शुक्लाम्बरधरम् विष्णुम् शशिवर्णम् चतुर्भुजम्|
प्रसन्नवदनम् ध्यायेत् सर्व विघ्नोपशान्तये||
श्रीगुरुभ्योनमः
श्रीचक्रराजसिंहासनॆश्वरि श्रीललितांबिकयॆ भुवनॆश्वरि
आगमवॆदकलामय रूपिणि अखिलचराचर जननि नारायणि
नागकंकण नटराजमनॊहरि ज्ञानविद्यॆश्वरि राजराजॆश्वरि
We have learnt in an earlier post about the categorization of the 36 tattvas and the 7 pramaatas, according to Kashmiri Saivism. According to the Saankhya sastra, the same 36 tattvas are being enumerated as 25 namely, Soul/Purusha/Atma, mind, intellect, ego, memory, five sense organs, five motor organs, five fundamental elements and five subtle elements. Excluding the soul/purusha/atma, they are 24 in total. If the four faculties of consciousness (mind, intellect, ego and memory) are counted as one single antahkarana (Devi Bhagavatam 7.32.36-39), we would get 21 tattvas in total. Irrespective of the number count, the creation/dissolution is filled with these tattvas.
कलाविद्या पराशाक्तिः श्रीचक्राकाररूपिणी
तन्मध्यॆ बैंदवम् स्थानम् तत्रास्तॆ परमॆश्वरी
सदाशिवॆन संयुक्ता सर्व तत्त्वात्मगामिनी
चक्रम् त्रिपुरसुंदर्या ब्रह्मांडाकारमीश्वरी
पञ्चभूतात्मकम् चैव तन्मात्रात्मकमॆवच
इंद्रियात्मकमॆवच मनस्तत्त्वात्मकम् तथा
मायादितत्त्वरूपम् च तत्त्वातीतम् तु बैंदवम्
बैंदवॆ जगदुत्पत्तिस्थिति संहारकारिणी (भैरवयामळतंत्रम्)
Parameswari in unison with Lord Sadasiva at the bindu, expands into the Sri Chakra, an exemplification of all the tattvas.
Now, we will see the subtle aspects of creation, hidden in Soundaryalahari’s first few verses. Before that, let us try and interpret the subtler state of creation from which sense organs, motor organs and the five gross fundamental elements have emerged.
Ashta murti/ashta prakritis
The eight important aspects of tattvas through which the Paramatma is perceived by the sense organs of an individual are the ashta murti tattvas. The gross form of creation sprung from these eight tattvas namely earth, water, fire, air, ether, sun, moon and atma/soul. This fact is repeatedly mentioned in Vedas, puranas and other scriptures.
भूरम्भाम्स्यनलो अनिलो अम्बरमहर्नाथो हिमान्शुः पुमा-
नित्याभाति चराचरात्मकमिदम् यस्तैव मूर्त्यष्टकम्
नान्यत्किञ्चन विद्यते विमृशताम् यस्माद् परस्माद्विभो
स्तस्मै श्रीगुरुमूर्तये नम इदम् श्री दक्षिणामूर्तये नमः|| (दक्षिणामूर्ति स्तोत्रम्)
भूमि-earth, अम्भस्-water अनल-fire, अनिल-air अम्बरम्-sky अहर्नाथ-sun हिमान्शु-moon पुमान्-Purusha/Kshetrajna
During dissolution, all the tattvas will merge into these eight and these eight, in turn, into the trigunas and these three, into one bindu (Siva-Sakti in unison).
Hidden secrets of creation in the Soundaryalahari’s first few verses:
Verse 1 – शिवःशक्त्यायुक्तॊ This refers to the Siva-Sakti in union at the Bindu sthana. According to Garbhopanishad verse 17, the embryo formed due to the union of semen and blood hardens in a month.
Verse 2, 3 – तनीयासं पांसुं The trinity of Gods (Brahma,Vishnu and Siva) emerged from the trigunas (त्रयाणाम् दॆवानाम् त्रिगुणजनितानाम् तव शिवॆ) are able to perform their duties due to an iota of dust on Amma’s feet. अविद्यानां … Since creation occurs due to the imbalance of the trigunas stocked according to one’s own sanchita karma (accumulated results of their actions in their births inclusive of the present one), the janma jaladhi in this verse, seems to indicate the triangle (trigunas) to be symbolic of the sanchita karma.
This verse seems to point to the development of the head, according to Garbhopanishad verse 17,
Verse 4 – त्वदन्यः पाणिभ्याम् … Our seers hinted that Bala Tripura Sundari mantra is hidden in this verse. The eminence of Amma’s feet is eulogised in this verse. Amma’s feet are symbolic of the eight prakritis. This is hinted at, in a very very subtle manner by Sri AdiSankara Bhagavatpaada, in Soundaryalahari (84-91). These are the eight verses that refer to the eight prakritis. Adi Sankara Bhagavatpada, while commenting on the verse 7.4 of Bhagavadgita, says that the ashta murtis Bhumi, aapas, anala etc., refer only to the subtle tanmatras, but not to their gross forms.
It is also important to note that, Sankara Bhagavatpada indirectly hints at these ashtamurti tattvas (five tanmatras, manas, buddhi and ahamkara) in the verses (84-91) of Soundaryalahari, that praise Amma’s feet [Earth ( Verse 88), Water(Verse 87- refer to the nama पदद्वयप्रभाजालपराकृतसरॊरुहा) , Fire (Verse 86 kili-kili sounds, dahana) , Air (Verse 91, Hamsa), Ether (Verse 84), Sun (Verse 85, nayana-ramaniyaaya), Moon (Verse 89, nakha, Sasi), purusha (Verse 90, mat-jiva)].
This verse seems to point to the hands and feet developed during the third month of the foetus, as mentioned in the Garbhopanishad.
हरिस्त्वामाराध्य प्रणत जन सौभाग्य जननी …
Hari – Vishnu
Vishnu represents expansion. The Mohini, an avatar of Vishnu, who mesmerized the very Purahara (Lord Siva), is metaphoric of the expansion of the ashtamurti prakritis (described in the previous verse) into the sense organs, motor organs and the five fundamental elements.
From the perspective of Garbhopanishad, this refers to the waist, thighs formed during the fourth month and spinal cord, rest of sense organs, motor organs and the five fundamental elements formed during the fifth month of the foetus.
धनुःपौष्पम् मौर्वी मधुकरमयी …
Ananga – Kamadeva
According to the Atharvaveda (9.2.19) and the Nasadiyasukta of Rigveda, Kama/Desire is the first vibration/spandana in the Paramatma to onset the creation. From a microscopic point of view, the very first movement in the foetus instigated by the vital airs, occurs during the sixth month of pregnancy (Garbhopanishad-17, Srimadbhagavatam-3.31.4).
It appears that Adi Sankara described this first movement of the foetus, which is in the form of a bow with its head bent towards the belly, in this verse. This first movement is symbolic of the birth of Kamadeva. Kamadeva who connects the Para and Apara tattvas, enchants even the seers. Kama, Vibration and Movement are synonyms.
क्वणत् काञ्ची दामा…
The Ego (Aham) of the foetus gets activated due the entry of the Supreme Consciousness in the seventh month. (Garbhopanishad-17, Srimadbhagavatam-3.31.10). Is it just a mere coincidence that Sankara Bhagavatpada describes the gross form of Consciouness, a personification of Siva (Puraripu)’s Ego, with four hands holding Paasa, Ankusa, sugarcane bow and flower arrows, in the seventh verse?
सुधासिंधॊर्मध्यॆ …
At the end of the eighth month of pregnancy, due to Prasuti vayu (air generated in the womb during pangs of childbirth), the foetus turns upside down, with its head (Brahmarandhra) pointing downward and gets ejected from the womb (Garbhopanishad-55, Srimadbhagavatam-3.31.23). Usually, the baby could be delivered anytime between the eighth and the tenth month. Perhaps, this is why Acharya described a majestically seated Amma on the throne made up of five corpses, in Her abode Manidweepa, in the middle of the ocean of nectar, in the eighth verse!!
Praying Amma!!
श्रीमात्रेनमः
