धन ुः पौष्पं मौर्वी मध करमयी पञ्च वर्वविख ुः
र्वसन्तुः स मन्तो मलयमरुद योधनरथुः ।
तथ प्येकुः सर्वं विमविररस ते क मवप कृप म्
अप ङ्ि त्ते लब्ध्र्व जिददद-मनङ्िो वर्वजयते ॥ ६॥
"Dhanuh Paushpam Maurvi Madhukara-mayi Pancha-vishikaah Vasanthah Saamantho Malaya-marudaa-yodhana-rathaha! Thathaapy-ekaha Sarvam Himagiri-suthe Kaamapi Krupaam Apaangaaththe Labdhvaa Jagad-idam-anango Vijayathe!"
Translation:
Dhanuh – bow; Paushpam – flowery; Maurvi – bowstring; Madhukara-mayi –of bumblebees; Pancha – five; Visikha – flowery darts (arrows); Vasantah – Spring time; Saamanto – infusing; Malayam-arud – riding on the; Sayodhana – southern breeze; Rathah – chariot; Tathapi – In spite of (this); Eka – one: Sarvam – (and) all; Himagiri – Himalaya (king of mountains); Sute – daughter; Kaam-api – some or little; Krpam – some little grace; Aapangaat-te – merely from sideward-glance; Labdhva – obtaining; Jagad – world; Idam – this; Anango – Kaama (Manmatha); Vijayate – reigns supreme. (It is the nearest and not the exact word-to-word translation though)
Literal Meaning:
Oh, daughter of the snow-clad Himalaya mountain (Himagiri-sute)! Kaama deva / Manmatha, the God of love, has only a bow made of arrows, with its string comprised of a cluster of honeybees, and merely five arrows of flowers; choosing the spring season and the southern breeze as his chariot to ride; yet, with such frail equipment, being bodiless and alone, he (Manmatha) conquers the entire universe with some favour obtained from your benign sideward glance.
Deeper Philosophy:
This verse conveys both gross and subtle meanings of what Adi Shankara intends to convey. At the gross level, the verse implies the supremacy of Devi in by stating that merely with side-ward glance, god Kaama Dev (Manmatha) who has no body after being burnt by the fierce anger of Shiva and was rejuvenated with life by the divine grace of Devi, carries a very harmless bow made of flowers that has a bow-string of honey bees and carries along only a set of 5 arrows or darts made of flowers, is able to wreak such lovelorn havoc even in the minds of the highly attained by activating their senses through the five sense organs of eyes (sight), nose (smell), ears (hearing), tongue and skin (touch) that constitute the pancha tanmatras or the five sense objects. One may wonder how can Kaama dev with such a subtle or simple bow made of flowers and a bow string of bees and a quiver containing just 5 arrows, that too made of flowers, wreak such lovelorn havoc. Such is the comparison made to explain her infinitive power of supremacy.
On a subtle higher level, one may understand that it the divine mother who blesses with liberation from Maya when one stays focussed on attaining spiritual enhancement. Spring is the season of rejuvenation in nature when everything that has been shed during the autumn season (preceding summer and winter) rejuvenates into fresh life. Spring is the season of bloom or love. Everything in nature comes to life. Manmatha (Kaama deva) chooses such a season and, though has no gross body (Shiva destroys by opening His third eye and it is the blessings of Devi that bring him back to life though in a subtle way without body or its visibility to anyone except his wife Rathi), he rides the southerly breeze and chooses targets with merely a bow made of flowers, a bowstring made of honey bees and a quiver that has just five darts or arrows that he uses to shoot to infuse the feelings of love.
The subtler meaning implied by Adi Shankara would be that the mischief of Kaama Deva spares none – not even those who are attained beings, such as the rishis, from succumbing to love infused by him with the arrow / darts of flowers. The symbolic portrayal of a bow string made of honey bees, perhaps, refers to the manner in which one should stay focussed in seeking / moving forward in pursuit of liberation. Honey bees always swarm the flowers in hordes but not in a straight line as a bow string. But, their focus is strongly centred on drinking the nectar contained in the flowers and nothing else distracts them. Also, a quiver with just five arrows could signify the five sense organs or the Pancha Tanmatras, viz., smell (nose), sight (eyes), touch (skin), taste (tongue) and hearing (ears), as only these are required to immerse oneself into the pleasures of life / indulgence and yearn for more and more of it and, thus, remain engrossed in worldly affairs and undergo the cycle of life and death through the effects of karma generated therefrom. The soul gets covered with karma-mala (dirt of action) and strays from the path of seeking the divine ultimate.
Similarly, those who wish to seek moksha / liberation or attain spirituality, should stay stay focussed on seeking the divine mother for Her blessings and not stray on the path of sensory pleasures induced by the five sense organs or the Pancha Tanmatras. Divine Mother blesses those who stay focussed in realising Shivatva or the Sat-Chit-Ananda consciousness. The name 727 of Sri Lalita Sahasranama, i.e., Sivagnanapradayini states that it is She who blesses with the knowledge of Shiva or the Sat-Chit-Ananda state of consciousness.
Mode of worship:
Anyone seeking to derive the blessings of Devi must recite this verse at least for 11 times each day for the benefit of self and family. The yantra may be made on a gold plate or draw it on milk placed in a silver vessel. Sit facing East. Chant this verse 500 times daily for 21 / 24 days. The milk may be consumed as prasad.
Archana: Chant Lalitha Trishathi; offer jasmine or white flowers.
Offerings/Neivedya: Sugarcane pieces, kheer, betel and supari (areca nut), spices like clove, cardamom, etc.
Beneficial Results Cure for impotency and blesses with children.
Literal Results: The benefits of reciting this verse are: favour from superiors at places of work; availability of resources to those who intend to start new ventures or business, as also to those who work against odds. The words "jagad-idam-anango vijayathe" connotes the blessings of Devi in obtaining all round success in life and in obtaining the patronage of people in higher echelons as also success in competitions. As offerings of spices such as cloves is indicated in neivedyam and the kind of benefits this verse bestows, it seems as a verse to be recited for removal of afflictions of the graha/planet Mars (Kuja/mangal).
''Hari Om''
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