SIVANANDA LAHARI (SLOKAS 51- 100)

भृङ्गीच्छानटनोत्कटः करिमदग्राही स्फुरन्माधवा-

ह्लादो नादयुतो महासितवपुः पञ्चेषुणा चादृतः।

सत्पक्षः सुमनोवनेषु स पुनः साक्षान्मदीये मनो-

राजीवे भ्रमराधिपो विहरतां श्रीशैलवासी विभुः॥।५१॥

May Lord Shiva play in the lotus of my heart, who is consort of Bhramarambika  whose abode is on top of Srisaila,   who is raring to dance for the sake of sage Bhringi,  who has vanquished Gajasura, who was overjoyed by the sight of Madhava,  who is the embodiment of nada (sound), whose complexion is white, who is revered by Kama (who conquers others) and who sides with good people to save them.  

कारुण्यामृतवर्षिणं घनविपद्ग्रीष्मच्छिदाकर्मठं

विद्यासस्यफलोदयाय सुमनः संसेव्यमिच्छाकृतिम्

नृत्यद्भक्तमयूरमद्रिनिलयं चञ्चज्जटामण्डलम्

शंभो वाञ्छति नीलकन्धर सदा त्वां मे मनश्चातकः ॥५२॥

The chataka bird that is my Mind always desires you O Shambhu with dark blue neck! who rains the nectar of compassion, who is active in removing sufferings and misfortunes like the heat of summer, who is propitiated by the devas  for the fruits of the plant of knowledge, who is worshipped by all good people, who can take any form, whose devotee-peacocks dance in joy and who lives in mountains and who has waving matted hair. 

[Here the poet draws a parallel between Lord Siva and the water-bearing cloud  which is also dark, which gives sweet water, which dispels the summer heat, which is welcomed with flowers, which can take any form, which makes the peacock dance, which hovers over mountain top and which spreads like the matted locks of Shiva. The comparison is achieved by using words having more than one meaning and thus can be interpreted to apply equally to Lord Shiva and the cloud ]

अकाशेन शिखी समस्तफणिनां नेत्रा कलापी नता-

नुग्राही प्रणवोपदेशनिनदैः केकीति यो गीयते

श्यामां शैलसमुद्भवां घनरुचिं दृष्ट्वा नटन्तं मुदा

वेदन्तोपवने विहाररसिकं तं नीलकण्ठं भजे  ॥५३॥

I serve and worship Nilakantha (Lord Shiva) whose neck is of dark blue colour, who has the sky as his crest, the thousand eyes of Adisesha as the plume, who blesses those who bow to him by giving them the secret mantra of Pranava, who is sung about as ‘keki’, who dances with joy on seeing Parvati, of the colour of dark clouds,  and who is fond of  playing in the garden of the Upanishads.

[ Nilakantha also refers to peacock.  In this sloka the attributes of Shiva are also applicable to the peacock such as having a crest and plume, dancing on the sight of clouds etc.]

संध्या घर्मदिनात्ययो हरिकराघातप्रभूतानक-

ध्वानो वारिदगर्जितं दिविषदां दृष्टिच्छटा चंचला।

भक्तानां परितोषबाष्पविततिर्वृष्टिर्मयूरी शिवा 

यस्मिन्नुज्ज्वलताण्डवं विजयते तं नीलकण्ठं भजे ॥५४॥

The evening twilight hour is end of the summer season, the deafening sound of the drums beaten by the hands of Vishnu is the thundering of the clouds, the glances from the eyes of the celestials are the flashes of lightning,  the tears of joy of the devotees are the rains and consort of Shiva (Shivaa) is the peahen. I pray to Nilakantha (Shiva, also Peacock) whose splendorous dance excels in this setting.

आद्यायामिततेजसे श्रुतिपदैर्वेद्याय साध्याय ते

विद्यानन्दमयात्मने त्रिजगतः संरक्षणोद्योगिने ।

ध्येयायाखिलयोगिभिः सुरगणैर्गेयाय मायाविने

सम्यक्ताण्डवसंभ्रमाय जटिने सेयं नतिः शंभवे ॥५५॥

My prostrations to Lord Shambhu who is the very first one,  whose splendour is immeasurable,  whom the Vedas seek to know,  who can be attained (by devotion, knowledge, surrender etc), who is the embodiment of knowledge and happiness, who is engaged in protecting the three worlds, who is meditated on by the yogis, whose praises are sung by the celestials,  who is a great mayavi (magician), who is excited about dancing and who has matted locks.

नित्याय त्रिगुणात्मने पुरजिते कात्यायनी श्रेयसे

सत्यायादिकुटुंबिने मुनिमनः प्रत्यक्षचिन्मूर्तये।

मायासृष्टजगत्त्रयाय सकलाम्नायान्तसञ्चारिणे

सायं ताण्डवसंभ्रमाय जटिने सेयं नतिः शंभवे ॥५६॥

नित्यं स्वोदरपूरणाय सकलानुद्दिश्य वित्ताशया

व्यर्थं पर्यटनं करोमि भवतः सेवां न जाने विभो।

मज्जन्मान्तरपुण्यपाकबलतस्त्वं शर्व सर्वान्तर-

स्तिष्ठस्येव हि तेन वा पशुपते ते रक्षणीयोऽस्म्यहम् ॥५७॥

For the sake of filling my stomach I uselessly go around approaching everyone with the desire for money, but do not know serving you and worshipping you. Because of the punya  earned by my good deeds in my previous births, O Sharva! You do abide inside all beings.  At least for this reason I am to be protected by you. 

एको वारिजबांधवः क्षितिनभोव्याप्तं तमोमण्डलं

भित्त्वा लोचनगोचरोऽपि भवति त्वं कोटिसूर्यप्रभः

वेद्यः किं न भवस्यहो घनतरं कीदृग्भवेन्मत्तमः

तत्सर्वं व्यपनीय मे पशुपते साक्षात् प्रसन्नो भव ॥५८॥

The one Sun, a friend of the lotus, dispels the darkness enveloping the whole of the earth and sky and becomes visible to the eye.  But you have the brightness of ten million suns. Why are you not visible to me? How dense must be the darkness enveloping me?  Please remove this darkness and reveal yourself before my eyes. 

हंसः पद्मवनं समिच्छति यथा नीलांबुदं चातकः

कोकः कोकनदप्रियं प्रतिदिनं चन्द्रं चकोरस्तथा

चेतो वाञ्छति मामकं पशुपते चिन्मार्गमृग्यं विभो

गौरीनाथ भवत्पदाब्जयुगलं कैवल्यसौख्यप्रदम् ॥५९॥

O Lord of all beings! Consort of Gauri ! The All-pervading!  Just like the swan longs for the lotus forest, the chataka bird longs for the dark clouds, the chakravaka longs for the Sun, the beloved of the lotus, and the chakora bird longs for the moon,  my heart intensely longs for your lotus feet, sought by following the path of knowledge and leading to the bliss of kaivalya (liberation from the apparent sense of multiplicity and the experience of the state of Absolute Unity of everything)

रोधस्तोयहृतः श्रमेण पथिक: छायां तरोर्वृष्टितो-

भीतः स्वस्थगृहं गृहस्थमतिथिः दीनः प्रभुं धार्मिकम्

दीपं संतमसाकुलश्च शिखिनं शीतावृतस्त्वं तथा

चेतः सर्वभयापहं व्रज सुखं शंभोः पदांभोरुहम् ॥६०॥

Just like the man being carried away by a current longs to reach the bank, a tired traveller longs for the shade of a tree, one afraid of the rain longs for a comfortable home, a guest (in search of food and shelter) longs for a householder,  a poor man longs for a rich man who is  philanthropic, one who is frightened by darkness longs for the light and one exposed to biting cold longs for the (warmth) of fire, O my heart!  hasten to the lotus  feet of Shambhu,  which will dissolve all your fears,  and be happy.

अङ्कोलं निजबीजसन्ततिरयस्कान्तोपलं सूचिका

साध्वी नैजविभुं लता क्षितिरुहं सिन्धुः सरिद्वल्लभम्

प्राप्नोतीह यथा तथा पशुपतेः पादारविन्दद्वयं

चेतोवृत्तिरुपेत्य तिष्ठति सदा सा भक्तिरित्युच्यते ॥६१॥

Just like the seeds of the ankola tree are attracted towards the mother tree, the needle is attracted by the lode stone, the chaste woman reaches for her husband, the creeper clings to the tree and the river flows towards the ocean,  If the mind always tends to go and rest at the feet of Pasupati  then it is called bhakti (devotion)

आनन्दाश्रुभिरातनोति पुलकं नैर्मल्यतः छादनं

वाचा शंखमुखे स्थितैश्च जठरापूर्तिं चरित्रामृतैः।

रुद्राक्षैर्भसितेन देव वपुषो रक्षां भवद्भावना-

पर्यंके विनिवेश्य भक्तिजननी भक्तार्भकं रक्षति ॥६२॥

Mother Bhakti takes care of the devotee child by placing it on the bed of your remembrance,  by bathing it in tears of joy making its hairs stand on end, by clothing it in purity, by filling its stomach with the nectar of your stories and protecting its body by rudraksha and ash. 

मार्गावर्तितपादुका पशुपतेरंगस्यकूर्चायते

गण्डूषांबुनिषेचनं पुररिपोर्दिव्याभिषेकायते

किंचित्भक्षितमांसशेषकवलं नव्योपहारायते

भक्तिः किं न करोत्यहो वनचरो भक्तावतंसायते ॥६३॥

The footwear repeatedly used on the road and worn-out becomes adornment to the Lord,  water carried in the month and spouted becomes divine bathing, the remnants of a partly-eaten piece of meat becomes freshly prepared offering to the Lord and the tribal living in the forest becomes the crest-jewel of devotees of the Lord.  Wonder of wonders ! What is there that devotion to the Lord cannot do?     
[The reference here is to
Kannappa Nayanar a tribal hunter in the
forest who was a great devotee of Lord Shiva. 
The sloka describes his way of worshipping the Lord who happily accepts
his offerings because of his loving devotion. 
There is a story about the intensity of his devotion to the Lord.  It is something like this: Once he saw blood
coming from  the eyes of the deity.  He immediately scooped out his one of his eyes
and put in place on the idol.  Now how
will he manage to put the other eye in place? So Kannappa Nayanar put his toe
on the spot where the other eye was to be placed. He then took out  his other eye 
and put it where his toe had been placed. The Lord revealed himself to
Him moved by his intense devotion.  The
hill where Kannappa Nayanar worshipped is very near the Kalahasti temple.]   

वक्षस्ताडनमन्तकस्य कठिनापस्मारसम्मर्दनं

भूभृत्पर्यटनं नमत्सुरशिरःकोटीरसंघर्षणम् ।

कर्मेदं मृदुलस्य तावकपदद्वन्द्वस्य गौरीपते

मच्चेतोमणिपादुकाविहरणं शंभो सदाङ्गीकुरु ॥६४॥

O Consort of Gauri ! striking on the chest of Yama with your feet, trampling  the adamantine Apasmara, wandering on the mountains, the friction of the crowns of celestials bowing down before you – these are all the actions in which your soft feet are engaged.  Please accept walking always wearing the  gem-studded footwear of my heart (mind)

वक्षस्ताडनशङ्कया विचलितो वैवस्वतो निर्जराः

कोटीरोज्ज्वलरत्नदीपकलिकानीराजनं कुर्वते ।

दृष्ट्वा मुक्तिवधूस्तनोति निभृताश्लेषं भवानीपते

यच्चेतस्तव पादपद्मभजनं तस्येह किं दुर्लभम् ॥६५॥ 

O Consort of Bhavani! What is impossible of attainment for him who worships at your lotus feet? From him Yama keeps away fearing a kick on the chest, the celestials do him nirajana (offering of the camphor light) by the light of diamonds set in their crowns, the bride mukti,  locks him in embrace, as soon as she sees him.  What is impossible for him to attain?

क्रीडार्थं सृजसि प्रपञ्चमखिलं क्रीडामृगास्ते जनाः

यत्कर्माचरितं मया च भवतः प्रीत्यै भवत्येव तत्

शंभो स्वस्य कुतूहलस्य करणं मच्चेष्टितं निश्चितं

तस्मान्मामकरक्षणं पशुपते कर्तव्यमेव त्वया ॥६६॥

O Shambhu ! O Pasupati, you create this world for your sport.  All humans are your play-animals.  Whatever is done by me is sure to make you pleased.  My activities will certainly be interesting to your own devotees also.  Therefore  it is your duty to take care of me and protect me.

बहुविधपरितोषबाष्पपूर-

स्फुटपुलकाङ्कितचारुभोगभूमिम् ।

चिरपदफलकांक्षिसेव्यमानां

परमसदाशिवभावनां प्रपद्ये  ॥६७॥

I take refuge in meditation on Sadashiva,  that yields different types of pleasures which produce tears of joy, provides such happiness as would make one’s hairs stand on end and which is depended upon by those who want to attain the eternal state of mukti or kaivalya (liberation). 

अमितमुदमृतं मुहुर्दुहन्तीं

विमलभवत्पदगोष्ठमावसन्तीम्

सदय पशुपते सुपुण्यपाकां

मम परिपालय भक्तिधेनुमेकां ॥६८॥

O The Merciful Lord of all beings! Please protect the cow of my devotion to you which every time yields milk of sweet happiness, which occupies the cowshed of your feet and which is the result of punya earned by good deeds.  

जडता पशुता कलङ्किता वा

कुटिलचरत्वं च नास्ति मयि देव

अस्ति यदि राजमौले

भवदाभरणस्य नास्मि किं पात्रं ॥६९॥

I do not possess the attributes of being idiotic, animal-like, blemished or having a crooked gait.  Even granting that I have (those undesirable attributes)  am I not eligible to become your ornament? [ Because Shiva wears Ganga on his head who has the attribute of jalata (being watery, jadata = jalata , ‘d’ and ‘l’ being used interchangeably)  He keeps a deer in his hand which has the attribute of pasuta  i.e. being an animal. He keeps the moon on his head which has blemish on it. He wears snakes whose gait is crooked as ornaments

अरहसि रहसि स्वतन्त्रबुद्ध्या

वरिवसितुं सुलभः प्रसन्नमूर्तिः।

अगणितफलदायकः प्रभुर्मे

जगदधिको हृदि राजशेखरोऽस्ति ॥७०॥

My Lord, who is above all kings and who is more than this world, who is the giver of countless fruits (benefits, blessings) and who is firmly seated in my heart, can be easily worshipped and pleased, in private or in public, with a free mind.

आरूढभक्तिगुणकुञ्चित भावचाप-

युक्तैः शिवस्मरणबाणगणैरमोघैः।

निर्जित्य किल्बिषरिपून् विजयी सुधीन्द्रः

सानन्दमावहति सुस्थिरराज्यलक्ष्मीम् ॥७१॥

Meditation on the Lord is the bow, heightened  bhakti  is the string, memories of the Lord are arrows which never miss the target.  Armed with these the the best among men of intelligence vanquishes the sin-enemies and happily captures the stable kingdom (of mukti, liberation)

ध्यानाञ्जनेन समवेक्ष्य तमःप्रदेशं

भित्त्वा महाबलिभिरीश्वरनाममन्त्रैः ।

दिव्याश्रितं भुजगभूषणमुद्वहन्ति

ये पादपद्ममिह ते शिव ते कृतार्थाः ॥७२॥

O Lord Shiva! only those men achieve fulfilment who, using meditation as the  magic collyrium to locate darkness and,  flooding  it with the light of the powerful mantra of the names of the Lord,  mentally lift up (on their heads) your lotus feet,  the refuge of the celestials and adorned with snakes as ornaments.  

भूदारतामुदवहद्यदपेक्षया श्री-

भूदार एव किमतः सुमते लभस्व ।

केदारमाकलितमुक्तिमहौषधीनां

पादारविन्दभजनं परमेश्वरस्य ॥७३॥

O My good Mind! what, in search of which Lord Vishnu, consort of Lakshmi and Bhumi (Goddess Earth), took the form of a boar, other than that ( lotus feet of Shiva) what do you want to get ? Worshipping and serving the lotus feet of Parameshwara, the greatest of the gods, is the field from which grow the powerful herbs for the attainment of mukti, liberation. 

आशापाशक्लेशदुर्वासनादि

भेदोद्युक्तैर्दिव्यगन्धैरमन्दैः

आशाशाटीकस्य पादारविन्दं

चेतः पेटीं वासितां मे तनोतु  ॥७४॥

May the lotus feet of Lord Shiva ( clothed by the eight quarters) engaged in displacing  desire, attachment, suffering and bad conduct in the mind by divine fragrance, make the casket of my heart sweet-smelling.

कल्याणिनं सरसचित्रगतिं सवेगं

सर्वेङ्गितज्ञमनघं ध्रुवलक्षणाढ्यं ।

चेतस्तुरङ्गमधिरुह्य चर स्मरारे

नेतः समस्तजगतां वृषभाधिरूढ ॥७५॥