[Advaita-l] Sivaanandalahari - 12

[Anbu sivam2]

Sivaanandalahari - 12

गुहायां गेहे वा बहिरपि वने वाऽद्रिशिखरे
जले वा वह्नौ वा वसतु वसते: किं वद फलम् ।
सदा यस्यैवान्त: करण-मपि शंभो तव पदे
स्तितं चेध्यॊगोऽसौ स च परम-योगी स च सुखी ॥ १२ ॥

guhAyAM gehe vA bahirapi vane vA&driSikhare
jale vA vahnau vA vasatu vasate: kiM vada phalam |
sadA yasyaivAnta: karaNa-mapi SaMbho tava pade
stitaM chedhyOgo&sau sa cha parama-yogI sa cha sukhI || 12 ||


What difference does it make whether one lives in a cave or house or forest
or on top of a mountain, or in water or in fire ? Oh Sambho! It is Yoga when
mind is also focussed on your foot and he, with such a focussed mind is
greatest yogi and only he is happy.

Commentary

Aum

கங்கையாடில்லென் காவிரியாடிலென்
கொங்குமா தண் குமரித்துறை யாடிலென்
ஓங்குமாகடல் ஓதநீ ராடிலென்
எங்கும் ஈசன் எனாதவர்க் கில்லையே
(திருநாவுக்கரசர்)

In Sloka 10 and 11 AachaaryaaL says that a bhakthimaan would not mind taking
any birth be it human, animal, insect or a worm. Even in respect of human
births, it would not matter to him to be a Brahmana or a Kshathriya or a
Vaisya or a Sudhra if he has dhruda bhakthi to Parameswara. In this sloka
AachaaryaaL points out that different places do not by themselves bring
janma saabalyam but again it is only Parameswara bhakthi that brings Moksha
to a person.

“Vriththiheenam mana: kshEthragnam paramaathmani|
ekikrthsya vimuchyEtha yOgOyam mukya uchyathE||”

Our saasthraas say that one should give up his dehaabimaanam and realize
that the inside entity that enjoys everything is Brahman. This realization
is called ‘yogam’. This is underscored as in: “yOga: aham BrahmEthi gnaanam,
thadhvaan Yogi”. We have (a) five gnaanEndhriyaas, (b) five karmEndhriyaas,
(c) five praaNas, (d) manas and (e) buddhi. There are five peetams
corresponding to the above five. . These five peetams would look like a
lotus flower. There are five devathaas that correspond to these five peetams
and they are: (a) Brahma (b) Vishnu (c) Rudhra (d) Maheswara and (e)
Sadhaasiva. Beyond these five peetams is the Self-shining Siva Jyothi which
is the Suddha NirguNa Sivam. To this NirguNa Sivam one should have ekhaagra
manas without letting it wander towards vishayas. Having this NirguNa Sivam
pervade one’s mind with the knowledge “I am Siva (SivOham)” is the most
superior Raja Yoga. Those who do this anusandhaanam are the Raja Yogis who
enjoy MOkshaanandham.

There is nothing that Raja Yogis cannot do. They are possessed of all the
ashta siddhis. Without knowing this secret praanis make grave mistake by
thinking that their janmam can attain saabalyam by means of sthala visEshas.
By living in dense forest or in the caves in tall mountains or in the midst
of water or surrounded by agni one cannot attain MOksha. Instead having
dhruda bhakthi to Parameswara by surrendering one’s mind at His lotus feet
alone can MOksha be attained. We are not denying that there is sthala
visEsham however without dhruda bhakthi these sthala visEsham is of no use.
In Ramayana Vaalmiki says:

“sevamaanE dhruda sooryE dhisamanthaka sEvithaam|
vihinathilakEva sthree nOththaraa dhikprakaasathE||

The interesting meaning of the example “vihinathilakEvasthree” is that if a
woman wears all kinds of jewelleries and garments would not attain sampoorna
soundharyam if she does not wear kumkuma thilakam on her forehead. On the
other hand a woman who only wears a kumkuma thilakam and not jewelleries
would yet have sObhanam. This kumkuma thilakam is compared to Dhruda Bhakthi
to Parameswara. So this slOka reiterates that Moksha is not attained by
snaanam or japam or manthram or yanthram or sankeerthanam or yagna dhaanam
etc but only by the surrender of the lotus flower of one’s mind to
Parameswara.

Sivoham, Sivoham.