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Monday 7 November 2011

sadA mohATavyAM carati yuvatInAM kuca-girau
naTaty-AshA-shAkhAsu aTati jhaTiti svaramabhitaH /
kapAlin biksho me hRdaya-kapim-atyanta-capalaM
dRDhaM bhaktyA baddhvA shiva bhavad-adhInaM kuru vibho //

This is Shloka 20 of Adi Shankara's SivAnanda-lahari. This should, by repetition with sincerity, help anybody to overcome sensual thoughts occupying the mind.

Meaning: Oh Lord Shiva, the mind constantly dwells on the sensualities of the woman's form and dances on the hopes and desires generated by such thoughts. Oh Lord, with the skull as the begging bowl please deign to bind my extremely fickle monkey-mind tightly with the rope of devotion and make it totally subservient to you!

For the benefit of us, ordinary mortals, Adi Shankara himself has given us this strong forceful prayer. We have to imbibe it and make it come from our innermost heart.

1 comment:

  1. The second line of the verse needs the following correction:

    ..................svairam-abhitaH.

    ReplyDelete