Adi Shankara has composed two works which are very popular- Shivanandalahari on Lord Shiva and Soundaryalahari on Devi. Both are made up of exactly 100 verses and brilliant in content, style and ideas. Often, we wonder whether the texts were written by Shankara or whether they could have been written at different times, by different people. It does not really matter! The texts would be just as great.
Still, when we look at the texts side-by-side, we do find many similarities, suggesting that the same mind must have composed both the works. In a little essay like this, we cannot cover all points. But the attempt here, is to present one idea. There are many more; they can be fleshed out in separate essays later.
There is a popular verse in Shivanandalahari which talks about the "degrees of closeness" in bhakti. In ascending order, these states would- "saalokya", "saameepya", "saaroopya" and "saayujya". In "saalokya", the devotee feels the closeness in inhabiting the same loka as the Lord. In "saameepya", in addition to being in the same loka, there is "physical proximity" to the Lord too. In "saaroopya", the devotee is even closer, to the extent that the Lord's qualities rubs off on him, and he becomes a mini-Lord as though! And in "saayujya", there is total union, where even that division between the devotee and the Lord does not exist.
The verse is the following:
saalokyam tava pujaney shiva mahaadeveti sankeertaney
sameepyam cha shiva bhakti dhurya janataa saangatya sambhaashaney
saaroopyam cha charaa charaatmaka tanu dhyaaney bhavaani patey
saayujyam mam siddhim atra bhavati swaamin krtaarthosmyaham
Now, in the above verse, when it comes to addressing Lord Shiva for granting the final goal of total union, saayujyam, Shankara uses the expression "bhavaani patey"- "O Lord of Bhavaani (Devi)". We pause at this point and dive into the other text.
Interestingly, the concept of saayujyam is mentioned in the Soundaryalahari too. The verse is the following:
bhavaani tvam daasey mayi vitara drishtim sakarunaam
iti stotum vaanchan kathayati bhavaani tvam iti yah
tadeva tvam tasmai dishasi nija saayujya padaveem
mukunda brahmendra sputa makuta neeraajita padaam
In this verse, Shankara plays on the word "bhavaani". All that the devotee wants to do is address the Mother as "hey bhavaani" and follow it up with other requests. But Devi does not listen beyond the first couple of words! She takes the very address, the sambodhana of "bhavaani tvam" as the devotee's plea to say- "may I become one with you (bhavaanitvam)" and immediately grants him "saayujyam" (total union)! In fact, that is not the devotee's intent at all! It is the Mother's impatience....that she grants him the biggest boon of total union (saayujyam)....when that was not even asked for! Such is her magnanimity! Thus, Shankara puns on the words "bhavaani tvam" and gives it a totally different meaning in this verse!
Now, we find the correlation between the two texts. The suggestion is subtle, but the usage of bhavaani patey and saayujyam in Shivanandalahari is to gently remind us of this verse in Soundaryalahari where they are used in a similar connotation.
It cannot be an arbitrary coincidence! Both the texts have been crafted by the same hand, by the same Master!
Still, when we look at the texts side-by-side, we do find many similarities, suggesting that the same mind must have composed both the works. In a little essay like this, we cannot cover all points. But the attempt here, is to present one idea. There are many more; they can be fleshed out in separate essays later.
There is a popular verse in Shivanandalahari which talks about the "degrees of closeness" in bhakti. In ascending order, these states would- "saalokya", "saameepya", "saaroopya" and "saayujya". In "saalokya", the devotee feels the closeness in inhabiting the same loka as the Lord. In "saameepya", in addition to being in the same loka, there is "physical proximity" to the Lord too. In "saaroopya", the devotee is even closer, to the extent that the Lord's qualities rubs off on him, and he becomes a mini-Lord as though! And in "saayujya", there is total union, where even that division between the devotee and the Lord does not exist.
The verse is the following:
saalokyam tava pujaney shiva mahaadeveti sankeertaney
sameepyam cha shiva bhakti dhurya janataa saangatya sambhaashaney
saaroopyam cha charaa charaatmaka tanu dhyaaney bhavaani patey
saayujyam mam siddhim atra bhavati swaamin krtaarthosmyaham
Now, in the above verse, when it comes to addressing Lord Shiva for granting the final goal of total union, saayujyam, Shankara uses the expression "bhavaani patey"- "O Lord of Bhavaani (Devi)". We pause at this point and dive into the other text.
Interestingly, the concept of saayujyam is mentioned in the Soundaryalahari too. The verse is the following:
bhavaani tvam daasey mayi vitara drishtim sakarunaam
iti stotum vaanchan kathayati bhavaani tvam iti yah
tadeva tvam tasmai dishasi nija saayujya padaveem
mukunda brahmendra sputa makuta neeraajita padaam
In this verse, Shankara plays on the word "bhavaani". All that the devotee wants to do is address the Mother as "hey bhavaani" and follow it up with other requests. But Devi does not listen beyond the first couple of words! She takes the very address, the sambodhana of "bhavaani tvam" as the devotee's plea to say- "may I become one with you (bhavaanitvam)" and immediately grants him "saayujyam" (total union)! In fact, that is not the devotee's intent at all! It is the Mother's impatience....that she grants him the biggest boon of total union (saayujyam)....when that was not even asked for! Such is her magnanimity! Thus, Shankara puns on the words "bhavaani tvam" and gives it a totally different meaning in this verse!
Now, we find the correlation between the two texts. The suggestion is subtle, but the usage of bhavaani patey and saayujyam in Shivanandalahari is to gently remind us of this verse in Soundaryalahari where they are used in a similar connotation.
It cannot be an arbitrary coincidence! Both the texts have been crafted by the same hand, by the same Master!
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