or universe making it light!”

The great poet Kalidasa says that the Himalayas stand as a measuring rod in the north! The extent- it's length, width and height is astounding! It has challenged all attempts of scaling it till recently. Sankara points out that Himavan has given his width and weight to his dear daughter Parvati who with her broad  ‘Nithamba’ covers the whole world and makes it very light!

Sankara, in other words, is heightening the beauty of Lalithambika by saying that Her ‘Nithamba’

is large and wide enough to wrap the entire universe in its fold! Devi, no doubt, is the creator, sustainer and destroyer of creation!  She bears the entire burden of the world and the welfare and happiness of Her own children! She cannot tolerate the pangs and troubles of Her own children!

SWEATING OF DEVI (Soundarya Lahari 80)

The description of of the form of Sri Lalitambica by Vasinyadi Vagdevatas is highly figurative and a challenge for any proper explanation! They describe that Devi has won over Kamesa by Her l smile! Her chin or Chubuka has no parallel anywhere! Her voice is so mellifluous that Goddess Saraswathi had to withdraw and cover up her Veena Kacchapi! Devi's shoulders are beautified by the ‘angadas and Keyuras'! The description of Devi's breasts is really amazing! They are spoken of as the fruits borne by the innumerable creeper like ‘romas’--hair originating from her navel! They symbolize the Love of Her Spouse Kamesa! To add to Her ethereal beauty, She has diamond studded ‘kinkinis’ and garlands all over Her body! Her waist seems to be supported by several creeper like hair- ‘romas’! Thus it is very slender! Her thighs are described in an erotic indirect manner! It is Kamesa alone who has known the softness of Her thighs! She has defeated the glow and brightness of the lotus by the radiance of Her feet! Not only these, She has the jingling diamond “manjiras’’ on her feet! Above all She has the royal and dignified gait of the female Swan!

After describing the Divine breasts in his own amazing and inimitable manner, Sankara dwells on Her exceptionally slim and delicate waist! He has described the Navel of Devi as the steady whirlpool on the Ganga! The navel is the support for breast buds supported by the creeper hair! It is also the “homa kunda” for the fire- passion of Manmatha as well as the walking place for Rati , spouse of the Love God! Her waist, according to Sankara, is naturally emaciated and bent with the weight of Her heavy breasts! It gives the impression that it may snap at any moment and is like the swaying tree on the edge of the river bank which has given way!!

In this eightieth sloka Sankara goes a little deeper in to his imagination to describe the waist and the adjacent parts! Says Sankara, “O Parvati! You sweat profusely as you meditate on Iswara! The blouse You wear is getting tightened by the rubbing of the golden ‘kalasa’ like breasts! To prevent any injury to Your slender and delicate Waist by the breasts created by Manmatha, it is tied in three folds by white creepers!”

Sankara's poetic imagination is running riot in this sloka! He visualizes Devi in deep meditation of Her husband Iswara! As a result of such severe penance, She sweats profusely! The large and heavy breasts, by their movement, tighten Her blouse to the point of breaking it! Sankara is afraid that the slender waist of Devi may be injured by the heavy breasts! Hence it is tied three folds by the white creepers!

Sankara considers Manmatha as the creator of Devi's breasts as “kanaka kalasas”! Indirectly he hints that Brahma, being very old is incompetent to create them! The words “ tanubhuva” mean  by Manmatha! Sankara's incisive imagination visualizes even the sweat that forms on Her sides! More astonishing is the description that the blouse She wears has reached its breaking point on account of the movement of the heavy breasts! There is no doubt that the  average reader is very much annoyed at these erotic descriptions of the ‘angas’ of Devi! But we have to take them as fanciful images that are conjured up by poetic imagination which cannot be questioned! The famous Bengali poet Jayadeva commemorates the Divine Love of Radha and Krishna in “Sringara rasa” in his “Ashtapadis!” He is one step above Sankara in describing the erotic love between Radha and Krishna! We find such treatment of Love in another great work “Krishna karnmruta!

DEVI'S WAIST. (Soundarya Lahari 79)

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!”