Adi Sankaracharya’s Soundarya Lahari

Your form in my mind,
Is the colour of red of the rising sun,
Is adorned with three eyes,
Has two heavy busts,
Is slightly bent,
And wears a crown with the crescent moon,
And hence arises a doubt in me,
That you were not satisfied ,
By half the body of Shambu that he gave,
And occupied all his body.

24
(Management of fear of Bhoothas, Prethas and Pishachas)
Jagat suthe dhata harir avati rudrah kshapayate
Tiraskurvan etat svam api vapurisastirayati;
Sada-purvah sarvam tad idamanugrhnati cha Shiva-  

Brahma creates the world,
Vishnu looks after it,
Shiva destroys it,
Easwara makes them disappear,
And also disappears himself,
And Sadshiva blesses them all,
By your order given to him,
By a momentary move of your eyebrows.

25
(Getting higher posts and power)
Trayanam devanam thri-guna-janitanam tava Sive
Bhavet puja puja tava charanayor ya virachita;
Tatha hi tvat-pado’dvahana-mani-pithasya nikate
Sthita hy’ete sasvan mukulita-karottamsa-makuta

Consort of Shiva,
The worship done at the base of your feet,
Is the worship done to the holy Trinity,
Born based on your trine properties .
This is so true, oh mother,
Because don’t the trinity,
Always stand with folded hands,
Kept on their crown
Near the jeweled plank,
Which carries thine feet.

26
(Destruction of enemies)
Virincih panchatvam vrajati harir apnoti virathim
Vinasam kinaso bhajati dhanado yati nighanam;
Vitandri mahendri vithathir api sammeelita-drsa
Maha-samhare smin viharati sati tvat-patirasau.

The creator reaches the dissolution,
The Vishnu attains death,
The god of death even dies,
Kubera the lord of wealth expires,
The Indras close their eyes one after one,
And attain the wake less sleep,
During the final deluge,
But you my chaste mother,
Play with your consort the Sadashiva

27
(Realisation of self and ultimate truth)
Japo jalpah shilpam sakalam api mudra-virachana
Gatih pradaksinya-kramanam asanady’ahuti-vidhih;
Pranamah samvesah sukham akilam atmarpana-drsa
Saparya-paryayas tava bhavatu yan me vilasitam.

Let the mutterings that I do,
With the sacrifice in my soul.
Become chanting of your name,
Let all my movements become thine Mudhras,
Let my travel become perambulations around thee,
Let the act of eating and drinking become fire sacrifice to thee,
Let my act of sleeping becomes salutations to you ,
And let all actions of pleasure of mine,
Become parts of thine worship.

28
(Fear of poison, Untimely death)
Sudham apy asvadya pratibhaya-jaraa-mrtyu-harinim
Vipadyante visve Vidhi-Satamakhadya divishadah;
Karalam yat ksvelam kabalitavatah kaala-kalana
Na Sambhos tan-mulam tava janani tadanka-mahima.

Oh, mother mine,
Gods like Indra and brahma,
Who have drunk deep the nectar divine,
Which removes the cruel aging and death,
Do die and disappear.
But Shambu thy consort,
Who swallowed poison that is potent,
Does never die,
Because of the greatness ,
Of thine ear studs.

29
(Avoiding of abortions, Taming bad people)
Kiritam vairincham parihara purah kaitabha bhidah
Katore kotire skalasi jahi jambhari-makutam;
Pranamreshwateshu prasabha mupayatasya bhavanam
Bhavasy’abhyutthane tava parijanoktir vijayate.

Yours escorts divine,
Shout with concern at thee.
“Avoid the crown of Brahma,
You may hit your feet,
At the hard crown of Vishnu,
Who killed the ogre Kaidaba,
Avoid the crown of Indra”,
When you get up and rush in a hurry,
To receive thine lord who comes to your place.

30
(Entering to another body)
Sva-deh’odbhutabhir ghrnibhir animadyabhir abhito
Nishevye nitye tvamahamiti sada bhavayati yah;
Kim-ascharyam tasya tri-nayana-samrddhim trinayato
Maha-samvartagnir virchayati nirajana-vidhim.

It is not surprising to know, Oh mother,
Who does not have birth and death,
And who is most suitable to be served,
That the destroying fire of the deluge,
Shows prayerful harathi to the one.
Who considers you,
(Who is of the form of rays,
And is surrounded on all four sides,
By the angels of power called Anima,)
As his soul always,
And who considers the wealth of the three eyed God,
As worthless and as equal to dried grass.