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Devotion Itself Becomes the Goal

न मोक्षस्याकांक्षा भवविभववाञ्छापि च न मे
न वि़ज्ञानापेक्षा शशिमुखि सुखेच्छापि न पुनः ।
अतस्त्वां संयाचे जननि जननं यातु मम वै
मृडानी रुद्राणी शिव शिव भवानीति जपतः ॥
-देवी अपराधक्षमापनस्तोत्रम् ८

na mokṣasyākāṅkṣā bhava-vibhava-vāñchāpi ca na me
na vijñānāpekṣā śaśi-mukhi sukhecchāpi na puna: ।
atas-tvāṃ saṃyāce janani jananaṃ yātu mama vai
mṛḍānī rudrāṇī śiva śiva bhavānīti japata: ॥
-Devi aparādhakṣamāpanastotram 8

Translation

I do not entertain any desire for liberation. Nor do I have any desire for worldly prosperity. O Goddess with moonlike countenance! Neither do I crave for attaining spiritual wisdom, nor happiness. Hence, O Mother, I beseech you in full humility, grant that my lifetime here be spent uttering solely your names – Mṛḍānī, Rudrāṇī, Śiva Śiva Bhavānī – and those alone.

Points for Introspection

When the mind attains exclusive, wholesome devotion to God, desires for all worldly objects and attainments fade away. One no more depends on the world for happiness. Love for God becomes so deep and overpowering that one finds no delight in any other thing. Such a mind always craves to be in the thought of God and be embraced by God in one’s own heart.

For a devotee who remains absorbed in the thought of God, the world with all its varieties and allurements have no attraction at all. He realizes that this transitory and perishable world is not going to bestow permanent happiness and peace at any time; it is not going to give fearlessness and immortality.

Such a devotee not only develops strong dispassion for worldly objects and enjoyments, he does not even seek liberation (mokṣa). He derives supreme delight and fulfillment in chanting the name of God, to be in the constant remembrance of God, experiencing Him constantly in his heart all the time.

In this shloka, the devotee is addressing the universal Divine Mother. A true devotee surrenders completely to the Divine Mother, just as a small child finds mother’s lap to be the supreme refuge, with no fear or anxiety. He derives his strength and confidence from the Divine Mother alone. His only happiness is to be in Her lap, singing Her name unbrokenly. He does not look for anything else.

He prays: “O Mother, I do not crave for wealth or prosperity. Nor do I have any desire for liberation. I do not even seek spiritual wisdom or happiness. I consider, O Mother, the unbroken chanting of Your name alone to be supreme in this world, greater than seeking even ‘mokṣa’.

“Therefore, O Divine Mother, grant me that I spend my life chanting Your sweet and holy names liked Mṛḍānī, Rudrāṇī, Bhavānī, etc. ”

Chanting this shloka and identifying with the prayer of the devotee, makes one feel completely secure and fulfilled in the Divine Mother’s lap, wanting nothing at all from this transitory world.

Word Meaning

न (na) = not; मे (me) = for me; मोक्षस्य (mokṣasya) = for liberation; आकांक्षा (ākāṅkṣā) = desire; भवविभववाञ्छा (bhava-vibhava-vāñchā) = desire for worldly prosperity; अपि (api) = also; च (ca) = and; न (na) = not; शशिमुखि (śaśi-mukhi) = O with moon-like countenance; न (na) = not; विज्ञानापेक्षा (vijñānāpekṣā) = desire for spiritual wisdom; पुनः (puna:) = again; सुखेच्छा (sukhecchā) = desire for happiness; अपि (api) = also; न (na) = not; अतः (ata:) = hence; जननि (janani) = O Mother; त्वां (tvāṃ) = you; संयाचे (saṃyāce) = I beseech; मृडानी (Mṛḍānī) = Goddess Parvati; रुद्राणी (rudrāṇī) = Goddess Durga; शिव शिव (śiva śiva) = Śiva Śiva; भवानी (bhavānī) = Goddess Bhavāni; वै (vai) = indeed; इति (iti) = thus; जपतः (japata:) = uttering; मम (mama) = my; जननं (jananaṃ) = life; यातु (yātu) = passes;

अन्वयः

न मे मोक्षस्य आकांक्षा; भवविभववाञ्छा अपि च न । शशिमुखि ! न विज्ञानापेक्षा , पुनः सुखेच्छा अपि न । अतः जननि त्वां संयाचे – मृडानी रुद्राणी शिव शिव भवानी इति जपतः मम जननं यातु वै ।

na me mokṣasya ākāṅkṣā; bhava-vibhava-vāñchā api ca na. śaśimukhi! na vijñānāpekṣā, puna: sukhecchā api na. Ata: janani tvāṃ saṃyāce – mṛḍānī rudrāṇī śiva śiva bhavānī iti japata: mama jananaṃ yātu vai.