Sharada Bhujanga Prayatashtakam

शारदाभुजङ्गप्रयाताष्टकम्

Śāradābhujaṅgaprayātāṣṭakam

All 8 verses

Verse 1

सुवक्षोजकुम्भां सुधापूर्णकुम्भां प्रसादावलम्बां प्रपुण्यावलम्बाम् । सदास्येन्दुबिम्बां सदानोष्ठबिम्बां भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥१॥

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सुवक्षोजकुम्भां सुधापूर्णकुम्भां प्रसादावलम्बां प्रपुण्यावलम्बाम् । सदास्येन्दुबिम्बां सदानोष्ठबिम्बां भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥१॥: I ever worship Sharada, my mother, whose breasts are fair pitchers, whose form is a pitcher full of nectar, who is the support of grace, the support of great merit, whose face is ever a moon-disc, whose lips are ever bimba-fruit discs.

The goddess as vessel of nectar and refuge of grace images knowledge as the fullness that feeds the soul; when the mind turns to the mother of learning, it drinks the sweetness that dissolves the thirst of ignorance.

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Verse 2

कटाक्षे दयार्द्रां करे ज्ञानमुद्रां कलाभिर्विनिद्रां कलापैः सुभद्राम् । पुरस्त्रीं विनिद्रां पुरस्तुङ्गभद्रां भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥२॥

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कटाक्षे दयार्द्रां करे ज्ञानमुद्रां कलाभिर्विनिद्रां कलापैः सुभद्राम् । पुरस्त्रीं विनिद्रां पुरस्तुङ्गभद्रां भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥२॥: I ever worship Sharada, my mother, moist with compassion in her sidelong glance, with the gesture of knowledge in her hand, skilled in arts, auspicious in branches of learning, foremost among women, foremost in lofty auspiciousness.

Compassion in the glance and jnana-mudra in the hand unite heart and insight; the arts and scriptures she masters are not ornaments on ignorance but expressions of the one consciousness that illumines every discipline.

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Verse 3

ललामाङ्कफालां लसद्गानलोलां स्वभक्तैकपालां यशःश्रीकपोलाम् । करे त्वक्षमालां कनत्प्रत्नलोलां भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥३॥

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ललामाङ्कफालां लसद्गानलोलां स्वभक्तैकपालां यशःश्रीकपोलाम् । करे त्वक्षमालां कनत्प्रत्नलोलां भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥३॥: I ever worship Sharada, my mother, with forehead marked by auspicious lines, delighting in shining song, sole protector of her devotees, with fame and splendor on her cheeks, with rosary in hand, fond of ancient texts.

Protector of devotees alone and lover of sacred song, she holds the rosary of syllables that count toward the Self; learning becomes worship when sound and meaning both point beyond the letter to the witness mind.

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Verse 4

सुसीमन्तवेणीं दृशा निर्जितैणीं रमत्कीरवाणीं नमद्वज्रपाणिम् । सुधामन्थरास्यां मुदा चिन्त्यवेणीं भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥४॥

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सुसीमन्तवेणीं दृशा निर्जितैणीं रमत्कीरवाणीं नमद्वज्रपाणिम् । सुधामन्थरास्यां मुदा चिन्त्यवेणीं भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥४॥: I ever worship Sharada, my mother, with well-parted braid, whose gaze conquers the black antelope, who makes Sarasvati and Indra bow, whose speech is slow and sweet as churned nectar, joyfully meditated upon.

She bends Vani and the wielder of the thunderbolt because true knowledge humbles every lesser power; speech slow as churned nectar teaches that wisdom ripens not in haste but in patient dwelling on the one to be known.

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Verse 5

सुशान्तां सुदेहां दृगन्ते कचान्तां लसत्सल्लताङ्गीमनन्तामचिन्त्याम् । स्मरेत्तापसैः सर्गपूर्वस्थितां तां भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥५॥

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सुशान्तां सुदेहां दृगन्ते कचान्तां लसत्सल्लताङ्गीमनन्तामचिन्त्याम् । स्मरेत्तापसैः सर्गपूर्वस्थितां तां भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥५॥: I ever worship Sharada, my mother, very peaceful, of beautiful form, with hair curling at the corners of her eyes, with limbs like shining creepers, infinite and inconceivable, remembered by ascetics as established before creation.

Peaceful and inconceivable, meditated on since before creation, she is the eternal ground of all knowing; the sage's remembrance of her predating the world mirrors the Self known prior to the rise of the universe in awareness.

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Verse 6

कुरङ्गे तुरङ्गे मृगेन्द्रे खगेन्द्रे मराले मदेभे महोक्षेऽधिरूढाम् । महत्यां नवम्यां सदा सामरूपां भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥६॥

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कुरङ्गे तुरङ्गे मृगेन्द्रे खगेन्द्रे मराले मदेभे महोक्षेऽधिरूढाम् । महत्यां नवम्यां सदा सामरूपां भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥६॥: I ever worship Sharada, my mother, mounted on deer, horse, lion, lord of birds, swan, rutting elephant, or great bull, ever in Sama form on the great ninth day.

Riding every noble vehicle, she shows knowledge taking form through countless modes without being bound to any; the one goddess on Mahanavami reveals that the Self appears as many yet remains the single source of all manifestation.

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Verse 7

ज्वलत्कान्तिवह्निं जगन्मोहनाङ्गीं भजे मानसाम्भोजसुभ्रान्तभृङ्गीम् । निजस्तोत्रसङ्गीतनृत्यप्रभाङ्गीं भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥७॥

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ज्वलत्कान्तिवह्निं जगन्मोहनाङ्गीं भजे मानसाम्भोजसुभ्रान्तभृङ्गीम् । निजस्तोत्रसङ्गीतनृत्यप्रभाङ्गीं भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥७॥: I worship Sharada, fire of blazing splendour, enchanter of the world, bee hovering on the lotus of the devotee's mind. I ever worship Sharada, my mother, taking delight in the limbs of her own hymn, song, and dance.

Bee on the mind's lotus and fire of splendour, she draws thought from distraction into luminous focus; when praise becomes song and dance, devotion discovers that the knower, known, and means of knowing are one delight.

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Verse 8

भवाम्भोजनेत्राजसम्पूज्यमानां लसन्मन्दहासप्रभावक्त्रचिह्नाम् । चलच्चञ्चलाचारुताटङ्ककर्णां भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥८॥

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भवाम्भोजनेत्राजसम्पूज्यमानां लसन्मन्दहासप्रभावक्त्रचिह्नाम् । चलच्चञ्चलाचारुताटङ्ककर्णां भजे शारदाम्बामजस्रं मदम्बाम् ॥८॥: I ever worship Sharada, my mother, worshipped by Brahma lotus-born, whose gentle smile illumines the marks on her face, whose ears are adorned with charming swinging earrings.

Worshipped by the lotus-born creator and radiant with gentle smile, she is the light before which even cosmic origination bows; the soft radiance on her face invites the mind to rest in the beauty that precedes and outshines every made thing.

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