Dr. Rahalkar's thoughts...

Sri Dasbodh (1.3).  “Sharada Stavan (Praise unto Goddess of Learning)”

 Sri Samartha exhibits an extra-ordinary genius while narrating unique attributes of the Goddess of Learning Saraswati Sharada. This exposition is indeed highly philosophical, brilliant and poetic. Whereas Form of Sri Ganesh is Jnyana personified, that of Sri Sharada is Power embodied ! This exposition highlights Advaita (non-dual) Vedantic philosophy in addition to his Self-experience. Just as entire universe is suffused with pure consciousness, a mighty power is also immanent therein. What is more, the almighty Lord pervades entire universe as Omkar and universal consciousness on the  one hand and on the other becomes  all encompassing power !
In fact, the pairs Eeshwar and Maya, Shiva and Shakti, Ganapati and Sharada verily connote the same meaning. We should recognise Sri Ganesh as the basis to understand ‘meaning’, whereas Sri Sharada as the basis that creates a word for the meaning understood !!
Humans possess the capacity to express their thoughts in word form, which later converts into action. Therefore it may be deduced that entire activity taking place in the world is the power or Shakti of Sri Sharada. Indeed, Sri Sharada creates innumerable universes and destroys those too,  by virtue of her immense power. It is just her sport, Leela. She  induces entire activities in all the beings. Indeed, it is only her grace that makes thinking brains to discriminate between the true and false, moral versus immoral, permanent against ephemeral, thus creating detachment unto the false, immoral and transient.

Being better half of the ever blissful Lord she remains in the fourth –  ‘Turiya’, the transcendental state (first three being waking, dream and deep sleep state) and ever remains inspirational. In fact, she is the key for the aspirants that makes them immersed in their own Selves steadily. She bestows strength to Yogins in meditation, to  aspirants for their contemplation and to Siddhas for establishing into Samadhi states.

Sri Samartha begins his discourse thus –

1. I prostrate unto Sri Sharada the mother of Vedas, daughter of Brahmadev, very birthplace of Sound and the Owner  of speech -Mahamaya.
2. She creates ‘word’ in subtle manner; speech results from myriads of words and she is the very one that explains meanings of those words.
3. She can be discovered in the Samadhi state of Yogins and in the fearlessness of the brave and courageous. She destroys attributes of both knowledge as well as ignorance.
4. She is  consort of the Eternal One, the Lord Himself. She is verily the transcendental state ‘Turiya’, which devotees experience by virtue of close proximity with the Lord. It is her power that induces Sadhus (noble beings)  undertaking great tasks.
5. Sri Sharada manifests herself in the peace of great souls and in  detachment of the Jnyani, knowledgeable. She is the very power  of Eeshwar the Lord. Moreover, her beauty lies in her being absolutely devoid of desires and passions.
6. Sri Sharada creates umpteen universes and  destroys those as her sport. However, she  hides herself in the very form of the Lord.
7. She is visible to senses alright but cannot be discerned through logic. And therefore Brahma and the likes are unable to recognise her whereabouts or her true nature either.
8. Sri Sharada makes entire worldly activities dance at her behests while herself remaining dormant in all those (worldly dramas). In fact, she is verily the immaculate inspiration that  sprouts within the conscience. The power inherent in Jnyana is her form, which makes one enjoy the blissful divine state.
9. She is indeed beauty par excellence for splendour of entire universe. She is absolutely one with the glory and brilliance of  the Sun representing the Lord. She dispels expanse of the visible world through power of words.
10. Sri Sharada is the grandeur of Liberation itself and the very auspicious state of mergence unto the Divine. Very mine of beauty Saraswati Sharada grants everlasting peace unto the being; it is just the sport of benevolence inherent in her.
11. She makes the Unmanifest Lord to manifest; she is verily the will-power that expands basic resolve of the Lord (Ekoham bahoosyam- I Am All Alone, Let Me become Many). In fact, Grace of the Sadguru that controls even Kala (time, death) is verily her grace.
12. The aspirant using his spiritual practices as a tool is brought face to face with his own true Self by Sri Sharada through ‘Atmanatma-vivek’, that is, discretion to analyse Self from Non-Self. Wth the help of sheer word-power (listening and contemplating) she transports the aspirant beyond precincts of the visible world.
13. Thus, the one embellishing in variety of forms, Sri Sharada is  only one single Maya. This self-evident, complete and homogeneous Maya seems to inhabit human conscience in four forms.
14. Whatever inspires within human conscience as three forms of speech (‘Para, Pashyanti and Madhyama’) , directly manifests in word as the fourth, that is, ‘Vaikhari or spoken speech. Entire dealings depend upon words. Thus, all of the accomplishments result from the power of Sri Sharada.
15. Sharada is mother to likes of Brahma; why, even Vishnu and Shiva are born from her. In fact, all the three worlds that constitute this huge universe is an expanse of Sri Sharada alone.
16. Sharada is verily the basis of entire spirituality; nay, she is verily Knowledge of the Self ! Sri Sharada happens to be the quiet, peaceful, immaculate and motionless state of the Lord.
17. The one inducing Yogins into meditation, aspirants into contemplation and the one establishing herself in the conscience of ‘Siddhas’ (the enlightened) is Sri Sharada.
18. Recognising Form of Sri Sharada introduces one on to attribute less ness (‘Njrguna) and one experiences one’s own pristine Self (‘Swa-Swaroopa). Moreover, one experiences that she envelops entire visible things and beings.
19. Entire Shastra, mythology, Veda and Shruti etc keep extolling Sri Sharada alone. Moreover, all humans too venerate her in different ways.
20. Veda and Shastra are great by virtue of Sri Sharada. Truly speaking Form of the Lord is beyond imagination; words are unable to reach there. However, Sri Sharada brings the Divine into the ambit of human imagination by giving it the name “Paramatma” and brings the incomparable into the sphere of similes .
21. One should regard the role of Sri Sharada in making the Divine cognise its ‘Being There’ as pure knowledgeable consciousness . She being  knowledge embodied in the first place, entire forms of knowledge, crafts, occult powers and intellectual prowess is her sport all the way.
22. In addition, devotion of the Lord’s devotees, Atma-Sthiti (state of being fully aware of one’s true Self) of the knowledgeable (Jnyani) who is immersed in The Self having been introvert and the very Liberation of the Enlightened is Sri Sharada alone.
23. Sri Sharada is uniquely eternal being Maya of the Lord. Nobody is able to understand the drama of the universe so skilfully created by her. In fact she entangles the so-called Knowledgeable all the more by puffing ego of their erudition !
24. One should regard very form of her which is visible to eyes, that understood through words and whatever the mind imagines !!
25. One cannot pursue praise unto the Lord, worship unto Him or devotion without help from Maya, which is verily Sri Sharada.  Only the experienced ones can understand true meaning of this statement of mine.
26. Therefore, I finally make obeisance unto greater than greatest and Lord of Lords Sri Sharada, becoming a fraction of her, that is being one with her !!!

                                Hari Om Tat Sat