Ponderings

Talk and meditation on Shivananda Lahiri Verse 01kalā bhyā ṁ  cūḍālaṅkṛta-śaśi-kalā bhyāṁ nija-tapaḥ -phalābhyāṁbhakteṣu prakaṭita-phalābhyāṁbhavatu me ।śivābhyām astoka-tribhuvana-śivā bhyāṁ hṛdi punar-bhavābhyām ānanda-sphurad-anubhavābhyāṁ natiriyam ॥Simple Meaning“My salutations are always to that divine couple —Śiva and Śivā —• who are adorned with the crescent moon,• who are themselves the fruit of their ownausterities,• who openly bestow the fruits of devotion upontheir devotees,• who are the very source of auspiciousness for thethree worlds,• who are born again and again in the devotee’sheart,• and whose experience shines forth as pure bliss.”

Talk and meditation on Shivananda Lahiri Verse 43mā gaccha tvam itas-tato giriśa bho! mayyeva vāsaṃ kurusvāminn ādikirāta māmaka-manaḥ-kāntāra-sīmāntare ।vartante bahuśo mṛgā mada-juṣo mātsarya-mohādayaḥtān hatvā mṛgayā-vinoda-rucita-lābhaṃ ca samprāpsyasi ॥Simple Meaning“O Lord Girīśa (Śiva)! Do not wander here and there — dwell within me alone. O Primordial Hunter (Ādi-Kirāta), in the dense forest of my heart dwell many wild beasts — pride, envy, delusion, and the like. If You, as the hunter, slay them, You willobtain the true joy and reward of the hunt."

Talk and meditation on Shivananda Lahiri Verse 29tvat-pādāmbujam arcayāmi paramam tvāṁ cintayāmi anvahaṁtvāṁ īśaṁ śaraṇaṁ vrajāmi vacasā tvām eva yāce vibhovikṣāṁ me diśa cākṣuṣīṁ sakaruṇāṃ divyaiściraṁ prārthitāṁsaṃbho lōka-guro madīya-mānasaḥ saukhyōpādēśaṁ kuru“O Lord Sambhu (Śiva), I worship Your divine lotus feet. I meditate on You constantly, I surrender to You alone. By my words I plead to You, O  Lord, to bestow upon me, that merciful glance of Thy looks, so eagerly awaited by the Divinities and impart to my mind the instruction that confers Bliss.”

Talk and meditation on Shivananda Lahiri Verse 13asāre saṁsāre nija-bhajana-dūre jaḍa-dhiyābhramantaṁ mām andhaṁ parama-kṛpayā pātum ucitam ।madan-yaḥ ko dīna-stava kṛpaṇa-rakṣāti-nipuṇaḥtvad-anyaḥ ko vā me trijagati śaraṇyaḥ paśupate ॥ 13 ॥“O Paśupati (Lord Śiva)! In this insubstantial, rootless world, with my dull intellect I have wandered, blind and far away from devotion to You. It is fitting that, out of Your supreme compassion, You protect me. Where is the person more miserable than I?  Who other than You is skilled in protecting the poor, the distressed and helpless? In all the three worlds, who else but You can be my refuge?”

Talk and meditation on Kashika Stotram Verse 5kāśī-kṣetraṃ śarīraṃ tri-bhuvana-jananī vyāpinī jñāna-gaṅgābhaktiḥ śraddhā gaye’yaṃ nija-guru-caraṇa-dhyāna-yogaḥ prayāgaḥ |viśveśo’yaṃ turīyaḥ sakala-jana-manaḥ-sākṣibhūto’ntarātmādehe sarvaṃ madīye yadi vasati punas tīrtham anyat kim asti || 5 ||This body is the sacred field of Kāśī; the all-pervading stream of knowledge is the Gaṅgā, the Mother of the three worlds. Devotion and faith are the holy place of Gaya; the yoga of meditation on the feet of one’s Guru is the Prayāga. The Lord ofthe Universe is the Fourth (Turīya) state — the Inner Self, the Witness of the minds of all beings. If all these dwell within my own body, what other place of pilgrimage can there be?

Talk and meditation on Kashika Stotram Verse 4kā śyā ṃ hi kā śyate kā śı̄kā śı̄ sarva-prakā śikā |sā kā śı̄ viditā yenatena prā ptā hi kā śikā || 4 ||In Kāśī, indeed, shines the Effulgent Kāśī (the Self) who is the one that brings everything in the universe to light! He who has known that Kāśī has indeed attained Kāśī — that is, attained salvation.

Talk and meditation on Kashika Stotram Verse 3koṣeṣu pañcasv adhirājamānābuddhir bhavānī prati deha-geham |sākṣī śivaḥ sarvagato’ntarātmāsā kāśikāhaṃ nija-bodha-rūpā || 3 ||Whose sovereignty extends over the five sheaths (kośas), where the intellect (buddhi) is Bhavānī, residing in every bodily abode, and where the all-pervading Inner Self — the Witness — is Śiva. I am that Kāśikā, of the form of Pure Consciousness, the Self.

Talk and meditation on Kashika Stotram Verse 2yasyām idaṃ kalpitam indra-jālaṃcarācaraṃ bhāti mano-vilāsam |sat-cit-sukhaikā paramātma-rūpāsā kāśikāhaṃ nija-bodha-rūpā || 2 ||That Paramātma — the one Reality of Existence, Knowledge, and Bliss — upon which is superimposed this magic illusion (of creation), and in which the universe of moving and unmoving objects appears as the playful creation of the mind — Iam that Kāśikā, of the form of Pure Consciousness, the Self.

Talk and meditation on Kashika Stotram Verse 1 manojña-vṛttiḥ paramopaśāntiḥsā tīrthavaryā maṇikarṇikā ca |jñāna-pravāhā vimalādi-gaṅgāsā kāśikāhaṃ nija-bodha-rūpā || 1 ||This opening verse distills the essence of inner pilgrimage to Kashi, from an Advaitic viewpoint:• मनोज्ञवृत्तिः परमोपशान्तिः — When the mind’s activities (vṛtti) become serene, attractive (manojña), and ultimately stilled in supreme peace (parama-upaśānti), one experiences the true sanctity.• सा तीर्थवर्या मणिकर्णिका च — That inner stillness is the greatest of holy places (tīrtha-varyā), the Manikarnika within. In Vārāṇasī, Manikarnika is the cremation ghat where liberation is promised. In the yogic sense, it is the place within where the ego and ignorance are cremated.• ज्ञानप्रवाहा विमलादिगङ्गा — The ever-flowing current of pure knowledge (jñāna-pravāha) is the spotless, Primeval Gaṅgā (vimalādi-gaṅgā). This is not the physical river, but the unbroken awareness of the Self.• सा काशिकाहं निजबोधरूपा — That Kāśikā, the city of inner light, i

Talk and Meditation on Kashi Vishwanatha Ashtakam Verse 8Rāgādi-doṣa-rahitaṁ svajanānurāgamvairāgya-śānti-nilayaṁ Girijā-sahāyam ।Mādhurya-dhairya-subhagaṁ garalābhirāmaṁVārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham ॥ 8 ॥MeaningWorship Śrī Viśvanātha, the Lord of Vārāṇasī,• who is free from faults like attachment and hatred,• who is full of love for His devotees,• the abode of renunciation and peace,• the companion of Girijā (Pārvatī),• who is endowed with sweetness and patience,• and who looks beautiful with His throat marked by the poison.vāraṇasī-pura-pateḥ stavanaṃ śivasyavyākhyātaṁ aṣṭakam idaṁ paṭhate manuṣyaḥvidyāṁ śriyāṁ vipulasaukhyam anantakīrtiṁsaṁprāpya dehavilaye labhate ca mokṣamMeaning• Whoever recites the expounded Aṣṭakam in praise of Śiva, the Lord of Vārāṇasī(Kāśī),• Attains vidyā (knowledge), śrī (wealth/prosperity), vipula-saukhyam (abundanthappiness), and ananta-kīrti(everlasting fame).• Upon the dissolution of the body, such a devotee also attains mokṣa (liberation)

Talk and Meditation on Kashi Vishwanatha Ashtakam Verse 7A" śā ṁ vihāya parihṛtya parasya nindā ṁpā pe ratiṁ ca sunivā rya manaḥ samā dhau ।A" dāya hṛt-kamala-madhya-gataṁ pareśaṁVā rā ṇ ası̄-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanā tham ॥ 7 ॥MeaningWorship Śrī Viśvanātha, the Lord of Vārāṇasī:• having renounced all desires,• having given up reviling others,• having restrained the mind from delighting in sin,• fixing the mind steadily in samādhi,• meditating on the Supreme Lord seated in the lotus of one’s own heart.Please support this podcast by pressing the follow button and support Chinmaya Mission Mumbai projects taken up by Swami Swatmananda, through generous donations. Contribution by Indians in INR can be made online using this link: https://bit.ly/gdswatmanDonors outside India who would like to offer any Gurudakshina/donation can send an email to enquiry@chinmayamissionmumbai.com with a cc to sswatmananda@gmail.com to get further details.These podcasts @ChinmayaShivam are also available on Spotify, Apple iTunes, Appl

Talk and Meditation on Kashi Vishwanatha Ashtakam Verse 6Tejomayaṁ saguṇa-nirguṇamadvitīyamānanda-kandam aparājitamaprameyam ।Nāgātmakaṁ sakala-niṣkalam ātma-rūpaṁVārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham ॥ 6 ॥MeaningWorship Śrī Viśvanātha, the Lord of Vārāṇasī,• who is effulgence itself,• both with attributes (saguṇa) and without attributes (nirguṇa),• the One without a second (advitīya),• the root-source of bliss (ānanda-kanda),• the unconquerable one (aparājita),• the immeasurable one (aprameya),• serpent-adorned (nāgātmaka),• both with form (sakala) and formless (niṣkala),• and who is the very Self (ātma-rūpa).Please support this podcast by pressing the follow button and support Chinmaya Mission Mumbai projects taken up by Swami Swatmananda, through generous donations. Contribution by Indians in INR can be made online using this link: https://bit.ly/gdswatmanDonors outside India who would like to offer any Gurudakshina/donation can send an email to enquiry@chinmayamissionmumbai.com with a cc to sswatmananda@g

Talk and Meditation on Kashi Vishwanatha Ashtakam Verse 5Pañcānanaṁ durita-matta-mataṅgajānāmnāgāntakaṁ danuja-puṅgava-pannagānām ।dāvānalaṁ maraṇa-śoka-jarāṭavīnāmVārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham ॥ 5 ॥MeaningWorship Śrī Viśvanātha, the Lord of Vārāṇasī,• the Five-faced One,• the lion that destroys the mad elephant of sin,• the Garuḍa that overpowers the serpents of the powerful demons,• and the forest-fire that reduces to ashes the jungle of birth, death and old age.Please support this podcast by pressing the follow button and support Chinmaya Mission Mumbai projects taken up by Swami Swatmananda, through generous donations. Contribution by Indians in INR can be made online using this link: https://bit.ly/gdswatmanDonors outside India who would like to offer any Gurudakshina/donation can send an email to enquiry@chinmayamissionmumbai.com with a cc to sswatmananda@gmail.com to get further details.These podcasts @ChinmayaShivam are also available on Spotify, Apple iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Podomatic, Amazon

Talk and Meditation on Kashi Vishwanatha Ashtakam Verse 4Śītāṁśu-śobhita-kirīṭa-virājamānaṁbhālekṣaṇānala-viśoṣita-pañca-bāṇam ।Nāgādhipāracita-bhāsura-karṇa-pūraṁVārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham ॥ 4 ॥MeaningWorship Śrī Viśvanātha, the Lord of Vārāṇasī,• adorned with a crown beautified by the cool moon,• who burnt the five-arrowed Kāma (Cupid) to ashes with the fire from His third eye,• and whose ears shine with ear-ornaments fashioned by Śeṣa, the king of serpents.Please support this podcast by pressing the follow button and support Chinmaya Mission Mumbai projects taken up by Swami Swatmananda, through generous donations. Contribution by Indians in INR can be made online using this link: https://bit.ly/gdswatmanDonors outside India who would like to offer any Gurudakshina/donation can send an email to enquiry@chinmayamissionmumbai.com with a cc to sswatmananda@gmail.com to get further details.These podcasts @ChinmayaShivam are also available on Spotify, Apple iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Podomatic, Amazon m

Talk and Meditation on Kashi Vishwanatha Ashtakam Verse 3Bhūtādhipaṁ bhujaga-bhūṣaṇa-bhūṣitāṅgaṁvyāghrājināmbara-dharaṁ jaṭilaṁ trinetram ।pāśāṅkuśābhaya-vara-prada-śūla-pāṇiṁVārāṇasī-pura-patiṁ bhaja Viśvanātham ॥ 3 ॥MeaningWorship Śrī Viśvanātha, the Lord of Vārāṇasī,• the Lord of the bhūtas (beings, elements, spirits),• whose body is adorned with serpents as ornaments,• who wears a tiger-skin,• who has matted locks,• who is three-eyed,• who holds the noose and the goad,• who grants fearlessness and boons with two hands,• and who wields the trident.Please support this podcast by pressing the follow button and support Chinmaya Mission Mumbai projects taken up by Swami Swatmananda, through generous donations. Contribution by Indians in INR can be made online using this link: https://bit.ly/gdswatmanDonors outside India who would like to offer any Gurudakshina/donation can send an email to enquiry@chinmayamissionmumbai.com with a cc to sswatmananda@gmail.com to get further details.These podcasts @ChinmayaShiva

Made with Restream. Livestream on 30+ platforms at once via https://restream.ioTalk and Meditation on Kashi Vishwanatha Ashtakam Verse 2Please support this podcast by pressing the follow button and support Chinmaya Mission Mumbai projects taken up by Swami Swatmananda, through generous donations. Contribution by Indians in INR can be made online using this link: https://bit.ly/gdswatmanDonors outside India who would like to offer any Gurudakshina/donation can send an email to enquiry@chinmayamissionmumbai.com with a cc to sswatmananda@gmail.com to get further details.These podcasts @ChinmayaShivam are also available on Spotify, Apple iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Podomatic, Amazon music and Google PodcastFB page: https://www.facebook.com/ChinmayaShivampageInsta: https://instagram.com/chinmayashivam?igshid=1twbki0v3vomtTwitter: https://twitter.com/chinmayashivamBlog: https://notesnmusings.blogspot.comLinkedIN: www.linkedin.com/in/swatmananda

Talk and Meditation on Kashi Vishwanatha Ashtakam Verse 1Please support this podcast by pressing the follow button and support Chinmaya Mission Mumbai projects taken up by Swami Swatmananda, through generous donations. Contribution by Indians in INR can be made online using this link: https://bit.ly/gdswatmanDonors outside India who would like to offer any Gurudakshina/donation can send an email to enquiry@chinmayamissionmumbai.com with a cc to sswatmananda@gmail.com to get further details.These podcasts @ChinmayaShivam are also available on Spotify, Apple iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Podomatic, Amazon music and Google PodcastFB page: https://www.facebook.com/ChinmayaShivampageInsta: https://instagram.com/chinmayashivam?igshid=1twbki0v3vomtTwitter: https://twitter.com/chinmayashivamBlog: https://notesnmusings.blogspot.comLinkedIN: www.linkedin.com/in/swatmananda

Meditation on Ardhanarishwara stotram verse 8Please support this podcast by pressing the follow button and support Chinmaya Mission Mumbai projects taken up by Swami Swatmananda, through generous donations. Contribution by Indians in INR can be made online using this link: https://bit.ly/gdswatmanDonors outside India who would like to offer any Gurudakshina/donation can send an email to enquiry@chinmayamissionmumbai.com with a cc to sswatmananda@gmail.com to get further details.These podcasts @ChinmayaShivam are also available on Spotify, Apple iTunes, Apple Podcasts, Podomatic, Amazon music and Google PodcastFB page: https://www.facebook.com/ChinmayaShivampageInsta: https://instagram.com/chinmayashivam?igshid=1twbki0v3vomtTwitter: https://twitter.com/chinmayashivamBlog: https://notesnmusings.blogspot.comLinkedIN: www.linkedin.com/in/swatmananda

Meditation on Ardhanarishwara stotram verse 7

Meditation on Ardhanarishwara stotram verse 6