Bewitching All

स्मितज्योत्स्नाजालं तव वदनचन्द्रस्य पिबतां
चकोराणा-मासी-दतिरसतया चञ्चु-जडिमा ।
अतस्ते शीतांशो-रमृतलहरी माम्लरुचयः
पिबन्ती स्वच्छन्दं निशि निशि भृशं काञ्जि कधिया

smitas jyotsnajalam tava vadana candrasya pibatam
cakoranam asid atirasataya cancu jadima
atas te sitamsor amrta laharim amlarucayah
pibanti svacchandam nisi nisi bhrasam kancika dhiya

Word to Eord Meaning

smitas —  – smile

 jyotsnajalam — – a mass of moonlight

  tava vadana

candrasya — – of the moon of your face pibatam — -drinking

cakoranam — – for the Cakora birds (the Greek partridge by poetic convention feeds on moon beams) asid — – became  atirasataya — – from excessive (sweet)

tastecancu jadima— – dull in the beak

atas te — – therefore they 

sitamsor— of the moon  

amrta laharim— – the wave of nectar 

amlarucayah–  – desiring a sour

tastepibanti — – they drink 

svacchandam– – of their own free will  

nisi nisi— – every night 

bhrasam — – excessively  

kancika dhiya —  – thinking it to be sour gruel

The Gist: The Chakora birds drinking the mass of moonlight of (your) smile, of the moon of your face became dull in the beak, from the excessive (sweet) taste. Desiring sour taste, therefore, they drink of their own free will, excessively every night, the wave of the nectar of the moon, thinking it to be sour gruel.

The only two things he has explained different expressions of eyes. when we look at India’s only two can express one is eye and another one is smile. There are different types of smiles. It’s a thought that comes to mind about how we can understand different sculptures and where a smile is depicted in different ways. Chakora was able to convert the nectar in sweetness. The word Madhura is expressed to sweet. When we feel Madhura it is a feeling,Shankara conveys that one day Chakora miss took her smile as moonlight and instead of moonlight her rays were fallen on them. As it is Madhura, rays Eminating out of Ambal is nectar itself. The moon is always identified with Ambal. If a sadhaka can use all 16 parts of moon and get the experience of worshiping her there is no comparison to the moon because the experience is different bliss.

Shakti Vishtadvaitha says whatever is served to you, it is just a material and as sadhaka should convert into Prasad and it applies everywhere. How do we eat it? will it Prasada or Padartha ? There are 19 mouths mentioned in Mandakyopanishad. Vanishvanara, Tejasa and Pargna. What ever we take in Jagrutha vastha or Swapna vast ha it is a Prasada for us. It is the essence of Srividyopasana. Once he attains that he should consider as Prasada. When ever we are taking from moonlight, Chakora pakshi was directly given nectar from Devi’s lips. When we take it as Prasada we might look from different dimension.

Devi’s smile is very mesmerizing. The sweetness was so excessive. If too much sweetness is eaten, the tongue becomes insensitive. Once the smile of Devi falls on us everything will become tasteless. Devi’s smile should fall on us. The more we receive Devi’s smile, one will develope to receive Devi’s smile more and more. Each and every smile of Devi is unmatched with any experience one may had before. The epitome of Devi is not dull but it is extremely enjoyable and exiting, it does not kill the senses but it will magnify the senses thousand fold.The mundane experience is lost and there is no comparison. Like an ant and elephant are incomparable.A smile immediately connects, not always.People respond to smile when it comes from bottom of heart. It is the same case with Devi, her smile can reach the birds,why not us. If we cannot connect to her smile then our journey is fruitless. When Devi smiles the entire universe smiles. Devi is the creation, so when Devi smiles, creation can smile. If one can meditate on the smile of Devi, her grace is immense and her smile should be felt in our heart. When that meditation stimulates the energy centers like region of mouth above and below the tongue and mind connection is established, extreme sensitivity is generated within an individual enabling one to become great poet, writer, artists, muscisians.

This verse is talking about the smile of Devi. Here there is a reference to Chekora birds. It is believed that Chakora birds live only on moonlight. The birds do not eat anything. The chakora birds are able to generate nectar around moonlight. When these birds see poisoned food their eyes become red. Shankara looks at this verse from a different angle. The smile of Devi is compared to Moonlight. The quality of nectar was much more than the moonlight. This nectar was delicious. The nectar of moonlight becomes like tamarind paste. It refers to Once the union of Shiva-Shakti takes place and the experience is beyond the mind than normal. Once the Indriyas are not controlling the mind, the mind expands. That enjoyment of nectar and bliss is realized, once again it starts with Indriyas and that message. The chakora birds believed that Devi’s smile is the moon. Sadhaka sitting in a secluded place looks within by disconnecting the conciousness from the external world, the indriyas cannot influence the mind. The moment it disconnects the mind expands. When her grace descends the sadhaka enters into a state of bliss. Bliss is not realization. The perfect practice of spiritual practice will result like the above-mentioned lines. It is called a state of Stithapragna.   MahaSwami of Kanchi refers to the 42nd mantra Chandramouleeshwari: Amba‘s crown was adorned by Sun and Moon as she is Chandrashekhari as also Surya shekhari adorned with dwaadasha Surya’s. She is also Gaganamani. The Sun around which earth and planets revolve is one among many, like galaxies. the reference is the Moon: Tava vadanasmarasya from the face of the moon emanates the moonlight. On the face of the moon, there is a spot but on Ambal’s face there is no spot and her teeth are pure white which is revealed by her smile. Her laughter is a bubbling stream of whiteness. Acharya mentions that her smile is like this: Smita jyotsnaa jaalam Tava vadana chandrasya. pibatam chakoraanaam is the poetic expression; atirasatyaa chanchu jadimaa aaseet/ The beaks of chakoraa birds get benumbed and insensitive. Having tasted the gentle smile of Jnanambika‘, the chakora birds become wise and intelligent and since the food is too sweetish then they try to eat sour items to balance the taste and thus turn to aamlaaruchayah or turn to sour taste. During Mahasmhara they all disappear but Ishvara remains. Amba is the embodiment of ambrosia of Conciousness. In his words, it is called Chaitanyamruth which is gross ambrosia which is from the churning of the ocean by divinities and demons. Who took amrita they were Amara but they will not be present after dissolution. Since Ishwara is always with Amba he never perishes. Besides being chaitaanyamrita- the ambrosia of consciousness, She is also the Soundaryamrita as vadana soundaryaalahari. Far more significant is Her Jnaana Soundarya the Goddess of Jnaana; while Chandra is‘ Hima kara‘ as Hitakara‘ controlling the mind, Jnaana Surya or the Sun that dispels darkness and nescience. He did not dwell more on this mantra.  The smile of Ambal gives us nectar and one should experience the nectar from her smile.

 Chanting procedure and Nivedyam( offerings to the Lord): If one chants this verse 30000 times a day for 30 days, offering curd rice honey, fruits, and coconut as prasadam, they are said to create a good impression in others.