Bhakti Punyaaha

The Punyaaha of Love

भक्तो भक्ति गुणावृते मुद् अमृतापूर्णे प्रसन्ने मनः

कुम्भे साम्ब तवाङ्घ्रि पल्लव युगम् संस्थाप्य संवित् फलम् 

स त्वं मन्त्रम् उदीरयन् निज शरीरागार शुद्धिम् वहन् 

पुण्याहं प्रकटीकरोमि रुचिरं कल्याणम् आपादयन् ।।

Shivananda lahari , 

Shri Adi Shankara

Shloka 36 

"The lover devotee, binds herself with the threads of intense love(Anahata chakra). Her mind becomes the Kalasha into which is poured the nectarine water of joy and bliss. (Water element from the Swadhisthana chakra). Oh, Shiva, consort of Mother! Your two Feet( Aajna chakra petals) , are the mango leaves she places inside them, along with sustained focus as the coconut(frontal cortex)  between. She chants the "Sa tvam" (You are Him) (also a pun for 'Sattva' guna - meditative quality ) mantra. She cleans thus, her own house which is the body, with such sacred waters. This is the Punyaaha of the highest order. 

This great ritual I (Adi Shankara) perform too, expecting grace before the Big Wedding to come. "

Kalyaanam = wedding , also means Moksha. Punyaha is done as a preparatory ritual before marriages, to purify the space and develop receptivity. Here, he very beautifully versifies and spiritualises, this external ritual. He puns the word Kalyanam, to mean he/she the devotee will soon to be married off to Shiva, to become His property solely and willfully, utterly lost to Him. 

Here, he masterfully incorporates poetic elements , with religious imagery , marries Yogic practice with Advaitic conclusions! A multidimensional master poet truly.

Reference

https://youtu.be/FGIv8CCg6uA?si=27Lr998fYRxR85NB

See time stamp  @24:10