The authorship
of Soundarya Lahari goes to Sri Shankara, one of the most versatile philosophers
especially in Sakta cult. Besides numerous commentaries and hymns, Shankara propounded advaitha
(non-dualism) philosophy which paved the way to the revival of Hinduism. Born at Kaladi, a small pastoral village in Kerala,
in a Namboodiri family he was excommunicated from the community by orthodox elders
as he did not tow in their lines. It is said that they even boycotted the funeral of his mother. He mastered Sanskrit which is considered as the language of Devas and in which all Vedas and Upanishads are written and acquired profound knowledge in
different fields that led to his ascension to Sarvanjnapeedham, the Throne of Supreme
Knowledge.
There is
a school of thought that the authorship of Soundarya Lahari is quasi-divine and
gives Shankara the credit of transmitting this wonderful work to mankind only. The story goes like this. Shankara, during
his stay in Varanasi, transported himself to Kailasa, the abode of Lord Siva and on the walls he found this highly esoteric hymn was written. As he began to read the poem, Ganesha, son of Lord Siva began to erase from below as this hymn was
too holy to be publicised among mortal and the great saint could read only first forty one verses. Shankara added another
fifty nine verses to it to make a collection of 100 verses. There is marked difference between the two sets of verses. The
first forty one verses, generally referred to as Ananda Lahari, deal exhaustively
with mantra, thantra, and yantra and are highly philosophical and mystic in nature.
The latter 59 verses which form the actual Soundarya Lahari (Inundation of Beauty)
describe the form of Mother utilising almost all figure of speeches in Sanskrit literature. The entire 100 Slokas are referred
as Soundarya Lahari.
There
are, of course, some differences of opinion regarding the authorship of this Text. But the metaphysical incongruity which
runs through out 100 Slokas of Soundarya
Lahari gives no room for suspicion of great Shankara’s authorship of this divine text. There are more than 35 commentaries
in Sanskrit on Soundarya Lahari by eminent scriptural exegetics. And it is amply
evident from this fact that the text originated from universally venerated and accepted authority.
Like
Lalitha Sahasra Naama and Durga Saptha Sati,
Soundarya Lahari also full of mantras with attached yantra. Every mantra is for the attainment of a particular wish, for example, verse 17 is for acquisition of knowledge,
etc. The ritual recitation of the verse converts it to a very potent mantra. Therefore,
among Kaulas, Soundarya Lahari is an
important Text. (By the way, there are two variations in Sakti worship, namely, Kaula
and Saamayin. Kaulas worship Mother
on Sri Chakra and other symbols and do external Pooja where as worship of Saamayika is internal (daharaakaasa) raising Kundalini from Moolaadhaara to Sahasra Dala Kamala. Both type of worships are acceptable,
as there references to these in Lalitha Sahasra Naama (samyaachaarathtpara, kaulamargathatpara
sevitha)
Contents
I can give
only skeletal account of contents of Soundarya Lahari as a detailed one covers
at least a thousand pages and still at loss of words. As told earlier, first forty one verses cover the detailed account of
internal worship of the Mother which Saamayins follow. It consists of systematic
exposition of the concept of kundalini, Sri Chakra, mantras (verses 32, 33). This
depicts the Supreme Reality as non-dual but with a distinction between Siva and
Sakti, the power holder and Power, Being and Will. In Sakta philosophy, the Power, that is, the Mother or Maha Tripura Sundari
becomes the dominant factor and the power holder or Siva becomes a substratum.
The first verse itself clearly describes this idea. “United with Sakti, Siva
is endowed with power to create; or otherwise, he is incapable even of movement.” The same idea is brought out in verse
24, “Brahma creates the universe, Vishnu
sustains, Rudra destroys, and Maheswara
absorbs every thing and assimilates into Sadasiva. On receiving mandate from thy
creeper like brows, Sadasiva restores everything into activity as in the previous
cycle.” Such dominance of the Mother can be cited in verses 34 and 35 also.
This dominance
is very conspicuous in Uttara Kaula image of Kali where
Sakti is shown as very symbol of power and energy, where Kali stands on the chest
of inert form of Siva as the destroyer and consumer of whole universe. In contrast,
in Soundarya Lahari, the Mother assumes purely creative role in the form of Maha Tripura Sundari, the supreme Divine Beauty of Three Puras or Bindus. See the verse 8: “Fortunate indeed are the few
, who adore Thee, the Inundation of Bliss-Consciousness as abiding on the mattress that is Paramasiva spread on a couch, which is again an aspect of Siva, paced
in a chamber of wish yielding gems amidst a Nipa pleasure-garden in Manidweepa situated
in Nectar Ocean fringed by rows the celestial Kalpaka Trees”. The four legs of the couch are Brahma, Vishnu, Rudra, and Iswara and Siva himself the couch. The four along with Siva are called Pancha Pretha, i.e., Five Inert.
We
were speaking about the dominance of Sakti over Siva in Soundarya Lahari so far, but there are certain verses which
clearly show the equality of Prakrithi and Purusha
that is Sakti and Siva in certain verses
as per Saamayika worship. This can be cited in 6 verses starting from 36th
where meditation of Mother in six plexus (kundalini) is detailed: Parasambhunatha and Chit Paraamba in Ajna Chakra, Hemeswara and Hemeswari in Anahatha Chakra, Vyomeswara and Vyomeswari
in Visudhi Chakra samavatheswara and Samayamba
in Swaadhistaana Chakra, Megheswara and Soudamini
in Manipoora Chakra, and Adinath and
Lasyeswari in Muladhara Chakra.
We have
already discussed the Saamayin and Kula
systems of worship earlier. Soundarya Lahari encourages both types with a tilt
towards the former. But Laxmidhara, a noted votary of Saamayikaachaara strongly refutes Kaula System on the basis if Verse
31 which runs like this:” Siva deceived and deluded the world by giving out
64 other Tantras, which expound practices of conferring
only one or another of the various psychic powers and worldly fulfilments. So
on Thy special insistence He revealed this, Thy own Thantra, to world independent
of all others and capable of conferring all the Purusaharthas- Dharma, Arttha, Kama,
and Moksha, by itself on the votaries”. Laxmidhara holds that all 64
Tantras are intended to acquire some particular powers only, unclean and cruel
practised by Kapalikas, Digambaras, Kshapanakas, etc and only Vamakeswara Thantra is to be put in to practice. This view is strongly condemned by many weighty authorities on
the ground that Laxmidhara’s views are prejudiced.
Further,
there are certain mantras like Verses 13, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 in Soundarya Lahari which are used for attracting opposite sex. One may wonder how such mantras are incorporated
to such a mystic and philosophical treatise. We have already seen the Mother as maya
or avidya and the same is one her aspects. In Soundarya
Lahari, we visualise her as the creator. She bestows all purusharthas and kama or desire is one of them. First and second verses of the text reveal the Mother’s
all pervading and omnipotent form as Maha Tripura Sundari. Verses 3,4,5,6, 7, 8,
20, and 22 explain sagunopasana (external worship) which Kaulas adopt. 27th verse reveals the internal worship (nirgunopasana)
which accomplished devotees do. Details of worship on Sri Chakra in 11th,
with mantras in 31st, 32nd and 33rd verses, kundalini in 9th, 10th, 14th and 21st verses, Sri Devi Mahaathmyam in verses 12th, 24th, 25th, 26th, 28th and 29th verses. Verses from 36 to 41 give a clear and explicit
picture of Samyaachara worship. Among these verses, some authorities are of the
opinion that verses 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14, 21, 26, 27, 31 to 41 are the most important mantras in Soundarya Lahari. Of course, these mantras are very important, but the rest of them are not less important in
potency.
Philosophical
and metaphysical treatise is abundant in Soundarya Lahari, especially in first
41 verses which make this text more than a hymn. Apart from this, Soundarya Lahari
is a veritable conglomeration of poetic tendencies. So beautiful they are, each verse will convert your heart and mind into
a receptacle of noble ideas and thoughts caress your sense and sensibilities. Sri Shankara has put his versatile genius in
every verse, like a sculptor carves out tiniest details of an image. See some
examples:
“Bhavaani thwam daase mayi vthara dristim sakarunaam…….”
Verse 22
“Japo jalpah shilpam sakalam api mudraa virachana…………
” Verse 27
“Dadaane dinebhyah sriyam anisam aasaanusadrisim”……… ” Verse 90
You
have to read each verse yourself. If you are not familiar with Sanskrit, get a good detailed translation. Study only two Slokas a day. Churn them in your in your heart. Your mind will be immersed in indefinable
divine pleasure. Experience it yours self and lead yourself to immense spiritual bliss. Every thing is there you wanted to
know.
References:
1. ‘Principles of Tantra ‘ by Arthur Avlon
2. ‘ Kathyayani Tantra’
3. ‘Soundarya Lahari’ (Inundation of Beauty) Published by Sri
Ramakrishna Math, Madras
4. Various Translations of Soundarya Lahari in English, Malayalam,
Kannada and Hindi
