Soundarya Lahari Verse 3 — Avidyanam Antah — Word-by-Word Meaning
सौन्दर्यलहरी श्लोक ३ — अविद्यानामन्तः
Every Sanskrit word explained in English
Word-by-Word Breakdown
अविद्यानाम्
avidyānām
for the ignorant / those in spiritual darkness
अन्तः-तिमिर
antaḥ-timira
the inner darkness
मिहिर-द्वीप-नगरी
mihira-dvīpa-nagarī
a sun-city (an island-city of the sun) that dispels it
जडानां
jaḍānāṃ
for the dull-witted / inert minds
चैतन्य-स्तबक
caitanya-stabaka
the blossom-cluster of consciousness
मकरन्द-स्रुति-झरी
makaranda-sruti-jharī
a flowing stream of trickling honey/nectar
दरिद्राणां
daridrāṇāṃ
for the poor
चिन्तामणि-गुणनिका
cintāmaṇi-guṇanikā
a string (necklace) of wish-fulfilling gems
जन्म-जलधौ
janma-jaladhau
in the ocean of birth (samsara)
निमग्नानां
nimagnānāṃ
for those drowning / submerged
दंष्ट्रा
daṃṣṭrā
the tusk
मुररिपु-वराहस्य
muraripu-varāhasya
of Vishnu in His Boar (Varaha) incarnation, the foe of Mura
भवति
bhavati
(Your dust) becomes / is
Complete Translation
The dust of Your feet is, for the ignorant, a sunlit city that scatters the inner darkness of nescience; for the dull-minded, a stream of flowing honey from the blossom-cluster of pure consciousness; for the poor, a necklace strung with wish-granting Chintamani gems; and for those drowning in the ocean of birth and death, it is the upraising tusk of Vishnu in His Boar incarnation.
Origin & History
Source: Soundarya Lahari, Verse 3
Author: Adi Shankaracharya
Period: c. 8th century CE
From the Ananda Lahari portion of the hymn, this verse develops the praise of the Mother's feet with a famous fourfold simile. Its imagery of a sun-city, a honey-stream, a gem-necklace and the Varaha tusk is much quoted to show how Devi's grace answers every kind of human need. It is composed in the Shikharini metre.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the four similes in Verse 3?▼
The dust of the Goddess's feet is compared to (1) a sun-city dispelling the darkness of ignorance, (2) a stream of honey from the flower of consciousness for the dull, (3) a necklace of wish-fulfilling Chintamani gems for the poor, and (4) the rescuing tusk of Vishnu as Varaha for those drowning in samsara.
What is the deeper meaning of these images?▼
Each image answers a human lack — ignorance, dullness, poverty and bondage. The verse teaches that the Divine Mother's grace supplies exactly what each devotee needs, whether knowledge, intelligence, wealth or liberation.
Is this verse chanted for wisdom?▼
Yes. Because the first image describes the dust of Her feet as a sun that scatters inner darkness, seekers of knowledge and students frequently recite this verse to pray for clarity, learning and the removal of ignorance.
What is the 'Varaha tusk' reference?▼
It alludes to Vishnu's Boar (Varaha) incarnation, who lifted the earth from the cosmic waters on his tusk. The verse says the Mother's grace is like that tusk, lifting devotees out of the deep ocean of repeated birth and death.
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