Saundarya – Lahari: The Ocean of Beauty

The Saundarya-Lahari eminently shares the characteristics of a poem displaying the finest touches of poetical fancy, a Stotra, hymn, in praise of the Goddess Tripurasundari, a series of Mantras, mystic formulae and finally an exposition of the Agamas and Tantras bearing on the worship of the Supreme Being known as the Sri – vidya. Saundarya-Lahari is a beautiful poem with spiritual, mythical and tantric principles intricately woven into it. It consists of a hundred and three hymns in praise of the Goddess Tripurasundari. The first forty-one stanzas are referred to generally as the Anand-Lahari (the Ocean of Spiritual Bliss), while the second part gives its name to the whole book. The highest forms of worship envisaged by the Vedic Seers are far above the level of many. Therefore, other suitable forms of worship have been formulated. One such is the Sri-Vidya, worship of the Supreme in its feminine aspect. In this text, Sri Samkaracarya expounds that worship in its pristine purity.