Sri Sankara Bhagavatpadacarya's Saundaryalahari

CONTENTS Foreword by Sri Justice B. N. Srikrsna vii Preface by Sri S. Ramakrisnan ix Introduction by Dr. K. M. Munshi xiii Key to Pronunciation xxv For the Reader's Attention xxvii Chapter 1 The Acarya - A Divine Incarnation 1 2 "Saundaryalahari - The Crest of Devotional Poetry 4 3 The Jnanin and Devotion 5 4 The Divine Origin of the "Saundaryalahari" 14 5 Why the drama Enacted by Nandikesvara 19 6 Three Great Devotional Hymns 25 7 "The Saundaryalahari" - Its Grandeur 29 8 A Divinely Inspired Poet in Two Senses 31 9 Commentaries on the Hymn 36 10 Mother Worship 41 11 Devi in Sacred Literature 45 12 The Two "Laharis" and Their Names 47 13 A Title with Universal Appeal 52 14 Names of Amba: Not Many Used in the Hymn 54 15 On "Anandalahari" 58 16 Appreciating Beauty is its own Reward 61 17 What is Beauty? 65 18 Amba : Beauty that is Full, Love that is Total 70 19 The Hymn Itself a Portrait of Ambika 76 20 "Anandalahari" : Advaita and Sakta 77 21 The Hymn to Sakti Starts with Siva 85 22 Imparting Life-force to Siva : Masculine and feminine Names 94 23 Acarya for Both Paths 100 24 Pancakrtya-and Kamesvari and Kamesvara 105 25 Siva and Hara 114 26 "Pundarikam"- "Namam" 116 27 Siva's Spandana or Vibration 120 28 Hymn Composed with an Open Mind 125 29 Advaita Maya and Sakti in the Saiva and Sakta Doctrines 129 30 Jnana through Maya 138 31 Sakti and Lila in Advaita 142 32 How We Must Approach the Hymn 145 33 Kundalini Yoga: Great Caution Needed 153 34 Explaining the Hymn Before a Public Assembly 160 35 The Sakta System and Science 164 36 The First Stanza : What it Teaches 171 37 Cosmic Functions with the Dust on Amba's Feet 174 38 Can We Start with the Feet? 177 39 The Dust on Amba's Feet: It Does Good Here and Hereafter 179 40 Abhaya Not Granted by the Hand 185 41 Deity of the Hymn Hinted At 189 42 Can Kama ever be a Blessing? 192 43 The Power of Amba's Sidelong Glance: It Made Kama a Triumphant Hero 198 44 Kama's Conquest of Siva not Mentioned 207 45 Not Siva and Sakti - But Sivasakti 209 46 Portrait of Amba 211 47 Ambika's Residence 221 48 In the Kundalini Form 227 49 Whatever Path You Follow 229 50 The Sricakra and its Greatness 233 51 Yantra, Tantra, Capital City: Each without a Separate Name 238 52 The Incomparable Beauty of Amba 240 53 Embodiment of Time 245 54 Bestowing the Gift of Eloquence: Importance of sound in the Sakta System 246 55 Curing Illness 257 56 "Good Snake", "Bad Snake" 264 57 The Importance of Red : The Inner Meaning of "Attraction" 269 58 The "Sahasranamam" and the "Saundaryalahari" 277 59 From "Daso' ham" to "So' ham" 281 60 Three Aratis 291 61 Why Rudra is not Mentioned: Sleep, Death and Turiya Samadhi 293 62 Devotees Who are Advaitins Never Perish 297 63 The Glory of Amba's Chastity 301 64 Amba's Sport - And Isvara and other Deities 303 65 The Sport of Protection and Punishment 307 66 Amba: The Medicine that gives Life to Isa 309 67 Amba's Tatanka 314 68 Why Visnu is Left Out 319 69 The theft Committed by Amba 321 70 Dedicating One's All 330 71 Siva-Sakti : Life-Body 335 72 The Mother who Suckles all: The Sesa-Sesi Concept 339 73 Gist of the Two Stanzas 350 74 Siva and Sakti in the Cakras 352 75 Father and Mother 354 76 Siva and Sakti in Different States 361 77 Candra - Surya-Maulisvari 373 78 The Black that Dispels Darkness 378 79 "Saundaryalahari" 383 80 The Two Half-Moons that Changed Places 398 81 The Eyebrows as Bow - The Eyes as Bowstring 403 82 The Three Eyes: The three Gunas 415 83 Netra and Ksetra 419 84 Amba's Eyes and Poetry 424 85 The Eye: abode of the Nine Rasas 430 86 Minalocana - Hinted At 437 87 "Mother, bathe Me too in Your Grace" 440 88 the Nose-ornament and the Finer Points of Yoga 452 89 The Incomparable Beauty of Amba's Lips 455 90 The Smile that "Sours" Moonlight 457 91 Tambula Prasada 462 92 The Praise that Shames 469 93 Creases in the Throat: the Male White and the Female Red 477 94 Beauty of Hands 485 95 Milk of Jnana 487 96 The Tamil Child 488 97 The Knees of a Pativrata 490 98 The Bhagavatpada and the Bhagavatipada 492 99 The Lotus that Blooms in the Mind-stone 497 100 Surrendering at Amba's Feet 499 101 Even the Lotus is no Match 501 102 Red has its Glory 502 103 The Moon-A Vessel for Perfumes 504 104 The Acarya Cautions Us 505 105 Ambika's Amazing Pativratya 513 106 Chief Queen of the Parabrahman 516 107 Mother Worship and its Rewards 522 108 The Auspicious Conclusion 529 Saundaryalahari: Text in Devanagari and Roman 541 Appendix 582 Glossary 585 Index 593