||त्रिपुरसुन्दरीअष्टकम्||

.. त्रिपुरसुन्दरी अष्टकं ..

           त्रिपुरसुन्दरी अष्टकम्
           Octad to tripurasundarii

           by shriimad.h sha.nkaraachaarya

          Introduction

The transliteration of Sanskrit terms is according to
ITRANS scheme, which is close to the pronunciation.
The translation and commentary on this text can be found in
http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/1415/tripura8-itx
Please direct all your suggestions and corrections to
mgiridhar@ucdavis.edu.

Before we begin, let us offer ourselves at the feet of
the Divine Mother, mahaatripurasundarii, who as Ishvara rules the
world but is none other than the indwelling spirit (Atman) within
us and which pervades us all that exists.

This introduction deals with the background on the name of
tripurasundarii . It is one of the best epithets to describe the Devi
meaning that she is the belle of all the three worlds . The word tripura
can be interpreted variously . The kaalikaa purANa says that by the will of
pradhaana, the body of Lord Shiva became triple : the upper part became
Brahma, the middle part became VishhNu and the lower part became Rudra . As
these three pura-s (bodies) are in Lord Shiva, he is called Tripura (three
bodied) and his wife is known as tripuraa . In the kaamakalaa vilaasa
(13,14), the honored sage, abhiyukta, mentions that Devi created all the
three forms and she is before all (purobhava), because she is in the form
of all the three (trayiimayi) and exists even after the dissolution of the
three worlds and recreates them again . In the brahmANDa-purANa, it is
mentioned that the Goddess tripurasundarii rules over the entire universe
and She is the supreme empress, and Brahma, VishhNu and Shiva are mere
functionaries in her empire . The Lalitaa Sahasranaama portrays Her
as being attended by Lakshmi and Saraswati on either side.
Shankaracharya, in his saundrayalahirii, mentions that Brahma, VishhNu
and Shiva started
their cosmic processes when the Supreme Shakti knitted Her brow for a
split second.

        The Devi mantra consists of three syllables, and her fifteen lettered
mantra panchadashaakshari is composed of three kuuTa-s (peaks).
She resides in three naaDi-s (nerve channels), namely sushhumnaa, pingalaa, and
iDaa . She is the ruler of the three Shaktis - ichchaa (will), kriyaa
(action), and GYAna (knowledge). She pervades all the three worlds -
heaven, earth and the nether world . She is the controller of all the three
bodies - sthUla (gross), suukshhma (subtle), and kaaraNa (causal). She is
the self which is present through the three states of existence - jaagrat
(waking), svapna (dream), and sushhupti (deep sleep). Though she is above
all guNa-s, She pervades the three modes of energy- sattva (purity), rajas
(mobility) and tamas (inertia).

        Love and joy are the inherent qualities of beauty . Sundarii means
belle and beauty . Shankaracharya, while explaining Chandogya upanishhad 7,
31:1, mentions that all longing and desire is a source of pain, and in what
is finite there is no bliss . He mentions that the Infinite alone can
produce bliss . When bliss takes on a form, it is sundarii: sarvaa.nga
sundarii (lalitaa trishati, verse 130) and Shankara comments on
this name of the
Devi as the one who possesses all the marks of beauty and has all the
qualities of perfection and is thus the source of Bliss.
The translation and commentary on this text can be found
in http://www.geocities.com/RodeoDrive/1415/tripura8-itx

May the Divine Mother guide us in our every action and thought, and may
She confer upon us the greatest gift of all, moksha (liberation) by removing
the veil of maya which She weaves.

At Her feet, AUM tat.h sat.h

\onecolumn
त्रिपुरसुन्दरीअष्टकम् Please
forward corrections to mgiridhar@ucdavis.edu.


कदम्बवनचारिणीं मुनिकदम्बकादम्बिनीं
नितम्बजित भूधरां सुरनितम्बिनीसेविताम् .
नवाम्बुरुहलोचनामभिनवाम्बुदश्यामलां
त्रिलोचनकुटुम्बिनीं त्रिपुरसुन्दरीमाश्रये .. १..

कदम्बवनवासिनीं कनकवल्लकीधारिणीं
महाहर्मणिहारिणीं मुखसमुल्लसद्वारुणीम् .
दयाविभवकारिणीं विशदलोचनीं चारिणीं
त्रिलोचनकुटुम्बिनीं त्रिपुरसुन्दरीमाश्रये .. २..

कदम्बवनशालया कुचभरोल्लसन्मालया
कुचोपमितशैलया गुरुकृपालसद्वेलया .
मदारुणकपोलया मधुरगीतवाचालया
कयाऽपि घननीलया कवचिता वयं लीलया .. ३..

कदम्बवनमध्यगां कनकमण्डलोपस्थितां
षडम्बुरुहवासिनीं सततसिद्धसौदामिनीम् .
विडम्बितजपारुचिं विकचचंद्रचूडामणिं
त्रिलोचनकुटुम्बिनीं त्रिपुरसुन्दरीमाश्रये .. ४..

कुचाञ्चितविपञ्चिकां कुटिलकुन्तलालंकृतां
कुशेशयनिवासिनीं कुटिलचित्तविद्वेषिणीम् .
मदारुणविलोचनां मनसिजारिसंमोहिनीं
मतङ्गमुनिकन्यकां मधुरभाषिणीमाश्रये .. ५..

स्मरप्रथमपुष्पिणीं रुधिरबिन्दुनीलाम्बरां
गृहीतमधुपात्रिकां मदविघूणर्नेत्राञ्चलां .
घनस्तनभरोन्नतां गलितचूलिकां श्यामलां
त्रिलोचनकुटुंबिनीं त्रिपुरसुन्दरीमाश्रये .. ६..

सकुङ्कुमविलेपनामलकचुंबिकस्तूरिकां
समन्दहसितेक्षणां सशरचापपाशाङ्कुशाम् .
अशेषजनमोहिनीमरुणमाल्य भूषाम्बरां
जपाकुसुमभासुरां जपविधौ स्मराम्यम्बिकाम् .. ७..

पुरंदरपुरंध्रिकां चिकुरबन्धसैरंध्रिकां
पितामहपतिव्रतां पटपटीरचचार्रताम् .
मुकुन्दरमणीमणीलसदलंक्रियाकारिणीं
भजामि भुवनांबिकां सुरवधूटिकाचेटिकाम् .. ८..

      .. इति श्रीमद् शंकराचार्यविरचितं
त्रिपुरसुन्दरीअष्टकं समाप्तं ..