Both Sivananda Lahari and Saundarya Lahari are excellent bhakti granthas of Adi Sankara that extol the innumerable facets of the boundless grace of the divine couple, Siva and Sakti. The acharya begins these two hymns by paying obeisance to their inseparableness. Kalidasa too, in his Kumarasambhava, propitiates Parvati and Parameswara as the parents of the jagat and compares their oneness to the organic unity of word and meaning. The first verse in Sivananda Lahari highlights the fact that Siva and Sakti are forever engaged in penance to help the jivatmas cope with the dangers of samsara and also to lead them out of it to salvation, pointed out Sri B. Sundarkumar in a discourse.
Being united in their love and dedication to art, each sports the Chandra Kala on their head. Many have been inspired by the exceptional sincerity and commitment of their severe penance by which they attained each other. Kalidasa mentions how great rishis were impressed by the perfection in Parvati’s penance which she performed to attain Siva. Siva’s penance as Dakshinamurthy is to impart the highest jnana through the chin mudra in silence. Srishti, Stiti, Laya and all other activities are under their control. They are the very essence of all auspiciousness. They are always ready to grant fruits and benefits such as wisdom, knowledge, prosperity, worthy children, good conduct, etc, on those devotees who worship them with love and devotion in the heart. Even the highest Purushartha, salvation is attainable by those who bow down to them in all humility. The true devotee will soon realise the enormous value of their grace. A strong feeling of contentment settles down in his inner being and he has nothing to fear, not even death. He knows that at the end of this lifetime, he is sure to reach their feet.
