Saundaryalahari of Sri Sankaracarya (Shankaracharya)

by Swami Tapasyananda (tr.)

Saundarya-lahari (or The Inundation of Divine Splendour') is a highly poetical but at the same time a tough technical work of Sri Sankaracarya, who was both the Bhasyskara (commentator) on the Texts of Vedanta philosophy, as also the Sanmata-sthapaka (the founder of the systems of worship of the six Deities of the Hindu pantheon). While this Text is a hymn of praise of the Divine Mother known as Tripurasundari. Lalita, Sodasi, etc., in Her creative aspect, it also deals with the technicalities of Sri Cakra and its worship according to the Samaya tradition. Besides being a highly poetical composition, it is also a Mantra Sanstra, the source of many Mantras used in the adoration of the Divine Mother for the attainment of various blessings of life. The very recitation of this hymn is considered as many to be an adoration of the Divine. The present book will be helpful to such devotees in understanding the meaning of its verses through an English translation and Notes based on the commentary of Laksmidhara on the hymn.