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The Saundarya Lahari () is a famous literary work in Sanskrit attributed to as well as Adi Shankara. Some believe the first part "Ananda Lahari" was etched on mount Meru by Ganesha himself (or by Pushpadanta). Sage Gaudapada, the teacher of Shankar's teacher Govinda Bhagavadpada, memorised the writings of Pushpadanta which was carried down to Adi Shankara. Its hundred and three (verses) praise the beauty, grace and munificence of goddess Parvati in the form of Tripura Sundari. W. Norman Brown translated it to English which was published as volume 43 of the Harvard Oriental Series in 1958.
There are several legends about this work. According to one legend, Adi Shankara visited Mount Kailash to worship Shiva and Parvati. There, Shiva gave him a manuscript containing 100 verses which described the many facets of the goddess, as a gift to him. While Adi Shankara was returning after visiting Kailash, Nandi stopped him on the way. He snatched the manuscript from him, tore it into two, took one part and gave the other to Adi Shankara. Adi Shankara, desolate, ran to Shiva and narrated the incident to him. Shiva, smilingly, commanded him to retain the 41 verses with him as the initial part of the 100 verses and then, write an extra 59 verses in praise of the goddess himself. Thus, verses 1–41 are the original work of Shiva, shedding great light on the ancient rituals of Tantra, Yantra, and various powerful . The remaining verses, that is, 42–100 are composed by Adi Shankara himself, which mainly focuses on the appearance of the goddess. Yet another legend says that once when Adi Shankara was visiting Kailash, Shiva was writing about the beauty of goddess Parvati on the walls of their home. Shiva rubbed what he wrote as he didn't want Adi Shankara who was an outsider reading about the beauty of his wife. But Adi Shankara had seen some part of the writings and with his superior mind recollected the rest. Thus, he composed the Saundarya Lahari.
There are many English translations with commentaries on Saundarya Lahari done by various authors.
The first verse of Soundariya Lahari was composed by Adi Shankaracharya. It explains that the world functions only when Shiva and Shakti are united. Shakti is described as the fundamental cause of the universe and the force that moves everything. Even the gods attain completeness only through Shakti’s grace. The Mother is seen both as the world and as the soul. This concept forms the core of the Shakti philosophy in Soundariya Lahari.
It is stated both that the Mother is the fundamental power of the world and that divine power manifests as the Mother. The philosophical idea of the unity of Shiva and Shakti, expressed in Soundariya Lahari, is presented in the film song in an emotionally resonant motherly form that the general public can easily connect with. The Mother is described as the cause of the universe and the one who completes everything. The profound ideas in the philosophical text are expressed in the film song in a way that touches people’s hearts through the emotional form of the Mother.
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