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Shivananda Lahari
शिवानन्दलहरी
Śivānandalaharī
Chant
यथा बुद्धिः शुक्तौ रजतमिति काचाश्मनि मणि र्जले पैष्टे क्षीरं भवति मृगतृष्णासु सलिलम् तथा देवभ्रान्त्या भजति भवदन्यं जडजनो महादेवेशं त्वां मनसि च न मत्वा पशुपते ॥८॥
Study note
Word breakdown
- यथा बुद्धिः शुक्तौ रजतमिति काचाश्मनि मणि
- as intellect sees silver in shell, jewel in glass, milk in water
- र्जले पैष्टे क्षीरं भवति मृगतृष्णासु सलिलम्
- water in mirage, so the dull worship another god in confusion
- तथा देवभ्रान्त्या भजति भवदन्यं जडजनो
- not thinking of You, O Pasupati, Mahadeva
- महादेवेशं त्वां मनसि च न मत्वा पशुपते
- O Lord of beings, supreme Shiva
Like mistaking shell for silver, the ignorant worship lesser gods. The Advaitin sees all such appearances as misapprehension; only Shiva, the supreme Self, is the reality behind every mistaken object of devotion.
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