THE THREE FOLDS (Soundarya Lahari 69)

Sri Mata is described as Goddess Saraswathi Herself! She is ‘sangita priya'-lover of music. “Saraswathi sasthramayi guhamba guhyarupini” is how Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra describes Her! She is the undercurrent of all Sastras, resident of caves or the heart and  whose form is mysterious. She is the treasure house of all arts, connoisseur of all arts and the very limit for emotional appreciation! “Kalanidhi kavyakala rasajna rasa sevadhihi.” She is very fond of 'Sama gana’ the music of Sama Veda! She is gentle and soft and the spouse of Sadasiva. “Samagana priya soumya Sadasiva kutubini”. In the famous “ Syamala Navaratnamala Stotra”  She is represented as “Sangita Matruka” holding the Veena on Her left breast, and showing the ‘Varada mudra’ “ Dayamana dirgha nayanam Desikarupena darsitabhyudayam vama kuchanihita Veenam Sangita matrukam Vande”. Sa Ri,Ga, Ma, Pa Dha NI, Sa, tam tam Veena sankranta kantha hasthantam santham mridula swantam kuchabharatam tam namami Sivakantam” She is considered to be the origin of the seven swaras and the Mother of Music! She presents Herself as compassionate with her long looks and as the preceptor or all! “Veenavadana Vela kampita sirsham namami Matangim” Sri Mata is also described as playing on the Veena and nodding Her head as a mark of Her enjoyment and appreciatimon!

Sankara has already stated how Sri Mata's mellifluous voice has put to shame the sweet notes of Goddess Saraswathi's Kachchapi Veena! Describing Her Chubuka or chin Sankara's poetic imagination runs riot! He visualizes Her father lifting up Her chin again and again out of filial bond and affection! Not stopping at that, Sankara imagines Kamesa lifting Her chin up to kiss Her lower lip having missed it many a time! Sankara's compares Sri Mata's neck to the lotus stalk and Her face to the lotus flower! The white necklace below covered up by the slush of “krisnagaru” heightens the beauty of the lotus stalk viz Her neck!

Continuing the description of Sri Mata's neck Sankara says,” O Mother, the connoisseur of Music! The three folds on Your neck reminds me of the three threads associated with the mangalasutra tied at the wedding! These three folds appear to be the barrier to keep separate all the musical notes, the basis of all ragas,  emerging from your neck like “ Shadjama, Madhyama,Gandhara and others from mixing up with one another!”

In some countries, after the mangalasutra is tied, a one fold ‘sutra’ is tied to the left hand of the bride! The neck is adorned with a ‘sutra’ that has three folds! This has been an accepted practice! Sankara says that music and all its ragas and variations emerge from the neck or throat of Sri Mata! It is because of such sweetness of Her voice Goddess Saraswathi had to give up playing on her Veena and put it under cover!

This sloka is an example of how a great sadhaka looks at his chosen deity. Sankara considers Devi as the very source of music! Whatever sound emerges from her mouth through the throat is music to him! She is “Sangita matruka”-- the mother of all music! She is also  Sangita Rasika one who loves and appreciates music! It is amazing that the three folds on Devi's neck have conjured up this vision in the mind of Sri Sankara! His imagination and visions are simply unparalleled!

DEVI'S NECK (Soundarya Lahari 68)

Vasinyadi Vagdevatas begin Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra with the description of the physical form of Sri Mata from head to foot! Every organ of Devi is beautifully described. Her princely qualities, the radiance that has illuminated the whole world, the bow and arrow of Manmatha that She holds, Champaka and Asoka flowers that deck Her locks of hair, the Mriganabhi mark on her moonlike face, the eyes moving like fish in a lake, and the ears that have the sun and the moon as thatankas or studs, Her mellifluous voice that mocked at the sweet notes of Kachchapi, and Her seductive smile that stole the heart of Her spouse Kamesa are figuratively explained with elegance! Her chubuka has no parallel at all! It is in the twelfth sloka that the Vasinyadi Vagdevatas refer to the neck of Devi and point out its distinction. Her neck is lustrous with the mangalasutra tied by Kamesa! “Kamesa baddha mangalya sutra sobhita kndhara.”

While brevity is the hallmark of the slokas in the Sahasra Nama Stotra, Sankara takes cue of the description and elaborates on many more details that he conjures up in his mental vision! Describing the tongue of Devi, Sankara says that it has the effect of changing the white color of Goddess Saraswathi into red! Her tongue is intensely red and chants the praise of Kamesa! She rewards Vishnu, Indra and subrahmanya with the remnants of Her betel chew! Her voice is so sweet that it compelled Goddess Saraswathi to bundle up her Kachchapi Veena in utter humiliation! Sankara then dilates on the beauty of Her Chubuka or chin! He visualizes how Devi's chin is fondled by Her father and patted again and again. Kamesa himself would have missed a kiss from Her and repeatedly lifted her chin to reach up to her lower lip!!

Having described the distinct features of Devi's face, Sankara extends his inner vision to Devi’ neck! The line “ Kamesa baddha mangalya sutra sobhita kandhara” fires his imagination! He delves deep into the private romance of Devi and Kamesa! Says Sankara, “O Mother! Your neck, involved in the deep and close embrace of Kamesa is similar to the stalk of Your lotus face! It is because Your white necklace below is totally smeared by flush of “krishnagaru” which heightens the beauty of the lotus stalk!

Sankara excels in metaphorical descriptions!  Devi’s slender and delicate neck is compared to the beautiful and tender stalk of the lotus! What is the nature of Her neck? it has been involved in the hair raising deep and close embrace of Kameswara! The beautiful face of Devi is compared to the lotus flower whose stalk is Her neck! The white necklace below is smeared by the dense, fragrant “krishnagaru” paste which is compared to the thick mud or slush from which the lotus emerges! What an amazing and interesting interpretation of Devi's neck!

It is customary for poets and writers to compare the face of a beautiful woman to the full moon or lotus in it's bloom! Her eyes are generally compared to lotus petals that are broad and extend to the ears! “Rajiva pathrekshana”! Lotus stalk is long and slender. Hence the comparison of Devi's neck to the stalk of lotus! Sankara's insatiable desire to describe the ethereal Divine beauty of Sri Mata is exemplified throughout the slokas of Soundarya Lahari! The very name of the work means “Waves of Beauty!” There can never be “Waves of Beauty” better than Sankara's in poetry!!

DEVI'S CHUBUKA- CHIN (Soundarya Lahari 67)

Vasinyadi Vagdevatas describe the glorious attributes of Sri Mata before giving an account of the terrible war She waged against the evil minded Bhandasura and his train. In fact the very purpose of the emergence of Devi is to accomplish the work of Devas! “ Deva karya samudyata”. She has drenched the entire universe with Her dazzling red color! She wields the bow and arrows of Manmatha as if to control all 'ragas’ or attachments! She is decked with Champaka and Asoka flowers! The ‘mriganabhi’ mark on Her moon like face resembles the spot on the face of the real moon itself! She has exceptionally beautiful eyes resembling the fish crisscrossing the lake! Her nosegay defeats the brilliance of the stars in the sky! While the sun and the moon adorn Her ears as thatankas, Her ‘Kapola’ reflects like the mirror of Padmaraga stone!

She has beaten the music of the Kachchapi Veena of Goddess Saraswathi by Her amazing mellifluous voice! She has drenched the ‘Manas’ of Kameswara with Her sweet seductive smile! She is blessed with incomparable 'Chubuka’ or chin! She shines brightly with the ‘mangalya’ tied by Kamesa! Sankara is not at all satisfied with the general description of Her beauty. He delves deep into the basic emotions of people related to Devi. Thus he brings in Her father, Himavan and  spouse Kameswara who have fondled Her! Sankara imagines how Himavan would have touched Her chin and exhibited his filial affection! He also conjures up the picture of Kamesa romancing Devi in an intimate way!

“Anakalitha sadrusya chubuka Sri virajita”-this statement fires the imagination of Sri Sankara! He sees in his mental eye the way in which Her father and spouse moved with Her and enjoyed Her company. Says Sankara, “ O the darling daughter of Himavan! How many times Your father would have lifted your ‘chubuka’- chin with the tip of his fingers out of filial bond and affection! How many times Your husband would have lifted up Your Chubuka- chin again and again after failing to kiss Your lower lip! Your ‘Chubuka’-chin has become the incomparable handle for Iswara to look into the mirror of Your face!!  To what can we compare and describe Your ‘chubuka’? It is unequalled and incomparable!”

Sankara touches on the filial bond of affection of a father as well as the intimate Sringara rasa of the husband! It is quite natural for the father to pass his hands on the cheeks of his darling daughter and lift up her chin when she is angry or out of her mood. When children, especially girls, are exceedingly beautiful, parents indulge in touching their cheeks and lifting up the chin of the girl. Since Devi’s beauty is indescribable, it is no wonder that Himavan would have lifted Devi's chin quite a number of times!

Sankara imagines that Iswara would have failed many times to kiss the lips of Devi! To get to Her lower lip he would have lifted up Her chin a number of times! Description of romance between Gods and Goddesses is common in Hindu mythology and epics. Jayadeva's “Gita Govinda” glorifies the ideal, spiritual love between Krishna and Radha! The Ashtapadis are highly erotic and full of Sringara rasa.The Bhagavata Purana describes the “Rasa Leela” where Krishna takes innumerable forms to dance with the Gopikas! Kalidasa in his Kumarasambhava describes the love between Siva and Parvati! Poets have their license and none can question them! Sankara is a poet par excellence and it is pure devotion to the Supreme Being that makes him feel like that!

THE KACHCHAPI VEENA (Soundarya Lahari 66)

Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra, in it's ‘Kesadi padanta' description glorifies the various attributes of the physical form of Sri Mata. After describing Her nose and its adornments, Her ears and the sun and the moon who become Her ‘thatankas are described! Her ‘kapola’ is similar to the mirror of Padmaraga stone! Her teeth are pure and white like the fresh sprouts!  She has shamed the ‘Kacchapi’ with Her sweet talk! She has drenched the Manas of Kamesa with the radiance of Her seductive smile! “ Suddha vidyankurakara Dwija pankthi dwayojwala Nija sallapa madhurya vinirbharsita Kacchapi Mandasmitha prabhapura majjath Kamesa Manasa”

Sri Mata is” Narayani Nadarupa namarupa vivarjita--She is the Sakthi of Narayana, the very form of primordial Sound or Pranava! As such She is Formless and Nameless! She is Awareness Herself and the form of all response or ‘chetana’! At the same time She is inertness or jadasakthi and the undercurrent of everything in the universe!” Chichakthis Chetanarupa jaasakthir jadatmika.”She is “Kalathmika kalanatha kavyalapa vinodini”-She is the soul and Queen of all Art, One who revels in hearing the kavyas or epics! She is “Bhasharupa” the very form of language! She is “Saraswathi sasthramayi guhamba guhyarupini”-She is Goddess Saraswathi Herself, the innate force in the sasthras, the dweller in caves, and whose form is steeped in mystery! Vasinyadi Vagdevatas describe Her as “chandassara sasthrasara mantra Sara thalodari”--the very essence of Chandas' or prosody, sasthras and mantras! She is also slim in Her personality!

After describing the amazing and incredible quality of Devi's tongue, its redness and how it transformed the whiteness of Goddess Saraswathi into red color, Sankara visualizes the sweetness of Devi’s speech! Says Sankara, “ O Mother! Goddess Saraswathi is eulogizing on the veena, the heroics of Your spouse Kamesa, in front of You. Involved in appreciation of her praise, You are nodding your head! You are about to compliment Goddess Saraswathi on her performance! The extraordinary and incredible sweetness of your speech put to shame the melodious sound of the veena! Goddess Saraswathi had no other alternative but to stop playing on it and put it under cover!”

Sankara's vision is itself  extraordinary and metaphorical! In every aspect of his Divine Mother he sees something significant and special! Coupled with his inner eye and inspiration he sees pictures of Devi which none else can see! Is it possible for anyone else to conjure up such images of Devi? It is because of his intense bhakti and total dedication to worship of Devi that such scenes come to his memory and vision! Sankara's description is in line with what Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra has described in the first line of the eleventh sloka which says that Devi's sweet speech has defeated the Kacchapi-- the melodious music of the veena of Goddess Saraswathi!

The Veena is considered as a Divine instrument. It is not that all can master it. Goddess Saraswathi's Veena is called “Kachchapi” She is represented as holding the Veena in her hands.The instruments and the “ayudhas” held by Gods and Goddesses have distinct names. Thus Lord Siva has his ‘Trisula’ or Trident, and 'Pinaka’ his bow! Lord Vishnu has 'SudarsanaChakra’ or the Disc, ‘Panchajanya’ the conch, ‘Kaumodaki’ the mace, ‘Srivatsa’ the scar,  ‘Nandaka’ the sword and ‘Kausthubha’ the precious stone! Sage Narada, considered as the great exponent of the Veena is said to have “Mahathi” as his instrument! The other forms of Veena include Chitra, Vichitra, Rudra and other types. Saraswathi Veena and Chitra Veena are used in Carnatic music while the others are used in Hindustani music! The Veena is the abode of divinity and has references from Kalidas’ ’Kumara Sambhava’, 'Syamala Dandaka and even the Upanishads. Each part of the Veena is said to be the seat of a God or Goddess! Veena's neck is said to be Siva! The strings constitute Parvati and the Bridge Lakshmi! The secondary gourd is Brahma while the Dragon head is Vishnu! The resonated body is said to be Goddess Saraswathi! The speech or voice of Sri Mata is sweeter than the sweetest notes produced by the Kachchapi Veena of Goddess Saraswathi according to Sankara!

DEVI'S THAMBULA (Soundarya Lahari 65)

Nothing stirs in the universe without the sankalpa or will of Sri Mata! It is foolish to think that one has achieved something through his own effort.That ego has to be eschewed if one wants the grace of Devi. Agni, Vayu and Indra have already realized their helplessness in the absence of Devi's will and grace! We need not think of the position of mortal man who is steeped in Maya and material world.Sri Lalita Sahasra Nama Stotra describes Devi as Katyayani, the destroyer of Time, and the one served by none other than Lord Vishnu himself! “ Katyayani kalahantri Kamalaksha nishevita”. Her mouth is full of betel leaves and arecanut!! She has the radiance of the pomegranate flower!  She has the beautiful eyes of the deer and is attractive! She is important and the spouse of Kameswara! She is the friend of everyone! “ Thambula pooritha mukhi thadimi kusumaprabha Mrigakshi Mohini mukhya Mrudani mitra Rupini”. She is the very embodiment of Will powerl, knowledge and action! “ Iccha Sakthi Jnana Sakthi Kriya Sakthi Swarupini.

Sankara has already explained how the Chakora birds were cloyed with the moonlight of DEVI's Smile generated from Her full moon face! To avoid that cloying sweetness they drank the natural moonlight mistaking it for the vessel wash! Devi's tongue is of the redness of the ‘Japa’ flower and engaged in chanting the greatness and heroics of Her spouse Kamesa! The redness of Her tongue is so powerful that the spotless whiteness of Goddess Saraswathi is transformed into redl Has not Devi drenched all the worlds with the  natural redness of Her form? She is effulgent with the brightness of a thousand rising suns! ”Nijaruna prabhapura majjath brahmanda mandala Udyadbhanu sahasrabha chaturbahu samanvita.”

In this sixty fifth sloka of Soundarya Lahari Sankara speaks of the grace with which Devas defeated the asuras and what reward she gave them! Says Sankara, “O Mother! After victory over the asuras, removing the head gear, Devas and others prostrated before You! They didn't accept  “Siva nirmalya”-- the remnants of puja and worship! On the other hand, Lords Subrahmanya, Vishnu and Devendra have taken in the the remnants of Your half chewed tamboola with white camphor bits! That is the reward that Devi grants to those that have won Her grace!”

Sankara says that Lord's Subrahmanya, Vishnu, and Devendra are not interested in taking the remnants of puja and worship-- nirmalya, the share of Chandeswara,a form of Siva! But they have accepted the half chewed thamboola with bits of white camphor, a fragrant component! That is the gift that Devi gives as they remove their head gear and prostrate before Her!

It is clear from the sloka of Sankara that Devi is the Supreme BRAHMAN before whom the Trimurtis, creator Brahma, protector Vishnu and destroyer Rudra prostrate! It is said in the Sahasra Nama that Devi created the ten avatars of Lord Vishnu from the nails of Her ten fingers! “Karanguli nakhotpanna Narayana dasakrutyai” The Upanishads also proclaim the indispensability of the grace of BRAHMAN in all our activities! Soon after the decimation of Bhandasura with Maha pashupatastra, all Devas were immensely pleased. Brahma, Vishnu and Devendra praised Devi for killing the asura and his train. “Brahmopendra Mahendradi Deva samsthutha vaibhva” The half chewed Tamboola is the prasadam for the Devas!