Short messages from Sringeri Jagadgurus:
सम्म्रान्तायाः शिवायाः पतिविलयभिया सर्वलोकोपतापात्-
संविग्नस्यापि विष्णोः सरभसमुभयोर्वारणप्रेरणाभ्याम् ।
मध्ये त्रैशङ्कवीयामनुभवति दशां यत्र हालाहलोष्मा
सोऽयं सर्वापदां नः शमयतु निचयं नीलकण्ठस्य कण्ठः ॥२५॥
(a rough translation)
सम्भ्रान्तायाः शिवायाः पतिविलयभिया सर्वलोकोपतापात्
संविग्नस्यापि विष्णोः सरभसमुभयोर्वारणप्रेरणाभ्याम्।
मध्ये त्रैशड्०कवीयामनुभवति दशां यत्र हालाहलोष्मा
सोयं सर्वापदां नः शमयतु निचयं नीलकण्ठस्य कण्ठः।।
As per the Puranas, Shri Paarvati resides in half portion of Shiva’s body. While, in certain other context, the Puraanas say that Shri Vishnu resides in the half portion of Shiva’s body. Thus, Parvati resided in one half of Shiv’s body while Vishnu resides in the other half. Considering this, Shri Shankara comes up with a beautiful poetic imagination.
The moment Shiva partook the poison, both Parvati and Vishnu were afraid for different reasons. Parvati feared that if the poison enters her husband’s stomach, it may cause him harm. A naarimani, a pativrata never wishes to see her husband in trouble, she always desires for his well-being. A pativrata’s mind abides by this principle. Shri Shankara superimposes this mind set of a Bhaaratiya Naarimani on Parvati. Thus, wishing that no harm must come to her husband, she is commanding the poison to move out from Shiva’s throat.
Vishnu, on the other hand, doesn’t have this fear. It is known to him that Shiva wont be harmed even if the poison is swallowed by him. However, he is afraid that if the poison comes out of Shiva’s mouth , the whole world will be turned into ashes. Thus, contrary to Parvati’s command, Vishnu is commanding the poison to descend down into Shiva’s stomach. Thus, says Shankara, the poison, unable to come out of Shiva’s mouth or descend down into his stomach, stays in his throat only! Such is the Kalpana Shakti of Shankara which exceeds the kalpana shakti of great poests like Kalidasa, Shri Harsha, Magha, Bhavabhuti and others. Pithy verses such as this, can be found abundantly in Shankara’s poetic literature.
In this unique Upanyasam, Sringeri Jagadguru illustrates the Kavita and Kalpana Shakti (Poetic Genius) of Bhagavadpada Adi Shankaracharya with a quotation from Shiva Keshadi Padanta Stotram:
सम्म्रान्तायाः शिवायाः पतिविलयभिया सर्वलोकोपतापात्-
संविग्नस्यापि विष्णोः सरभसमुभयोर्वारणप्रेरणाभ्याम् ।
मध्ये त्रैशङ्कवीयामनुभवति दशां यत्र हालाहलोष्मा
सोऽयं सर्वापदां नः शमयतु निचयं नीलकण्ठस्य कण्ठः ॥२५॥
(a rough translation)
"Shri Shankara’s kavita shakti is simply indescribable. His stotraas like ‘Shivaananda lahari’, ‘Soundarya lahari’ and many others, are not mere descriptions, but are ingrained with amazing poetic imagination. A poet is extremely skilled in ascribing amazing imaginations to even small things. This Kalpana Shakti was abundantly present in Shri Shankara.
One such instance of Shri Shankara’s poetic skill can be found in his ‘Shiva Keshaadi Paadaanta Stotra’. Shiva is called Neelakantha. The poison taken by him, neither comes outside his mouth nor descends down to his stomach but rests in his throat only. Shankara ascribes a beautiful poetic imagination to this. Shri Shankara says:
One such instance of Shri Shankara’s poetic skill can be found in his ‘Shiva Keshaadi Paadaanta Stotra’. Shiva is called Neelakantha. The poison taken by him, neither comes outside his mouth nor descends down to his stomach but rests in his throat only. Shankara ascribes a beautiful poetic imagination to this. Shri Shankara says:
सम्भ्रान्तायाः शिवायाः पतिविलयभिया सर्वलोकोपतापात्
संविग्नस्यापि विष्णोः सरभसमुभयोर्वारणप्रेरणाभ्याम्।
मध्ये त्रैशड्०कवीयामनुभवति दशां यत्र हालाहलोष्मा
सोयं सर्वापदां नः शमयतु निचयं नीलकण्ठस्य कण्ठः।।
As per the Puranas, Shri Paarvati resides in half portion of Shiva’s body. While, in certain other context, the Puraanas say that Shri Vishnu resides in the half portion of Shiva’s body. Thus, Parvati resided in one half of Shiv’s body while Vishnu resides in the other half. Considering this, Shri Shankara comes up with a beautiful poetic imagination.
The moment Shiva partook the poison, both Parvati and Vishnu were afraid for different reasons. Parvati feared that if the poison enters her husband’s stomach, it may cause him harm. A naarimani, a pativrata never wishes to see her husband in trouble, she always desires for his well-being. A pativrata’s mind abides by this principle. Shri Shankara superimposes this mind set of a Bhaaratiya Naarimani on Parvati. Thus, wishing that no harm must come to her husband, she is commanding the poison to move out from Shiva’s throat.
Vishnu, on the other hand, doesn’t have this fear. It is known to him that Shiva wont be harmed even if the poison is swallowed by him. However, he is afraid that if the poison comes out of Shiva’s mouth , the whole world will be turned into ashes. Thus, contrary to Parvati’s command, Vishnu is commanding the poison to descend down into Shiva’s stomach. Thus, says Shankara, the poison, unable to come out of Shiva’s mouth or descend down into his stomach, stays in his throat only! Such is the Kalpana Shakti of Shankara which exceeds the kalpana shakti of great poests like Kalidasa, Shri Harsha, Magha, Bhavabhuti and others. Pithy verses such as this, can be found abundantly in Shankara’s poetic literature.
This verse is from Shankara’s ‘Shiva-Keshadi-Padanta stotra’. Shri Shankara has also composed ‘Vishnu Keshadi Padanta stotra’. Thus, he never perceived any difference between Shiva and Keshava. For this reason, Shri Sacchidananda Shivabhinava Nrushima Bharati Mahaswamiji, in one of his stotras on Shankaracharya, describes Shri Shankara in the following manner:
विष्ण्वीशभेद-मतिवारण-पंचवक्त्र
( Sri Shankaracharya Padavalamba Stavah , 33rd verse)
Shri Shankara is a lion which slays the shiva-vishnu-bheda-buddhi personified elephant.
Shri Shankara had remarkable poetic skills. Such an enriched literature is not to be found anywhere else."
Video: https://youtu.be/0pAGzGo8nfc
Translation by Sri Nataraj Maneshinde
Copyright: Dakshinamnaya Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri
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