Verse from the Shivaanandalaharii

[Anand Hudli]

   jaDataa pashutaa kalaN^kitaa kuTilacharatvaM cha naasti mayi deva |
   asti yadi raajamaule bhavadaabharaNasya naasmi kiM paatraM ||

   O Lord whose head bears the crescent moon! I do not have the blemishes
   of inertness (laziness), beastliness, impurity, and crooked movement.
   Even if I have those blemishes, am I not still eligible to be Your
   ornament?

   Adi Shankara, in this soul-stirring verse, says to Lord Shiva that
   a devotee is fit to be accepted by Him regardless of whether or not
   there are blemishes in the devotee. Shankara's reasoning is impeccable,
   as usual. Has not Lord Shiva accepted less than perfect things as His
   ornaments? The crescent moon is imperfect, not blemishless. The snakes
   worn by Lord Shiva move about crookedly. Lord Shiva accepts inert
   objects like hides of an elephant or tiger as ornaments. He accepts
   the bull as His vehicle. So if a devotee has these defects, how can
   he/she lose his/her eligibility to become Lord Shiva's ornament?


   Anand