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Gauri Dashakam

गौरी दशकम्

Gaurī Daśakam

All 10 verses

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Verse 1

लीलालब्धस्थापितलुप्ताखिललोकां लोकातीतैर्योगिभिरन्तश्चिरमृग्याम् । बालादित्यश्रेणिसमानद्युतिपुञ्जां गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥१॥

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Word breakdown

लीलालब्धस्थापितलुप्ताखिललोकां
Who by sport obtains, establishes, and dissolves all worlds.
लोकातीतैर्योगिभिरन्तश्चिरमृग्याम् ।
Whom yogis beyond the worlds seek long within.
बालादित्यश्रेणिसमानद्युतिपुञ्जां
A mass of splendour equal to a row of young suns.
गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥१॥
I praise Mother Gauri, the lotus-eyed one.

Creation and dissolution are her playful sport, yet she is the inner secret yogis seek beyond all worlds. In Advaita, Shakti and Brahman are not two: the luminous power that projects the universe is the same Self known in the heart.

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Verse 2

प्रत्याहारध्यानसमाधिस्थितिभाजां नित्यं चित्ते निर्वृतिकाष्ठां कलयन्तीम् । सत्यज्ञानानन्दमयीं तां तनुरूपां गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥२॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

प्रत्याहारध्यानसमाधिस्थितिभाजां
For those established in withdrawal, meditation, and samadhi.
नित्यं चित्ते निर्वृतिकाष्ठां कलयन्तीम् ।
Who is ever imagined in the mind as the summit of bliss.
सत्यज्ञानानन्दमयीं तां तनुरूपां
Her who is embodiment of truth, knowledge, and bliss.
गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥२॥
I praise Mother Gauri, the lotus-eyed one.

For the disciplined mind, Gauri is the highest joy and the very form of sat-chit-ananda. The deity contemplated in meditation is ultimately the non-dual Self appearing as the gracious form that guides the seeker inward.

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Verse 3

चन्द्रापीडानन्दितमन्दस्मितवक्त्रां चन्द्रापीडालङ्कृतनीलालकभाराम् । इन्द्रोपेन्द्राद्यर्चितपादाम्बुजयुग्मां गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥३॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

Word breakdown

चन्द्रापीडानन्दितमन्दस्मितवक्त्रां
Whose gentle smiling face is gladdened by the moon-crested Lord.
चन्द्रापीडालङ्कृतनीलालकभाराम् ।
Whose mass of dark hair is adorned with the crescent moon.
इन्द्रोपेन्द्राद्यर्चितपादाम्बुजयुग्मां
Whose pair of lotus feet are worshipped by Indra, Upendra, and others.
गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥३॥
I praise Mother Gauri, the lotus-eyed one.

The union of Shiva and Shakti in her smiling form points to the unity of consciousness and power. Gods bow at her feet because the Lord of all is inseparable from his own creative energy.

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Verse 4

आदिक्षान्तामक्षरमूर्त्या विलसन्तीं भूते भूते भूतकदम्बप्रसवित्रीम् । शब्दब्रह्मानन्दमयीं तां तटिदाभां गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥४॥

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आदिक्षान्तामक्षरमूर्त्या विलसन्तीं
Shining from beginning to end as the imperishable form.
भूते भूते भूतकदम्बप्रसवित्रीम् ।
Producing hosts of beings in each created being.
शब्दब्रह्मानन्दमयीं तां तटिदाभां
Her who is bliss of Sabda-Brahman, bright as lightning.
गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥४॥
I praise Mother Gauri, the lotus-eyed one.

She is the unbroken vibration of sacred sound from which every being springs. In Advaita, Sabda-Brahman and the supreme Self are one: the primordial word and the silent witness are not opposed.

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Verse 5

मूलाधारादुत्थितवीथ्या विधिरन्ध्रं सौरं चान्द्रं व्याप्य विहारज्वलिताङ्गीम् । येयं सूक्ष्मात्सूक्ष्मतनुस्तां सुखरूपां गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥५॥

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मूलाधारादुत्थितवीथ्या विधिरन्ध्रं
Through the pathway rising from muladhara to Brahmarandhra.
सौरं चान्द्रं व्याप्य विहारज्वलिताङ्गीम् ।
Pervading the solar and lunar channels, her body blazing in play.
येयं सूक्ष्मात्सूक्ष्मतनुस्तां सुखरूपां
She who is subtler than the subtle, of the very form of bliss.
गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥५॥
I praise Mother Gauri, the lotus-eyed one.

She animates the subtle yogic channels from the root to the crown. The Kundalini path is not other than the awakening of the blissful Self that dwells as the finest essence within.

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Verse 6

नित्यः शुद्धो निष्कल एको जगदीशः साक्षी यस्याः सर्गविधौ संहरणे च । विश्वत्राणक्रीडनलोलां शिवपत्नीं गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥६॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

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नित्यः शुद्धो निष्कल एको जगदीशः
The eternal, pure, partless, sole Lord of the world.
साक्षी यस्याः सर्गविधौ संहरणे च ।
Who is witness of her in creation and in dissolution.
विश्वत्राणक्रीडनलोलां शिवपत्नीं
Who sports in protecting the universe, Shiva's consort.
गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥६॥
I praise Mother Gauri, the lotus-eyed one.

Shiva witnesses creation and destruction through Shakti without himself changing. Ishvara and his power are one reality: the changeless Self appears as the universe's protective play through its own energy.

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Verse 7

यस्याः कुक्षौ लीनमखण्डं जगदण्डं भूयो भूयः प्रादुरभूदुत्थितमेव । पत्या सार्धं तां रजताद्रौ विहरन्तीं गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥७॥

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यस्याः कुक्षौ लीनमखण्डं जगदण्डं
In whose womb the unbroken cosmic egg dissolves.
भूयो भूयः प्रादुरभूदुत्थितमेव ।
And again and again appears risen forth.
पत्या सार्धं तां रजताद्रौ विहरन्तीं
Her who sports with her Lord on the silver mountain.
गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥७॥
I praise Mother Gauri, the lotus-eyed one.

The cosmic egg dissolves and re-emerges in her, yet she delights on Kailasa with her Lord. Macrocosm and microcosm cycle in Maya's womb while the witnessing Self remains ever at peace.

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Verse 8

यस्यामोतं प्रोतमशेषं मणिमाला- सूत्रे यद्वत् कापि चरं चाप्यचरं च । तामध्यात्मज्ञानपदव्या गमनीयां गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥८॥

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यस्यामोतं प्रोतमशेषं मणिमाला-
In whom all is woven and threaded through, as on a jewelled
सूत्रे यद्वत् कापि चरं चाप्यचरं च ।
String, both the moving and the unmoving alike.
तामध्यात्मज्ञानपदव्या गमनीयां
Her who is reached by the path of inner knowledge.
गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥८॥
I praise Mother Gauri, the lotus-eyed one.

All existence is strung on her like beads on a thread. The path of adhyatma-jnana reveals that the one consciousness threads through every moving and unmoving form.

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Verse 9

नानाकारैः शक्तिकदम्बैर्भुवनानि व्याप्य स्वैरं क्रीडति येयं स्वयमेका । कल्याणीं तां कल्पलतामानतिभाजां गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥९॥

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Editorial Advaita reflection

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नानाकारैः शक्तिकदम्बैर्भुवनानि
With manifold hosts of Shaktis, the worlds.
व्याप्य स्वैरं क्रीडति येयं स्वयमेका ।
She alone, having pervaded them, sports freely.
कल्याणीं तां कल्पलतामानतिभाजां
The auspicious one, a wish-fulfilling creeper to the humble.
गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥९॥
I praise Mother Gauri, the lotus-eyed one.

One alone becomes many through her Shaktis and playfully pervades every world. To the humble devotee she is the kalpataru granting what is truly good: knowledge of the Self.

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Verse 10

आशापाशक्लेशविनाशं विदधानां पादाम्भोजध्यानपराणां पुरुषाणाम् । ईशामीशार्धाङ्गहरां तामभिरामां गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥१०॥

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आशापाशक्लेशविनाशं विदधानां
Who bestows destruction of the bondage of hope and sorrow.
पादाम्भोजध्यानपराणां पुरुषाणाम् ।
For men devoted to meditation on her lotus feet.
ईशामीशार्धाङ्गहरां तामभिरामां
The charming one who is half the body of the Lord of lords.
गौरीमम्बामम्बुरुहाक्षीमहमीडे ॥१०॥
I praise Mother Gauri, the lotus-eyed one.

Meditation on her lotus feet cuts the fetters of desire and grief. Ardhanarishvara images the truth that the highest Lord and his power are one undivided reality.

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