वैराग्यशतकम् - आशा - 3

The mangala sloka for this text is a very beautiful sloka that connects a lot of elements in one. Mangala sloka is written to remove any obstacles that may arise during the process of writing the work. It may be in the form of prayer or may include purpose of the work or characters in the work.

चूडोत्तंसितचारुचन्द्रकलिकाचञ्चच्छिखाभास्वरः
लीलादग्धविलोलकामशलभः श्रेयोदशाग्रे स्फुरन्।
अन्तःस्फूर्जदपारमोहतिमिप्राग्भारम् उच्छाटयन्
चेतस्सद्मनि योगिनां विजयते ज्ञानप्रदीपो हरः॥

cūdottaṁsita-cāru-candra-kalikā-cañcacchikhā-bhāsvaraḥ
līlā-dagdha-vilola-kāma-śalabhaḥ śreyo daśāgre sphuran|
antaḥsphūrjadapāra-moha-timira-prāgbhāram ucchāṭayan
cetassadmani yogināṁ vijayate jñānapradīpo haraḥ||

Let me go over this sloka step by step.
हरः विजयते – Siva remains victorious योगिनां चेतस्सद्मनि – in the minds of Yogis ज्ञानप्रदीपो – as the fire of knowledge. His matted hair (शिखा) is भास्वर shining with चारु the beautiful चन्द्रकलिका crescent moon चूडोत्तंसित placed at the crown. He shines (स्फुरन्) as the foremost of spiritual felicity (श्रेयोदशाग्रे) because He destroyed विलोलकाम the fickle manmatha लीला in a sportive manner. Manmatha is equated to a moth शलभ which comes of its own accord and falls into the fire thereby dies. अपार मोह Never-ending ignorance that is अन्तःस्फूर्जत् present inside, like तिमिर darkness and प्राग्भारम् stands in front thereby blinding our eye of reasoning, is removed उच्छाटयन् by Lord Siva.

Poets tend to equate ignorance with darkness and that it is destroyed by the sun of knowledge. Siva has all three forms of light in him – moon, sun and agni. Moon on his head, He is like the sun in expelling darkness and has the fire in His third eye that burnt Manmatha.

Siva can dwell only in the minds of yogis. Why? Their minds are pure and without any desire or illusion. Why is it that Yogis think of Siva? The poet gives the reason as “He is the one who burnt Manmatha” and hence is the best person to remove the unnecessary thoughts that are present in minds and give the knowledge. Thus, all we need to do is meditate upon Lord Siva’s feet and the desires of their own accord would get destroyed by the fire of knowledge.

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