Ananda Lahari

[This extremely poetic and devotional work of Adi Shankara is not as popular as his two other great works viz Soundarya Lahari and Shivananda Lahari.]

Bhavani sthothum thwam prabhavathi chatur binna vadanai,
Prajaanaa meesana tripuramadhana pancha bhirapi,
Na shadibhar senaaneer dasa satha mukhai rapyahipathi,
Sthadanyesham kesham kadhaya kadamasminnavasara. 1

Oh Goddess Bhavani, Lord Brahma is not able to sing your praise by his four heads,
Lord Shiva who destroyed the three cities is not able to do it with his five faces,
Nor Lord Subrahmanya with his six faces and Lord Vishnu with his thousand faces,
Are able to do it and then how will others get a chance to do it adequately?

Grutha ksheera draksha madhu madhrima kairapi padai,
Visishyana aakhyayo bhavathi rasana mathra vishaya,
Thadha they soundaryam paramshivadrung mathra vishaya,
Kadam karam brooma sakala nigama gochara gune. 2

Like words cannot describe the pleasant taste of ghee, milk, raisins and honey,
Whose sweet taste can only be enjoyed by the tongue,
Oh Goddess, how can we the ordinary people describe your beauty?
Which can only be seen by the great God Shiva.

Mukhe may thamboolam nayana yugale kajjala kala,
Lalate kashmeeram, vilasathi gale moukthilatha,
Sphuarath kanchee satee. Prathu kati thate hataka mayee,
Bhajami sthwam gowreem nagapathee kisorimavrutham. 3

Hey goddess Gowri, I salute and sing about you always,
With redness of Thamboola in your mouth,
With black coloured eyes due to black collyrium,
With forehead shining due to the red dot from the Kashmir,
With sparkling chain in your neck and adorned with shining silk from Kanchi,
Which is tied by the golden belt on to your waist.

Virajan mandhara druma kusuma hara sthana thatee,
Nadadweena nada sravana vilasad kundala guna,
Nathangee Mathangi ruchira gathi bhangi bhagawathi,
Sathee sambho rambhoruha chatula chakshur vidhyathe. 4

Victory to Sathi, the wife of Lord Shiva, who has lotus like eyes,
Who shines with the garland of flowers of the Kalpaka tree over her breasts,
Who wears ear globes shining due to hearing the pleasant sound from Veena,
And who is pretty and has a pretty walk of the majestic she elephant,

Naveenarka brajan mani kanaka bhoosha pari karair,
Vruthangi sarangi ruchira nayanangi krutha siva,
Thadith peetha peethambhara lalitha manjeera subhaga,
Mama parna poorna niravadhi sumukhairasthu sumukhi. 5

She whose body is covered by golden and gem studded ornaments
Shining like an infant sun and she, who has conquered Lord Shiva,
By her very pretty eyes, and whose shining anklets are covered,
By the yellow silk she wears and who with her several faces
May please appear before me with her very kind and pretty face.

Himadhdre sambhootha sulalitha karai pallava yutha,
Supushpa mukthabhir bramara kalitha chalaka bharair,
Krutha sthanu sthana kucha phalanatha sookthi sarasa,
Rujaam hanthri ganthri vilasathi chidananda lathika.. 6

Those two hands as soft as buds born in the Himalayas.
Wearing gems and flowers and having soft tender hairs,
Encircling Lord Shiva with the juicy fruit like breasts,
Is moving away my sorrows and appears like
The tender climbing plant bringing eternal happiness.

Saparnam akeernam kathi paya gunai sadara miha,
Srayanth anye valleem mama thu mathirevam vilasathi,
Aparnai ka sevyaa jagathi sakalair yath parivrutha,
Purane api sthanu phalathi kila kaivalya padaveem. 7

Many people with several qualities are depending
On climbing plants with leaves, but in my mind,
I feel that only climbing plant, which should be served,
Is you without any leaves,* for encircled by that plant,
The stable and ancient one** is able to lead us to salvation.
* Parvathi is described as climbing plant of eternal happiness and is called Aparna - plant without leaves.
** Shiva gets this power because of association with Shakthi.

Vidathree dharmaanam thwamasi sakala mnaya janani,
Thwa marthanam moolam dhana dhhana maneeyamgri kamale.
Thwamadhi kamaanam janani krutha kandarpa vijaye,
Sathaam mukther bheejam thwamasi hi parabrahma mahishi. 8

You are the creator of Dharma and the mother of all Vedas,
You are the root of all wealth and is being worshipped by Kubhera,
You are the mother of primeval desire, Oh goddess who won over God of love,
Oh Goddess who is the queen of the Lord Shiva, you are also the seed for devotion.

Prabhudha bhakthisthe yadapi na mama lola manasa,
Thwaya thu sreemathya sadaya mavalokhya madhuna,
Payodha paaneeyam disathi madhuram chathaka mukhe,
Brusam sankhe kairva vidhibhira anu neetha mama mathi. 9

Though I being fickle minded and do not have devotion to you,
You who are full of riches, should see me only with mercy,
For the clouds pour the sweet water in to the throat of chataka,*
And I think that my brain is being lead like this by you.
* A mythical bird with a hole in its neck and can only drink rain water.

Krupa pangam lokam vithara tharasa sadhu charithe,
Na they yuktha apeksha mayee sarana deeksha mupagathe.
Na chedishtam dadhya dhanupada maho kalpa lathika,
Visesha saamaanyai kadhamithara vallee parikarai. 10

Hey Glorious goddess, please look at me with mercy,
For if you disregard me, who has come to you with a feeling,
That you are my only solace, for it would not be proper,
For a wish giving plant not o fulfill one’s wishes always,
As then there would not be any difference between it and other plants.

Mahantham viswasam thava charana pangeruha yuge,
Nidhaya anyannai vasritha miha maya daivatham ume,
Thadapi thwachetha yadhi mayi na jayathe sadayam,
Niralambo lamodara janani kam yaami saranam. 11

With great faith I have come in search of your lotus like feet,
And I have not depended on any other God except you goddess,
In spite of that if you do not show mercy on me,
I would become helpless and without support, Oh mother of Ganesa.

Aya sparse lagnam sapadhi lapadhe hema padhavim,
Yadha aradhya padha suchi bhavathi Gangouga militham,
Thadha thath papai rathi malinamandharmama yadhi,
Thwayi premna saktham kadhamivana jayathe vimalam. 12

Like the iron becoming gold by the touch of the lucky,
Like the water from the sewerage becoming pure by mixing with Ganga,
Though my mind is dirty and turbid by various sins,
Because it has merged with you by my devotion, it would surely become pure.

Thwad anya smadhi icha vishaya phala labhena niyatha,
Stwa marthanam ichchadhikam aapi samartha vitharane,
Ithi prahu prancha kamala bhavana dhyasthwayi mana,
Thada asaktham naktham dina muchitha meesani kuru thath. 13

It is seen that serving gods other than you, will lead to fulfillment of desires,
But you are only capable of blessing with much more than what is desired,
Thus tell the gods of ancient yore and so because my heart beats for you,
Day and night, oh Goddess, do whatever you think is right for me.

Sphuran nana rathna sphatika maya bithi prathiphala,
Thwad adhikaram chanchanjasa vilasougha sigharam,
Mukunda brahmendra prabhruthi parivaram vijayathe,
Thava agaram ramyam thribhuvana maharaja grahini. 14

Hey Goddess, who is the consort of the emperor of three worlds,
Your pretty home has walls made of gems and crystals and reflects your form,
And it has a glowing spire which reflects the image of the moving moon,
And it is populated by Brahma, Vishnu, Indra and others.

Nivasa Kailase, vidhi satha makhadhya sthuthikara,
Kutumbham trilokyam, krutha karaputa sidh nikara,
Mahesa praanesa sthadhava nidaradheesa thanaye,
Na they saubhagyasya kwachidhapi managasthi thulana. 15

Oh daughter of the great Himalaya Mountains, You live in Kailasa,
Lord Brahma and Indra are engaged for singing your fame,
Your family is all the three worlds; all occult powers are saluting you,
And you are the wife of Lord Shiva, Is there any comparison to your luck?

Vrusho vrudho yanam vishama sana masaa nivasanam,
Smasanam kreeda bhoor bhujaga nivaho bhooshana nidhi,
Samagra samagree jagathi vidhithaiva smara ripor,
Yadhe thasya aiswaryam thava janani soubhagya mahima. 16

Hey goddess, all people are of the view that,
He rides on an old bull, drinks poison,
Wears the directions, plays in the cremation ground,
And Wears snakes as ornaments but it is due to your luck,
That he is gifted with all the wealth of the world.

Asesha brahmanda pralaya vidhi naisargika mathi,
Smasane shaseena kruth abhasitha lepa pasupathi,
Dhadhou kante halahala makhila bhoogola krupaya,
Bhavathya sangathya phalamithi cha kalyani kalaye. 17

The lord of all beings, having by nature, inclination to destroy the universe,
Sitting in the cremation ground and applying ash all over his body,
Mercifully swallowed the poison called Halahala for saving the world,
Oh Goddess, who does good, possibly due to his moving with you.

Thwadeeyam soundaryam nirathisa yamalokya paraya,
Hriyai vasseed ganga jala maya thanu shaila thanaye,
Thade thasyaa asthamya thwadhana kamalam veekshya krupaya,
Prathishta mathen nija sisrasi vasena girisa. 18

Seeing your universally incomparable prettiness,
Oh daughter of the mountain, Ganga took the form of water,
And taking mercy for her jaded and disappointed face,
The Lord of the mountains fixed her permanently on his head.

Vishala sreeganda dhrava mruga adhikeerna gusruna,
Prasoona vyamishram bhagawathi thava abhyanga salilam,
Samadhaya srushta chalitha pada pamsoon nijakarai,
Samadathe srusthim vibudha pangeruha drusham. 19

Taking the saffron mixed with sandal and musk,
Along with the water of your oil bath, Oh Goddess,
The creator mixes it with the dust you feet created while walking,
And has created with it the prettiest women of heavens.

Vasanthe sanande kusimitha lathabhi parivruthe,
Spuran nana padme, sarasi kala hamasali subhage,
Sakheebhi khelantheem Malaya pavana mantholitha jale,
Smaredhya sthwam thasya jwara janitha peedapa sarathi. 20

He who remembers you as the one, who plays in the pond,
Which has several entwined lotus plants, which are
Full of flowers in the spring because of their happiness,
Which shine because of its swans and which has,
Moving waters due to wind laden with sandalwood,
Along with your several friends, will never suffer from,
The several illnesses caused by fever.