Canonical Ref: SL 55
Sanskrit (Devanāgarī)
निमेषोन्मेषाभ्यां प्रलयमुदयं याति जगती
तवेत्याहुः सन्तो धरणिधरराजन्यतनये ।
त्वदुन्मेषाज्जातं जगदिदमशेषं प्रलयतः
परित्रातुं शङ्के परिहृतनिमेषास्तव दृशः ॥ ५५॥
तवेत्याहुः सन्तो धरणिधरराजन्यतनये ।
त्वदुन्मेषाज्जातं जगदिदमशेषं प्रलयतः
परित्रातुं शङ्के परिहृतनिमेषास्तव दृशः ॥ ५५॥
English Scholarly Translation
O daughter of the mountain-king! "By your closing and opening of eyes, the universe attains dissolution
and creation" — thus do the wise declare. I suspect that your eyes, having refrained from blinking, are
[so doing] in order to protect this entire world — born from your eye-opening — from dissolution.
and creation" — thus do the wise declare. I suspect that your eyes, having refrained from blinking, are
[so doing] in order to protect this entire world — born from your eye-opening — from dissolution.
व्याख्या / Traditional Commentary & Notes
Classical Exegesis
【Title: Her Blinking — Creation and Dissolution】
Śaṅke ("I suspect / I conjecture") is a deliberate rhetorical device
called ūha (conjecture / surmise). The verse first states as authoritative doctrine (quoting
"the wise ones") that the universe cycles through the Goddess's blinking. Then the poet offers his own
sweet speculation: I suspect the reason her eyes don't blink now is that she is staring wide-open to
keep the world alive. This is not theology but the logic of love — a mother who fears to blink lest the
child suffer. The shift from āhuḥ santaḥ (authoritative wisdom) to śaṅke (personal
conjecture) enacts the move from impersonal scripture to intimate devotion.
Padaccheda: निमेष-उन्मेषाभ्याम् · प्रलयम् · उदयम् · याति · जगती · तव · इति · आहुः · सन्तः · धरणिधर-राजन्य-तनये ·
त्वत्-उन्मेषात् · जातम् · जगत् · इदम् · अशेषम् · प्रलयतः · परित्रातुम् · शङ्के · परिहृत-निमेषाः · तव ·
दृशः
Canonical CTS URN Reference
Saundaryalaharī, SL 55. Poorvam Open Research Engine (PORE) Corpus.