Here Swami Lakshmanjoo reveals how to remain devoted amidst the turmoil and ups and downs of life.
This translation is taken from Utpaladeva’s devotional text: Hymns to Shiva, Utpaladeva’s Shivastotravali.
“Let me be . . . in crisis or peaceful, or miserable or happy . . . by the intensity of Thy devotion . . . I don’t mind.” ~Swami Lakshmanjoo
Chapter 16 (11:36)
विषमस्थोऽपि स्वस्थोऽपि रुदन्नपि हसन्नपि ।
गम्भीरोऽपि विचित्तोऽपि भवेयं भक्तितः प्रभो ॥८॥
viṣamastho’pi svastho’pi rudannapi hasannapi /
gambhīro’pi vicitto’pi bhaveyaṁ bhaktitaḥ prabho //8//
O Lord Śiva, O my Master, by the intensity of my devotion, viṣamastho’pi, let me remain in crisis altogether for my whole life. I don’t mind.
Svastho’pi, let me remain peaceful. I don’t mind. If my life is peaceful, let it remain peaceful. If my life is miserable altogether from top to bottom, let it remain like that.
Rudannapi, if I am bent upon weeping altogether, day and night, let me remain like that. Hasannapi, if I am only laughing for my whole life, let it be like that.
Gambhīro’pi, if I will be gambhīra (bhīra is grave), let me remain grave, reserved.
Vicitto api . . . Vicitto’pi means that thing which is not to be revealed to people, that, too, you reveal. That is vicitta. When something is a secret, it is to be kept a secret, but you don’t keep it secret; you reveal it to people.
SCHOLAR: A blabbermouth.
SWAMIJI: Yes, that is vicitta.
. . . and this position would come to me by the intensity of Thy devotion.
