Shivaanandalaharii 59

[Anand Hudli]

   hamsaH padmavanaM samichchhati yathaa niilaaMbudaM chaatakaH
     kokaH kokanadapriyaM pratidinaM chandraM chakorastathaa |
   cheto vaaJNchhati maamakaM pashupate chinmaargamR^igyaM vibho
   gauriinaatha bhavatpadaabjayugalaM kaivalyasaukhyapradaM ||


   hamsaH - the swan
   padmavanaM - the lake with lotuses
   samichchhati - desires
   yathaa - just as
   niilaaMbudaM - the dark (rain-bearing) clouds
   chaatakaH - the chaataka bird
   kokaH - the chakravaaka bird
   kokanadapriyaM - the sun
   pratidinaM - every day
   chandraM - the moon
   chakoraH - the chakora bird
   tathaa - in that way
   cheto - the mind
   vaaJNchhati- desires
   maamakaM - my
   pashupate - O Lord of souls
   chinmaargamR^igyaM - which is to be sought through the path of
                        knowledge
   vibho - O All pervading One
   gauriinaatha - O Lord of Gaurii (Paarvatii)
   bhavatpadaabjayugalaM - Your two lotus feet
   kaivalyasaukhyapradaM - the bestower of the bliss of liberation

   O Lord of souls, O All-pervading One, O Lord of Gaurii!
   As the swan desires the lake full of lotuses, the chaataka bird the
   dark rain-bearing clouds, the chakravaaka bird the sun, the chakora bird
   the moon, so does my mind yearn for Your lotus feet which are to be
   sought by the path of knowledge, and which bestow the bliss of
   liberation.


   Shankara describes the yearning of a devotee's heart for the lotus feet of
   Shiva, by means of beautiful similes. The swan eats the stalk of the lotus
   flower. So it is always longing for a lake filled with lotuses. The chaataka
   bird drinks rain drops as they fall down from the clouds. It does not
   drink  water in any other form. The chakravaaka pairs of birds are
   supposed to be separated from each other during the night and they are
   supposed to unite during the day. The chakravaaka birds, therefore, long for
   the appearance of the sun. The chakora bird is supposed to live on moon
   beams. The devotee's heart longs for the lotus feet of Shiva which can be
   reached by the the path of knowledge. Those lotus feet of Shiva bestow the
   bliss that is liberation.

   Anand