LALITHA SAHASRANAMAM
@ S. Subramaniam
सिञ्जान मणि मञ्जीर मण्डित स्रीपदाम्बुजा (46)
Sinjana Mani Manjira Mandita Sri Padambuja (46)
Meaning:
Devi's lotus-like feet are adorned with jewelled anklets fitted with gems that produce melodious tinkling sound.
Interpretation:
Sri Padambuja refers to the lotus like feet of Devi (in yesterday's discussion we found the word lotus not being mentioned anywhere but here it is - Ambuja stands for lotus); Sinjana means the tinkling sound, Mani stands for gems, Manjira refers to anklets (golusu) and Mandita should be decorated with.
"To create" is an action and when an action takes place, it is natural to produce sound. Though all the ornaments adorning Devi represent Shakti Swaroopam, it is only two of them that are described to make sound - the Rashana (oddiyanam) producing kinkinaka sound and the Manjira (golusu) producing Sinjana sound.
The sound coming out of Devi's ornaments represent the Maha Vakyas and devotees meditating upon the sounds (kinkinaka & sinjana) are granted salvation (Mukti).
Adi Shankara's imaginations have no bounds at all. Here, to praise / explain the tinkling sound produced by Devi's anklet, he brings into lore the swans that live in the palace of Devi.
Usually poets describe the gait of beautiful women as ‘hamsa-gati' அன்ன நடை being the gait of swans. But the Acharya, reversing this analogy, says that it is the swans that learn their gait from the beauty of Ambaal’s gait!
Further he adds, it is the auspicious jingling sound of the gem-studded anklet of Devi (सुभग मणि मञ्जीर - Subhaga Mani Manjira) that teaches the swans the art of walking (अतस्तेषाम् शिक्षां - Atha-s-Teshaam Shikshaam).
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