तवापर्णे कर्णेजपनयनपैशुन्यचकिता निलीयन्ते तोये नियतमनिमेषाः शफरिकाः। इयं च श्रीर्बद्धच्छदपुटकवाटं कुवलयम् जहाति प्रत्यूषे निशि च विघटय्य प्रविशति॥
tavāparṇē karṇē-japa-nayana-paiśunya-cakitā nilīyantē tōyē niyatam animēṣāḥ śapharikāḥ। iyaṁ ca śrīr baddha-cchada-puṭa-kavāṭaṁ kuvalayam jahāti pratyūṣē niśi ca vighaṭayya praviśati॥
Translation
O Aparna, fish, frightened by the whispering slander of your eyes near your ears, always hide in water with unblinking gazes. And Lakshmi, leaving the closed blue lotus at dawn, enters it at night by opening its petals.
Word by word
- tava
- your
- aparṇē
- O Aparna (one who abstains from leaves)
- karṇē
- in the ear
- japa
- whispering
- nayana
- eyes
- paiśunya
- slander, envy
- cakitā
- frightened
- nilīyantē
- hide
- tōyē
- in water
- niyatam
- always
- animēṣāḥ
- unblinking
- śapharikāḥ
- fish
- iyaṁ
- this
- ca
- and
- śrīḥ
- Lakshmi
- baddha
- closed
- cchada
- petals
- puṭa
- fold
- kavāṭaṁ
- gate
- kuvalayam
- blue lotus
- jahāti
- abandons
- pratyūṣē
- at dawn
- niśi
- at night
- vighaṭayya
- opening
- praviśati
- enters
Meaning
This verse poetically compares the Goddess’s eyes to fish and Lakshmi. Fish, metaphorically representing lesser beings, hide in water, intimidated by the beauty of her eyes, which seem to whisper envy near her ears. Lakshmi, symbolizing prosperity, resides in the blue lotus (likened to her eyes), entering at night when it opens and leaving at dawn when it closes. In the Śrīvidyā tradition, her eyes are celebrated for their divine allure, surpassing all beauty and wealth. The epithet Aparṇā (one who fasted without leaves) invokes her ascetic power, emphasizing her supremacy over worldly and divine entities.