[Advaita-l] Sivaanandalahari - 48

[Anbu sivam2]

नित्यानन्द-रसालयं सुरमुनि -स्वान्तांबु-जाताश्रयं
*Sivaanandalahari - 48*

स्वच्छं सद्‌द्विज-सेवितं कलुषहृत्-सद्वासनाविष्कृतम् ।
शंभुध्यान-सरोवरं व्रज मनो हंसावतंस-स्थिरं
किं क्षुद्राश्रय-पल्वल-भ्रमण-संजात-श्रमं प्राप्स्यसि ॥ ४८ ॥

nityAnanda-rasAlayaM suramuni -svAntAMbu-jAtASrayaM
svacChaM sad^^dvija-sevitaM kaluShahRut-sadvAsanAviShkRutam |
SaMbhudhyAna-sarovaraM vraja mano haMsAvataMsa-sthiraM
kiM kShudrASraya-palvala-bhramaNa-saMjAta-SramaM prApsyasi || 48 ||

Attain permanently the lake of meditation on Shiva, which is full of water
of eternal happiness, which is residence of the lotus of Devas and Rishis,
thronged by the birds of Sadhus, which washes the dirt of sins and brings
out the fragrance of good actions ( PuNya). Oh the swan of mind why are you
undergoing the trouble in the small tank of mundane services?

*Commentary

*hE manOhamsaavathamsa = O! Mind that is the superior Annapakshi!
nithyaanandharasaalayam = the abode of the nithyaanandha sivaanandha jalam;
suramuniswaanthaambujaathaasrayam = the abode of the flowers that are the
minds of the devas and the munis;
swaccham = of nirmalam;
sadwijasEvitham = of being worshipped by the great swans of the Brahmanas;
kalushahruth = of being the remover of the dirt called paapas;
sthiram = of being permanent;
sambhudhyaanasarOvaram = of being the lake of sambudhyaanam;
vraja = reach;
kshudhraasrayapalvalabramaNasanjaathasramam = of the trouble of remaining in
the meagerly useful puddle
kim = why?;
praapsyasi = attain.

Hey! Mind that is like the princely swan!

Without knowing what is the real thathwam you are roaming in unknown places.
( I am reminded of Kannadasan's "இருக்கும் இடம் விட்டு இல்லாத இடம் தேடி
எங்கெங்கோ அலைகின்றாள் ஞானப்பெண்ணே!).  Don't do that anymore.  Let bygones be
bygones.  I am going to tell me some very important thathwas.  Please listen
to me with ekaagra chittha.

Hey! Mind that is like the princely swan!

I want you to get to this remarkable lake that is of endless
sivaanandhajalam, that is of the abode of the mind-lotus of devas and
muniswaraas, that lonely place which is pure light, that is swaprakaasa
chithEkarasam, that is being worshipped by the swans who are the Brahmana
srEshtaas desiring brahmagnaanam, that which has the capacity to remove even
the worst paapas that do not have any praayaschittham, that which has no
destruction but remains permanent in all the three kaalas called the past,
the present and the future.  Why do you have to rot in the dirty puddle
serving the undeserving masters?  Please ponder.

The saasthras shouts at you for your attention with the words:
 "aabrahmabuvanaallOkaa: punaraavarthinOrjuna |"

It drums to you the fact that all lOkas from BrahmalOka on meet with their
destruction during the praLaya.  Don't you know this?  When those worlds are
to be destroyed why are you worshipping those devathaas having domain over
those lOkas?  Atleast hereafter stop worshipping useless Gods.  You should
reach that lake (please note that AachaaryaaL calls it a lake and not a lOka
to show that the praLayam cannot destroy the lake but can only merge into
it!) that is Sambhu's Sivaanandhajalam who remains as the only devaasura
poojyan and who can be known only through the vedas.

The essence of this sloka is:

Without frittering their minds into many objects and without dedicating to
the many anya-devathaas whose ends are time bound, all praaNis should
seriously indulge in the ekaagra dhyaana of Parameswara who is possessed of
endless mahima. Then only can they enjoy the supreme MOkshaanandam.

O! My mind! You soar like a swan! Please understand that there is nothing
superior to Karunaamoorthy Parameswara. Only His paadhaabhja smaranam will
give the limitless Aanandha. Kinowing this you should not surrender to the
inferior devathaas.

na yat vaca: citrapadam harE: yasa: jagat pavitram pragrueetha karhichith
tat vaayasam theertthamusanthi maanasaa na yatra hamsaa niramanti
usikshayaa:
--Bhaagavatham (1.5.10)

A puddle of water is akin to the abode of anya devathas. A puddle is a place
where the crows (the small minded) visit but the swans (realized ones) go to
the huge lake of Parameswara.

Aum SambhO Mahaadeva!