2023-02-16 06:27:16 by ambuda-bot
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LALITA SAHASRANAMA
feature of the hymn is the perfect balance it maintains
between its pure poetry and its technical theology by
me ins of the genuine religious spirit which runs through
it In dealing with his subject matter the author had
to avoid two pitfalls On the one hand there was the
danger of his litany becoming a purely secular poem
like the Agamanı songs addressed to the goddess by the
Bengali poets of later day and, on the other, there was
the danger of the hymn becoming a mere exposition of
a system of theology like the Tantras of an earlies day
And he has succeeded in avoiding both His poetry
never ceases to be religious and his philosophy seldom
becomes merely technical His admiration for the
dazzling beauty of the goddess and his comprehension
of all that she stands for in the hearts of men go up in
fine Jets of poetry, even while he is expounding
abstract philosophy or complex ritual Consequently,
the goddess in this hymn neither vanishes into the thin
air of a mere idea nor comes down to the earth as a
purely human figure She remains a goddess of
transcendent beauty, leading a host of divinities against
the forces of evil She is not a cold virgin, but a
young wife passionately fond of her
Kamesvara She is also a mother who loves her
children and takes pride in their exploits She is ever
young, ever rose red like the morning sun, and the jewels
she wears rival the stars in their splendour Her
breath has the perfume of camphor, her voice is
sweeter than the vina of Sarasvati and her person
is fragrant with the scent of sandal She is
passionately fond of flowers-champaka asoka pun-
husband-
6
feature of the hymn is the perfect balance it maintains
between its pure poetry and its technical theology by
me ins of the genuine religious spirit which runs through
it In dealing with his subject matter the author had
to avoid two pitfalls On the one hand there was the
danger of his litany becoming a purely secular poem
like the Agamanı songs addressed to the goddess by the
Bengali poets of later day and, on the other, there was
the danger of the hymn becoming a mere exposition of
a system of theology like the Tantras of an earlies day
And he has succeeded in avoiding both His poetry
never ceases to be religious and his philosophy seldom
becomes merely technical His admiration for the
dazzling beauty of the goddess and his comprehension
of all that she stands for in the hearts of men go up in
fine Jets of poetry, even while he is expounding
abstract philosophy or complex ritual Consequently,
the goddess in this hymn neither vanishes into the thin
air of a mere idea nor comes down to the earth as a
purely human figure She remains a goddess of
transcendent beauty, leading a host of divinities against
the forces of evil She is not a cold virgin, but a
young wife passionately fond of her
Kamesvara She is also a mother who loves her
children and takes pride in their exploits She is ever
young, ever rose red like the morning sun, and the jewels
she wears rival the stars in their splendour Her
breath has the perfume of camphor, her voice is
sweeter than the vina of Sarasvati and her person
is fragrant with the scent of sandal She is
passionately fond of flowers-champaka asoka pun-
husband-
6